Each revolt in our neighbourhood was driven by corruption, with lessons for India
Like in Darbhanga, where people are not happy with their lot but have made their peace with it, in Nepal too, structural change seems a bridge too far
Jobs are scarce and competition is fierce, even for low-paying work
Bipin Joshi was 23 when he left Nepal for Israel as part of an agricultural study program. Less than three weeks into his time there, he was taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023
Nepal's deposed Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday said the current government is trying to arrest him without sufficient ground while claiming that it is not serious in conducting the general election on March 5, 2026. During his first interaction with editors and senior journalists in Kathmandu over a month after his ouster from power, Oli said his party, CPN-UML, will seek reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives. The former PM added that the government was trying to arrest him by hook or crook, though there was no sufficient ground for the same. Oli resigned in early September after violent protests by the youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media. Former top judge Sushila Karki became the interim prime minister on September 12. President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved parliament on her recommendation. The next general election is set to take place on March 5, 2026. The Gen Z youths were asking the government to arr
A 4.9-magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal's Sudurpashchim province on Thursday. There were no immediate reports of any damage caused by the earthquake. The earthquake was recorded at 1:08 am, with its epicentre located at the Dantola area of Bajhang district, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre. The Bajhang district is situated around 475 km West of Kathmandu. Tremors were also felt in the neighbouring districts of Bajura, Baitadi and Darchula. There was no immediate report about any damage caused by the tremor. Nepal lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (Seismic zones IV and V), making it extremely vulnerable to earthquakes. It experiences multiple quakes in any given year.
Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel was hospitalised on Saturday after experiencing sudden health problems, according to authorities, who said his condition is normal so far. Paudel, 80, was admitted to the Manmohan Cardiothoracic and Vascular Transplant Centre here after his health condition deteriorated, according to the sources at the President's Office. He complained of a severe headache and vomiting and was immediately taken to the hospital, according to hospital sources. Doctors are monitoring his health condition, and so far it is normal, said a press release issued by the hospital. President Paudel was supposed to hold discussions on Saturday morning with representatives of the Gen Z group, around 20 of whom had already reached the President's Office for dialogue. However, after Paudel's health deteriorated, the dialogue was postponed till Monday, the sources said. In 2023, Paudel was airlifted to India for treatment for a chest-related ailment at the All India Institute
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing and asserted that as a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required. At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. Of 40 deaths, 37 were reported from different areas of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a press release. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "The loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing. We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time." "As a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required
At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. As many as 37 people were killed in different places of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a press release. Of the 37, eight people each were killed in Deumai and Maijogmai municipalities, six each in Ilam municipality and Sandakpur rural municipality, five in Suryodaya municipality, three in Mangsebung and one in Fakfokthum village, according to the NDRRMA. One person died in Panchthar due to landslide and one each were killed in Khotang and Udayapur districts as they were swept away by floods, said the official. Four people have gone missing from Rasuwa district as they were swept away by floods. A person buried in landslide in Panchthar district has also gon
Nepalese authorities on Saturday have restricted the entry and exit of vehicles from Kathmandu due to incessant rainfall and the possibility of landslides for the next three days. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued a notice saying restrictions have been put on vehicles entering and exiting Kathmandu valley from Saturday to Monday. The authorities have also asked people not to operate long route vehicles for the next three days unless in an emergency. A red alert has been issued for areas around the Bagmati and East Rapti rivers. Continuous downpour has been reported in Kathmandu and other parts of the country since Friday night, as the Monsoon has become active, the authorities said. Meanwhile, domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have been halted due to bad weather. Hansa Raj Pande, general manager at TIA, Kathmandu, said that domestic flights from Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Bhadrapur, Pokhara and Tumlingtar have been
Protests continued on Friday in Madagascar, where police have killed at least 22 people, even after President Andry Rajoelina sacked his entire government in response to the unrest
Oli recently vacated the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on September 9 after weeks of Gen Z-led protests culminated in the fall of his government
Nepal's minister of Energy and Water Resources Kulman Ghising is scheduled to visit India in October to attend the 8th meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). This will be the first visit to India of a minister of the newly-formed government of PM Sushila Karki. Karki, 73, became prime minister on September 12, ending days of political uncertainty after the ouster of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli following violent protests by youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media. The Council of Ministers' meeting on Sunday decided to approve Ghising's proposed visit to India from October 27 to 30 to attend the ISA meeting in Delhi, according to officials. The Council of Ministers also approved Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal's visit to the US to attend the joint meeting of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund from October 13 to 18.
The judicial commission formed to investigate the suppression of the Gen Z protests in Nepal earlier in the month recommended on Sunday the seizure of passports of the deposed prime minister KP Sharma Oli and four others. The commission also instructed Oli, former home minister Ramesh Lekhak and others to seek permission if they wished to leave Kathmandu, ensuring accountability as investigations against them proceed, according to a statement by Bigyan Raj Sharma, a member of the commission. The development comes a day after Oli denied giving shooting orders during the 'Gen Z' protests. At least 19 protesters were shot dead during the police firing on September 8, the first day of the Gen Z protest that led to Oli's ouster the next day. As violence continued, the total number of deaths during the two-day protests against the Oli government over corruption and a ban on social media reached 75. Days after Sushila Karki was sworn-in as the prime minister of the interim government, a .
Nepal etched their name in history books, defeating two-time world champions West Indies by 19 runs in the opening T20 International here for their first-ever victory against a Full ICC Member nation. Nepal had earlier beaten Afghanistan in 2014, but the latter were still an Associate Member at that time. Saturday's result, therefore, marked Nepal's biggest win yet on the international stage, and came in their maiden T20I clash against the Caribbean side and first bilateral series against a Full Member. Sent in to bat, Nepal posted 148 for 8 and then returned to restrict West Indies to 129 for nine. West Indies reduced Nepal to 12 for 2 in the fourth over after Akeal Hosein and Jason Holder struck early. But Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel (38) and Kushal Malla (30) steadied the innings with a 58-run stand before debutant Navin Bidaisee dismissed both in quick succession. Malla provided the early impetus with two sixes, while Dipendra Singh Airee (24) and Gulsan Jha chipped in to keep
The Department of Justice last year accused Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, of attempting to assassinate a US citizen of Sikh faith in New York
Nepalese Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Thursday said that the government is committed to taking stern action against those responsible for the death of 74 people, including students, during the Gen Z protests. In her first televised address to the nation after assuming the post of caretaker Prime Minister, Karki said the government has already started work related to conducting the Parliamentary election on March 5, as per the mandate given to the government. She called on all sections of the society to cooperate in maintaining a law and order situation and creating a conducive environment for conducting free, fair and impartial elections. PM Karki made it clear that the present government is not mandated to amend the constitution and to alter the system of governance. Those things will be decided by the new Parliament through the constitutional process, she added. Amendment to the constitution and a change in the system of governance were among the demands of the Gen Z ...
The protests escalated dramatically on Sept. 8, when police fired on groups of young demonstrators, killing more than 20 people
The BJP on Wednesday alleged that the violence in Ladakh was a part of the Congress' nefarious design to create situations in the country which were witnessed in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines under a nefarious design. The ruling party's charge came after the movement for the demand of statehood to Ladakh and the Union Territory's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution descended into violence, arson and street clashes in Leh, killing four people and injuring at least 45, including 22 police personnel. "Today in Ladakh, an attempt was made to portray some protests as being led by 'Gen Z' but when an investigation was carried out, it was found that this was not a Gen Z protest but actually a Congress protest," BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters at the party headquarters here. "The Congress has a nefarious design. It's Congress' conspiracy. 'Bharat tere tukde honge Inshallah, Inshallah' is the Congress' main line This is Rahul Gandhi's plan
South Asia stayed calm as the upper-middle class aspired to a globalised life, but slowing growth, tech shifts, and travel limits, amplified by TikTok and Instagram, are stoking frustration