Page 7 - Nepal

GenZs lead protest in Nepal against govt's ban on all social media apps

Army deployed in Kathmandu after Gen-Z demonstrators stormed Parliament, leaving over 80 injured in clashes with police

Oli says 'nation first' amid social media ban protests in Nepal

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday, speaking about the government's decision to ban unregistered social media platforms, said the nation being undermined can never be tolerated, even as various groups opposed the move. Nepal on Thursday banned social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube among others for failing to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology within the given deadline. According to the notice issued by the ministry, the social media companies were given seven days from August 28 to register. Even when the deadline expired on Wednesday night, none of the large social media platforms including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and LinkedIn submitted applications. Oli, addressing party representatives on the final day of a convention by the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist), said that the party would always oppose anomalies and arrogance, a

Facebook, Instagram goes dark in Nepal as govt ban comes into effect

Many of the social media users have been complaining about an outage in the service, with the prompt reading hmm... something went wrong

Nepal, Bhutan citizens do not require passport, visa to enter India: MHA

The citizens of Nepal and Bhutan as well as Indians entering India by land or air from the two neighbouring countries will not be required to furnish a passport or visa, as earlier. The members of the naval, military or air forces of India entering or exiting India on duty and the family members of any such person, when accompanying such a person on a government transport, will also not be required to carry a passport or visa, according to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) following the enforcement of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. The requirement of a valid passport or other valid travel documents and a valid visa for entry into, stay in and exit from India shall not apply if "a citizen of India entering into India by land or by air over the Nepalese or Bhutanese frontier, a citizen of Nepal or Bhutan entering into India by land or air over the Nepal or Bhutan border or if he possesses a valid passport while entering or exiting India from or to a place

Nepal reports 82 deaths and 22 missing in monsoon-related incidents

Nepal recorded 82 deaths in monsoon-related incidents this year, less than half compared to last year's figure, an official report said on Sunday. According to a report released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 22 people are missing owing to the monsoon-related disasters such as floods, landslides, heavy rain, lightning and windstorms. However, the country witnessed on average 22 per cent less rainfall this year compared to last year, the report added. The report said that 284 people were injured in 1,417 incidents related to the monsoon across the country. Altogether 3,899 families were affected in various incidents between mid-April (Nepalese New Year) and August end. There were a total of 243 flood-related incidents, leading to 27 deaths, 22 people missing, and 10 injuries. During the same period, 368 landslides occurred, resulting in 18 deaths and 28 injuries. The landslides displaced 481 families. Similarly, 266 cases of heavy rainf

China, Nepal to conduct joint anti-terror military drills in September

The Chinese and Nepalese militaries will conduct a joint counter-terrorism training exercise in Nepal next month, the defence ministry here announced on Thursday, days ahead of Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's visit to China. The exercises to be held from early to mid-September will feature comprehensive counter-terrorism drills, as well as training in disaster relief and peacekeeping operations, Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang told a press conference here. This will be the fifth such joint training between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Nepalese armed forces, and it will further enhance their joint counter-terrorism capabilities and deepen the traditional friendship and practical cooperation between the two militaries, Zhang said. Prime Minister Oli will arrive in China on Saturday for a five-day visit during which he will attend the SCO plus Summit in Tianjin and a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Chine

FS Vikram Misri concludes two-day visit to Nepal, meets top leaders

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday wrapped up his two-day visit to Nepal during which he met the country's top leadership and discussed progress in different areas of bilateral cooperation. Misri, who arrived here at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai, called on President Ramchandra Paudel, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba during his visit. "He conveyed to them greetings from the leadership in India and briefed them on the progress being made in various aspects of the mutually-beneficial bilateral cooperation between the two countries," the Indian Embassy said in a press release on Monday. Misri also handed over a formal invitation to Prime Minister Oli from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit India on mutually convenient dates, it said. He also held wide-ranging discussions with Rai on Sunday and reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and discussed opportunities for further collaboration, ...

Vikram Misri holds talks with Nepal's top leadership on boosting ties

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday called on Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and President Ramchandra Paudel and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors. Misri arrived here earlier in the day for a two-day visit to the Himalayan nation on the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai. During his meeting with Oli, which took place at the Prime Minister's Office at Singhdurbar, matters of mutual interest were discussed to further deepen bilateral relations. Misri reaffirmed the deep civilizational ties and strong IndiaNepal partnership, and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation across various sectors, the Indian embassy here said in an X post. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava was also present at the meeting. The foreign secretary separately called on President Paudel and conveyed greetings of the Indian leadership, apart from briefing Hon'ble President on the progress in bilateral ties, the embassy sa

Foreign Secy Misri begins Nepal visit on Sunday ahead of Oli's India trip

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will pay a two-day visit to Nepal beginning Sunday as part of the preparations for Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's planned trip to India next month. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Misri is travelling to the Himalayan country following an invitation from his Nepalese counterpart, Amrit Bahadur Rai. "India and Nepal share strong and friendly ties which have seen concrete progress in recent years in diverse areas of cooperation," it said, announcing Misri's August 17-18 visit. Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti-Beti" relationship. Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal's access to the sea is through India and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India. The MEA said India attaches high priority to its relations with

Nepal PM says landlocked barriers can become gateways with India, China

Nepal can transform the barriers of "landlockedness" into gateways of opportunities with the support of its neighbours India and China, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli said on Tuesday. Oli made the comments while addressing the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) in Awaza, Turkmenistan, according to a statement issued by his office. "We are confident that, with the continued support of our neighbours, India and China, and the broader international community, we can transform the barriers of 'landlockedness' into gateways of opportunity," he said. According to the statement, Oli also said that the Himalayan nation was working with New Delhi and Beijing to enhance connectivity. Nepal firmly believes that regional solidarity and global cooperation are vital for bridging the development divide, he said. As a committed member of the LLDC family, Nepal stands ready to work with all of you, not only as a beneficiary of change, but also as a partner in

PowerGrid Q1FY26 results: Profit slips 2.5% to ₹3,630 cr on higher expenses

PowerGrid reported a rise in income to ₹11,444 crore; Board clears ₹55,000 crore fundraising and key JV, asset expansion plans

Himalayan high voltage: 76% of cars sold in Nepal are now electric

Subsidies, hydroelectricity and manufacturing powerhouse neighbour are charging up adoption of cleaner vehicles in the landlocked nation

Indian vegetable oil body demands review of Nepal imports, packaging rules

IVPA also urged the government to reintroduce standard packaging sizes for edible oils, saying the current variety of pack options creates consumer confusion over pricing

India, Nepal ink pact for 5 projects under ₹39 crore grant assistance

India and Nepal on Monday signed an agreement to implement five "high-impact" development projects related to education and health in the Himalayan nation under an Indian grant assistance of NRs 390 million, according to an official statement. The Embassy of India and Nepal's Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and Project Implementing Agencies signed Memorandums of Understanding, the Indian mission here said in a statement. The five "High Impact Community Development Projects" include the construction of various school buildings in the Madhesh and Sudurpashchim provinces. It also includes the construction of a five-bed hospital building in the Gandaki province, the press release said. The construction of these facilities will help provide better education and health facilities to the people in Nepal, it said. As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation," said the statement, adding that the projects' implementation refle

Nepal PM Oli confirms India visit, says timing depends on groundwork

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that he will be visiting India and that ground work is underway on both sides for the visit. He, however, did not specify any time. Oli's comment about his visit to India comes amid speculations by some sections of local media that he didn't receive any invitation from India for an official visit, indicating that his relations with India became sour. I will probably embark on a visit to India. My visit to India will take place after the two sides do necessary ground works, Oli said in an interview to a Nepalese Youtube channel Dishanirdesh TV late on Thursday. It was in July last year that Oli, the chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) - popular as the CPN-UML - assumed the office of Prime Minister for the fourth time. He had chosen to visit China for his maiden foreign visit, breaking the tradition of visiting India as the first destination after assuming the post of prime minister. Oli also revealed t

Floods near Nepal-China border disrupt Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage

Nepal is expected to host at least 25,000 Indian pilgrims this year for the revered Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, resuming after a five-year hiatus

Rescue efforts underway in Nepal after floods kill 9, leave many stranded

Rescue efforts continued on Thursday in Nepal to evacuate people stranded in flood-hit areas, after monsoon rains triggered a river flood in Rasuwa district that left nine dead and nearly 20 missing, media reports said. We are fully deployed in the field. We rescued more than 150 individuals, including 127 foreign nationals, and airlifted them to Kathmandu, Arjun Paudel, chief district officer of Rasuwa, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post newspaper. Paudel said that electricity and telephone services were disrupted in the area, disrupting rescue and other operations. "We are currently maintaining limited communication through the Chinese border. Efforts are underway to restore telephone connectivity and resume electricity supply, he said. Search operations are also ongoing for the 19 people who went missing following the flood on Tuesday morning, Nepal Police said. Those missing include six Chinese nationals and two police personnel. The flash flood that hit parts of Rasu

At least 9 killed, 20 missing as heavy rain floods Nepal-China border

At least nine people were killed and 20 others were missing after monsoon rains flooded a river in Nepal's Rasuwa district, sweeping away the "Friendship Bridge" that links the country to China. The continuous monsoon rainfall in China on Monday night triggered a flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal. The flooded river carried away at least nine people. Their bodies were recovered downstream, miles away from Dhading and Chitwan districts, the Republica newspaper reported. The Miteri Bridge in Rasuwa district, 120 km northeast of Kathmandu, was swept away by flooding at around 3:15 am on Tuesday. Of the 20 individuals reported missing, three are security personnel and six are Chinese nationals. Dozens of rescuers were already in the area. The flood damaged four hydropower projects in the district, affecting the supply of at least 211 MW of electricity to the national power grid. The flooded river swept away 23 cargo containers, six freight trucks, and 35 electric vehicles.

20 missing as floods wash away Nepal-China border bridge in Rasuwa

At least 20 people were missing after a river flooded by monsoon rains on Tuesday washed away the Friendship Bridge connecting Nepal with China. The continuous monsoon rainfall in China on Monday night triggered a flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal. The Miteri Bridge in Rasuwa district, 120 km northeast of Kathmandu, was swept away by flooding at around 3:15 am on Tuesday. Twenty people, including six Chinese nationals, have gone missing, official sources said. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 55 people, including four Indian nationals and one Chinese, were rescued by the joint team of Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli visited the flood-affected areas near the Nepal-China border, including parts of Rasuwa district. He was accompanied by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel. Oli in a social media post said the government is working on a war-footing to res

Nepal authorities lift restrictions on organising protests in Kathmandu

Nepal authorities have lifted the restrictions imposed on organising protests in most parts of the national capital, according to an official notice. The order issued on May 31 prohibiting sit-ins, hunger strikes, protests, public gatherings and demonstrations within the Ring Road areas of Kathmandu has been withdrawn effective from June 19, said the notice issued by the Kathmandu District Administrative Office on Thursday. The pro-monarchy protesters, demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy and the establishment of a Hindu state in Nepal, were organising protest programmes before the restrictions were imposed. The protests were disrupting business activities and transportation services, the local administration had said. Pro-monarchist groups, including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and supporters of former king Gyanendra Shah, had earlier said they would continue the protest until the monarchy was restored. However, they have withdrawn protest programmes due to the onset of