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Nepal

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Nepal. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Kathmandu

Head of State

President Ram Chandra Poudel

Head of Government

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli

Nepal’s Mera Glacier is among the handful of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that meets the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s benchmark standards. Photo: Patrick Wagnon/ICIMOD

Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

21 Mar 2026 - 3:00PM

United States

Nepal voted for change. Can its rapper-engineer PM deliver?

18 Mar 2026 - 2:10PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

Japanese governor turns heads, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights

17 Mar 2026 - 1:22PM

Hong Kong society

Letters | How Hong Kong can better support its Nepali youth

Readers discuss the challenges faced by an ethnic minority group, the need for a law to prevent workplace bullying, and the struggles of English teachers.

17 Mar 2026 - 11:30AM

A Nepali performer puts traditional costumes on a mannequin at the Asia+ Festival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on November 10, 2024. Photo: Eugene Lee

LGBTQ

Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

More than 900,000 people identify as sexual minorities in Nepal, which has some of South Asia’s most progressive laws on LGBTQ rights.

16 Mar 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

India

7 die in Nepal as bus carrying Indian pilgrims plunges off mountain road

Nine people were injured, including seven other pilgrims, when the bus careered off a road and rolled about 150 metres down a slope.

15 Mar 2026 - 8:26PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

14 Mar 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

A worker assesses the damage after a drone strike on a building in Dubai’s Creek Harbour neighbourhood on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

India

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

12 Mar 2026 - 12:36PMvideocam

Asia elections

Nepali ex-rapper will form government after landslide election win

Balendra Shah emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

8 Mar 2026 - 7:00PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong charity cancels ‘Race for Water’ fundraiser weeks before event

Annual trail-running fundraiser organised by A Drop of Life was to take place on March 22, but will no longer proceed.

8 Mar 2026 - 8:40PM

The “Race for Water” trail event scheduled for March 22 has been cancelled. Photo: Handout

Asia elections

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

7 Mar 2026 - 9:33PMvideocam

Balendra Shah, 35, receives his victory certificate on Sunday after defeating former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Nepal’s parliamentary election. Photo: AP

Protests around the world

Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million Nepalis are choosing 275 members of parliament in an election seen as a test of stability.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:09PM

Protests around the world

Video | Nepal to choose new government following Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, with 800,000 taking part for the first time.

3 Mar 2026 - 5:07PM

Human rights

‘This is our moment’: Nepal’s Gen Z voters hope for ‘turning point’ in election

While all the parties have pledged economic growth and job creation, thousands are leaving Nepal each day in search of a better life.

3 Mar 2026 - 5:09PMvideocam

An art exhibition in Kathmandu displays slogans used in the Gen Z protest in September last year. Photo: Bibek Bhandari

US, Israel war on Iran

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk as war with Iran rages on

Deaths or injuries of people from the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, who were working in the region, have been reported.

2 Mar 2026 - 8:25PMvideocam

Smoke rises from a burning building in Bahrain hit by an Iranian drone strike, after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran. Photo: Reuters

SCMP Highlights

South Korean ex-president sentenced, Buddha’s early life: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-president Yoon’s sentencing to Singapore’s auntie matchmakers, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

24 Feb 2026 - 12:30PM

Mainland China

Video | Foreigners among 19 killed in Nepal bus crash

Dozens of people were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

24 Feb 2026 - 12:11PM

Chinese embassy

Bus plunges off Nepal mountain highway: 19 dead, including Chinese national

Dozens were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

24 Feb 2026 - 12:10PMvideocam

The bus rolled down a mountain slope and landed on the banks of a river. Photo: AP

Mainland China

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

From global reach of China’s highspeed rail to an unearthed temple in Nepal, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

23 Feb 2026 - 12:30PM

Hong Kong society

Silent suffering: how a domestic helper’s Hong Kong dream became a nightmare

Nepalese helper came to city in search of better life, only to find exploitation, exhaustion and abuse behind closed doors.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:18PM

History

Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Archaeologists hope the newly discovered ruins at Siddhartha Gautam’s childhood palace will help secure Unesco World Heritage status.

21 Feb 2026 - 3:00PM

Archaeologists at work in Tilaurakot, Lumbini, Nepal. Photo: Department of Archaeology, Nepal

Protests around the world

Nepal starts campaign for first election since deadly anti-corruption protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time.

16 Feb 2026 - 12:19PMvideocam

Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate Balendra Shah (left) is going up against former Nepalese prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the poll. Photo: AFP

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Foundation gifts 5,000 Disneyland tickets to domestic helpers

Expanded charity scheme will treat workers from six nations to free day at the theme park with meals and transport covered.

10 Feb 2026 - 4:24PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s Miss Nepal hopeful follows in mother’s pageant footsteps 32 years on

Hong Kong-born Deepmala Kharel Dhakal’s national crown bid highlights pride and spirit of city’s Nepalese community.

8 Feb 2026 - 12:00PM

Tourism

‘Tip of the iceberg’: arrests in Nepal over fake mountain rescues welcomed

The suspects are believed to be among a network of scammers who have cheated insurers by staging fake rescue operations for years.

7 Feb 2026 - 4:00PM

Mountaineers approach the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal. Photo: AP

India

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on January 27. Photo: European Council/dpa

Belt and Road Initiative

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

China has ‘already proposed some projects’ in Nepal, as it looks to tap the country’s huge hydropower resources and sell power to India.

31 Jan 2026 - 10:30AMvideocam

India

Nipah cases in India raise regional anxiety but experts say escalation unlikely

The virus’s high fatality rate has prompted precautionary measures across Asia, even as analysts say the outbreak remains limited.

28 Jan 2026 - 8:08PMvideocam

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Nepal

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

Nepal voted for change. Can its rapper-engineer PM deliver?

Japanese governor turns heads, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | How Hong Kong can better support its Nepali youth

Readers discuss the challenges faced by an ethnic minority group, the need for a law to prevent workplace bullying, and the struggles of English teachers.

Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

More than 900,000 people identify as sexual minorities in Nepal, which has some of South Asia’s most progressive laws on LGBTQ rights.

7 die in Nepal as bus carrying Indian pilgrims plunges off mountain road

Nine people were injured, including seven other pilgrims, when the bus careered off a road and rolled about 150 metres down a slope.

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

Nepali ex-rapper will form government after landslide election win

Balendra Shah emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Hong Kong charity cancels ‘Race for Water’ fundraiser weeks before event

Annual trail-running fundraiser organised by A Drop of Life was to take place on March 22, but will no longer proceed.

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million Nepalis are choosing 275 members of parliament in an election seen as a test of stability.

Video | Nepal to choose new government following Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, with 800,000 taking part for the first time.

‘This is our moment’: Nepal’s Gen Z voters hope for ‘turning point’ in election

While all the parties have pledged economic growth and job creation, thousands are leaving Nepal each day in search of a better life.

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk as war with Iran rages on

Deaths or injuries of people from the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, who were working in the region, have been reported.

South Korean ex-president sentenced, Buddha’s early life: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-president Yoon’s sentencing to Singapore’s auntie matchmakers, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Video | Foreigners among 19 killed in Nepal bus crash

Dozens of people were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

Bus plunges off Nepal mountain highway: 19 dead, including Chinese national

Dozens were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

From global reach of China’s highspeed rail to an unearthed temple in Nepal, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Silent suffering: how a domestic helper’s Hong Kong dream became a nightmare

Nepalese helper came to city in search of better life, only to find exploitation, exhaustion and abuse behind closed doors.

Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Archaeologists hope the newly discovered ruins at Siddhartha Gautam’s childhood palace will help secure Unesco World Heritage status.

Nepal starts campaign for first election since deadly anti-corruption protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time.

Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Foundation gifts 5,000 Disneyland tickets to domestic helpers

Expanded charity scheme will treat workers from six nations to free day at the theme park with meals and transport covered.

Hong Kong’s Miss Nepal hopeful follows in mother’s pageant footsteps 32 years on

Hong Kong-born Deepmala Kharel Dhakal’s national crown bid highlights pride and spirit of city’s Nepalese community.

‘Tip of the iceberg’: arrests in Nepal over fake mountain rescues welcomed

The suspects are believed to be among a network of scammers who have cheated insurers by staging fake rescue operations for years.

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

China has ‘already proposed some projects’ in Nepal, as it looks to tap the country’s huge hydropower resources and sell power to India.

Nipah cases in India raise regional anxiety but experts say escalation unlikely

The virus’s high fatality rate has prompted precautionary measures across Asia, even as analysts say the outbreak remains limited.

Letters | How Hong Kong can better support its Nepali youth

Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests