The Himalayan Times - Nepal's No.1 English Daily Newspaper | Nepal News, Latest Politics, Business, World, Sports, Entertainment, Travel, Life Style News - Home

Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Videos E-Paper

File - Prime Minister Sushila Karki. Photo: RSS

Good governance, elections top govt agenda: PM Karki

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has said the interim government is focused on two key priorities—establishing good governance and successfully conducting the upcoming elections.

Photo: RSS

ADB provides USD100 million loan to strengthen fiscal federalism in Nepal

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to extend USD 100 million in concessional loan assistance to Nepal to support fiscal federalism, enhance public financial management, and improve budgetary systems across federal, provincial, and local levels.

Hasina, a Rohingya refugee girl, sits inside the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. Photo: AP

Trafficked, exploited, married off: Rohingya children's lives crushed by foreign aid cuts

In moments when she is alone, when there is a break in the beatings from her husband, the girl cries for the school that was once her place of peace in a world that has otherwise offered her none.

Photo Courtesy: Nepal Olympic Committee/facebook

Nepal Canoe and Kayak Team flies to China for Asian Championship

The Nepal Canoe and Kayak Team has flown to China to compete in the 2025 Nu Jiang Wildwater Canoeing Asian Championships, scheduled from December 16 to 22 in Nu Jiang Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.

No Image

Stakeholder consultation held to institutionalize media literacy for youth organizations

A stakeholder consultation programme was held in Kathmandu on Monday to gather feedback on institutionalising Media and Information Literacy (MIL) within youth-focused organizations across Nepal.

Ncell Foundation to distribute over 2,400 educational kits linked to NPL Season 2

CGIAR launches Scaling Hub South Asia in Nepal to boost water, agrifood security

Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu celebrates Victory Day 2025

Nepal reaffirms zero-tolerance policy on corruption at UN Conference

A illustration made in Sept. 3, 2025, of a gigantic 8 meter (26 foot) long mega-predatory lamniform shark swimming beside a long-necked plesiosaur in the seas off Australia 115 million years ago. Photo: Pollyanna von Knorring/Swedish Museum of Natural History via AP

Before megalodon, researchers say a monstrous shark ruled ancient Australian seas

In the age of dinosaurs — before whales, great whites or the bus-sized megalodon — a monstrous shark prowled the waters off what's now northern Australia, among the sea monsters of the Cretaceous period.

Photo Courtesy: Mingma Sherpa/facebook

Mountaineer, tourism entrepreneur Mingma Sherpa resigns from Nepali Congress

Mingma Sherpa, a leading entrepreneur and mountaineer from Sankhuwasabha, has resigned from the Nepali Congress, stepping down from his position as a district general convention representative and relinquishing his party membership.

Sunil Bahadur Thapa_File

Presidential political advisor Sunil Bahadur Thapa resigns to return to active politics

Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Political Advisor to the President, has resigned from his position to engage more actively in Nepali Congress politics ahead of the upcoming elections and the party's general convention.

Kathmandu

See more Kathmandu

Sunil Bahadur Thapa_File

Presidential political advisor Sunil Bahadur Thapa resigns to return to active politics

Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Political Advisor to the President, has resigned from his position to engage more actively in Nepali Congress politics ahead of the upcoming elections and the party's general convention.

No Image

Nepal-Korea Energy Cooperation Seminar 2025 held in Kathmandu

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal held Nepal-Korea Energy Cooperation Seminar in collaboration with lndependent Power Producers' Association (IPPAN) today in Kathmandu.

FILE----Kathmandu Metropolis Mayor Balendra Shah. Photo: RSS

KMC focused on quality service: Mayor Shah

Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Balendra Shah, has informed that KMC was for minimizing operation cost and increasing quality in its services.

Photo: THT/File

CIAA appeals to Supreme Court against acquittal in Melamchi Graft case

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the acquittal of 17 individuals in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project.

No Image

Zonta Club Kathmandu drives cybersecurity awareness in support of the UNITE campaign to end digital violence

In support of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and this year’s UNITE theme, “End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” the Zonta Club Kathmandu partnered with the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, women lawyers, and Chandragiri Municipality to raise awareness on cybersecurity and online safety across diverse communities in Nepal.

Nepal

Photo Courtesy: TAAN/facebook

TAAN, KATA sign MoU to boost Nepal-Korea tourism ties

The Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) and the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen bilateral tourism cooperation.

File - A hoarding board featuring a tiger on the occasion of World Tiger Day in Babarmahal, Kathmandu. Photo: Sandeep Sen

Nationwide Tiger census begins in Nepal; 1,100 camera traps deployed

Nepal has officially launched its nationwide tiger census, conducted once every four years, with an inaugural programme held today in Sauraha, Chitwan.

Photo Courtesy: Mingma Sherpa/facebook

Mountaineer, tourism entrepreneur Mingma Sherpa resigns from Nepali Congress

Mingma Sherpa, a leading entrepreneur and mountaineer from Sankhuwasabha, has resigned from the Nepali Congress, stepping down from his position as a district general convention representative and relinquishing his party membership.

File Photo: RSS/File

ECN authorizes 31 organizations to observe HoR Elections

The Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) has granted permission to 31 organizations to observe the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections, scheduled for March 5, 2026.

Photo: RSS

Govt committed to holding HoR elections on March 5: Home Minister Aryal

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said the government is fully committed to conducting fresh elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) on the announced date of March 5, 2026.

epaper ad

World

In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), displaced people flee shortly after a Thai bombing near their villages, Srei Snam district, Siem Reap province, Cambodia.

Fighting rages on Thai-Cambodian border despite Trump's ceasefire claim

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, in comments posted early Saturday morning, also made no mention of a ceasefire.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania greet guests in the Grand Foyer of the White House during the Congressional Ball, in Washington. Photo: AP

Thai and Cambodian leaders agree to renew ceasefire after deadly clashes, Trump says

Trump announced the agreement via social media following calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Emergency workers transport a person on a stretcher after a reported shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. Photo: AP

Gunmen kill at least 11 people at a Jewish event at Sydney's Bondi Beach

Two gunmen shot dead at least 11 people on Sunday at a Jewish event being held at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian authorities said, declaring it a terrorist attack. One gunman was fatally shot by police and the second arrested.

Pregnant asylum-seeker Yaoska, 32, comforts her two-year-old son who was not feeling well, inside the Miami-area motel room where she and her children are living after her husband was deported to Nicaragua. Photo: AP

Trump administration separates thousands of migrant families in the US

The federal government was holding an average of more than 66,000 people in November, the highest on record.

File: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gestures while speaking during a joint news conference with the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: AP

Zelenskyy reaffirms his refusal to cede land to Russia as he rallies European support

Zelenskyy and his European allies have repeatedly accused Putin of slow-walking the talks to press ahead with the invasion.

Opinion

See more Opinion

no image

A virtual poetry of spiritualism and peace: Kamal Rijal's Asian Vision 2100

no Author

Peace has been one of the most desired entities since time immemorial. Accordingly, one can find in the Rigved, one of the earliest religious texts of Hinduism, peace resonating throughout its verses.

File: A view of Singha Durbar in Kathmandu. Photo: RSS

Continuity of bad governance: Is it embedded in our system?

no Author

During the peak of the Gen-Z movement, former Chief Justice (CJ) Sushila Karki, draped in the national flag, made a brief appearance amid the protesters and stridently denounced the wrongdoing of the political leaders.

Charles Darwin by Julia Margaret Cameron, c. 1868

Charles Darwin: A life in science

no Author

It is a common question — what's the most extraordinary scientific legacy of Charles Robert Darwin's vision of life? The answer is simple.

Business

See more Business

Image by wirestock on Freepik

Gold rebounds, silver crosses Rs 4,000 per tola

Gold price rebounded in the domestic market on Wednesday, rising by Rs 700 per tola, while silver recorded a sharp surge, hitting a historic high.

File - A money lender counts Indian rupee currency notes at his shop in Ahmedabad, India, May 6, 2015. Photo: Reuters

Govt allows use of Rs 200 and Rs 500 Indian currency notes

The government has decided to allow the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 denominations, permitting individuals to carry up to INR 25,000.

Photo: THT/File

Petrol price increases Rs 2 per litre; diesel, kerosene reduced by Rs 4

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised petrol prices by Rs 2 per litre while reducing diesel and kerosene prices by Rs 4 per litre, effective from midnight on Monday.

Graphic: THT; Source: NRB

US dollar hits record high against Nepali rupee

The US dollar reached an all-time high against the Nepali rupee on Tuesday, according to the Nepal Rastra Bank.

No Image

Siddhartha Bank customers get up to 20% discount at Soltee Hotels

Siddhartha Bank has entered into an agreement with The Soltee Hotels and Resorts, offering bank customers discounts of up to 20 percent on various services.

Photo Gallery

GRG_4961

GRG_4961

In Pictures: Mountains view seen from Sailung View Tower

File: A majestic view of Tsho-Rolpa Glacial Lake in Dolakha district. Photo: Mausam Shah 'Nepali'/THT

File: A majestic view of Tsho-Rolpa Glacial Lake in Dolakha district. Photo: Mausam Shah 'Nepali'/THT

In Pictures: Tsho-Rolpa Glacial Lake - A Trek Through Peril, Majesty, and Himalayan Wilderness

Residents and cultural groups carry the historic Toran, a carved wooden structure stolen from the house of the Living Goddess Kumari and recently returned from the British Museum after being taken from Nepal two decades ago, back to its original shrine with traditional music and celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, November 21, 2025.

Residents and cultural groups carry the historic Toran, a carved wooden structure stolen from the house of the Living Goddess Kumari and recently returned from the British Museum after being taken from Nepal two decades ago, back to its original shrine with traditional music and celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, November 21, 2025.

In Pictures: Stolen historic Toran returns home

A rescued black panther from Ilam district is seen inside an enclosure at the Central Zoo in Lalitpur, Nepal, on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

A rescued black panther from Ilam district is seen inside an enclosure at the Central Zoo in Lalitpur, Nepal, on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

In Pictures: Black Panther

Farmers in Banke lined up at the District Cooperative Association to obtain urea and DAP chemical fertilizers, on Thursday. Photo: Yuvraj Pandey/RSS

In Picture: Farmers queue for chemical fertilizer in Banke

Members of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Tourist Police hold the trophy of the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) during a trophy rally at Basantapur in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. The second edition of the NPL is set to kick off on November 17 and will run through December 13, featuring eight franchise teams and 32 high-voltage T20 matches in Nepal’s premier cricket league.

Members of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Tourist Police hold the trophy of the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) during a trophy rally at Basantapur in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. The second edition of the NPL is set to kick off on November 17 and will run through December 13, featuring eight franchise teams and 32 high-voltage T20 matches in Nepal’s premier cricket league.

In Pictures: NPL Trophy Rally

Sports

See more Sports

Mbappé scores in his return from injury as Madrid beats Alaves in boost for Alonso

Alonso used 19-year-old Víctor Valdepeñas, from Madrid's “B” team, in the left back position because of injuries to the regular starters.

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, celebrates with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Photo: AP

India's Tilak Varma plays a shot during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India. Photo: AP

India beats South Africa by 7 wickets to take 2-1 lead in T20 series

The fourth T20 is on Wednesday at Lucknow.

Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates after scoring during a La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Osasuna in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: AP

Raphinha scores 2 as Barcelona wins to add pressure on Real Madrid's Alonso before crunch game

Raphinha was key to Barcelona winning La Liga and Copa del Rey last season, when Hansi Flick’s side also reached the Champions League semifinals.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, left, challenges for the ball with Brighton's Lewis Dunk during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England. Photo: AP

Salah returns to help Liverpool beat Brighton and Arsenal needs 2 own-goals to see off Wolves

The question now as Salah heads off to the Africa Cup of Nations: Is there a future for him at Anfield when he comes back?

Lumbini Lions players celebrate after lifting the NPL trophy at TU Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu. Photo: CAN/Facebook

Lumbini Lions champions of NPL 2025

Despite losing their first three fixtures, Lumbini Lions clinched the title by winning six consecutive matches thereafter.

South Africa's Tristan Stubbs plays a shot. Photo: AP

South Africa's batters restore some pride in 51-run win against India in 2nd T20

The third T20 is on Sunday at Dharamsala.

Stay in touch!

Entertainment

See more Entertainment

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: AP

What we learned in the first two episodes of Taylor Swift's Disney+ Eras Tour docuseries

In August 2024, three dates were canceled in Vienna over an apparent plot to launch an attack on the concerts.

FILE - Darlene Love performs during the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular in Boston. Photo: AP

Darlene Love reflects on her enduring holiday classic, 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)'

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 8Darlene Love will never stop thinking of her holiday classic, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." At this time of year, she couldn't if she tried."The post office, grocery...

Aavaas and Paleti team performing in memory of Phatteman. Photo: Nepalaya

Tribute to Singer Phatteman at Nepalaya's Paleti Program

KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 30The Paleti program in memory of singer Phatteman was held last Friday and Saturday at Nepalaya's 'r' Sala in Kalikasthan. This event was organized to commemorate...

Cover image courtesy: Nepalaya

Paleti to commemorate singer Phatteman on his birthday

KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 27Nepalaya is set to commemorate singer Phatteman in this month's Paleti at the "r" sala hall in Kathmandu on November 28 and 29.Issuing a statement today, Nepalaya said,...

Nepathya band members raise their hands to acknowledge the audience after Osaka concert. Photo: Dipit Raz/Nepalaya

Nepathya's Japan Tour 2025 ends on a high note in Osaka

KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 26Following their successful concerts in Nagoya and Tokyo, Nepathya-Nepal's premier folk-rock band-captivated audiences in Osaka, concluding their Japan Tour 2025 in style.In...

Dharmendra. Photo Courtesy: Karan Johar/instagram

Dharmendra, bollywood legend, dies at 89

KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 24Dharmendra, one of Indian cinema's biggest stars, passed away on Monday, November 24, at his Mumbai home at the age of 89.The actor, born Dharam Singh Deol on December 8,...

Lifestyle

See more Lifestyle

Rajendra Bajgain

An open letter to the citizens of Nepal

Today, I speak to you as a witness to a moment in our national life when silence itself has taken on a political meaning, and conscience has refused to remain quiet.

No Image

SAIM Toastmasters celebrates 6th anniversary and 222nd meeting with inspiration and energy

SAIM Toastmasters Club marked its 6th anniversary and 222nd meeting on November 28, 2025, at SAIM College in Old Baneshwor, Kathmandu, drawing over 60 participants from all over Kathmandu,

Photo Courtesy: Pooja Panth

'Counselling works best when there is trust between the therapist and the client'

Mental hygiene is equally important as personal hygiene. In recent times, many people — irrespective of their social status, class, gender or age — are opening up about their poignant stories of struggles, heartbreaks and unresolved psychological conflicts in the midst of topsy-turvy life situations.

No Image

Modulate to Motivate: Jillian Mitchell on the Hidden Power of the Human Voice

Great speakers don’t just relay information—they create an experience.

No Image

The 76-year journey of a book called 'DELIGHT'

Some gifts arrive quietly, asking for nothing, yet leaving a lasting warmth in the heart. Recently, my husband received one such gift from a friend — a humble, old book titled Delight by J. B. Priestley, an English Novelist , born Sept 13, 1894 - August 14, 1984.

Science and Tech

See more Science and Tech

A illustration made in Sept. 3, 2025, of a gigantic 8 meter (26 foot) long mega-predatory lamniform shark swimming beside a long-necked plesiosaur in the seas off Australia 115 million years ago. Photo: Pollyanna von Knorring/Swedish Museum of Natural History via AP

Before megalodon, researchers say a monstrous shark ruled ancient Australian seas

In the age of dinosaurs — before whales, great whites or the bus-sized megalodon — a monstrous shark prowled the waters off what's now northern Australia, among the sea monsters of the Cretaceous period.

Discovery of the first fragment of iron pyrite in 2017, at Barnham, Suffof, England. Photo: Jordan Mansfield/Pathways to Ancient Britain Project via AP

Study finds humans were making fire 400,000 years ago, far earlier than once thought

Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 years ago.

Park ranger José Vallejos stands next to petrified dinosaurs footprints in Carreras Pampa in Toro Toro National Park, north of Potosi, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. Photo: AP

16,000 fossil footprints in central Bolivia reveal dinosaur behavior

Legend once had it that the huge, three-toed footprints scattered across the central highlands of Bolivia came from supernaturally strong monsters — capable of sinking their claws even into solid stone.

FILE - Cars and houses are submerged in floodwaters in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, on Nov. 26, 2025. Photo: AP

Deadly Asian floods are no fluke. They're a climate warning, scientists say

Southeast Asia is being pummeled by unusually severe floods this year, as late-arriving storms and relentless rains wreak havoc that has caught many places off guard.

FILE - This image provided by NASA, shows a selfie of their Perseverance Mars rover, on July 23, 2024. The image is made up of 62 individual images that were stitched together. (NASA via AP, file)

Scientists capture the crackling sounds of what they believe is lightning on Mars

The crackling of electrical discharges was captured by a microphone on the rover, a French-led team reported Wednesday.

Mixed Bag

Business

Hyatt Place Butwal

Hyatt Place Butwal opens as Nepal's newest international-brand hotel

Hyatt Place Butwal has officially opened its doors in Rupandehi, marking the expansion of the Hyatt brand in Nepal with its third property in the country after Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Business

No Image

Robust remittances, soaring exports buoy economy as inflation cools

Nepal’s economy displayed a strong external performance coupled with subdued domestic inflation in the first quarter of the current fiscal year 2025/26, according to the latest macroeconomic report released by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Sunday.

Nepal

Tourists in Annapurna Base camp area. Photo: RSS

Tourist arrivals near pre-pandemic levels; Nepal records 128,443 visitors in October

Nepal’s tourism industry continues its strong rebound, with 128,443 international visitors arriving in October 2025, marking a 3.3 percent increase compared to the same month last year and a 96 percent recovery compared to pre-pandemic figures from October 2019, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

Nepal

File Photo - Manaslu. Photo: 8K Expeditions

Autumn climbing season sees 1,450 climbers on Nepal's peaks, royalty tops USD 1.8 million

Nepal’s mountains have seen steady climbing activity this autumn, with 1,450 climbers across 175 teams receiving permits, according to a Department of Tourism report under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Kathmandu

The framed photo of 38-year-old Sauran Kishor Shrestha rests in the trembling hands of his wife, Rojita Shrestha, at their home in Dhungedhara, Kathmandu, Nepal, on Monday, October 6, 2025. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

He went out for change and never returned: Remembering a father, a dreamer, a martyr

The framed photo of 38-year-old Sauran Kishor Shrestha rests in the trembling hands of his wife, Rojita Shrestha, at their home in Dhungedhara, Kathmandu, Nepal, on Monday, October 6, 2025.

Nepal

Legendary Spanish mountaineer Carlos Soria Fontán. Photo Courtesy: Seven Summit Treks/facebook

Carlos Soria Fontán, 86, becomes oldest mountaineer to summit Manaslu

Carlos Soria Fontán, the legendary Spanish mountaineer, stood atop Mt. Manaslu (8,163 m) at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, becoming the oldest person ever to summit the world’s eighth-highest peak.

Nepal

Polish Alpinist Andrzej Bargiel

Andrzej Bargiel achieves first ski descent of Everest without oxygen

Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel has etched his name in Himalayan history, successfully completing the first-ever ski descent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen on September 22.

Business

Hilton hotel burns, amid raging Gen Z protests against corruption and the social media crackdown in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned earlier in the day amid intensifying unrest.

Insurance claims from Gen Z Protests cross Rs 20bln, authority reports

Insurance claims related to property damage during the violent Gen Z protests of September 8–9 (Bhadra 23–24) have already crossed Rs 20 billion, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA).

Stay in touch!