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Wednesday, 16 April 2025

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Australian doctor dies at Gorakshep near Everest Base Camp

A 54-year-old Australian doctor died in Gorakshep in the Khumbu region while returning from Everest Base Camp.

Photo: RSS

Tourist influx rises in Everest region: Over 12,000 visit in a month

Tourist arrivals in the Everest region have surged with the onset of spring.

File - Violet Cuckoo. Photo By Rejaul karim.rk via wikipedia

New bird species recorded in Nepal; Violet Cuckoo becomes 899th species

A new bird species, the Violet Cuckoo (Baijani Koili in Nepali), has been officially recorded in Nepal, marking the 899th bird species in the country’s avian records.

The Federal Parliament Building, in New Baneshwar, Kathmandu. Photo: RSS/File

President Paudel summons Federal Parliament session for April 25

President Ramchandra Paudel has summoned a session of the Federal Parliament for Friday, April 25.

Representative image. Courtesy: Freepik.com

NEPSE edges up by 7 points, daily turnover declines to Rs 7.26 billion

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index inched up by 7.01 points, or 0.26 percent, on Wednesday to close at 2,696.23 points, marking the second trading day of the Nepali New Year 2082.

Lower Everest to host mountain biking festival 'Tour-de-Khijidemba-Pikey 2025'

Gold hits record high of Rs 187,000 per tola on Wednesday

Govt urges agitating teachers to return to classroom

Birgunj Customs collects over Rs 124 billion in nine months

Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri. Photo: RSS

Ecotourism promotion needed at conservation areas: Minister Shahi

Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, pointed out the need of promoting ecotourism at conservation areas across the nation and connecting it with people's livelihood.

Photo: RSS

Community participation in health infrastructure development vital: CPN (MC) Chair Dahal

Chairperson of CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has insisted on the mandatory participation of locals in the health infrastructure development at the local levels.

File Photo

Compensation for Budhigandaki hydropower project affected locals determined

Compensation has been determined for the locals of the Budhigandaki hydropower project-affected areas.

Kathmandu

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Photo Courtesy: Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu

Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu hosts reception to mark 85th National Day

The Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu hosted a reception on Tuesday evening to commemorate the 85th National Day of Pakistan at Hotel Soaltee.

Manfred Michael Elian

'Get me out of HAMS Hospital,' Manfred asks German govt

It has been nearly five months since Manfred Michael Elian, a 53-year-old from Stuttgart, Germany, was admitted to Kathmandu’s HAMS Hospital for treatment.

FILE - Kathmandu District Court. Photo: Sandeep Sen

Durga Prasai sent to judicial custody for 12 days

The Kathmandu District Court today remanded Durga Prasai and his associate Deepak Bohara to judicial custody for 12 days for further investigation.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressing a program organized at the Nepali Military Academy in Kharipati, Bhaktapur, on Friday. Photo: RSS

Capable human resources must for national security: PM Oli

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has observed the induction parade of newly commissioned cadets of different contingents of the Nepali Army.

Photo: RSS

Nepali Army is nation's prestige representing in international level: President Paudel

President Ramchandra Paudel has said the Nepali Army is a symbol of dignity, peace and humanity not only for Nepal but also representing the nation at the international level.

Nepal

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Ex TV journo Kami Sherpa honoured with Everest summiteer badge

The Department of Tourism honored courageous climber Kami Sherpa with an Everest summiteer badge and a special ID card during a ceremony in Kathmandu.

File photo

No rhino poaching reported in Chitwan for 516 days

Chitwan National Park (CNP) has recorded 516 consecutive days without rhino poaching, according to Information Officer Abinas Thapa Magar.

Bandipur. Photo: RSS

Bandipur draws 210,000 visitors in a year, domestic tourists make up 150,000

The historic hill town of Bandipur welcomed more than 210,000 tourists in the year 2081 BS (April 13, 2024 – April 13, 2025), according to the Bandipur Visit Year Secretariat.

Red Panda. Photo: RSS

Inaugural Red Panda and Thar Festival held in Khotang

The first-ever Red Panda and Thar Festival began on New Year’s Day 2082 BS in Khotang, marking the launch of the ‘Mundum Trail Visit Year.’

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Magnitude 4.1 earthquake strikes Jajarkot

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck Jajarkot district last night.

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World

A giant billboard promotes Made in China goods at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, eastern China's Zhejiang province on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Photo: AP

China hits back at US and will raise tariffs on American goods from 84% to 125%

China announced Friday that it will raise tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% — the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies that has rattled markets and raised fears of a global slowdown.

This artistic animation shows asteroid 2024 YR4 passing by Earth. Astronomers created a 3D image of the newly discovered asteroid after observing it with a telescope in Chile. Photo: 9NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor via AP

New observations show the asteroid that won't hit Earth resembles a spinning hockey puck

The asteroid that once had a small chance of striking Earth and now might slam into the moon resembles a spinning hockey puck, scientists said Tuesday.

FILE - A full moon rises above the clouds at sunset in Lisbon, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Photo: AP

A micromoon will grace the night skies this weekend

There's a micromoon coming up.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks at a news conference during his visit to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. Photo: AP

Japan says it wants to join a NATO command for the support of Ukraine

Rutte said NATO is worried about China’s military exercises near Taiwan and “we follow them very closely.”

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Russian 120mm mortar crew fire toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy says 2 Chinese were caught fighting alongside Russia

Zelenskyy said a clash with Chinese soldiers occurred near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in Donetsk, where six Chinese military personnel engaged Ukrainian troops. Two Chinese were taken prisoner, Zelenskyy said.

Opinion

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Photo: RSS

Community participation in health infrastructure development vital: CPN (MC) Chair Dahal

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Chairperson of CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has insisted on the mandatory participation of locals in the health infrastructure development at the local levels.

File--A member of a pro-monarchist group hurls stones at police officers during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: AP

Revolution and child rights: Gravely ignored issue

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On March 28, a large number of students were preparing for the seventh day of their Secondary Education Examination (SEE), also known as the ‘iron gate’.

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Middle class suffers from the disease of middlity: It should take risks to overcome it

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A strange, inherited illness plagues the Indian middle class. Not poverty. Not privilege.

Business

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Compensation for Budhigandaki hydropower project affected locals determined

Compensation has been determined for the locals of the Budhigandaki hydropower project-affected areas.

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Swonigha Resort launches as a new cultural and luxury destination in Suryabinayak

Marking the first day of the Nepali New Year 2082, Swonigha Resort Pvt. Ltd. organized a Bhoomi Puja ceremony in Gundu, Suryabinayak Municipality to officially launch an ambitious hospitality project named “Swonigha.”

Representative image. Courtesy: Freepik.com

NEPSE surges by over 27 points as trading resumes in new year

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index climbed by 27.14 points, or 1.01 percent, on Tuesday to close at 2,689.22 points.

Photo: Freepik

Gold price drops by Rs 1,700 per tola after record high

After reaching a record high of Rs 186,000 per tola on the last day of Nepali Year 2081, the price of gold dropped by Rs 1,700 on Tuesday, the second day of the New Year 2082.

Photo: THT/File

Development spending shrinks to 29pc in third quarter

The government’s development expenditure has remained sluggish, reaching only 29.2 percent of the annual target by the third quarter of the current fiscal year 2024/25.

Photo Gallery

Thirty-year-old Sujan Bagha Shrestha pierced his tongue for the third time during the annual Tongue Piercing Festival held on Baisakh 2 in Bode, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Bhaktapur, on Tuesday. Photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

Thirty-year-old Sujan Bagha Shrestha pierced his tongue for the third time during the annual Tongue Piercing Festival held on Baisakh 2 in Bode, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Bhaktapur, on Tuesday. Photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

In Pictures: Tongue Piercing Festival

Sindoor Jatra. Photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

Sindoor Jatra. Photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

In Pictures: Sindoor Jatra

Nepalese revelers carry chariots of deities as they parade through the ancient city of Thimi during the Sindoor festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The festival marks the Nepali New Year as revelers carry chariots of Hindu gods and goddesses and toss vermillion powder in a vibrant display of celebration.

Nepalese revelers carry chariots of deities as they parade through the ancient city of Thimi during the Sindoor festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The festival marks the Nepali New Year as revelers carry chariots of Hindu gods and goddesses and toss vermillion powder in a vibrant display of celebration.

In Pictures: Thimi comes alive with Sindoor Jatra celebrations

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In Pictures: Biska Jatra

Locals in Ason, Kathmandu, celebrated the annual Pahan Charhe chariot festival with great fanfare on Sunday. Photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

Locals in Ason, Kathmandu, celebrated the annual Pahan Charhe chariot festival with great fanfare on Sunday. Photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

In Pictures: Pahan Charhe Chariot Festival celebrated with fanfare in Ason

A Nepalese bodybuilder looks on a mirror while flexing backstage during the qualifying round of the 17th Dharmashree Nationwide Bodybuilding Championship, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 21, 2025, where hundreds of athletes from across the country took part. The event also featured the first Women's Bodybuilding Open Championship and the 50 Open Masters Bodybuilding Championship.

A Nepalese bodybuilder looks on a mirror while flexing backstage during the qualifying round of the 17th Dharmashree Nationwide Bodybuilding Championship, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 21, 2025, where hundreds of athletes from across the country took part. The event also featured the first Women's Bodybuilding Open Championship and the 50 Open Masters Bodybuilding Championship.

In Pictures: Dharmashree Nationwide Bodybuilding Championship

Sports

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Nepal defeats Qatar by eight wickets in T20I Series opener

Nepal secured a convincing eight-wicket victory over Qatar in the opening match of the Four-Nation T20I Series, which began today at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Hong Kong.

Photo: Panda / Takumi Images via CAN/Facebook

Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India. Photo: AP

Lucknow wins a run-fest against Kolkata by 4 runs in IPL

Later Tuesday, Punjab Kings were hosting Chennai Super Kings.

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gives directions to his players during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Fulham at Emirates stadium in London. Photo: AP/File

Arsenal's Arteta sees 'joy' in facing Champions League masters Real Madrid and Ancelotti

Arsenal is in the quarterfinals for a second straight season under Arteta, having lost to Bayern Munich one year ago.

The 14-member national squad set to compete in the upcoming Hong Kong Quadrangular T20I Series poses for a group portrait during a farewell ceremony in Kathmandu. Photo: THT

CAN bids farewell to national squad for Hong Kong Quadrangular T20I Series

Speaking at the event, skipper Rohit Paudel expressed confidence in the team's preparation and performance.

Chennai Super Kings' Vijay Shankar plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India. Photo: AP

Delhi downs Chennai to stay unbeaten and Punjab suffers first loss to Rajasthan in IPL

Tuesday will become a doubleheader: Punjab will host Chennai in the evening after the Kolkata-Lucknow game.

Lucknow Super Giants' Aiden Markram plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, India. Photo: AP

Lucknow hands Mumbai third defeat in Indian Premier League

Lucknow has two wins and two losses. Five-time champion Mumbai has lost three of its four games.

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Entertainment

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Nepathya frontman Amrit Gurung. Courtesy: Nepalaya

Riding high on Sydney success, Nepathya gears up for Gokarneshwar performance

After a successful tour of Australia, Nepal’s pioneering folk-rock band Nepathya is set to perform at Gokarneshwar in Kathmandu this Saturday.

FILE - Soprano Anna Netrebko attends a news conference on the premiere of Manon Lescaut in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. Photo: AP

Soprano Anna Netrebko to open Royal Opera season, returning after a 6-year absence

MOSCOW, APRIL 2Soprano Anna Netrebko will return to London's Royal Opera after a six-year absence to open the 2025-26 season in a new production of Puccini's "Tosca" that starts Jakub...

FILE - Val Kilmer poses for a portrait, Jan. 9, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Photo: AP

Val Kilmer, 'Top Gun' and Batman star with an intense approach, dies at 65

LOS ANGELES, APRIL 2Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in "Top Gun," donned a voluminous cape as Batman in "Batman Forever" and portrayed Jim Morrison in "The...

Nepathya's lead singer Amrit Gurung performs during Melbourne concert. Photo: Nepalaya/Dipit Raz

Nepathya enthralls Melbourne with a sold-out concert

KATHMANDU, MARCH 26Following their electrifying performance in Hobart, Nepathya, Nepal's iconic folk-rock band, mesmerized Melbourne audience with a night of timeless melodies and high-energy...

FILE -Neneh Cherry poses for photographers upon arrival at the Burberry Spring Summer 2024 fashion show in London. Photo: AP

Musician Neneh Cherry and medic Rachel Clarke are among finalists for a major nonfiction prize

LONDON, MARCH 26A moving memoir by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry and the gripping story of a heart transplant by British doctor Rachel Clarke are among finalists for the Women's Prize for...

Nepathya frontman Amrit Gurung performs during Hobart concert in Australia. Photo: Dipit Raz/Nepathya

Nepathya enthralls Hobart, the world's southernmost city, with Nepali folk rock

KATHMANDU, MARCH 20Nepathya's ongoing tour, which commenced in Australia's federal capital, Canberra, has now reached Hobart, Tasmania, following performances in Perth, Western Australia,...

Lifestyle

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Dr. Mukesh Mallick, Member, Gandaki Toastmasters Club

From Shyness to Spotlight – My Toastmasters Journey

“I once feared the sound of my own voice. But today, I stand here—speaking not just with confidence, but with purpose.”

Sotheby's Deputy Chairman, Middle East & Head of Sotheby's UAE, Katia Noun Boueiz wears the Mediterranean Blue diamond during its worldwide debut in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Photo: AP

A 10-carat blue diamond shines at a $100 million exhibition in Abu Dhabi

A rare blue diamond was displayed Tuesday at an exhibition of $100 million worth of the world's rarest diamonds in the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi.

Quang Dung, the chef and owner of Chapter Dining, poses for a photo, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: AP

How one chef in Vietnam uses fish sauce as the foundation for flavor

“Fish sauce isn’t just about saltiness. It is as much about umaminess. It is magic,” he said, adding that he hoped more people would cook with fish sauce.

This image released by Milk Street shows a recipe for chicken vindaloo. Photo: AP

Blend your way to better chicken vindaloo

Vindaloo is an Indian dish of Portuguese influence that typically is associated with the state of Goa on India’s southwestern coast,

Poet Momila, Nawaraj Lamsal, Dinesh Adhikari and Usha Adhikari jointly launch 'Pani Ko Parade'. Photo: Nepalaya

Nepalaya releases 'Paniko Parade', a poetry collection by Dinesh Adhikari

Poet Dinesh Adhikari’s poetry collection, Paniko Parade, has been officially released.

Science and Tech

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Nvidia

Nvidia plans to manufacture AI chips in the US for the first time

Nvidia announced Monday that it will produce its artificial intelligence super computers in the United States for the first time.

This image provided by the Allen Institute on April 8, 2025, shows a digital representation of neurons in a section of a mouse's brain, part of a project to create the largest map to date of brain wiring and function, in Seattle, Wash. Photo: Forrest Collman/Allen Institute via AP

Scientists map part of a mouse's brain that's so complex it looks like a galaxy

Thanks to a mouse watching clips from “The Matrix,” scientists have created the largest functional map of a brain to date – a diagram of the wiring connecting 84,000 neurons as they fire off messages.

In this image from video provided by SpaceX, a Dragon capsule carrying four space tourists prepares to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 4, 2025. Photo: SpaceX via AP

Four space tourists return to Earth after a private flight over the poles

Four space tourists who orbited the north and south poles returned to Earth on Friday, splashing down in the Pacific to end their privately funded polar tour.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a commercial crew of four lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Photo: AP

Bitcoin investor buys an entire SpaceX flight for the ultimate polar adventure

Wang won’t say how much he paid Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the 3 ½-day ultimate polar adventure.

In this combination image released by ESA/Webb, left, an enhanced-color image of Neptune from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and right, that image is combined with data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.

Neptune's auroras are captured in great detail by NASA's Webb telescope

NASA released the images on Wednesday, and the results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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Nepal

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Lower Everest to host mountain biking festival 'Tour-de-Khijidemba-Pikey 2025'

The Lower Everest Region of Nepal is set to host one of the most exciting adventure tourism events of the year—the Tour-de-Khijidemba-Pikey 2025, a four-day mountain biking festival scheduled from May 1 to May 4.

Environment

FILE - Thick blanket of smog covers Kathmandu valley due to air pollution and the recent forest fires in many parts of the country, on Friday, March 26, 2021. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

Nepal chokes under toxic air as forest fires rage and rain stays away

A thick, grey smog has blanketed Kathmandu Valley and much of Nepal, turning the air acrid and the sky an unnatural shade of white. Across the country, forests are burning, rain is scarce, and the air grows heavier with each passing day.

Environment

FILE - Mariatou Doumbia, a member of a women's group, draws water from a well on a farm that was funded by USAID in Kimbirila-Nord, Ivory Coast, Feb. 21, 2025. Photo: AP

Earth's storage of water in soil, lakes and rivers is dwindling. And it's especially bad for farming

University of Melbourne hydrology professor Dongryeol Ryu and his collaborator Ki-Weon Seo were on a train to visit Ryu's family when they found something startling.

Environment

Photo Courtesy: Media Action Nepal

Media workshop highlights the role of media in communicating climate science

A media workshop aimed at fostering dialogue between the scientific community and the media was held in Kathmandu, emphasizing the crucial connections between the cryosphere, water resources, and climate change impacts.

Nepal

Smooth Coated Otters. Photo Courtesy: Sagar Giri WWF Nepal

A delicate balance: Transforming river community livelihoods to protect otters and the Karnali ecosystem

A phone call interrupted Aashish Kapali’s quiet afternoon. The voice on the other end was urgent: “There’s a body of an otter floating by the riverbank.”

Sports

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Sampada School students shine at 7th National Wuma Kung-fu Championship 2025

Students from Sampada School showcased exceptional martial arts skills at the 7th National Wuma Kung-fu Championship 2025, held in Kathmandu.

Entertainment

Zoe Saldana accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for "Emilia Perez" during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Photo: AP

Complete list of winners at the 97th Academy Awards

Adrien Brody took home his second leading man Oscar for “The Brutalist,” Mikey Madison took home the best actress statuette and “Anora” was crowned best picture on its way to five awards Sunday.

Entertainment

Mikey Madison accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for "Anora" during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Photo: AP

Strip club Cinderella story 'Anora' wins best picture at 97th Academy Awards

"Anora,” a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize.

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