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Wednesday, 24 December 2025

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Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal. Photo: RSS

Govt's primary responsibility is to conduct elections: Home Minister Aryal

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said the government’s foremost responsibility is to successfully conduct the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5.

File - Police destroy an illegally cultivated marijuana farm in a file photo. Photo: Prabhat Kumar Jha

Nearly 825 kg of marijuana seized, one arrested in Saptari

Police have arrested a man with around 825 kilograms of marijuana from Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality–4 in Saptari district, on Wednesday morning.

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IHG signs Holiday Inn Hotel in Dhangadhi, marking entry into Sudurpashchim Province

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Club Chaulani Ltd to develop a 115-room Holiday Inn hotel in Dhangadhi, marking the global hospitality group’s first presence in Nepal’s Sudurpashchim Province.

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Delta Autocorp launches winter promotional scheme for Vespa, Aprilia scooters

Delta Autocorp Pvt Ltd has launched a winter promotional campaign titled “Chiso Winter, Tato Offer” for its Vespa and Aprilia scooter brands, offering financial incentives to customers during the winter buying season.

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FWU, Swisscontact launch professional development programme for TVET instructors

Far Western University (FWU) and Swisscontact Nepal have signed an agreement to launch a Professional Development of TVET Instructors programme aimed at strengthening teaching quality and career pathways in Nepal’s technical and vocational education sector.

India-supported school building lays foundation stone in Gulmi

Lamichhane-Balen meeting signals political polarisation

Gold, silver prices hit new record highs

Nepal Police SSP Lalbabu Giri faces charge of using fake educational credentials

SCT Nepal

SCT launches corporate internet banking service

Smart Choice Technologies Limited (SCT), a payment system operator licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank, has formally launched its Corporate Internet Banking service in collaboration with Swift Technologies.

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MCA-Nepal signs USD 23.66 million contracts for road maintenance projects

Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-Nepal) has signed two contracts worth USD 23.66 million under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact for major road upgrading and maintenance works.

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Global IME Bank to offer greenhouse loans for floriculture sector

Global IME Bank Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN) to provide targeted greenhouse loan facilities for floriculture entrepreneurs and farmers.

Kathmandu

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Photo: RSS

Eight detained from Gen Z group protest at Maitighar

Police have taken eight youths under control following a demonstration organised by the Gen Z Group at Maitighar Mandal on Sunday.

File: Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya. Photo: RSS

CM Baniya underlines environment protection

Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Indra Bahadur Baniya, has urged all stakeholders to prioritize environmental conservation when implementing physical infrastructure projects.

Photo: RSS

PM Karki urges citizens to uphold cultural heritage

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has underscored the importance of remembering and preserving one’s traditions and cultural heritage.

Photo: Bijaybar Pradhan/ THT

Minister Bhandari calls for result-oriented work in water supply sector

Minister Bhandari acknowledged that safe drinking water has yet to reach many rural and remote areas of the country and reaffirmed his commitment to prioritizing this issue.

Photo: RSS

Trash barriers installed to capture floating waste in Bagmati River

The Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee (BCIDC) under the Ministry of Urban Development has installed trash barriers at multiple points along the Bagmati River to capture floating waste and curb river pollution.

Nepal

Department of Passports. Photo: Sandeep Sen

Passport Department assures smooth supply after receiving additional booklets

The Department of Passports has announced that passport printing and distribution will continue smoothly after receiving an additional 396,000 passport booklets under an interim supply arrangement approved by the Government of Nepal.

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MCA-Nepal signs USD 23.66 million contracts for road maintenance projects

Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-Nepal) has signed two contracts worth USD 23.66 million under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact for major road upgrading and maintenance works.

File - Nepal's Federal Parliament building burns amid raging Gen Z protests against corruption and the social media crackdown in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

Political parties bat for restoration of House if polls not held on time

With the preparations under way for the upcoming polls, majority of political party leaders have stressed that the government, the Election Commission and all political parties should work together to ensure that the March 5 elections take place on time.

Photo Courtesy: Seven Summit Treks/facebook

Two virgin peaks in Upper Mustang summitted in historic winter alpine ascent

A Nepali-led expedition has completed the first official ascents of two previously unclimbed Himalayan peaks—Chhuama II (6,325 metres) and Chhuama I (6,366 metres)—in Upper Mustang on December 21.

File: Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal. Photo: RSS

Govt committed to strengthening anticipatory disaster action: Home Minister Aryal

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said the government is committed to reinforcing, institutionalising and expanding anticipatory disaster actions based on preparedness, early warning systems and forecasting.

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World

Sellamuttu Darshani Devi, a tea plantation worker evacuated after Cyclone Ditwah led to floods and landslides, shelters with her children at a safety center in Galamuduna Estate in Dolosbage, Sri Lanka. Photo: AP

Sri Lanka tea workers struggle in poverty. Flooding cost many their lives

Sri Lanka accounts for less than 1% of planet-warming gases in the atmosphere but is considered among nations most at risk from the extreme weather made worse by climate change.

File: Sonam Tashi shouts slogans during a demonstration to commemorate the anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule, in New Delhi, India, March, 10, 2025. Photo: AP

US tech enabled China's surveillance empire. Now Tibetan refugees in Nepal are paying the price

Nepal is just one of at least 150 countries to which Chinese companies are supplying surveillance technology, from cameras in Vietnam to censorship firewalls in Pakistan to citywide monitoring systems in Kenya.

Protesters shout slogans in front of the premises of the Prothom Alo daily newspaper after news reached the country from Singapore of the death of a prominent activist Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. Photo: AP

Protesters storm offices of leading Bangladesh dailies after a 2024 uprising activist dies

Angry protesters stormed the offices of Bangladesh’s two leading newspapers late Thursday after the death of a prominent activist in last year’s political uprising in Bangladesh.

President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. Photo: AP

US announces massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion, angering China

The eight sales agreements amount to $11.15 billion, according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry.

FILE - Former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce attends a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, Thursday Dec 11, 2025.

A photo of Miss Finland sparks racist accusations and furor across Asia

Dzafce posted an apology to social media on Dec. 8 and said it was never her intention to hurt anyone.

Opinion

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Photo: Freepik

No more boos to bamboo construction: After the publication of its manual by the government

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Climate change has been threatening the very existence of humankind. If it could lead to the disappearance of mighty dinosaurs, as some theoreticians suggest, tiny human beings would be even more vulnerable.

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Domestic violence remains persistent: It's time to make home safe again

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As we recently united for this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, the focus has been mainly on this year’s theme: Unite to end digital violence against all women and girls.

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Nepal and the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy: Adapting to a transactional order

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The 2025 United States National Security Strategy (NSS) marks a decisive shift in Washington’s global posture.

Business

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Nepal's trade deficit hits Rs 649.68 billion in first five months

Nepal’s foreign trade deficit widened sharply to Rs 649.68 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year (mid-July to mid-December), according to data released by the Department of Customs.

SCT Nepal

SCT launches corporate internet banking service

Smart Choice Technologies Limited (SCT), a payment system operator licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank, has formally launched its Corporate Internet Banking service in collaboration with Swift Technologies.

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Global IME Bank to offer greenhouse loans for floriculture sector

Global IME Bank Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN) to provide targeted greenhouse loan facilities for floriculture entrepreneurs and farmers.

File - Gold jewellery. Photo: Sandeep Sen

Gold price jumps Rs 5,500 per tola, hits new record high

Gold price in the domestic market surged sharply on Tuesday, rising by Rs 5,500 per tola in a single day to set a new historic high.

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Centara Collection to open first Thai-branded resort in Pokhara on January 1

Himalayan Hideaway Resort Pokhara, part of The Centara Collection, is set to open on January 1, 2026, becoming the first Thai luxury hotel brand to operate in Pokhara.

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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

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Bazball revolution falters for England in the Ashes, but it's not the end of the system

The architects of the Bazball revolution that England aimed to use to summit test cricket have conceded the preparation wasn't quite right for the Ashes.

Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia. Photo: AP

File: New Zealand's Tom Latham in action. Photo: AP

Conway and Latham pile on the runs as New Zealand sets the West Indies 462 to win the 3rd test

Conway followed his first innings of 227 with exactly 100 to become only the 10th player and first New Zealander to score a double century and century in the same test.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland controls a ball, during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and West Ham United, at the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, England. Photo: AP

Arsenal takes top spot for Christmas as Haaland overtakes Ronaldo's Premier League goal tally

Another three points for Manchester City, whose winning streak is up to five matches.

Australia's Nathan Lyon, left, celebrates with teammate Mitchell Starc after dismissing England's Ben Duckett during play on day two of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide. Photo: AP

Lyon moves to second on Australia's all-time bowling list. England struggles in 3rd Ashes test

By stumps England had struggled to 213 for eight, still 158 behind.

File: New Zealand's Devon Conway in action. Photo: Reuters

Latham and Conway's record stand puts New Zealand in control against West Indies

Tom Latham took a close look at the pitch at Bay Oval Thursday and made the inspired decision to bat first.

Australia's Alex Carey celebrates his century during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. Photo: AP

Carey's hometown century and Khawaja's 82 help Australia reach 326-8 on Day 1 of 3rd Ashes test

After scoring his first Ashes century, which he dedicated to his late father and his family, Carey said in a TV interview he'd probably rather discuss the 2023 episode than dwell on the emotions of his big innings.

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Entertainment

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FILE - Director Kleber Mendonca Filho poses with his award for best director for the film "The Secret Agent" as well as the best actor award received on behalf of Wagner Moura at the awards ceremony photo call at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, France. Photo: AP

Oscar contender 'The Secret Agent' capitalizes on the rise of Brazilian cinema

Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” has been hailed by critics as one of the year’s best films and arrives amid a renewed international interest in Brazilian cinema.

Filmmaker Ameeria Diab poses for a portrait during an interview with The Associated Press about her early career in cinema at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photo: AP

Arab female directors drive change at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah

JEDDAH, DECEMBER 18Arab female film directors have helped change the landscape of Arab cinema in recent years, presenting stories that haven't been told before and claiming space in an industry...

Movie Review: Wonder and war in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'

LONDON, DECEMBER 18When I came down with a cold the day after I saw the third and latest "Avatar" film, "Fire and Ash," I half-wondered if I had picked it up on Pandora.The promise of Cameron's...

FILE - Donna Summer performs at the Nobel Peace concert in Oslo, Norway. Photo: AP

The Queen of Disco: Donna Summer is posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 17There are giants, and then there is Donna Summer. The Queen of Disco and then some, known for such timeless tunes as "Love to Love You Baby," "I Feel Love," "Bad Girls," "Dim All...

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

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 14"The Eras Tour was a lifetime within my life," Taylor Swift told the room at a screening of the first two episodes of her new Disney+ docuseries, "The End of an Era." "It feels...

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...

Lifestyle

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FILE - Christmas trees and Santa Clauses decorate the entrance to the beach in Haffkrug, northern Germany. Photo: AP

Everything you need to know about Christmas, and how it has evolved into a global holiday

Christmas is a Christian holiday that observes the birth of Jesus.

Samarthguru

Samarthaguru Sangh Nepal to mark World Meditation Day with day-long programmes on December 21

Samarthaguru Sangh Nepal is set to organise a series of meditation awareness and practice programmes on December 21 in Kathmandu on the occasion of World Meditation Day,

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From silent guest to confident speaker: My Toastmasters journey

Three years ago, if someone had told me that I would one day win the First Prize at the Club level International Speech Contest,

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.

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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,

Science and Tech

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This image provided by Blue Origin, Michaela Benthaus poses after the Blue Origin's capsule landed on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in West Texas. Photo: Blue Origin via AP

Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space

A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high.

FILE - This image made by the Cassini spacecraft and provided by NASA on March 12, 2006, shows two of Saturn's moons, the small Epimetheus and smog-enshrouded Titan, with Saturn's A and F rings stretching across the frame.

Saturn's moon Titan may not have a buried ocean as long suspected, new study suggests

Saturn's giant moon Titan may not have a vast underground ocean after all.

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.

Mixed Bag

Environment

File - Sacks of garbage collected from Mount Everest are seen in Namche Bajar, Solukhumbu district, on May 27, 2019. Photo: AP

As melting glaciers reveal decades of trash, Nepal moves to clean up the Himalayas

High above the clouds, where prayer flags snap in thin air, and climbers chase lifelong dreams, another, quieter legacy has been building for decades: discarded oxygen cylinders, torn tents, frozen human waste, and even the remains of those who never made it back.

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

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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.

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