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Wednesday, 02 April 2025

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PM Oli receiving a guard of honor presented by a contingent of the Nepali Army before departing for an official visit to Thailand at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, on Tuesday. Photo: RSS

PM Oli departs for Thailand on official visit, to attend BIMSTEC Summit

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has left for Thailand on an official visit from April 1 to 5 at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

File photo

Nepal Quietly Becomes a Bitcoin Mining Haven

In a stunning yet futuristic decision which may catapult Nepal into big league of economic superpowers, the Government has decided to allow Bitcoin mining on a commercial scale.

Myanmar's rescuers work through rubble of a collapsed building following Friday's earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Photo: AP

Myanmar earthquake death toll surpasses 2,700 as hope fades for finding more survivors

The death toll from the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar has surpassed 2,700, with thousands more injured, Myanmar media reported Tuesday.

Photo: RSS

RSP Chair Lamichhane requests Speaker Ghimire for lifting of suspension of his MP post

President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, called on Speaker Devraj Ghimire at his office in Singha Durbar today.

Photo: RSS

Nepal's ambassador to Portugal presents credentials

Nepal's newly appointed ambassador to Portugal, Prakash Mani Paudel, presented his Letter of Credence to President of Portugal, Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa.

Nippon Paint expands into Nepal's growing premium automotive coating market

Pond's Skin Institute rebrands with science-backed skincare solutions

Gold price nears Rs 180,000 per tola on Monday

The royal uprising: Repeating the same mistake

File---Majestic snow-capped peaks of Jugal Himal as seen from Pepsicola in Kathmandu. Photo: RSS

Kathmandu chokes under thick haze as air quality plummets to ' Very Unhealthy' level, disrupting flights

The air quality monitoring station in Bhaisipati area registered PM2.5 levels at 185 micrograms per cubic meter—significantly exceeding safe limits.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressing the National Assembly meeting held on Monday at the Federal Parliament Building in News Baneshwar, Kathmandu. Photo: Prime Minister's Secretariat/RSS.

PM Oli to visit Thailand tomorrow, attend BIMSTEC Summit

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli briefed Parliament today on his upcoming official visit to Thailand and participation in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.

Tribhuvan International Airport. Photo: Sandeep Sen/THT

Low visibility disrupts flights at TIA

Flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) were disrupted today due to adverse weather conditions, causing several international flights to be diverted or delayed.

Kathmandu

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File---Majestic snow-capped peaks of Jugal Himal as seen from Pepsicola in Kathmandu. Photo: RSS

Kathmandu chokes under thick haze as air quality plummets to ' Very Unhealthy' level, disrupting flights

The air quality monitoring station in Bhaisipati area registered PM2.5 levels at 185 micrograms per cubic meter—significantly exceeding safe limits.

Tribhuvan International Airport. Photo: Sandeep Sen/THT

Low visibility disrupts flights at TIA

Flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) were disrupted today due to adverse weather conditions, causing several international flights to be diverted or delayed.

FILE - Kathmandu District Court. Photo: Sandeep Sen

Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shamsher Rana charged with treason

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Senior Vice-President Rabindra Mishra and General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana, who were arrested during the protest in favour of the restoration of the monarchy, have been charged with treason.

File---HoR Speaker Devraj Ghimire. Photo: RSS

Tinkune incident is an attack on democracy: Speaker Ghimire

Speaker Ghimire asserted that disrupting parliamentary proceedings under any circumstances is unjustifiable, particularly when the House must function effectively, even if not in session.

File--Police secure the site of a house set on fire by a pro-monarchist group during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: AP

Minister Gurung vows legal action against perpetrators of violent protests

Minister Gurung stated that an investigation is underway to uncover the facts.

Nepal

Photo Courtesy: UNFPA

UNFPA showcases pilot AI innovation to revolutionize data analysis and reporting

UNFPA in Nepal, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, Google, UNFPA’s Information Technology Services Office (ITSO), and with support from the British Embassy Kathmandu, launched a pioneering AI-driven data analysis system on Monday at an event attended by key stakeholders from government, development partners, and the private sector.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressing the National Assembly meeting held on Monday at the Federal Parliament Building in News Baneshwar, Kathmandu. Photo: Prime Minister's Secretariat/RSS.

PM Oli to visit Thailand tomorrow, attend BIMSTEC Summit

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli briefed Parliament today on his upcoming official visit to Thailand and participation in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.

Muslims exchanging warm embraces and good wishes after offering Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in Gaisara, Itahari-14, on Monday. Photo: RSS

PM Oli extends greetings on Eid al-Fitr

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has extended warm wishes to the Muslim community on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Photo: RSS

Eid al-Fitr being celebrated nationwide with fervor

Muslims across the country are celebrating Eid al-Fitr with great enthusiasm today.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese rescuers looks at a collapsed building before conducting a search and rescue operation in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. Photo: Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua via AP

Deaths from devastating earthquake in Myanmar climb past 1,700

The death toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar has risen to more than 1,700 as more bodies have been pulled from the rubble, the country’s military-led government said Monday.

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World

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, members of a China search and rescue team transfer a pregnant survivor from a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Earthquake compounds Myanmar's humanitarian crisis as the death toll passes 2,000

The World Health Organization said it has reports of three hospitals destroyed and 22 partially damaged in the region.

FILE - Acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, speaks during the funeral prayers of Khalil Haqqani, the minister for refugees and repatriation, during his funeral procession in eastern Paktia province, Afghanistan. Photo: AP

Russian authorities move to lift the terrorist designation for the Taliban

The Taliban were put on Russia’s list of terrorist organizations in 2003. Any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law.

In this provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, servicemen of 3rd mechanized battalion, practice on the training ground at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine.

Ukrainians expect Russia to launch a fresh offensive to strengthen its negotiating position

Ukrainian military commanders said Russia recently stepped up attacks to improve its tactical positions ahead of the expected broader offensive.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, locals past by a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar on Saturday, March 29, 2025 Photo: Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua via AP

Myanmar quake death toll rises to 1,644 as resistance movement announces partial ceasefire

A unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military. The country's death toll from the disaster soared to 1,644.

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a strong earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, early Saturday, March 29, 2025. Photo: AP

Myanmar's earthquake death toll jumps to over 1,000 as more bodies recovered from the rubble

The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar jumped to over 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country's second-largest city.

Opinion

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Photo: Freepik.com

Field visits in engineering education: Help students develop problem-solving skills

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In this article we will be focusing on civil and construction engineering education among the several engineering disciplines.

Photo: RSS

Disaster management in Nepal: Need of a self-sustaining, locally-driven model

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Disaster preparedness in Nepal has become a key focus for INGOs, local NGOs and UN agencies, which provide training, resources and expertise.

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Cosmic sonata: Nature's astounding act

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It’s a given that anyone who has been 'initiated' into the etymologies of science would know that the universe, at the beginning of time, was a blaze of radiation, too hot for any atoms to survive.

Business

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Photo: Freepik

Gold price hits record high at Rs 177,900 per tola

The price of gold has reached a new all-time high in the domestic market, trading at Rs 177,900 per tola on Monday.

Representative image. Courtesy: Freepik.com

NEPSE continues upward trend, gains 32.24 points

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) continued its upward momentum on Sunday, gaining 32.24 points (1.21%) to close at 2,695.55 points on the first trading day of the week.

File Photo

Gold hits another high at Rs 176,800 per tola on Sunday

The price of gold has reached a new all-time high in the domestic market after increasing by Rs 600 per tola on Sunday.

File Photo

Gold price hits record high of Rs 176,200 per tola

The price of gold in the domestic market surged to a new all-time high of Rs 176,200 per tola on Friday, surpassing the previous record of Rs 176,000 per tola.

File photo: Ram Sarraf/THT

Birgunj Customs records imports worth Rs 390 billion in eight months

Motor vehicle imports totaled Rs 11.68 billion, compared to Rs 10.10 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Photo Gallery

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

Hindu devotees take part in prayers, fasting until moonrise, as they chant ‘Hare Rama, Hare Krishna’ while being showered with flowers during Gaura Purnima, also known as Puspa Holi (Flower Holi), at ISKCON in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 14, 2025. Marking the Holi festival of colors, the celebration honors Lord Krishna with devotion, music, and floral offerings.

Hindu devotees take part in prayers, fasting until moonrise, as they chant ‘Hare Rama, Hare Krishna’ while being showered with flowers during Gaura Purnima, also known as Puspa Holi (Flower Holi), at ISKCON in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 14, 2025. Marking the Holi festival of colors, the celebration honors Lord Krishna with devotion, music, and floral offerings.

In Pictures: Puspa Holi

A child covered in vermillion colors looks on during the Holi festival, known as the festival of colors, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Marking the arrival of spring, Holi brings people together in a vibrant celebration of joy, unity, and tradition with colors, music, and laughter.

A child covered in vermillion colors looks on during the Holi festival, known as the festival of colors, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Marking the arrival of spring, Holi brings people together in a vibrant celebration of joy, unity, and tradition with colors, music, and laughter.

Holi in Pictures: Kathmandu comes alive with colors and festivities

File - A view of under-construction Karnali Province stadium in Birandranagar of Surkhet. Photo: RSS

'No excuse to postpone 10th Nat'l Games under any pretext'

Nepal’s former King Gyanendra Shah gestures upon his return to Kathmandu from Pokhara, where pro-monarchists and loyalists organized a grand rally to welcome him at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Thousands of supporters gathered chanting slogans and waving flags in a show of allegiance to the former monarch. Photo: Skanda Gautam/ THT

Nepal’s former King Gyanendra Shah gestures upon his return to Kathmandu from Pokhara, where pro-monarchists and loyalists organized a grand rally to welcome him at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Thousands of supporters gathered chanting slogans and waving flags in a show of allegiance to the former monarch. Photo: Skanda Gautam/ THT

In Pictures: Former King Gyanendra Shah and welcome rally

Sports

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Serie A title race down to Inter and Napoli after Atalanta loses again

Now it’s almost April and Antonio Conte’s Napoli — somehow — is still in contention for the Serie A title.

Fiorentina's Moise Kean, left, on his way to score during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Atalanta at Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy. Photo: AP

Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala drives the ball surrounded by rivals during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and St. Pauli, at the Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Germany. Photo: AP

Bayern restores 6-point Bundesliga lead but far from impressive in win over St. Pauli

Bayern faces Inter Milan in the Champions League quarterfinals on April 8.

Delhi Capitals' Abishek Porel plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad at ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India. Photo: AP

Delhi Capitals climb to 2nd after comfortable victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL

In Sunday’s evening game, Rajasthan Royals hosts Chennai Super Kings at Guwahati.

File--Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return to Sebastian Korda during the Miami Open tennis tournament, in Miami Gardens. Photo: AP

With Lionel Messi watching, Novak Djokovic advances to Miami Open final to face upstart Jakub Mensik

Novak Djokovic had some company for another Miami Open victory.

Kolkata Knight Riders' Quinton de Kock plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders at Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati, India. Photo: AP

De Kock's unbeaten 97 and spinners lead Kolkata to victory over Rajasthan

The defending champions raced to 153-2 with 15 balls to spare and made amends for their season-opening loss to the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Argentina's Enzo Fernandez scores his side's second goal against Brazil during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: AP

Argentina secures a World Cup spot and then celebrates it with a 4-1 victory over archrival Brazil

For Brazil, its worst deficit in South American World Cup qualifying history compounded pressure on coach Dorival Júnior.

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Entertainment

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

Nepathya enthralls Melbourne with a sold-out concert

With the Melbourne concert concluded, Nepathya, along with its 14-member team, is now set to head to Sydney for the final leg of their tour.

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,...

Nepal International Film Festival from March 20

KATHMANDU, MARCH 19The 8th edition of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) is taking place in Kathmandu on April 20-24.A total of 87 films from 40 countries have been selected for the festival...

FILE - Emilie Dequenne appears at the awards ceremony during the 76th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. Photo: AP

Belgian actor Émilie Dequenne dies at 43 of rare cancer, report says

BRUSSELS, MARCH 17Émilie Dequenne, the Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in "Rosetta," has died, a news report says. She was 43.Her family and agent told...

Amrit Gurung, lead singer of Nepathya, performs during the band's 2025 Australia Tour in Perth. Photo: Nepathya

Nepathya announces additional Sydney concert after tickets sell out

KATHMANDU, MARCH 13Nearly three weeks before the scheduled concert date, all 5,500 tickets for Nepathya's Sydney show sold out via online bookings.Issuing a statement, Nepathya said, 'Owing...

Lifestyle

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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.

Old Durbar x Samundra Man Singh Shrestha 3

Yeti Distillery honours Paubha artist Samundra Man Singh Shrestha for promoting Nepali folk art

Internationally acclaimed Paubha artist, Samundra Man Singh Shrestha was honoured by Yeti Distillery Private Limited for his remarkable contribution to preserving and promoting Nepal’s traditional art on the global stage.

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'Kalsanga Kusti' launched highlighting an octogenarian's victory over cancer

The book ‘Kalsanga Kusti’, chronicling Captain Ash Bahadur Gurung’s inspiring battle against stage-four prostate cancer in his 80s, was launched in Bharatpur on March 1.

Science and Tech

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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.

FILE - In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

Who are the NASA astronauts who have been stuck in space for 9 months?

Their homecoming is imminent now that a new crew has arrived at the International Space Station to replace them after launching from Florida last week.

This image made from video by NASA shows astronauts greeting each other after a SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station, Sunday, March 16, 2025. Top row from left: Nick Hague, Alexander Gorbunov, Suni Williams, Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. Bottom row from left: Butch Wilmore, Takuya Onishi, Anne McClain, Kirill Peskov, Nichole Ayers and Don Pettit.

NASA's stuck astronauts welcome their newly arrived replacements to the space station

The Boeing Starliner capsule encountered so many problems that NASA insisted it come back empty, leaving its test pilots behind to wait for a SpaceX lift.

This image made from video by NASA shows the docking of the SpaceX capsule to the International Space Station Sunday, March 16, 2025. Photo: NASA via AP

NASA's stuck astronauts welcome their newly arrived replacements to the space station

Just over a day after blasting off, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts.

This photo provided by NASA shows the Intuitive Machines' Athena lander approaching the surface of the moon.

Private lunar lander may have fallen over while touching down near the moon's south pole

Intuitive Machines last year put the U.S. back on the moon despite its lander tipping on its side.

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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.

Entertainment

FILE - Actress Michelle Trachtenberg poses for a portrait during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 19, 2009. Photo: AP

Michelle Trachtenberg, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Harriet the Spy' star, dies at 39

Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl” — has died. She was 39.

Nepal

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NSU holds symposium in Syangboche on climate justice

After the successful completion of the Jay Nepal Cup, a symposium featuring environmental activists, mountain trekkers, and the Jay Nepal T20 Cup winners was held by the Nepal Students Union (NSU) in Syangboche, Solukhumbu, on Thursday.

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