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Sunday, 25 October 2026

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The Mecca Accord: From symbol to system and the shifting geometry of West Asian security

The Mecca Accord, signed in August 2026 by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, has begun its passage from spectacle to structure. West Asia rarely grants new alliances the luxury of slow maturation, and this pact has been pushed immediately into the realm where intent must be converted into capability.

16 Oct, 2026

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A stronger center, or a stronger state?

For decades, Nepalis have complained about a government that moves too slowly. Ministries work in silos, projects stall, databases do not talk to each other, and citizens struggle to get routine services. Now a young government seems determined to change that. Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s administration has begun bringing digital governance, information systems, intelligence and monitoring of implementation closer to the Prime Minister’s Office.

16 Oct, 2026

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Climate Justice: What Does Kathmandu Owe?

The August 26 Bhotekoshi–Trishuli flood must first be understood through the lives it destroyed, not only the cost of rebuilding. Government figures reported on September 21 put the death toll at 1,403, with 6,150 people still missing. Families lost homes, fields and livelihoods.

16 Oct, 2026

FILE - Photo: AP

Look above the river

The October 11 flood in the Budhi Gandaki is a reminder that Nepal’s river disasters can begin well above the riverbanks. Preliminary police reports suggest a landslide near Siringe Himal blocked a stream.

13 Oct, 2026

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Nepal must formally request TPS from the United States

In the aftermath of the devastating floods in Nepal, Nepalis around the world have rallied to support families and communities as they grieve, recover, and rebuild.

13 Oct, 2026

Beyond awareness: Are we really listening to Nepal's mental health stories?

11 Oct, 2026

Balen Builder Mandate: Marching orders for the rebuilding of Nepal

05 Oct, 2026

Balen at six months: The test of institutional power

01 Oct, 2026

Nowhere safe, nowhere to go: Water-induced migration after Bhotekoshi

01 Oct, 2026

More From Opinion

Transmission line construction. Photo: MCA Nepal/facebook

Beyond generation: Why the new Butwal-India transmission link is a strategic lifeline

The government has articulated a bold target of developing 40 GW of power generation capacity by 2040. While state agencies and private developers pour billions into hydro projects, generation tells only half the story.

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The gap nobody is talking about: Why Nepal's stagnant child mortality rate is a warning sign

Every year in Nepal, a family celebrates a pregnancy with hope, follows the antenatal visits they are told to attend, and delivers their baby in a health facility — doing everything right, by the book.

Aditya Gyawali

When there is no body: Rethinking death registration after Nepal's disasters

For some families affected by the Bhotekoshi floods, the waiting has already changed into mourning.

File - Rajendra Bajgain

Light before liberty

On a clear winter night in 2014, astronauts aboard the International Space Station photographed the Korean peninsula from above.

File - Prime Minister Balendra Shah addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Photo courtesy: Prime Minister's Secretariat/RSS

Premier Balen's address to the UNGA: Successful in persuading the global world

The address by Premier Balen Shah to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has been under the scrutiny of people both inside and outside Nepal. Several people in Nepal heaved a huge sigh of relief after hearing his speech, which was non-controversial compared with a few speeches delivered in the past. Several foreign newspapers commented on his speech, including The New York Times, which referred to the sunglasses he wore while delivering the address.

File - A view of the densely built area of Kathmandu seen from the Swayambhu Mahachaitya premises, located in Kathmandu Metropolitan City–15, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Sunday afternoon. The scene appeared as the weather cleared following rainfall on Saturday. Photo: Ratna Shrestha / RSS

Growing with nature

Every summer, we hear the same complaint: "kasto garmi badheko”. We often blame climate change, and global warming. But have we ever stopped to ask whether our own cities are making the heat even worse?

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The dual-engine pushback: How BRICS and SCO Summits challenged U.S. dominance

The global geopolitical landscape is undergoing a profound structural shift, marked by a coordinated pushback against the post-Cold War international order.

Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

Bhotekoshi: From warning to accountability

Just over a month after the August 26 Bhotekoshi–Trishuli flood, families are searching for missing loved ones while rebuilding shattered lives. Authorities received warning of a major flood moving downstream and alerts were issued, although the precise chronology requires reconstruction. Yet devastating losses followed.

File - Prime Minister Balen Shah gestures during a swearing-in ceremony at the President’s residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 27, 2026. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

Small-state realism: An alternative to inconsistent, individual-centric diplomacy

Recently, influential lawmaker of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Amresh Kumar Singh, blatantly accused from the podium of the House of Representatives (HoR) that the chief advisor of Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah had secretly met Indian PM Narendra Modi’s chief security advisor in a New Delhi hotel.

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Pooled benefit: The importance of meta-analysis

We all know that clinicians, physicians, researchers, and others are up against a huge challenge — the overwhelming wealth of information, even in taut, small areas of speciality interest. Reviews designed to summarise the outsized volumes of information are, as a result, frequently published.

File - Rajendra Bajgain

A courteous question to the sky

Mr Musk, may I put to you, with the greatest respect, a question my country has long hesitated to ask: is Starlink a militarised vehicle? I raise it not as a challenge but as an invitation to clarity.

Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

EDITORIAL: Protect public health in the aftermath of devastating flood

In the harrowing aftermath of the devastating Bhotekoshi floods, media coverage is filled with immediate visuals of the disaster, from shattered suspension bridges, inundated valleys to heroic search and rescue operations.

Photo Courtesy: Nepal Police

EDITORIAL: Time running out for search and rescue

The devastating flash floods along the Bhotekoshi River corridor across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and downstream districts have laid bare the acute vulnerabilities of Nepal’s high-altitude Himalayan infrastructure.

File - A view of a glacier in Myagdi district of Nepal. Photo: RSS/File

EDITORIAL: Lower blasting risk with proven hydrological engineering

In an unequivocal statement on state-led disaster risk reduction, Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha announced that the government is undertaking technical preparations to lower water levels in extremely high-risk glacial lakes.

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Nepal exports electricity worth Rs 5.92 billion to India in Ashoj

Nepal exported electricity worth Rs 5.92 billion to India in Ashoj (mid-September to mid-October), despite disruptions to hydropower production caused by the August 26 floods.

File photo: Rajesh Gurung/THT

Traffic police take action against 470 vehicles in a day

Traffic police took action against 470 vehicles for violating traffic rules in Kathmandu Valley on Saturday, according to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office.

Kojagrat Purnima being observed today

Kojagrat Purnima, marking the conclusion of the 15-day Bada Dashain festival, is being observed across the country today with prayers to Goddess Mahalaxmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity.

Tourist arrivals in Mustang surge after Dashain

Tourist arrivals in Mustang have risen sharply after Dashain, with 7,846 domestic and foreign visitors entering the district over Thursday and Friday, according to the District Police Office.

Traffic increases at Kathmandu Valley entry points as Dashain returnees arrive

Traffic has increased at major entry points into Kathmandu Valley as people who left the capital for Dashain have begun returning after receiving tika and blessings.

Science and Tech

FILE - Ethernet cables are seen in Portland, Ore., on June 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

PHP is in the foundation of 70% of websites – here's what it is and why a flaw in the software is a major hacking threat

Governments and organizations around the world began scrambling on Oct. 21, 2026, to fix a vulnerability in software that runs their websites, a bug that could give hackers access to data and control of websites.

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WHO official calls for continued vigilance to keep Nepal polio-free

Nepal must sustain polio surveillance and immunisation efforts to protect its polio-free status, particularly given the risk of the virus entering through cross-border movement, a senior World Health Organization official has said.

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Mother of industrialist Kailash Chandra Goyal dies at 81

Bimala Devi Goyal, mother of industrialist and social worker Kailash Chandra Goyal, chairman of the Goyal Group, died on Friday at the age of 81.

Gangapurna. Photo: Wikipedia

Bodies of two missing Japanese climbers found on Gangapurna

The bodies of two Japanese climbers who went missing while attempting Gangapurna in Manang have been found at around 6,300 metres on the mountain's southern side, ending a five-day aerial search.

FILE - Participants taking part in a cycle rally organised by the Cycle City Pokhara in coordination with the Jayanti Smriti Prathisthan in Pokhara of Kaski district on Tuesday, September 29, 2015. Photo: Rup Narayan Dhakal

Mega polio bicycle rally to pass through seven heritage sites on October 25

Rotary International Nepal Bhutan District 3292 is organising a mega bicycle rally in Kathmandu Valley on October 25 to raise public awareness about polio eradication on the occasion of World Polio Day.

File photo: Reuters

Weather department urges public not to panic over rain rumours

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has urged the public not to panic over social media reports of prolonged rainfall, saying rain is possible in some parts of the country from next Tuesday but its location, intensity and duration remain uncertain.

Science and Tech

File photo- Image source: idgesg.net

Rush is on to patch a software vulnerability that could impact 70% of websites worldwide

Governments and corporations worked throughout the night on urgent security updates after the AI-assisted discovery of vulnerabilities in a programming language vital to 70% of websites globally. Many government sites appeared to be functioning normally Thursday, but outages or limited service continued while security work was under way.

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