All posts tagged: Nepal

Striking photo essay examines deadly spread of dengue fever in Nepal

Striking photo essay examines deadly spread of dengue fever in Nepal

Researchers have found Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and their larvae in Chandannath, Nepal, a high-altitude area Yuri Segalerba These striking photographs tell a deadly story about climate change and dengue fever, generally considered the world’s fastest-spreading mosquito-borne disease. Photographer Yuri Segalerba’s photo essay The Ascent of Temperatures explores how dengue has spread to Nepal’s Himalayan districts, including Chandannath, which, at 2438 metres above sea level, is one of the highest towns where Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and their larvae have been discovered. Previously, these mosquitoes, which transmit dengue and other diseases, had been observed only at elevations of up to 2100 metres, according to the photographer. Segalerba has been exploring “how traditional knowledge systems respond to external pressures”, and was investigating the spread of dengue into high-altitude areas in the Peruvian Andes when he learned of what was happening in Nepal. “It turned out to be the clearest setting for that question: a millennia-old medical tradition with its own framework for understanding illness, suddenly facing a disease it had never encountered …

Nepal’s home minister resigns, second cabinet exit in one month | Politics News

Nepal’s home minister resigns, second cabinet exit in one month | Politics News

Sudan Gurung steps down after less than a month in office, citing questions about his investments ​and other matters. Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026 Nepal’s minister of home affairs has resigned, saying there have been questions about his investments and other matters. He is the second minister to withdraw from the country’s month-old government. Sudan Gurung announced his departure on Wednesday, stressing that questions should be investigated, without giving further details. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “I have resigned from the position of Home Minister with effect from today,” the 38-year-old posted on his social media accounts. “For me, morality is greater than a position, and there is no greater power than public trust … Public life should be clean, leadership should be accountable,” added Gurung, who took office on March 27. Dipa Dahal, press adviser to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, confirmed the reception of Gurung’s resignation. Shah will take charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs until a new appointment is made, Dahal added. Gurung ‌came into the spotlight …

Pioneering Blue Planet and Planet Earth cameraman Doug Allan dies in Nepal

Pioneering Blue Planet and Planet Earth cameraman Doug Allan dies in Nepal

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Renowned wildlife cameraman Doug Allan, who worked on iconic BBC series including Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and The Blue Planet, has died at the age of 74 while trekking in Nepal. Often collaborating closely with Sir David Attenborough, Allan was widely celebrated as a “true pioneer” of wildlife filmmaking. His career saw him win multiple Bafta and Emmy awards, and in 2024, he was appointed an OBE for his significant contributions to broadcast media and environmental awareness. His management company, Jo Sarsby Management, confirmed his passing, noting he died “immersed in nature and surrounded by friends”. “A true pioneer of wildlife film-making, Doug captured some of the most breathtaking and intimate moments in the natural world,” the statement said. “Doug leaves behind a visual legacy that few could ever match. His work brought audiences closer to the wonders of our planet, …

Nepal, Bangladesh, Morocco, Madagascar: What have the Gen Z protests achieved?

Nepal, Bangladesh, Morocco, Madagascar: What have the Gen Z protests achieved?

They toppled governments, captured the attention of the world’s media and forced their way to the front of the political scene in countries across the Global South. But six months after mass demonstrations shook Nepal, Madagascar and Morocco, how many of the demands championed by these hyper-connected “Gen Z” protesters have been met? FRANCE 24 examines the track record of youth movements pushing for change in their countries and whether they have managed to position their demands on the political agenda. Hope for true change in Nepal It was a Gen Z success story. After the spectacular fall of the government of KP Sharma Oli, 35-year-old Balendra Shah last week became the youngest prime minister in the Himalayan country’s history. Sudan Gurung, another influential figure from the protest movement, was also appointed interior minister. Nepal’s new prime minister, popularly known as “Balen”, is a former Kathmandu mayor and social media-savvy rapper who made his entry into politics as an outspoken voice against corruption. He built a strong following among young people fed up with the country’s …

Nepal’s ex-PM Oli detained over alleged role in deadly protest crackdown | Politics News

Nepal’s ex-PM Oli detained over alleged role in deadly protest crackdown | Politics News

New home minister says arrest of former leader is the ‘beginning of justice’. Published On 28 Mar 202628 Mar 2026 Nepal’s police have arrested former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-Home Affairs Minister Ramesh Lekhak over their alleged involvement in a deadly crackdown on protesters last year. The detentions on Saturday came a day after Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his cabinet were sworn in after the first elections since the 2025 uprising that toppled Oli’s government. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “They were arrested this morning and the process will move forward according to the law,” Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari said. According to The Kathmandu Post, Oli, 74, was taken into custody from his residence in Bhaktapur, a suburb of the capital, Kathmandu. Images later showed Oli waking into a hospital, dressed all in white, and surrounded by police officers. Lekhak was also detained on Saturday from another area of Bhaktapur, his personal secretary Janak Bhatta told the Post. In a statement on Facebook, new Home Minister Sudan …

Now in power, Nepal’s rapper-politician Balen Shah faces new challenge | Politics

Now in power, Nepal’s rapper-politician Balen Shah faces new challenge | Politics

For the first 18 years of post-monarchy Nepal, the country had 14 prime ministers – leaders changing almost every year, with several taking office, being forced out, and then returning a few years later. On March 5, 2026, Nepal appeared to draw a line in the sand. Months after a Gen Z-led uprising ousted the then-prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, millions of voters chose rapper-turned politician Balendra Shah – or Balen as he is widely known – and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to lead the nation. On Friday, March 27, Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister. The RSP is barely four years old, and Shah’s only prior political experience is as mayor of the capital, Kathmandu. Now, with a landslide win, analysts and voters say Shah and the RSP have a historic opportunity to build on the popular 2025 revolt and deliver on the aspirations of young Nepalis. But with that opportunity comes risks, they add. “There is so much excitement with the heavy mandate. This is a historical and unprecedented opportunity …

What an ancient devotional text means for the women of Nepal

What an ancient devotional text means for the women of Nepal

(The Conversation) — I first heard the popular “Swasthani Vrata Katha” – a devotional text – recited in Sankhu, a village on the outskirts of Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, some 25 years ago. The text tells the story, or “katha,” of the ritual vow, or “vrata,” that women devotees perform to earn the favor of Swasthani, a local Nepali Hindu goddess. Every day during the cold lunar month of January-February, 100 to 200 Hindu women, dressed all in red, carry out a ritual that requires them to bathe in the local river, eat only one meal per day, remain singularly focused and worship the Hindu god Shiva at midday. In the evening, they recite the devotional text or listen to it being recited. Women taking a ritual bath.Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, CC BY-SA This practice dates to the 16th century and continues today. Nepali families gather daily at their home or at a relative’s home to recite one of the 31 chapters of the text. The recitation is done even if no one in the family is …

Nepal Investigating Burning of Xi Jinping’s Book at University

Nepal Investigating Burning of Xi Jinping’s Book at University

KATHMANDU, March 19 (Reuters) – Nepal ⁠is ⁠investigating how some ⁠copies of a book authored by Chinese President ​Xi Jinping were burned at a university in the east of ‌the country after the ‌Chinese embassy expressed concern over the incident, officials said ⁠on ⁠Thursday. Yuvaraj Kattel, chief district officer of Morang where the incident ​took place last Saturday, said a five-member panel had been given 15 days to find out how copies of Xi’s book “The ​Governance of China” were burned at the district’s Manmohan Technical ⁠University (MTU). Beijing is ⁠a major trading ⁠partner ​and donor, and has invested in infrastructure such as airports, roads ​and health in ⁠Nepal, a natural buffer between China and India, both of which jostle for influence in the Himalayan nation. “The Governance of China” is a multi-volume collection of Xi’s speeches and writings ⁠outlining his political philosophy and vision for government.  “It has been ⁠asked to find out who was responsible for this and recommend measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future,” Kattel told Reuters. …