https://www.scmp.com/rss/307851/feed Bibek is a journalist based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has reported from China, India, Nepal and elsewhere. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s tourism industry is scrambling to offset a sharp fall in Western visitors during the peak spring trekking season, with operators and officials turning their attention to Asia-Pacific markets as conflict-linked travel disruptions ripple through the Middle East. Arrivals from the Americas and Europe, which account for a sizeable share of Nepal’s higher-spending long-haul tourism business, dropped by nearly 25 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively, during March compared with the same... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349945/nepals-trekking-trade-looks-east-iran-war-disrupts-western-tourist-flow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349945/nepals-trekking-trade-looks-east-iran-war-disrupts-western-tourist-flow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari As a child, Saraswati Nepali was not allowed to drink from the same water jar as her classmates. When she was thirsty, she had to walk the 20 minutes home and back: the cost of being born a Dalit in a society that deemed her “untouchable”. Now, Nepal’s new government says it is finally ready to acknowledge that injustice. Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s administration announced on Sunday that the state would, for the first time, offer a formal apology to the Dalit community. It also pledged to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348535/nepal-apologise-untouchable-dalits-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348535/nepal-apologise-untouchable-dalits-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A high-level inquiry in Nepal has held former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and other senior government officials responsible for criminal negligence over the shootings in last year’s deadly youth uprising that killed 76 people, as the leak of the crucial report to a local publication triggered criticisms due to its sensitive nature. The committee, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, has recommended investigation and prosecution of Oli, his home minister Ramesh Lekhak, and former Inspector... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348012/nepals-probe-deadly-uprising-finds-ex-prime-minister-officials-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348012/nepals-probe-deadly-uprising-finds-ex-prime-minister-officials-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s prime minister-in-waiting came to power on a promise of change. Now he faces the monumental challenge of taking on a system weighed down by corruption and poor governance while meeting the towering expectations of the millions who backed him and his anti-establishment party. Balendra Shah – a rapper, engineer and former mayor of Kathmandu popularly known as Balen – handily defeated former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the election on March 5, with his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346981/nepal-voted-change-can-its-rapper-engineer-pm-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346981/nepal-voted-change-can-its-rapper-engineer-pm-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:40:30 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s incoming government has signalled it will pursue a more pragmatic foreign policy centred on national interests, as the newly victorious Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) seeks to recalibrate relations with both China and India after years of shifting political alignments. In its election manifesto, RSP pledged to pursue “balanced and dynamic diplomacy” with both neighbours, emphasising economic cooperation, cross-border connectivity and trade while transforming Nepal from a “buffer state... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346179/nepals-new-government-signals-shift-india-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:03:07 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A 35-year-old rapper and engineer who entered politics just four years ago has beaten a former prime minister in Nepal’s crucial parliamentary election, in a contest widely seen as a referendum on a generational shift in leadership after last year’s youth uprising. Balendra Shah – the former Kathmandu mayor widely known as Balen – surged ahead of 74-year-old communist leader K.P. Sharma Oli in a race for a seat in Nepal’s House of Representatives in the eastern district of Jhapa, election... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345808/nepal-election-rapper-turned-politician-balen-shah-poised-become-next-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345808/nepal-election-rapper-turned-politician-balen-shah-poised-become-next-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:18:21 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Sangharsh Bhusal returned to the spot outside Nepal’s parliament building where police shot him last year. The 28-year-old still bears scars on his head, hand and abdomen from the violence that engulfed Kathmandu during Nepal’s Gen Z uprising, when thousands took to the streets demanding good governance and an end to corruption. It was here, in front of the seat of power, where many young protesters believed their voices should have been heard when gunfire rang out. At least 77 people –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345168/young-nepalis-hope-post-uprising-election-candidates-shun-same-old-patterns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345168/young-nepalis-hope-post-uprising-election-candidates-shun-same-old-patterns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s Lumbini has long anchored the Buddhist pilgrimage map as the Buddha’s birthplace. Nearby, however, stand the fortified ruins of Tilaurakot – believed to be the ancient capital where Siddhartha Gautam spent his princely years – a site of profound historical weight that draws only a fraction of the visitors. A newly unearthed temple could change that, archaeologists say, offering fresh evidence that Tilaurakot once held far greater religious significance to Buddhists than its quiet present... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344160/unearthed-temple-nepal-sheds-new-light-buddhas-early-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344160/unearthed-temple-nepal-sheds-new-light-buddhas-early-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Many tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal have welcomed the arrest of executives accused of orchestrating fake rescue operations on the country’s Himalayan trekking trails and swindling millions of dollars from insurers. The arrests follow a nearly three-month investigation by Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau into a long-running insurance fraud scheme where travel and rescue companies allegedly staged helicopter evacuations from the mountains to pocket insurance money from foreign travel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342688/nepals-tourism-sector-welcomes-arrests-fake-mountain-rescues-urges-tough-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342688/nepals-tourism-sector-welcomes-arrests-fake-mountain-rescues-urges-tough-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:00:29 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A video showing three of Nepal’s most recognisable political figures walking side by side set social media abuzz late last year, stirring widespread speculation that a new political alliance was taking shape ahead of a looming national election. But there was a catch: the meeting depicted never took place. The clip, depicting Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Rabi Lamichhane, Kathmandu’s former mayor Balendra Shah and ex-power sector chief Kulman Ghising, was a fabrication – one of a growing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341037/viral-lies-ai-deepfakes-hijack-reality-nepals-election-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341037/viral-lies-ai-deepfakes-hijack-reality-nepals-election-run?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:00:16 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal is stepping up scrutiny of illegal cross-border matchmaking after authorities uncovered cases in which brokers and online intermediaries were marketing Nepali women as prospective brides for Chinese nationals, prompting increased enforcement and official warnings. The Chinese Embassy in Nepal issued a New Year’s travel advisory cautioning its citizens against what it described as “bride buying” in the country, urging them not to trust matchmaking agencies and brokers blindly and stressing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337977/nepal-probes-illegal-matchmaking-china-cautions-citizens-over-bride-buying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337977/nepal-probes-illegal-matchmaking-china-cautions-citizens-over-bride-buying?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 04:25:42 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari For years, Nepal’s government has faced pressure to reduce rubbish in the Himalayas, where decades of commercial mountaineering have left large amounts of discarded gear, human waste and other debris on some of the world’s tallest peaks. Last week, the authorities in Kathmandu finally took firm action. They approved a landmark five-year plan to clean up Nepal’s mountains, seeking to curb waste through stricter monitoring and limiting the number of climbers on Mount Everest, the world’s highest... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337378/nepal-clean-mount-everests-waste-limiting-climbers-flying-more-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337378/nepal-clean-mount-everests-waste-limiting-climbers-flying-more-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:30:07 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari As tourist numbers climb back towards record highs, Nepal is rolling out a new digital registration system to track every foreign visitor, in a move officials say will boost safety and curb visa misuse. Starting from January 1, all foreign visitors will be required to register detailed accommodation information through the government’s new digital platform, replacing the earlier system that allowed only partial disclosures. Authorities say the measure will modernise an overstretched immigration... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336654/nepal-rolls-out-tourist-tracking-system-keep-tabs-foreigners-after-protest-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336654/nepal-rolls-out-tourist-tracking-system-keep-tabs-foreigners-after-protest-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 03:00:15 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s anti-corruption watchdog has filed criminal charges against ex-ministers, senior bureaucrats and a Chinese state-owned construction giant accused of inflating costs and manipulating contracts at a multimillion-dollar infrastructure project. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday charged 55 people, including five former tourism and finance ministers, 10 ex-government secretaries and dozens of other high-ranking officials. Also named was China CAMC... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335706/nepal-charges-chinese-contractor-corruption-over-airport-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335706/nepal-charges-chinese-contractor-corruption-over-airport-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Late one night in southern Nepal last month, whispers spread of an unusual wedding taking place. Inside a modest home, an 18-year-old girl was about to be wed to a Chinese national nearly twice her age. The match was illegal. Nepal’s minimum age for marriage is 20, and the bride’s youth alarmed onlookers. Police were called and the ceremony in Bara district was swiftly brought to a halt. But the episode shone a spotlight on the trafficking of young Nepali women into marriage with Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335584/chinese-marriage-brokers-find-new-hunting-ground-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335584/chinese-marriage-brokers-find-new-hunting-ground-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal is preparing to open one of its last untouched frontiers for foreigners by slashing the costly permit to enter Upper Mustang, a rugged plateau of ochre cliffs, hidden valleys and centuries-old Buddhist heritage. The government has announced plans to replace the flat US$500 charge for a 10-day stay with a daily US$50 rate, a shift that tourism entrepreneurs believe will make the destination more accessible and help drive the local economy. “We have been lobbying to reduce the permit fee for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334579/nepal-slashes-pricey-permit-boost-tourism-economy-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334579/nepal-slashes-pricey-permit-boost-tourism-economy-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:00:28 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari The fires have long since been extinguished, but in Kathmandu’s devastated government district, the embers of suspicion still smoulder. Nearly two months after a Gen Z-led youth uprising swept through Nepal’s capital, forensic teams are working to uncover the origins of the infernos that gutted the country’s courts and ministries, looking for signs of deliberate arson and destroyed evidence. “The extent of the damage was quite shocking,” said Subash Chandra Baral, president of the Nepal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3331104/nepals-protest-arson-leaves-trail-burning-questions-its-suspicious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3331104/nepals-protest-arson-leaves-trail-burning-questions-its-suspicious?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 08:00:15 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari One month after Nepal’s youth-led revolt redrew the political map, competing visions for the future and the daunting challenge of turning protest into meaningful reform are casting uncertainty over the country’s political future. In the wake of the September uprising, which ousted the government of K.P. Sharma Oli and left more than 70 people dead, new Gen Z factions have proliferated, defined by their deep ideological divides. Groups with names like the Gen Z Alliance, Real Gen Z Nepal and Gen... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329434/nepals-gen-z-uprising-splinters-ideological-cracks-start-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329434/nepals-gen-z-uprising-splinters-ideological-cracks-start-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 08:00:16 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari The streets of Kathmandu have quieted, but the echoes of angry young voices still reverberate through Nepal. Three weeks after Gen Z-led protests swept away the South Asian nation’s government, the new interim prime minister, Sushila Karki, faces a daunting challenge: channelling the anger of a disillusioned youth movement into lasting institutional reform while contending with constitutional constraints and the lingering grip of old elites. Karki, a former chief justice and anti-corruption... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327225/nepals-new-leaders-race-deliver-gen-z-demands-everyones-revenge-mood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327225/nepals-new-leaders-race-deliver-gen-z-demands-everyones-revenge-mood?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Going to meet Asha Kama Wangdi, like so many trips in Bhutan, feels like a pilgrimage. From the capital, Thimphu, it’s almost three hours through meandering roads, misty valleys and monsoon-soaked forests to reach the cultural heartland of Punakha. From there, it’s another hour to Kabjisa, where one of Bhutan’s most respected artists resides. In 2022, Wangdi moved to this patch of high-altitude land, part of an inheritance handed down to his elder sister that she had given to him (inheritance... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326826/artists-dream-cultural-renaissance-remote-bhutan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326826/artists-dream-cultural-renaissance-remote-bhutan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari The marigold garlands wilted in the Kathmandu heat, draped over coffins that bore the weight of a nation’s grief. Inside one lay Mahesh Budhathoki, a young man who left home to protest against corruption – and never returned. The 22-year-old was one of dozens killed when police opened fire during mass anti-corruption protests led by Nepal’s Generation Z. At least 73 people were killed in the demonstrations, which turned violent as protesters surged towards the parliament building in the nation’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326108/nepals-gen-z-count-cost-revolution-paid-blood-we-want-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326108/nepals-gen-z-count-cost-revolution-paid-blood-we-want-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:16:46 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal has appointed former chief justice Sushila Karki as the country’s interim prime minister, creating history as the first woman to hold the position, after days of tumultuous protests. The historic move comes as Nepal’s Gen Z protesters endorsed Karki to lead following violent anti-corruption demonstrations that toppled prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and left at least 51 people dead. “It’s a very emotional moment for us,” said Aneekarma, a Gen Z who protested on Monday. “We have a woman of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325265/nepals-gen-z-protesters-back-ex-chief-justice-sushila-karki-interim-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325265/nepals-gen-z-protesters-back-ex-chief-justice-sushila-karki-interim-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 01:43:01 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Kathmandu awoke to a drizzle on Wednesday, but it could not wash away the smouldering wreckage left by unprecedented arson and looting a day earlier that followed anti-corruption protests in Nepal’s capital. Fires consumed public institutions, historic buildings and private businesses – including the Supreme Court, the Singha Durbar government complex, the Kantipur media house and a luxury hotel – as what began as Gen Z-led peaceful protests spiralled into attacks that observers fear may be part... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325084/nepals-gen-z-accuse-people-political-agenda-chaos-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325084/nepals-gen-z-accuse-people-political-agenda-chaos-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:14:40 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday as demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew and clashed with police, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban and mounting frustration over political corruption. “I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today … in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems,” Oli said in a letter to President Ram Chandra Paudel. The 73-year-old’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324890/nepal-prime-minister-resigns-over-deadly-social-media-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324890/nepal-prime-minister-resigns-over-deadly-social-media-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:01:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari The chants of students turned into screams in Nepal on Monday as police opened fire on unarmed protesters in Kathmandu, turning a simmering youth-led movement against corruption and censorship into the bloodiest confrontation the Himalayan republic has seen in years. By nightfall, at least 19 demonstrators had been killed by police gunfire, according to official figures, with more than 300 wounded across Kathmandu and other cities. Many of the victims were students in uniform. Videos... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324821/nepals-gen-z-revolt-turns-deadly-police-fire-protesters-killing-least-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324821/nepals-gen-z-revolt-turns-deadly-police-fire-protesters-killing-least-19?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 03:17:10 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal’s national parks have eyes in the sky watching over their precious wildlife. Conservationists are deploying drones in protected areas to monitor animals, track illegal activities, conduct censuses and help minimise human-wildlife conflicts. The technology is primarily being used in and around the Chitwan and Bardia national parks – home to tigers, rhinos and elephants in the country’s southern lowlands. Gokarna Jung Thapa, head of geoinformatics and technology at WWF Nepal, said drones had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3322591/drones-vs-poachers-nepals-newest-weapon-guard-tigers-rhinos-and-elephants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3322591/drones-vs-poachers-nepals-newest-weapon-guard-tigers-rhinos-and-elephants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Bhutan is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon due to the frequent thunderstorms that sweep its dramatic valleys. But visitors are often welcomed by stillness after a stomach-churning landing in mountain-ringed Paro, home to the country’s only international airport. There is rarely much traffic during the hour’s drive to the capital, Thimphu, to drown out the sound of gushing rivers and the wind. Since opening up to tourists in the early 1970s, Bhutan, the world’s only carbon-negative... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3321722/insiders-guide-bhutan-land-thunder-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3321722/insiders-guide-bhutan-land-thunder-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:57:50 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari High in the Himalayas, the tiny kingdom of Bhutan, long known for its pursuit of “gross national happiness”, has now set its sights on a new measure of contentment: cryptocurrency. In a move that has startled some of its neighbours and inspired global fintech champions, the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”, home to around 800,000 people, is using state-mined bitcoin to fund public salaries and lure a new wave of tourists. Bhutan became, in May, the world’s first nation to unveil a countrywide,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317923/bhutans-big-crypto-tourism-push-aims-revolutionise-himalayan-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317923/bhutans-big-crypto-tourism-push-aims-revolutionise-himalayan-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:30:11 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Three days before the Hong Kong 100 Ultra Marathon in January, Sunmaya Budha was racing against time to reach the city due to visa delays. She was nearly 3,000km away, in Nepal’s mountainous Jumla district. She first had to catch a flight from its tiny, weather-dependent airstrip to another city, then to the capital, Kathmandu, and finally onwards to Hong Kong. Within 48 hours of landing, however, Budha did not just run the 103km race along the Sai Kung Peninsula and across Hong Kong’s forests,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3314284/ultra-marathon-sensation-sunmaya-budha-blazes-trail-women-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3314284/ultra-marathon-sensation-sunmaya-budha-blazes-trail-women-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 20:15:07 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3311465/nepali-factory-challenging-menstrual-taboos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3311465/nepali-factory-challenging-menstrual-taboos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari In a quiet corner of southern Nepal, a small women-run factory is driving a growing movement to replace conventional menstrual pads with biodegradable alternatives – part of grass roots efforts to protect women’s health and the environment while dismantling entrenched taboos around menstruation. The Miteri Jaibik Pad Udhyog (Miteri eco-friendly pad factory) in Chitwan district’s Gunjanagar has been manufacturing single-use biodegradable pads and reusable cloth pads since 2017, dispelling... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3309791/green-menstruation-nepals-activists-tackle-pad-pollution-womens-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3309791/green-menstruation-nepals-activists-tackle-pad-pollution-womens-health?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 May 2025 09:00:15 +0000 A dark, barely visible powder is hastening the melt of glaciers from the Himalayas to the Arctic. Black carbon, a “super pollutant” whose warming power far exceeds that of carbon dioxide, is a ticking bomb for the planet’s water systems, and Asia is at the centre of the storm. A major component of PM2.5 – microscopic particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, wreaking havoc on human health – black carbon absorbs sunlight with deadly efficiency. When it settles on snowy and icy surfaces,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3304355/black-carbon-super-pollutant-melting-asias-glaciers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3304355/black-carbon-super-pollutant-melting-asias-glaciers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 09:00:20 +0000 Bhutan is illegally jailing people for life without the possibility of parole simply for expressing political opinions, according to a damning United Nations report published this week. The report’s conclusions sparked renewed criticism from human rights advocates, former prisoners and exiled Bhutanese, who said the arrests reflected a broader pattern of discrimination against the kingdom’s ethnic Nepali minority. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found the Bhutanese government had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3303257/bhutans-life-sentences-political-prisoners-violate-international-law-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3303257/bhutans-life-sentences-political-prisoners-violate-international-law-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 04:01:03 +0000 A China-built airport in Nepal’s second-largest town is set for its first scheduled international flight, two years after its inauguration raised hopes of attracting more carriers to fly directly to Pokhara. Himalaya Airlines will launch a weekly flight from Pokhara International Airport to Lhasa on March 31, marking a significant milestone for the airport. In a statement on Monday, the airline said the flight would improve connectivity between the countries and attract more Chinese tourists to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3301551/why-nepals-china-built-airport-cautiously-optimistic-over-first-international-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3301551/why-nepals-china-built-airport-cautiously-optimistic-over-first-international-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Mar 2025 04:30:07 +0000 Glen Loveland was 31 when he moved to Beijing for a new job in 2007, after spending seven years as a congressional staffer in Washington DC. “I had little exposure to Asians when growing up and thus no real feelings, positive or negative, towards them other than the obnoxious stereotypes I’d seen on TV,” Loveland writes in his recently released memoir, Beijing Bound: A Foreigner Discovers China, about his first year in the Chinese capital. Also inexperienced in the local LGBTQ scene, he dived... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3300929/how-american-experienced-gay-awakening-china-beijing-2008-summer-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3300929/how-american-experienced-gay-awakening-china-beijing-2008-summer-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:00:10 +0000 Healthcare workers at one of Nepal’s leading university hospitals are demanding an investigation into the suicide attempt of a colleague in an alleged case of academic and workplace harassment. The case underscores the gruesome training, mental anguish, and power imbalances that plague the country’s medical residency programmes, according to the healthcare workers. Interns at Dhulikhel Hospital on Tuesday exposed details of the grim working conditions many resident doctors experience at its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3299463/interns-expose-dark-side-medical-training-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3299463/interns-expose-dark-side-medical-training-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:30:12 +0000 For nearly 16 months, Mahanand Joshi has been desperately seeking answers to a question that has consumed his family: “Where is Bipin Joshi?” His son Bipin’s whereabouts have been unknown since the 23-year-old was abducted in Israel after the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Bipin was among the foreigners and Israelis kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group but a recent ceasefire and release of several hostages have made Mahanand, 51, hopeful of his son’s return. “We want good news now,”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3297194/nepali-family-hopes-hostages-return-gaza-end-excruciating-wait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3297194/nepali-family-hopes-hostages-return-gaza-end-excruciating-wait?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:07:18 +0000 Hundreds of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are being arbitrarily and indefinitely detained across India and face dehumanising living conditions that violate their basic human rights, according to a new report. The study, published on Monday by the non-profit Refugees International and The Azadi Project, documents the segregation of family members and poor sanitation measures at the “jail-like facilities” known as holding centres or transit camps. It says the improper treatment of the detainees... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291104/inside-indias-inhumane-detention-camps-rohingya-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291104/inside-indias-inhumane-detention-camps-rohingya-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2024 05:00:07 +0000 In Nepal, a centuries-old ritual of mass animal sacrifice is expected to draw tens of thousands of devotees this week as the Gadhimai festival takes place, despite decades of fierce opposition and campaigning by animal welfare groups worldwide to end the practice. Buffaloes, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks, and even mice will be slaughtered at the Gadhimai Temple in the small border town of Bariyapur from Sunday to Monday to appease the Hindu goddess of power as part of the larger month-long... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3289733/nepals-barbaric-animal-sacrifice-ritual-persists-despite-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3289733/nepals-barbaric-animal-sacrifice-ritual-persists-despite-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Dec 2024 07:00:08 +0000 Bhutan’s ambitious plan to transform its southern farmlands into a futuristic “mindfulness city” has sparked outrage among displaced ethnic Nepalis, who accuse the government of building the megaproject on stolen land. Envisioned by King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, the 2,500 sq km (965 square mile) Gelephu Mindfulness City is meant to serve as an economic corridor, promote sustainable living and become home to some 150,000 people in the next decade. However, ethnic Nepalis like 54-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3288697/displaced-nepalis-fume-bhutans-mindfulness-city-plan-our-stolen-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3288697/displaced-nepalis-fume-bhutans-mindfulness-city-plan-our-stolen-land?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:30:09 +0000 Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is preparing for an official visit to China in early December, signalling his country’s interest in strengthening ties with its northern neighbour, with experts noting its potential to rebalance Kathmandu’s historically India-centric foreign policy. Nepal’s newly appointed leaders traditionally make India their first foreign trip, however, Oli did not receive the invitation from New Delhi usually extended after the formation of a new government. Oli formed a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3286566/nepal-pm-picks-beijing-over-new-delhi-maiden-visit-urged-bolster-economic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3286566/nepal-pm-picks-beijing-over-new-delhi-maiden-visit-urged-bolster-economic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:53:10 +0000 Tired of city life, Guangzhou resident Chu Yu has set her sights on Nepal’s peaceful mountains for her next adventure. “After Covid, we need some connection with nature,” says Chu, 29, referring to the growing trend of young Chinese hiking and trekking at home and abroad. “Nepal is a budget-friendly destination and the culture there is really vibrant.” Visitors like Chu are likely to add to the anticipated influx of Chinese tourists to Nepal in 2025 amid the Chinese government’s tourism... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3285748/welcoming-chinese-visitors-can-nepal-cash-beijings-tourism-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3285748/welcoming-chinese-visitors-can-nepal-cash-beijings-tourism-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Nov 2024 07:30:08 +0000 A recent study by Nepali and Australian researchers found that, under a severe climate change scenario, snow leopards “may entirely disappear” from Nepal within the next three decades. “Our modelling shows an alarming scenario, and the impact from climate change is turning out to be worse than predicted,” said Dibesh Karmacharya, the executive director of the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal and lead researcher of the study. Though typically found at elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 metres... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3283740/snow-leopards-could-vanish-nepal-2050-under-severe-climate-change-study-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3283740/snow-leopards-could-vanish-nepal-2050-under-severe-climate-change-study-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2024 04:00:11 +0000 Rajan Bajagain is faced with the heartbreaking sight of his home reduced to rubble, as the land where he once farmed is now submerged under a thick layer of muddy sludge. The Roshi River, swollen in September, unleashed its fury upon his village in Panauti, located around 32km southeast of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. He said, the devastating flood left many people homeless and wiped out their hard-earned life savings. “Our world has ended,” Bajagain, 53, said. “I lost everything I earned, and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3281742/nepal-floods-deliver-us127-million-blow-countrys-economy-amid-climate-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3281742/nepal-floods-deliver-us127-million-blow-countrys-economy-amid-climate-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 02:00:26 +0000 The Museum of Nepali Art in Kathmandu is one of the few places where you can find Lain Singh Bangdel’s work in the country. In an un-self-conscious gallery, among several celebrated contemporary artists, hangs a rare, 1989 self-portrait – Bangdel, the “father of modern art in Nepal”, with eyes closed and a subtle, contented smile, as if sighing in artistic fulfilment after an illustrious career that had, by the time of painting, spanned five decades and four countries. Bangdel’s relevance in his... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3279924/why-father-modern-art-nepal-lain-singh-bangdel-unsung-hero-and-how-his-legacy-being-preserved-today?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3279924/why-father-modern-art-nepal-lain-singh-bangdel-unsung-hero-and-how-his-legacy-being-preserved-today?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Sep 2024 23:15:08 +0000 Puskar Jirel used to grow agricultural produce on the foothills of the Himalayas in northeastern Nepal, but six years ago, he started planting a high-value evergreen shrub, which is used to make Japanese banknotes. Farmers, mostly in eastern Nepal, have been planting the Edgeworthia gardneri – called argeli in Nepali and mitsumata in Japanese – for decades. Its bark is exported to Japan, where it is processed to print the yen. And as demand grew amid dwindling supplies in Japan, farmers in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3271099/nepali-farmers-cash-crop-used-make-japanese-banknotes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3271099/nepali-farmers-cash-crop-used-make-japanese-banknotes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 10:00:11 +0000 When Devendra Shrestha’s more than 300-year-old house was crumbling, he chose not to demolish it and replace it with a concrete building like many of his neighbours in the historic Patan area. Instead, he renovated and transformed it into a hotel. The hotel, named Newa Chen after Kathmandu Valley’s indigenous Newa people, became the first traditional private home converted into a tourist accommodation in 2006. Since then, numerous heritage hotels have mushroomed around Patan Durbar Square, a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3269353/glimpse-nepals-disappearing-culture-its-heritage-hotels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3269353/glimpse-nepals-disappearing-culture-its-heritage-hotels?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 08:00:10 +0000 Planned hydropower plants in Nepal’s protected areas have outraged conservationists, who warn the projects will devastate the region’s ecology and displace indigenous communities. Now, Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio is lending his star power to their cause. DiCaprio, a known environmental advocate, last week voiced concerns over the dam construction on the Chhujung, Chhunjam and Bakhang rivers in the Lungba Samba valley of eastern Nepal. The region is home to several endangered plant... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3267842/nepals-hydropower-plans-spark-leonardo-dicaprio-backed-backlash-attack-our-ancestral-lands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3267842/nepals-hydropower-plans-spark-leonardo-dicaprio-backed-backlash-attack-our-ancestral-lands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:00:20 +0000 As monsoon rains pounded a hillside village in Nepal’s Dolakha district in August 2018, an early warning system tested just months earlier sprang into action – sounding the alarm and helping nearly 500 people evacuate just minutes before a landslide struck. Now, another group of scientists is piloting an artificial intelligence-powered forecasting system that aims to predict landslides with greater accuracy days, or even weeks, before they occur. SAFE-RISCCS, short for the Spatiotemporal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3266082/nepal-rolls-out-ai-powered-crystal-ball-predict-deadly-landslides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3266082/nepal-rolls-out-ai-powered-crystal-ball-predict-deadly-landslides?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:30:11 +0000