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Nepal

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Nepal. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Kathmandu

Head of State

President Ram Chandra Poudel

Head of Government

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli

School students watch news about Balendra Shah, Nepal’s new prime minister, on a mobile phone in Kathmandu last month. Photo: EPA

Education

Nepal’s school fee crackdown upends South Asian private education norms

Nepal wants private schools to charge less and be more transparent. It could backfire, industry insiders say.

1 hour ago

SCMP Highlights

UAE retaliates against Iran, Bali’s spate of murders: 7 Asia highlights

7 Apr 2026 - 12:30PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

5 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM

Religion

Untouchable no more: Nepal to apologise to Dalits for first time

Nepal has banned caste discrimination, yet many Dalits still live in poverty. Can a formal state apology inspire change?

31 Mar 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

A Dalit woman sits with a child in Humla district, in Nepal’s remote northwest. Photo: AFP

K.P. Sharma Oli

Nepal’s ex-PM Oli arrested over alleged role in crackdown on protesters

Oli says he will fight the ‘vindictive’ arrest, as former home minister Ramesh Lekhak is also detained.

28 Mar 2026 - 3:48PMvideocam

K.P. Sharma Oli

Balendra Shah sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister

Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old ex-rapper widely known as Balen, is Nepal’s youngest PM in decades.

27 Mar 2026 - 3:29PM

Protests around the world

Nepal’s probe into deadly uprising finds ex-prime minister, officials ‘reckless’

The report is proposing prison sentences of up to 10 years for K.P. Sharma Oli and other top government officials.

27 Mar 2026 - 7:11PM

People burn tyres during a demonstration in Kathmandu on September 9 to condemn the Nepali police’s deadly crackdown on protesters. Photo: AFP

Food and Drinks

Drink in Focus: Tropical Spicy Brew at Friday After Class

Friday After Class, one of the latest additions to buzzing Peel Street, is launching a new cocktail menu that features fruity, tropical creations that evoke summer holidays.

26 Mar 2026 - 6:00PM

Diplomacy

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

24 Mar 2026 - 9:04AMvideocam

Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

21 Mar 2026 - 3:00PM

Nepal’s Mera Glacier is among the handful of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that meets the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s benchmark standards. Photo: Patrick Wagnon/ICIMOD

United States

Nepal voted for change. Can its rapper-engineer PM deliver?

Balendra Shah has promised to transform Nepal, but success hinges on him becoming the first elected leader to finish a full five-year term.

18 Mar 2026 - 2:10PMvideocam

Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party takes a selfie with children and supporters during a door-to-door election campaign on February 16. Photo: AFP

SCMP Highlights

Japanese governor turns heads, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights

From the unlikely background of Nepal’s new leader to Thai police’s deadly blind spot, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

17 Mar 2026 - 1:22PM

Hong Kong society

Letters | How Hong Kong can better support its Nepali youth

Readers discuss the challenges faced by an ethnic minority group, the need for a law to prevent workplace bullying, and the struggles of English teachers.

17 Mar 2026 - 11:30AM

LGBTQ

Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

More than 900,000 people identify as sexual minorities in Nepal, which has some of South Asia’s most progressive laws on LGBTQ rights.

16 Mar 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Bhumika Shrestha, Nepal’s first transgender woman to become a member of parliament, is congratulated by members of the LGBTQ community in Kathmandu on Monday. Photo: EPA

India

7 die in Nepal as bus carrying Indian pilgrims plunges off mountain road

Nine people were injured, including seven other pilgrims, when the bus careered off a road and rolled about 150 metres down a slope.

15 Mar 2026 - 8:26PMvideocam

The wreckage of a bus that rolled down a mountain slope, killing seven, sits at Shahid Lakhan village, west of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, on Sunday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

14 Mar 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

India

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

12 Mar 2026 - 12:36PMvideocam

Asia elections

Nepali ex-rapper will form government after landslide election win

Balendra Shah emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

8 Mar 2026 - 7:00PM

Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for RSP, shows his winning certificate to his supporters as he celebrates after winning the election, in Damak, Jhapa district, Nepal, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong charity cancels ‘Race for Water’ fundraiser weeks before event

Annual trail-running fundraiser organised by A Drop of Life was to take place on March 22, but will no longer proceed.

8 Mar 2026 - 8:40PM

Asia elections

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

7 Mar 2026 - 9:33PMvideocam

Protests around the world

Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million Nepalis are choosing 275 members of parliament in an election seen as a test of stability.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:09PM

People queue to vote at a polling station during the general election in Damak, Jhapa district, Nepal, March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

01:38

Protests around the world

Video | Nepal to choose new government following Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, with 800,000 taking part for the first time.

3 Mar 2026 - 5:07PM

01:39

Human rights

‘This is our moment’: Nepal’s Gen Z voters hope for ‘turning point’ in election

While all the parties have pledged economic growth and job creation, thousands are leaving Nepal each day in search of a better life.

3 Mar 2026 - 5:09PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk as war with Iran rages on

Deaths or injuries of people from the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, who were working in the region, have been reported.

2 Mar 2026 - 8:25PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

South Korean ex-president sentenced, Buddha’s early life: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-president Yoon’s sentencing to Singapore’s auntie matchmakers, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

24 Feb 2026 - 12:30PM

A woman walks past a television screen in Seoul broadcasting a news report on Yoon Suk-yeol’s sentencing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Mainland China

Video | Foreigners among 19 killed in Nepal bus crash

Dozens of people were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

24 Feb 2026 - 12:11PM

01:31

Chinese embassy

Bus plunges off Nepal mountain highway: 19 dead, including Chinese national

Dozens were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

24 Feb 2026 - 12:10PMvideocam

Mainland China

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

From global reach of China’s highspeed rail to an unearthed temple in Nepal, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

23 Feb 2026 - 12:30PM

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Nepal

Nepal’s school fee crackdown upends South Asian private education norms

Nepal wants private schools to charge less and be more transparent. It could backfire, industry insiders say.

UAE retaliates against Iran, Bali’s spate of murders: 7 Asia highlights

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

Untouchable no more: Nepal to apologise to Dalits for first time

Nepal has banned caste discrimination, yet many Dalits still live in poverty. Can a formal state apology inspire change?

Nepal’s ex-PM Oli arrested over alleged role in crackdown on protesters

Oli says he will fight the ‘vindictive’ arrest, as former home minister Ramesh Lekhak is also detained.

Balendra Shah sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister

Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old ex-rapper widely known as Balen, is Nepal’s youngest PM in decades.

Nepal’s probe into deadly uprising finds ex-prime minister, officials ‘reckless’

The report is proposing prison sentences of up to 10 years for K.P. Sharma Oli and other top government officials.

Drink in Focus: Tropical Spicy Brew at Friday After Class

Friday After Class, one of the latest additions to buzzing Peel Street, is launching a new cocktail menu that features fruity, tropical creations that evoke summer holidays.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

Nepal voted for change. Can its rapper-engineer PM deliver?

Balendra Shah has promised to transform Nepal, but success hinges on him becoming the first elected leader to finish a full five-year term.

Japanese governor turns heads, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights

From the unlikely background of Nepal’s new leader to Thai police’s deadly blind spot, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | How Hong Kong can better support its Nepali youth

Readers discuss the challenges faced by an ethnic minority group, the need for a law to prevent workplace bullying, and the struggles of English teachers.

Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

More than 900,000 people identify as sexual minorities in Nepal, which has some of South Asia’s most progressive laws on LGBTQ rights.

7 die in Nepal as bus carrying Indian pilgrims plunges off mountain road

Nine people were injured, including seven other pilgrims, when the bus careered off a road and rolled about 150 metres down a slope.

No longer safe: Iran war puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

As missiles fly, drone strikes from Dubai to Doha are shattering the illusion of safety for millions of Indian expats living in the Gulf.

Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat

Newly elected Balendra Shah’s public messaging suggests a balanced approach rather than a tilt to either side, analysts say.

Nepali ex-rapper will form government after landslide election win

Balendra Shah emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Hong Kong charity cancels ‘Race for Water’ fundraiser weeks before event

Annual trail-running fundraiser organised by A Drop of Life was to take place on March 22, but will no longer proceed.

Nepal election: rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah beats former prime minister

The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor’s defeat of K.P. Sharma Oli means he is on track to head the next government.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million Nepalis are choosing 275 members of parliament in an election seen as a test of stability.

Video | Nepal to choose new government following Gen Z protests

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, with 800,000 taking part for the first time.

‘This is our moment’: Nepal’s Gen Z voters hope for ‘turning point’ in election

While all the parties have pledged economic growth and job creation, thousands are leaving Nepal each day in search of a better life.

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk as war with Iran rages on

Deaths or injuries of people from the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, who were working in the region, have been reported.

South Korean ex-president sentenced, Buddha’s early life: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-president Yoon’s sentencing to Singapore’s auntie matchmakers, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Video | Foreigners among 19 killed in Nepal bus crash

Dozens of people were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

Bus plunges off Nepal mountain highway: 19 dead, including Chinese national

Dozens were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus when it veered off a highway after midnight.

Trump proclaims tariff increase, EU ban on China firms: 5 weekend reads

From global reach of China’s highspeed rail to an unearthed temple in Nepal, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Letters | How Hong Kong can better support its Nepali youth

Video | Nepal votes after Gen Z protests