Political instability and uncertainty have been par for the course in Nepal for some years now, with the economy on a downward trajectory. However, some of the declarations by US President Donald Trump in the past two weeks have caused apprehensions in government circles. Last week, Trump cancelled $39 million USAID support for fiscal federalism...
The tragic case of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal, who was compelled to take her own life following continuous harassment by an alleged male acquaintance at KIIT University, has sparked significant discourse. The incident, which took place on February 16, was particularly distressing as Lamsal had lodged a formal complaint with the university administration four months...
Kathmandu, Feb. 27: On Tuesday, Nepal voted in favour of ‘Advancing a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine’ – a United Nations General Assembly resolution – while its two giant neighbours– China and India– abstained from voting. From the South Asian region, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives sided with the resolution that favoured war-torn...
The Ministry of Health and Population had planned to carry out an independent study on the effectiveness and impact of work being done by female community health volunteers serving throughout the country in the current fiscal year. The programme, however, has been halted indefinitely, with its donor, the USAID, suspending funding. “It is impossible to...
Nepal’s addition to the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list could be a result of its proximity to China and the misuse of Chinese funds, say top intelligence sources. “It could be a move by the West to stop Nepal’s tilt towards China. The West understands that Nepal is becoming a colony of China....
New Delhi: Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday said that India has reached its takeoff point, predicting that the country will emerge as one of the three global superpowers by 2050, alongside the United States and China. Speaking at the NXT 2025 Conclave in New Delhi, Wickremesinghe reflected on his six-decade relationship with...
The ripples of the Trump administration’s decision to freeze USAID under the pretext of misuse and abuse have caused turmoil across the world. As US government officials proclaimed on multiple occasions, “USAID funded an atheism expansion project in Nepal,” narratives colored with religious conversion and secularism are snowballing across Nepal. There is extraordinarily more to...
The recent suspension of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project, alongside the temporary halt of USAID-funded initiatives in Nepal, has raised concerns about the country’s development trajectory. The Ministry of Finance confirmed that Nepal received an official communication regarding the MCC project delay on 2nd Falgun 2081, despite its initial agreement being signed on 29th...
Management of great power rivalries is a vital part of international relations. The general preferences are the use of effective deterrence, diplomacy, multilateralism, pacific settlement of disputes and stopping wars in support of a rules-based global order, governance of global commons and bringing the weak to justice while making the wrongdoers accountable for their actions....
While the spat between the two leaders has raised doubts about President Trump’s approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war, concerns are also emerging in Nepal about how the ‘transactional’ foreign policy of the new US administration could impact the country. Some experts argue that Nepal must tread carefully in future agreements, as it is now...