With the aim of further strengthening the economic cooperation between Nepal and India, Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICKI) and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have reached an understanding to work jointly to promote mutual trade, investment and cross-border trade. According to the MoU signed by Nikkei Chairman Sunil KC...
Politics in Nepal has come full circle. A month after the movement for the restoration of the monarchy was suspended because of the approaching monsoon season, the second President of the Republic, Bidya Devi Bhandari, has taken a plunge into active party politics. She chose June 28 — the day her husband and General Secretary...
The China-India tussle for influence in South Asia can be expected to intensify should Pakistan and China’s plans for setting up a new regional organization materialize. According to a report in the Pakistani English daily, Express Tribune, the proposed regional grouping “could potentially replace the now-defunct South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).” According to...
Dr. Lok Raj Baral, an MA in Political Science from Tribhuvan University (TU), distinguished Professor, prolific writer having worked on 25 books, both authored and edited, frequent contributor to national and international newspapers and journals, and short-term Ambassador of Nepal to India, has published a new book on a subject of contemporary interest. He was...
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025, so did one of his hallmark economic tools: tariffs. Wrapped in stars, stripes, and tough talk about American strength, the latest wave of tariffs was intended to bring factories back, narrow the trade deficit, and, once again, “Make America Great.” Now, with the July 9...
In recent months, pro-monarchy demonstrations have flared across Nepal, with some protesters carrying posters of Indian Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. These symbolic gestures are not incidental. They signal a growing ideological intersection between Nepal’s royalist nostalgia and India’s rising Hindu nationalism. For some in India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – and its ideological mentor,...
Last week, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh held their first trilateral meeting in Kunming, China. The discussions focused on furthering cooperation and exploring the possibilities of deeper engagement. This meeting closely follows another trilateral meeting between China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, held in May, with the aim of extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and increasing cooperation. These trilaterals, led...
Over the past three years, the world has witnessed four major wars, each affecting Nepal to varying degrees. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Israel-Palestine war also erupted that year following a terrorist attack. India and Pakistan engaged in a short but deadly war after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and most recently, the Iran-US-Israel conflict...
When the world’s great powers looked away, India quietly stepped in. As conflict flared in Iran, it was not China, the United States, or any Western power that came to the rescue of stranded Nepali nationals-it was India. At Nepal’s request, Indian authorities included Nepali citizens in their evacuation flights, ensuring their safe passage home...
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact will move forward as planned, thanks to a waiver from the U.S. Secretary of State in February 2025. This decision ensures that the program will be fully implemented as the United States reviews its foreign aid policy. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu stated that both the MCC and...