- Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Strict customs reduces cross-border trade
Trade across the Nepal-India border has sharply declined after the government strictly enforced a rule requiring customs duty on goods worth more than Rs. 100 brought in from India.
How a disabled teacher defies physical odds
As the morning sun rises over the hills, a man can be seen slowly moving along a dusty road in ward 4 of Narayan Municipality in Dailekh. Not on foot, but with the support of his two hands, 50-year-old teacher, Hasta Bahadur Kathayat drags himself towards the school.
HLF-WWK welcomes global authors
The Himalayan Literature Festival and Writers' Workshop (HLF-WWK) 2026 is set to take place in Kathmandu from May 29 to June 5, bringing together more than 75 distinguished writers, poets, scholars, translators, filmmakers, and artists from across the world.
Amrit Jha still in police custody in Iran; diplomatic efforts underway for impartial hearing
Issuing a press release on Monday, the Foreign Ministry made it clear that diplomatic efforts are ongoing for all necessary legal processes including the impartial hearing on the case of Jha by using all available means. Jha is in police custody on the charge of smuggling illegal goods in Iran.
Nation
Rajbiraj streets clogged by traffic chaos
The lack of traffic regulation in the urban areas of Rajbiraj has not only made daily movement difficult but has also left the city looking disorganised and unsightly.
How a disabled teacher defies physical odds
As the morning sun rises over the hills, a man can be seen slowly moving along a dusty road in ward 4 of Narayan Municipality in Dailekh. Not on foot, but with the support of his two hands, 50-year-old teacher, Hasta Bahadur Kathayat drags himself towards the school.
'Genuine squatters will receive land ownership certificates by Dashain'
Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal has said that genuine squatters will be distributed land ownership certificates by Dashain this year.
UML to renew former President Bhandari's party membership
A secretariat meeting held at the party Chairman KP Sharma Oli's residence at Gundu in Bhaktapur decided to give party membership to former President Bhandari, according to UML's assistant general secretary Lekhraj Bhatta.
World
WHO declares global health emergency over Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak caused by a rare virus in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.
Business
Strict customs reduces cross-border trade
Trade across the Nepal-India border has sharply declined after the government strictly enforced a rule requiring customs duty on goods worth more than Rs. 100 brought in from India.
Energy Ministry proactive in managing complaints
Kathmandu, May 18: The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation has revamped its hotline number 1151. This upgrade allows not just for complaints to be registered, but also for them to be resolved more effectively. Since Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha took office, the ministry and its associated agencies have been rolling out a fresh approach focused on 'listening to complaints and addressing them quickly.' Under Minister Shrestha's leadership, the hotline has evolved from merely a complaint log into a proactive problem-solving resource. The goal now is to achieve real results. The system is set up to handle customer complaints coming in from various sources—be it 'Phone', 'WhatsApp', 'Email', or 'Hello Sarkar'—and to connect with the right agencies without any delays. Rather than sticking to the usual bureaucratic red tape, Minister Shrestha's team is working hard to tackle public concerns head-on. Since March 29, the ministry has reported an impressive tally of 10,392 complaints received through the hotline and other channels. In just two weeks, from March 29 to mid-April, they logged 4,248 complaints via phone, 14 through WhatsApp, two by email, and five through Hello Sarkar. In the last month of Baisakh (from April 14 to May 14) alone, they recorded 6,026 complaints by phone and 92 through other methods. The majority of these complaints are related to electricity services, particularly issues like electrical accidents, power line interruptions, transformer damage, low voltage, falling power transmission and distribution lines, toppled power towers and poles, requests for pole relocations, wire fires, meter installations, and problems with meter readings and EV charging.(RSS)
Price of Gold up by Rs 800 per tola
Price of fine gold up by Rs 800 per tola today.
Foreign firms repatriate record Rs. 17.79 billion, up by 87%
The amount repatriated by foreign companies operating in Nepal in the form of royalties and dividends surged significantly during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, reaching Rs. 17.79 billion.
Sports
Barcelona win in Lewandowski's farewell
Spanish champion Barcelona capped a perfect season at home — 19 wins in 19 La Liga matches — with a 3-1 victory over Real Betis on Sunday as Robert Lewandowski bid an emotional farewell to Camp Nou.
Interview
Comedy must evolve beyond body-shaming humour: Prabhat Lama
Prabhat Lama, a renowned stand-up comedian who is a permanent resident of Mahottari district, spent more than 10 years in radio programmes, struggling to be an artist. After arriving in Kathmandu, he joined Radio-Audio, the first comedy-the
Neither old parties need to panic nor new ones gloat over, PM Karki cautions
Prime Minister Sushila Karki had taken up the responsibility of the head of the executive when the country was in difficult circumstances and has successfully fulfilled the task of conducting the House of Representatives election within the stipulated time.
Society
One dead in Kawasoti car accident
Yadav was driving the car when it collided and breathed his last while under treatment at Madhyabindu Provincial Hospital, according to DSP Anil Pandit, information officer of the Nawalpur district police office.