Nepal

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Five Russian climbers die in a fall on the world’s seventh-highest peak

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Five Russian mountaineers who appeared to have slipped and fallen on the world’s seventh-highest peak have died, an expedition organizer in Nepal said Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/nepal-mountain-dhaulagiri-russians-killed-1d72d2dabd502f966b76a16a9df6e5fa?

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A record-setting teen climber returns home to Nepal to a hero’s welcome

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A Sherpa teenager who became the youngest person to scale all the world’s 14 highest peaks returned home to Nepal on Monday to a hero’s welcome.

https://apnews.com/article/nepal-teen-climber-record-sherpa-4b196afcd9cf1db163101cc54642adee?

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An ancient village in the Himalayas ran out of water. Then, it moved and started over

A Himalayan village in Nepal has vanished — emptied by climate change. Scientists say warming in the Himalayas is accelerating, melting glaciers and disrupting weather patterns. Some residents now grow apples or work in tourism, but many still long for the village they left behind forever as climate change transforms the mountains. Read More.

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Gen Z Rally

At least 19 people were killed and over 100 others were wounded in Nepal yesterday amid Gen Z-led protests over a social media ban. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated, some breaching barricades near the country’s parliament building.   The protests are centered on a ban last week on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X. The outlets failed to meet a Supreme Court deadline requiring them to appoint a government liaison and obtain a license to operate. Critics accuse the country’s prime minister of using the directive to crack down on free speech. TikTok, Viber, and several smaller outlets were cleared to operate. (TikTok had previously been banned after being linked to over 1,600 cyber-related crimes; the ban was lifted last year.)    An estimated 7.5% of Nepalese citizens live abroad, many relying on social media to communicate. The country’s home minister resigned yesterday; curfews were in effect across the country.   Protests against Nepal’s social-media ban grow more violent as demonstrators set buildings on fire KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Protests against Nepal’s short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent Tuesday as demonstrators set government buildings and politicians’ homes on fire and attacked some leaders. The prime minister resigned amid widening criticism of the country’s political elite. https://apnews.com/article/nepal-protest-social-media-ban-89cf500969536cf2a35c3fb884cfa620?

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Nepal’s hugely popular army restored order after deadly violence. Its real challenge begins now

Two days of deadly violence left the streets of Kathmandu resembling a war zone. Nepal’s major symbols of power like Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the president’s house were burned by angry protesters fueled by government discontent. The prime minister was forced to quit, and no one seemed to be in control. Five days after the violence began, the situation is more stable, but questions remain about who is in charge. Read more.

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Nepal’s president appoints former chief justice as interim premier and first woman leader

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New Living Goddess

Nepal has selected its latest Kumari—a living child goddess revered by Hindus and Buddhists. For years, the girl—2-year-old Aryatara Shakya—will reside in a temple palace, rarely leaving except for festivals, during which devotees bring gifts and worship her. The Kumari tradition dates back to the Malla Dynasty in the 17th century, when a rift between the goddess Taleju Bhawani and King Jayaprakash Malla is said to have spurred the goddess to be reincarnated in a series of young girls. Today, Buddhist families of the Shakya clan can bring their daughters to senior Buddhist priests and the royal astrologer for consideration. After undergoing tests (reportedly including whether the girl is afraid of the dark), one Kumari is selected. She spends almost all of her time in the temple with limited social interaction. Once the Kumari goes through puberty, another girl is selected. Some Kumari face physical and social difficulties upon their reintegration into society as mortals. See a documentary about the tradition here.

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US tech enabled China’s surveillance empire. Now Tibetan refugees in Nepal are paying the price

The Tibetan community in Nepal once marched and clamored for autonomy. But over the past decade, they’ve been silenced – in large part, with Chinese-supplied surveillance based on U.S. technology, an AP investigation reveals. Read more.

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PHOTO ESSAY: Invisible infrared surveillance technology and those caught in its digital cage PHOTO ESSAY: Under watch by Chinese tech, the Tibetan community in Nepal is slowly suffocating PHOTO ESSAY: Tibetans depart Nepal, a former safe haven transformed under Chinese pressure