Nepal

A journey among the expectations of young people who, in the name of fighting corruption, forced to the departure of Sharma Oli's government. “Deep inequalities” are at the root of the protests, said Sister Durga Shrestha (Caritas Nepal). Now the challenge is to generate “structural changes.” For Jesuit Father Ekka, the education system must be a priority.

While negotiations continue in Sharm el-Sheikh for the release of the hostages still alive, the family of Bipin Joshi, the last Asian hostage whose fate is still unknown, has authorised the release of some images proving that he was still alive two months after he was seized. The family is “barely holding on” to this.

Emerging out of the rubble of the 2015 earthquake, the group has worked across the country for the past ten years to help people in need, earning trust for its transparent management of funds. In its anti-corruption campaigns, it has become a point of reference for young Nepalis disillusioned with the country’s political elite. It also organised the online poll that led to the appointment of Sushila Karki as caretaker prime minister, who will now lead the country through the 2026 elections.

Sparked by the government blocking social media, protests forced the prime minister to resign. Youth mobilisation reflects the profound disillusionment with a political system that has betrayed the hopes born from the birth of democracy. Economic difficulties are pushing many to emigrate. Protests calling for the return of the monarchy as an alternative to political corruption had already taken place in April.

Demonstrations broke out yesterday in the Nepalese capital following the blocking of social media, which has now been lifted. However, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli has resigned. The death toll stands at 19, with hundreds injured. Before the internet ban, news reports had circulated accusing local politicians of corruption and nepotism. Young people under 30 who took to the streets also expressed their frustration at the lack of economic opportunities.

The body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai farm worker who died soon after he was captured, was recovered over the weekend. In Thailand, the authorities expressed their sadness over the death. The sister of another hostage, Bipin Joshi, from Nepal, issued an appeal for his release, but his fate remains uncertain. In Israel, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) is set to vote on Wednesday on a motion to dissolve it over the issue of military service for Haredi Jews.

In the past month, protests calling for the restoration of the monarchy have broken out in the Himalayan country in which pictures of an Indian BJP leader have appeared. New Delhi has repeatedly expressed support for the king and for Nepal to return to being a Hindu state. But many believe the protests express dissatisfaction with traditional parties, which are not keeping their promises of prosperity.

The official nominated for the post of secretary general of the Nepalese Ministry of Health has denounced discrimination after being bypassed by a male colleague in the appointment decided by the government. ‘Marginalised by the minister because she is a woman and Madheshi’. Controversy in parliament and on social networks.

For the first time in a decade, the Nepalese government is raising the levy to reach the world's highest peak. Up to $15,000 will have to be shelled out in the summer season, a substantial increase from the $11,000 required until now. Fall and winter fees are also growing. The hope of mountaineers is that the money will be invested in the environment and safety.

Israel celebrates the release of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari as part of the fragile truce. However, the fate of the foreign workers still being held hostage in the Strip remains a mystery. These include six Thai nationals and one Nepalese national about whose fate nothing has transpired even during negotiations in recent days. The families' fears that “everything may fall apart” before their return.

The Nepali and two Chinese climbers completed the seven highest summits in every continent, from Asia to South America, as well as all the eight-thousanders in the Himalayas. He was honoured with flowers and garlands upon landing at the capital's airport. The country is also celebrating a record-breaking year for visitors to the Annapurna region, with close to 245,000 arrivals in 2024.

Lay people and men and women of the cloth from 13 Asian countries and many indigenous communities met in Nepal last month at the initiative of the FABC. On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the forum’s final statement was released. “There remains an urgent need for the Church to amplify Indigenous voices”, it reads, for Indigenous wisdom offers sociocultural resources and ways for a relationship with creation that combine “faith, creation, and human responsibility.”