Nepal Diaspora News Digest

About Nepal Diaspora News Digest

The Nepali Diaspora Digest is a written newsletter/blog and accompanying podcast which delivers the latest news, stories, and insights from Nepal and the global Nepali community. Hosted by our friendly, sometimes funny, and analytically sharp Nepal-AI agents, this weekly podcast keeps you updated on curated topics and headlines that matter—news, sports, lifestyle, and diaspora achievements. We monitor the news daily so you don’t have to, wrapping it all up in a 15-20 minute podcast and an accompanying newsletter to keep you connected, informed, and inspired—wherever you are. www.nepalidiaspora.net (https://www.nepalidiaspora.net/s/digest?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Your weekly dose of curated news, stories, and insights from Nepal and the global Nepali community—keeping you informed, inspired, and connected.

Category

news · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Jan 2025

Latest episode

17 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

83 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Oct 2026

   Thapa Takes Congress, Parliament Says No & Dashain Prices Bite

   Namaste, diaspora family. Police in Kathmandu arrested four medical operators this week over fees charged to workers bound for Malaysia. Parliament did something it had never done before and rejected two of the government’s ambassador picks, one of them for Malaysia. Gagan Thapa took the Congress presidency with 94 percent of the vote. And with tika on Wednesday, a day earlier in London, New York and Toronto, the prime minister spoke about the Nepalis who cannot afford the trip home. Where Things Stand * The missing. Officials began compiling the list of people missing from the August flood on 9 October. More than 5,200 are missing, 636 of them foreign nationals, and no deadline is set. A death declaration brings Rs 200,000 per person (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/15/how-will-nepal-verify-those-missing-after-the-bhotekoshi-floods)). * The classrooms. 777 students were displaced. A Rs 3 billion, five-year school recovery plan is ready (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/17/bhotekoshi-flood-displaced-777-students-nepal-plans-five-year-school-recovery)). 🌍 Diaspora & Globalisation Arrests in Malaysia’s Name Nepal’s row with Malaysia over recruitment has moved from diplomatic notes to handcuffs. On 14 October police arrested four health-service operators, including Kailash Khadka, president of the Nepal Health Professionals Federation. They are accused of collecting an extra “biomedical service charge” on top of the Rs 6,500 government medical fee. The labour ministry says a bilateral committee approved that charge, and an official says the foreign ministry prefers a diplomatic fix. The Department of Foreign Employment has also issued arrest warrants for operators of the 25 agencies Malaysia chose, while Kuala Lumpur holds its line: from early November, only its 275 listed agencies can send workers (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/15/nepal-arrests-four-medical-operators-amid-deepening-row-with-malaysia-over-worker-recruitment)). The envoy nominated to Kuala Lumpur, Chudamani Kharel, was rejected by Parliament over complaints that include dealings with a manpower company. He denies wrongdoing. Before you pay anyone, check that your agency is on Malaysia’s list. Money Home, People Away Remittances keep climbing: Rs 436.36 billion ($2.85 billion) arrived in the first two months of the fiscal year, up 23.9 percent, though slower than last year’s 33.1 percent. Bhadra alone brought in Rs 221.31 billion, against Rs 174.67 billion a year earlier. The workforce behind the money is shifting. First-time foreign-employment approvals fell to 78,320 from 90,198, while approvals for workers returning to jobs abroad rose to 52,163 (The Himalayan Times (https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/remittance-inflows-jump-nearly-24-to-rs-436-billion-in-two-months)). In his Dashain message on Saturday, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said hundreds of thousands of Nepalis abroad are separated from their families by economic need and called for collective efforts to change that. A festival this important, he said, “should not become a burden for anyone because of financial hardship” (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/17/nepal-s-leaders-call-for-unity-as-shah-highlights-dashain-s-financial-strain)). In Brief: * Lottery back on. A US federal judge, Jinsook Ohta, ordered the State Department to open 2027 Diversity Visa registration by midnight on Thursday 15 October and keep it open at least 30 days. She called the effective suspension “arbitrary and capricious” (NepYork (https://nepyork.com/2026/10/14/judge-orders-state-department-to-open-2027-diversity-visa-lottery-registration-by-midnight-thursday/)). We could not confirm it has opened, so check the official announcement. * Hilsa road. Minister Sunil Lamsal says the snow-blocked Narapass-Hilsa road, at about 4,500 metres, will reopen within three days. Nepali workers who went to Taklakot in China need it to get home for the festival (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/narapass-hilsa-road-to-reopen-within-3-days-says-minister-lamsal.html)). * Remittance rails. eSewa Money Transfer has partnered with Visa Direct, so money can go straight to Nepali bank accounts and eSewa wallets (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/14/esewa-money-transfer-partners-with-visa-to-facilitate-remittances-to-nepal)). 🏛️ Politics & Governance Thapa Takes Congress Gagan Thapa won the Nepali Congress presidency on 10 October with 6,584 votes to Shyam Krishna Khadgi’s 375. Bishwa Prakash Sharma became senior vice-president unopposed, the party’s office-bearer posts grew from 14 to 25, and 21 working-committee seats are reserved for members under 35. Thapa lost his own seat in March, and the legal dispute over his January election as president continues. “We want to bring back the politics of values,” he said, and he promised to talk to the Gen Z protesters. One analyst’s verdict: “He needs to demonstrate what he has said” (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/10/congress-reins-pass-to-gagan-thapa-and-bishwo-prakash-sharma)). Sher Bahadur Deuba’s camp is not folding. It has finished constituency conventions in 112 of 165 constituencies as it builds a rival convention (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/14/deuba-faction-presses-ahead-with-parallel-congress-convention)). A First for the Hearing Committee On 14 October the parliamentary hearing committee rejected two of the government’s 13 ambassador nominees: Giri Bahadur Sunar (Saudi Arabia) and Chudamani Kharel (Malaysia). It put Jigyan Kumar Thapa (Japan) on hold and cleared ten, including the picks for India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/14/parliamentary-panel-rejects-two-ambassador-nominees-clears-10)). The Post reports it is the first time a House committee has turned down a government envoy. Chair Bodh Narayan Shrestha said of the allegations against Sunar: “The allegations are serious.” The ruling RSP holds eight of the 15 seats, and its own lawmaker Amaresh Kumar Singh said: “Having a two-thirds majority does not mean that every government decision is correct.” Insiders describe a rift between Shah’s circle and party chair Rabi Lamichhane (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/15/rejection-of-two-ambassadorial-nominees-brings-rsp-tensions-into-focus)). In Brief: * Delhi’s man. India has named Sudhakar Dalela, a 1993-batch diplomat and former ambassador to Bhutan, as its next envoy (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/16/sudhakar-dalela-appointed-india-s-next-ambassador-to-nepal)). Shah’s first bilateral trip, to New Delhi, is expected in the third or fourth week of November, with no dates fixed. The boundary and Pancheshwar are on the list (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/15/big-projects-old-disputes-loom-over-pm-shah-s-india-visit)). * Madhesh wobbles. UML withdrew its four ministers from the Congress-led Madhesh provincial government on Friday, leaving it in a minority. The party says a 15-point agreement was never implemented (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/province-no-2/2026/10/16/uml-pulls-out-of-madhesh-provincial-government)). 💸 Economy & Development Asking the World, Again The Loss and Damage Fund’s board will hold its first-ever extraordinary meeting on 22 October to consider Nepal’s 31 August request. The proposal sets aside $21.6 million, $20 million of it for Nepal. Nepal’s government puts its losses at no less than $2.69 billion and recovery needs at $4.71 billion at least. A senior Nepali official called the meeting “an important test of how the FRLD can respond to urgent requests from climate-vulnerable countries,” though the decision is due to be announced formally only at COP31 in November (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/17/loss-and-damage-fund-calls-extraordinary-meeting-for-oct-22-to-support-nepal)). Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle is in Bangkok for the World Bank and IMF meetings, with more than 16 engagements, and returns on 21 October (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/13/swarnim-wagle-heads-to-bangkok-for-world-bank-imf-meetings)). Nepal is also exploring a World Bank catastrophe bond against earthquakes, with no size disclosed (myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/nepal-world-bank-explore-earthquake-catastrophe-bond-16-72.html)). Dashain, Priced Up The Rastra Bank’s index shows food and beverage prices up 6.77 percent year on year in mid-August, and ghee and oil up 15.62 percent. Mutton now costs Rs 1,600-1,700 a kilo, from Rs 1,300-1,400, and an entry-level smartphone about Rs 28,000, from Rs 15,000. Traders blame fuel prices after the Middle East conflict escalated in February, plus layers of middlemen (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/15/essential-food-prices-surge-ahead-of-dashain-squeezing-household-budgets)). The northern road makes it worse. Rasuwagadhi has been shut since the 26 August flood, and Nepal is pressing China to reopen Tatopani, where a container costs about Rs 50,000 against up to Rs 500,000 via Korala. Beijing has not committed, citing security. “After Tihar, the onset of winter makes it virtually impossible to operate the Korala crossing,” said trade association president Ram Hari Karki (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/17/beijing-s-security-concerns-cloud-nepal-s-push-to-reopen-tatopani)). In Brief: * Hydropower hit again. Sunday’s Budhi Gandaki flood affected four projects totalling 412.09 MW, and the main camp of the 341-MW Budhi Gandaki project was swept away, the independent power producers’ association says (IANS via NewKerala (https://www.newkerala.com/news/a/more-massive-floods-nepal-affect-hydropower-projects-820.htm)). * Cash, not credit. Lending is picking up, but bankers credit import costs, festive demand and currency depreciation rather than recovery, and banks are still flush with cash (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/16/credit-picks-up-but-nepal-s-banks-are-awash-with-cash)). NEPSE rose for a seventh straight session to 2,634 (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/nepse-rises-for-seventh-consecutive-day-closes-at-2634-points.html)). * Power trade. The government will let private firms prepare for cross-border electricity trade, a step the sector has long wanted (myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/government-opens-door-for-private-sector-in-cross-border-electricity-trade-37-23.html)). ⭐ Social & Cultural A Medal, a Smaller Cheque Tenzing Sherpa won Nepal’s first medal at the Asian Games, a karate bronze on 23 September, and the women’s kabaddi team took the other bronze three days later. Last week we reported that the cabinet approved Rs 1.3 million for Sherpa. The money reached athletes’ accounts on 14 October, and Sherpa went public on Facebook: the amount was “far lower than what I had heard of,” and tax deductions cut it further. National Sports Council officials say the reward is reduced because he entered without competing in an official qualifier. “What should athletes do in sports that do not even have an international qualifying round?” he asked. “More than the money, I simply want proper recognition for my hard work and my medal.” He addressed the complaint to the sports ministry, the council and the prime minister (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2026/10/15/nepal-s-asian-games-star-sherpa-criticises-government-for-reward-disparity)). Another Flood, Another Gorkha Valley At about 4:20am on 11 October an avalanche at roughly 5,500 metres in Gorkha’s Ungilung Khola set off a debris flood down the Budhi Gandaki. It destroyed more than 35 houses in northern Gorkha, swept away or destroyed three bridges and stranded more than 100 foreign tourists around Jagat on the Manaslu trail. Residents fled to higher ground, and the first reports suggested a landslide had briefly blocked the Syar Khola tributary before it burst. No deaths had been reported by Sunday morning (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/budhi-gandaki-flash-flood.html)). The disaster authority’s report likens the landslide’s energy to a magnitude 3.5 earthquake and puts the flood at 20 to 25 metres at Salleri (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/avalanche-landslide-budhi-gandaki-flood.html)). “There is nothing we can do except watch our houses being swept away,” said Ganesh Karki of Jagat. In Brief: * Schools first. Of 57 schools assessed in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, 28 were damaged and 15 destroyed. The recovery plan starts with temporary classrooms, textbooks and furniture, and rebuilds safer schools over five years (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/17/bhotekoshi-flood-displaced-777-students-nepal-plans-five-year-school-recovery)). * Cricket. Nepal beat Oman by 113 runs, after beating Canada by 24, but must win all four games in the Oman series to finish in League 2’s top six and keep ODI status (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2026/10/13/nepal-defeat-oman-by-113-runs)). The ICC has also recognised the third Nepal Premier League, which runs 26 October to 21 November (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2026/10/16/icc-finally-recognises-nepal-premier-league)). * New football league. Seven former Nepal Super League clubs have launched the Nepal Football League, due to start on 13 February without state backing (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2026/10/17/teams-ditch-nsl-banner-to-form-new-nepal-football-league)). Our sponsor, belayat.uk, the UK Nepali noticeboard, carries jobs, housing and events. Hosting a tika gathering on Tuesday? Post it there. Next week: tika on Wednesday, the Loss and Damage Fund’s 22 October meeting, Wagle’s Bangkok results and Nepal’s cricket fixtures. Until next week, stay connected. — The Nepali Diaspora Digest Team nepalidiaspora.net This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nepalidiaspora.net (https://www.nepalidiaspora.net?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Forty-Five Days, Malaysia Says No & Dashain Comes Anyway

   Namaste, diaspora family. On Monday the government stopped searching for the 5,285 people still missing from the Bhotekoshi flood. Today the President signed an ordinance that lets their families have them declared dead after 45 days rather than 12 years. Malaysia rejected Kathmandu’s objection, the Congress voted without Deuba, and the World Bank priced the damage. Dashain begins on Sunday, and in London, New York and Toronto tika falls a day before it does at home. Where Things Stand * Search suspended. On 5 October the national disaster council, chaired by PM Balendra Shah, suspended search and rescue “except in emergencies” (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/05/nepal-scales-back-flood-search-as-rs559b-reconstruction-effort-begins)). * The count: 1,455 dead and 5,285 missing, unchanged in a week. “They have abandoned us,” one brother told AP (AP (https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/world-policy/article/2026/10/08/nepal-ends-search-thousands-flood)). * Forty-five days, not twelve years. President Ram Chandra Paudel issued the ordinance on 9 October. A death certificate opens the way to compensation, insurance and inheritance (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/president-issues-disaster-ordinance.html)). * Relief fund: Rs 17.07 billion donated, still only Rs 1 billion released. 1,085 people remain in 17 holding centres (Ratopati (https://english.ratopati.com/story/83048/what-did-the-government-do-for-relief-and-rehabilitation-during-the-45-days-of-the-bhotekoshi-flood)). * 102 children lost both parents, Bagmati Province says (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/08/bagmati-province-seeks-rs1-billion-for-bhotekoshi-flood-reconstruction)). 🌍 Diaspora & Globalisation Malaysia Says No, and Sets a Date Malaysia has answered Nepal’s objection to its 25 “principal” agencies: it will hire Nepalis only through the 275 agencies listed on its online system, those 25 plus 250 associates (OnlineKhabar (https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2026/10/2036046/malaysias-response-no-workers-will-be-taken-from-other-than-designated-manpower-sources)). A memo from Bestinet, the company that runs the system, sets the timetable. 15 October is the last day for biometric registration under the old arrangement and 31 October the last for visa applications. From 5 November only listed agencies can send workers, though applications already in the pipeline won’t be cancelled automatically (Setopati (https://www.setopati.com/kinmel/employment/400269)). Kathmandu has ordered the 25 principal firms to hand over five years of accounts. For the 400,000 Nepalis already there, Malaysia’s budget confirms a RM2,000 monthly minimum wage, though not until June 2027 (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/nepali-diaspora/2026/10/09/malaysia-to-raise-minimum-monthly-wage-to-2-000-ringgit-from-2027)). Dashain, From a Distance About 2.8 million Nepalis work abroad, and only a few thousand make it home for Dashain. Deepak Bhandari, 38, is back from a Qatar supermarket for the first time in four years: “You don’t realise how much you miss home until you’ve been away for a while.” Ganesh Rai of Khotang asked for leave four months ahead to spend Dashain with his children for the first time in a decade. Rajan Khadka has spent eight Dashains on video calls from Johor Bahru. “When you’re away from home,” he says, “Dashain doesn’t feel like Dashain” (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/nepali-diaspora/2026/10/08/migrant-workers-share-joy-of-coming-home-for-dashain-after-years-away)). For the rest of us, the calendar committee’s tika times put London (10:55am), New York (10:11am) and Toronto (10:41am) on Tuesday 20 October, a day before Nepal’s 10:26am on the 21st. (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/dashain-tika-auspicious-times-announced-for-23-countries.html)). In Brief: * US visas. Of 3,933 Nepalis picked in this year’s Diversity Visa lottery, only 580 got visas. A court hearing follows on 15 October (NepYork (https://nepyork.com/2026/10/05/u-s-delays-resuming-diversity-visa-processing-as-10-day-court-ordered-window-ticks-away/)). There’s still no TPS decision. A proposed $70,000 fee on student work permits (OPT) is open for comment until 9 November (NepYork (https://nepyork.com/2026/10/07/dhs-proposes-70000-opt-fee-for-foreign-students/)). * Watch List, again. The US kept Nepal on its trafficking Watch List for a third year and flagged the fraudulent recruitment of Nepalis to fight for Russia (NepYork (https://nepyork.com/2026/10/08/nepal-remains-on-u-s-trafficking-watch-list-for-third-year-as-prosecutions-fall-russia-recruitment-risks-emerge/)). Talks with Russia on 7 October covered Nepalis missing or held as prisoners of war, but no outcome was announced (KathmanduPati (https://english.kathmandupati.com/2026/10/nepal-russia-discuss-nepali-nationals-in-russian-army)). 🏛️ Politics & Governance Congress Votes, Deuba’s Chair Stays Empty The Nepali Congress opened its 15th General Convention at Khula Manch on Sunday, with a seat kept for Sher Bahadur Deuba, who stayed away. Gagan Thapa used his speech to attack the government: “Parliament is not open. It is closed” (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/05/parties-pledge-cooperation-on-democracy-constitution-and-national-interest-at-congress-convention)). The vote then slipped three times. Organisers were tangled up in 23 types of ballot and nearly 200,000 papers, and delegates finally voted today. There are 811 candidates for 808 posts, with Thapa facing Shyam Krishna Khadgi for president, and the results are due on Saturday, after we go to press (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/09/congress-leadership-vote-postponed-again-set-for-friday)). Whoever wins, the party stays split. Deuba’s camp is holding its own ward conventions, which lead to a rival convention in December, and the Supreme Court has yet to hear its review. The Rana Affair Widens Last week’s story was the pre-dawn detention of former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana. This week it reached the Armed Police Force. AIG Banshi Raj Dahal, its head of operations, visited Rana at about 3am without telling his superiors (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/07/cholendra-rana-case-widens-from-nakkhu-prison-to-armed-police-force-headquarters)). He was suspended on Monday over alleged leaks of security information and dismissed today (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/banshiraj-dahal-dismissed.html)). On Wednesday money-laundering investigators raided the homes of Rana, his brother and their associates. On Friday the Supreme Court ruled lawful the arrest of Inam Sapkota, a US green-card holder described as close to Rana, who was stopped at the airport on his way to Delhi. “Sensitive state information is not anyone’s private property,” wrote Home Minister Sudan Gurung. Rana has not been charged, and much of the story so far comes from unnamed officials. In Brief: * Envoys in the dock. Parliament’s hearing committee questions the 13 ambassador nominees from 12 to 14 October. Of seven complaints, two target the whole slate and the rest target the nominees for Japan and Saudi Arabia. There are none against the picks for the UK, US, India or China (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/hearings-for-13-proposed-ambassadors.html)). * Delhi raises its game. India has proposed Sudhakar Dalela, a more senior diplomat than it usually sends, as its next ambassador. Home Minister Gurung flies to Delhi on 12 October for a BIMSTEC meeting, his first trip abroad in the job (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/07/dalela-proposed-as-next-india-envoy-to-nepal)). 💸 Economy & Development Who Pays, Week Three: Rs 559 Billion on Paper On Monday the disaster council recommended Rs 559.17 billion (about $3.6 billion) for 504 projects, though no breakdown has been published (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/05/nepal-scales-back-flood-search-as-rs559b-reconstruction-effort-begins)). The same day in Washington, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle met World Bank President Ajay Banga, the first such meeting in three decades. Nepal asked for about $1 billion for insurance and social protection. Banga promised “significant” support but named no figure (The Annapurna Express (https://theannapurnaexpress.com/story/67688/)). On Tuesday the Bank cut its growth forecast for this year to 3.7 percent, well short of the government’s 6 percent target. It puts direct damage at $1.66 billion and rebuilding at about $4.8 billion. “This is a moment of opportunity,” said country director David Sislen. (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/06/nepal-s-growth-to-slow-to-3-7-percent-after-devastating-rasuwa-flood)). Next come the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok, 12 to 18 October. Dashain Without the Northern Road All three overland routes to China are effectively shut going into the festival. Rasuwagadhi went with the flood, China is keeping Tatopani closed, and late-September rain and snow cut the road to Korala. About 500 containers are queued between Lete and the border there (myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/over-500-containers-stranded-between-lete-and-korala-95-67.html)). “We are ready to operate from our side immediately,” Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal told MPs, but China has not reopened Tatopani (The Himalayan Times (https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/china-border-shutdown-puts-festive-supplies-at-risk)). Shoppers are feeling it. A child’s trouser-and-T-shirt set that cost Rs 1,500 last Dashain now costs up to Rs 2,500, and traders say container charges have doubled. “People come, ask the price and leave saying it is too expensive,” said one New Baneshwar seller (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/dashain-shopping-slows.html)). Mutton has hit a record Rs 1,700 a kilo, and traders expect a quarter fewer goats in the Valley (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/05/mutton-prices-at-a-record-high-dashain-may-push-them-higher)). In Brief: * Treatment abroad. Nepal Rastra Bank has doubled the foreign currency a Nepali can buy for medical treatment abroad to $30,000 a year. It has also eased the limits on paying for services from overseas (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/?p=594543)). * Dashain money check. On Friday gold rose to Rs 295,700 a tola, banks bought dollars at Rs 154.56, and NEPSE closed at 2,591.80 (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/business/nepal-news-evening-economic-brief-october-09-2026/)). ⭐ Social & Cultural Going Home, at a Price Advance bus bookings opened today, with long queues at New Buspark (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/06/dashain-bus-ticket-bookings-to-open-on-october-9)). From Ghatasthapana on Sunday until 25 October, buses can run on any route in the country (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/route-permits-opened-nationwide-dashain.html)). About a million people are expected to leave the Valley by road, roughly half the number in a good year, and long-distance buses must carry two drivers (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/08/around-1-million-people-expected-to-leave-kathmandu-valley-for-dashain)). Flying is no escape. Kathmandu–Dhangadhi tickets sold for up to Rs 22,180, above the regulator’s Rs 21,600 ceiling and about twice the usual fare (The Himalayan Times (https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/kathmandu-dhangadhi-airfares-rise-to-rs-22000-amid-festive-rush)). Humla has the hardest journey home. Snow has blocked the Hilsa border since 25 September. On Thursday China opened its side and 144 Nepalis crossed back, and more than a hundred people have since left Hilsa on foot (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/humla-residents-continue-to-suffer-as-border-point-remains-closed.html)). Two Bronzes and a Boy from Boudha The Asian Games closed in Nagoya on Sunday with Nepal 36th: two bronzes, no gold, and well short of the “Mission 2026” target (The Rising Nepal (https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/87403)). One of those medals belongs to Tenzing Sherpa, 23, from Boudha, whom few had heard of a month ago. He started karate at 14 and had to stop for two years when money ran short, until his mother and two sisters paid for him to go back. He took bronze in the over-84kg kumite by beating Laos’s Xayasan Vatthana 9-1. “This medal is not mine alone,” he said (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2026/10/05/how-tenzing-sherpa-became-nepal-s-breakout-star-at-the-asian-games)). On Friday the cabinet approved his Rs 1.3 million prize, and Rs 390,000 for each member of the women’s kabaddi team that won the other bronze (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/main-left/nepal-news-evening-briefing-friday-october-09-2026/)). The cricketers play Canada in Oman on Sunday, and the para athletes compete in Nagoya from 18 October. In Brief: * Nine hundred out. When the warnings came on 26 August, principal Rajendra Dawadi got more than 900 students out of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nuwakot before mud buried it. About 1,400 are now back in tent classes. “We need more books,” he says (Orato (https://orato.world/2026/10/07/nepal-principal-rebuilds-school-after-flood)). * Mountains reopen. Twenty volunteers dug out the Thorong La on 5 October, reopening the Annapurna Circuit (Ratopati (https://english.ratopati.com/story/82511/annapurna-circuit-trek-reopens-after-snow-cleared)). We found no news this week on the Himlung worker still missing, or on compensation for the families of the fifteen who died. How to Help * Give through the PM’s Disaster Relief Fund (https://opmcm.gov.np/content/586/heartfelt-appeal/), Nepal Red Cross or your NRNA committee. * Families abroad with a missing relative can now start the death registration that insurance claims and inheritance depend on. Our sponsor, belayat.uk, the UK Nepali noticeboard, carries jobs, housing and events. Hosting a tika gathering on the 20th? Post it there. Next week: the Congress results on Saturday, Ghatasthapana on Sunday, Malaysia’s 15 October cut-off and Wagle in Bangkok. Until next week, stay connected. — The Nepali Diaspora Digest Team nepalidiaspora.net This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nepalidiaspora.net (https://www.nepalidiaspora.net?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   2 Oct 2026

   The Search Ends, Himlung Takes Fifteen & Out Without Losing a Game

   Namaste, diaspora family. On Wednesday the government formally stopped looking for survivors of the Bhotekoshi flood. Then more rain killed about 35 people, and an avalanche on Himlung killed fifteen Nepali expedition workers. In Japan, the weather put our cricketers out of the Asian Games without their losing a match. Dashain is nine days away. Two corrections to last week appear below. Where Things Stand * Rescue is over. On 30 September the disaster authority (NDRRMA) moved to “search and recovery”, which continues at two tunnel sites. Families of the missing can now get relief without the usual 12-year wait; it starts at the ward office (Radio Nepal (https://radionepalonline.com/en/2026/09/30/437019.html)). * The count (30 Sep): 1,454 dead, 112 identified, 5,285 missing, down from 5,786 mostly because duplicate names were removed. One missing Malaysian traveller turned up alive after 37 days (myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/malaysian-national-missing-after-bhotekoshi-flood-found-safe-after-37-days-41-44.html)). * Correction: we said the Rs 15,000 rent allowance was being paid. The Kathmandu Post found on 30 September that no family had received it (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/09/30/nepal-flood-survivors-are-leaving-temporary-camps-as-government-delays-rehabilitation)). * Relief funds: Rs 16.155 billion given, still Rs 1 billion released (Khabarhub (https://english.khabarhub.com/2026/30/570073/)). * Second rain (24 to 27 Sep): 35 dead, 12 of them in Baglung; the Narayani hit a record 11.94m (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/main-left/nepal-news-evening-briefing-tuesday-september-29-2026/)). 🌍 Diaspora & Globalisation Malaysia: Twenty-Five Agencies and a Locked Door New hiring for Malaysia has been frozen for six weeks, and this week Kathmandu made its objection formal. Nepal asked Malaysia to drop the 25 Nepali agencies its new system named “principal” recruiters, with 250 more working under them. Nepal’s position is that every licensed agency is equal under Nepali law. The 25 firms have asked to withdraw. While the Department of Foreign Employment investigates them, pre-approvals stay on hold. “We are trying to resolve the complexities in Nepal-Malaysia labour relations at the highest level,” said Labour Ministry spokesperson Mira Acharya (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/nepal-malaysia-manpower-firms.html)). Nepal Press estimates that 300,000 jobs over two years ride on the outcome. For the 400,000 Nepalis already there, Malaysia is weighing a rise in the minimum wage from RM1,700 to RM2,000 a month, and foreign workers are covered (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/09/28/malaysia-weighs-raising-minimum-wage-to-rm2-000)). The Gulf Narrows Since the Iran–Israel war began on 28 February, new labour approvals for the Gulf are down 52 percent on last year, from 228,165 to 109,249. The UAE fell 59 percent and Saudi Arabia 57; only Oman rose, by 24 percent. With about 60 percent of Nepal’s 1.9 million overseas workers in the Gulf, the effects reach far beyond the people who never left. Arun Rai of Dharan was sent home from Abu Dhabi on unpaid leave. Shankar Lal Shrestha, 55, lost his gratuity when his Qatari employer closed. Remittances still hit a record Rs 2.363 trillion last year, partly because workers sent their savings home when the war started, but fewer departures now will show up later (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/09/26/gulf-job-opportunities-are-narrowing-for-nepalis)). If you’re owed wages, get it in writing and go to your embassy’s labour desk before flying home. In Brief: * US: still waiting. There’s no decision on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) ahead of Congress’s 9 October reply date. The State Department says it is “a decision for the Department of Homeland Security”. USCIS fees rise from 16 October (NepYork (https://nepyork.com/2026/09/26/why-the-u-s-did-not-send-a-search-and-rescue-team-to-nepal-luke-ortega-explains-interview/)). * Passports stalled. The passport system’s biometric server went down on Thursday after the government withheld Rs 1.22 billion from its German suppliers. We found no fix announced by Friday. If you’re renewing abroad, check with your embassy before booking travel (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/travel-tourism/german-firms-halt-passport-service-in-nepal-over-unpaid-dues/)). 🏛️ Politics & Governance One Party, Two Conventions Rain pushed the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention back to Sunday 4 October at Khula Manch, with voting on the 7th and 8th. On Thursday, Sher Bahadur Deuba’s faction started its own process, with ward conventions leading up to a central convention on 7 to 9 December. Deuba, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Shashank Koirala are staying away from Sunday’s event. “We had wanted a convention of unity,” said Koirala. Gagan Thapa’s side says it went ahead because no deal could be reached with Deuba. The Supreme Court’s review of its April ruling recognising Thapa’s leadership is still unheard, so each side calls the other illegitimate (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/politics/nepali-congress-sets-october-4-convention-with-deuba-group-preparing-separate-gathering/)). The two sides now disagree about ideas too: the establishment’s draft drops BP Koirala’s “democratic socialism” for “social democracy” (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/10/02/congress-factions-clash-over-party-s-socialist-path)). A Knock at Three in the Morning Before dawn on Sunday, police took former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana from his home without a warrant and held him for about twelve hours. The government says he was “taken to a secure location for his safety” after a threat. The Human Rights Commission called it “an illegal violation of constitutional rights”. myRepublica, citing unnamed sources, reported that the order came from the top; the government has not confirmed this (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/politics/govt-denies-arresting-ex-cj-cholendra-rana-says-he-was-moved-for-safety/), myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/police-trapped-between-political-orders-and-law-92-39.html)). The opposition protested, and two RSP MPs objected online. On Monday, Durga Prasai was arrested for the eleventh time over remarks about an MP whose son died in the Gen Z protests, and the Supreme Court gave police 48 hours to justify it (Khabarhub (https://english.khabarhub.com/2026/30/570053/)). Together, the two cases are the sharpest test yet of whether a reform government will keep to the rules itself. In Brief: * Session closed. Parliament was prorogued from midnight on Friday after passing 12 bills. “A majority can form a government, but it cannot retain public trust,” said the Congress leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/politics/house-of-representatives-concludes-second-session-with-68-meetings/)). * Home quietly. PM Balendra Shah returned from the UN on Saturday with no new pledges. A visit to India is expected after mid-November (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/09/30/shah-s-india-visit-under-consideration-date-yet-to-be-finalised-foreign-minister-shisir-khanal)). 💸 Economy & Development Who Pays, Week Two In Doha, Nepal was elected vice-chair of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s Board of Governors. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle asked the bank for reconstruction money and got grants to prepare projects plus cheaper loans, but no pledged figure (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/09/28/wagle-seeks-aiib-support-for-nepal-s-disaster-recovery)). Correction: his next stop is the IMF/World Bank meetings in Bangkok (12 to 18 October), not Washington. The International Labour Organization says 21,400 workers have lost their jobs or income, and puts reconstruction at about $4.78 billion (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/10/01/floods-disrupt-livelihoods-of-21-400-workers-in-nepal-ilo)). Insurers have received Rs 20.98 billion in flood claims and paid out Rs 6.74 million. Claims under Rs 500,000 no longer need a surveyor, so if a family vehicle or shop was insured, chase the claim (myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/insurers-receive-claims-worth-rs-21-billion-for-rasuwa-flood-damage-49-85.html)). Dashain on a Broken Supply Line Every road to China is now shut. Rasuwagadhi has been closed since the flood, Tatopani is shut for a month, and the rain cut the Korala road in 46 places. More than 700 containers holding about Rs 5 billion of goods are stuck, and cars booked for Dashain can’t be delivered (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/09/29/all-three-major-nepal-china-crossings-hit-by-monsoon-disruptions-ahead-of-dashain)). Indian Oil raised its prices by about Rs 20 a litre, but the state oil company is holding pump prices until after the festival, at a loss of Rs 3.2 billion a fortnight, so expect a rise after Tihar (Peoples’ Review (https://peoplesreview.com.np/2026/10/01/heavy-petroleum-price-increment-yet-noc-not-to-increase-retail-price-until-upcoming-festival/)). The rain also knocked 358MW of power offline, and Nepal now plans to import up to 1,154MW from India this winter (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/09/28/landslides-knock-358mw-offline-in-kaligandaki-corridor)). In Brief: * Tourists up 12%. September brought 88,248 visitors, with Chinese arrivals more than doubling. But UK arrivals fell 25 percent and US arrivals 14 percent (Nepal News (https://english.nepalnews.com/s/tourism/nepal-records-over-88000-foreign-tourist-arrivals-in-september/)). * A bridge for Rasuwa. A Bailey bridge is going up at Betrawati, with the road to Syaphrubesi due to reopen by mid-October. The rupee is at about Rs 153 to the dollar (OnlineKhabar (https://english.onlinekhabar.com/bailey-bridge-install-galchhi-betrawati.html)). ⭐ Social & Cultural Fifteen at Base Camp The climbers hadn’t arrived yet. Early on Sunday, an avalanche buried the base camp of Himlung Himal (7,126m) in Manang. Fourteen kitchen staff and two guides were there, setting up for their clients. Rescuers dug through four metres of snow. “We recovered four bodies, making it clear that no one survived,” said Mingma G, who led the unpaid volunteer recovery team (The Himalayan Times (https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/himlung-avalanche-rescuers-descend-after-grim-search-12-remain-missing)). By Thursday the dead numbered fifteen, from Sankhuwasabha, Khotang, Gorkha and Rukum, and one worker is still missing (AP (https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/world/2026/10/02/nepal-avalanche-toll-rises-to-15-deaths-with-discovery-of-8-bodies-on-mount-himlung/)). No compensation has been announced. These are the lowest-paid people on any expedition, and it is fair to ask the companies, and the government that collects the permit fees, what they will do for the families. Out Without Losing a Game Against Japan on Saturday, Nepal made 149 for 4 in 15 overs, with Sundeep Jora on 57 not out and Lokesh Bam on 52 not out. Then the rain came and the match ended as a no-result, which sent Nepal through as group winners. Tuesday’s quarter-final against Sri Lanka was abandoned without a toss, and with no reserve day the higher-ranked side went through (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/cricket/2026/09/29/rain-ends-nepal-s-asian-games-cricket-campaign)). “Associate cricket spends forever qualifying for the main event,” said coach Stuart Law, “and if higher ranked teams get past in these kinds of situations, it is brutal.” Nepal’s Games end with two bronzes. Next up are seven para athletes training for the Asian Para Games (from 18 October) with no state funding (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2026/10/01/nepal-s-track-and-field-athletes-train-for-the-asian-para-games-on-their-own-terms)). In Brief: * Getting home. Two million people will leave the Kathmandu Valley for Dashain, and the Department of Roads promises repairs “by Dashain”. Ghatasthapana is 11 October and Tika 21 October (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/09/28/will-flood-damaged-highways-be-travel-ready-by-dashain)). * A month on. At least 33 pregnant women have had to travel to Kathmandu to give birth. A bank turned one survivor away because his 1986 citizenship photo no longer matches his face (The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/province-no-3/2026/09/28/flood-took-his-home-his-old-citizenship-photo-is-denying-him-relief)). How to Help * Give through the PM’s Disaster Relief Fund (https://opmcm.gov.np/content/586/heartfelt-appeal/), Nepal Red Cross or your NRNA committee. * The rent allowance hasn’t arrived yet, so for many families a direct transfer from abroad is the only cash before winter. * Families of the missing must register them with the ward office to get relief. Our sponsor, belayat.uk, the UK Nepali noticeboard, carries jobs, housing and events. Holding a Dashain gathering, or collecting for Himlung’s families? Post it there. Next week: the Congress convention opens on Sunday, the US TPS date is the 9th, and Ghatasthapana is the 11th. Until next week, stay connected. — The Nepali Diaspora Digest Team nepalidiaspora.net This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nepalidiaspora.net (https://www.nepalidiaspora.net?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

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