Nepal

Nepal: Power Blackouts Now 14 Hours a Day

Date: February 9th, 2011 |

Electrical power has become so scarce that authorities imposed a 14-hour daily blackout schedule that is putting a strain on the local population and affecting all business and tourism operations. The blackout is actually closer to a 20-hour stoppage because the schedule calls for it to be lifted at 1 a.m. or 3 a.m., effectively [read more]

Nepal: Residents to Block Tourists from Upper Mustang near Tibet

Date: September 1st, 2010 |

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Residents of the former kingdom of Mustang on the border with Tibet vowed to ban tourists beginning Oct. 1 to protest broken promises by the government. Upper Mustang opened to tourists only in 1992 and visitors are required to pay $500 for a pass to enter the region. The locals said the government promised to [read more]

Nepal: Maoists Plan Nationwide Rallies to Dissolve Government

Date: April 21st, 2010 |

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Maoists plan nationwide rallies and sit-ins April 22 and May 1 in an ongoing effort to force the government to resign. Such protests have paralyzed the country in the past and could do so again. The Maoists are hoping to bring down the government or prevent an extension of the current term of parliament beyond [read more]

Nepal: Solo Trekkers Robbed Near Pokhara, Nationwide Strike Coming in December

Date: November 25th, 2009 |

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Reports of solo trekkers being robbed on trails around Pokhara in western Nepal prompted trekking companies to meet with security officials to discourage hikers from trekking alone. In some incidents the tourists reportedly were robbed by their guides, suggesting that care must be taken to ensure that the guide is legitimate. Trekking with a friend [read more]

Nepal: Travel Alert for Festival Season

Date: September 24th, 2009 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu advised Americans that street crimes and harassment from intoxicated individuals increase during the festival season that has just got under way. Dashain runs Sept. 19-Oct. 2 and Tihar Oct. 15-19. The Embassy recommended many common-sense precautions such as minimizing moving around late at night, avoiding walking alone after dark, using [read more]

Nepal: Crime Increases During Fall Festival Season in Kathmandu

Date: October 13th, 2010 |

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The fall festival season is underway with Dashain running through Oct. 22 and Tihar occurring Nov. 5-7. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu reported that this is a time of year when criminal activity spikes, and urges travelers to remain alert for thefts, pickpockets, robberies and bag snatches. Street harassment from intoxicated individuals also increases during [read more]

Nepal: Maoist Strike Shuts Down Kathmandu

Date: May 5th, 2010 |

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Maoists launched an indefinite general strike May 1 trying to force the prime minister to resign and put the Maoists in power. The strike shut down most transport and businesses in Kathmandu, and by the third day supplies were running short because trucks could not bring goods into the city or from wholesalers to shops. [read more]

Nepal: Maoists Declare Autonomous Regions, Plan Strike in Kathmandu

Date: December 16th, 2009 |

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Maoists still angry over the president’s refusal to accept the prime minister’s sacking of the army chief in May are intensifying their pressure on the government. They planned a general strike for Dec. 20-22 and declared four autonomous states in regions they controlled when they were fighting a guerrilla war. Business leaders in Kathmandu vowed [read more]

Nepal: Maoists Protest in Kathmandu

Date: November 5th, 2009 |

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Nepal has more tourists visiting now than it has had in more than a decade, but the opposition Maoist party may put a damper on peak season with a series of anti-government protests in Kathmandu. They hoped to paralyze the capital city and surrounding valley by blocking all roads leading into Kathmandu Valley and shutting [read more]

Nepal: Political Crisis Follows PM’s Resignation

Date: May 6th, 2009 |

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Nepal fell into a political crisis when Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the former Maoist guerrilla leader, resigned to protest the president’s refusal to fire the army chief. Dahal wanted the army head fired because he refused to integrate Maoist rebels into the army. Dahal’s resignation caused the government to fall, and the president set [read more]

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