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The government and Gen Z representatives late this evening signed a 10-point agreement at the Office of the Prime Minister, Singha Durbar.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki and Bhoj Bikram Thapa, on behalf of those who attained martyrdom and were injured during the Gen Z movement, signed the pact. 

Following the agreement signing ceremony, PM Karki said the consensus would prove to be a milestone in bringing transformations to the country.

 "The agreement will guide tomorrow's wave for change," she said, adding that it will help strengthen the constitution, contributing to the prevention of bloodshed and disasters in the future. 

"We are the same group. Gen Zs are my children, and we all aspire for the youth force to reach state power. Their ideas and thoughts should be the guiding principles of the State. We wish to see a bright future for our children."

The pact incorporates provisions on issues of good governance, constitutional amendment, and the electoral system, in line with the spirit of the Gen Z movement held on September 8-9.

Government ministers, chief secretary, and senior government officials were present on the occasion.

Lumbini Lions have entered the Qualifier 2 of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025, defeating Kathmandu Gorkhas by four wickets.

In the eliminator match held at TU International Cricket Ground earlier today, Lumbini surpassed the victory target of 112 runs set by Kathmandu in 17.4 overs at the loss of six wickets.

For Lumbini's victory D'Arcy Short scored 33 runs off 34 balls, followed by Sundeep Jora who scored 23 runs off 23 balls. Likewise, Captain Rohit Paudel and Niroshan Dickwella scored 18 and 14 runs respectively.

For the bowling side, Santosh Yadav took two wickets, while Karan KC, Sunny Patel, Shahab Alam and Rashid Khan claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, Kathmandu Gorkhas were able to score only 111 runs in 19.1 overs, losing all their wickets.

Santosh Yadav top-scored with 23 runs off 17 balls while John Simpson and Mohammad Aadil Alam scored 18 runs each. Bhim Sharki contributed 14 runs off 16 balls.

In restricting Kathmandu to a meagre total, Sher Malla took three wickets in his full quota of four overs, giving away 22 runs. This feat also earned him the player-of-the-match award. 

Captain Rohit Paudel also took three wickets while Ruben Trumpelmann took two wickets.

With the win today, Lumbini Lions will face Biratnagar Kings in the second qualifier to be held at the same ground tomorrow. 

Biratnagar lost to Sudurpaschim Kings by 77 runs in the Qualifier 1 held on Tuesday.

After defeating Biratnagar in Qualifier 1, Sudurpaschim have booked a place in the final, and will play the winner of tomorrow's match. 

The final is scheduled to take place at the same venue on Saturday.

Non-life insurance companies have so far paid out only 18.7% of the total claims filed for losses arising from the Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9, according to updated figures from the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA). 

The two days of violent unrest, marked by arson, vandalism and clashes between security forces and protesters, resulted in extensive damage to public property, business establishments, vehicles and private homes.

Of around 3,300 claims amounting to approximately Rs 23.44 billion received by insurers, companies have made advance and parietal payments totaling Rs 4.38 billion to policyholders, the NIA said.

Property insurance has accounted for the largest share of losses. Out of 710 property claims worth Rs 19.88 billion, insurers have so far settled about Rs 3.21 billion. Similarly, out of 2,308 motor insurance claims valued at Rs 3.47 billion, payments totaling Rs 1.08 billion have been made as of December 3..

Engineering and contractor’s risk policies have seen 225 claims worth Rs 555.5 million, of which insurers have settled Rs 68.1 million. Transport insurance accounts for 12 claims valued at Rs 16.8 million, with payouts of Rs 6.6 million. Under the “other” category, insurers have paid Rs 4.9 million against 45 claims totaling Rs 384 million.

According to the NIA, 1,984 of the total claims are linked directly to arson and vandalism in Kathmandu and several districts. Seventy-four people were killed in the protests, which escalated after police used excessive force to disperse crowds. Hotel Hilton Kathmandu alone reported damages of around Rs 8 billion, making it one of the largest individual losses.

All fourteen non-life insurance companies and four microinsurers have reported exposure to losses from the protests. Seven companies have liabilities exceeding Rs 1 billion each.

Oriental Insurance has received the highest claim totaling Rs 5.14 billion from 40 policies, followed by Siddhartha Premier Insurance with Rs 4.93 billion across 258 claims. Shikhar Insurance ranks third in terms of claim value, with 366 cases totaling Rs 2.39 billion. IME Prudential Insurance has 24 claims worth Rs 1.59 billion, while Sagarmatha Lumbini Insurance has reported 233 claims amounting to Rs 1.47 billion.

Boosting tourism collaboration between China and Nepal can help strengthen mutual exchanges in various other fields, including economy, trade and culture, bolstering bilateral ties and advancing people-to-people bonds, Nepali experts said.

According to the latest statistics released by the Nepal Tourism Board, or NTB, the Himalayan nation recorded over 1 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first 11 months of 2025. The country welcomed 1,060,269 foreign tourists from January to November, compared with 1,055,520 visitors in the corresponding period last year.

India retained the top spot among the source markets for foreign tourists during the period, followed by the United States, while China ranked third with 86,800 arrivals recorded during the 11 months.

The robust volume of Chinese tourists in Nepal came as 2025 was designated as "Visit Nepal Year in China". The year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two neighbors.

"It is very important to keep enhancing people-to-people friendship through tourism, art performances, educational cooperation," said Harish Chandra Shah, president of the Nepal China Cultural and Educational Council.

He said Nepal and China enjoy common cultural affinity, social linkages and familial relations, but they also have different, diverse cultures and traditions.

Shah said that efforts have been underway in the recent past to boost cooperation and exchanges between the two sides. Among such initiatives, a conference was held in Kathmandu in May this year to promote collaboration between China and Nepal in the fields of cultural tourism and road-rail transport. The event led to the signing of agreements on tea trade and cultural tourism exchange.

Suresh Man Maharjan, founder and CEO of Himalayan Legends, a tour operator based in Kathmandu, said Nepal has particular charm for Chinese tourists, due to the vast diversity of landscapes as well as a wide range of activities that the landlocked nation offers, including exploring its folk culture and arts, ancient civilization, learning about its exotic flora and fauna, taking part in hiking and trekking, and enjoying adventure sports such as paragliding and river rafting.

Immersive travel

He said apart from the traditional mode of tourism, a new mode of immersive travel has been fostering closer ties. Here, primary and middle school students are offered an opportunity to experience Nepali folk music, or enjoy homestays in Nepal's villages.

"The latter can help young students from China gain an idea of the authentic lifestyle of the local villagers who live at the foot of the Himalayan mountains so they can understand each other's culture and customs," said the Nepali travel expert.

"This new mode of experience-based tours will become increasingly popular in future as participants can actively pursue knowledge about Nepal rather than just go sightseeing."

China and Nepal have enjoyed good connectivity, said experts in the travel industry. Himalaya Airlines, a China-Nepal joint venture based in Kathmandu, has been operating direct flights between Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city, and Lhasa, the capital city of China's Xizang autonomous region, and between Kathmandu and Southwest China's Chongqing.

Earlier this year, the carrier started the first-ever direct commercial flights between Lhasa and Pokhara, Nepal's second-largest city and a popular tourist attraction.

Prakash Pun, a tourism promoter in Hong Kong for Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said that tourism can help bridge the gap or narrow differences between people and cultures.

"It will lead to more frequent commercial activities and diplomatic exchanges between the two sides," he said. Source: China Daily