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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

Indian Army and Nepal Army jointly conducted two-day battalion-level validation exercise as part of 19th edition of Exercise SURYAKIRAN in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

The exercise highlighted seamless interoperability, synchronised mission planning and coordinated execution of combined tactical operations in a counter-terrorism environment.

During the exercise, the drills integrated a range of niche technologies including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and precision-targeting drones, advanced day and night weapon sights and AI-enabled surveillance feeds.

The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India Army, Lt. General Manish Luthra and the DGMO of Nepal Army, Anup Jung Thapa jointly planted a Tree of Friendship, reaffirming the timeless bonds and strategic cooperation between both the nations.

Nearly 11 years after the contract was first awarded, the expansion of the Bagmati Bridge at Tinkune–Suvidhanagar remains stalled. The project, initiated in 2014, saw early work halted after the Road Department found that the basement and pillars under construction did not meet design standards and used substandard materials.

Two incomplete pillars still stand as reminders of the abandoned effort. Although a new contract was issued on 26 July 2022, the project has since been stuck in the bridge design–approval process. The bridge was originally expected to be completed by February 2025, but construction has yet to begin.

A similar bridge expansion contract was also awarded in 2014 for the Kathmandu Bijuli Bazaar bridge, which was completed and brought into operation about three years ago. The government has prioritized bridge expansion in Kathmandu after rising traffic congestion made it clear that road widening alone was insufficient.

Senior Divisional Engineer Ashika Pokharel, head of the Kathmandu Ring Road Expansion Project, said construction could not start due to delays in approving the design submitted by the contractor. The design did not initially meet Road Department standards, she said, but has now been approved.

“There has been a delay because the design was not submitted as per the specified standards. Now the design has been approved, and preparations are underway to enter the construction phase,” she said.

The new bridge will follow an arch-style design similar to Bijuli Bazaar.

The project’s first major setback came when Pappu Construction, which received the contract on 20 Dec 2018 for around Rs 210m under the design-build method, began work and built three abutments, two of which were later found to be substandard. The department stopped the work, blacklisted Pappu in 2019, and restarted procurement.

YP Kiranteshwor JV was awarded a new contract on 29 July 2022 to build the 85-meter bridge expansion at a cost of Rs 240m, with a 42-month completion timeline. Originally overseen by the Kathmandu Valley Road Expansion Project in 2014, the project is now under the Kathmandu Ring Road Expansion Project. Three years after the new contract was issued, the bridge design has finally been approved, and Project Chief Pokharel said the contractor has been instructed to mobilize.

Since the project was supposed to be completed within this Magh, the contractor has already sought an extension. “If the delay is our fault, the time will be extended. If it is their fault, we will recover compensation,” said Pokharel. She added that approval processes have also moved forward because nearby branch roads must be closed and fenced before construction can begin.

After three years of waiting, YP Kiranteshwor JV is finally preparing to move to the site. Birbal Rai, a representative of Kiranteshwor Construction, said the company could not begin work earlier due to delays in design approval. He added that the first step will be demolishing the faulty structures built by the previous contractor.

“If the old structures can be demolished without local obstructions, we will start construction soon,” he said.