"closed road"

#13385505

1 March 2026

A Nepali migrant worker stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport looks at his document as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali are working in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385512

1 March 2026

A Nepali migrant worker sits beside his belongings at Tribhuvan International Airport as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali work in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385513

1 March 2026

A Nepali migrant worker sits beside his belongings at Tribhuvan International Airport as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali work in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385515

1 March 2026

A Nepali migrant worker sits beside his belongings at Tribhuvan International Airport as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali work in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385516

1 March 2026

A Nepali migrant worker sits beside his belongings at Tribhuvan International Airport as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali work in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385519

1 March 2026

A Nepali migrant worker stands beside his belongings at the Tribhuvan International Airport as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali work in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385506

1 March 2026

Nepali migrant workers are stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport, confused and with nowhere to go, as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali are working in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385507

1 March 2026

Nepali migrant workers are stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport, confused and with nowhere to go, as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali are working in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13385508

1 March 2026

Nepali migrant workers are stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport, confused and with nowhere to go, as Middle Eastern nations close their airspace following heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 1, 2026. Israel launches a series of attacks on Iran, and Iran takes retaliatory measures on February 28, 2026, followed by attacks on other US-backed countries in the Middle East, prompting the closure of airspace. This raises concerns for the safety and security of over 1.7 million Nepali nationals living and working across the region. Those who come to Kathmandu to fly there are now at a crossroads of confusion. According to the latest data from the Government of Nepal and various migration agencies, among the six major Gulf countries, the UAE hosts the largest number of Nepali, more than 600,000. Qatar is estimated to have around 500,000 Nepali workers. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 450,000, Kuwait around 120,000, and Bahrain and Oman more than 50,000 each. In addition, about 5,000 Nepali are working in Israel, mainly in caregiving and agriculture. The Gulf countries are key destinations for foreign employment for Nepali workers.

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#13383429

28 February 2026

DOHA, QATAR - FEBRUARY 18: A bilingual stop sign featuring Arabic and English, seen in Doha, Qatar, on February 18, 2026,

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#13383486

28 February 2026

DOHA, QATAR - FEBRUARY 18: A bilingual stop sign featuring Arabic and English, seen in Doha, Qatar, on February 18, 2026,

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#13381035

28 February 2026

Cadres and supporters of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) take part in a road show in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 28, 2026, as the Prime Ministerial candidate from the party, Balen (Balendra) Shah, starts campaigning in the capital. The rapper-turned-mayor resigns from his post on January 18 to contest the March 5 election. The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on the same day. Projected as the next Nepal Prime Minister, Balendra Shah (Balen) launches a Kathmandu-centric campaign as the election draws close, with polling set for March 5. Balen, standing in the fray from Jhapa and against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, launches the campaign in Kathmandu with a road show. Hundreds of supporters and voters stand on the side of the road as the projected Prime Minister, alongside the party president Rabi Lamichhane, greets voters from a moving vehicle. The silence period for the election of the House of Representatives, dissolved after September's Gen-Z protest, is set to start from March 2, past midnight. Balen campaigns all across the nation as his party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is poised to win the election with a landslide victory. On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah will be presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13381054

28 February 2026

Cadres and supporters of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) take part in a road show in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 28, 2026, as the Prime Ministerial candidate from the party, Balen (Balendra) Shah, starts campaigning in the capital. The rapper-turned-mayor resigns from his post on January 18 to contest the March 5 election. The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on the same day. Projected as the next Nepal Prime Minister, Balendra Shah (Balen) launches a Kathmandu-centric campaign as the election draws close, with polling set for March 5. Balen, standing in the fray from Jhapa and against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, launches the campaign in Kathmandu with a road show. Hundreds of supporters and voters stand on the side of the road as the projected Prime Minister, alongside the party president Rabi Lamichhane, greets voters from a moving vehicle. The silence period for the election of the House of Representatives, dissolved after September's Gen-Z protest, is set to start from March 2, past midnight. Balen campaigns all across the nation as his party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is poised to win the election with a landslide victory. On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah will be presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13381045

28 February 2026

Balen (Balendra) Shah, former Kathmandu Mayor and rapper, is projected as the next Nepali Prime Minister. He takes part in a road show in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 28, 2026, as he starts campaigning in the capital. The rapper turned mayor resigned from his post on January 18 to contest the March 5 election. The former rapper, who won the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the role of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on the same day. Projected as the next Nepal Prime Minister, Balendra Shah (Balen) launches a Kathmandu-centric campaign as the election draws close, with polling set for March 5. Balen, standing in the fray from Jhapa against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, launches the campaign in Kathmandu with a road show. Hundreds of supporters and voters stand on the side of the road as the projected Prime Minister, alongside the party president Rabi Lamichhane, greets voters from a moving vehicle. The silence period for the election of the House of Representatives, dissolved after September's Gen-Z protest, is set to start from March 2, past midnight. Balen campaigns all across the nation as his party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, is poised to win the election with a landslide victory. On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah will be presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13381046

28 February 2026

Balen (Balendra) Shah, former Kathmandu Mayor and rapper, projects as the next Nepali Prime Minister and gestures during a road show in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 28, 2026, as he starts campaigning in the capital. The rapper turned mayor on January 18 resigns from his post to contest the March 5 election. The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swantra Party (RSP) on the same day. Projected as the next Nepal Prime Minister, Balendra Shah (Balen) launches a Kathmandu-centric campaign as the election draws close, with polling set for March 5. Balen stands in the fray from Jhapa, standing against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and launches the campaign in Kathmandu with a road show. Hundreds of supporters and voters stand on the side of the road as the projected Prime Minister, alongside the party president Rabi Lamichhane, greets voters from the moving vehicle. The silence period for the election of the House of Representatives, dissolved after September's Gen-Z protest, is set to start from March 2, past midnight. Balen campaigns all across the nation as his party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, is poised to win the election with a landslide victory. On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah will be presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13381047

28 February 2026

Balen (Balendra) Shah, former Kathmandu Mayor and rapper, is projected as the next Nepali Prime Minister. He takes part in a road show in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 28, 2026, as he starts campaigning in the capital. The rapper turned mayor resigned from his post on January 18 to contest the March 5 election. The former rapper, who won the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the role of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on the same day. Projected as the next Nepal Prime Minister, Balendra Shah (Balen) launches a Kathmandu-centric campaign as the election draws close, with polling set for March 5. Balen, standing in the fray from Jhapa against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, launches the campaign in Kathmandu with a road show. Hundreds of supporters and voters stand on the side of the road as the projected Prime Minister, alongside the party president Rabi Lamichhane, greets voters from a moving vehicle. The silence period for the election of the House of Representatives, dissolved after September's Gen-Z protest, is set to start from March 2, past midnight. Balen campaigns all across the nation as his party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, is poised to win the election with a landslide victory. On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah will be presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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