Description from YouTube:

What is in the air we breathe every day?

This story is based on the stories and perceptions of people living around industrial area who are suffering from air pollution. This is the first part of the series "What's in the Air?"

सिर्सियाको शिरानतिरका गाउँघरमा यही पानीले खेतका गह्रा भिज्छन् । यही पानी वरपर भेटिन्छन् माछा, भ्यागुता, पुतली र घामकिरीहरु । नागबेली बग्दै बग्दै सिर्सिया नदी, अरु सानातिना कुला खोल्सालाई समेट्छ । त्रिभुवन राजपथ वरपरको घना औद्योगिक क्षेत्रतिर आइपुगेपछि नदी मैलिन थाल्छ र हावा धमिलिन थाल्छ ।

यो कथा औद्योगिक क्षेत्र वरिपरि वायु प्रदुषण भोगिरहेका मानिसहरुको भोगाई र धारणामा आधारित छ ।
"हावामा के छ ?" श्रृंखलाको यो पहिलो भाग हो ।

Summary:

A Sherpa guide who had been missing on Mount Everest was found alive days later, crawling near base camp and then flown to a hospital. His family had already started funeral rituals, so the rescue came as a huge surprise and relief.

Key points:

• Dawa Sherpa was last seen on May 29 descending Everest and was found Thursday near the Khumbu Icefall/base camp area.
• A cleanup crew spotted him, and he was airlifted to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu.
• His wife and teenage daughter had begun funeral rites before learning he was still alive.
• The Everest season had just ended, and more than 1,000 climbers and guides had scaled the mountain this year, one of the busiest seasons ever.

Archive: https://archive.is/rC027

Summary:

On May 20, 2026, a record-breaking 274 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest from the Nepalese side in a single day. This surpassed the previous records for the number of climbers summiting in one day. The climbers took advantage of clear weather after a delayed spring climbing season due to threats from ice falls on the normal route.

All climbers used supplementary oxygen and Sherpa guides, except one Ecuadorian climber, Marcelo Segovia, who summited without oxygen. The large number of climbers led to congestion and long queues in the "death zone" near the summit, raising safety concerns.

Veteran guide Kami Rita Sherpa made his 32nd summit this week, breaking the record for most Everest ascents. This year’s climbing season started late due to risks from a large serac (glacial ice cliff). A total of 494 climbing permits were issued by Nepal for this season, costing $15,000 each.

Authorities are still confirming final numbers based on climbers’ return and photographic evidence. The event highlights ongoing issues with overcrowding on Everest during peak climbing conditions.

Archive: https://archive.is/xOp13

Summary:

On May 17, 2026, two Nepali mountaineers made historic ascents of Mount Everest. Kami Rita Sherpa set a new record by completing his 32nd summit of the world's highest peak. Meanwhile, Lhakpa Sherpa became the first woman to reach the Everest summit 11 times.

Key Points:

• Kami Rita Sherpa, aged 55, reached Everest summit at 10:12 am local time, marking his 32nd climb.
• He plans to retire from Everest climbing after 2026 but will continue trekking.
• Kami Rita has also climbed other major peaks multiple times and holds several Guinness World Records.
• Lhakpa Sherpa, aged 53, summited Everest at 9:30 am, becoming the first woman with 11 ascents.
• Lhakpa lives in Connecticut, works as a dishwasher, and climbs to empower women and inspire youth.
• Both climbers' achievements highlight Nepal's strong legacy in high-altitude mountaineering.

Archive: https://archive.is/9nG4c

Summary:

The Nepalese government has reduced the number of federal ministries from 22 to 18 to improve administrative efficiency and performance.

The Prime Minister's Office and 8 other ministries remain unchanged, while several ministries with similar functions were merged.

Notable changes include the creation of a separate Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, split off from the Ministry of Education to focus on technology and research.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Urban Development, and Ministry of Water Supply were merged into a single Ministry of Infrastructure Development.

The Ministry of Education now includes sports, becoming the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The youth sector was combined with the Ministry of Labor, renamed Ministry of Youth, Labor, and Employment.

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens expanded to include gender and sexual minorities and social security, becoming the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender Sexual Minorities Social Security.

This restructuring aims at administrative reform, frugality, and more effective governance.

Archive: https://archive.is/Qg7Tk

Summary:

Nepal's Ambassador to Thailand, Dhan Bahadur Oli, met with Urasa Mongkolnavin, Director-General of Thailand's Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation between Nepal and Thailand. The talks covered trade, tourism, investment, culture, agriculture, education, and security cooperation.

Key Points:

• Reviewed progress on eight Memoranda of Understanding signed last year with a focus on effective implementation.
• Discussed easing visa procedures and improving tourism services reciprocally.
• Strengthened cooperation on combating human trafficking, money laundering, and cybercrime through information sharing.
• Explored early agreements on agricultural cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
• Planned the next Nepal-Thailand Joint Consultative Mechanism meeting in Nepal.
• Reaffirmed commitment to regional and multilateral cooperation with mutual support in international forums.
• Aimed to boost bilateral trade by integrating Himalayan and ocean-based goods and leveraging product complementarities.

Archive: https://archive.is/Rt2aK

Summary:

Nepal formally protested to both India and China over India’s plan to run the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh Pass, asserting Lipulekh (with Limpiyadhura and Kalapani east of the Mahakali River) belongs to Nepal per the 1816 Sugauli Treaty. Nepal asked India to stop activities there and informed China of its claim. India rejected Nepal’s objection, calling the claim unilateral and not historically justified, and said the Lipulekh route has been used for the yatra since 1954 while remaining open to diplomatic talks. Nepal reaffirmed it will pursue a diplomatic resolution using historical treaties, maps and evidence.

Key points:

• Nepal lodged formal protests with India and China over use of Lipulekh Pass for the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
• Nepal claims Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani are Nepali territory based on the Sugauli Treaty (1816) and asked India to stop construction, trade and pilgrimage there.
• India dismissed the claims as unjustified and unilateral, noting the yatra route’s long use since 1954 and offering diplomatic dialogue on boundary issues.
• Nepal reiterated reliance on historical treaties, maps and evidence and seeks resolution through diplomacy.

Archive: https://archive.is/R0ewn

Summary:

The article reports that Nepal’s government has expanded a high-level probe commission’s mandate to investigate assets of senior politicians, bureaucrats and officials dating back to 2006-07, explicitly including wealth stashed abroad. While this signals a tougher anti-corruption stance, experts and former officials say tracing and recovering offshore assets is complex and challenging because of legal, diplomatic and investigative hurdles.

Key points:

• The commission, led by a former Supreme Court justice, can coordinate directly with Nepali diplomatic missions, Interpol and foreign investigative agencies and examine suspects’ financial status overseas.
• The mandate covers a wide range of public officeholders (from local chiefs to prime minister, senior civil servants, first-class officers in army and police) and targets cases flagged by complaints, departmental action, unusual wealth, intermediaries and high-risk sectors (tax, land, transport, procurement).
• Legal experts note past commissions yielded limited results; tracing assets in Switzerland, India or elsewhere has proven difficult despite diplomatic efforts.
• Practical obstacles include weak mutual legal assistance mechanisms, limited diplomatic capacity, reluctance of foreign jurisdictions to cooperate, complex money‑laundering methods, and difficulties extraditing fugitives.
• The article cites several failed or stalled cases: Pawan Kumar Karki (convicted in Nepal, residing in the US, not extradited), Michael Ryder (British national convicted in a Sudan-related procurement scam), GB Rai (absconded, whereabouts uncertain), and others linked to cooperative and procurement frauds.
• A detailed example: Biklal Paudel’s case showed bribes routed through Singapore banks into US investments and property, but authorities still could not recover the funds.
• Experts (former CIB chief Hemanta Malla, ex-attorney general Badri Bahadur Karki) say recovery is not impossible but requires sustained diplomatic initiatives, effective use of Interpol and foreign counterparts, clear legal tools and strong state capacity.

Archive: https://archive.is/2nFeY

Summary:

In the past 24 hours in Kathmandu Valley, traffic police fined 1,720 drivers for various violations, collecting Rs. 858,000 for the state treasury. Offenses included: 136 for drunk driving, 124 for illegal ride-sharing, 129 for running red lights, 175 for speeding, 206 for lane indiscipline, 28 for honking in prohibited areas, 92 for roadside parking, 20 for improper passenger pick-up/drop-off, and 1,810 for other violations.

Archive: https://archive.is/1NYzm

Not much but still

Summary:

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal urged Ukraine to release nine Nepali nationals held as POWs on humanitarian grounds during a call with his Ukrainian counterpart, who said Ukraine is open to discussions.

Some people were coerced with job opportunities in Europe, but were conscripted to fight for the Russian army.

Archive: https://archive.is/vFW8O

Further reading:

• https://kyivindependent.com/reuters-nepal-stops-issuing-work-permits-for-russia-due-to-citizens-killed-fighting-in-ukraine/
• https://kyivindependent.com/media-nepal-appeals-to-russia-to-stop-army-recruitment-of-nepalese-men/
• https://kyivindependent.com/military-intelligence-5/
• https://thewire.in/world/nepali-men-in-russia-tricked-into-ukraine-frontline-deployment-appeal-to-india-for-help

Summary:

Sujit Acharya, a 23-year-old Acadia University student from Nepal, struggled financially during his studies, even relying on food bank pickups. Despite not liking cooking initially, he started making and selling momos (Nepalese dumplings) at local festivals in Nova Scotia to earn money, which quickly gained popularity. His business, MomoNepal, now sells vegetarian dumplings and chutney at several stores and farmers' markets.

Acharya balanced his business with full-time studies and mental health challenges, while facing work restrictions as an international student. He recently won the prestigious Frank H. Sobey scholarship worth $50,000, which he plans to invest in expanding his business by purchasing a commercial kitchen in Halifax.

His entrepreneurial journey was supported by learning from YouTube and community connections, and he is committed to giving back through his business. Acharya's professor described the scholarship as life-changing and highlighted the challenges international students face in accessing funding. Despite setbacks like a failed kitchen deal, Acharya remains determined to grow MomoNepal and continue supporting fellow students.

Archive: https://archive.is/2k6i8

Summary:

Since becoming Nepal’s prime minister, Balendra Shah has received extensive coverage in Indian media due to several factors: his youth and Gen Z appeal; Madheshi roots and campaigning in culturally significant Janakpur; public religiosity and Vedic-style swearing-in on Ram Navami; past nationalist statements (including displays of the “Greater Nepal” map and criticism of Bollywood) that raised questions about his stance toward India; and his image as a disruptive, anti-establishment leader breaking the traditional hill-elite dominance. Indian commentators frame him as a potential reset for Nepal–India ties and a symbol of generational political change, while also expressing cautious interest about whether he will align with India or pursue a more nationalist course. Coverage mixes curiosity, admiration for a fresh political face, strategic concern from New Delhi’s perspective, and occasional speculation about outside influences.

Archive: https://archive.is/kYVab

Summary:

Biska (Bisket) Jatra, a nine-day, eight-night festival in Bhaktapur with roots believed to date to the Licchavi period, began on April 10. It culminates on Baisakh 5 and includes chariot processions, ritual tug-of-war between the town’s lower (Kwone) and upper (Thane) residents, animal sacrifices, tantric rites, and ceremonial raising and lowering of the Yosin Dyo (lingo/pole).

Key events:

• Day 1: Chariot-pulling tug-of-war (Bhailakh) between Kwone and Thane; if Thane wins the chariot is pulled to Dattatreya, then returned to Ga:hiti.
• Day 2: Rest (“zero”) day.
• Day 3: Buffalo sacrifice at Bhairavnath Ga:hiti; meat distributed as prasad (“Syakwatyakwah”).
• Day 4: Erection of the ceremonial pole (Yosin Dyo) — a major ritual symbolising the old year’s farewell and the new year’s arrival; tantric rites performed in the evening; two flags (Bir Dhwaja, Bishwo Dhwaja) hung on the pole.
• Day 5 (Baisakh 1, Nepali New Year): Large gatherings at Lyasingkhel and Chupinghat; worship of Bhairav, Bhadrakali, Betal and Yosin Dyo; cock sacrifice to Betal; chariots collide in the “Sangam Jatra” (Dyo Lwakigu Jatra); Taleju (Dumaju) chariot festival observed.
• Days 6–7: Processions for Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, Brahmayani, Maheshwari and other deities; Sindoor Jatra and other local jathras.
• Day 8: Deities are placed in shrines and courtyards for “Dyo Swaga Puja” (Sagun Jatra).
• Day 9: Morning ceremonial lowering of the Yosin Dyo at Kumale Tole Talako; evening Chhuma Ganesh procession; festival ends with another tug-of-war between Thane and Kwone.

Strict security measures are enforced throughout. The festival is rich in traditional rituals, music, and community participation and is also referred to locally as an “enemy-destroying festival.”

Archive: https://archive.is/H4F2B

Summary:

The CIAA filed a corruption case at the Special Court against 28 people, including ex-House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, for allegedly smuggling gold hidden in vapes through Tribhuvan International Customs. The accused include senior customs officials, various Nepali individuals, two Chinese nationals, a Belgian, and an Indian; the CIAA seeks Rs 77.86 million in recovery from each accused.

Key points:

• 28 individuals charged, notable name: former Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
• Method: gold concealed inside electronic cigarettes (vapes) smuggled via Tribhuvan International Customs Office.
• Accused include top customs officers (former Chief Customs Administrator Arun Pokharel; Chief Customs Officers Mukti Prasad Shrestha and Ambika Prasad Khanal) and several other Nepali nationals plus foreign nationals (2 Chinese, 1 Belgian, 1 Indian).
• CIAA requests recovery of Rs 77.86 million from every accused.

Archive: https://archive.is/ao79U

Summary:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal reported the arrest of 11 Nepalis in West Asia for spreading fake news related to the ongoing conflict in the region. Over 86,000 Nepali nationals have registered for rescue through the ministry's online system. The ministry is actively coordinating with Nepali missions abroad, managing flight and labor permit concerns, and working to repatriate the bodies of deceased Nepali citizens. Additionally, a Nepali citizen named Amrit Jha is detained in Iran, with the ministry monitoring his case.

Key Points:

• 11 Nepalis arrested in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman for spreading false information on social media.
• 86,420 Nepalis registered for rescue via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' online system.
• The ministry has set up a hotline and formed a Rapid Response Team across nine missions.
• Main concerns from Nepalis abroad include flight conditions, return timelines, and labor permit inquiries.
• Bodies of 38 deceased Nepalis are yet to be repatriated due to flight delays; efforts ongoing.
• Amrit Jha, a Nepali detained in Iran, is safe; the ministry is liaising with legal representatives and authorities.

Archive: https://archive.is/Y23v3

Summary:

• On March 27, 2026, Nepal's newly appointed Prime Minister Balen Shah formed a cabinet with 33% women representation, a historic first for the country.

• The 15-member cabinet includes five female ministers, representing Khas Arya, Dalit, Madhesi, Tharu, and Janajati communities.

Female ministers and their portfolios:

• Sobita Gautam: Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs
• Sita Badi: Women, Children, Senior Citizens
• Pratibha Rawal: Federal Affairs and General Administration (also Land Management, Cooperatives, Poverty Alleviation)
• Geeta Chaudhary: Agriculture, Livestock Development, Forest Environment
• Nisha Mehta: Health Population

This achievement aligns with Nepal's inclusive policy requiring 33% women representatives in the Federal Parliament, though previous cabinets had not met this quota.

The previous highest female representation was 26% in 2022 and 24% in Baburam Bhattarai's cabinet (2011).

The cabinet formation reflects progress toward gender equality and inclusion of marginalized communities.

Key women ministers have diverse backgrounds in law, healthcare, journalism, and activism.

This marks a significant step for Nepal in ensuring gender balance in political leadership.

Archive: https://archive.is/4sR8z

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.wtf/post/39327443

Summary:

A 25-year-old Nepali man escaped forced labor in Greek strawberry fields in Manolada and reported exploitation to police in January 2024. Despite arrests of some network members, Greek employers and supervisors identified by the victim were never investigated or called to testify. The police investigation was criticized as deficient and incomplete, with authorities failing to pursue leads or examine the role of Greek business owners who benefit from exploitative labor. The case highlights a broader pattern of labor trafficking involving South Asian workers in Greece, facilitated by digital recruitment and informal transport systems, with many victims detained or deported without protection.

Key points:

• Nepali worker escaped forced labor in Manolada strawberry fields, reported exploitation.
• Police arrested recruiters and some network members but did not investigate Greek employers/supervisors named by victim.
• Court described police investigation as deficient; Greek employers seen as ultimate beneficiaries of exploitative labor.
• Increasing trafficking of South Asian workers into Greece via legal and illegal routes; exploitation common after visa expiration.
• Migrant workers live/work in harsh conditions, often detained or deported without protection, hindering trafficking prosecutions.

Archive: https://archive.fo/HR6mM

Summary:

In the past six months, 333 foreign nationals have been arrested in Nepal for engaging in illegal activities while on tourist or business visas. The Immigration Department reported that many violated visa terms by running illegal marriage bureaus, conducting proselytisation, and other prohibited activities. Of those arrested between mid-July 2025 to mid-January 2026, some were detained for visa overstays and criminal offenses, while others were deported with entry bans. Notable cases include a Korean-origin US national accused of fraud involving Nepali political party names and multiple Chinese nationals operating illegal marriage agencies. The department imposed fines and deportations along with bans from re-entry for specified periods.

In 2025, a total of 501 foreign nationals were deported. Over the years, deportations have varied: 407 in 2024, 459 in 2023, 570 in 2022, and so on. To address the increasing cases, Nepal introduced the Foreign Nationals Management Information System on January 1, 2026, initially mandatory in Kathmandu Valley and expanding nationwide by March 1. This system tracks foreign nationals' movements and links data with hotels, airlines, trekking agencies, banks, telecom providers, and related institutions to enhance national security related to tourism.

Archive: https://archive.fo/RWHQo

Summary:

Nepal is holding parliamentary elections on March 5, 2026, just five months after Generation Z-led protests sparked a political crisis and created opportunities for new political forces to challenge the traditional leaders. The youth-driven movement has reshaped the political landscape, with fresh faces like Balendra Shah (known as "Balen"), former mayor of Kathmandu, gaining prominence. If the Rastriya Swatantra Party wins, Shah is set to become prime minister through an internal agreement. The elections will test the strength of these emerging youth-led movements against the established political old guard.

Archive: https://archive.fo/8NQIo