Nepal

Bagmati province, which also incorporates the country's federal capital, is estimated to have more than one-third ( 36,7%) contribution to the national GDP in the current fiscal year according to a study conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics

After years marred by disasters - deadly avalanches on Everest and the Covid pandemic that kept climbers away - now the war in Ukraine is denting hopes that visitor numbers will return to pre-pandemic levels

The country is tightening imports of cars, gold and cosmetics as its foreign exchange reserves have dwindled, after the government suspended the central bank governor and appointed his deputy as interim chief

Kalika Secondary School built a well-stocked library last year with the help of national and international agencies, making it a landmark for the school's students; almost all 74 community schools in the rural municipality have libraries

The police mobilized over 1.600 personnel and traffic policemen in the 3 districts of Kathmandu valley to provide security and avert possible unpleasant activities during the Holi on the Falgun celebrations, a Hindu festival hailing the arrival of spring

Representatives of the Myagdi people expressed concern over unseasonal rainfall and an inordinate increase in heat and cold waves, with agricultural produce declining, and called for alternative methods of agricultural production and livestock breeding

A local unit of Baglung has launched a campaign to build houses for landless and homeless families; it also continues a campaign to replace thatched roofs with galvanised corrugated zinc sheets, which was started in the last fiscal year

A huge snowfall in Humla is disrupting the lives of locals, with Simkot airport shutting down all operations and grounding planes on the runway; farmers however rejoice after a prolonged drought in the region

Drop in remittances for the 3rd consecutive month, lack of tourists, crops destroyed by rains in October and rising inflation have brought a troublesome economic situation, while a severe shortage of chemical fertilizers is pushing up the price of food

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with India for the construction of a motorised bridge over the Mahakali River linking Dharchula (India) with Darchula (Nepal), improving cross-border connectivity

Preliminary census figures show that the population grew by an average of 0,93% per year over the last decade, the slowest growth in 80 years

Two new bird species have been spotted in Nawalparasi during the ongoing waterfowl census, species not found in last year's census, while 10 bird species that were found last year have not appeared so far

Villages for the disabled will be constructed and managed by the government together with the provinces, with the 'Disability Village Construction and Operation Procedure' providing for rehabilitation, education, health, employment and entertainment