loki

Summary:
A 15-year-old Dalit girl was abducted and gang-raped in Jhalhi ward 11, Rajbiraj Municipality, Saptari district. The perpetrators held her captive overnight. One suspect, 19-year-old Raju Yadav, was caught by the community and handed to police; another, 18-year-old Vivek Yadav, remains at large. Instead of pursuing legal action, local officials, including ward chair Uttam Narayan Yadav, pressured the victim’s family to accept a Rs100,000 cash settlement to drop the complaint. The family refused and continues to face harassment. Police have not yet registered a formal FIR even five days after the incident, citing they are waiting for a complaint registration. Women’s rights groups condemned the case, highlighting systemic failure and alleged collusion by local authorities to bury the case. The ward chair claims he only observed discussions and denies forcing any settlement.

Archive: https://archive.md/12jvP

Summary:
A recent study led by Reshu Bashyal from the NGO Greenhood Nepal reveals that Nepal's illegal exotic pet trade is moving from physical markets to digital platforms due to widespread smartphone use, social media, and online payment systems. Traditionally a source and transit country for wildlife trafficking, Nepal might now be becoming a destination as well, driven by economic growth and better connectivity in South Asia.

Key points:

• The research, ongoing since October 2022, surveyed news, social media, enforcement agencies, and conducted market surveys and interviews.
• Nearly three-quarters of Nepali adults use smartphones; half are on Facebook, with popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Viber widely used. Mobile banking users rose to 24.65 million in fiscal year 2023-2024.
• Birds (both native and exotic) and reptiles are among the most traded species. Native birds include near-threatened Alexandrine parakeet and critically endangered yellow-breasted bunting; exotic birds include Gouldian finches, cockatiels, scarlet macaws, and Java sparrows.
• Reptiles include Indian star tortoise, red-eared slider, Indian roofed turtle, spotted pond turtle, tokay gecko, ball python, and iguanas.
• Large mammals like chital deer, sambar deer, Indian crested porcupines, red pandas, pangolins, sloth bears, wild boars, and even Asian elephants are also trafficked.
• Enforcement is challenged by the digital shift; while illegal trade has moved online, this shift also reflects increased public awareness making open physical trade harder.
• Nepal’s laws impose penalties for unauthorized wildlife handling but lack clear standards for permissible pet trade under CITES regulations.
• Online markets and informal mobile vendors operate across Nepal; hundreds of animals can be traded in single transactions.
• Key trade hubs in Nepal include Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Pokhara, and Chitwan; Patna in India is a major supply hub due to open borders.
• Wildlife is sourced from countries like Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh; exports go to China, Pakistan, Vietnam, and India.
• Transport includes air freight and trading of eggs hatched in captivity.
• Experts say the shift online poses new challenges but also shows law enforcement successes since open trade is harder.

Archive: https://archive.md/bEvj8

Summary:

• Date & Location: July 24, 2024, Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-200 (registration 9N-AME).
• Flight Type: Illegal ferry flight to relocate aircraft for maintenance in Pokhara; carried 17 unauthorized passengers plus two pilots.
• Casualties: 18 dead, including airline senior management; captain sole survivor.

Key Issues Leading to Crash

1. Regulatory Violations & Negligence:

• Ferry flight carried unauthorized passengers.
• Cargo loaded improperly including flammable liquids in passenger cabin.
• No flight attendant or safety briefing.
• Skipped essential control checks and maintenance delays.
• Airline had poor safety culture and no quality assurance programs.
• Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) lacked oversight, staff, and enforcement.

2. Pilot Factors:

• Captain and first officer unaware of incorrect V-speed charts (incorrect rotation speeds).
• Captain rotated aircraft too early and too sharply at takeoff.
• Resulted in stall warning triggered shortly after liftoff.
• Pilots failed to recover from stall; plane entered deep stall and crashed.

3. Operational Failures:

• Airline repeatedly financially unstable, poor training and simulator use.
• No internal audits or safety management system effectively implemented.
• Inadequate emergency response at airport; fire services limited access and resources.

4. Investigation & Context:

• Nepal has a poor aviation safety record due to terrain but mostly due to poor regulation and oversight.
• No independent accident investigation agency; investigations lack depth and objectivity.
• Post-crash, Saurya Airlines suspended operations and lost operating certificate but tried to restart in 2025 without clear safety improvements.

Underlying Themes

• Culture of disregard for rules and safety within airline management.
• Lack of proper regulatory enforcement by CAAN.
• Need for independent accident investigations and improved safety culture.
• Nepal’s limited resources and competing priorities complicate aviation safety improvements.

The crash was primarily caused by pilot error aggravated by poor airline practices and regulatory failures, leading to a fatal stall shortly after takeoff. The tragedy highlights systemic problems in Nepal’s aviation industry beyond just terrain challenges.

Archive: https://archive.md/Y7Ebw

Summary:
The article compares Pakistan’s disaster response to Nepal’s effective, low-cost, community-led landslide early warning system. Nepal uses simple rain gauges and trained local volunteers to monitor rainfall and trigger alerts at the village level, significantly reducing landslide deaths. Pakistan, despite having access to technology and knowledge, lacks political commitment and prioritization. Tragic events like Babusar’s cloudburst and floods in Islamabad highlight failures in local warnings and preparedness.

Nepal’s model relies on affordable sensors, community trust, and local coordination rather than expensive equipment. It empowers local people to act quickly, creating resilience and saving lives. Pakistan tends to treat disasters as isolated surprises and lacks localized, real-time alerts. The article argues Pakistan can adopt Nepal’s community-based system but needs commitment from authorities to coordinate with local volunteers and prioritize early warnings over bureaucratic hurdles.

In summary:

• Nepal’s community-based early warning system is low-cost and effective.
• Pakistan struggles due to lack of political will, not technology.
• Localized, real-time alerts and community involvement are key.
• Pakistan must prioritize disaster preparedness beyond issuing generic advisories.
• Investing in community training and simple sensors is cheaper and more effective than rebuilding after disasters.

Archive: https://archive.md/L2bOw

Summary:
The article highlights how Nepal’s ambitious renewable energy projects, particularly hydropower development, risk violating Indigenous Peoples' rights. Nepal, rich in water resources, aims to generate large amounts of clean energy to reduce emissions and boost its economy. However, Indigenous communities, making up a significant portion of the population, face forced evictions, environmental harm, and loss of ancestral lands without proper consent.

Despite Nepal’s legal commitments to Indigenous rights under international treaties like ILO Convention 169 and UNDRIP, these are often ignored in practice. Projects financed by institutions such as the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and Asian Development Bank have caused social and environmental damage, ignored Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and led to protests met with militarized responses.

The article calls for Nepal to ensure a truly just energy transition that respects Indigenous sovereignty, rights, and participation rather than prioritizing economic growth at their expense. The future of Nepal’s clean energy depends on whether the government, developers, and financiers heed Indigenous voices and legal obligations.

Archive: https://archive.md/K9L4y

Legalizing Corruption: Prime Minister and Ministers Gain Authority to Set Their Own Salaries

Summary:
The Nepalese government has amended a law allowing the Prime Minister and ministers to set their own salaries through cabinet decisions. The revised act, certified by President Ram Chandra Paudel on August 14, 2025, removes fixed salary amounts previously stated in the 1992 act. Now, the cabinet can decide and publish salaries in the Nepal Gazette at any time.

Previously, salaries were fixed by law: the Prime Minister earned NPR 9,000 monthly, Deputy Prime Minister NPR 7,500, ministers NPR 7,000, state ministers NPR 6,700, and assistant ministers NPR 5,800. However, in practice, a 2021 directive set the Prime Minister’s monthly salary at NPR 94,280 (including allowances), Deputy Prime Minister at NPR 84,640, and ministers at NPR 79,230.

With this change, the government no longer needs to amend the law or issue directives to revise these salaries; the cabinet can make decisions as needed and publish them officially. This gives the Prime Minister and ministers direct control over determining their pay and benefits.

Archive: https://archive.md/vQGZs

Driving License Validity Now Extended to 10 Years in Nepal

Summary:
The validity period for Nepal's vehicle driving licenses has been extended from 5 years to 10 years. This change was made through an amendment published in the government gazette, modifying sections 54(3) and 56(3) of the Vehicle and Transportation Management Act, 2049. Now, the license will be valid for ten years instead of the previous five.

Archive: https://archive.md/ud88o

Summary:
A U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson blocked the Trump administration's attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 60,000 migrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua. The judge ruled that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's actions were driven by racial animus, citing her comments that implied these immigrant groups threaten the white population. TPS allows migrants from countries facing war or disasters to live and work legally in the U.S. The court found Noem’s decisions to terminate TPS lacked an objective review of country conditions and reflected discriminatory beliefs. The termination of TPS protections was postponed at least until November 18, 2025, as the case proceeds.

Plaintiffs, supported by groups like ACLU and Haitian Bridge Alliance, welcomed the ruling as a victory for immigrant communities seeking safety and permanent protection. The judge emphasized that TPS holders are lawful residents contributing economically and socially, and their presence is not a crime or threat. The ruling renews hope for TPS holders to remain in the U.S. without fear of deportation amid ongoing legal battles.

Archive: https://archive.md/1qBII

Summary:
Madheshi activists gathered in Kathmandu to demand long-term solutions to the ongoing water crisis in Nepal's Tarai-Madhesh region. Organized by the Madhesh Krishi-Jal Aandolan (Madhesh agro-water movement), around 100 young protesters called attention to the drying lands and farmers’ struggles due to water scarcity.

They criticized short-term fixes like unplanned deep boring, warning it could worsen the situation by affecting soil fertility and depleting water reserves. The activists urged the government to provide immediate relief to drought-affected farmers, ensure sustainable drinking water supply, halt riverbed extraction in key provinces, and enforce the Chure Conservation Act to protect fragile ecosystems.

They also highlighted the cross-border issue of groundwater depletion due to heavy extraction in bordering Indian states and called for urgent construction and resumption of major irrigation projects along rivers like Koshi, Gandak, and Kamala. The movement emphasized that the crisis impacts not just water and land but the identity and rights of the Tarai-Madhesh people.

Archive: https://archive.md/waSoR

Summary:

• The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier will be hosted by Nepal from 12 January to 2 February 2026.
• Ten teams will compete for four spots in the main ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July 2026.
• Bangladesh and Scotland automatically qualified for the Qualifier based on their participation in the 2024 World Cup.
• Thailand and Nepal qualified via the Asia regional pathway; USA qualified from the Americas region.
• Five more teams will qualify through Africa (2 teams), Europe (2 teams), and East Asia-Pacific (1 team) regional qualifiers.
• The Qualifier format: two groups of five teams, followed by a Super Six stage and a Final.
• The main World Cup will feature 33 matches over 24 days at seven venues, finishing with the final at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Archive: https://archive.md/THYsw

Summary:
In Norway, “Sherpa stairs” are stone trails in mountainous areas built by Nepali Sherpas. These stairs blend well with the landscape, prevent erosion, and make hiking more accessible. The Norwegian government hires Sherpas from Nepal for this work, paying them enough in one summer to equal over ten years of earnings in Nepal. The practice has sparked mixed reactions, with some praising the effort and fair pay, while others question the impact on nature or why locals aren't hired.

Archive: https://archive.md/2Iudx

Summary:

• Historical Roots: Kumaon’s history is intertwined with Nepal’s far-western Doti kingdom, sharing dynastic rule (Katyuri and Doti) and cultural elements like Shaiva temples and folk ballads.

• Gorkha Rule: From 1791 to 1815, Gorkha Kingdom ruled Kumaon, introducing Nepali administrative systems, military presence, and migrant settlers, whose descendants remain in the region.

• Language and Literature: Kumaoni language shares many similarities with western Nepali dialects (Doti), including vocabulary and poetic traditions, reflecting continuous interaction.

• Festivals and Rituals: Shared festivals such as Gaura Parva, Harela, and Saton-Athon highlight cultural integration through common rituals and celebrations.

• Cuisine and Commerce: Nepali dishes like momos and thukpa are common in Kumaon. Trade fairs like Jauljibi symbolize ongoing cross-border commerce rooted in historical exchanges.

• Music, Dance, Dress: Traditional Kumaoni dances like Chholiya show Nepali influence; cultural attire such as the nathuli nose-ring reflects shared social customs.

• Migration and Demographics: Continuous migration across the Indo-Nepal border maintains demographic and cultural exchange, with Nepalis working in Kumaon’s plantations and army, and Kumaonis moving to Nepal’s Terai.

• Modern Cross-Border Relations: Agreements like the 1996 Mahakali Treaty ease movement and trade. Infrastructure projects improve connectivity. During COVID-19, Kumaoni NGOs helped Nepali neighbors, strengthening bonds.

• Enduring Factors: Open borders, historical administration, intermarriage, and economic ties foster ongoing cultural fusion.

Archive: https://archive.md/CPXF1