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Nepal has released its first-ever national estimate of the snow leopard population, placing the figure at 397 individuals with a mean density of 1.56 leopards per 100 square kilometers. The comprehensive assessment was led by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation (DoFSC), with collaboration from conservation institutions and researchers, including WWF Nepal.

“This national estimate is a historic step in Nepal’s conservation journey,” said Ram Chandra Kandel, director-general of DNPWC. “It not only provides a clearer picture of the snow leopard population but also strengthens our strategy for long-term conservation.”

The data, gathered between 2015 and 2024, utilized advanced techniques such as camera trapping and genetic analysis of scat samples. The assessment followed the PAWS (Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards) methodology developed under the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP).

Badri Raj Dhungana, director-general of DoFSC, emphasized that a significant portion of snow leopard habitat lies outside protected areas. “This highlights the need for stronger community-based conservation, improved habitat connectivity and mitigation of human-wildlife conflict,” he said.

Ghana Shyam Gurung, country representative of WWF Nepal, hailed the estimate as a critical milestone. “This baseline will guide future interventions and ensure resources are directed where they’re most needed,” he said, underlining the importance of local partnerships in the face of climate change and infrastructure expansion.

The study compiled data from seven key snow leopard regions, reflecting Nepal’s leadership in high-altitude biodiversity conservation. It also places the country alongside Mongolia, Bhutan and India, which have completed similar assessments in recent years. Despite being found across 12 countries in Asia, snow leopards remain one of the least-studied big cats. A 2021 WWF report found that only 23 percent of their global range has been systematically studied, with less than three percent yielding data on population abundance.

Step by mechanical step, dozens of humanoid robots took to the streets of Beijing early on Saturday, joining thousands of their flesh-and-blood counterparts in a world-first half marathon showcasing China's drive to lead the global race in cutting-edge technology, AFP reported.

The 21-kilometre (13-mile) event held in the Chinese capital's E-Town -- a state-backed high-tech manufacturing hub -- was billed as a groundbreaking effort to test the limits of bipedal robots in real-world conditions.

At the crack of the starter's gun, the robots began taking their first tentative steps as the Chinese pop song "I Believe" blared out from loudspeakers.

Curious human runners lined the roadside, phones in hand ready to photograph each machine as it began the race, according to AFP .

South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo said on Monday that upcoming trade talks with the United States are expected to be the start of meaningful cooperation, though the negotiations may prove difficult.

As stated by Reuters, South Korean Finance and Industry Ministers are scheduled to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on April 24.

Han emphasized that the government would make an “all-out effort” to secure a mutually beneficial agreement, stressing the importance of calmly and seriously consulting with the U.S. while prioritizing national interests, Reuters reported.

The meeting comes at a critical time for Seoul as it seeks to strengthen economic ties with Washington while safeguarding its own industries amid growing global trade tensions.

Cake, gifts and a low-key family celebration may be how many senior citizens picture their 70th birthday.

But NASA's oldest serving astronaut Don Pettit became a septuagenarian while hurtling towards the Earth in a spacecraft to wrap up a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), AFP reported.

A Soyuz capsule carrying the American and two Russian cosmonauts landed in Kazakhstan on Sunday, the day of Pettit's milestone birthday.

Spending 220 days in space, Pettit and his crewmates Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner orbited the Earth 3,520 times and completed a journey of 93.3 million miles over the course of their mission, accordign to AFP.

It was the fourth spaceflight for Pettit, who has logged more than 18 months in orbit throughout his 29-year career.

Prof Dr Sanjib Kumar Sharma has been appointed as the officiating Vice Chancellor of the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS).

As per the decision of the Prime Minister and the BPKIHS Vice Chancellor, Sharma has been given the responsibility of carrying out the day-to-day administrative, educational and financial works of the Institute.

BPKIHS spokesperson Prof Dr Anju Pradhan said that the responsibility of officiating Vice Chancellor has been given to Prof Sharma till the new Vice Chancellor is recommended and appointed.

Sharma had served as the officiating Vice Chancellor earlier also.

Dr Gyanendra Giri's tenure as Vice Chancellor had ended on April 8.

A few days ago, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) had announced plans to breach the restricted zone near the federal parliament, calling for a protest on Sunday to demand the reinstatement of the monarchy and the release of its detained leaders.

However, the protest failed to gather significant mass support. While the turnout on the streets was minimal, RPP lawmakers managed to stage a symbolic protest inside Singhadurbar, the federal government’s administrative complex. After a meeting at the party’s Parliamentary Party Office, they displayed handwritten pamphlets bearing various slogans.

Police detained RPP Chairperson Rajendra Lingden, Vice-chairperson Buddhiman Tamang, and Chief Whip Gyanendra Shahi from inside Singhadurbar. All three were released later in the evening.

Anticipating unrest following the party’s announcement to enter restricted areas, authorities had tightened security in Kathmandu. A large number of security personnel were deployed around designated restricted zones, including the area surrounding New Baneshwar.

Traffic in Kathmandu was severely disrupted after police barred vehicle movement in and around New Baneshwar. However, once the protest failed to gain traction, normal traffic resumed. The ongoing teachers’ protest, now in its second week, further exacerbated the traffic chaos.

Last week, during an executive committee meeting, Party Chair Lingden accused the government of curbing citizens’ fundamental rights by arbitrarily declaring areas as off-limits. “We are being pushed into a corner. That’s why we’ve decided to protest in restricted zones,” he said.

The RPP has also vowed to launch both legal and political campaigns demanding the unconditional release of party leaders Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shumsher Rana, who were arrested for allegedly inciting deadly violence on March 28. That incident claimed two lives and left over 100 injured, as arson and vandalism broke out in different parts of the capital.

In response to RPP’s threat to breach restricted areas, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a stern warning on Saturday night. “Legal action will be taken against anyone violating the law or inciting public disorder,” the ministry stated, adding that any activity promoting anarchy or undermining the constitution would not be tolerated. The ministry also urged the public to refrain from any “anarchic, provocative or illegal acts” that could lead to violence.

The government has declared the area surrounding the federal parliament in New Baneshwar—and several other locations across Kathmandu—as restricted zones.

Earlier, on April 8, RPP staged a protest assembly in Balkhu, a site designated by the government, reiterating its demand for a constitutional monarchy and the declaration of Nepal as a Hindu state.

The Nepal Teachers' Federation continued its protest in Kathmandu on Monday also demanding immediate enactment of the School Education Bill.

The teachers under the leadership of the Federation staged a demonstration in the Maitighar-Baneshwor area demanding the endorsement of the School Education Bill pronto.

As a result, traffic went haywire in various places of Kathmandu including Baneshwor, Thapagaun and Anamnagar, causing inconveniences to school, college students and office workers who commute daily.

The teachers said that they would continue the protests until their demands are met.  

Due to the teachers’ protest, teaching and learning activities across the country have been affected.

They have been staging protests in Kathmandu for the past 20 days.

Israeli forces kill 31 people in Gaza and two others in Lebanon, as US forces bomb a popular market in Yemen, killing at least 12 people.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) rejects the findings of an Israeli military investigation into the deaths of 15 emergency workers last month, calling for an independent UN inquiry, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 51,201 Palestinians and injured 116,869 others since it began 18 months ago.

The Gaza Government Media Office raised the death toll to nearly 61,700, stating thousands of individuals missing under the rubble are assumed dead. At least 1,139 individuals were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led strikes on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.