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Pope Francis has died at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican announced on Monday. His death marks the end of a papacy defined by humility, reform, and a strong focus on compassion and inclusion within the Catholic Church, BBC reported.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell described him as a man who dedicated his entire life to the service of God and the Church. World leaders have paid tribute to the late pontiff. French President Emmanuel Macron called him “a man of humility,” while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte praised him as a role model for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, according to BBC.

Remarkably, Pope Francis made a final public appearance just a day before his death, addressing thousands in St. Peter’s Square with an Easter greeting. Elected in 2013, he was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office.

Construction on the western section of the Madan Bhandari Highway in Surkhet has been stalled due to recurring disputes, even as work progresses steadily on the eastern stretch. The highway, a national pride project aimed at connecting eastern and western Nepal, has seen several setbacks in Surkhet’s western region, particularly in the Gutu-Balde section.

Most recently, local obstruction has halted work in Bijaura. According to the Madan Bhandari Highway Project Office, Surkhet, the project has been unable to move forward in the area due to disputes from locals regarding the road alignment. The conflict covers a 1,500-meter stretch from Hospital Chowk in Bijaura to Dungkhola via Bijaura Bazaar.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) outlines the alignment passing through Bijaura Bazaar to connect Hospital Chowk with Dungkhola. While no objections were raised during the DPR preparation, locals have since blocked construction, claiming that the road would cut through private land and disrupt the local market area.

One of the objectors is Top Bahadur BC, Ward Chairperson of Chaukune Rural Municipality-4, who says, “If the road follows the DPR alignment, I too will be displaced. My land—around eight ropanis—will be affected. Instead of displacing people, the highway should be rerouted.”

Despite local concerns, the Highway Project Office insists that the road must follow the shortest route as per the original DPR. Locals claim that around two dozen homes would be affected if the road is built along the planned alignment. They demand that the highway be diverted by an additional two kilometers to avoid displacing residents.

Although all-party discussions have been held to resolve the issue, no consensus has been reached. Engineer Resham Wali from the project office said, “We cannot deviate from the DPR alignment. Due to local obstruction, we’ve set aside the Bijaura stretch and are focusing on blacktopping the remaining sections.”

According to Wali, out of the 22-kilometer stretch between Dungkhola and Balde, including Bijaura Danda to Bidyapur Danda, 17 kilometers are currently being blacktopped and are expected to be completed by July.

The Madan Bhandari Highway spans 85 kilometers in the Surkhet section, linking Baddichaur in the west to Lagam. The western section has faced delays since its inception due to multiple disputes.

Earlier, during the DPR phase, locals in Barahatal and Panchpuri obstructed survey work. In areas such as Baddichaur (Barahatal) and Baraiche and Dulalthai (Panchpuri), residents opposed the alignment, citing concerns about which sides of the highway would receive development benefits. Although this issue was eventually resolved, another dispute emerged over tree removal between Baddichaur and Khambagade. Work in this area was stalled for a long time due to a lack of permission to cut trees. The provincial government has now taken over upgrading work in that section.

Eastern section nears completion

Meanwhile, the eastern section of the highway in Surkhet is nearing completion. Of the 35-kilometer stretch from Bhedabari to Dhuliyabit, 29 kilometers have already been blacktopped. Work is ongoing on the remaining six kilometers, and the Highway Project Office reports that 90 percent of the work is complete. “Only six kilometers are left to be blacktopped, and that too will be completed soon,” said engineer Wali. “Most of the bridges in this section have also been completed, with only one left to be sloped.”

US Vice President JD Vance has arrived in India's capital, where he is scheduled to meet with PM Narendra Modi amid global trade concerns fueled by Washington's tariff policies.

The discussions are likely to focus on expediting a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement between the two countries, according to BBC.

Vance is also anticipated to join his family on a sightseeing tour to Agra and Jaipur.

His visit comes as countries across the world scramble to reach a trade agreement before US President Donald Trump's 90-day delay on reciprocal tariffs expires on July 9.

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.