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The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has retained Nepal on its Jurisdiction under Increased Monitoring list, commonly known as the gray list, citing persistent strategic deficiencies in the country’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter ­terrorist financing (CFT) regime.

Issuing a statement after its plenary session last Friday, the global watchdog said while Nepal made a high-level commitment to strengthen its AML/CFT framework earlier this year, the progress has not been sufficient to warrant removal from the gray list. It said Nepal should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies.

After the plenary, the FATF has said that Nepal most improve its understanding of money-laundering and terrorist-financing risks remains limited; enhance supervision of higher-risk sectors such as banks, cooperatives, casinos, real-estate and dealers in precious metals and stones; and demonstrate the identification and sanctioning of materially significant illegal hundi providers without affecting financial inclusion.

Additionally, Nepal has been told to increase capacity and co-ordination of competent authorities to conduct money laundering investigations; demonstrate an increase in such investigations and prosecutions; demonstrating measures to identify, trace, restrain, seize, and, where applicable, confiscate proceeds and instrumentalities of crime in line with the risk profile; and address technical compliance deficiencies in its targeted financial sanctions regime for terrorism financing and proliferation financing.

Nepal had previously exited the gray list back in 2014 after a roadmap of reforms was implemented. Earlier in February, the government had signaled strong political commitment to bolster its AML/CFT systems. Despite some legislative progress, implementation has remained uneven and structural reform has lagged. In particular, Nepal's regulatory oversight of non-financial businesses, beneficial-ownership transparency and enforcement action remain deficient.

About three years ago, the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) conducted a Mutual Evaluation Report on Nepal’s system for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, and submitted its findings to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The APG’s annual plenary meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, from 9-14 July 2023, endorsed Nepal’s mutual evaluation report. Based on that assessment, the FATF in Oct 2023 placed Nepal under a one-year observation period. During the assessment, it  identified 40 areas for improvement.

Nepal was expected to implement the FATF’s recommendations and demonstrate progress sufficient to avoid being placed on the gray list during this period. However, the country failed to make significant improvements within the one-year timeframe, leading to its eventual placement on the gray list.

Although being on the FATF’s gray list does not automatically impose sanctions, it acts as a red flag to the international financial community. Banks, foreign investors and correspondent-banks tend to apply heightened due diligence when dealing with entities in gray-listed jurisdictions. 

Building trust through strong anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism frameworks will be critical for Nepal as it seeks to maintain international financial credibility and attract foreign capital.

More red pandas were found in the Jaljala, Muna and Mareni areas of Ward No 2 and 3 of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality.

For this, three 'cameras' were installed in the area, and two of them captured the images of red pandas.

"The cameras were set up after discovering red panda droppings during a month-long field study. Our study has confirmed that there are between 6 to 25 red pandas residing in that area," said Pawan Rai, Programme Officer at the Nepal Biodiversity Conservation Society.

A team of researchers along with local residents conducted an on-site study to determine the presence of red pandas in Khibang, Mudi, Archey, Dar, Takam, Bagar, Simkosh, Italy Base Camp, Mareni, Lulang, Gurjakhani, and Gurja Deurali areas of Dhaulagiri.

The locals had released photos and videos showing the red panda at Gurjaghat of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in Ashoj 2080 and at Bancharedanda area of Dahapatal Community Forest area of Muna in Mangsir 2081.

In 2073 BS, researchers from the Red Panda Network and the Himalayan Conservation Forum found red panda poo in Mareni, located in the Jaljala area. The study was conducted with the financial support from the World Wildlife Fund and the Hariyoban Program.

Researcher Larisa Gautam said that income and employment opportunities could be promoted in the community by bringing tourists to see red pandas in this area.

President Ram Chandra Paudel on Monday left for Doha, the capital of Qatar, to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development to be held from November 4 to 6.

The President is leading a 12-member Nepali delegation to the Summit at the invitation of the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

President Paudel was seen off at Tribhuvan International Airport by Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Sushila Karki and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal.

Special-class government officials, heads of security bodies, representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal, among others, were also present at the airport to see off the President.

A contingent of the Nepal Army presented a guard of honor to President Paudel on the occasion.

President Paudel is scheduled to address the Plenary Meetings and the High-Level Roundtable of the Summit on November 4.

The President is scheduled to hold meetings with the UN Secretary General and the Amir of Qatar, it is said. On the sidelines of the Summit, the President will also meet some world leaders attending the event.

It has been learnt that the Summit would make a shared commitment on cooperation and assistance for social development. 

The Summit is also expected to hold intensive discussions on development inequalities in the world, demographic imbalances and the impacts of technology on the society.

The First World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995. The current Second Summit is taking place after 30 years.

President Paudel is accompanied by his spouse Sabita Paudel, Kiran Kumar Pokhrel, the media expert to the President, the Secretary of the President's Office, and other senior officials of the Government of Nepal.

The President and the delegation will return to Kathmandu on November 6.

The popular Nepali song ‘Gojima Daam Chhaina’ from the film Chhakka Panja has achieved a remarkable milestone, crossing 100m views on YouTube. Released seven years ago through OSR Digital’s official channel, the song has now set a new record in Nepal’s digital music scene.

The song, composed by Rajan Raj Siwakoti, features vocals by Rajan Raj Siwakoti, Melina Rai, and Grishma Siwakoti, with lyrics penned by Harihar Timilsina. It was part of the film Chhakka Panja, produced by Madhav Wagle.

The music video stars the film’s lead actors Priyanka Karki, Sandeep Chhetri, Aayushman Deshraj Joshi, Paramita Rana, Rabindra Jha, and Sushma Pant. It was choreographed by Prabin Singh, shot by Niraj Kandel, edited by Dirgha Khadka, and directed by Dipendra K. Khanal.

With this achievement, ‘Gojima Daam Chhaina’ has etched a new chapter in the digital history of Nepali music, marking one of the rare Nepali songs to reach the 100m-view milestone on YouTube.

The United States and China have agreed to set up military-to-military channels to “deconflict and deescalate any problems” following the “historic” meeting between the countries’ leaders, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to the US defence secretary, Aljazeera reported.

In a statement on X on Saturday, Pete Hegseth said he and his Chinese counterpart, Minister of National Defence Dong Jun, made the decision following a phone call the night before.

There was no immediate comment from Beijing.

Hegseth said the pair, who also met in Malaysia following the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, “agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best part for our two great and strong countries,” according to Aljazeera.

Electric vehicle imports grew by a modest 4.05 percent over the first quarter of current fiscal year. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal imported 2,620 units of electric cars, jeeps and vans between mid-July and mid-October of the current fiscal year, up from 2,518 units in the same period of 2024/25.

Imports of electric three-wheelers also showed an interesting trend. Nepal imported 2,809 unassembled units and 2,032 assembled units from China during the review period of the current fiscal year, up from 2,635 assembled and 2,051 unassembled three-wheelers in the same period of the previous fiscal year. The increase in unassembled electric three-wheeler imports suggests that local assembly and customization are gaining momentum, potentially helping reduce costs and create domestic jobs.

The total value of these imports were Rs 6.76bn. Such imports in the same period of 2024/25 were worth Rs 6.57bn. Customs revenue from these imports grew to Rs 4.09bn in the review quarter of the current fiscal year from Rs 3.9bn in the same quarter of 2024/25.

In the first quarter of 2025/26, 751 EVs with a peak motor capacity below 50 kW were imported, along with 1,545 units between 51–100 kW, and 323 units in the 101–200 kW category. One vehicle with a motor capacity between 201–300 kW was also imported.

During the same period last year, Nepal had imported 772 units below 50 kW, 1,582 units between 51–100 kW, and only 159 units between 101–200 kW. Three vehicles in the 201–300 kW range and two above 300 kW were also imported in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Nepal levies taxes on electric vehicle (EV) imports based on their motor capacity, with higher-powered models facing steeper duties. Under the current tax structure, EVs with motor capacity of up to 50 kW are subject to a 15 percent customs duty and a 5 percent excise duty. Vehicles with motor capacity between 51 kW and 100 kW face a 20 percent customs duty and 15 percent excise duty, while those between 101 kW and 200 kW are taxed at 30 percent customs and 20 percent excise. For EVs with motor capacity ranging from 201 kW to 300 kW, the government levies 60 percent customs duty and 35 percent excise duty. 

EVs with peak motor capacity above 301 kW are subject to 80 percent customs duty and 50 percent excise duty, making high-performance models significantly more expensive to import. China continues to be Nepal’s dominant EV supplier, with popular passenger car brands such as BYD, MG, Deepal, Dongfeng, and Jaecoo/Omoda leading the market. From India, Tata Motors remains the largest exporter of EVs to Nepal, followed by Mahindra.

Nepal imported over 44,500 electric vehicles, including scooters, motorcycles, three-wheelers, cars, microbuses, and buses, worth nearly Rs 44bn in the previous fiscal year. The government collected Rs 22.76bn in revenue from these imports.

Two-way traffic has resumed along the Prithvi Highway, which was blocked due to a dry landslide yesterday.

The road was obstructed after a landslide at Chumkhola, Ichchhakamana-3, along the highway at around 9 pm on Sunday, the District Police Office Chitwan said.

The highway has been operational for two-way traffic since last night after the Department of Roads cleared the landslide debris, said Information Officer at the Office, Deputy Superintendent of Police Rabindra Khanal.

Over 128, 000 visited Nepal in October this year.

This month, being a tourist season as well, has seen a significant flow of tourists.

Statistics released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) shows that 29, 060 came from South Asia, 23, 127 from other Asian countries, 40, 500 from Europe, 6, 814 from Oceania, 16, 407 from America, 3, 548 from the Middle East, 443 from Africa and 8, 444 from other countries to Nepal.

The NTB stated that a total of 943, 716 tourists visited Nepal from last January to October. In October, 17, 298 tourists arrived in Nepal from India. Similarly, 13, 286 from the United States, 8, 718 from the United Kingdom, 6, 755 from China, 6, 366 from Germany, and 6, 177 from Australia visited Nepal.

Likewise, 5, 535 tourists from Sri Lanka, 5, 045 from France, 4, 641 from Bangladesh and 3, 038 from Myanmar had visited Nepal in October.