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The tourism industry is struggling to reach the pre-covid numbers, with tourist arrivals via air dropping by 2.01 percent in the first quarter of 2025. 

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 298,558 international visitors arrived between January and March 2025, down from 304,693 in the same period of 2024. The decline, particularly pronounced in March, has been attributed to multiple factors, including a nighttime shutdown of Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s primary gateway, from November to March. The airport’s reduced operations to facilitate runway upgrades limited flight schedules during peak travel months, resulting in shortage of flights, lengthy transits and exorbitant ticket prices. Industry people say this forced tourists to divert to other destinations. 

While January 2025 showed a slight improvement in arrivals compared to January 2024, the momentum faltered in February and March. The most significant decline occurred in March when international arrivals fell to 121,687—a 5.05 percent drop from the 128,167 recorded in March 2024. This figure also fell short of the pre-pandemic benchmark of 127,351 visitors in March 2019.

March marks the beginning of the spring tourism season which is considered the best for trekking and mountaineering. The spring season sees a lion’s share of mountaineering expeditions coming to Nepal. Most of the expeditions on Mt Everest, the tallest peak on earth, are organized in this season.

According to tourism entrepreneurs, tourist numbers will continue to increase till May which marks the end of the climbing season and the beginning of monsoon rains. While tourist numbers dip during the three months of June, July, and August, it starts picking up once the autumn season begins in September. The autumn season continues through December. 

Tourist arrival figures released by NTB show March witnessed declines across most regions compared to the previous year. While arrivals from China fell by 5.4 percent, the number of visitors from South Asian (SAARC) countries fell by 13.4 percent and those from Europe decreased by 10.5 percent. India remained the top source country in the review month with 21,412 visitors, followed by China (11,443) and the United States (11,092). Other notable contributors included Sri Lanka (8,886), the United Kingdom (5,995), Thailand (4,986), Germany (4,709), Australia (4,228), Myanmar (3,754) and Bangladesh (3,576).

In terms of region, SAARC countries accounted for 35,287 tourists (29 percent), followed by Asian nations (except SAARC nations) 31,353 (25.8 percent), Europe 25,742 visitors (21.2 percent), the Americas 13,907 (11.4 percent), Oceania 4,643 (3.8 percent) and the Middle East 2,732 (2.2 percent).

The Ministry of Health and Population has urged all to adopt precautions in view of rising air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley.

Issuing a press release today, the Ministry requested everyone to take precautions as Nepal has been ranked in the list of most polluted countries in the world for the past few days as per the Air Quality Index.

An AQI level of 0-50 is considered 'good', from 51-100 'moderate', from 101-150 'unhealthy for sensitive group', from 151-200 to be 'unhealthy', from 201-300 'very unhealthy' and above 301 to be 'hazardous'.

According to the Ministry, AQI level in Kathmandu is now recorded at 348 and enlisted in the 'hazardous' category.

Ministry Spokesperson Dr Prakash Budhathoki suggested children, elderly persons, pregnant women and people with respiratory illness to adopt special precautions as they are considered more vulnerable to the impact of air pollution.

The Ministry also urged general people not to step out of house except for essential work, to wear a compulsory mask while travelling and not to visit most polluted areas.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has asked one and all to take initiatives from their areas to control air pollution and stay vigilant about health.

Air pollution level is increasing due to forest fire, road construction and industrial activities, added the Authority.

Similarly, industries, factories and bodies operating construction related activities have been urged to take necessary precautions in order to reduce air pollution.

The Authority through the government directed the bodies concerned to measure air pollution and adopt immediate measures to improve air quality.  

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City employees have staged a protest on Thursday.

They staged the protest demanding that KMC Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragain be allowed to enter the office.

A large number of city police has been deployed to stop Chief Administrative Guragain from entering the office.

Guragain is under suspension. The metropolis relieved Guragain of his duty after he was found proceeding with the process of approving the map of Kathmandu Tower in the Old Bus Park in an illegal way.

The metropolis has been demanding the federal government to appoint a new chief administrative officer after Guragain was removed from his position.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has been writing statuses on social media demanding that a new chief administrative officer be appointed at the earliest.

The agitated employees have warned that the metropolis will not function just by the statuses of Mayor Shah.

Metropolis employee Nara Bahadur Saud accused Mayor Shah of writing on social media instead of taking initiatives to resolve the problems of employees.

The employees have claimed that the ward chairpersons, members and Deputy Mayor are on their side.

They said that the salaries will be released if the chief administrative officer is allowed to enter the office today itself.

The employees are of the opinion that they are compelled to stage the protest after not receiving the salaries for a long time.

The work at the metropolis has come to a standstill after the suspension of the chief administrative officer.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has stressed the need for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to uphold the spirit of regional unity and collective cooperation.

Addressing the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting held today as part of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, she called for unity and collective cooperation to strengthen BIMSTEC as a platform that represents the shared aspirations of the citizens of the Bay of Bengal region.

"BIMSTEC symbolizes a dazzling rainbow representing two dynamic regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia- each of its seven colors illuminating rich civilizations, cultures, histories, and ecological diversity. It should make efforts to unlock the potential for economic prosperity of the citizens of this region,” the Minister said.

Minister Rana reiterated Nepal's commitment to regionalism and multilateralism in a peaceful, equitable, and inclusive manner under the leadership of the United Nations. "We are actively engaged in all regional and global forums to strengthen peace, security, and sustainable development. We are also proud to be the largest peacekeeping troop contributor to the United Nations."

She also reaffirmed Nepal's commitment to the charter, principles and objectives of BIMSTEC since becoming a member in 2004. Highlighting challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, environmental degradation and the devastating effects of pollution, she urged immediate efforts for infrastructure enhancement, disaster early warning systems implementation and involvement of local communities in environmental protection.

She welcomed India’s proposal to initiate establishing BIMSTEC Center of Excellence in Disaster Management, expressing confidence that it would complement regional efforts in controlling and combating natural disasters while leveraging AI to address all these challenges.

Minister Rana further highlighted BIMSTEC's leading role in promoting regional peace, unity and environmental sustainability in the Bay of Bengal region and beyond. Calling for transformation into a strong partnership platform and a strong regional organization, she underscored the need for cooperation, regional unity and political will to align BIMSTEC with current global trends. 

Similarly, she suggested many key initiatives, like expediting the establishment of BIMSTEC Free Trade Area, implementing EPG Report and projects identified in BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity, advancing BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection, and fully operationalizing regional centers and entities.  

Additionally, she called for focusing on leveraging synergies and complementarities among Member States through collaborative strategies for resource utilization, workforce mobilization, policy alignment, trade and transit facilitation, energy cooperation, investment promotion, technology transfer, regional infrastructure development and integrated Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for e-governance services.

She also suggested cooperation between educational institutions in the region, public awareness and treatment of maternal and child, and mental health issues, and capacity building to combat diseases caused by climate-related complications.

Prioritizing gender equality and women's empowerment, she urged member states to share successful strategies for mainstreaming women in governance, development and conflict management to address historical injustice and deliver on promises of a better world. Dr Rana called for collaboration among development partners, and regional and international organizations to promote culture and tourism, alleviate poverty, and seek solutions to climate-related complications through people-to-people ties.

The meeting was attended by foreign ministers of BIMSTEC member states.

The price of gold has continued to rise, reaching an all-time high in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 180, 300 per tola. It was traded at Rs 179, 100 per tola on Wednesday.

The price of silver, however, has been dropped by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 1995. It was traded at Rs 2, 020 per tola yesterday.

Israeli attacks have reportedly claimed the lives of several more individuals on Gaza overnight after medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 77 Palestinians had died in strikes since dawn on Wednesday.

At least 22 people, including women and children, were murdered in a missile strike on a UNRWA medical center in the Jabalia refugee camp, which Israel has been chastised for, according to Al Jazeera.

Two rockets have been fired from Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims his forces are "seizing territory" to dismantle the Gaza Strip.

As stated by Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel's war on Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 50,423 Palestinians and injured 114,638 others. The Government Media Office increased the death toll to more than 61,700, stating that thousands of individuals missing under the debris are assumed dead, Al Jazeera reported.

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.

Val Kilmer, the Hollywood star whose credits included The Doors, Batman Forever, and Top Gun, has died. He was 65.

Mercedes Kilmer, the actor's daughter informed that he died of pneumonia, BBC reported.

Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles, and went on to study at the famous Juilliard School in New York, where he became the youngest actor ever enrolled at the age of 17.

Kilmer starred in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s and 90s, including Top Gun and Batman Forever. He also appeared in 1991's The Doors - playing the legendary band's frontman Jim Morrison - plus the Western Tombstone and crime drama Heat.

Kilmer was known to be tough at times, while he claimed he was demanding. He took a break from acting and was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, from which his daughter claims he recovered. His illness was clearly visible in the well-received 2021 documentary Val, narrated by his son Jack.

Kilmer reprised his role as Admiral Kazansky with Cruise in the 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick, marking a tragic end to his playing career.

Nepal and Thailand have today witnessed the signing of various six Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs): two from the government level and remaining six from the non-government side during Prime Minister Oli's ongoing official visit to Thailand.

Before the signing of the documents, Prime Minister Oli and Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, held a bilateral meeting

On the occasion, the two exchanged views focusing on political and bilateral relations, trade and economic cooperation, and the cooperation in aviation, tourism, cultural and development sectors.  They also addressed issues of regional and multisectoral concerns.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and Thailand's Minister for Culture, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, signed the MoU to promote cooperation in the cultural sector. Similarly, the Foreign Minister and Thai Minister for Tourism and Sports, Sorawong Thienthong, signed the MoU on tourism cooperation.

Other MoUs were signed between Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh and Mahidol University in Thailand, Janata Agro and Forestry Nepal (JFL) and Kasetsart University in Thailand, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Board of Trade of Thailand, and Kathmandu University and Siam University in Thailand. These understandings aim to enhance bilateral cooperation in their respective fields.

The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the Federation of Thai Industries, as well as the Nepal Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism Council of Thailand, are the remaining non-government parties to sign MoUs.