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Senior forestry officials from Indonesia, Viet Nam, and Nepal, private-sector partners and climate finance experts gathered in Seoul this week to chart the next steps for scaling up high-integrity forest carbon transactions across the Asia-Pacific. 

The roundtable meeting, held at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) as part of Global Green Growth Week, was co-organized by UN-REDD to help countries move from REDD+ readiness for results-based finance and Article 6 implementation under the Paris Agreement.

“Countries in the Asia Pacific are demonstrating that protecting forests and building credible carbon markets are two sides of the same coin,” said Gabriel Labbate, Head of UNEP’s Climate Mitigation Unit and Global Team Leader of UN-REDD. “They are moving from readiness to results - building systems that not only store carbon, but also sustain livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and build trust in the markets that finance them.”

Across Indonesia, Viet Nam and Nepal, more than 230 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) in potential mitigation results are being readied for verification or issuance - signaling a major pipeline of forest-based climate outcomes linked to community resilience and green investment.

On the occasion, discussion was focused on practical, country-led steps to accelerate verified issuance, clarify national positions ahead of COP 30, and explored how the proposed Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) -  an endowment-style, non-offset mechanism offering per-hectare payments for standing forests - could support and complement domestic efforts to attract long-term, high-integrity investment into forest landscapes.

Sudan's military chief has confirmed the army's withdrawal from its last western stronghold of el-Fasher after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) declared control of the city, BBC reported.

In a televised address, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said he had approved the withdrawal in response to the "systematic destruction and killing of civilians".

He said he had agreed with local leaders to "leave and go to a safe place to protect the remaining citizens and the rest of the city from destruction".

The UN has raised the alarm over reports of atrocities committed by the RSF in recent days, and has called for safe passage for trapped civilians, according to BBC.

Two people have been killed in an underground explosion at a mine in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), the first such incident of its kind since 2015, BBC reported.

Emergency services were called to the Endeavor mine at Cobar, about 700km (435 miles) northwest of Sydney, in the early hours of Tuesday after reports two people had been critically injured.

Police said a man, in his 60s, was confirmed dead at the scene and two women, both in their 20s, were brought to the surface, but one later died. The second woman was airlifted to hospital for minor injuries and shock, according to BBC.

A man accused of killing former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial, BBC reported.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, told a court in the capital Tokyo that "everything is true", according to local media. 

Yamagami used a homemade gun to shoot Abe during a political campaign event in the western city of Nara in 2022.

Abe - who was known for his hawkish foreign policy and a signature economic strategy that popularly came to be known as "Abenomics" - was struck several times, and died in hospital later the same day, sending shockwaves around the world, according to BBC.

The tiger census in Parsa, Chitwan, Banke, Bardiya, and Shuklaphanta National Parks is set to begin in mid-Poush (December–January).  

Similarly, the rhino census, which was postponed last fiscal year (2024–25) after donors withdrew their financial support at the last moment, will resume this year as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has allocated a budget, though not sufficient, for it.

The tiger census is conducted every four years in Nepal. According to the Department’s senior ecologist Haribhadra Acharya, the upcoming census will run for three months, starting in December–January.

Although the Department has planned to carry out the rhino census in March–April 2026, it is reconsidering the schedule as it coincides with the national elections announced for March 5, 2026.

The rhino census will be conducted in Chitwan, Parsa, Shuklaphanta, and Koshi Tappu National Parks. The Department has allocated Rs 1.8 million for the tiger census, though the total cost is expected to exceed Rs 15 million. 

Likewise, Rs 1.8 million has been allocated for the rhino census, which is estimated to cost over Rs 10 million. The remaining funds will be sought from donors, officials said.

In the previous tiger census conducted in 2022, Nepal recorded a total of 335 tigers: 128 in Chitwan, 125 in Bardiya, 25 in Banke, 41 in Parsa, and 36 in Shuklaphanta.

Mustang received this season's first snowfall.  

The District Administration Office stated that it started snowing from the morning at Korala checkpoint in Upper Mustang, Muktinath region and in Lomanthang Rural Municipality. 

Chief District Officer Bishnu Prasad Bhusal said rainfall accompanied by snowfall is taking place in Upper Mustang's Lomanthang-2 Chhosar, Korlanaka, and Muktinath areas, as well as in the highlands of Upper and Lower Mustang.  

Similarly, Rabin Subedi, an employee of the Muktinath Development Committee, said that it has snowed in the Muktinath area, adding continuous snowfall from early morning has caused problems for devotees visiting the temple.

According to Lopsang Chomphel Bista, Chairperson of Logheker Damodarkund Rural Municipality, snowfall is occurring in Logheker Damodarkunda and there has been partial snowfall near the settlement along with rain.

“This year it snowed in Kartik month. There was no snowfall here for the past two to three years. Snowfall is very beneficial for farmers as it significantly supports the crops they have sown,” said Chairman Bista.

Similarly, Ward Chairperson Pramesh Gurung said that heavy snowfall has occurred in high-altitude villages of Baragung, including Khinga, Jhong, Chhengur, and Phalyak. He mentioned that with the snowfall, the cold has increased significantly, affecting the daily life of the local people.

Meanwhile, the District Administration Office has requested people not to travel from Baragung Muktichhetra-4 Kagbeni to Muktinath.

It stated that there is a risk of road accidents due to heavy snowfall on that road, and pilgrims going to visit Muktinath Temple are being urged not to travel in such a situation.

He stated that due to thick snow accumulation on the roads at Kalobhir, Khinga, Jharkot and other places on the Kagbeni–Muktinath road section, travellers have been requested not to take vehicles.

Trek to Annapurna Base Camp halted

Likewise, a report from Myagdi stated that tourists visiting the tourism areas in Myagdi and Mustang have faced difficulties after the occurrence of snowfall accompanied by light rain.

Since last night, there has been light rain in the hilly areas of those districts and snowfall in the higher areas.

"There is snow accumulation on the roads and trails, making it impossible to operate vehicles or to walk. Tourists have not gone out of where they are staying due to the risk. We have also urged them not to go out," said Pramesh Gurung, the ward chairman.

Tej Gurung, a hotel entrepreneur at Humkhola, located at the entrance of the Maurice Herzog Trail leading to Annapurna Base Camp, stated that there has been no movement on the trail since early this morning. 

"While about 500 tourists used to come daily, only around 200 came on Monday," he said. "Due to rain and snowfall, today's trek has been postponed."

Lok Bahadur Pun, the ward chairman of Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, said that they managed and facilitated the travel of visitors until 12 midnight, stating tourists who reached Annapurna Base Camp via the Maurice Herzog Trail had been dropped off at Narchyang and Bhurung Tatopani. 

Dambar Bahadur Pun, a hotel owner in Ghodepani, informed that tourists had suspended their trekking due to bad weather and were waiting for favourable weather. 

The northern belt in Gorkha district has received snowfall.. 

Local residents have said that snowfall has been occurring in different places of Chumnumbri Rural Municipality. 

Normal life in the rural municipality has been  affected due to the snowfall, Pasang Funjo Lama of Chumnumbri Rural Municipality-7 said. 

"The area received light rainfall and snowfall last night. Snowfall is still taking place. The people are inside their houses. The yaks are also kept in the sheds," Lama added. 

The villages including Nile, Chhule, Pangdun, Lar, Phurpe, Lamagaun, Burji, Jong, Chhekam and others above an altitude of 3,000 meters are covered with snow.

Likewise, Samagaun, Syala and Lho villages in the rural municipality are blanketed with the snow.

Meanwhile, the tourists and trekkers in the Manaslu region have been affected after the snowfall. 

The tourists visiting Larke pass have stayed halfway after the snowfall in Manaslu region.

An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale struck Sankhuwasabha district on Tuesday.

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center, the epicenter of the earthquake that jolted the district at 7: 32 am today is Kimathanka. 

The District Administration Office, Sankhuwasabha, said that there are currently no reports of casualties or damage resulting from the earthquake.