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The air quality in the Kathmandu Valley, which had deteriorated sharply last week, has improved. 

The pollution, which increased due to dry weather and forest fires, has gradually started to decrease with the rain.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), last week the air quality index rose to 247. 

As this level falls into the 'very unhealthy' category, experts had expressed concern that it could seriously affect the health of the general public.

According to AQI's data, last week Kathmandu was listed as the world's most polluted city, but today it is ranked 26th.

Today, pollution has decreased to an AQI of 79, which still falls into the 'unhealthy' category.

According to the AQI standards, a range of 0–50 is considered 'Good', 51–100 'Moderate', 101–150 'Unhealthy', 151–200 'Unhealthy for everyone', 201–300 'Very Unhealthy', and above 300 'Hazardous'.

Director General of the Department of Environment, Gyanendra Subedi, stated that air pollution has reduced recently due to sufficient rainfall and strong winds.

“When there is no rain for a long time, dust and smoke accumulates in the atmosphere, forest fires increase, and the smoke from them settles in the valley, resulting in high pollution. 

Moreover, polluted air coming from neighbouring India also affects the air quality in Kathmandu,” he added.

He stressed that the concerned authorities must effectively implement sustainable and environmentally friendly development measures to control pollution.

Adapted from a Novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is a science fiction film focused on survival, problem solving and human emotions. Written by the author of The Martian, the film follows his style of science and emotion driven narratives. The Martian, which was adapted into a film in 2016 starring Matt Damon, was nominated for 7 Oscars, setting a high standard for upcoming science fiction movies. Now, Project Hail Mary is on par with The Martian, if not surpassing it in certain aspects. 

It starts with the story of a man who wakes up in a space ship 11.9 light years away from earth with no memory of who he is and why he is there. The story progresses with him slowly remembering his memory over time, represented by shifting narrative between the past and present. The film is strong in its storytelling, direction, and setting, but there is one key decision in the plot that reduces its emotional impact.

The story is one of the best parts of the film. It feels fresh and interesting, even though it follows a basic idea of survival in space. The story slowly unfolds as we venture between the past and the present. Every new piece of information adds to the layer of world building. Ryan Gosling also gives a very convincing and layered performance as Ryland Grace. 

His way of delivering some of the lines is, in itself, one of the most uplifting aspects of the film. One of the mistakes actors get wrong all the time is using the same delivery of humour for all of the situations. However, Gosling avoids it. You feel the nervousness and uncertainty he carries as he jokes in space with Rocky, while you can feel the optimistic and purposeful feeling on Earth. The joke on Earth makes you laugh, whereas the joke in space makes you tear up. This was one of Ryan Gosling’s best movie performances.

The second half of the Project Hail Mary is just a cinematic highlight. The emotions and tension build over the course of 30 minutes, layering on top of each other. The intensity becomes so strong that you are completely still and can't help but be immersed in the movie. Every minute that goes by raises the stakes for the characters. But when it reaches the pinnacle, it fails to land swiftly.

This is where the film’s weakness appears. The shift back to the past, especially after major emotional buildup, reduced the overall impact. Instead of letting the audience fully feel the weight of the reveal, the film switches to the past. This broke the flow of emotion and diminished the moment. As a result, the emotional payoff does not feel as strong as expected.

In conclusion, Project Hail Mary is a great film with a strong story, great direction, and an impressive cast. The return to the past, at an important moment, reduced its full impact, but it is still an engaging, thoughtful, emotional and spectacular science fiction film that is worth watching. Dare I say: One of the best movies of 2026.

A total of 2, 634 tourists visited the Shuklaphanta National Park in the first six months of the current financial year. 

Among them, 1,629 were men and 1,005 were women, according to the park office.

Similarly, the number of domestic tourists visiting the national park is 2,278. In addition, 244 tourists from SAARC countries, including 49 women and 195 men, and 112 tourists from other countries, including 49 women and 63 men, visited the national park, said Purushottam Wagle, the National Park Information Officer.

During this period, the highest number of tourists visited the park in Chaitra (March 15- April 13), with 621 visitors. 

Similarly, 580 tourists visited the park in Kartik (October 17 – November 15), 293 in Mangsir (November 16 – December 15), 376 in Poush (December 16 – January 14), in Magh, 369, and 386 tourists visited the park in Falgun (February 13 – March 14). 

Information Officer Wagle stated that revenue of Rs 1. 46 million was collected from the visitors as entry fee.

This park, full of biodiversity, rare wildlife and a peaceful environment, is becoming a favourite among tourists. Although there was a slight decline in the number of foreign tourists visiting here after the COVID pandemic, that number has been increasing in recent years.

"This park, which has the largest grassland in Nepal, is home to leopards, deer, and rare wildlife, as well as various plant species. Both domestic and international tourists visit here for observation along with carrying out studies and research about the area with natural beauty and biodiversity," Wagle said.

According to the park's data, 3,762 people, including 132 foreign and 112 SAARC country tourists, visited the park in the fiscal year 2080/81.

In the fiscal year 2081/82, 3,322 people visited the park, including 199 tourists from SAARC countries and 152 foreign tourists from other countries.

Shuklaphanta National Park, spreading over an area of 305 square kilometres, is known for its rhinoceroses. The park has more than 2,323 swamp deer.

A woman and her 13-year-old daughter were injured in a wild elephant attack near Bahundangi Chowk in Mechinagar Municipality-4, Jhapa. 

According to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Jhapa, Khagendra Bahadur Khadka, Sunita Bajracharya (38) and her daughter Yabadra were injured in the incident. 

Both of them have sustained serious leg injuries, police said.