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The Nepal Government has approved the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) on climate change impacts and adaptation and other related areas.  

Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri approved BTR on Thursday.

The Ministry of Forest and Environment stated that BTR will be announced in the Sagarmatha Sambaad taking place from today.  

Minister Shahi hoped that approval of BTR and announcement in Sagarmatha Sambaad would spread a positive message about Nepal's commitments to the climate change impacts.   

Parties to the Paris Agreement are required to submit BTR every two years. According to the modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) for the Enhanced Transparency Framework, BTR include information on national inventory reports (NIR), progress towards NDCs, policies and measures, climate change impacts and adaptation, levels of financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support, capacity-building needs and areas of improvement, according to the UN agencies. 

Likewise, the government has approved the third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC-3) climate action plan and decided to send its report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Similarly, the government has decided to approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Nepal and the Government of India on Biodiversity Conservation and to authorize the Ministry of Forests and Environment to sign the MoU by coordinating with the counterparts.

At least 15 persons  were injured after a commuter bus hit a road divider at Ratnanagar Municipality-10 in Chitwan district along the East-West Highway this morning.   

The bus (Province 1-02-001 9162) was heading towards Kathmandu from Lahan, Siraha when the incident occurred, said Rabindra Khanal, the Deputy Superintendent of Police of District Police Office, Chitwan. 

The bus was carrying 39 passengers. 

The injured passengers are receiving treatment in two hospitals in Chitwan.

In its bid to inform the world community about climate change and its impacts, and to explore measures for climate resilience, the government is organizing the Sagarmath Sambaad in Kathmandu.

Beginning today, the Sagarmatha Sambaad -- the first of its kind from the Government of Nepal -- will conclude on May 18. 

The theme of the Sagarmath Sambaad is "Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity". 

The program includes various sessions, seminars, and keynote speeches on topics such as climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister and Coordinator of Sambaad Management Committee Arzu Rana Deuba, a total of 175 foreign guests and almost equal number of Nepalis will join the event.

There will be the participation of high-level delegations from 12 countries. 

The dignitaries from China, India and some other countries have already arrived in Kathmandu and the participants from some other countries are arriving. 

The leaders of Indian and Chinese delegations are scheduled to address the event. 

Likewise, COP29 President and Special Representative the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Issues is also scheduled to address the event. 

Similarly, a video message addressed to the Sagarmatha Sambaad by UN Secretary General António Guterres will be presented today.  

There will be a series of plenary sessions after the inaugural session. 

The program includes various sessions, seminars, and keynote speeches on topics such as climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships.

The European Commission has charged TikTok with breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act by failing to provide sufficient transparency in its advertising practices. Regulators say the platform lacks a proper ad repository and does not disclose key details such as content, targeting, and sponsors, according to Reuters.

The violations could lead to a fine of up to 6 percent of parent company ByteDance’s global revenue.

TikTok disagreed with the findings, saying it supports the regulation’s goals but criticized the lack of clear public guidance.

The company can respond before the Commission issues a final decision, Reuters reported.