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Colombia's military says 57 soldiers have been kidnapped by civilians in the country's south-western Micay Canyon area, BBC reported.

It says 31 soldiers were seized on Saturday while the rest were abducted on Sunday by a group of more than 200 people. 

The military says the civilians are acting under pressure from dissidents of the Farc rebel group which agreed a peace deal with the government in 2016.

The mountainous region is a key zone for cocaine production and remains one of the most tense in the country's ongoing conflict with rebel groups, according to BBC.

The alternative route in Dumkibas area of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East) along the Butwal-Narayangadh road stretch has also been completely obstructed. 

With the rain-triggered flood sweeping away the bridge in Binayi Triveni Municipality-1 Dumkibas, road transportation was managed through a diversion. 

After the diversion was also taken away, traffic had to be routed through an alternative road, which has now been completely blocked since this morning. 

Due to the flood-fed Kharange stream in Binayi Triveni-3, the alternative route has been completely obstructed, informed Superintendent of Police at Nawalpur Police, Yadav Dhakal. 

With this, vehicles are not in a position to move along the Dumkibas section. Continuous rain has led to an increase in the water current, which washed away the temporary diversion placed over the Binayi River along the East-West Highway. 

It may be noted that small and medium vehicles (up to 12 wheels) that were put on hold were being allowed to pass through the alternative inner route using the Hongsigate, Sardi, and Jyamire highways. 

SP Dhakal stated that all transportation has been brought to a complete halt. Due to the flow of water in the rivers and streams with rain and the lack of reliable arrangements for the temporary diversion, travelers are facing difficulties. 

Long years have gone in the academic history of Nepal since schools were established. However, neither the government and school authorities nor the guardians have kept keen eyes on formulating and regulating environmental safety of schools located along roadsides, where children are exposed to smoke, dust, and noise pollution.

Hundreds of schools in the Kathmandu Valley and across the country operate without regard for the severe health risks posed by environmental hazards. Many are situated near busy roads, subjecting thousands of students to harmful pollution. “Everything has gone unnoticed without considering the risks of the environment issues,” said the general public.

There are some 2,000 schools with about 1.5m children in the Kathmandu Valley. There are about 35,000 schools including 7,000 private schools across the country, where around 7m children study in the country, according to the government reports.

Existing laws vaguely address general concerns like maintaining greenery and prohibiting tobacco and alcohol sales near schools. However, these regulations remain largely unimplemented, rendering them ineffective.

“We don’t have specific laws and rules about schools and their location regarding environmental issues of smoke, dust and noise pollution,” said Suprabhat Bhandary, president of the Guardians’ Association Nepal. “General laws regarding environmental issues for schools do not address the problem properly. Schools alongside the highways either should be relocated, shifted to safer places or merged to another one.”

Numerous institutions, including Ratna Rajya Secondary School (Baneshwor), Padmodaya Public School (Putalisadak), and Durbar High School (Durbarmarg), are located in high-pollution zones with heavy vehicle emissions. Many more schools across the country face similar risks.

Students in these areas are constantly exposed to toxic air, noise, and dust. Even young children inhale hazardous pollutants daily—a problem prevalent along highways nationwide. International standards suggest that noise and air pollution severely affect areas up to 500 meters from major roads, yet schools continue to operate in these zones.

“Classrooms near busy roads are contaminated with vehicle smoke, dust, and noise,” said Suprabhat Bhandary, representative from the guardians’ associations.

Since the 1990s, private schools have proliferated, often operating in cramped rented buildings without green spaces—even along heavily polluted roads. A report indicates that most schools in Kathmandu are roadside, disregarding the health impacts on children. The government remains indifferent, failing to enforce laws ensuring a safe learning environment. While private schools prioritize enrollment, public schools largely ignore environmental concerns.

Waste management is another pressing issue. “Neither families nor schools teach children proper environmental responsibility, leading to indiscriminate waste disposal,” Bhandari noted.

Many school administrators are either unwilling to discuss environmental regulations or unaware of them altogether. Yet, they acknowledge that students frequently suffer from respiratory issues, throat pain, coughing, and conjunctivitis. Teachers, too, face similar health problems.

“The government must enforce anti-pollution measures, and private schools must comply,” Bhandari stressed. “Authorities must be held accountable for protecting the younger generation.”

Doctors warn that pollution’s effects on children can be severe, impacting respiratory health, skin, concentration, and even causing long-term cardiovascular and neurological damage. The World Bank estimates 26,000 annual premature deaths in Nepal due to air pollution, with other reports citing over 42,000.

Despite these dangers, no detailed study has assessed pollution’s impact on Nepali schoolchildren. Researchers must investigate its effects on both children and adults to gauge the true scale of harm.

The atmospheric air in the Kathmandu Valley and major cities of the country consists of contaminations with toxins such as carbons, nitrate, sulphate, ammonia, carbon mono-oxide, lead and carbon particles. Health experts warn these particles contribute to 72 percent of cardiovascular disease risk, 14 percent to lung damage and 14 percent to cancer risks issues.

According to the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), air pollution levels in major and busy intersections stanare eight times higher than the national standard, which is already double the international limit.  

Yet, no responsible ministry—Forest and Environment, Education, or Health—has taken meaningful action to address these threats or safeguard public health.

The Chitwan National Park (CNP) has installed 'spy cameras' for checking possible poaching of wildlife.

The surveillance cameras have been sporadically placed in the security sensitive areas of the national park.

Information Officer at CNP, Abinas Thapa Magar shared that the cameras have been put up in different areas as it is tough to keep security physically present in every area of the park.

Surveillance has been carried out through spy cameras considering potential poaching points, it is informed.

Elephants are increasingly being used for patrolling in and around the national park areas.

A total of 30 spy cameras have been secretly installed in sensitive areas of the park.

The cameras will take snapshots of people's mobility in the areas. The poaching prone zones also have witnessed intensified patrolling by the Nepal Army.

A contingent comprising 90 Army men from various battalions has been mobilized here to assist the regular team taking into consideration the security situation.

He said the contingent has been deployed in areas that are not accessible to park staff and regular security teams.

The contingent that will remain here for three months is extending support for wildlife conservation efforts as well, the Information Officer noted.

There is an increased risk of wildlife poaching when the local people living around the park are engaged in agricultural activities during the monsoon season.

As the campaign for poaching control is less effective during the monsoon, it increases challenges to the security and conservation efforts at CNP.