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China on Wednesday expressed regret and concern over Indian strikes on Pakistan, urging both sides to show restraint in response to a major escalation between its nuclear-armed neighbours, The Indian Express reported.

India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier on Wednesday, after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its arch-rival.

Pakistan said Indian strikes had killed at least eight people, and India said Pakistani artillery fire had killed three civilians along the de facto border in contested Kashmir, according to The Indian Express.

China, which shares land borders with both countries and is a close ally of Pakistan, said it expressed “regret over India’s military action this morning” and said it was “concerned about the current developments”.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 61.26 points to close at 2,672.70 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 11.02 points to close at 451. 28 points.

 A total of 27,245,459-unit shares of 308 companies were traded for Rs 10. 51 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Micro Insurance Company Limited (NMIC) and Crest Micro Life Insurance Limited (CREST), with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Nyadi Hydropower Limited (NYADI) was the top loser as its price fell by 4.43 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 44 trillion.

A bird census focusing on pheasant species, including the Himalayan monal (Danfe), has been conducted in the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) area within Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality of Kaski. 

The census was jointly organized by the Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal (BIOCOS Nepal) and the World Pheasant Association, in collaboration with the ACAP. It covered regions such as Pilicho, Pipar, Khumai, Korchon, Lubrachhu and Chichimle in the Machhapuchhre Himal area. Researchers recorded 146 Danfe (Himalayan monals, 148 Satyr tragopans (Munal), 170 Hill partridges (Pyura) and 19 Kolass pheasants (Fokras) during the census.

In total, over 200 bird species were identified, according to Paras Bikram Singh, Director of BIOCOS Nepal.

Nineteen researchers and assistants conducted the census in teams across various locations. Previous surveys, carried out intermittently since 1976, have documented 314 bird species in this region. Nepal is home to 899 bird species, representing about eight percent of the world’s total. Despite its small size, the country’s ecological diversity—from the Himalayas to the Tarai—makes it rich in global biodiversity. Annapurna Conservation Area alone is home to 518 bird species.

The Machhapuchhre area is one of the few places globally where six pheasant species coexist, making it an exceptional site for birdwatching. However, experts say tourism infrastructure in the area remains underdeveloped. The region is particularly known for the Pipar Sanctuary, which has drawn ornithologists and researchers—especially from Britain—long before the ACAP was established, said Laxman Paudel, Chairperson of BIOCOS Nepal.

Dr Hum Gurung, Senior Asia Partnership Manager at BirdLife International, said Nepal has the potential to become a top bird watching destination in the world. "Nepal has 42 important bird areas. The Annapurna Conservation Area is one of them," Dr Gurung said. "Bird tourism can generate significant economic benefits for the local people if birds are protected, rather than hunted."

Traps threaten birds

Poaching, however, has emerged as a significant threat to bird conservation in Annapurna Conservation Area.

During the recent census, researchers discovered traps set to kill pheasants. “We found birds dead in some traps, while others were rescued and released,” said researcher Pawan Rai.

To combat poaching, BIOCOS Nepal and ACAP have implemented a mobile app-based patrol system known as SMART. Likewise, cameras have been installed on different trails to strengthen surveillance. Plans are also underway to install real-time spy cameras in high-risk poaching zones, said Dr Rabin Kadariya, chief of ACAP. “This will help us identify poachers and bring them to book,” he said. “Local communities will continue to play a key role in anti-poaching patrols.”

Killing a Danfe, the national bird, carries a prison sentence of up to three years, while killing other birds can result in fines of up to Rs 30,000.

ACAP has strengthened conservation efforts in partnerships with Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, Great Machhapuchhre Trail Committee and other community groups to protect and increase the population of native pheasants, and help establish the Machhapuchhre region as a premier destination for bird tourism.

Note: The photo used in this news is taken by photographer Sherpa French Pemba in Dobate, Ilam. The photographer's name was mistakenly omitted in the previously published news, which has now been corrected.

The US Supreme Court has temporarily permitted President Donald Trump to impose a ban on transgender people serving in the military while legal challenges proceed, BBC reported.

Trump signed executive orders urging the Pentagon to enforce the policy, claiming that transgender identification conflicts with military discipline and readiness. A lower court ruled against the action citing a lack of evidence, but the administration requested the court to defer to military judgment.

The court issued a stay in a 5–4 ruling, with three liberal judges dissenting. Following the decision, the Pentagon announced that it will begin discharging transgender service members, according to BBC.

Trump also issued a supplementary order stating that the federal government will only recognize gender as male or female, based on the sex assigned at birth.