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With the monsoon long gone, rains are not even on the horizon even as dust and smoke continue to give every living entity a hard time, in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu valley and other urban centers of the country.  

At 4:01 pm on Thursday, Kathmandu stood 18th (not so proudly) on the air quality index with a score of 123 (an air monitoring website considers the AQI between 101-150 as unhealthy for sensitive groups) far behind Tashkent (218), Kolkata (230). Lahore (217), Delhi (192), Hanoi (182), Dhaka (181), Mumbai (178), Almaty (163), Wuhan (160), Krakow (154), Kabul (153), Doha (140), Sarajevo (140), Karachi (133), Shenzhen (127) and Guangzhou (127). 

Even a cursory look at air quality monitoring sites suggests that we survive somehow in a neighborhood where pollution has crossed limits. 

Major cities in our neighborhood experiencing "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" AQIs for days on end and posing serious health risks to residents, especially children and the elderly, should be a matter of serious concern for our government because we the inhabitants of this living planet breathe the same air and live under the same sky, and pollution anywhere affects us all everywhere.

An alarming situation like this calls for serious transboundary talks aimed at mitigating the debilitating impact, but the government appears to have other priorities, including the extension of South Asia’s first cross-border petroleum pipeline to Kathmandu via Chitwan and the construction of another such pipeline in eastern Nepal along with the construction of storage facilities. In a country where petroleum imports already account for a lion’s share of the trade deficit, the development and expansion of petroleum import infrastructure is sure to bleed the national economy further, apart from taking a heavier toll on public health due to increased emissions resulting from a surge in the consumption of dirty fuels.

In summary, a lush-green country (Nepal has increased its forest cover from 29 percent in 1994 to around 50 percent) taking pride in her nominal carbon footprint must go greener by taking measures such as reduced consumption of petroleum products, adoption of green technologies and engaging in climate diplomacy with neighbors and the rest of the world to curb pollution, air pollution in particular, that has been severely affecting everything and being—from the world’s tallest peak, the Sagarmatha, to flora and fauna to every ordinary Nepali with extraordinary potential. 

A man was found dead with a bicycle fallen in the Dhobi Khola in Kathmandu on Thursday.  

The deceased has been identified as Lalit Giri (50) of Mandandeupur Municipality-1 in Kavrepalanchok, according to Pawan Kumar Bhattarai, Superintendent of Police of the District Police Range, Kathmandu.

Giri was found dead with a bicycle in Dhobi Khola near Rudramati Bridge in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-29 this morning.

A police team has been mobilized to carry out the necessary investigation.

Black cardamom has emerged as Nepal’s second-largest export in the first four months of the current fiscal year 2025/26. According to the latest foreign trade data released by the Department of Customs, Nepal exported 1,823.90 tons of black cardamom worth Rs 3.97bn between mid-July and mid-November. 

In the same period of the previous fiscal year, total exports remained at 1,306.25 tons worth Rs 1.9bn. The spice was Nepal’s fourth-largest export in 2024/25 when shipments reached 4,301.04 tons valued at Rs 7.68bn.

Exports grew strongly in the first quarter alone. From mid-July to mid-October, Nepal exported 1,072.20 tons of black cardamom, up 36.8 percent from 783.75 tons a year earlier. Earnings during the period rose 33.3 percent to Rs 1.68bn, compared to Rs 1.26bn last year. 

Almost all of Nepal’s black cardamom goes to India. Exporters say the spice is processed, graded, packaged, and branded there before being re-exported to Pakistan, Gulf markets, and other destinations—often relabeled as “Made in India.” Once re-exported, black cardamom can sell for up to $28 per kilogram, far higher than what farmers received. Nepali farmers earn less than Rs 2,000 per kilogram from Indian buyers.

Nepal is the world’s largest producer of black cardamom, accounting for more than 55 percent of global production. Over 80 percent of the crop comes from five districts in eastern Nepal: Taplejung, Ilam, Sankhuwasabha, Panchthar, and Tehrathum.

However, since the country lacks basic processing and value-addition capacity, farmers are forced to export raw pods, losing out on the higher margins available through drying, grading, oil extraction, and branded retail products. Experts say processing and branding inside Nepal could raise earnings by 50 percent–100 percent.

The country exported 5,017 tons worth Rs 7.93bn in 2023/24, and hit an all-time earnings record of Rs 8.27bn in 2022/23. Revenue stood at Rs 4.77bn in 2021/22 and Rs 6.93bn in 2020/21. Annual earnings stayed above Rs 4bn from 2017/18 to 2019/20.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 800 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 253, 300 per tola today.  It was traded at Rs 254, 100 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 3, 625 per tola.

The Birgunj Customs Office has collected Rs 22.9 billion from the imports of five different kinds of petroleum products in the first four months of the current fiscal year and Rs 10.1 billion from the imports of vehicles and auto spares during the same period.

The Office also collected Rs 4.58 billion from the imports of iron and iron-made products, Rs 4.25 billion from garments and Rs 3.17 billion from the imports of machinery and their parts.

Likewise, Rs 3.07 billion revenue was collected from the imports of electric machinery, equipment and their parts during the review period.

The Office stated that goods worth Rs 284.89 billion were imported in the first four months of the current fiscal year and the Office collected Rs 75.59 billion in revenue during the review period of the current fiscal year.

Senior sports journalist Bishnu Thapa from Annapurna Post, sister publication of The Annapurna Express has been honored by Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters. The recognition was awarded on the recommendation of the Nepal Taekwondo Association for Thapa’s long-term contribution to the development and promotion of taekwondo in Nepal through journalism.

Thapa was felicitated by Deepraj Gurung, President of the Nepal Taekwondo Association, during the opening ceremony of the 13th Korean Ambassador Taekwondo Championship, which began on Monday.

Active in sports journalism for more than two decades, Thapa has reported on national and international sporting events, including major global tournaments. His book “Kheladi: Sangharsh Dekhi Safaltasamma” was recently published, featuring stories of the struggles and achievements of around five dozen athletes who have made significant marks in Nepali sports.

Nepali international taekwondo referee Dipendra Dhakal has been selected to serve as a referee at the 13th Korean Ambassador International Taekwondo Championship, which is being held in Lalitpur from Dec 1 to 6.

The event is being jointly organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal and the Nepal Taekwondo Association at the Taekwondo Academy building in Satdobato. The biennial championship, first held in 2003, has seen enthusiastic participation in all past editions and has been inaugurated or observed by high-level dignitaries, including the President of Nepal.

Teams from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan will join Nepal in this year’s edition following repeated requests from neighboring countries to participate. The tournament will feature 1,530 athletes competing in Gyrogi, Poomsae, and Para-Taekwondo categories across three arenas. The opening ceremony will include a taekwondo demonstration, cultural performances, and K-pop dance presentations.

Dhakal, who is affiliated with Tribhuvan Army Club, has been serving as a referee since 2014 and holds a fifth dan black belt. He is the first from the Nepali Army to become a WT international taekwondo referee and currently works as a taekwondo coach at the Army Club.

He has officiated in several major events, including the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan in 2019, and was named Best Referee at the Royal Spanish International Open Taekwondo Championship 2022. Dhakal has refereed in international tournaments across countries including Canada, China, Austria, Spain, Pakistan, Belgium, France, Germany, and Uzbekistan.

The 13th Korean Ambassador International Open Championships 2025 kicked off at the Nepal Taekwondo Association in Kathmandu on Monday.  

The event was jointly organized by the South Korean embassy in Nepal and Nepal Taekwondo Association.

In his opening remarks, Korean Ambassador to Nepal Ambassador Tae-young Park said that Taekwondo is the traditional martial art of Korea which has developed into a global sport, uniting individuals from different backgrounds through its core values of discipline, respect, and patience. 

He further committed to strengthening cooperation with Nepal particularly in the fields of sports and culture.

Praising the achievement of Nepal on Taekwondo in the world stage, Ambassador Park noted the success of Palesha Goverdhan, who made history by winning a bronze medal.

The victory was celebrated by both the countries as part of their shared sporting heritage.

This year’s championship has expanded into an international event with the participation of four neighboring countries. (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan).

Around 1,500 taekwondo athletes are competing for 103 gold medals in this year’s South Korean Ambassador open championships.

The event will conclude on December 5.