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Gen Z youths, who have been staging protest against corruption and social media ban, clashed with police personel at New Baneshwor.

Police opened tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

Police resorted to tear gas shells after the protesters pelted stones at police personnel and tried to break into the restricted area.

Currently, more than two dozen donor-funded projects are either running or in preparation across Pokhara. Most are in the stage of detailed project reports (DPRs) and feasibility studies, signaling new prospects for tourism, road access, building codes, and sanitation in the valley. According to Pokhara Metropolitan City, donor agencies have committed a total of Rs 39bn, which is five times higher than the city’s annual budget allocation.

Among the donors, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) leads in investment. It recently completed the Pokhara Drinking Water Purification Project at a cost of Rs 5.5bn and is finalizing agreements for the Wastewater Purification Project, valued at Rs 11bn. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is implementing the Sustainable Tourism Development Project (Rs 7.5bn) and an E-Mobility Project (Rs 5bn). The World Bank is supporting the Taalchok–Begnas, Sishuwa–Shishaghat, and Baghmara–Puditaar road construction projects (Rs 3.25bn). Meanwhile, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNDP are backing the Green Employment Generation Project, together contributing Rs 2.15bn.

“Most of these projects have already signed agreements and are in progress, while a few remain in the contract process,” said Moti Raj Timilsina, spokesperson of Pokhara Metropolitan City. He also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its support in completing the Pokhara International Airport and the Muglin–Pokhara Road Project.

Local development activists in Pokhara often emphasize that donors have consistently shaped the city’s growth. According to Ashok Palikhey, senior social and development activist and founding chair of the Pokhara City Development Committee, today’s development initiatives are built on the foundations laid by earlier donor contributions.

The story of donor-supported development in Pokhara began in the 1960s, when the Indian Cooperation Mission constructed the Check Dam in Fewa Lake, installing 18 gates of 20 square feet each to conserve the lake. India also contributed by building the Indian Soldiers’ Board, settling camps in Rambajar, and helping establish the Regional Health Science Academy. “Had the donors not extended their helping hand, we might never have realized the core value of Pokhara’s potential,” recalls Krishna Thapa, former mayor of Pokhara in the late 1990s.

Following India, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) played a pivotal role by setting up Akashbani (telecommunications) in Ranipouwa, the foundation of Pokhara’s modern telecom system. USAID also established Rastriya Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Purano Tundikhel, the first community school in Kaski, initiated forestry education by founding the Forestry Campus in Hariyokharka, and launched the Agricultural Training Center (Krishi Bagbani) in Malepatan.

In the early 1990s, a Chinese company built the Seti River Powerhouse and associated drainage systems. Around the same time, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) began supporting Pokhara, helping establish the Pokhara City Development Committee and other key infrastructures. The World Bank contributed by setting up the Engineering College in Lamachaur, while the United Mission to Nepal (UMN), a European consortium, founded Gandaki Boarding School, known for quality education.

Since the late 1990s, JICA has remained deeply engaged in Pokhara, supporting lake conservation projects and establishing a Fishery Research Center in Begnas.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has been granted Observer Status at the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG). It marks a significant milestone in BIMSTEC’s efforts to promote regional cooperation in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism.

The APG, established in 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand, is the largest Financial Action Task Force-Style Regional Body (FSRB).

With its Secretariat based in Sydney, Australia, the APG plays a crucial role in advancing Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Standards in the Asia-Pacific region. It also works closely with global institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, OECD, UNODC, INTERPOL, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and others.

The APG’s decision to grant BIMSTEC Observer Status reflects recognition of BIMSTEC’s sustained commitment to regional cooperation in anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism, reads a statement issued by BIMSTEC.

Since establishment of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC) in 2005, and its Sub-Group on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism, BIMSTEC has consistently advanced initiatives for information exchange, capacity building and development of joint strategies to address illicit financial flows among the member States.

Observer Status at the APG will enable BIMSTEC to engage with the relevant regional and global institutions, benefit from international best practices and contribute to shaping responses to emerging financial crimes. It will reinforce BIMSTEC’s collective commitment to peace, stability and sustainable economic development in the Bay of Bengal region.

The BIMSTEC Secretariat expresses its appreciation to the APG and its members for their decision to recognize BIMSTEC as an Observer and is looking forward to active engagement in advancing the shared objectives.

The Secretariat also thanked the BIMSTEC member States, particularly India, which leads regional cooperation in the security sector, for their support in this regard, according to the statement.

BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It pursues regional cooperation in 7 broad sectors: Agriculture & Food Security; Connectivity; Environment & Climate Change; People-to-People Contact; Science, Technology & Innovation; Security; and Trade, Investment & Development.

The cooperation also covers eight sub-sectors: Blue Economy, Mountain Economy, Energy, Disaster Management Fisheries & Livestock, Poverty Alleviation, Health, and Human Resource Development.

Three persons died of Japanese Encephalitis in Nawalparasi.

Acting Chief of the District Health Office Bheshraj Sharma said a 74-year-old man from Bardaghat Municipality-12; a 62-year-old man from Sarabal Rural Municipality-1 and a 50-year-old man of Pratappur Rural Municipality-1 died of Japanese Encephalitis in the course of treatment.  

Likewise, the district reported nine cases of dengue fever in this season. The officials have warned that the dengue cases could rise sharply in the district.

The three deaths were reported in the past one and a half months. All three men, who died of Japanese Encephalitis, had not received the vaccine against its infection.

Meanwhile, the local government and officials have worked to search and destroy mosquitoes in view of rising cases of these two diseases.  

Japanese Encephalitis is a transmissible disease caused by the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. This mosquito, medium-sized and brown with white markings on its abdomen, is active primarily after sunset and during the night. Its primary breeding grounds are stagnant water in paddy fields. The risk of infection is the highest during the monsoon season.

Symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, exhaustion, headache, fatigue, neck stiffness, and pain. In severe cases, it may lead to epilepsy, paralysis or loss of consciousness.