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The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women is taking place in Kathmandu from May 26 to 29.

This conference is one of the first major global events under the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, said the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the main organizer of the Gathering.

The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women (Mera +16) will bring together pastoralist and ranching women from 40 countries around the world to celebrate and support their initiatives, strengthen solidarity and networks across regions, identify shared priorities, and amplify pastoralist women’s voices in international discussions about rangelands and pastoralism. 

The Gathering aims to ensure pastoralist women’s voices and perspectives are included in all decisions that affect them, from the local to the global.

The event will celebrate pastoralist women, their contributions to pastoralism, and their knowledge, skills and cultures.

Camera trappings have been installed at various places of Jaljala and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in Dhaulgiri Rural Municipality in order to ascertain the condition of the endangered red panda.

The Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal set up the devices with the assistance of a donor agency. 

The devices are set up at Jaljala, Muna, Mareni and Dhorpatan of ward no 2 and 3 in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality. 

The camera trapping method is adopted to know about red panda's behaviour and habitat.     

Society Chairman Paban Rai said that the trapping devices were installed at a dozen of places where the red panda passed by and on the spots where their droppings were found. 

The camera trappings are automated devices recording mobility and behaviour of the species facing extinction. "It helps ascertain the number of red tree-living animals," he said, adding that even the study of parasites afflicting the animals was underway.

A technical team has been mobilized to collect and examine red panda's scat, which would help know about the health condition of the endangered wildlife and forward conservation activities accordingly. 

The red panda is a wild animal found in the hilly forests of 2,200 to 4,500 metre altitude.

In the last record, 6 to 25 red pandas were found in the Jaljala area, according to officer Rai. 

Red pandas rest on trees at night and eat bamboo shoots during the day. 

The National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act, 2029 has listed this mammal as a protected wildlife. 

Anyone found poaching this mammal faces jail terms of 1 to 10 years and fine ranging from Rs 100,000 to Rs 500,000 or both as per existing law. 

The latest study has estimated the number of red pandas from 500 to 1,000 in Nepal. In addition to Nepal, the tree-living animal is found in China, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. 

Nepal's red panda is of Ailurus fulgens species. 

The District Police Office, Banke registered 205 cases of crime in the last month, Baisakh (April 14 to May 14).  

The District Police Office made a progress report public on Monday. 

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Dipak Patali said that among the cases the police received, 10 were of heinous crimes, 61 of serious crimes. 

Eleven persons were arrested for the offenses relating to women, children and senior citizens. The number of financial crimes stood at 34. 

The police arrested 187 defenders in various cases in the last month. 

DSP Patali further said that investigation into 19 cases of public interest was also intensified. Even a case of money laundering was registered last month.

As part of the implementation of court verdicts, the District Police Office arrested 76 defenders, who were absconding after the incidents. 

Over 10 years of imprisonment is due to the defenders, while the recovery and compensation from them amounts Rs 4.7 million. 

Meanwhile, 20 road accidents occurred in the district in a month. 

Four persons lost their lives and 18 received injuries in the accidents. 

Most of the incidents were caused by recklessness of drivers. A driver was found riding under alcoholic influence.

A total of 2,078 drivers faced action under the traffic rule campaign. It generated over Rs 1.8 million in revenue from fines to the traffic rule violators. 

There were 74 cases of domestic violence, among which 54 were settled through reconciliation, according to the District Police Office.

The Foreign Ministry has stated that diplomatic efforts were underway to ensure an impartial hearing in the case of Nepali citizen Amrit Jha, who is in police custody of Iranian forces for investigation.

Issuing a press release on Monday, the Foreign Ministry made it clear that diplomatic efforts are going on for all necessary legal processes including the impartial hearing on the case of Jha by using all available means. Jha is in police custody on the charge of smuggling illegal goods in Iran. 

The Foreign Ministry stated that the case related to Jha is under consideration at the local court of Iran, apologizing for the confusion created due to an unofficial report of his release at a time when he is in custody.

Iranian security personnel had arrested Jha as well as six other foreign nationals from Qeshm Island one month before the US-Israel and Iran tension. 

The tension between the US-Israel and Iran started on February 28, 2026. 

On April 15, Nepal's honorary consul in Iran Shahram Shantiya communicated with Nepal's Deputy Chief of Mission in Qatar, Kumar Rai, sharing the news of Jha's release. 

The Ministry's concerned Division submitted the report to Minister Khanal and Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and, based on the same information, the Ministry had released the issue on Jha's release. 

Likewise, the Embassy of Nepal in Doha, Qatar, was directed to submit written evidence about his release to fulfill the processes for his repatriation back home. 

The Ministry has made it clear that the issue was informed to the Jha family during a meeting with Minister Khanal and top-ranking officials of the Ministry.

The Ministry has stated that the needed legal processes have been advanced to repatriate him back home, as Jha was yet to be released and the court has ordered to prepare a report in the case related to Jha.