Newar

Nepal has great potential, but its economy remains stagnant because rivals in the government cannot agree on moving forward and its poor suffer the consequences. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports.

For the Geo Quiz, we’re looking for the tourism gateway to the Himalayas. The grandeur of the world’s highest mountains attracts “trekkers” and travelers of all stripes to this crowded city.

In the last ten years Nepal has taken dramatic steps toward modernization. But at a price: heavy pollution hangs over the capital city of Kathmandu (cat-man-DOO) high in the Himalayas. Now, as Alexa Dvorson reports, rays of hope are beginning to make it through the smog at the top of the world.

The mountains of Nepal funnel water to some of the most powerful rivers in southern Asia. Now, despite environmental and financial concerns, small-scale hydropower projects are supplying electricity to Nepalese villages, Buddhist temples and even Internet cafes. Reporter Cheryl Colopy has our story.

The government in one of the world’s youngest democracies collapsed yesterday when the Prime Minister of Nepal resigned. This ends government rule by former Maoist guerrillas, who took power in elections after fighting a civil war against the King.