Public health advisories issued on days like these typically urge people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, reduce outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and use air purifiers where possible. But for many living in low-income neighbourhoods without access to such safeguards, these recommendations offer little relief.
Balancing genuine efforts to combat illicit finance with the protection of civic space remains a test that international standards – and international observers – will closely watch.
The developments in Nepal illustrate a familiar tension across many democracies: the challenge of establishing effective self-regulation and accountability mechanisms without creating tools that could be used to constrain critical reporting.
Balancing genuine efforts to combat illicit finance with the protection of civic space remains a test that international standards – and international observers – will closely watch.