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The ruling CPN (Maoist Center) has reshuffled roles and responsibilities among the party leaders.

A meeting of the party Central Committee held today at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar endorsed the proposal floated by party Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to this regard, according to Prime Minister's press expert Manohari Timilsina.

According to the revised allocations of roles and responsibilities, party Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun has been appointed as the In-Charge of a special province which remains as a non-territorial province. 

The decision is aimed at further increasing the vibrancy of the province, it has been learnt.

In addition, another Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma has been assigned the responsibility for Bagmati Province.

Meanwhile, Secretary Leelamani Pokharel will serve as the In-Charge of Madhesh Province, and Secretary Devendra Paudel will be responsible for Gandaki Province.

Furthermore, Chakrapani Khanal has been selected as the In-Charge for Koshi, Hitman Shakya for Lumbini, Matrika Yadav for Karnali, and Dilaram Acharya for Sudur Paschim Province.

Furthermore, leader Girirajmani Pokhrel has been assigned to take charge of Valley Liaison Coordination Province and Ram Karki will be taking charge of Overseas Province.

Party Vice-Chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been assigned the role of coordinating the Socialist Front and overseeing the party unification procedures.

Similarly, another Vice-Chair Pampha Bhusal has been entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating the party-aligned people's organizations while Agni Prasad Sapkota has been appointed to oversee the party's Publicity Department.

Ganesh Shah will take charge as the new In-Charge of the Science and Technology Department.

Dinanath Sharma has been assigned to coordinate the party organizations of intellectuals, human rights activists, teachers, and legal practitioners.

On top of that, all in-charges for various fractions of the party's aligned people's organizations have been changed.

Additionally, the roles and responsibilities of the party's standing committee and central members have been determined.

The CPN (Maoist Center) is to organize a three-month-long special transformation campaign.

The Center will conduct a special transformation campaign for three months from September 2.

The Maoist Center, which clinched third position in the elections held in November, is organizing a transformation campaign to expand the organization.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the  Central Committee meeting, party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal directed the leaders and cadres to conduct the campaign by reaching every house in every ward.

“None of the houses in the ward should be missed. This campaign will help in building a new party,” Dahal, who is also the Prime Minister, said.

He said that the national and international parties are still trying to split the party.

Dahal expressed his belief that the party would move ahead unitedly.

He announced that the Maoist Center will take the leadership of the country again.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be embarking on a visit to China likely from the third week of September.

In his address to a program organized here today, Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud said that the Prime Minister would be visiting the northern neighbor in the third or the fourth week of September.

The program was held to mark the digitized verification of the police clearance certificate.

 "We are prepared to observe the Prime Minister's visit to China," he said, adding that the present government was committed to promoting cordial relations with neighbors and friendly nations.

Recalling the Prime Minister's visit to India after the formation of the incumbent government, he said the visit was successful and productive. 

He was of the view of observing international relations, centering on the mutual interests of the nation, making sure that it would be for the interest of the nation and the citizens.

"There should be a common understanding among political parties and sides concerned about the nation's foreign policy," the Foreign Minister added.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 38. 37 points to close at 2,051.47 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 7. 52 points to close at 392. 02 points.

A total of 8,007,361-unit shares of 265 companies were traded for Rs 2. 68 billion.

Meanwhile, IME Life Insurance Company Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, Progressive Finance Limited was the top loser with its price dropping by 9. 59 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 01 trillion.

Hima Bista is the executive director of Women LEAD Nepal. The versatile woman in her forties has been educating young Nepali women to take leadership roles. She is also an avid reader. In a conversation with Babita Shrestha of ApEx, she spoke about her reading habits and preferences.

What types of books do you enjoy reading the most?

I enjoy reading non-fiction books about feminism, history, and other fiction. Horror and science fiction aren’t my thing. Apart from that, I’m pretty open to literature. My favorite genres are memoirs and Greek mythology. I mostly enjoy reading works by female authors. 

Can you name a few of your all-time favorite books?

My all-time favorite novels are Orhan Pamuk’s and Elif Shafak’s works because I love Turkish literature. I also love reading books on the Ottoman Empire. For now, I’d like to say Pamukh’s ‘My Name Is Red’ and ‘Museum of Innocence’, as well as Shafak’s ‘Bastard of Istanbul’ are my favorite books.

Moreover, I enjoy reading feminist writing, especially memoirs like ‘The Glass Castle’ by Jeannette Wall. I also enjoyed ‘My Life on the Road’ by Gloria Steinem, ‘Kara’ by Sushila Karki, and ‘Karnali Blues’ by Buddhisagar. I can’t overlook Gurcharan Das’s ‘The Difficulty of Being Good’, which contextualizes the idea of righteousness by mentioning the Mahabharata, which discusses fundamental human nature like love, hatred, compassion, and fear. Given how materialistic the world is, reading this book’s discussion on spirituality helped me process my thoughts. 

Do you prefer reading physical books, e-books, or listening to audiobooks? 

I love physical books. They are the keepers of my soul. I must always have a book with me. I need to feel the pages to fully immerse myself in a story. I need to take notes and I highlight lines I love. I’m not sure if there can be anything more satisfying than appreciating the beautifully crafted aesthetics of a book. 

Is there a book that significantly changed your perspective on something? 

Reading Gloria Steinem’s ‘My Life on the Road’ changed my life. The book’s representation of political activism and feminist road mapping not only clarified the waves of feminism but also helped me understand political advocacy and women in leadership. I’m using the lessons I learned to improve leadership among young Nepali women. 

‘Bad Feminist’ by Roxane Gay had a significant impact on my life too. The book helped me understand my thoughts and how feminism is evolving in terms of women’s rights and intersectionality. ‘Caste: The Genesis of Our Discontents’ by Isabel Wilkerson is the book I’m reading right now. I haven’t finished it yet but I feel I’m able to think clearly as I read the book. For the time being, I’m aware that I want to make our society better and I’m conscious that there is still plenty to learn and unlearn.

If you could meet any author, living or dead, for a conversation, who would it be and what would you want to discuss with them?

Without a doubt, I’d want to have a chat with Agatha Christie. She created stories that seem to be centuries ahead of her time. I will undoubtedly discuss how she created the two fantastic characters, Hercule Poirot and Lady Marple, that got global recognition, and is still being talked about today.

Bista’s picks

The Last Girl by Nadia Murad

In her memoir, Murad discusses the Yazidi community as well as the larger problem of human trafficking and sexual assault in conflict areas. In Nepal, gender-based violence isn’t given the attention it requires. This book, I believe, can be a crucial tool for bringing these issues to light and underlining the need for action and commitment.

Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk 

I’m fascinated by the literary style of the book and the way it’s connected to an Istanbul museum. I highly recommend this book that explores the nature of love, nostalgia, and memory as it challenges readers to think about their own emotions and experiences. 

Dulari by Muna Chaudhary

This is most likely the first work of fiction in Nepali literature that centers on the life of a Madhesi Dalit woman. It’s a tale about the predicament of the average Madhesi Dalit, their battles for cotton, grass, and homes, as well as how they use politics to achieve their seemingly limitless ambitions. To acquire insight into the necessity for activism and to learn more about a vulnerable community, I recommend you read this book. 

Deep Work by Carl Newport

Maintaining intense focus and concentration in the current digital age is challenging due to the presence of social media platforms. So, I highly recommend ‘Deep Work’ which specifically covers this issue and offers solutions to overcome the constant distractions.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has appointed former Indian cricketer Devika Palshikar as the consultant coach for the Nepali national women cricket team.

The appointment takes place at a time when Nepal is preparing for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier.

Previously Palshikar worked as the assistant coach for India and Bangladesh, and the batting coach for the Mumbai Indians Club for last season's Women's Premier League. She worked for India as an assistant coach (From 2014 to 2016), and for Bangladesh (2018).

The participating teams in the Asia Qualifier scheduled to take place in Malaysia from August 31 to September 9 are divided into two groups.

Nepal is in Group 'A'. Together with Nepal, hosts Malaysia, Bahrain, Bhutan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar are in Group 'A'.

Similarly, China, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Thailand and Myanmar are placed in Group 'B' of the tournament.

The top two teams of each group will play the semi-final and the two teams reaching the finals will get a chance to play in the Global Qualifier.

The Nepali line-up selected for the tournament includes Rubina Chhetri (Captain), Sita Rana Magar, Indu Barma, Apsari Begum, Kabita Kunwar, Kabita Joshi, Asmina Karmacharya, Ishwori Bista, Kritika Marasini, Bindu Rawal, Neri Thapa, Kajol Shrestha, Samjhana Khadka, Saraswoti Chaudhary, Sneha Mahara, Shristi Jaisi, Kanchan Shrestha, Roma Thapa, Sabnam Rai, Puja Mahato, Khusi Dongol, Manisha Chaudhary, Jyoti Pandey and Ruby Poddar.

Police have arrested two persons with a pistol and its bullets from Boudha in Kathmandu.

Basudev Thami of Sindhupalchok and Megh Bahadur Tamang of Sindhuli were apprehended for their alleged involvement in stealing the pistol and bullets that belong to Prabhakar Khadka, the private security officer of Supreme Court Justice Nahakul Subedi, said the police.

Tamang was arrested from his rented house in Boudha and Thami was held based on the statement provided by Tamang, said SP Kumod Dhungel, spokesperson at the District Police Range, Kathmandu.

They stole a bag containing the pistol and bullets from the apartment of Khadka with the help of a pole fixed with a hook, he said.

Later, Khadka lodged a complaint at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Kathmandu.

Based on the complaint, police started the search and arrested the duo.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 112, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 112, 200 per tola on Friday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 950 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,425 per tola today.