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Nepali rock singer and actor Robin Tamang passed away on Tuesday. He was 60. According to a family source, Tamang died at his residence in Budhanilkantha last evening. His body has been taken to the Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) for postmortem. He has sung many songs and also acted in the films. “Jati Maya Laye pani, Chiso Chiso Hawa ma” are some of his popular songs. Similarly, he has also acted in films like Chhadke, Mukhauta and Chiso Ashtray among others.  

The government has expressed its commitment to provide all resources required for the prevention and control of contagious Lumpy skin disease among the cattle. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has shown necessary concern for the prevention and control of sporadic outbreak of disease, which is taking the form of a pandemic. PM Dahal issued necessary directives to Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Dr Beduram Bhusal and high-placed officials of the ministry to come up with effective measures for bringing the disease under control, PM secretariat shared. The Prime Minister categorically directed the concerned authorities to effectively mobilize veterinarians, increase vaccine supply and arrange necessary human resources for immediately providing inoculation services. So far, the government has imported 737,000 doses of vaccine and supplied them to all seven provinces. According to the Department of Livestock Service, the vaccine has been administered to 172,128 cattle so far. It may be noted that the federal government has made available a budget of Rs 100,000 each to the local governments for the upcoming fiscal year for pandemic control under the conditional grant. According to the Department's Director General Dr Samjhana Kumari Kafle, the federal government has earmarked a budget for the management of a veterinary doctor each in 161 local governments and technicians in all local governments. Lumpy skin is a contagious virus disease transmitted to cattle. The cattle with the disease develop symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite, reduced milk output and enlarged lymph nodes. He further said that generally one to three percent of infected animals might die due to the pandemic and the mortality rate can go up for lack of necessary care and primary aid. The disease was first reported in Sundarharaicha Municipality of Morang district in July 2020. In the first two years after the detection of contagious disease, as many as 13 out of 3,301 infected cattle of 16 districts died due to the pandemic in Nepal. According to the department, the mid-hill and hilly regions of Karnali, Sudurpaschim, Koshi and Lumbini provinces are more affected by the disease. Out of 709,203 infected animals in the current fiscal year, 453,809 have recovered. The department said that 25,782 animals have died from this disease. Currently, 290,602 animals are actively infected. The department claims that the rate of infection is gradually decreasing.  

Bhupal Rai is a Nepali poet, lyricist, and the chancellor of the Nepal Academy. He began his journey in writing more than two decades ago. Some of his notable works are ‘Yaari’, ‘Dajai! Kavita Gaumai Chha’, ‘Simanta Soundarya’, ‘Bhumigat Prashna Haru’, ‘Pahilo Haraf Sirbandi’ and ‘Aago le Janmotsav Manaudaina’. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Rai about his experience as a writer. You have been a writer for a long time. When did it all start? If I think about when I actually started writing, it would be during my school days. I was probably in the eighth or ninth grade. But I began pursuing writing professionally once I came to Kathmandu from Bhojpur, my hometown, after passing grade 10. Back then, coming from a village to Kathmandu was a big deal. It was a city with many opportunities. I was in Kathmandu to continue my studies, but at the same time, I wrote a lot. I mostly wrote poems. It was around 1997 that I published my poem in the news. It was the first work of mine that got published. The title was ‘Aama ko Samjhana’, and it was published in ‘Chhahara Daimashik’, a newspaper that came out every two months. That’s how it all started. What are your works mostly based on?  I believe I had two phases during my writing journey. The first one was where I expressed my feelings, experiences, and thoughts through my writing. Most of my work was based on myself and no one else. And that was how I wrote for almost 11 years. Writing, for me, became more like my own method of advocacy. I started writing about societal responsibilities, political, and caste discriminations, and other issues I often saw around me. I have been continuing with that ever since. How would you describe your writing style? I’m mostly into writing poems and lyrics. I think I’m able to be more expressive with poems and lyrics in comparison to other forms of writing. There is no particular way of writing poems. But it must have a particular opinion of a writer expressed in an imaginary way. And that’s what I do. Now and then, I also write essays. I was also a columnist for Kantipur. So I suppose I’m inclined to areas where I find myself the most expressive. Can you run us through your writing process?  I can never get anything done when I just sit down and prepare myself to write something. It needs to come naturally. That usually happens when I’m moved by particular incidents, people, or anything that makes me want to put down my thoughts on writing. When that happens, I already have a certain outline in my head and even words that I will be using in my work. But that doesn’t mean I get it done at once. I edit my work a lot. I rewrite it many times before I feel satisfied with what I’ve written. But I thoroughly enjoy it. What are you currently working on? Currently, I’m the chancellor of the Nepal Academy and because of that I haven’t been able to invest a lot of time in writing. It has been around four months since I last wrote. I will definitely publish more work but that has slowed down a bit due to my other responsibilities. So I’m not working on anything as of now. But I’m thinking of publishing a compilation of the essays that I have written for Kantipur Koseli. Are there any books/authors that have had an influence on your writing style? I have been influenced by the writings I have read since my school days. But I don’t think that has influenced the way I write. I believe no matter how much one reads, their work should always be unique. So I try my best not to bring the writing styles of other authors in my own work. But the books I have read have influenced me on many other levels. They have been huge inspirations. Rai’s favorite book  Aama by Maxim Gorky ‘Aama’ is a Nepali translation of a book called ‘Mother’ by Maxim Gorky, written in 1906 about revolutionary factory workers. It was first published, in English, in Appleton’s Magazine in 1906, then in Russian in 1907.  

The Finance Bill, 2080 BS and the Bill to Raise National Debt, 2080 BS have been tabled in a meeting of the National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, today. National Assembly Secretary Dr Surendra Aryal tabled the two bills along with the message received from the House of Representatives. Deliberations on the Appropriation Bill will continue in the National Assembly meeting today also. In this connection, the upper house is deliberating on the budget allotted to the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Proposals for reduction in the budget apportioned to these ministries in the Appropriation Bill have also been presented in the National Assembly meeting today.    

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 12. 73 points to close at 2,088.70 points on Tuesday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 2.28 points to close at 388. 62 points. A total of 6,450,934-unit shares of 282 companies were traded for Rs 2. 57 billion. Meanwhile, City Hotel Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 98 percent. Similarly, BPW Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 9.99 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 05 trillion.

Sometimes good restaurants are located in the most unexpected places. Ramsterdam Cafe in Ramhiti, Kathmandu, is right next to the main street, and looks quite small from outside. But the place is spacious, making it a perfect place to hangout with friends, or alone if you are so inclined. The decor of the place is quite random, but looks good altogether. And they have live music sessions in the evening. Seating areas are plenty, especially if you’re visiting during the day time. Finding a place to sit might be a struggle if you’re there in the evenings or on a weekend. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting alone or with someone, you’ll thoroughly enjoy your time at the restaurant. Also, the cafe feels welcoming. One can easily have a conversation with the owner, staff or the customers sitting nearby. It’s a good place to visit if you like to read too. You’ll see shelves filled with books as you walk inside. You can grab one, find a corner, and be by yourself with no one else bothering you. When it comes to food, they have a variety of choices. We did find the food items to be a bit pricey, but their drinks are quite affordable. For a non-alcoholic drink, opt for a cold coffee. At most of the restaurants we’ve visited, cold coffees are disappointing. Here, it’s the exact opposite. It’s not too diluted, is quite milky, and they use cold milk instead of adding ice. But the vibe of the place calls for a glass of beer with some snacks on the side. Meal/drinks for two: Rs 2,000 Opening hours: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Contact: 9841242224 Online payment: Accepted Parking: Not available 

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has banned the entry of vehicles within the Hanumandhoka precincts. The metropolis took this decision to protect the originality of the world Heritage Site. KMC Mayor Balendra Shah said it is necessary to preserve the uniqueness of the place as its very identity is its ancient heritage. "These very heritages and their ancient distinctiveness are the ones that we can proudly show to the world and that we can adopt with dignity. Hundreds of thousands of tourists could come to experience and enjoy the place," he said on social site. Noting that thousands of tourists visited Basantapur area daily, Mayor Shah said there is a possibility of hundreds of thousands of visitors coming for a visit in future. He said vehicles have been banned within the Hanumandhoka premises, reiterating it is essential to preserve the uniqueness and aesthetics of the place and to keep the environs of the premises peaceful, clean and pleasing.  

Lalitpur District Court judges and employees have moved the Supreme Court demanding security. They reached the apex court on Tuesday leaving their official works saying that they are unsecured from the legal professionals. The employees have taken a stand not to return to work until the security of their livelihood is guaranteed The hearing of the cases in Lalitpur District Court has been affected after the judges and employees left the court. They are currently holding a meeting with the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court. The judges have said that they are receiving threats from the legal professionals and have not been able to work from the office. The Nepal Bar Association has announced protest programs arguing that a legal professional was implicated in a false case. Lalitpur Bar Association Secretary Sonam Moktan said that a sit-in program will be held for one hour daily in the premises of the court without affecting the services. The legal professionals had staged a protest assembly on Monday also. The court employees across the country have been staging the protest against the attack on Premika Tamang, non-gazetted officer at the Lalitpur District Court. Legal professional Amir Lamichhane had attacked Tamang of the District Court on Wednesday. Following the incident, she filed a case at the District Police Range, Lalitpur. Based on the complaint, police arrested Lamichhane.