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The arrival of 180 Chinese trekkers in Nepal on April 13, the first group tour from the northern neighbor after the Covid-19 pandemic, has rekindled hopes for Nepal's tourism sector. They were the first of four batches of nearly 8,00 Chinese trekkers to visit Nepal to trek on the Poon Hill trail located some 270 kilometers west of Kathmandu. This visit has come after China included Nepal on a second list of 40 destinations for group tours that Chinese nationals could visit starting from March 15. The tourism entrepreneurs focused on Chinese tourists said they are hopeful that the flow of Chinese tourists would grow. “I am bringing one group of Chinese tourists next week,” said a proprietor of a travel and tour agency. According to him, there are several groups of Chinese interested in visiting Nepal in May. “But I am not sure whether they could come to Nepal because of limited and expensive flights between the two countries,” he said. China Southern Airlines, the largest airliner in China in terms of passenger volume, is conducting two flights a week—on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It resumed flights on the Kathmandu-Guangzhou sector in November last year after a halt of nearly a year and a half. Air China resumed the Chengdu-Kathmandu flights in September last year and operates two weekly flights. Sichuan Airlines has also resumed scheduled flights between Chengdu and Kathmandu. Nepal’s Himalaya Airlines has also been conducting flights in various cities in China. “Currently, flight frequency between Nepal and China is too low which is the major concern for us to increase the volumes of Chinese tourists,” said Bishwesh Shrestha, owner of C&K Travels which specializes in Chinese tourists. They are however expecting increased flights in the days along with rising demand from Chinese tourists. After China reopened its door to its citizens to visit Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Nepali travel trade entrepreneurs are visiting various Chinese cities to promote Nepal tourism. “NTB and representatives of over two dozen tourism-related companies are currently in China for marketing purposes,” said Shrestha, “NTB has been making presentations about Nepal, interaction with the Chinese journalists have been held and business-to-business (B2B) meetings with Chinese tourism entrepreneurs have been conducted during this marketing tour.” According to the entrepreneur, the Nepali team has completed their task in Chengdu and Kunming and they will now visit Beijing for similar marketing activities. Stakeholders say that it would not be difficult for Nepal to welcome more Chinese tourists because of the limited infrastructure. Two new international airports have been built in the tourist city of Pokhara and Bhairahawa. However, the airports have hardly been used for international flights. Post-pandemic, Nepal’s tourism industry has been recovering gradually. Nepali officials plan to revive the sector to the pre-pandemic level by attracting one million tourists in 2023. For this, increased arrivals of Chinese tourists will be important. According to NTB statistics, 614,148 foreigners visited Nepal in 2022. In 2019, Nepal welcomed 1.19 million foreign arrivals, including a record 169,543 Chinese tourists. The Chinese arrivals fell to 19,257 in 2020, and went further down to 6,198 and 9,599 respectively in 2021 and 2022 amid the Covid-19 travel restrictions. The total number of total foreign visitors declined to 230,085 and 150,962 in 2020 and 2021, respectively. “We hope to attract at least 100,000 Chinese tourists in 2023,” said the tourism entrepreneur. “It can be made possible if more flights are added between the two countries.”

The Office of the Auditor General has reported that it was denied documents related to the leasing of land being used by Kathmandu Fun Park to a private party by the Social Welfare Council (SWC). The SWC leased 60 ropanis of land in Kathmandu to a private party for Rs 202,400 per month for five years in 2004, which is less than half of the leasing amount of Rs 475,000 per month, five years ago. The OAG has reported that the lease contract caused a loss of Rs 16.35m to SWC. According to the OAG report, the SWC repeatedly extended the lease for periods ranging from three months to one year after the initial five-year period expired, instead of holding a competitive bidding process. Since such activities caused revenue loss to the SWC, the report has instructed the SWC to hold officials signing the lease contract accountable. The OAG report also uncovered irregularities in the leasing of 25 ropanis of land occupied by the Children's Park in Bhrikuti Mandap premises. When the park was under the ownership of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the property was leased to a private party for 25 years for a fee of Rs 40,000 per month in 1996, which should have brought Rs 11.28m to the SWC in 2021/22. However, the SWC revised the contract in 1997, lowering the monthly fee to as low as Rs 5,000 per month. This resulted in a loss of Rs 8.35m to the SWC. According to existing provisions, the assets of non-profit organizations are transferred to the Government of Nepal upon their dissolution. However, the OAG has noted that the SWC recommended the dissolution of such organizations without evaluating their assets. The OAG has recommended the formation of a team to investigate the matter and bring such assets under the government's control. Stating that many non-governmental organizations have been operating without renewing their licenses, the OAG has directed the SWC to ensure that these organizations renew their licenses as required by law and to put a stop to the ongoing practice of mobilizing foreign currency without renewing their organization. The OAG has further instructed the SWC to bring Rs 19.3m currently in the reserves of four INGOs, which are facing dissolution, into the state coffers. Additionally, it has directed the SWC to conduct evaluations and monitoring of INGOs as required by law. The OAG noted that despite raising Rs 25.68m from INGOs for this purpose, no such monitoring has been conducted in two years. The OAG found that a manager of SWC had deposited Rs 2.8m of a disabled people's fund into a finance company instead of a Class 'A' commercial bank, as required by the law. As the finance company is going into liquidation, the OAG has recommended holding the manager accountable for any possible losses incurred. In addition, the OAG has noted that more than Rs 1.60bn out of the approved Rs 1.65bn for plans and projects of various INGOs have not been included in the budgetary system of the Finance Ministry. The OAG has instructed the government to only permit the amendment of funding proposals after due process is completed.

I’m a 30-year-old mother of two and I recently gave birth. It’s a happy time for our family and, to an extent, I’m happy too. But a part of me is sad. I don't know what it is. I’m constantly irritated, and I get scared that I might accidentally pour out my frustration on my elder child, which would be wrong. I don't know what will set me off. I get a lot of mood swings too and sometimes, I just want to run away and never come back. I’m so overwhelmed. Please help!—A struggling mother Answered by Rishav Koirala, psychiatrist and researcher First of all, I’m glad that you came forward with this issue. It’s an important topic of discussion and there aren’t many women who are aware of this feeling until it’s too late. Before I begin, I want to assure you that there is a way to come out of it. The thing is it’s important for you to know what these feelings are before looking for a solution.  A lot of women in Nepal show depressive symptoms during or after pregnancy. It can be categorized into three types: postpartum blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis, depending on the intensity and types of symptoms. Postpartum depression and psychosis are quite severe, whereas in postpartum blues, you will come across symptoms like mood swings, mild anxiety, and irritation. Looking at what you’ve said, you might be having postpartum blues. Not to worry, it’s completely manageable.  There can be various reasons why you might be going through this. Maybe you had a history of mental health issues in the past, or you aren’t able to give yourself a good and peaceful environment right now. Nevertheless, now is the time for you to think about how you can improve your health, rather than mull over what might have caused it.  First of all, social support is very important. Being a mother is already difficult and, at times like these, you are in desperate need of a reliable partner who will be by your side. Talk to your husband about how you feel. Create a space where you can share anything and everything with each other. Knowing that someone is always there to listen to you no matter what you say will keep you at ease.  Secondly, over exhaustion can make mental health worse. If you are taking care of the baby all by yourself, you will not have any spare time for yourself. So, the best thing to do is divide chores between you and your partner. Make sure you are giving yourself enough time and space while also taking care of the baby. Also, get enough sleep. If it helps, you can store breast milk and ask your husband to take over at night because it’s very important for you to get enough sleep.  Also, postpartum blues are treatable, but they can get worse if not taken care of in time. It doesn’t just harm you but it will also affect the baby. So, it will be best for you to visit a professional who will understand your symptoms and be able to tell you what to do. S/he will also be able to put you under medication if needed. 

Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it’s broken but you can still see the crack in the reflection. A childhood best friend is a friend that a person had when both of them were children, a friend since childhood they are known as childhood friends and that very special person was one in my life. We were practically inseparable. I had known her for a long time as we lived together and our parents knew each other. Our friendship was terrific as no-one could ever separate us from each other. We were truly like two peas in a pod. But that turned out to be a lie, which crashed my life all at once. It was a sunny day and we were graduating preschool. We decided to take admission in the same school, to be together. After we got our caps and robes and graduation certificate, we  went home. Holidays had started and a new school was to be found before going back. She took admission in one school and I had to take admission in another one and we both didn’t know it until the first day of our school had started. ‘Ring’ rang, as I entered the school gates. I waved goodbye to my parents to enter a fresh new start of my life. I went to my assigned classroom and met completely new people, I’ve never seen or heard about knowing that I would make some friends. I sat down at an empty desk and waited for her to arrive. The teacher came and she told everyone to introduce themselves to let everyone know each one of us better, I was still waiting for her as a day never flew by without her being at my side. A thought came to my mind ‘maybe she was late or didn’t want to come the first day’ as the second class had started. The whole day went by without seeing her. When I went back home I immediately went to her house, she had just come home and it looked like her day was ruined. I knocked on their door and she came to open the door. As soon as she saw me she hugged me so tight, I felt like I was dying or she was trying to suffocate me. She told me to come inside and we sat down. I then asked her why she didn’t come to school and told her how I was dying to see her there because I wasn’t that much open with new people. She then to her astonishment made a face like she had seen a ghost. Then she asked me the same thing: why didn’t I come to the first day of school? Both of us were confused as we hadn’t seen each other the whole time.  We came to find out that her parents had admitted her to a different school and I was admitted to another one. It was surprising as we told each other which schools we were going to but it turns out our parents chose our schools and everything for us. We were both mad and sad at the same time thinking that the other one hadn’t come to school. We asked our parents if we could be in the same school but it was already late as all the formalities were settled and one of us had to leave everything and come to go to the other school. We could have changed but our parents wouldn’t accept and adjust everything again. It was no use arguing. Nobody ever listens to a child!  We were just some little kids who knew nothing of the future or what would happen after this but change occurred in our lives. We had to go back to school without each other and learn to live without the other. But, who would accept that a child will live without his or her best friend. Nobody, can we’ve known them our entire life and they expect us to live without them? For us it was like living without water or without food. We can’t live without those essentials and other essentials also. We accepted our fate and went to school without seeing each other every single day. We would meet at her house sometimes or mine but that also stopped when the exams started. We both were focusing to achieve the highest in our respective classes. I was doing well and she was doing well too. We both were doing great but it left a hole in our hearts without each other, but we did get through. The final exams had ended, holidays started again. Finally, I have some time with my best friend. In my thoughts, I went to her house and knocked on the door too but there was no answer. I knocked again twice thinking they didn’t hear the door but no-one answered. I was curious why no-one answered so I pushed the door a little to see if they were out. Usually, if they were out the door would be locked but the only thing I saw was empty rooms leaving nothing but dust and bugs. It was wiped clean like a hurricane had just passed by and swept everything that came in its path. Strange as a word popped out of my mouth I went to look around to see if they had moved their stuff or something like it, but nothing came. Every room was just dust and bugs. I ran out as I hated bugs as few or thousands creeped me out like goosebumps ran on my body. I saw someone putting up a sign, saying 'for sale'. I asked the person where the people who lived here were and he replied saying ‘They already moved out this morning’. HUH? I never saw them move? Did she go silently or she had flown away? It was weird seeing the person who told me everything each and every word not missing one I mean, had moved without even telling me or saying goodbye? The feeling hit me like someone shot my dreams or someone had burnt everything I ever cared for. Did she really leave me without saying a word? It hurt like I was going through hell (Just like school). My heart shattered as I went back home. Some days flew by without her, that days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and months turned into years. I never saw her as I never knew where she lived now. You may think my parents and her parents knew each other but still there was no information about their present life until one day. A call came to my dad inviting me and my family to come to a birthday party. It was surprising as I remembered that it was someone’s birthday I knew but I couldn't recall the person, so I went to the party and guess who was the first person I saw when I entered the place where the party was hosted? It was HER! All grown up and tall. She was in a pretty gown with short fluffy hair which bounced when she walked and had a white wide smile. I mean she was pretty before but now she is even prettier like she popped out of a fairy tale or something like it. I was obviously very nervous to see her after years but I thought it would be just like the old days when we used to hang out each and every day, but my hopes and dreams of meeting my best friend again crashed. I didn’t go up straight to her and ask everything, I smiled at her like everything was good and I slowly came up to her and started with a ‘Hi’, a hi which hadn’t been used since forever. I started asking her about her new life and how it was going but she replied with something that broke my entire life into pieces. She replied with ‘Uh who are you and why are you talking to me?’ ha-ha tell me I was joking… tell me this is a nightmare my own childhood best friend forgot me? But I wasn’t joking, my childhood best friend who promised to never forget me forgot me in a snap of a finger or a clap. I couldn't believe it, just like you wouldn’t. After that I never saw her again. She has now gone abroad, probably living a better life who knows. But if we ever meet again I would like to say something like this quote from a famous person. “Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” – Ally Condie Aarza Thapa Magar Class 7 Living Stone Academy, Nakkhu 

Nepal reported 104 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Monday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 571 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 63 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 061 people underwent antigen tests, of which 41 were tested positive. The Ministry said that 60 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 379 active cases in the country.

A writ has been filed at the Supreme Court against the decision of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah not to collect waste from Singha Durbar. Advocate Padam Shrestha filed the writ on Monday, making the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Mayor Balen Shah defendants. Since it is the responsibility of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to collect the waste, Shrestha has demanded that the waste of Singha Durbar be collected at the earliest and dispose of it at the landfill site. As the office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City is a local body, Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal states that every person has the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. Hence, Shrestha has demanded to maintain a clean environment as per Solid Waste Management Act, 2068 (2011). Earlier, Mayor Shah had announced a halt in the garbage collection from Singha Durbar, the country's administrative hub.  

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 23. 63 points to close at 1,908.05 points on Monday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4. 87 points to close at 362. 87 points. A total of 3,144,573-unit shares of 267 companies were traded for Rs 920 billion. Meanwhile, Adarsha Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Sunrise Bluechip Fund was the top loser with its price dropped by 6. 25 percent. At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 78 trillion.

At least nine loan shark victims were injured in a clash with police at Shantibatika on Monday. They are receiving treatment at the Trauma Center. Information Officer at the Trauma Center Arjun Prasad Bhetuwal said that they are undergoing treatment at the Emergency Ward of Trauma Center. According to him, most of the injured have sustained injuries on their head and various parts of the body. The injured have been identified as Kul Bahadur Thapa, Akbar Miya of Nawalparasi, Lok Narayan Subedi of Ilam, Krishna Nanda Mahato of Sarlahi, Pradeep Nepal of Okhaldhunga, Til Ram Chaudhary of Nawalparasi, Sitaram Tamang of Balaju, Yam Kumari Tadel of Rukum and Devi Devisa. It has been learnt that police have taken 25 loan shark victims under control. Some police personnel were also injured in the clash. The clash broke out after the loan shark victims, who had been staging a sit-in inside Shantibatika, tried to head towards Bhadrakali this afternoon. Police baton charged the loan shark victims and also lobbed tear gas shells to take the situation under control.