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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the decision on the appointment of the chief justice will be made soon. He said so during a meeting with the officer bearers of Nepal Bar Association. Nepal Bar Association office bearers, former office bearers, various Bar chairperson of the Valley and office bearers were present in the meeting. On the occasion, Prime Minister Dahal lauded the role played by the Bar to protect democracy and constitution and to bring reforms in the justice system. During the meeting, the Bar office bearers drew the attention of the Prime Minister to appoint the chief justice by summoning a meeting of the Constitutional Council immediately. In reply, Prime Minister Dahal expressed his commitment to take an initiative to make a necessary decision on the issue. Earlier, the Bar had drawn the attention of the Prime Minister to take a decision on the chief justice within 10 days.  

The Ministry of Health and Population reported 121 new cases of coronavirus from across the country on Wednesday (April 12), against 106 cases on April 11, 124 on April 10 and 55 on April 9. Per the latest report of the ministry, 11 people are under treatment at intensive care units of hospitals in the country, whereas three are under ventilator support. The number of active coronavirus infections has reached 445, the ministry said on Wednesday, adding that one patient had died in the past 24 hours, making it the second consecutive 24-hour period that saw a coronavirus death. Keeping in view a steady rise in the number of coronavirus infections of late, ApEx talked to Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku about. Excerpts: Why do you think coronavirus is increasing lately? With the restrictions put in place across the world lifted, people are traveling. This has increased the number of infections. People have stopped wearing masks and taking other safety measures. Amid this, a new Omicron variant of coronavirus—XBB.1.16—has been spreading in India. Uninterrupted cross-border movement has been attributed to the rise in cases in Nepal. The XBB.1.16 sub-variant was confirmed in 10 of 24 swab samples of the infected on which whole-genome sequencing was carried out in Nepal recently. People having Covid-19 symptoms are not testing and isolating themselves. Election campaigns and rallies and religious festivals are being held in many places. All these are responsible for the increasing number of cases. How infectious is this variant? The new variant is comparatively less lethal. It spreads quickly but does not cause serious complications. However, people with underlying health conditions, the elderly population and individuals with respiratory conditions are prone to the infection and its severity. Runny nose, fever, sore throat, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort and headaches are some of the symptoms of the XBB.1.16 variant. The hospital however has not seen a large number of cases. Though there are cases in the community, they have not reached the hospitals. Had there been severe infection, people would have visited the hospitals. Who could be under risk? Various reports suggest that this variant can evade immunity gained through vaccination. Patients with comorbidities such as elderly population, or with cardiac conditions, previous pulmonary issues such as asthma, tuberculosis, diabetic and chronic kidney disease patients are at high-risk of infection. There is no need to panic. We have had a mass vaccination program. Despite this, many have contracted the virus. However, one must continue to follow the Covid-19 appropriate behavior such as hand hygiene and masking. High risk population segments should take more precautions. What should be done to prevent infection? One must isolate themselves if s/he has symptoms of the disease and see the physician at the earliest to avoid any complications. It has been proved that vaccination prevents the severity of the infection. People must take booster doses of the vaccines apart from coronavirus appropriate precautions. People with comorbidities should take additional precautions. People should avoid congested, poorly ventilated spaces. They must wear masks. Those who have not received the vaccine should take the vaccine. What should be an individual and government’s role in controlling the infection? Precautions like handwashing, respiratory hygiene, proper ventilation at home and the workplace, and masking up in crowded places are crucial. An individual must practice them. These precautions will also shield individuals from the flu and other viruses. Caution should be taken while touching nose and mouth, and afterward. Those with symptoms of coronavirus must isolate themselves from others. The government must justify the importance of vaccines and vaccinate people.

Nepal reported 121 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 620 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 58 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 757 people underwent antigen tests, of which 63 were tested positive. The Ministry said that 81 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 445 active cases in the country.

Mahesh Paudyal is a Nepali author, translator, and literary critic, whose works vary from poems to novels to short stories, in both Nepali and English language. His first published writing was a poem called ‘O Chair, My Chair’, that came out in the year 1995. ‘My Share’, ‘Anamik Yatri’, ‘Sapanako Pul’, and ‘Tadi Kinarko Geet’ are some of his other notable works. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Paudyal to know more about his writing journey so far. What pushed you to pursue writing as a career? I think it was my family background that got me interested in writing. My father was a teacher and he always encouraged me to read. Even my birthday gifts used to be books. My siblings were into literature too. Most of my father’s friends were writers or someone from a literary background. Growing up surrounded by these people has had the biggest influence when it comes to my career. But I didn’t come to that realization until I was done with high school. I used to write but not because I was interested in becoming a published author. I just loved to write. When I decided to pursue my bachelor’s in major English that was when I realized I wanted to become a writer. Your works vary from novels to poems to short stories. What genre are you the most comfortable with? I feel like writing stories is what I prefer the most, especially fiction. A part of it is also influenced by the fact that I teach literature at a university and I often discuss stories from the curriculum with my students. So, writing stories comes to me easily, be it short or long. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy working on novels and poems. But I think of myself as more of a storyteller than anything else. What books do you have on your to-be-read list? There are many. Being a teacher, I need to stay updated with new works that get published. Not that I don’t enjoy reading either but I think my teaching profession keeps me from slacking off. From my recent visit to Delhi, India, I have bought ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka, and ‘Tomb of Sand’ by Geetanjali Shree, which I am looking forward to reading. ‘Shunya ko Mulya’ by Dr Nawaraj KC, and ‘Yashodhara’ by Hari Bol Kafle are also on the list. Are you working on something new? I’m currently working on publishing a short story collection. I have come up with plots for around 20 stories but I will choose around 15 of them to publish. It might take me a year or more to complete this work. I’m also in the process of publishing a poem collection, which will include poems from young and aspiring writers. Currently, I’m collecting and editing their works. The name of this collection will be ‘Extended Light’, which will hopefully be out around October 2023. Since you are also a translator, are there any books you would like to translate in either Nepali or English language? There are a few Nepali books, I think, that need to reach international platforms. One of them is ‘Sharanarthi’ by Krishna Dharabasi. It’s an incredibly well-written book that needs to be read by more people. It would be an honor to be able to translate this book. ‘Madhabi’ by Madan Mani Dixit is one of the best fiction written in the Nepali literature. I’m also quite interested in translating this book. As a literary critic, what improvement do you think Nepali literature needs? I think it’s necessary to preserve Nepali culture, tradition, and its uniqueness through our literature. We need to focus on highlighting our civilization, history, and things that can only be found in Nepal through our writings. I think that’s one thing we need to maintain in order to improve the current scenario of Nepali literature. Also, after the People’s Movement II, a lot of works that have come out are mission writings or propaganda literature. They are all based on current political or social scenarios, which might not be as relevant 20-30 years down the lane as it is now. We need to stop that. Writing should be relevant despite when it’s written. I think it’s time we move on from writing about political and social instability and focus on things that will not die down no matter how many years have gone by. Paudyal’s picks The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka  The Booker Prize 2022 winner written by the Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka is a satirical book. It’s actually historical fiction based on the murderous mayhem during the civil war in Sri Lanka. Shunya ko Mulya by Dr Nawaraj KC ‘Shunya ko Mulya’, written by Dr Nawaraj KC, is based on the gruesome reality of women living in Karnali, including but not limited to the suffering and health issues they endure. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree Tomb of Sand is a Hindi-language novel by Geetanjali Shree, whose English translation (translated by Daisy Rockwell) won the International Booker Prize in 2022. Yashodhara by Hari Bol Kafle Yashodhara by Hari Bol Kafle tells the story of Yashodhara, wife of Siddhartha Gautama, and the sacrifices she’s made in his journey to become the Buddha.

Three Sherpa climbers have gone missing near the Mt Everest Base Camp. The incident occurred while they were heading towards Camp 1 from the base camp. A source at the Tourism Ministry said that Dawa Tshiri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa and Lakpa Rita Sherpa of Theso, Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality went missing after being buried by a mound of snow. Details about the incident are yet to come.  

Stakeholders have demanded that the tax rate imposed by Nepal on tobacco products should be increased drastically. As part of the ‘No Tobacco Drive’ campaign organized by Annapurna Media Network on Friday, the participants at the ‘Tobacco Symposium’ pointed out that the tax on tobacco products needs to be increased further as it is very low. Experts claimed that if the tax is increased, the price of tobacco products will increase and the ability of people to buy these products will decrease and so will consumption. Since the government also receives more revenue through this step, increasing taxes is considered a ‘win-win’. They argued that increasing taxes will bring the state benefit amounting to billions of rupees if citizens are considered to have economic value. Nepal ranks 19th in the world and tops in South Asia on the list of deaths due to tobacco consumption. However, taxes on such substances are quite low in South Asia, including in Nepal. This rate is not even close to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. In the 'Tobacco Symposium' held on the eve of the budget of the financial year 2080-81, the chief guest, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Indira Rana Magar, said the use of tobacco products and its ecosystem should be eradicated from the roots. She said the consumption of such substances should be discouraged by increasing the tax so that people cannot buy it. Studies have shown that over 5m Nepalis consume tobacco products.   According to the Nepal Development Research Institute, the number of deaths due to smoking has increased by 60 percent in the last 30 years. A study says that among the nations in South Asia, the death rate due to tobacco products is the highest in Nepal.   Dr Jaya Kumar Gurung, a senior research expert at the NDRI says, “The risks that may occur in the future from tobacco products are high. And our study says 1.34m people will die due to tobacco products in the next 30 years.”   Effects of smoking on organs Senior gyneoncological cancer specialist Dr Sarita Ghimire says that smoking harms all parts of the body. Ghimire says that tobacco products are the main cause of cancer of the blood vessels, heart, lungs, mouth as well as the uterus of women. According to Dr Anil Bikram Karki, president, Nepal Medical Association, the source of disease is the mouth. Smoking causes heart disease as well as health problems such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. Protect the  According to a study conducted by NDRI, 10 to 15 percent of students in Kathmandu Valley consume some form of tobacco. Dr Gurung asks, “Is our attention enough to protect the youth from the evils of smoking?” The new generation has gone from smoking cigarettes to enjoying hookah bars in restaurants. From airports to bus parks and from public vehicles to clubs, public toilets, and workplaces of industries and factories, tobacco products are consumed openly. Smoking goes unchecked in hotels, restaurants, bars, eateries, lodges, canteen, swimming pools, and pool houses. Annapurna Express has been lobbying to raise the tax rate to at least 50 percent in the coming financial year under the No Tobacco Drive campaign. The network has also been conducting various environment-friendly activities with the main slogan of Unity for Sustainability.

The improvement in the country's external sector has continued in the eight months of the current fiscal year. The latest macroeconomic report published by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Tuesday shows noticeable improvements in the country's forex reserves, balance of payment (BOP), tourism income, and remittance inflow. According to the report, Nepal's BOP is at a surplus of Rs 148.10 billion in the eight months of FY 2022/23 compared to a deficit of Rs 258.64 billion in the same period of FY 2021/22. The BoP had turned surplus in mid-October 2022 after a gap of 14 months. In US Dollar terms, the BOP is at a surplus of 1.12 billion in this fiscal year compared to a deficit of 2.17 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year. The country's forex reserves increased by 15.2 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year. Nepal's forex reserves stood at Rs 1401.21 billion in mid-March 2023 (Falgun) from Rs 1215.80 billion in mid-July 2022. In US dollar terms, the gross foreign exchange reserves increased by 12.1 percent to Rs 10.69 billion in mid-March 2023 from Rs 9.54 billion in mid-July 2022. The central bank said that the foreign exchange reserves of the banking sector are sufficient to cover merchandise imports for 10.8 months, and merchandise and services imports for 9.4 months. According to the report, remittance inflows have increased by 25.3 percent to Rs 794.32 billion in the review period. The inflow of remittances had decreased by 1.3 percent in the same period of the last fiscal year. In US Dollar terms, remittance inflows increased by 14.8 percent to 6.09 billion in the review period against a decrease of 2.6 percent in the same period of the previous year. Meanwhile. current account deficit (CAD) has also narrowed significantly in the last eight months. As per the report, CAD has now come down to Rs 44.31 billion which was Rs 460.72 billion in the same period of the previous year. NRB Executive Director Prakash Shrestha said that the improvement in the external sector is due to the slowdown of credit disbursement. "The economy has plunged into trouble mainly due to a lack of credit investment in the productive sector," said Shrestha at a press meet organized by the central bank on Tuesday. "If the loans to be invested in the future do not help to increase domestic production, the economy will face problems again." According to him, the country's economy has faced problems when loans were invested in the real estate and stock markets in the past. "If the credit flow to these sectors increases in the future, this cycle will get repeated." Inflation slows down slightly The NRB report shows consumer inflation has declined slightly in Falgun (mid-February to mid-March) compared to Magh (mid-January to mid-February). Consumer inflation stood at 7.44 percent in mid-March compared to 7.88 percent in mid-February. Food and beverage inflation stood at 5.64 percent whereas non-food and service inflation rose to 8.87 percent. Under the food and beverage category, the price of cereal grains and their products sub-category increased by 14.35 percent, the restaurant and hotel sub-category increased by 14.09 percent, spices by 10.88 percent, tobacco products by 10.83 percent, and alcoholic drinks by 8.78 percent. Under the non-food and services category, the price of transportation sub-category increased by 13.23 percent, health by 10.39 percent, housing and utilities by 9.72 percent, recreation and culture by 8.81 percent, and furnishing and household equipment by 8.79 percent. According to NRB, the rate of inflation in the Kathmandu valley, Terai, hills, and mountainous regions surged to 7.95 percent, 7.50 percent, 6.67 percent, and 8.07 percent, respectively.

A fire broke out at the Tigerland Resort in Jagatpur of West Chitwan on Wednesday. DSP Bijay Pandit of the District Police Office, Chitwan said that three fire engines are trying to extinguish the flame. Police suspect that an electric short circuit caused that fire. It has been learnt that the fire broke out at the seminar hall of the hotel.