Submit your Article

Three week after he was appointed to the top executive post, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expanded his Cabinet on Tuesday. Earlier, PM Dahal had formed a small Cabinet by inducting seven ministers including three Deputy Prime Ministers and four ministers without portfolios. List of Ministers

1. Pushpa Kamal Dahal of CPN (Maoist Center): Prime Minister
2. Bishnu Prasad Poudel of CPN-UML: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister
3. Narayankaji Shrestha of CPN (Maoist Center): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure
4. Rabi Lamichhane of Rastriya Swatantra Party: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs
5. Rajendra Lingden of Rastriya Prajatantra Party: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy
6. Rekha Sharma of CPN (Maoist Center): Minister for Communications and Information Technology
7. Bikram Pandey of Rastriya Prajatantra Party: Minister for Urban Development
8. Jwala Kumari Sah of CPN-UML: Minister for Agriculture
9. Damodar Bhandari of CPN-UML: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply
10. Rajendra Kumar Rai of CPN-UML: Minister for Land Management and Cooperatives
11. Abdul Khan of Janamat Party: Minister for Drinking Water
12. Bimala Rai Paudel of CPN-UML: Minister for Foreign Affairs
13. Padam Giri of CPN-UML: Minister for Health
14. Bhagwati Chaudhary of CPN-UML: Minister for Women and Children
15. Hari Upreti of CPN-UML: Minister for Defence
16. Sudan Kiranti of CPN (Maoist Center): Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation
17. Aman Lal Modi of CPN (Maoist Center): Minister for Federal Affairs
18. Shishir Khanal of Rastriya Swatantra Party: Minister for Education
19. Dol Prasad Aryal of Rastriya Swatantra Party: Minister for Labor and Employment
20. Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan of Rastriya Prajatantra Party: Minister for Law
21. Sushil Shreepali Thakuri of CPN (Maoist Center): State Minister for Culture, Tourism
22. Toshima Karki of Rastriya Swatantra Party: State Minister for Health
23. Deepak Bahadur Singh of Rastriya Prajatantra Party: State Minister for Energy

Bhim Bahadur Bhandari has been elected as the Speaker of Sudurpaschim Province. Bhandari, CPN (Maoist Center) Province Assembly member, was elected as the Speaker from the election conducted for the third time today. In the 53-member Province Assembly, 52 votes were cast. Out of which, he obtained 29 votes while 23 voted against him. Man Bahadur Rawal of the Nepali Congress garnered 23 votes. Earlier, the Speaker could not be elected in the Province Assembly after none of the candidates secured a majority in the elections held on January 28 and 30. Nepali Congress has 19 members, CPN (Maoist Center) 11, CPN-UML 10, Unmukti Party 7, CPN (Unified Socialist) 4 and Rastriya Prajatantra Party has one member in the Province Assembly. The Assembly has one independent lawmaker.

The death toll from a Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro rose to 40 on Monday, with dozens more missing, making it the deadliest civilian incident of Moscow's three-month campaign of firing missiles at cities far from the front, Reuters reported.

Ukraine says the mass civilian deaths, which it describes as terrorism, demonstrate why it needs more weapons to defeat Russian forces 11 months after they invaded. Russia denies intentionally targeting civilians.

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday as her government came under rising pressure to let allies send Ukraine German heavy tanks, at the start of what looks like a pivotal week for Western plans to further arm Kyiv.

Officials acknowledged little hope of finding anyone else alive in the rubble of Saturday's attack in the central city of Dnipro, but President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the rescue operation would go on "as long as there is even the slightest chance to save lives".

"Dozens of people were rescued from the rubble, including six children. We are fighting for every person!" Zelenskiy said in an overnight televised address.

Zelenskiy, speaking later in his nightly video address, said the Dnipro attack underscored the need to speed up decisions on arms supplies and "coordinate all the efforts of the coalition defending Ukraine and freedom." He expects key decisions by Ukraine's allies when they meet in Germany later this week, he added.

Dnipro was in mourning on Monday.

A serviceman in uniform laid flowers and sobbed, clutching his head in grief next to an impromptu shrine to the dead at a bus stop across the street from a gaping hole where the apartment block had stood.

The missile flattened all nine storeys in a section of the long concrete housing unit. Rescue workers shovelled through debris more than 48 hours after the attack, according to Reuters.

"We all live in buildings like this one and we all imagine what if it happened to us. It is awful," said Polina, 28, a resident of the neighbourhood.

Russia, which since October has been conducting large scale strikes on Ukrainian cities mainly targeting power generation infrastructure, said it was not to blame for the destruction in Dnipro as it was caused by Ukrainian air defences. Kyiv says the apartment building was hit by a Russian ship-to-ship missile, a type that Ukraine does not have the capability to shoot down.

At least 40 people were killed in the attack with 30 still unaccounted for, city official Gennadiy Korban said. He said 75 people were wounded, including 14 children, Reuters reported.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the Dnipro strike., a U.N. spokesperson said. "Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They must end immediately," the spokesperson said.

Peru’s government late on January 14 declared a state of emergency in the capital Lima and three other regions due to protests against President Dina Boluarte that have claimed at least 42 lives in recent weeks, AFP reported. The measure, in force for 30 days, authorises the army to intervene to maintain order and suspends several constitutional rights such as freedom of movement and assembly, according to a decree published in the official gazette. In addition to the capital, the state of emergency covers the regions of Cusco and Puno and the port of Callao, adjacent to Lima.

A key task of the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government is to revive the country's economy. Due to various internal and external challenges, the country's economy is in a bad shape. In this context Robin Poudel of Annapurna Post spoke with senior economist Dilliraj Khanal about the challenges that country is facing.  The appointment of a new finance minister seems to have improved relations between the central bank and the finance ministry. How do you see this synergy? We need to understand that development and economy is dependent on politics. The budget proposed by the finance ministry is a political document and the decisions made at the government level have a direct impact on the economy and society as a whole. It is essential for there to be a strong relationship between these two bodies that bring two different policies for development, livelihood, industry, business, economy and monetary policy. The relationship between the central bank and the finance ministry is vital for the effective management of the economy. Political decisions must be made with the goal of maintaining stability for the public, businesses, and the overall economic environment. Coordination between these two bodies is essential in order to develop coherent policies that address the needs of all stakeholders. In the past, a lack of coordination between the central bank and the finance ministry led to problems in the financial policy. Monetary policy was often implemented unilaterally, which created negative impacts on the private sector and people's standard of living. The current synergy between the two bodies is crucial for addressing these issues and ensuring that the needs of the public and private sectors are met. It is believed that the revision of the working capital loan guidelines is the outcome of this synergy. Is the government trying to disseminate the message that it is becoming private-sector friendly? An increase in private-sector investment leads to an increase in production and job creation, which ultimately benefits the public. Coordination between the central bank and the finance ministry is crucial in order to strengthen the supply system and improve the standard of living for the general population. The recent revision of working capital loan guidelines in coordination with the Prime Minister is a positive step, although it may have come late. The central bank had previously expressed concern about the fragility of the economy, but with the formation of the new government, the central bank seems to have changed its tone. How correct is the central bank's statement that the economy is returning to normalcy? Imports have decreased due to restrictions, while remittances have improved. The balance of payment (BoP) situation is becoming favorable with the foreign exchange position. The central bank seems to have said that the economy is returning to normalcy based on this situation. But I don't think so. Even now, the economy is facing a crisis. Interest rates are high, and so is the cost of production. Without investment, production does not increase. The economy is facing a crisis, as evidenced by a number of factors. The revenue is not sufficient to cover current expenses and capital expenditure is only at 11%. Inflation is out of control and non-productive expenditure is high, further exacerbating the problem. The private sector is agitated and there is no return on investment, leading to a lack of employment opportunities and a decline in exports. Agriculture and industry are in disarray, and a large amount of money is being spent on education. All of these factors indicate that the economy is in a precarious state. I don’t agree that the economy is returning to normalcy. However, there are glimmers of hope as power generation is increasing and tourist arrivals are picking up. The government is said to be in a situation to borrow money to pay the salary of its staffers. How can this situation be tackled? Lately, I have been criticizing monetary policy as being one-sided. Tight measures may have been necessary in the past to address a lack of liquidity, pressure on foreign exchange reserves, and high inflation. While these measures may have been necessary in specific circumstances, they have had a negative impact on the supply and investment side of the economy rather than the demand side. The central bank should have been more selective in its approach and taken into account the potential contraction of the economy along with the supply. This is a weakness of the fiscal policy rather than a monetary one. The government should have implemented policies to compensate for the negative effects of the tight monetary policy. It should have brought a policy to increase revenue, realizing that import restrictions would have an impact on revenue. It is positive that coordination between the central bank and the finance ministry has begun. Unproductive investments should be controlled in order to improve the economy. In the past, the government has allowed a limited number of households to invest indiscriminately and then implemented tight policies that have negatively impacted the entire economy. It is important for the government to play a coordinating role by creating an immediate action plan to redirect investments from unproductive sectors to productive ones by providing special facilities. Do you think there is a need for a supplementary budget? In order to provide relief to the private sector and improve the distressed economy, it is important to bring a supplementary budget. However, it would be counterproductive if the budget aims to increase liabilities, non-productive expenses, and allocates funds randomly. It is necessary to restructure the current budget and create a supplementary budget based on the election manifesto of the ruling party and the minimum common program of the government. The budget should also identify medium and long-term problems. However, it should be also noted that the current budget brought by the government for the current fiscal year has everything necessary to address the issues. Capital expenditure does not reach above 60% even after fund transfers, which raises questions about the quality of work being performed. There is a lack of accountability and transparency in the government's development projects, which is perpetuated by a rent-seeking tendency. This cycle affects the overall quality of development works. If the government wants to address these issues, a supplementary budget could be effective in bringing about the necessary changes. We are not in a position to mobilize revenue to meet even our expenses? What caused this situation? The import control policy has led to a decrease in revenue and shrinking demand, which has discouraged private sector investment. The private sector is talking about reducing production, as the purchasing power of people has decreased, and there is no demand for their production. This has led to a decrease in economic activity and a parallel economy has been created. Also, there is a high leakage of revenue, VAT has not been mobilized as per the production numbers. I think direct taxation has a great potential. Also, we have failed to bring expansionary activities in the tax net. The increasing possibility of Nepal being blacklisted for money laundering confirms the illegal business growth. Thus, we are headed for a contraction of the economy. All of these developments are encouraged by our fiscal policy. Was the import ban necessary? Selective restriction was fine. The decision to stop the import of non-essential goods was correct after continuous balance of payment deficits. We shouldn't have allowed such a deficit for a long time. Corrective policies should have been adopted to ensure that measures aimed at controlling one sector do not negatively impact others. While attempting to preserve foreign exchange reserves, the decrease in revenue should have been addressed by implementing policies to increase revenue. High interest rates and inflation have been a major concern for both ordinary citizens and businesses. The belief that high interest rates would curb inflation has not been effective in this case.

With Chinese cuisine, there’s a lot that can go terribly wrong. It’s packed with a lot of flavors and can be delicious. But one mistake, and it becomes inedible. But with Chinese Kitchen in Naxal, Kathmandu, you need not worry about that. Ajay Acharya, owner and chef, knows exactly what he is doing.  Acharya started Chinese Kitchen after working at restaurants in China for the past 20 years. He has received his training from a chef coach in China, and is well versed in the cuisine. The menu, which has around 70 dishes for you to choose from, reflects that. There are plenty of options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. And the food is as authentic as it could get as all the spices and sauces used come from China.  For appetizers, the Chinese Fruit Salad is a great one. It has lettuce, garlic, black bean sauce, and bantam eggs (eggs smaller than the standard size). The ingredients are tied together by the black bean sauce that has a hint of lemon. For those of you who would like to avoid eggs, you can opt for Broccoli and Ocean Root Salad. It’s a simple dish. It has raw broccoli with some sesame oil and salt, with slices of raw ocean roots, garlic, and black fungus mushrooms. The salads aren’t very filling but it prepares you for the main course. We highly recommend Lamb Chop for the main course. It’s basically roasted lamb ribs marinated in cumin powder. Its crispy texture is balanced by the special lamb sauce on the side. Some of you might find it a tad bit oily but we are sure no one will complain about its taste.  The Whole Fish Dish deserves a mention too. As the name suggests, this is a whole fish on a plate, cooked in Chinese hot sauce. The fish is well-cooked, juicy, and tender. Some might find it a little too spicy, but the dish is so good that you won’t be able to put down your fork.  The Dry Pot Chicken is also equally good. The presentation, we believe, adds to its flavor. It comes in a pot with chicken and veggies mixed together. The chicken is first fried in Chinese sauce and red wine. Then it’s mixed with capsicum, garlic, black fungus mushrooms and several spices to give it a burst of flavors. It’s hot and spicy, just what you might need on a chilly winter evening. It comes with a side of vegetables, pickled chili, and black fungus mushrooms marinated with sesame oil, vinegar, and Himalayan pink salt.  The food is really good at the Chinese Kitchen and the ambiance matches up as well—with serene indoor and outdoor seating areas. There are private rooms for large groups and a balcony area from where you can enjoy a nice view of the city while tucking into a fabulous meal.  Chef’s specials Lamb Chop  Whole Fish Dish  Dry Pot Chicken Location: Bhatbhateni, Naxal, Kathmandu  Meal for two: Rs 1,500 Card/online payment: Accepted  Contact: 01-4427055  Parking: Available Opening Hours: 10 am to 9.45 pm

I’m a 59-year-old woman with two children living abroad. My husband and I are both retired. Passing time daily is hard for us since we both have nothing to do, and with so much leisure time on our hands, we tend to overthink. We are constantly worried about what might happen if one of us dies, and the thought of losing someone so dear to me is horrifying. How can I deal with this feeling? Please help me.—PK Answered by Kapil Sharma, counseling psychologist, Nepal Institute of Mental Health I want you to know it’s common for people to have some level of anxiety about death. This is a normal part of the human experience. While some people are only mildly concerned about death, others might have a higher level of anxiety when thinking about it. You must figure out which category you fall into.  Healthy fear consists of some level of worry and sadness, but there is also a certain level of acceptance as death being a part of life. It motivates people to live a fulfilling life too. But when that fear becomes overpowering, so much so that it hinders your daily routine, constantly makes you imagine life without your loved ones, or leaves you with a sense of helplessness, that is when it becomes problematic. If you are unable to accept death as being a natural part of life, there are a few ways you can address it.  Start with figuring out why you are so scared. Fears like these don’t come out of the blue. Maybe you have lost someone in your life and you haven’t been able to move on. Or you might be very dependent on this one person in your life, like your husband. And to imagine life without him is difficult. Working out the reason behind your fear is one way to decipher its solution.  Making a list of the things or people you have lost in the past can be a helpful way to process your feelings. This will help you come to terms with the loss you faced. It can also be a way to reflect on your coping mechanisms, and understand what else you need to do in order to truly move on.  Talking to someone close to you is an extremely helpful way to get the support and understanding you need to come to terms with death. It can be your husband, your children, or a friend who truly understands you. Sometimes having our emotions validated can help a lot.  But then there will be times when you might feel they are unable to empathize with you. In that case, it’s best to talk to someone who has gone through a loss in their life, and shares the same sentiments about death as you do. Having someone truly understand how you are feeling will give you a sense of comfort. Realizing you aren’t alone in it can help you deal with your fears better. But I must say that acceptance is necessary. Accepting death as a part of life isn’t easy, but death is inevitable. You will not always have your loved ones around you, but what’s important is that you work on creating really good memories while they are alive.  Focus on the moments you spend with them rather than on what might happen when and if they are gone. Deciding what to do with the time you have with each other is up to you. So focus on things that you can do, rather than dwelling on something that you have no control over. If you still find yourself struggling to deal with your fear of death, it’s best to consult a therapist or counselors who can help you come to terms with it.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 41. 04 points to close at 2,149.39 points on Monday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 7. 89 points to close at 411. 25 points. A total of 14,482,959 unit shares of 252 companies were traded for Rs 5. 47 billion. Meanwhile, Kumari Dhanabriddhi Yojana was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 02 percent. Similarly, Gurans Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 9. 18 percent. At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 10 trillion.