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Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Kikuta Yutaka paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation in Singha Durbar on Monday.

On this occasion, Ambassador Kikuta expressed his gratitude to Minister Bhusal for participating in the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit through video conference held in Kumamoto City, Japan on April 23-24, 2022, read a statement issued by the Embassy of Japan.

In addition, Ambassador Kikuta said that His Majesty the Emperor of Japan mentioned Nepal at the beginning as well as the ending of the commemorative keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the summit.

During the meeting, Ambassador Kikuta highlighted the importance of relationship between Japan and Nepal and mentioned the long history of bilateral cooperation, especially in the energy sector such as Kulekhani Hydropower Project form 1970s.

The ambassador also stated that the Government of Japan recently revised “Country Development Cooperation Policy for Nepal” and Japan would continue to support Nepal’s national achievement based on the major target of the Policy, “Assistance for a balanced and sustainable economic growth, aiming at Nepal’s graduation from the Least Developed Countries status," the statement read.

He indicated that Japan would continue to cooperate in areas such as social and economic infrastructure development including energy and water sector, human resource development, disaster prevention, and poverty reduction in line with the Policy.

Nepal logged eight new Covid-19 cases on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 693 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which six returned positive. Likewise, 1, 309 people underwent antigen tests, of which two were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 17 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 190 active cases in the country.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned amid mass protests at the government's handling of the economic crisis, officials say, BBC reported.

The move came as the island was placed under curfew after violent clashes between Rajapksa supporters and anti-government protesters in Colombo. 

At least 78 people have been injured in the violence in the capital, a local hospital says. 

There have been protests over soaring prices and power cuts since last month.

Mr Rajapaksa, 76, sent his resignation letter to his younger brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his spokesman said, according to BBC.

The island nation is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. 

The government has requested emergency financial help. Many Sri Lankans also want President Rajapaksa to go as well, BBC reported.

The government has announced a public holiday on May 13, the Election Day.

Issuing a statement, the Home Ministry announced a public holiday on May 13 as per the Cabinet decision, Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Mani Pokharel said.

He said that the government offices and public agencies across the country have also given a public holiday on that day.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 12. 27 points to close at 2, 268. 84 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index plunged by 3. 12 points to close at 439. 47 points.

Meanwhile, a total of 3, 324, 822 unit shares of 222 companies were traded for Rs 1. 39 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Hotels and Tourism, Development Bank, Life Insurance and Investment.

At the end of the day, total market capitalisation stood at Rs 3. 22 trillion.

The Election Commission has appealed to the private sector to grant a holiday on May 13.

Saying that all the people have the right to ensure their vote, the poll body urged to the private sector to grant a holiday on Election Day.

Similarly, the Commission has directed the parties and candidates to stop election campaigning during the silence period starting tomorrow.

Likewise, the EC urged the telecom companies  not to provide any SMS service for the campaigning.

Meanwhile, the Commission directed the chairman of Gorkhapatra National Daily and office bearers of Land Commission to furnish clarification within three days for violating the election code of conduct.

China's sea levels reached their highest on record last year, swelled by rising water temperatures and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps, the government said in a report, Reuters reported.

Coastal sea levels were 84 mm (3.3 inches) higher in 2021 than the average over the period from 1993 to 2011, the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center said in an annual bulletin.

Saturday's report warned that rising sea levels brought by climate change were having a "continuous impact" on the development of coastal regions, and urged authorities to improve monitoring and bolster early warning and prevention efforts.

The long-term effects of such rise include erosion of coastal ecoystems and the loss of tidal flats, while coastal cities face greater risks of floods and salt tides, said the centre, a research unit of the national resources ministry, according to Reuters.

Coastal sea levels around China have now risen by an average of 3.4 millimetres (0.13 inch) a year since 1980, higher than the global rate over the period.

Although the temperatures of China's coastal waters fell slightly in 2021 from the previous year, they were still the third highest on record and 0.84 degrees Celsius above the 1993-2011 average.

Last year, the environment ministry forecast a rise of another 55 mm to 170 mm (2 inches to 7 inches) in coastal water levels during the next 30 years, which would require a greater effort by China to protect its coastline.

Its east coast cities have begun making contingency plans against rising sea levels, with the commercial hub of Shanghai looking into building new drainage tunnels and tidal gates, Reuters reported.

An Indian climber died during a summit push on Mount Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, a hiking official said on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The death is the third to be reported on Nepal Himalayas during the current climbing season which started in March.

Narayanan Iyer, 52, died around 8,200 metres (26,900 feet, above sea level while trying to reach the 8,586 metre (28,169 feet) peak on Thursday, said Nivesh Karki, an official of the hiking company that organised the expedition.

"Iyer's guide advised him to turn back after he was feeling unwell but he refused," Karki said while confirming the death.

Last month a Greek climber and a Nepali Sherpa guide died on other peaks.

Mountain climbing is the main tourism activity and a key source of income as well as employment in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains including Mount Everest, according to Reuters.

More than 900 foreign mountaineers have received permits to climb 26 Himalayan peaks in Nepal, including Mount Everest, during the current season ending in May.