Submit your Article

A person died and seven others were injured when an explosion took place at the Sagarmatha Oxygen Plant in the Patan Industrial Area of Lalitpur on Thursday.

The identity of the deceased is yet to be established.

Siddha Bikram Shah, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, said that the incident occurred while filling the oxygen.

The injured have been taken to the Patan Hospital for treatment, police said.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has addressed the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia 2022 through a video message on April 21.

In her address, the President expressed hope that the deliberations at the Forum would encourage countries to adopt the measures to control and prevent the pandemic as well as to attain economic recovery.

Underlining the important lesson drawn from the pandemic, the Rt. Hon. President stressed the need to invest in innovative and quality health education as well as in the development of health infrastructures, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

 She made a special appeal to the world community to come up with generous packages for the economic recovery of developing countries like Nepal.

Stressing the need to forge a partnership, collaboration, and mutual cooperation among states in order to overcome the global challenges facing the world, the President called for “Whole of Region” and “Whole of the World” approaches for the benefit of each and every country in the world.

President also highlighted the adverse impacts of climate change on the economy not least of mountainous and island countries and urged every country to implement its commitments to reduce carbon emissions to prevent global warming.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi clarified that Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points could not come into full operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at a press conference organized by the Chinese Embassy in the Capital on Thursday, she said that the trade between Nepal and China is going on from the same places. Nepal traders have been staging protests after China restricted Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points since the Covid-19 pandemic began. . The Chinese diplomat said that trade between China and India has increased amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka had also urged Chinese State Councilor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi to open the border points during his three-day visit to Nepal a few weeks ago. During the discussion, Minister Wang said that China is positive about opening all the border points, not only Rasuwagadhi.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi said that China is ready to provide any kind of assistance for the implementation of the BRI projects.

Speaking at a press conference organized by the Chinese Embassy in the Capital on Thursday, the ambassador opined that China is ready to provide all kinds of help for the implementation of the projects.

China has been expressing concern over Nepal's reluctance to implement the BRI projects.

On the occasion, she expressed her confidence that the BRI projects will benefit both Nepal and China.

During his visit to Nepal a few weeks ago, Chinese State Councilor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi had expressed his concern over the delay in taking the BRI projects ahead.

He had told the senior leaders of major political parties of Nepal that China was eager to implement the BRI projects.

Nepal signed a framework agreement on the BRI on May 12, 2017.

Under the BRI projects, China will construct Kathmandu-Kerung railway, Ratmate-Kerung 400 KV transmission line, Koshi-Gandaki-Karnali economic corridor and Madan Bhandari technical school among others in Nepal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the BRI in 2013 with a plan to expand links between Asia, Africa and Europe.

Police have arrested a man, who had been on the run after trafficking two women to India and selling them to a brothel, after 33 years.

The detainee has been identified as Bishnu Bahadur Thapa (57) of Thori Rural Municipality-9, Parsa and currently residing in Katari Municipality-3, Udayapur.

DSP Om Prakash Khanal, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Parsa said that a team deployed from the District Police Office, Parsa arrested Thapa from Katari where he had been in the area for the past few months.

According to DSP Khanal, Thapa took two women of Thori, Parsa to India on the pretext of providing decent jobs and sold them to a brothel in 1989. He had been absconding since then.

DSP Khanal said that a team from the District Police Office apprehended Thapa acting on a tip-off.

He said that Thapa will be presented before the Parsa District Court on Thursday and will be sent to the Birgunj Jail to do the time.

It’s still advantage Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

Three second-half goals earned City a 3-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday, lifting Pep Guardiola’s team back into first place after being ousted — only for 24 hours as it turned out — by title rival Liverpool, Associated Press reported.

Anxiety was sweeping around Etihad Stadium, with the groans becoming more audible as City’s players struggled to make their dominance count in the early stages of the second half.

The home fans needn’t have worried. Riyad Mahrez broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute in slightly fortuitous circumstances, with his shot ricocheting off Brighton defender Joel Veltman and over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Another deflection, this time off Phil Foden’s long-range shot, made it 2-0 in the 65th and Bernardo Silva added a third in the 82nd after City picked off the visitors as they tried to play the ball out from the back.

City can retain its title by winning its remaining six games, the next being against relegation-threatened Watford at home on Saturday. Liverpool, which is one point behind, hosts Everton the following day.

“We know what we have to do,” Guardiola said. “If we drop two points, Liverpool will be champions.”

It didn’t escape the meticulous Guardiola that the victory assured City a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League next season. That was a given, though, according to the Associated Press.

There were also a couple of injuries that might prove telling for City with the important fixtures coming thick and fast in the final weeks, including a pair of games against Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals.

Both were in defense, with Nathan Ake going off with a twisted ankle — to be replaced by Ruben Dias for his first appearance in seven weeks after injury — and John Stones also coming off with muscle tightness, Associated Press reported.

Delhi Capitals beat Punjab Kings by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday, The Indian Express reported. 

Punjab were all out for 115 after being put in to bat. Jitesh Sharma top scored for Punjab with 32 off 23 balls. Delhi spinners enjoyed their time in the middle with Kuldeep Yadav, Lalit Yaav and Axar Patel taking two wickets each.

Delhi raced to victory in 10.3 overs after Prithvi Shaw (41 off 20 balls) and David Warner (60 not out off 30 balls) shared 83 runs for the opening wicket, according to The Indian Express.

The game was in doubt with Delhi reporting sixth COVID case in their camp but the BCCI decided to go ahead with after players returning negative tests following two rounds of testing in the morning.

India will give Sri Lanka an additional $500 million in financial assistance to buy fuel, the troubled island nation's foreign minister told reporters Wednesday, adding that Bangladesh was also willing to postpone $450 million in swap repayments to ease Colombo's burden, BBC reported.

"Assistance by the IMF will take about six months to come to us and it will come in tranches," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL Peiris was quoted by Reuters. "During the intervening period, we need to find funds to keep our people supplied with essentials."

This will be the second $500 million India has provided in fuel credit to a Sri Lanka government battling the country's worst financial crisis in living memory.

The first line of credit was used up earlier this month after a shipment of 120,000 tons of diesel and 40,000 tons of petrol. 

So far India has provided nearly 400,000 tons of fuel.

Massive protests broke out on Tuesday after fuel reserves ran low.

Thousands of angry motorists burned tyres and blocked a major road leading into capital Colombo, news agency AFP reported citing police and local officials, according to BBC.

The protests came after the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation raised the price of 92 octane to LKR 338 per litre - an increase of LKR 84, PTI reported.

That was the CPC's second price hike this month. On Monday the Lankan Indian oil company yesterday hiked its prices for a fifth time in six months.

India, meanwhile, has also extended two credit lines worth over $2 billion to help buy food - rice has already been sent - medicines and other essentials.

India on Tuesday also urged the IMF, or International Monetary Fund, to urgently provide financial assistance to Sri Lanka. 

This was as finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman met IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva on the margins of the IMF-World Bank spring meeting in the US.

Georgieva lauded the help extended by India to its neighbours and other vulnerable economies, especially the assistance provided to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka had sought India's help in garnering international support to secure bridge financing as it enters negotiations with the IMF for a bailout deal, BBC reported.

This week there were also talks on linking electricity grids, Reuters said. This has been seen as a step to help Delhi reduce China's influence over Sri Lanka.

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka last week defaulted on its external debt - reported at over $51 billion. Officials said foreign debt payments were temporarily suspended to avoid a hard default and conserve limited reserves to import essential items, according to BBC.