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Nepal reported 623 new Covid-19 cases on Friday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 621 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 246 returned positive. Likewise, 3, 324 people underwent antigen tests, of which 377 were tested positive. The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 487 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 5, 024 active cases in the country.

A Standing Committee meeting of the CPN (Maoist Center) held on Friday morning failed to finalize the names of the office bearers today also. Emerging from the meeting, party spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the meeting to be held on Saturday will finalize the names of the office bearers. The meeting held on Wednesday had finalized all the committees except the office bearers. It has been said that the names of Standing Committee members Dinanath Sharma, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Ganesh Shah, Pampha Bhusal and Haribol Gajurel have already been endorsed for the post of vice-chairperson. Leaders said that the names of Barshaman Pun, Janardan Sharma and Giriraj Mani Pokharel have almost been finalized for the post of deputy general secretary. Though Pun and Sharma have been claiming the post of general secretary, party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to appoint them as the deputy general secretary after the duo failed to reach consensus. The general convention of the party held on January 22 had endorsed the names of 236 central members.    

We Nepalis love our ‘dal-bhat’. Many of us have them everyday for our lunch and dinner and yet, we are never tired of it. We also know that the ‘Thakali dal-bhat’ is peer-less.  So, understandably, there are many Thakali restaurants around Kathmandu Valley. But how do you know which one’s the best, you say? Well, that’s an easy one to answer. Mantra Thakali in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, is the place to be if you want to experience a hearty Thakali ‘dal-bhat’ experience. The place is spacious with a common dining room for a large group and a decent parking space. But mind you, this restaurant is usually full, which is a testament to how good its meals are (yes, they do serve other food items here—and booze as well). If you are visiting in the evening or during lunch hours, expect the place to be crowded and be prepared to wait for a table to be empty. Making a reservation is always a good idea when visiting Mantra.  The restaurant’s interior has a cozy vibe with the table layout arranged to fit in the maximum number of clients. There is also a separate room away from the main restaurant floor, if you prefer a quieter ambience in which to enjoy your meal. Just as important, the staff members are attentive to your needs.   Talking about their food, Mantra is best known for its authentic Thakali Thali Set, which comes in mutton, chicken, and vegetarian options. For folks who want something extra to go alongside their Thali Set, order ‘Pork Achar’ or  ‘Mutton Khutti’. If you want to try starters before ordering a heavy meal, we recommend the Pork Fries, which have the right crunch and texture and taste heavenly.   Their Special  Thali Set Pork Achar Khutti Opening hours: 10:00am to 9:15pm Location: Jhamsikhel Meal for 2: Rs 2,000 Online/Card Payment: Accepted Reservations: 9805151599/5440368 Parking Space: Big 

It's not China but the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and the United States that are changing the status quo of the Taiwan Straits, and Beijing's countermeasures following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the Taiwan region are justifiably strong, and are not an overreaction as a "pretext" for a "new normal". The remarks were made by Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang when he met with a group of US media representatives in Washington on Tuesday, two weeks after Pelosi's provocative trip to Taiwan, which came despite strong opposition from China, ChinaDaily reported. While the visit seriously violated the one-China principle and the commitments made by the US, some in the US do not recognize and correct their mistakes but choose to "confound black with white and reverse the narrative, slinging mud at China", Qin said. Last week, US National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell claimed that China used the visit as a "pretext" to launch an intensified pressure campaign against Taiwan and to try to change the status quo. However, Qin said, "a basic fact is, the US side took the first step to provoke China on the Taiwan question. This has openly infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Beijing had made utmost efforts to prevent this crisis from being imposed on China, including expressing firm opposition at various levels and through various channels, and warning that if Pelosi made the visit, there would be very serious consequences and a firm and forceful response, Qin said. "To our regret, the United States chose not to listen," he said, and urged the US to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques. The joint communiques, including the August 17 Communique, constitute the political foundation for bilateral ties and are all based on the one-China principle, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday, which marked the 40th anniversary of the publication of the China-US Communique on US Arms Sales to Taiwan, commonly known as the August 17 Communique, according to ChinaDaily. "It was because ... the US recognized that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China ... that the two countries with different social systems and ideologies and at different development stages started dialogue and cooperation and achieved important outcomes that benefited both sides and the world at large," he said. However, the US has seriously violated the one-China principle by substantially relaxing restrictions on official exchanges with the Taiwan region, increasing military contact with the island and selling weapons to it on a larger scale and with enhanced capability. "The US must bear all the consequences for escalating tensions across the Taiwan Straits," Wang said. According to the spokesman, more than 170 countries have voiced their commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to the US' provocation. Among them are 20 heads of state, seven deputy or vice-heads of state, and nine heads of government. In another development, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday that the Chinese mainland's punitive measures on die-hard "Taiwan independence" separatists, including banning them from entering the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, are completely justified, reasonable and legitimate. Anyone who endangers national sovereignty, security and development interests cannot escape justice, Ma said, after the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan claimed that the sanctions announced on Tuesday are "null and void". Ma said that more necessary measures will be adopted to foil any attempt to split the country if the DPP authorities continue to support the provocations of die-hard "Taiwan independence" separatists, ChinaDaily reported.

North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, said on Friday, August 19, that South Korea’s president should “shut his mouth” after he reiterated that his country was willing to provide economic aid in return for nuclear disarmament, Reuters reported. Her comments mark the first time a senior North Korean official has commented directly on what South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called an “audacious” plan – first proposed in May and which he talked about again on Wednesday at a news conference to mark his first 100 days in office. “It would have been more favorable for his image to shut his mouth,” Kim Yo-jong said in a statement released by state news agency KCNA, calling Yoon “really simple and still childish” to think that he could trade economic cooperation for the North’s honor and nuclear weapons. “No one barters its destiny for corn cake,” she added. South Korea’s Unification Minister, who handles relations with the North, called Kim’s comments “very disrespectful and indecent.” While Yoon has said he is willing to provide phased economic aid to North Korea if it ended nuclear weapons development and began denuclearisation, he has also pushed to increase South Korea’s military deterrence against North Korea. South Korea has has resumed long-suspended joint drills with the United States, including major field exercises due to begin next week. On Wednesday a US State Department spokesman said Washington supports Yoon’s policies, but Kim said the joint drills show that the allies’ talk of diplomacy is insincere. “We make it clear that we will not sit face to face with him,” she said of Yoon. Experts say South’s latest economic plan is similar to proposals by previous leaders, including those during the summits between the then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, suggesting the North was unlikely to accept the offer, according to Reuters. “Yoon’s initiative adds to a long list of failed offers involving South Korean promises to provide economic benefits to North Korea…. These were the same assumptions that were behind a succession of failed efforts to jump-start denuclearization talks,” Scott Snyder, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said in a blog post on Thursday, August 18. North Korea test fired two cruise missiles into the sea on Wednesday, the first such test in two months. It came after the country declared victory over COVID-19 last week, Reuters reported.