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Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma and Indian ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava held a meeting at the Bhadrakali-based Jungiadda on Friday.

During the meeting, the duo discussed issues of mutual interest among others, read a statement issued by the Nepal Army.

Nepal Army said that this kind of meeting will help further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries.

After assuming office, ambassador Srivastava has already paid courtesy calls on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka and leaders of major political parties.

Japan’s NHK television says former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot during a campaign speech, Associated Press reported.

Abe was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech Friday in Nara in western Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital.

The 67-year-old Abe was Japan’s longest-serving leader before stepping down for health reasons in 2020, according to Associated Press.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked people in a country known as one of the world’s safest.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 34. 70 points to close at 1,992.62 points on Friday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 5. 60 points to close at 379. 89 points.

A total of 3,063,476 units of the shares of 217 companies were traded for Rs 1. 16 billion.

Meanwhile, Global IME Samunnat Scheme was the top gainer today with its price surging by 2. 82 percent. Likewise, Himalaya Urja Bikas Company Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 5. 44 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalisation stood at Rs 2. 84 trillion.

Xiaomi has been maintaining its position as the top smartphone company in Nepal for seven quarters in a row. Along with Redmi Note 11 being the most shipped smartphone in Nepal, Redmi 10 Prime 2022 and Redmi 9A have successfully positioned themselves in the top three spots of four most shipped smartphones in the first quarter of 2022. With their success, the Pro flagship model of these devices has also been released in Nepal. In this context, ApEx speaks to Amit Kumar Panda, Xiaomi’s country general manager.

How do you feel about Xiaomi’s success in Nepal within a short time?

At Xiaomi, our mission is to let everyone enjoy a better life through innovative technology. We are focused on bringing the best-in-class technology at honest prices. We believe this philosophy has resonated very well with Mi consumers in Nepal and has resulted in the rapid growth of our brand in the market. We climbed to the top spot in the market in the first quarter of 2020 and we are still the top brand as of today. We are thankful to our consumers in Nepal. It has been an amazing journey to date. 

Xiaomi 12X falls in the most affordable flagship category. Can you tell us more about this model?

Our flagship lineup has always brought cutting-edge innovation at the best value. Xiaomi 12X is another leap towards that promise. The Xiaomi 12X can be referred to as a true cinematography and entertainment powerhouse. It combines Qualcomm Snapdragon’s most efficient flagship processing power with a vivid AMOLED Dot Display, pro-grade 50MP cameras, and a 4500mAh battery, the highest density battery in Xiaomi’s history. And all of this power is housed in its premium iconic design at the most affordable price.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro features a WQHD+ resolution display. Is it practical in real life?

Definitely! With more than 68bn colors on the 419 PPI display, the WQHD+ display ensures details beyond the human eye. The display is a 6.28-inch AMOLED Dot Display rated A+ by DisplayMate. With HDR 10+ support, it features a 120Hz Adaptive Sync display giving life-like realism to your pictures and a smooth flicker-free phone browsing experience. Practicality at its best.

The Xiaomi 12 series is being promoted with the hashtag ‘MasterEveryScene’. What does that mean?

It simply means that the Xiaomi 12 series enables creative expression without limits by mastering every aspect of the smartphone experience. It is a master of design, exquisite and silky smooth to the touch, and lightweight to grip. With a triple array camera module, it empowers its owners to shoot like a master. It houses a massive 50MP main Sony IMX camera sensor accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle camera and a tele-macro camera, helping fans capture memories from any perspective. Xiaomi’s new AI Algorithm and imaging technology take it to the next level. Xiaomi Pro Focus brings motion tracking in an 8K algorithm allowing users to capture moving objects more clearly. 

Similarly, the Snapdragon processors are a master of performance, delivering faster speed than ever before. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor on the Xiaomi 12 boosts CPU performance by 20 percent and renders graphics 30 percent faster. The flagship Snapdragon 870 chip on the Xiaomi 12X, meanwhile, powers a smooth everyday usage. It also features vapor chamber liquid cooling helping the processor stay cool. The series also enables 67W fast charging with 50W wireless charging on the Xiaomi 12. 

In which particular area is the Xiaomi 12 series most suitable? Photography or any other key area?

As mentioned earlier, the Xiaomi 12 series masters every scene. The series is suitable for all customers wanting high power and performance in any area. Photographers and cinematographers can capture memories with cinema-grade videos and studio-quality pictures. Gamers can harness the power of the processors without worrying about power, speed, or cooling issues. The vivid display and immersive sound unit provide an exceptional entertainment experience. Productivity is at its smoothest. So, photography is certainly a key area where the all-new flagship Xiaomi series shines, but it is also a premium experience for the consumers who want everything in one.

What are Xiaomi’s focus areas in the Nepal market? How is it different from other markets?

Xiaomi has always been for consumers and tech enthusiasts. While being the top smartphone brand in Nepal, our focus area extends beyond the smartphone realm. Aiming to bring technological transformation to the lives of our users, Xiaomi has recently launched smartphone peripherals like the Redmi Smart Band Pro and Xiaomi Watch S1 Active and smart appliances, including Mi Home Security Camera 360 and Mi TVs.

We are highly encouraged by the love that we have received and from the enthusiasm towards adopting tech in lifestyles. Inspired by this growth, we have planned to launch many other products in the Xiaomi ecosystem soon.

A person died while other sustained injuries when a bike they were riding on met with an accident at Gaurigama in Mahottari Rural Municipality-5, Mahottari on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Mukesh Mandal (30) of Mahottari Rural Municipality-6. 

Critically injured in the incident, Mandal breathed his last during the course of treatment at the Provincial Hospital in Jaleshwor at around 3 am today. 

Pillion rider Anil Kumar Mandal, who was injured in the incident, is undergoing treatment at the same hospital.

The accident occurred when the rider lost control of the bike (Ja 11 Pa 1723) heading towards Balbat from Madai last night. 

Police said that they are looking into the case.

At least nine people died, and about five are trapped after a car was washed away by the Dhela river in Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar area in Nainital district on Friday morning. One girl has been rescued so far, news agency ANI reported.

The incident occurred after a heavy flow of water was induced by rains early on Friday, Anand Bharan, DIG of Kumaon Range, was quoted as saying.

In Sri Lanka right now, before you've woken up, you're losing. 

Power cuts that run late into the sweltering nights steal hours of sleep as the fans cease; whole families waking up sapped from the months-long trial of shuffling their lives around daily blackouts after the country went bankrupt and essentially ran out of fuel, BBC reported.

There are long days to be lived; work days, errands to be run, daily essentials to be bought at twice the price they had been last month. 

All this, you're starting a little more broken than you were last week.

Once you've had breakfast - eating less than you used to, or perhaps nothing at all - the battle to find transport beckons.

In the cities, fuel queues curl around entire suburbs like gargantuan metal pythons, growing longer and fatter by the day, choking roads and crushing livelihoods. 

Tuk-tuk drivers with their eight-litre tanks are forced to spend days lining up before they can run hires again, for 48 hours perhaps, before they are forced to rejoin the queue, bringing pillows, changes of clothes and water to see them through the ordeal.

For a while, middle- and upper-class folk had brought meal packets and soft drinks for those queuing in their neighbourhoods. 

Lately, the cost of food, of cooking gas, of clothes, transport, and even what electricity the state will allow you to have, has sky-rocketed so egregiously as the rupee's value plummeted, that even largesse from the moneyed has been in short supply, according to BBC.

In working-class neighbourhoods, families have begun to band together around wood fire stoves, to prepare the simplest of meals - rice, and coconut sambol. 

Even dhal, a staple of the diet all over South Asia, has become a luxury. Meat? At three times the price it used to be? Forget it. 

Fresh fish was once abundant and affordable. Now, boats can't go out to sea, because there is no diesel. The fishermen that can go out sell their catch at vastly inflated rates to hotels and restaurants out of reach to most, BBC reported.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights, BBC reported.

Chauvin, 46, pleaded guilty to the separate federal civil rights charges in December.

He is already serving a 22-year state prison sentence for the on-duty murder of Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old black man.

The two sentences will run concurrently and Chauvin will now be moved to a federal prison.

But he will almost certainly spend more time behind bars following the sentencing. His sentence is due to be followed by five years of supervised release.

"George's life matters," Mr Floyd's brother, Philonese, said in court on Thursday as he asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 25 years.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted on murder and manslaughter charges in Minnesota for kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

The killing - captured on a bystander's phone camera - sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force, according to BBC.

The federal charges against Chauvin included two counts for depriving Mr Floyd of his rights by kneeling on his neck as he was in handcuffs, and by failing to provide medical care during the May 2020 arrest.

As part of the plea agreement, Chauvin also pleaded guilty to violating the rights of a then-14-year-old boy during another arrest that took place in 2017. 

According to the indictment, Chauvin held the boy by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee on the boy's neck and upper back while he was handcuffed and not resisting. Like Mr Floyd, the boy was black. 

Prosecutors said that unreleased bodycam footage showed Chauvin kneeling on the boy's back for 17 minutes while he cried out for his mother. 

When Chauvin pleaded guilty, prosecutors asked that he serve his sentence concurrently with his murder sentence. He had been facing life in prison if we were to be convicted at a second criminal trial. 

In court on Thursday, his lawyer requested a sentence of 20 years, saying that he showed respect for the legal process during his trial and is not at risk of repeating his offenses. 

Addressing the court for what is likely to be his final legal hearing for years, Chauvin said that the judge had a difficult decision, given the "politically charged environment," and recognised that the court strives for fairness. 

Addressing Mr Floyd's children, some of whom were present in court, Chauvin said that he wishes them "all the best in their life" and that they have "excellent guidance in becoming good adults". He did not apologise, BBC reported.

"For your actions, you must be held accountable," Judge Paul Magnuson said before handing down the sentence.

He concluded the 35-minute hearing by wishing Chauvin "the very best in his future".