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Nepal reported 21 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 025 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 14 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 603 people underwent antigen tests, of which seven were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 13 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 129 active cases in the country.

The Supreme Court has overturned its own previous decision to cut the life sentence of former DIG of Armed Police Force Ranjan Koirala.

A full bench of acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki and Justices duo Tanka Bahadur Moktan and Kumar Chudal on Thursday decided to give continuity to the decision of district and high courts to send him to life in prison and confiscate his property.

Earlier, suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana and Justice Tej Bahadur KC had issued a verdict to commute Koirala's sentence from life imprisonment to eight and a half years for murdering his wife Dhakal.

Koirala was released after serving eight and a half years prison terms on July 22, 2020.

The Kathmandu District Court handed down a life term to Koirala in January 2012 and the decision was upheld by the Patan High Court.

Koirala killed his wife Gita in February 2012. 

Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and will never allow any forces to use its territory for anti-China separatist activities, the Nepali side said during a virtual meeting with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao at the 14th round of China-Nepal diplomatic consultation held on Wednesday, Global Times reported.

China and Nepal are good neighbors and friends that help, respect and trust each other. In 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari visited each other and upgraded bilateral relations to a strategic partnership for mutual development and prosperity. 

As close neighbors and dear friends, China and Nepal should promote their traditional friendship and stand firm in supporting each other, Wu said. He said that the two sides should deepen cooperation on epidemic prevention, build the Belt & Road Initiative with high quality, and maintain close communication in various fields. 

For his part, Foreign Secretary of Nepal Bharat Raj Paudyal said that Nepal attaches great importance to its ties with China, and expressed satisfaction and confidence for bilateral development. 

Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle, Paudyal noted, and will never allow any forces to use its territory for anti-China separatist activities. Nepal will actively participate in the Belt & Road Initiative, strengthen communications on multiple levels and coordinate with China on regional and international affairs, according to Global Times.

The two sides also exchanged ideas on the cooperation and plans in the fields of future trade and investment, interconnection, law enforcement and security and humanistic exchanges.

In March, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a visit to Kathmandu, the highest-level visit by a Chinese delegation since Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba assumed office in July 2021. The visit also came after Nepal's ratification of a $500 million grant from the US through the MCC agreement.  

During his visit, Wang said China believes the affairs of Nepal should be decided by its people, and China opposes any attempt to undermine Nepal's sovereignty and independence, interfere in its internal affairs and engage in geopolitical games in the country.

In February, BBC reported that "a Nepalese government report leaked to the BBC accuses China of encroaching into Nepal along the two countries' shared border" in the district of Humla, in the far west of Nepal, Global Times reported.

However, the Global Times found that the claims had been raised since 2020, and have been repeatedly refuted by the Nepali Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Observers said the BBC's report raised suspicions that its motives match "Tibetan independence" secession forces, and was part of a smear campaign against China amid applause for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, Global Times reported.

The Supreme Court has directed the government not to construct an international airport in Nijgadh of Bara.

A five-member bench of Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Prakash Man Singh Raut and Manoj Kumar Sharma on Thursday scrapped the decision of the government to construct an international airport in Nijgadh.

The apex court also directed the government to find an alternative of Nijgadh.

Earlier, senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma and Ranjuhajur Pandey among others filed a writ petition at the Supreme seeking annulment of the government decision to construct the airport by cutting down trees and using concrete at the proposed construction site of an international airport in Nijgadh.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 8. 03 points to close at 2,239.60 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index plunged by 1.39 points to close at 436. 47 points.

Meanwhile, a total of 2,324,665 unit shares of 222 companies were traded for Rs 8. 89 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except from Hotel and Tourism, Development Bank, Hydropower, Finance and Others.

Meanwhile, Mega Bank Nepal Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Gurans Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 5. 47 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalisation stood at Rs 3. 18 trillion.

The main opposition CPN-UML has objected to US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, who is also the special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya’s visit to the Tibetan refugee camp in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur.

Taking part in the discussion over the policy and programs of the government in the Federal Parliament on Thursday, the main opposition party leader and party Chairman KP Sharma Oli expressed his dissatisfaction for allowing the US Under Secretary of State to visit the Tibetan refugee camp.

She visited the Tibetan refugee camp in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur on May 21. Later that day she also went to Kathmandu’s Boudha, home to a large number of Tibetan refugees.

US Under Secretary of State Zeya was taken to the refugee camp with police escorting by security forces.

“This government does not care about the national interest. This government has violated Nepal's established norms by letting US official to visit Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal. This government has become weak,” he said.

Also Read: US engagement with Nepal’s Tibetan refugees infuriating China

“Who allowed the US official to visit the Tibetan refugee camp? Is this the neutrality and national independent foreign policy envisioned by the constitution?” he questioned.

He said that the government is not committed to the One-China policy.

“The government gets a fever when a foreigner comes to Nepal. How can sovereignty be protected?” he questioned.

Some political leaders, ex-diplomats, and bureaucrats criticized the government for allowing her to see Tibetan refugees, saying that it violated Nepal’s One-China policy.

Query

Sometimes I get sudden anxious fits, and lately this has been getting worse. When I remember that I have work to do and have no time to waste, I panic and remain frozen for hours. What should I do? -P.R. 

Answered by Dr Rishav Koirala, Psychiatrist and Researcher

From what you have mentioned in your question, it sounds like you are having episodes of anxiety that escalate into panic attacks, which explains you not being able to move from one place for hours. But this alone does not give the entire picture of the problem. It is necessary to consider various factors that can contribute to these episodes. 

It is essential to ask, “What other symptoms do you have?”, “When do you get these episodes?”, “How often does this occur?”, “What are the triggering factors?”, “What is your coping mechanism?” etc. 

Figuring all of this out will require an evaluation of your mental state and of other factors that might have contributed to these issues. 

We can give you a proper diagnosis only after we figure out answers to these questions through a rigorous evaluation. It is always important to find out the root cause. 

Once we have the diagnosis, we can proceed towards possible solutions, be it in the form of medication or psychological therapy. In the end, I would like to assure you that there is a solution for whatever you are going through right now.

For the time being, I suggest that you avoid caffeine and alcohol, and maintain a strict sleep cycle as well as a healthy lifestyle. Taking these steps may help you to an extent.

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has claimed that his party can join the government anytime soon as it is a strong opposition.

Discussing the policy and programs recently unveiled by the government at the Federal Parliament on Thursday, the former Prime Minister said that the opposition party will always be in the government in waiting.

“UML is not just the government in waiting in principle, UML is the government in waiting in the real sense,” he said.

Chairman Oli made it clear that the UML was not a party that came to power after the multi-party system but a party that came from the struggle.

He accused the ruling coalition of misusing state mechanisms in the local level elections to defeat the UML.

Leader Oli said that the government’s foreign policy has become weak.

The party Chairman claimed that the policy and programs came as a manifesto of instability.

He claimed that this document was prepared by external forces to push the country towards crisis.