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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 13.37 points to close at 2, 357. 24 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index increased by 3. 61 points to close at 447. 76 points.

Meanwhile, a total of 3,213, 195 unit shares of 229 companies were traded for Rs 1. 32 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green. Non Life Insurance topped the chart with 62. 44 points.

Meanwhile, NESDO Sambridha Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalisation stood at Rs 3. 53 trillion.

The Immigration Office has scrapped the provision for the tourists traveling to Nepal to carry $200 in cash to pay for their on-arrival visa at the Tribhuvan International Airport for now.

The office had issued a notice a few days ago urging the travelers to carry $200 in cash with them for the on-arrival visa.

The TIA office said that the provision has been scrapped for now following widespread criticism.

General Manager at the TIA Premnath Thakur said that the work of installing the ATM of machine Rastriya Banijaya Bank in the Immigration Office of the airport has already been started and the provision for the travelers to carry cash for on-arrival has been scrapped for now.

For many leaders, mounting public anger and a rapidly worsening economic outlook would be cause for worry and a policy rethink.

But Chinese President Xi Jinping, who doubtless would prefer smoother sailing in the run-up to a third leadership term, is doubling down on a signature “dynamic zero” COVID-19 policy that has been increasingly tested by the more infectious Omicron variant, Reuters reported.

Xi’s high-profile reiteration of the policy, made last week during a visit to the southern island of Hainan that capped days of state-media support for it, reflects a political imperative not to reverse course and look weak in a year in which he needs to appear strong, analysts said.

It also points to the absence of attractive alternatives, beyond tweaks and refinements, given the lack of herd immunity and a shaky healthcare system in China, which until recently kept COVID at bay after fumbling the outbreak when it first emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan city .

China has also made much of the dangers of COVID and how it has ravaged populations elsewhere, and changing course would require an awkward reversal of messaging to a public conditioned to view the coronavirus with horror, according to Reuters.

“Persevering in China’s own answers to shocks, rather than import answers found by the West, seems to be his thinking,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis.

“This includes ‘dynamic zero COVID’ policy versus the Western approach of pursuing herd immunity,” she said.

Xi’s loyalty to the policy, despite widespread public anger with it, also reflects the security of his position in the absence of internal opposition as he strides towards a precedent-breaking third term at this autumn’s once-in-five-years Communist Party conclave.

“Looking at the number of people from across different backgrounds who spoke up and the intensity of their expression, this has been the most massive public display of anger since Xi came to power in 2012,” said Yang Chaohui, a political science lecturer at the prestigious Peking University.

“But the public discontent is fragmented and doesn’t amount to a momentum that can impact Xi,” he said, Reuters reported.

CURE WORSE THAN DISEASE?

China’s COVID policy, under which every infected person, symptomatic or not, has to go into quarantine, long had public support but now faces pushback from fed-up residents and businesses in Shanghai and elsewhere who argue that the costs are starting to outweigh the benefits , especially as most cases are without symptoms.

While Shanghai had until this week not reported any deaths from COVID-19 during its recent outbreak, numerous social media users have posted stories of people who perished from other causes during the city’s lockdown. Consumption, supply chains and employment have been battered.

Many people, including the well-off who are accustomed to international travel but have been grounded by two years of nearly closed borders, have grown increasingly exasperated with zero-COVID as other countries try to live with the virus, according to Reuters.

But while Shanghai residents have vented frustration online and scuffled with officials, curbs on movement, state control of media, censorship and the speed with which China quashes protests means such outcry is unable to gain traction.

“The CCP leadership has decided for a long time to keep Xi as number one,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan at Hong Kong Baptist University, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

“Xi and his faction will find any kind of reasons or excuses to protect him and put the blame of any weakness or mistake on lower-level officials,” he said.

Unlike in democracies, where public discontent manifests itself in opinion polls and votes, it poses a danger to leaders in authoritarian regimes only when leveraged by an opponent, said Chen Daoyin, a former associate professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and now a commentator based in Chile.

“Since Xi has already removed all viable opponents, the public anger now can’t do much to him,” he said, according to Reuters.

The original COVID outbreak in Wuhan, which sparked fear and online protest, ended up doing little political damage to Xi, with the government ultimately spinning its response as a win.

Many lower-level officials fared less well, which partly explains the speed with which cities now impose COVID restrictions.

Before Shanghai’s outbreak, its party chief, Li Qiang, was widely expected to be promoted to the highest power echelon, the Politburo Standing Committee, where he would be a key ally for Xi in his third term.

“If Li gets punished for the Shanghai outbreak, it could mess up Xi’s planned lineup for the party’s next generation leadership,” said Chen.

While city-level officials elsewhere have been fired or censured after outbreaks, only very low-level officials in Shanghai have been punished.

“If the Shanghai situation clears up within a month, both Xi and Li could still get what they want,” Chen said, Reuters reported.

Sri Lanka has requested the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for rapid financial assistance and the global lender could consider it after initial reluctance, an aide to thecountry's finance minister said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Protests have erupted in the island nation as it battles a devastating financial crisis brought by the effects of COVID-19, mismanaged government finances and rising prices of fuel that have sapped foreign reserves.

A delegation headed by Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Ali Sabry kicked off formal talks with the IMF in Washington on Monday for a programme the government hopes will help top up its reserves and attract bridge financing to pay for essential imports of fuel, food and medicines, according to Reuters.

"The (foreign minister) made a request for a Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to mitigate the current supply chain issues, yet initially IMF of the view that it doesn't meet their criteria," Sabry's aide Shamir Zavahir said on Twitter.

"However, India subsequently made representations on an RFI for (Sri Lanka) as well and IMF may consider this request due to the unique circumstances."

Sri Lanka is seeking $3 billion in the coming months from multiple sources including the IMF, the World Bank and India to stave off the crisis, Sabry told Reuters earlier this month.

Last week, the country's central bank said it was suspending repayment on some of its foreign debt pending a restructure, according to Reuters.

In the commercial capital Colombo, protests demanding the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have dragged on for more than a week.

A group of US Democratic lawmakers including four senators and a House member is arriving in Nepal on Friday.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) announced the trip in an email Sunday evening, but said additional details on the schedule could not be released due to security concerns, The Hill, an American new site reported. 

Other senators making the trip with Kelly are Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-MA), along with Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), the lone House member. 

They are on a nine-day trip to Poland, Germany, India, the United Arab Emirates and Nepal to rally support for Ukraine.

“This strong congressional delegation will have the opportunity to meet with US military leadership and troops in Poland in order to learn how the US can continue to support Ukraine and our NATO allies against Russia’s unprovoked and unwarranted war,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

Nepal is among the few Asian countries that have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, deviating from its policy of international neutrality.

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldoand his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, announced on social media Monday their baby son has died, CNN reported.

Ronaldo and Rodriguez said, "It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel."

The Manchester United and Portugal star had announced in October he and Rodriguez were expecting twins. In December, they announced they were expecting a boy and a girl.

Ronaldo and Rodriguez wrote Monday on social media, "Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support. We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time, according to CNN.

"Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you."

Manchester United tweeted their support for the grieving football player: "Your pain is our pain, @Cristiano Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time."

A tweet from the English Premier League reads: "The thoughts and condolences of everyone at the Premier League are with you and your family, Cristiano."

Ronaldo's first child with Rodriguez, Alana Martina, was born in November 2017. He is also father to fraternal twins Eva and Mateo, whom he welcomed via a surrogate in June 2017. The doting dad also shares his son, Cristiano Jr., 11, with a former partner who has never been publicly named, CNN reported.

Sri Lanka's president acknowledged Monday that he made mistakes that led to the country's worst economic crisis in decades and pledged to correct them, India today reported.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the admission while speaking to 17 new Cabinet ministers he appointed Monday as he and his powerful family seek to resolve a political crisis resulting from the country's dire economic state.

Sri Lanka is on the brink of bankruptcy, with nearly USD 7 billion of its total USD 25 billion in foreign debt due for repayment this year. A severe shortage of foreign exchange means the country lacks money to buy imported goods.

People have endured months of shortages of essentials like food, cooking gas, fuel and medicine, lining up for hours to buy the very limited stocks available.

“During the last two and a half years we have had vast challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the debt burden, and some mistakes on our part,” Rajapaksa said, according to India today.

“They need to be rectified. We have to correct them and move forward. We need to regain the trust of the people.”

He said the government should have approached the International Monetary Fund early on for help in facing the impending debt crisis and should not have banned chemical fertilizer in an attempt to make Sri Lankan agriculture fully organic. Critics say the ban on imported fertilizer was aimed at conserving the country's declining foreign exchange holdings and badly hurt farmers.

The government is also blamed for taking out large loans for infrastructure projects which have not brought in any money.

“Today, people are under immense pressure due to this economic crisis. I deeply regret this situation," Rajapaksa said, adding that the pain, discomfort and anger displayed by people forced to wait in long lines to get essential items at high prices is justified.

The Cabinet appointments follow weeks of protests over shortages of fuel and food and demands that Rajapaksa, his politically powerful family and his government resign.

Much public anger has been directed at Rajapaksa and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. They head an influential clan that has held power for most of the past two decades, India today reported.

Thousands of protesters occupied the entrance to the president's office for a 10th day on Monday.

The president and prime minister remain in office, but some other relatives lost their Cabinet seats in what was seen as an attempt to pacify the protesters without giving up the family's hold on power.

Many senior politicians and those facing corruption allegations were excluded from the new Cabinet in line with calls for a younger administration, though the finance and foreign affairs ministers retained their positions to assist with an economic recovery.

Most of the Cabinet resigned on April 3 after protests erupted across the country and demonstrators stormed and vandalized the homes of some Cabinet ministers.

Opposition parties rejected an offer by President Rajapaksa to form a unity government with him and his brother remaining in power. Opposition parties have failed, meanwhile, to gain a parliamentary majority.

Last week, the government said it was suspending repayment of foreign loans pending talks with the International Monetary Fund. Finance Minister Ali Sabry and officials left for talks with the IMF on Sunday. The IMF and World Bank are holding annual meetings in Washington this week.

Sri Lanka has also turned to China and India for emergency loans to buy food and fuel, according to India Today.

Six men have been sentenced to death over the mob killing of a Sri Lankan man accused of blasphemy in Pakistan, BBC reported.

Priyantha Diyawadanage, 48, a factory manager in the city of Sialkot, was beaten to death and his body set alight last December.

Of 88 people convicted, nine were given life sentences and the others jail terms of two to five years.

The case shocked the country and was described as "a day of shame" by the then Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Videos of the lynching on social media showed scenes of the incensed crowd dragging Mr Diyawadanage from his workplace and beating him to death.

They then burnt his body, with several people seen in the crowd taking selfies with his corpse, according to BBC.

The victim's wife, Nilushi Dissanayaka, described how she had seen him "being attacked on the internet... it was so inhumane".

What led to the mob violence?

The violence had begun after rumours spread that Mr Diyawadanage had allegedly committed a blasphemous action, in tearing down posters with the name of the Prophet Muhammad.

But a colleague, who rushed to the site in a bid to save him, told local media at the time that Mr Diyawadanage had only removed the posters as the building was about to be cleaned.

The scale of the vicious killing - involving hundreds of people - shocked the nation and sparked vigils.

Blasphemy is defined as speaking insultingly about a particular religion or god. In Pakistan, it can carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam.

The country's blasphemy law prohibits disturbing a religious assembly, trespassing on burial grounds, insulting religious beliefs or intentionally destroying or defiling a place or an object of worship, BBC reported.

Making derogatory remarks against Islamic personages is an offence - and in 1982, a clause prescribing life imprisonment for "wilful" desecration of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, was added. 

In 1986, a separate clause was inserted to punish blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad and the penalty recommended was "death, or imprisonment for life".

In Pakistan, even unfounded accusations can incite protests and mob violence against alleged perpetrators. Human rights critics have long argued that minorities are often the target of accusations, according to BBC.