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More than 10,000 people have applied for the 'Skill Fair 2081 BS' conducted by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) on May 1. KMC organized the fair with the goal of training 2,081 people but more than 10,000 applied for the same.

According to Bimala Koirala, acting head of KMC Social Development Department, all those who fill the application (form) will be provided training.

She informed that the applicants who fill the form before May 1 will be allowed to participate in the skill fair. Koirala said that there is a plan to provide them with the training schedule by Friday, May 10. She further informed that training will be provided at various stages in collaboration with various campuses and community schools for those who fill the form after May 2.

She shared that 2, 081 of those who filled the form will be trained immediately and others will be trained for the next three years based on their needs. The skill fair has been started under KMC's Gaurav Yojana (Pride Project) under 'Increase in Employment and Income, Prosperity of Kathmandu'.

For the fair, the KMC has collaborated with the Nepal Training and Employment Association.

According to the KMC, the aim is to provide training in 36 occupations in 10 areas. The KMC believes that the fair will integrate skills that are scattered and help people with skills reach employers. Koirala further informed that people who have completed 18 years of age up to 58 years of age can participate in the training.

For those who find it difficult to fill the details online, arrangements were made to fill the form on paper from the ward office as well. The participants who came to Tundikhel on the opening day should be able to fill the form from that place as well, the KMC said.

Kathmandu's Air Quality Index has reached 177 to be ranked the world's second most polluted city after New Delhi of India.

Last Thursday, Kathmandu's AQI was 168 and it measured 195 on Wednesday and 185 on Saturday.

New Delhi's AQI has reached 245 while Beijing, China has been listed as the third most polluted city in the world with an AQI of 172, it is stated.

The main contributors to air pollution include carbon emissions from vehicles, dust from road repairs and construction, emissions from industries and brick kilns, poor waste management practices, and forest fires. Addressing these issues systematically is needed, according to experts concerned.

Cases of forest fires and fire are prevalent presently and it has led to an increase in air pollution besides the loss of lives and properties. The Department of Environment said the Satellite data shows that as of now there are 1,653 cases of wildfire and fire since the beginning of the year 2024.

AQI from 0-50 is considered good for public health as it is indicated by a green signal while 51-100 is moderate and marked by yellow, but it still warns us to be careful on time.

It is unhealthy specifically for sensitive groups such as those who have respiratory and cardiac issues if measured from 101-150 and is highlighted by orange. 

Similarly, AQI from 151-200 is indicated by red to suggest that it is unhealthy for all, 201-300 is highlighted by purple and it is very unhealthy.  If it is measured 301-400, it is hazardous and 401-500 is highly hazardous to health and it is denoted by maroon.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 24. 58 points to close at 1,974.37 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4. 86 points to close at 351. 18 points.

A total of 9,762,803-unit shares of 316 companies were traded for Rs 3. 79 billion.

Meanwhile, Dolti Power Company Limited (DOLTI) was top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 58 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 13 trillion.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the government is sensitive to the citizens' health and working accordingly.

In his address to a program organized to mark the 22nd Establishment Day of the National Academy of Health Sciences (NAMS) here today, the Prime Minister said implementation of the citizens' fundamental rights is the special priority of the government.

"It is the responsibility of the State to promote the implementation of the fundamental rights of each citizen achieved through tremendous struggle and sacrifices. The government is serious about this. Social security programs in health services is also the top priority of the government," he said.

Stating that 2,800 beds in government-run health facilities have been allotted to patients from poor, indigent communities and who are helpless, the government head said provisions are in place to provide vaccines against uterine and breast cancers at a free of cost. The effort to dedicate 10 percent of all hospital beds whether they are of government, community, or private cones to indigent and helpless people carries a significant value for the improvement of citizens' rights.

He utilized the forum to call on the NAMS to facilitate in fulfilling the State's responsibility to increase citizens' access to quality healthcare services. He also pledged full support on his behalf to establish the NAMS as an academic institute of international standards in cooperation with national and foreign academic bodies.

Prime Minister Dahal shared that he has taken initiatives to make the service delivery of Bir Hospital effectives since he assumed the post.

He further said that he has given priority to bringing all the beds and operation rooms into operation, operating the services in two shifts.  In the program, Dr. LochanKarki, Rector of NAMS, requested that NAMS should not be separated from Bir Hospital immediately until its own hospital is built. “There is a debate going on about the separation of NAMS and Bir Hospital.

If these two bodies are separated immediately, it seems that there will be problems in many matters", Rector Dr. Karki said, "All the educational programs currently running at NAMS will be closed and it may also affect the services of the hospital itself. There should be a comprehensive discussion on this.” He informed that the scope of NAMS has been further expanded. Similarly, Dr. Santosh Paudel, director of Bir Hospital, drew the attention of the Prime Minister to develop Bir Hospital as a specialized hospital for quality health services in the country.

“The area of service provided by NAMS is wide but there are challenges in Bir Hospital within NAMS. The bed has not been able to operate at full capacity. Due to the lack of budget, we have not been able to manage the service delivery further smoothly and effective", said Paudel.

According to the responsibilities of the three levels of government, if we can concentrate the responsibility of specific services, we can provide more quality services. The hospital should be developed as a referral center.”

On the occasion of its 22nd foundation day, NAMS has honored the first Vice-Chancellor Dineshnath Gangol and Dr Upendra Devkota (posthumously), Dr Raviraman Neupane, Dr Niroj Banepali and Dr Mukesh Prasad Yadav.

Dr Raviraman Neupane, Dr Niroj Banepali and Dr Mukesh Prasad Yadav, who have passed out from NAMS at different times, have also been awarded.

Cleaning a home can be such an ordeal, especially during the dry season when everything tends to get dusty just a couple of hours after you have given it a good wipe-down. You wish you could close the windows but then the allure of a cross-breeze will tempt you to throw them wide open. Here are three simple hacks that can make keeping your house clean much easier than ever before. You will wish you had known them sooner.

 Dust like a pro so that you don’t have to dust more

When dusting, start at the highest point and work your way down. As you dust, particles will fall, so if you dust lower shelves before upper shelves, you will probably find yourself having to go over those lower shelves again. Create a simple cleaning solution of one part vinegar, two parts water, a dash of liquid soap, and some olive oil and keep this in a spray bottle. Use this on your surfaces when dusting. This will repel dust and keep your surfaces clean for a longer period. You can also use baby oil to bring back the shine on wooden and steel surfaces. Just add a drop or two on a microfiber cloth and polish away.

 Use a lint roller for hard-to-reach spots. You can use it to clean lampshades, upholstery, and curtains. Paintbrushes, in various sizes, can be great to clean the nooks and corners of small trinkets. When you are feeling extremely lazy to clean, put on a pair of socks on your hands and just run them over dusty surfaces like the window sill or the blinds.

 Make your home smell nice to give an illusion of cleanliness

A great smelling home can feel welcoming and nice. It lends it an air of freshness, which can give the impression of cleanliness. Take a cotton ball, soak it in essential oil, and drop it in random places, including the trash bin (underneath the liner or the bag). This is an easy and inexpensive odor-fighter that helps keep your house fresh as well as your trash from getting too pungent. We recommend rose or lavender essential oil as these ones smell really great.

 Alternatively, light scented candles or incense and keep them in various parts of the house. We don’t recommend air fresheners as these often have harsh chemicals that can mess with your hormones. Keep teabags in closets and other closed spaces that tend to give off a murky smell when they have been shut for too long. These are great to get rid of any trapped odor. If you aren’t a fan of scents, try to neutralize odor instead. Bags of activated charcoal in stench-prone areas, like the shoe cabinet or the laundry basket, can help.

 Remember there’s pretty much nothing baking soda can’t do

Baking powder is a gentle abrasive and a great deodorizer. It’s the one item that you must have in your cleaning supplies. You can get tannin stains off teaspoons and the inside of cups by rubbing them with a paste made up of baking soda and a little water. Use it to absorb food odors by keeping a napkin soaked in it inside the fridge. You can clean countertops, kitchen sinks, microwaves, and pots with a paste made of baking soda, dish soap, and water. Sprinkle baking soda on carpets, furniture, and even pet beds, leave it for 15 minutes and then vacuum thoroughly. To bring back the shine on your sterling silverwares, make up a paste (three parts baking soda to one part water) and apply with a soft cloth and then rinse.

Japan and Nepal have many things in common. One of them is that 70 to 80% of its land area is covered with mountains and hills. Considering Japan's history of constantly facing natural threats due to its steep terrain, I can fully understand, as a Japanese national, how difficult a challenge it is to undertake nation-building in a mountainous country like Nepal, Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said.

The first thing that comes to the minds of the Japanese people when we hear the word "Nepal" is the divinely majestic Himalayan Mountains represented by Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest). Having been born and raised in Shizuoka Prefecture located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, I feel a deep sense of affinity with Nepal, and I am very pleased to be able to visit Nepal for the first time today, she said.

Another thing Japan and Nepal have in common is that both countries are democratic, and Japan has provided various assistance to Nepal's democratization efforts, the Japan’s foreign minister further said.

After the abolition of the monarchy and the transition to a federal democracy was declared in 2008, Japan dispatched election observers to the parliamentary elections.

In addition, Japan has also provided support for the development of the legal system and various other assistance that contribute to the promotion of democracy in Nepal. When I served as Justice Minister, the Ministry of Justice provided training on civil code and the development of civil code commentaries in support of the preparation for a new civil code of Nepal in cooperation with JICA, Minister Kamikawa said.

Both countries also have the same unfortunate history of suffering damages due to earthquakes. That is why, whenever the other side was affected by a major earthquake, our two countries have reached out to each other like family, with special compassion and solidarity. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Nepal donated 5,000 blankets and our Nepali friends in Japan assisted in the setting up of Nepali soup kitchens as well as provision of Nepali coffee. After the Gorkha Earthquake in 2015, Japan dispatched the Japan Disaster Relief Teams (Urban Search and Rescue Team, Medical Team, and Japan Self-Defense Force Units) and provided an Emergency Grant Aid of approximately 1.68 billion yen as well as Emergency Relief Goods including tents and blankets, she said.

In addition to this emergency humanitarian assistance, Japan provided a total of over 32 billion yen for "Build Back Better" after earthquakes in areas such as reconstruction of schools, residences, and public facilities.

Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January this year, we received heartfelt messages of sympathy from Nepal. Furthermore, the Nepali people living in Japan rushed to the affected areas many times to offer their support, and with the words "Friends should help each other in tough times" they cooked spicy curry to warm and encourage the hearts and bodies of the residents there amid heavy snow and severe cold weather. As Foreign Minister of Japan, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Nepali people for their warm support and sympathy for Japan, the Japanese foreign minister said.

Japan and Nepal have also faced a scarcity of natural resources. Thus, both countries need an international community that ensures connectivity is free from force or coercion and values freedom as well as the rule of law regardless of the size of the country. To realize such an international community, it is a prerequisite that each country overcomes its vulnerabilities and builds a resilient society. With this in mind, Japan attaches great importance to Nepal will get on track for sustainable growth and stability.

Based on this idea, Japan has been supporting Nepal's development since 1969 in a wide range of fields, including infrastructure construction such as electricity, roads, airports, and water supply, as well as agriculture, education, and healthcare, with Nepal's geographical and historical background in mind.

The Nagdhunga tunnel, the breakthrough of which has recently been achieved, is Nepal's first mountain road tunnel. Once the construction of the tunnel is completed, it will contribute to the promotion of social and economic development in the region and strongly support Nepal's further development, facilitating the transportation network by meeting the rapidly increasing traffic demand, reducing travel time, and improving transportation safety. Through such assistance in infrastructure, Japan will continue its efforts to ensure that the people of Nepal can experience the safety and convenience of infrastructure in their daily lives, according to Minister Kamikawa.

In recent years, the presence of Nepal across Japan has been on the rise day by day. Over 120 years have passed since the arrival of the first eight Nepali students dispatched by the Government of Nepal in 1902. Today, our two countries are connected by direct flights that take about 7 hours. The total number of Nepalis living in Japan exceeds 170,000, the sixth largest number of foreign nationals living in Japan. I am very pleased to see that our bilateral relationship is steadily deepening thanks to the active participation of our Nepali friends in Japanese society.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to touch on cooperation with Nepal on "Women, Peace and Security" (WPS), which the Japanese government has strongly promoted in recent years and is also my life's work. WPS is based on the idea that society can be much closer to a more sustainable peace through the participation of women themselves in leadership positions in prevention as well as humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, while at the same time working to protect vulnerable groups such as women in times of crisis.

The Japanese government is strongly promoting WPS, and I have been involved in various initiatives since I became Foreign Minister. Nepal is the world's largest contributor of personnel for UN peacekeeping operations (PKO) and has the largest number of female PKO personnel in the world. As such, I believe that there is great potential for cooperation with Nepal in the field of WPS. During this visit to Nepal, I would like to explore with Nepal what kind of cooperation is possible in the future.

The year 2026 is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Nepal, and also the year of Nepal's graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category. As the Foreign Minister of Japan, I would like to further strengthen our relationship with Nepal towards this commemorative year and strongly support Nepal's further development after graduation from the LDC category, she said.

The Nepal-India border in Siraha district will be closed for eight days in two phases, due to the upcoming Loksabha elections in the neighboring Indian state of Bihar.

The elections are scheduled to take place in two phases: on May 7 and May 20.

As per directives from the District Administration Office in Siraha, transit points will be closed 72 hours before each election date.

Consequently, the border areas will be inaccessible from Saturday midnight until May 7 for the first phase and from midnight on May 17 until May 20 for the second phase.

Around two months ago, a meeting between Nepal-India security officials concluded that the Thadhi, Bariyapatti, and Madarana points along the Nepal-India border in Siraha would be closed during the Loksabha polls in Madhuwani district of Bihar, according to Assistant Chief District Officer Naresh Kumar Yadav.

Gandaki Province Chief Minister Khagaraj Adhikari is seeking a vote of confidence today.

According to the Gandaki Province Assembly (PA) Secretariat, the Chief Minister is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence at 3 pm today.

He was elected to the post on April 7 with the support of the CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), and one independent PA member.

As per the Constitution, the Chief Minister is mandated to obtain a vote of confidence from the PA no later than thirty days after the date of the appointment.