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Around 150 houses have been gutted in a fire that broke out in Mahadev Rural Municipality of Saptari today.

The fire started from the house of local Shatrudhan Yadav in Chimti tole of the rural municipality and immediately engulfed the entire village with the heavily blowing winds, according to Ward Chairman Jaya Kishore Das.

More than 150 houses in this settlement inhabited by Yadav, Musahar and Muslim communities have been destroyed by the fire.

Meanwhile, efforts are being made to extinguish the fire with the help of Nepal Police personnel and locals backed by fire engines from Rajbiraj, Shambhunath, Hanuman Nagar Kangalini Municipalities.

The Ministry of Health and Population has urged people to wear masks in view of the increase in air pollution in Kathmandu.

Stating that the air quality in the federal capital was at the top of the list of cities with 'unhealthy air' throughout the world, the ministry advised people to wear masks to protect themselves from the air pollution.

Ministry's spokesperson Dr Prakash Budhathoki urged people to not come out of home unnecessarily, not to travel and to stay away from highly polluted areas, as the air pollutants in Kathmandu were high.

According to the 'World Air Quality Index-Ranking', which measures the level of air pollution around the world, Kathmandu's air is at the top of the world's unhealthy air list.

"Air pollution affects the heart and blood vessels, lungs, brain, eyes, nose, ears, throat, etc. It also increases the risk of asthma and cancer. Kathmandu is at the top of the world's unhealthy list,” the Ministry spokesman Budhathoki said through a press release.

Mostly children under five years old, pregnant women, chronically ill people and the elderly account for a high number of annual deaths due to air pollution in Nepal. Air pollution has reduced the average life expectancy of Nepalis by 4.1 percent.

Spokesperson Budhathoki said that various facts and researches show that air pollution is the main cause of illness and death in Nepal.

As there is a high possibility of heat waves in the Terai during summer and heatstroke, the ministry has requested that people should not go outside unnecessarily during the day and drink more water and take liquid food.

According to the Ministry, the number of patients in hospitals and health facilities across the country has increased with the onset of summer.

A Cabinet has been expanded in Karnali Province nearly after three weeks.

CPN-UML leader Yam Lal Kandel was appointed as the Karnali Province Chief Minister with the support of CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) on April 9.

Karnali Province Chief Tilak Pariyar expanded the Cabinet at the recommendation of Chief Minister Kandel.

According to Office of the Province Chief, CPN (Maoist Center)'s Mahendra KC, Bir Bahadur Shahi, Durga Bahadur Rawat and Ran Singh Pariyar have been appointed as Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Minister for Social Development, Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment and Minister for Water Resources and Energy Development respectively.

Similarly, CPN (UML)'s Sher Bahadur Budha has been inducted in the cabinet as the Minister for Physical Infrastructures, Binod Kumar Shah as Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperative.

Gamata BK has been appointed as Minister of State for Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development. However, CM Kandel has kept the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law with himself.

Newly appointed ministers except Binod Kumar Shah have taken the oath of office and secrecy today itself.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 25.93 points to close at 2,006.28 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 5.58 points to close at 357. 54 points.

A total of 11,838,150-unit shares of 320 companies were traded for Rs 4. 80 billion.

Meanwhile, Corporate Development Bank Limited (CORBL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Pokhara Finance Ltd. (PFL) was the top loser as its price fell by 7.18 percent.

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

A book titled ‘Bishwomanchma Narendra Modi’ was launched at an event in Kathmandu.

The book is a collection of speeches made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in various countries and international forums from 2014 to 2024.

Sagar Chand has translated the book, compiled by Bhupendra Bahadur Chhetri, into the Nepali language.

Saying that India is moving ahead in a new way in the international forum and Narendra Modi has been leading the country, Chand said that his 29 speeches of over the past decade have been translated into Nepali language with an aim to show India’s presence in the world forum.

“India is moving forward in a new way. The book will help understand Modi’s view of the world at a time when India has been presenting itself strongly in the international forums,” Chand said.  

India, which had embarked in the journey of globalization in the early 1990s, has now been presenting itself strongly in the various stages of the world.

According to a report published by the World Economic Forum in January 2024, India had contributed 16 percent to global growth in 2023.

With economic growth of 7.2% in 2022-2023, India ranked second among G20 countries.

Because of the infrastructure, internet access and relations with western countries, India has been emerging as a strong country in the world forums.

Increasing access to information, connectivity and prosperity worldwide has made India strong in the global forums.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Nepal four times including the SAARC meeting.

He visited Nepal for the first time in August, 2014, second time in 2014 for SAARC meeting, third time in May, 2018 and fourth time in May, 2022.

Modi, who had reached Janakpur, from Lumbini to Muktinath of Nepal, had traveled the world more than 100 times since 2014.

“The most important speeches from all these journeys have been collected and translated into Nepali,” Chhetri said.

Saying that Nepal and India have a long historical relationship, Chhetri said, “The speeches of Narendra Modi have been translated into Nepali with an objective to make all the Nepalis know about how India, which has adopted the policy of neighbor first’ has been presenting itself in various forums of the world.”

The price of the book launched by Indigo Inc. is Rs 549.

Police have arrested three persons on the charge of swindling foreign job aspirants of Rs 8 million with false promises of sending them to Slovakia and the United States of America.

The suspects have been identified as Sandhya Lama Buda Magar of Puthauttarganga Rural Municipality-11, Rukum and currently residing at Tarkeshwor Rural Municipality-10, Kathmandu and Udim Bahadur Pun of Mangala Rural Municipality-2, Myagdi and presently living at Nakhipot, Lalitpur, Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office spokesperson SP Rabindra Regmi said.

He said that the duo has been sent to the Department of Foreign Employment for necessary action.

Police said that they were apprehended based on the complaints.

Forest fire has destroyed thickets and trees on around 300 hectares of jungle located at Chaudandigadhi, Belaka and Triyuga Municipalities of the district.

According to the Division Forest Office, the wildfire, which has been taking place for the past 10 days, damaged Phooljor Devisthan, Saraswoti and Beltar community forests.

Information officer at Division Forest Office, Gaighat, Jaheshwor Sah, said small plants and trees were destroyed by the wildfire following the drought.

Similarly, forest fire has also destroyed a jungle located at Limchungbung Rural Municipality-5 in the district. Though the initiatives were taken to bring the wildfire under control, it has not been completely successful due to the storm, added the office.

The Supreme Court has summoned Yuvaraj Kandel, publisher of sidhakura.com, and Navin Dhungana, executive editor, to respond to allegations of contempt of court. 

The case stems from the publication of fake audiovisual news reports defaming a sitting justice, senior advocates, and media personalities. Justices Nahkul Subedi and Tek Prasad Dhungana on Monday ordered Kandel and Dhungana to appear before the court on May 2 at 10 am to justify their dissemination of fake content undermining the independent judiciary.

The Supreme Court initiated a suo moto contempt case against Kandel and Dhungana following fraudulent news reports published on sidhakura.com and its YouTube channel. The reports accused  Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Chairperson of Annapurna Media Network Capt Rameshwar Thapa, and Chairperson of Kantipur Media Group Kailash Sirohiya, special correspondent of Annapurna Post Surendra Kafle, and senior advocates Hari Upreti and Kishor Bista, among others, of organizing a clandestine meeting to dismiss more than 400 corruption cases.

The apex court has also directed Nepal Police to investigate the matter.

Thapa and Sirohiya have denounced the fake contents, labeling them premeditated and malicious. The press fraternity and regulatory bodies have also expressed concerns over the contents published by sidhakura.com.

Govinda Ghimire, deputy registrar at the Supreme Court, filed a petition on behalf of the Supreme Court on Sunday as per Article 128(4) of the Constitution of Nepal, section 17(1) of the Judicial Administration Act and Supreme Court regulations. The petition demands maximum punishment for the defendants under relevant laws. 

The Supreme Court said that the prima facie finding of the contents published by sidhakura.com suggest that they were created to scandalize the court.     

Meanwhile, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has also urged the authorities concerned to investigate and take action against sidhakura.com.

Issuing a statement on Monday, the anti-graft body said that it is inconceivable for the commission to be involved in any other activities other than following the decision of the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court and investigating and prosecuting complaints within its jurisdiction.

The CIAA also refuted any involvement in misleading activities, as claimed by sidhakura.com.

In response to the contempt case, sidhakura.com has removed the fake videos from its platforms. This move comes after initially refusing to comply with instructions from the Press Council Nepal. 

Press Council Chairman Balkrishna Basnet said they ordered sidhakura.com to take down the audiovisual contents within 24 hours. The contents were suspicious at a first glance, they were clearly biased, not based on any facts, and in violation of the journalistic code of ethics, he added.