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Everyone loves a clean house but not everyone loves the work that it entails. From the kitchen to the bathroom, the living room to the bedroom, the tasks can seem endless. There are countertops to clean, rugs to vacuum, books and decorative items to dust, spills to mop up, etc. It can get a tad overwhelming at times. Cleaning can feel as bothersome as an aching tooth. Even if you put off dealing with it, you know you will have to eventually attend to it, lest it gets way out of hand.

At times like these, your wish for a fairy godmother only gets stronger—someone who could take care of your problems with a single swipe of that sparkling magic wand. But there are all kinds of methods and hacks for cleaning just about everything and we’re here to share some of our favorites.

Use a pillowcase to clean fans

Do you dread cleaning the ceiling fans at the end of winter because you know dust will rain down on you? Just use an old pillowcase. Slip each blade inside the case and wipe away. The dust will be collected inside the pillowcase and not on your hair and carpet. This is an effective way to clean anything when you don’t want dust to get on the floor.

Clean pet hair with rubber gloves

We all love our four-legged friends but their hair can sometimes get on our nerves. You don’t have to buy all kinds of fancy tools to get rid of pet hair around the house. Just put on a pair of rubber gloves and run them over your furniture and other surfaces. Pet fur will gather into small balls and you can then throw them away. Alternatively, you can also use a lint roller to catch stray hairs.

Steam the microwave with lemon

This is one of the easiest things you can do to clean your microwave as well as make your house smell lovely. Put a small bowl of lemon juice in the microwave and heat it for two minutes or till the juice boils. The steam will soften the debris attached to the insides and you can simply wipe it with a clean cloth. Better, your house will have a citrusy fresh scent too. You can also rub half a lemon over chopping boards to get rid of the lingering smells of onion, garlic, etc.

Make your furniture shine with vinegar

Wooden furniture and other items can gather dust and look old and unattractive which is why regular wipe-downs are important. But the constant friction can make them lose their shine. To keep them looking new and shiny, you need to give them a little something extra time and again. Mix one part lemon juice and one part white vinegar in a spray bottle and use this solution to wipe your wooden furnishings at least twice a month. You can also use a solution of vinegar and water to wipe kitchen and bathroom tiles.

Spot-clean sofas with baby wipes

We spend a lot of time in our living room sofas. Spills and stains are inevitable. But with this easy trick, you won’t have to fret over them anymore. Use baby wipes to dab away at the stain or spill. They are gentle and contain little moisture, which is just right for spot-cleaning most materials. However, don’t rub at the spot as this will only push the stain into the fabric. Also, make sure they are baby wipes and not cleaning wipes as the latter might contain harsh chemicals that can damage surfaces.

Buy some microfiber cloth

Oftentimes, we tend to dust with whatever is around. It could be an old towel, a rag we have been meaning to throw away, or that feather duster that has seen better days. Use a microfiber cloth to pick dust from surfaces. These are especially great for TVs, refrigerators, mirrors, etc. Buy big-sized ones as it can be a bit time-consuming to clean larger areas with smaller ones.

Political parties in Nepal are embroiled in controversies one after another as maintaining the co-existence between democracy and politics proves consistently challenging.

Speaking at the Nepal Literature Festival in Pokhara on Saturday, Sucheta Pyakurel, director of IIDS Center for Governance, pointed out that while democracy advocates for equality for all, politics has always been based on hierarchy. "Many countries across the world are finding it difficult to advance democracy and politics together," she said, addressing a session titled 'How Democratic Are Our Parties?' moderated by Apex Editor Kamal Dev Bhattarai. She added that this challenge is even more pronounced in a caste-based and patriarchal society like Nepal.

Min Bahadur Bishwarkma of Nepali Congress, Madhav Sapkota of CPN (Maoist Center), and Padam Giri of CPN-UML were the other speakers in the session. The leaders discussed various aspects of internal democracy within the parties, including the election of new leadership through their respective general conventions and issues of inclusiveness, among others.

Maoist Center leader Sapkota mentioned that although communist parties worldwide have been discussing democracy, there is a need for more focused dialogue on the issue within the Nepali context.

NC leader Bishwakarma emphasized that democracy is intricately linked with inclusiveness and the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to vote. "NC sets an example in Nepal when it comes to internal democracy," he claimed. "We believe that party decisions shouldn't be unilateral. That's why we include all opinions and viewpoints and engage in thorough discussions."

UML leader Giri asserted that UML is committed to internal democracy within the party. "We cannot move forward without accepting the diversities of Nepali society. We are fostering democratic exercises in party forums," Giri stated.

Although Nepal follows a democratic system, Pyakurel said its norms and culture are not reflected in Nepali politics. "The failure to embrace democratic culture is our biggest weakness," she added. "Our parties are still not inclusive in terms of gender and ethnicity."

Pyakurel said women’s participation is low in parliament as well. "Not only in parties, women's participation is low in parliament as well. Although there are some women in parliament, they aren't very active," Pyakurel said. "There are numerous examples of capable women being denied opportunities. Parties have also failed in this regard."

Responding to a query on why there is no alternative to Pushpa Kamal Dahal in the Maoist Center, Sapkota insisted that the party will find an alternative to Dahal after specific stages are completed.

All the leaders agreed that their respective parties have made weaknesses in fulfilling people's aspirations for economic and social development.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 500 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 117, 600 per tola today.  It was traded at Rs 117, 100 per tola on Friday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 117, 050 per tola. It was traded at Rs 116, 550 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has increased by Rs 20 and is being traded at Rs 1,430 per tola today.

Communist Party of Nepal General Secretary Netra Bikram Chand (Biplav) has been appointed as the coordinator of the Socialist Front Nepal.

A meeting of the Front held on Sunday morning decided to appoint Chand as the coordinator.

The Front comprises four parties—CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajbadi Party, CPN (Unified Socialist) and Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal.

The formation of the Front was announced on June 20.

Earlier, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal was taking the responsibility of the post.

As per the agreement to change the leadership on rotation basis in every four months,  Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal took the leadership at first and handed over to Nepal later.

Madhes Province Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav is seeking a vote of confidence from the Province Assembly for the third time today.

A meeting of the Province Assembly has been called for 2 pm today for this purpose. CM Yadav is facing a floor test after the Janamat Party on January 23 withdrew its support to his government.

Before this, Yadav had to take a vote of confidence for the second time on June 13, 2023 after the CPN-UML pulled out his government on May 15, 2023.

The constitution requires that the government should seek a vote of confidence within 30 days if any party supporting it quits the government.

The Chief Minister requires the support of 54 members out of the total 107 members of the Province Assembly for winning the vote of confidence.

The largest party in the Assembly, the CPN-UML has 23 members, the Nepali Congress 22 members, the Janata Samajbadi Party 18 members, the Janamat Party 13 members and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party and the CPN (Maoist Centre) nine members each, the CPN (Unified Socialist) has seven members while Nepal Sanghiya Samajwadi Party, the Nagarik Unmukti Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party each has one member. Three members are independents.

The Madhes Province government is led by the Janata Samajbadi Party.

The Nepali Congress, the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, the Maoist Center and CPN (Unified Socialist) are in the government.

The government has the support of 65 members from these four parties in the ruling coalition.

The Fury

Alex Michaelides

Thriller | Mystery           

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. But this time, people find themselves trapped there overnight. Old friendships conceal hatred and a desire for revenge. What follows is a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ends in violence and death, as one of the guests is found murdered.

Acts of God

Kanan Gill

Science Fiction 

In Kanan Gill’s wildly entertaining and unexpectedly moving debut novel, a Danish policeman accidentally becomes a clothing-optional leader of a worldwide group of science haters, a sentient piece of wall struggles with the limits of its artistic expression and a lapel pin’s habit of always giving truthful advice causes chaos. Blending vivid inventiveness and uproarious storytelling, with an intriguing interrogation of the very nature of existence, Acts of God marks the evolution of one of India’s finest comedic voices.

The Art of Being Alone

Renuka Gavrani

Self Help

If you are ready to transform your perception around loneliness and if you are all set to achieve your goals using your ‘alone time’ then welcome to ‘The Art of Being Alone’. The Art of Being Alone is for every person who wants to learn how to use your alone time in a way that you fall in love with your current life while also feeling excited to work toward your dream life. If you are still victimizing your character because you were left behind, it’s time to turn the table around and build the life you always wished for.

All these titles and more are available at Bookverse, 4th floor, Civil Mall, Sundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal. You will get 15% off on all books till Feb 17 and 5% off on all other items.

The Election Commission has directed the political parties to inform it if they have made any changes and amendments to their names, statute, rules, stamp, flag and symbol as well as changes in their office-bearers within 30 days.

The EC, in accordance with Section 51 of Political Parties related Act, 2073, asked the political parties to submit the details in the stipulated format.

It said that the political parties were directed to submit the details in order to stop the trend of not providing information about the changes made in the party for a long time.

A press release issued by EC Assistant Spokesperson, Dr Thaneshowr Bhusal, stated that the parties were asked to submit the details only after making a decision from the party's general convention or central executive committee, which is in EC's record, or approved from general convention if possible.

Distribution of party membership, election, nomination and appointment of office-bearers and members including central committee should be as per political party related act, mentioned EC.

Likewise, the EC urged the political parties to make arrangements for their financial transactions through banks, keeping the accounting record in the specified format.

Progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains uneven and inadequate across various segments of the population and within the five subregions of Asia and the Pacific. 

According to a new report published by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on Thursday, gender and location remain key factors in determining levels of poverty and inequality in the region.

“While additional efforts are required across the board, granular data emphasizes the urgency of addressing inequalities that impact marginalized groups, including women, girls, rural populations and the urban poor, who continue to find themselves locked out of education and employment opportunities,” underscored United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

“Equally, the sustained progress gap revealed between countries in special situations, especially Pacific small island developing states, and the rest of the region demands a concerted response from international, regional and national partners,” added Alisjahbana.

The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2024 takes a closer look at groups that may be disadvantaged, focusing on how sex, urbanization, education level, age and income contribute to existing disparities and sometimes exacerbate them.

Despite overall progress in school enrolment rates, women and girls in the region continue to face considerable challenges when it comes to accessing education and employment opportunities. They have lower enrolment rates and struggle with literacy. Young women also encounter difficulties accessing labor markets, leading to higher rates of youth unemployment. Meanwhile, the challenges facing men tend to be related to their health or personal safety. They suffer from higher rates of suicide, chronic diseases and road traffic deaths.

People living in rural areas face pronounced disadvantages, such as limited access to basic drinking water and sanitation facilities. Additionally, the lower availability of clean cooking fuels in these areas contributes to serious respiratory diseases. In general, urban areas exhibit better conditions, yet paradoxically, within these areas, the poorest boys and girls face significant hurdles in completing upper secondary education.

At its current pace, the report further highlights that the region will not achieve all 17 SDGs before 2062—marking a significant 32-year delay. While positive steps have been taken toward eliminating poverty (Goal 1) and bolstering sustainable industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9) in the region, progress in other critical areas has been more modest. Efforts toward mitigating hunger (Goal 2), enhancing health and well-being (Goal 3), ensuring the availability of clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), expanding affordable and clean energy (Goal 7) and building sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11) have been less pronounced and require heightened attention.

On a more encouraging note, the report shares several laudable national success stories on supporting at-risk population groups. In the Philippines, for instance, dedicated research and analysis aimed at estimating the cost of supporting children living with a disability played a pivotal role in influencing recent legislation to provide a disability allowance, extending support to children with disabilities.