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At least 27 people have lost their lives to fire, forest fire and lightning in the last 24 days.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the fatalities occurred between April 13 and May 6.

Some 18 people were killed in the fire, six in the forest fire and three in lightning strikes while 90 were injured in the incidents, the NDRRMA sources said.

Meanwhile, the Authority has also approved a procedure to provide financial assistance to the fire victims' families to build temporary houses. Earlier, such facilities were made available to the Gorkha earthquake victims.

Today is Matatirtha Aunsi. Mother's Day is being celebrated across the country with reverence, devotion and respect.

Mother's Day is observed on the occasion of Baishakh Krishna Aunsi. There has been a tradition to take bath in the morning, tenderly offer beautiful clothes and delicious foods to mothers and take blessings.

Those who do not have a mother remember her by performing shradda (a ritual to pay homage to the departed souls). There is a classical belief that one will get freed from maternal debt by doing so.

In the scriptures, the mother's place is considered higher even than the god. There is a classical value to keep the mother and father happy with respect when they are alive and to perform shradda with reverence after death.

A fair has been organized at Matatirtha Kunda (pond) of Chandragiri Municipality-6 in memory of the late mother since this morning.

It is believed that taking holy dip in the pond free one from maternal debt.

The Special Court on Tuesday sentenced the then Managing Director of the Nepal Telecom Sunil Paudel to nine years in prison.

The bench of Special Court Chairman Tek Narayan Kunwar and member Murari Babu Shrestha handed down the sentence to Paudel in the National Payment Gateway case.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 230. 75 million on him.

Paudel was proven guilty in the corruption case on April 19.

Earlier, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed a case at the Special Court against Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Madhu Kumar Marasini, the then Secretary at the Ministry of Science and Technology and National Information Technology Center Chairman Sanjay Sharma, the then Executive Director of the National Information Technology Center Pranita Upadhyay, Managing Director of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority Sunil Paudel, the then Director at the National Information Technology Center  Safal Shrestha, the then Assistant Director at the National Information Technology Center Ramesh Pokharel, the then Account Officer at the National Information Technology Center Ram Bahadur Buda and Computer Engineer at the National Information Technology Center Ram Sharan Gayak on the charge of embezzling funds totaling Rs 232.75 million during the procurement of software for National Payment Gateway in 2018.

As many as 414 people have taken permission for climbing Mount Everest or Sagarmatha, the world's highest peak, in the spring season this year.

According to the Department of Tourism, a total of 414 climbers, including 75 women and 339 men of 41 mountaineering groups have so far been permitted to climb Mount Everest.

The highest number of climbers (478) had obtained permission for ascent to Mount Everest last year.

According to Section Officer at the Department, Chun Bahadur Tamang, a total of 971 mountaineers from 112 climbing groups had obtained permission for ascending to 30 mountains, including the Mount Everest this season.

A total royalty of Rs 674.7 million has been so far collected from mountaineering permission. Around Rs 592.3 million has been raised from Mount Everest alone in the season.

I enjoy reading books about food—both fiction and non-fiction. A colleague got me hooked on them with her never-ending recommendations of books that had elaborate descriptions of food and food being prepared. As I read the books she raved about, I realized I was having fun learning about different cuisines and all the things that shape how people eat. Over the years, there have been many books I have enjoyed that have changed my dynamics with food.

My husband and I drastically cut down our sugar intake after reading ‘The Case Against Sugar’ by Gary Taubes. In the book, Taubes argues that sugars are bad, that they have ‘a unique physiological, metabolic and hormonal effect on our bodies’. Sugar is what triggers a genetic predisposition to obesity and turns a healthy diet into a harmful one. It’s also the trigger of insulin resistance—a condition that leads to obesity, diabetes and a number of other diseases. It’s an eye-opening book.

We recommend The Case Against Sugar to everyone we meet, and a few people have recommended the book to us as well, in which case we have gone on to have lengthy discussions on how we are all trying to cut sugar from our diets. Here I recommend some of my other favorite books on food that I think everyone should read.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

I’ve been contemplating going vegetarian for a while now. I’ve tried and faltered many times but I’m not giving up. It’s something I want to eventually do. So, I’ve been reading about it, and ‘Eating Animals’, I believe, is one of the best books on the subject. It doesn’t harp about the importance of becoming vegetarian. Instead, it’s the author’s messy affair with trying to become one. It’s a mixing of reportage along with Foer’s stream of consciousness musings. It’s an apt portrayal of what considerations of becoming a vegetarian looks like. I had so much fun reading this and I was highly inspired as well.

The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten

If you want something bite-sized, I recommend you start here. ‘The Man Who Ate Everything’ is a collection of Steingarten’s food columns from Vogue magazine. The book came out in 1997. Most of the essays in this collection were written and published in the 80s and 90s so if you are someone who likes reading and getting information about food some of the things here might feel a tad bit dated. But the author is knowledgeable and he shares a lot of what he knows. Even if you already know something, his wit and discussions on it will make you want to expand your knowledge. While I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but think that the words here could only be written by someone who loves food and that made me want to take everything he said seriously.

How to Read a French Fry by Russ Parsons

The title of the book made me want to read this and I’m glad I did. I downloaded it on the Kindle and finished it in a couple of days. Parson’s writing is conversational, making the book an easy read. ‘How to Read a French Fry’ has many useful and interesting tidbits on food. It’s packed with facts that make you gasp, shudder, and want to start or stop eating certain things. Divided into six chapters, the book takes you through the basic concepts of food science. From how frying works and how vegetables ripen to how meat reacts to heat and how cakes and pastries are made, you will learn a lot about food and what goes behind its preparation. There are also cooking tips along with some handy recipes in the book.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has said that he has already spoken with the Malaysian Home Minister to arrest GB Rai, who was involved in the cooperative fraud case.

Speaking to journalists at Singha Durbar on Tuesday, Lamichhane said that he has already held a discussion with the Malaysian Home Minister to detain GB Rai.

Though there are some legal hurdles to bring Rai back to Nepal, Lamichhane, who is also the President of Rastriya Swatantra Party, said that he has discussed the issue with the political leaders in Malaysia.

Home Minister Lamichhane said that he is also searching for the persons who helped Rai flee the country.

imrik Air, a leading helicopter company in Nepal, hosted a press event on Monday to call for the conservation of water sources to better combat fire incidents. Muralidhar Joshi, the company’s general manager, emphasized the challenges Simrik Air faces during aerial firefighting, with the major hurdle being a lack of available water sources.

Simrik Air uses the Bambi Bucket system with a 1,000-liter capacity for aerial firefighting operations—one of a kind in Nepal. This system allows them to collect and drop large volumes of water to extinguish forest fires. 

Joshi urged all levels of government and stakeholders to ensure that adequate water resources are available to support aerial firefighting efforts.

He also reiterated Simrik Air’s commitment to fighting fires as part of their corporate social responsibility, expressing a willingness to deploy their helicopters as needed

During the press event, Simrik Air also shared videos explaining the causes of fire incidents and demonstrated how the Bambi Bucket system operates to control fires. Presentations from experts and stakeholders added context to the discussion. 

Kishor Kumar Bhattarai, a firefighting expert, gave a presentation on national and international practices in firefighting, emphasizing that firefighting is a team effort. He also pointed out the risks of deploying fire trucks in hilly and forested areas, suggesting that aerial firefighting is often safer and more effective in those environments. 

Bhattarai also underscored the need for government training and equipping of firefighters to address the shortage of resources.

Journalist Bhim Kharel and Phanindra Raj Kharel, former director-general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, praised Simrik’s firefighting efforts and urged government collaboration to expand these operations.

Simrik Air, established in 2001, has built a strong reputation for high-altitude rescues, emergency response, tourism, and humanitarian work in Nepal. The company employs experienced pilots and rescue specialists trained in the United States and Switzerland, and is involved in research and development to adapt to Nepal’s unique terrain and landscape.

The urgency of Simrik Air’s call to action is backed by alarming statistics: In the past four months, there have been fire incidents in 500 locations, resulting in 76 fatalities. Nepal Police data indicates that around 1m hectares are destroyed by fire each year, and over the past five years, approximately 10,000 houses have been lost to fire. 

Despite these significant challenges, there are only 116 fire trucks in the country, with 665 out of 753 local governments lacking fire trucks.

Simrik Air suggests

• Assess the likelihood of the fire spreading to nearby villages and settlements, and report findings to the appropriate local authorities, including the district police office and the district disaster management office
• If there’s a risk that the fire could soon reach the village and cause significant damage, the district disaster management office or the local government will contact a helicopter company for emergency support
• When reporting to the helicopter company, inform them of the exact coordinates of the fireplace, and let them know about the coordinates of the water sources nearby. Ensure to maintain constant communication with the helicopter company and provide necessary documents
• If the nearest water source is around the distance of 15-20 km, aerial firefighting will be an effective option for controlling the fire

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 2.06 points to close at 1,960.81 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 77 points to close at 349. 58 points.

A total of 5,064,038-unit shares of 314 companies were traded for Rs 2. 14 billion.

Meanwhile, Himalayan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (HLBSL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, Bottlers Nepal (Terai) Limited (BNT) was the top loser as its price fell by 6.23 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 10 trillion.