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Shadow and Bone

Leigh Bardugo

Fantasy

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha and the secrets of her heart. 

Scion of Ikshvaku

Amish Tripathi

Mythology

Ayodhya is weakened by divisions. A terrible war has taken its toll. The damage runs deep. The demon King of Lanka, Raavan, does not impose his rule on the defeated. He, instead, imposes his trade. Money is sucked out of the empire. The Sapt Sindhu people descend into poverty, despondency, and corruption. They cry for a leader to lead them out of the morass. Little do they appreciate that the leader is among them. One whom they know. A tortured and ostracized prince. A prince they tried to break. A prince called Ram. He loves his country, even when his countrymen torment him. He stands alone for the law. His band of brothers, his Sita, and he, against the darkness of chaos. 

Solitaire

Alice Oseman

Contemporary​​​​​​​

“In case you’re wondering, this is not a love story. My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that’s all over now. Now there’s Solitaire. And Michael Holden. I don’t know what Solitaire is trying to do, and I don’t care about Michael Holden.” Solitaire is a day-to-day narrative of a beloved character, Tori Spring, from Heartstopper.

 All these titles are available at BOOKVERSE, 4th floor, Civil Mall, Sundhara, Kathmandu

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Police have arrested three Indian nationals along with more than 10 million in foreign currency from Casino Palace at Durbarmarg in Kathmandu.

Those arrested in this connection are Gulab Singh, Rishav Pawa and Gaurav Chopda, said Superintendent of Police Kumodh Dhungel, spokesperson for the District Police Range, Kathmandu.

SP Dhungel said, "They have been arrested on the charge of conducting online betting in the underground of Casino Palace. Foreign currency equivalent to Rs 10. 12 million has been confiscated from them."

He said that they are investigating the case.

Kathmandu: Global Center for Climate and Security Governance (GCSG), a kathmandu-based think-tank organized a closed-door deliberations on Nepal’s foreign policy challenges in the changing Geopolitics. Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud and senior ex-officials from Nepal Police, Nepal Army, Armed Police force and representatives from the civil society were present in the program.

The program held under the title Nepal’s Geostrategic Position in Changing Global Policies intensively deliberated Nepal’s foreign and security challenges. At the opening of the program, Abhaya R Joshi, Executive Director of GCSG, shed light on the importance of the program.

He said Nepal faces a challenging time to conduct its foreign policy in the fast-changing geopolitical scenario. CPN-UML leader Deepak Prakash Bhatta made a presentation about the recent global and Nepal scenario. The GCSG is a global think-tank with offices in Kathmandu and Sydney, Australia. According to the organizer, the report of this close-door discussion will be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other state mechanisms.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting with CPN-UML Chairperson, KP Sharma Oli, with an objective of making the Parliament upcoming session effective.

During the meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, they discussed various issues, including completing the remaining task of the peace process and the bill related to transitional justice, said PM Dahal's press advisor Govinda Acharya.

The winter session of both houses of the Federal Parliament is commencing from February 5.

In the Indian Union Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 unveiled on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was allocated InRs 22,154 crore. 

In line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the largest share of aid portfolio has been granted to Bhutan with an allocation of InRs 2,068 crore. The development assistance to the Maldives has been kept at InRs 600 crore against last year’s InRs 770 crore, according to budget papers.

Nepal has come third with InRs 650 crores for various development projects currently underway which is InRs 100 crore up compared to last year.

In continuation with India’s special relationship with the people of Afghanistan, a budgetary aid of InRs 200 crore has been set aside for that country.

An amount of InRs 120 crore will be provided to Bangladesh under development aid while Nepal would be provided InRs 700 crore.

According to the budget documents, Sri Lanka will get development aid worth InRs 75 crore, Mauritius InRs 370 crore and Myanmar InRs 250 crore. A separate amount of InRs 200 crore has been set aside for African countries.

The total development assistance to various countries and regions such as Latin America and Eurasia has been pegged at InRs 4,883 crore. 

Presenting the interim budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the recently announced India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a strategic and economic game changer for India and others.

The IMEC is seen as an initiative by like-minded nations to gain strategic influence in the face of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that has faced increasing criticism over lack of transparency and disregard for sovereignty of the nations.

The Interim Union Budget for the financial year 2024/25 was tabled in the Indian Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier on Thursday. This was the sixth budget presented by the current FM and the last one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s second term.

The full budget will be presented in July this year after the new government is formed after the Lok Sabha Elections.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 119, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 112, 600 per tola on Thursday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 118, 950 per tola. It was traded at Rs 118, 650 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,415 per tola today.

Most businesses in the Khumbu region in Solukhumbu district, home to Mount Everest, have been closed for winter.  

Damu Sherpa, a local resident, said around 70 percent of the people in the region, including hotel owners and staff members, have already left to escape the frigid winter condition. 

Every winter, people living and running hotel business in the Khumbu region move to lower altitude areas for warmer climes. Some even take advantage of the winter break to make a pilgrimage to India’s Bodh Gaya.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, hotels, camping sites and sightseeing spots wear a deserted look. 

Only a few shops and hotels are open, but there are no businesses to speak of.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) branch office Lukla, hardly five or six flights are taking place to and from Lukla these days. During the peak travel season, the airport sees lots of daily flights, mostly carrying foreign visitors who come to trek the Everest region. 

Cold weather has also affected other parts of Solukhumbu. In the district headquarters, Salleri, people are either staying indoors or sitting next to bonfires to keep them warm.

Nawaraj Parajuli of the Meteorological Center, Salleri, said the temperature in Salleri has been steadily decreasing for the past one week. The town recorded a temperature of minus two degrees Celsius on Tuesday. 

General life in the upper areas of Solukhumbu have been affected the most. In some parts, the mercury has dipped as low as minus 17 degrees Celsius. The cold weather has also halted development works in the district.

This week witnessed a resurgence in the verbal sparring between republican and monarchist forces in the country. Former king Gyanendra Shah took a swipe at the failure of the political parties to bring peace, stability and prosperity to the country. He said there is extreme disappointment among people due to the activities of the political parties. In response, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli dismissed Gyanendra Shah as a mere dummy rather than a monarch. Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal went on to say that the government would launch an investigation into the 2001 massacre involving King Birendra's family. 

Rastriya Prajantra Party (RPP) has already declared its intent to take to the streets for the restoration of monarchy and the Hindu state. Interactions between former king Shah and royalist forces have intensified recently. Major political parties, including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Center), are increasingly concerned about the growing influence of royalist forces. They fear the potential weaponization of public frustration against the current political system. However, engaging in a war of words and issuing threats against royalist forces will not address the root issues. The focus should shift toward addressing the growing dissatisfaction among the people. Foremost among the priorities should be corruption control and improvement in governance at all levels. Widespread unemployment is fueling discontent among people prompting many to seek opportunities abroad or endure miserable conditions at home. The recent trend of Nepalis joining the Russian Army speaks volumes about the desperation for well-paying jobs. Moreover, thousands of people are protesting in the streets, demanding the return of their deposits from troubled financial cooperatives. Victims of loan sharks are preparing to rally as well.

The current situation underscores the imperative for simultaneous economic development to sustain epochal changes such as republicanism, federalism and inclusion. Although historic political changes have taken place in Nepal over the past two decades, political leadership has neither rectified its approaches nor taken serious measures for economic development. The political parties need to recognize that not only royalist forces but also other adversarial elements can exploit public sentiments and frustration to destabilize the existing political system. Therefore, the political parties—both in the government and in the opposition—should think about resolving the key problems that the country is facing at the moment.