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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the export of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh via the Indian grid as a landmark in sub-regional energy cooperation. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on Saturday, Modi emphasized that the swift implementation of such large-scale initiatives in multiple areas within just one year reflects the dynamic pace and scope of bilateral relations.

Last year, Nepal and India signed a long-term power trade agreement, which included India's consent to facilitate the sale of Nepali electricity to Bangladesh. Officials from Nepal and Bangladesh are currently finalizing the modalities of this agreement.

The joint statement underscored the commitment to expanding power and energy collaboration and developing intra-regional electricity trade. This includes competitively-priced power generated from clean energy projects in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, transmitted through the Indian electricity grid. To support this initiative, India will expedite the construction of a 765 kV high-capacity Katihar-Parbatipur-Bornagar interconnection, with suitable Indian financial assistance, to serve as a key anchor for grid connectivity.

Modi and Hasina also discussed regional issues, highlighting the potential of the India-Bangladesh relationship as a major anchor for regional and sub-regional integration under the BIMSTEC, SAARC, and IORA frameworks. They committed to working together on global platforms to advance their common interests, particularly those of the Global South.

As part of sub-regional connectivity initiatives, India will provide transit facilities for the movement of Bangladeshi goods to Nepal and Bhutan via the railway network. The two leaders also reiterated their commitment to the early operationalization of the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement to enhance sub-regional connectivity.

Recognizing the significant contribution of their partnership to regional peace, security, and stability, India and Bangladesh reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, secure, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. With converging visions for the Indo-Pacific and awareness of the region's vulnerability to climate change, India and Bangladesh will co-lead the ‘Disaster Risk Reduction and Management’ pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). They will cooperate to mitigate disaster risks, build disaster-resilient infrastructure, and contribute to the sustainability of their shared maritime region.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against high-ranking officials including Chief Secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal.

The anti-corruption watchdog today filed a charge sheet at the Special Court against 12 persons including Chief Secretary Aryal for their alleged involvement in carrying out irregularities in the printing of excise duty stickers.

Along with Chief Secretary Aryal, Budget Division Head at the Finance Ministry Ritesh Shakya, Deputy Director General of Customs Department Tank Pandey, then Executive Director of Surakshan Printing Center Vikal Poudel have been named as defendants in the case.

Similarly, Deputy Secretary Ganesh Vikram Shahi, Branch Officer Rabindra Prasad Paudel, then Accounts Officer Bishnu Prasad Gautam, then Branch Officer Hariballab Ghimire have also been made defendants in the printing of excise duty stickers’ case.

The Authority has demanded Rs 386 million in recovery from each of those involved in corruption, according to Dhan Bahadur Karki, Spokesperson at Special Court.

The CIAA said that a corruption case has been filed against Shakti Prasad Shrestha, the procurement consultant of Surakshan Kendra and Keshav Sharma, the owner of Printcell Pvt.

Likewise, the Printcell has also been made a defendant in the case.

Chief Secretary Aryal has been suspended with the filing of the case.

The Security Printing Center under the Ministry of Communications had called for a tender to print excise duty stickers for the Internal Revenue Department on September 20, 2022.

Printcell Pvt Ltd won the contract for printing excise duty stickers on December 12, 2022.

Chief Secretary Aryal was the Communication Secretary at the time, and Vikal Paude was the Executive Director of the Security Printing Center.

Earlier, the Authority had filed a corruption case against Paudel in the Security Printing Press. The Kathmandu Special Court has found Paudel guilty in the case.

Aryal was the Communications Secretary from August 9, 2021, to March 28, 2023.  Aryal, who was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office, became the Chief Secretary on June 15.

The excruciatingly hot weather has us reaching for our baggiest, comfiest, cotton trousers and shirts. But as much as we would love to, we can’t always live in them. Work and social obligations mean we have to dress up. It can be difficult to plan different styles of outfits that look put together when all you really want is loose-fitting clothes and kaftans. Here are some easy ways to look cute this summer while staying cool.

 Invest in some dresses

Dresses are ideal for summer. They can up your style quotient without much effort while letting you feel the breeze on your body. Get some linen, cotton, or silk dresses in various cuts—from knee high to ankle length—and style them with boots, kitten heels, or even flats, depending on what you are in the mood for. There’s no right or wrong way to style a dress so have fun with it. When you don’t want to think too much, pair them up with chunky earrings or a cool bag and you are good to go. If you think your dress is too simple, pair it with a contrasting belt to make it the focal point of your look. Kurtis without slits can also work well as summer dresses for a weekend outing with friends.

Wide leg trousers to your rescue

Admit it, you can’t always wear a dress. Sometimes, you need to curate a more formal look. But jeans are a strict no when the temperature is soaring. Wide-leg trousers, or palazzos that cinch at the waist but have a flared bottom can come to your rescue. Paired with a formal shirt or even a tucked-in t-shirt, these bottoms can help you create a summer ensemble you can’t get enough of. Logo Fashion Industries has some super comfortable ones in a range of colors like peach, yellow, gray, and pastel blue among others. You can also find quite a selection if you are up for street shopping in New Road. Be prepared to hunt a little and don’t forget to bargain.

Boho is back

If you paid attention to any of the recent 2024 runway shows, you’ll know that boho is back and better than ever. That means fringe bags, flowy dresses, and slouchy boots dominate the summer. Rustic and handmade items in linen, denim, suede or crochet pieces work well for this look. Long, flowing cuts that add movement to the free spirited boho style are always a good alternative. Your boho wardrobe should have skirts, dresses, overalls, blouses and kimonos. These are staples that you can use to put together outfits for any occasion. We recommend printed blouses. Opt for flowery or geometric designs and the bigger, the better. It will give off a cool, summery vibe.

Embrace slouchy suiting

The slouchy suit is the summer’s answer to winter formals. Everyone from Dua Lipa to Deepika Padukone can be seen in them. You can pair them with shirts or a bralette and both will look equally chic. The particular style, over-sized in soft silhouettes, with dropped shoulders and swathing fabric can also look great when paired with relaxed garments, such as a white T-shirt or a tank top. You can accessorize it with baseball caps and sneakers or wear flip flops and a hat for a more bohemian look. We suggest you go thrift shopping for old blazers and coats that you can then pair with matching loose-fit pants.

Experiment, experiment, and experiment

The key to looking great is discovering your style and for that you must experiment. Go out of your comfort zone and change things up. If you are too scared to give yourself a style makeover, change one thing at a time. Perhaps you could wear a string top dress and style it with a really cool scarf and bangles if you aren’t comfortable wearing flowy fabrics to work. You might be surprised to find that something you thought you would never wear actually looks good on you. There are many Instagram pages that teach you neat tricks to level up a basic outfit. Check out fashion content on YouTube for pointers on how to look effortlessly chic.

In 2013, Kaori Fujino was awarded the Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s most prominent literary prize, for ‘Nails and Eyes’. Fujino, who holds an MA in aesthetics and art theory from Doshisha University, is best known for fiction that reimagines tropes of horror, urban legends, fairy tales, and science fiction. She was in residence at the University of Iowa’s prestigious International Writing Program in 2017. The English translation of her stories have also appeared in various publications.

Nails and Eyes is a slim book but you won’t be able to breeze through it because of its dark and dreary undertone. There are two additional stories of unsettled minds with eerie settings in the volume that I got. The three stories can all be slotted as horror but all of them deal with real people and the many problems in their lives. I especially liked the third story called ‘Minute Fears’ that revolves around the complexities of motherhood. The other two are equally good but I’m pretty sure everyone who reads this volume will have a favorite—perhaps one they will resonate with.

The main story is about a young girl who loses her mother and her father invites his lover to stay with them. He wants to marry her but they want to figure out whether they will work as a family before taking the leap. The woman tries to create a life for the three of them. She’s secretly relieved there’s a child in the picture and that she won’t have to get pregnant for a baby. It’s convenient that someone else has given birth to the three-year-old. But she’s unable to be comfortable around the girl and vice-versa. They have an amicable relationship at best. But the girl is watching the woman, tracking her every move, and there’s malice. The latter only realizes that when it’s too late.

 ‘What Shoko Forgets’ is set in a rehabilitation home. Shoko suffered a stroke and her memories are hazy. She’s being cared for by her oldest daughter and a disinterested granddaughter. She wants to go home and live comfortably on her couch. She feels she deserves that much at least now that her body is tiring and shutting down. But her daughter won’t listen and there’s someone who visits Shoko every night though everyone seems to be oblivious to it. Her memories of this disappear every morning and that’s concerning. Is it real or is she imagining the whole thing? You can never tell and the story stays in your mind long after you’ve read it.

Nails and Eyes is an interesting piece of literature, one that draws your attention to important themes like parenthood, aging, and isolation among others in a way that makes you think about them from different perspectives. It’s, hands down, unlike any other book I have ever read, in terms of how chilling it was. Fujino’s writing reminds me of Yoko Ogawa, another Japanese writer who has won almost every major literary prize in Japan including the Akutagawa Prize.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66092863-nails-and-eyes 

Nails and Eyes

Kaori Fujino

Translated by Kendall Heitzman

Published: 2023 (Original text: 2013)

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Pages: 138, Paperback