COVID Spares None

It is just the second week of the New Year 2022 and COVID-19 has already returned with a big bang. With unique variants emerging in different parts of the world, it has become quite difficult for us to make counts of which virus strain exactly is doing the rounds. But, right now the most transmissible Omicron variant along with the Delta strain seems to have teamed up to exacerbate crises in many countries, including Nepal. And it is spreading like wildfire among political leaders, too.

Djokovic saga leaves Australian Open mired in uncertainty

The saga surrounding defending champion Novak Djokovic has left the Australian Open mired in controversy and confusion with the first Grand Slam of the year just days away. The world number one’s decision not to get vaccinated against Covid-19 blew up when he was detained trying to enter Australia on a medical exemption last week.

China faces omicron test weeks ahead of Beijing Olympics

Just weeks before hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics, China is battling multiple coronavirus outbreaks in half a dozen cities, with the one closest to the capital driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Chicago teachers accept COVID deal, keeping kids in school

Students in the nation’s third-largest school district returned to classrooms Wednesday after Chicago Public Schools canceled five days of classes amid a standoff with the teachers’ union over COVID-19 safety protocols.

Daily COVID-19 infection rate reaches 27%

The COVID-19 infection rate, which has been rising daily for the last one week, has reached 27 per cent on Wednesday. The rate was 18 per cent on Tuesday, 15 per cent on Monday, 9.5 per cent on Sunday and 7.1 per cent on Saturday.

Meat of protected Himalayan Tahr seized

Police have handed over illegal seized meat of protected animal Himalayan Tahr (Jharal) killed after its hunting to the Division Forest Office for further investigation. The District Headquarters, Simkot-based Police Office submitted the seized meat to the Forest Office for further investigation to trace the hunters involved in its killing. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Herambh Sharma said that the police had recovered the meat from Jaini National Forest of Namkha Rural Municipality-4 and...

Technical team follows tigers’ footprints in Banke village

A technical team from the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) that came from Sauraha identified the possible hiding places of the Bengal tigers in Raptisonari, Banke district. A team of senior technicians from the NTNC Amir Sadaula and Tirtha Lama, who were deployed in the forest area of Raptisonari to search for the man-eater, found fresh footprints of the tigers in Fattepur forest, just 5km away from the human settlement, said Ganesh Khadka, Assistant Forest Officer and Information Officer...

Tree farming makes barren land productive

With increasing attraction of farmers to tree plantation and farming, the barren lands of Panchthar have now become productive. The land that had been left barren due to lack of agricultural labourers is now covered with trees planted by the farmers.

Private sector seeks govt support in reducing cost of production

The private sector demanded structural adjustments and policy facilitation to reduce the cost of production and enhance the quality of product in order to boost export of made in Nepal goods.

Two lost artworks returning home from NY

Rubin Museum of Art, New York, is returning two wooden art works to Nepal. Issuing a press statement on January 10, the Consulate General of Nepal and the Rubin Museum of Art, jointly made an announcement to return the two art objects from the Rubin’s permanent collection to Nepal.