Is Omicron Beginning Of Endemic?

As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has become a household phenomenon in Nepal and globally, a new term “endemic” is being talked about. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the USA, defines endemic as “the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area.” In simpler terms, it means “a point at which the infection is no longer unpredictably disruptive,” according to Stuart Ray, a professor...

Honing Reading Skill

If you ponder on the matters that you usually read in a day, you will be surprised to see the amount and diversity in the subjects that you read. You may read a label of a product in a supermarket or the ingredients in a recipe. You could also read a novel, a news report or an article as you are currently doing. Likewise, you could read text messages on your phone, a to-do manual, a brochure of a company or even the subtitles of a movie.

Alize Cornet reaches quarterfinals at her 63rd Grand Slam

Alize Cornet dropped to her knees on the hard blue court, clasped her hands and took a few moments to let it sink in. In her 17th trip to the Australia Open, her 63rd run at a Grand Slam, and two days after celebrating her 32nd birthday, Cornet finally qualified for the quarterfinals at one of the four major events in tennis.

Shooting of Lakhey goes on in two units

Owing to the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases, the government has closed the cinema theatres indefinitely. However, the government has allowed the shooting of movies by adopting the COVID-19 safety guidelines. Utilising this provision, Lakhey is being shot in the Kathmandu Valley from the second week of January.

Museums, zoo of Valley closed

All the museums of the Kathmandu Valley have closed their doors to visitors in light of the ever-increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the capital. A meeting of the Chief District Officers of the three districts of the valley on Thursday had decided to impose additional restrictions to curb the spread of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. One of these restrictions included the closing of museums from Friday midnight.

'Woolly neck stork' absent in the Rapti River this winter

The Woolly neck stork, called Lovipapi Garudh in Nepali, which used to appear in the Rapti River area of ​​Deukhuri in winter, has not appeared this year. A native bird of Nepal, India and Indonesia and considered rare in the world, it used to appear in the area every winter.

Nepal’s trade deficit reaches Rs. 880bn

Despite a significant increase in export trade, the country’s trade deficit has further widened in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The main reason for the widening trade deficit is the low volume of exports The country’s trade deficit has increased by 46.64 per cent to Rs. 880.49 billion during the review period.

Himalaya Airlines first in Nepal to achieve ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification

Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China Joint Venture, has become the first airline in Nepal to successfully achieve ISO 9001-2015 QMS certification. The airline received the certificate on December 29, 2021 in recognition of the organisation’s Quality Management System (QMS) which complies with ISO 9001-2015, according to a press statement of the airlines. 

Government not to reduce compensation to Budhigandaki hydro project

The government has decided not to reduce any amount to the compensation for the physical infrastructure in the flooded area of ​​the Budhigandaki. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has confirmed the decision of the cabinet meeting held on January 14 regarding this. "The proposal sent by us has been passed by the cabinet," said Chiranjeevi Chataut, joint secretary at the Ministry of Energy and focal person for the Budhigandaki project.

Finance Minister urges RBB to double investment in agriculture

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has urged Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) to double its investment in the agricultural sector. Addressing a function organised to mark the 57th anniversary of the bank through virtual media on Monday, Minister Sharma urged the bank to double its investment in the agricultural sector.