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Nepal reported 23 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 254 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 18 returned positive. Likewise, 773 people underwent antigen tests, of which five were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 12 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 108 active cases in the country.

The government has ordered the authorities to ensure that shopping malls, stores, kitchen markets and other places of trading remain closed after 8pm everyday in an effort to save power and fuel amid rising energy prices worldwide, bdnews24.com reported.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced the order on Sheikh Hasina’s instructions in a letter dated Thursday to several ministries, departments and local authorities, stating that the Bangladesh Labour Act already stipulates the closure of shops at 8pm.

To keep up with the global energy prices, the government earlier this month increased gas prices across the board. Power plants will now get gas at Tk 5.02 per cubic metre, up from Tk 4.45. Gas prices for captive power plants have been raised to Tk 16 from Tk 13.85.

Fuel prices began soaring after the Russia-Ukraine war began. Unrefined oil was sold at $65 per barrel in December last year, but the price leapt to $124 by March. It is now being sold at around $120 each barrel.

Data showed the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation or BPC made a lot of profit over the past seven years, but the war between Russia and Ukraine is biting into its revenues.

The flooded Seti River has damaged motorable bridge linking two wards of Pokhara Metropolitan City, disrupting transportation.

The torrential rain pouring down since Saturday night has increased water level and has eroded the foundation of the bridge, said the Division Road Office, Pokhara, adding that as a result, people's mobility on the damaged bridge has been at risk. Structures of the bridge should be relocated to elsewhere, he said.

The river has damaged pillars of the bridge, said Pushpendra Pandey, ward chair of the metropolis-19.

The 72 meters long and 7 meters wide bridge was constructed five years ago by the road office.

Similarly, the swollen river eroded the road linking Bharawari and Kavre, disrupting transportation, said a local school teacher Santosh Acharya.

A group of 185 passengers travelling from Patna to Delhi by a SpiceJet flight (SG 725) had a providential escape when one of its engines caught fire soon after takeoff from Patna airport at about 12 noon on Sunday, officials said, Hindustan Times reported.

“The aircraft landed safely at the Patna airport after smoke was noticed from one of the left engines of the airplane, possibly after a bird hit or a technical fault. The matter is being investigated. All 185 passengers are safe,” said Chandrashekhar Singh, district magistrate, Patna.

The fire in the plane was noticed when the aircraft was between Khagaul and Phulwarisharif, which is 2 nautical miles from the Patna airport.

Bird hits are common as there is an open abattoir near the Patna airport, which attracts birds. The issue has been raised during several environment committee meetings with the Bihar government for the past several years, but nothing much has been done, said airlines officials.

The Boeing 737 aircraft with full load had taken off from Patna at about 12 noon and was scheduled to reach Delhi at 1:30 pm. The airline was making alternate arrangements to ferry the passengers to their respective destinations, said Singh, according to Hindustan Times.

Local residents, living near the airport in Pulwarisharif, said they heard a loud sound after which they noticed smoke billowing from one of the engines of the aircraft. Airport officials suspect it to be a bird hit.

The aircraft had to make an emergency landing at the Patna airport and it was immediately taken to the parking bay.

“I saw sparks flying from one of the engines below the left wing of the aircraft soon after the aircraft took off,” said Gaurav, a passenger, as he was huddled back inside the airport terminal building by airport and security forces.

SpiceJet station manager Syed Hassan and Patna airport director Anchal Prakash did not respond to calls.

The Patna airport caters to 84 aircraft movement in a day and all flights, especially to metros, including Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are full due to the recent cancellation of trains due to protests over the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for defence recruitment, Hindustan Times reported.

With cancellation of trains, an economy class air ticket to Delhi had soared to ₹22,000 against its normal price between ₹6,000 and ₹7,000 during the summer holidays. Air tickets to Kolkata, which was otherwise sold between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000 had shot up to ₹17,000 on Saturday, said Kumud Ranjan of Mamata Travels.