Continuous rains

Continuous rains nationwide forecasted for three days

Continuous rains nationwide forecasted for three days

Kathmandu, June 30 (RSS): With monsoon becoming active nationwide, rains for the continuous three days have been forecasted in most of the eastern and western parts of Nepal.   

The Meteorological Forecasting Division has predicted unabated rains ranging from light to moderate in many parts of eastern and western Nepal for the next three days while heavy rains have been forecasted in one or two places. Likewise, the central Nepal and some parts of its adjoining areas are likely to see light to moderate rains.      

Monsoon trough appears near Nepal, causing rains nationwide, according to meteorologist Shanti Kandel. According to her, some pockets are expected to hit by torrential rains, recommending for special alert to cope with the situation.

Presently, the monsoon front is in the situation of spreading towards west from east sky and once it descends, it will cause heavy rains in different parts of India.

 Monsoon this season became active nationwide on July 28.

The Division had announced the arrival of monsoon in the country from June 8.  But it took relatively more days to manifest in full strength.  

With monsoon covering the entire nation, most parts in the country including the Kathmandu Valley are witnessing cloudy condition while rains are occurring in some areas.

According to the Division's latest data, Kathmandu recorded 4 mm rain today while Okhaldhunga received maximum 24 mm, Taplejung 8 mm, Jumla 8 mm and Birendranagar measured 3 mm rainfall. 

Due to change in weather and rains, Kathmandu Valley's temperature has slid. Minimum temperature has reached the 19 degrees Celsius and maximum temperature has been recorded at 27 degrees Celsius with the fall of three degrees Celsius compared to the measurement of three days ago.

---

NUTRIENTS OF MUSHROOM

NUTRIENTS OF MUSHROOM

Nutrients

Mushrooms are a good source of numerous nutrients. Data presented in Figure 7 demonstrate this with Crimini mushrooms. They are an excellent source (contain over 20% of the RDA in a serving) of selenium, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and copper and are a good source (contain over 10% of RDA) for niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and potassium. Criminis also contain rich amounts of thiamin (Vitamin B1), zinc, vitamin B6, protein, folic acid, fiber, manganese and magnesium. On the other hand, mushrooms are low in fat, sodium and calories.

Vitamin D

Recent research has shown that when UV light is shined on mushrooms, there is a major boost in the vitamin D2 content of the mushrooms. A single serving of mushrooms will contain over 800% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D2 once exposed to just five minutes of UV light after being harvested. This may be a convenient way for people who do not eat fish or drink milk to obtain their daily requirement of vitamin D.

Dietary fiber (DF)

Mushrooms contain numerous complex carbohydrates including polysaccharides such as glucans and glycogen, monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols and chitin. Most polysaccharides are structural components of the cell walls (chitin and glucans) and are indigestible by humans; thus they may be considered as dietary fiber. Dietary fiber may help to prevent many diseases prevalent in affluent societies. Portobello mushrooms contain a higher level of DF than the white variety of mushrooms.

Selenium

A serving (3 ounces) of Crimini mushrooms provides almost one-third of the RDA for selenium, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Selenium has been shown to decrease prostate cancer by more than 60% according to findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging. Men with the lowest blood selenium levels were 4-5 times more likely to have prostate cancer than those with the highest selenium levels and that selenium levels tend to decrease with age.

Selenium levels can be reliably increased in mushrooms by adding sodium selenite to mushroom compost. Some commercial supplement makers are now adding this compound to their delayed release nutrients for mushroom culture.

Potassium

Crimini mushrooms are a good source of potassium, an element that is important in the regulation of blood pressure, maintenance of water in fat and muscle, and to ensure the proper functioning of cells. A 3-ounce Portobello contains more potassium than a banana or an orange. To date, attempts to enhance the potassium content of mushrooms have met with only limited success.

Antioxidants

Portobello and Crimini mushrooms are good sources of antioxidants and rank with carrots, green beans, red peppers and broccoli as good sources of dietary antioxidants. They are rich sources of polyphenols that are the primary antioxidants in vegetables and are the best source of L-ergothioneine (ERGO) - a potent antioxidant only produced in nature by fungi. Crimini mushrooms contain over 15 times more ERGO than the previously best-known dietary sources of ERGO.

Private sector in Nepal for joint venture with Chinese investors

Private sector in Nepal for joint venture with Chinese investors

The private sector has stressed that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's official visit to China should be made fruitful as it offered an important opportunities to Nepal to boost its trade and bilateral cooperation with its northern neighbor.

PM Oli is leaving on an official visit to the People's Republic of China on Tuesday.

The business sector has suggested the government to come up during PM's visit with important plans for maintaining a balance in Nepal-China trade.

Nepal imported goods worth Rs 127.59 billion from China in the 10 months of the fiscal year 2017/18 whereas it exported goods worth mere Rs 2.67 billion in that period.  Similarly, Nepal's total import from China was Rs 6.015 billion and export to China was Rs 1.53 billion in fiscal year 2016/17.

President of Confederation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CNI), Hari Bhakta Sharma said that the government should lay emphasis on promoting Nepal's exports in China. He is leading the Nepali business team accompanying PM Oli during his visit to China.

He said that they wanted to operate joint venture companies with Chinese companies.

Woolen carpet, readymade clothes, yellow lentil, polyester and other thread, textile, iron and steel, goods manufactured from iron, steel, handicraft materials, noodles, toothpaste, cardamom, tea, Nepali paper, leather, Pashmina shawl, and herbs are the major goods being exported from Nepal in recent period.

The total foreign trade of Nepal has been increased by 20.8 per cent in 10 months of the current fiscal year as compared to correspondent period of the previous fiscal year and reached to Rs 1 trillion and 49 billion.

Out of the total trade, export has 6.3 per cent contribution while 93.7 per cent contribution of import.

The goods are being exported to European Union and America while thread is being exported to Turkey, hardened yak cheese to America and meat to Vietnam, shows the data.

More than 50 industrialists and bankers are included in the delegation led by Prime Minister Oli.  Investment agreement of more than 200 billion would be signed between government and private sectors of Nepal and China during the visit.

Province No 4 to run Atithi Devo Bhawa campaign

Province No 4 to run Atithi Devo Bhawa campaign

Pokhara, June 16 (RSS): The Province No 4 government is to conduct the 'Atithi Devo Bhawa (Guests are God)' tourism promotion campaign in collaboration with the private sector.

This is stated in the budget statement for the fiscal year 2018/19 which the provincial government minister for economic affairs and planning Kiran Gurung presented in the Province Assembly meeting on Friday.

He said an environment would be created through the campaign that the tourists would like to visit the province not once but frequently.

The budget statement envisages developing quality services and new tourist destinations to increase the duration of tourist stay.

The provincial government has set aside Rs 10 million through the budget for preparing a tourism master plan along with an explicit work plan and estimated cost. 

Similarly, Rs 300 million has been earmarked for the home stay tourism infrastructure development programme which aims to develop 300 villages as model tourism villages with the vision of promoting village tourism.

President of Village Tourism Promotion Forum (V-TuF) Province 4 Committee, Rabindra Raj Poudel said Province 4 is a province with high possibility of village tourism and the provincial government keeping it in high priority in its budget was a positive move. He however said that they were in a wait and see as to how the province government's enthusiasm reflected in the vision and campaign translates into action.

The Province No 4 government has allocated Rs 60 million for the construction of new trekking routes, repair and maintenance of the already existing ones and setting up tourism information centres in the province.

"High number of foreign tourists visits the province each year for trekking due to the availability of numerous adventurous trekking destinations and routes including the world-famous Annapurna Circuit in Province No 4," said Sushil Raj Poudel, secretary of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Western Region Chapter.

Expressing happiness over the government's allocation of budget for the promotion of trekking tourism, he believed that this would contribute to the development of the tourism sector as a whole.

Similarly, construction of a multi-media musical fountain in the Phewa Lake, development of canopy walk from Damsite to the Peace Stupa and construction of grass bridge at water level have been proposed in the budget for the beautification of the lake and for establishing it as major tourism hub. It is stated these works would be carried out in collaboration with the private sector. The provincial government has also allocated Rs 80 million for preparing the detailed project report for these projects. 

The budget statement also talks about forming a lake conservation and development authority for the conservation of the lakes, ponds and other water bodies found in the province, in cooperation with the federal and provincial governments.

It is also stated in the budget statement that a policy would be formulated for regulating and managing the various historical, religious and cultural sites, the village tourism centres, home stay tourism and trekking tourism as well as the Annapurna Manaslu Conservation Area.

President of Pokhara Tourism Council, Kedarnath Sharma said the budgetary allocations to the tourism sector and its prioritisation by the province government has enthused the tourism entrepreneurs in the province.

"The government's policy and work plan should be put into implementation in an effective manner. The development of tourism in Province No 4 including in Pokhara would contribute to the promotion of tourism in the entire country," he said.

The provincial government has included in the budget statement its goal of expanding the adventure sports tourism and developing Mustang, Manang and Chuma-Bri as the international standard film shooting destinations.

---

Indian Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers outside Eidgah-Bilal, in Hyderabad on June 16, 2018. Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al Fitr which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, after the sighting of the new crescent moon.

Indian Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers outside Eidgah-Bilal, in Hyderabad on June 16, 2018. Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al Fitr which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, after the sighting of the new crescent moon.

Four dead as mound of earth caves in at Arun III project site

Four dead as mound of earth caves in at Arun III project site

Sankhuwasabha, June 16 (RSS): Four people were killed when a mound of earth caved in as they were working for construction of tunnel of the Arun III Hydropower Project based in Sankhuwasabha district last night.

Among the victims of the tragic incident took place at around 8:45 pm at Phaksinda of Makalu Rural Municipality two are Nepalis and two Indians, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Shyam Kumar Saru Magar.

They are identified as Pradeep Shahi  of Siuna Rural Municipality-4 in Kalikot,  Prem Pariyar of Chandannath Municipality-1, Jumla, Budhan Munda from Jharkhand, India and Nanda Kishore from Bihar, India.

Shahi and Pariyar were manual workers while Munda was operator and Nanda Kishore was hired as the electrician for the project.    

Until the filing of this report, security personnel with the help of locals were trying to pull out the bodies from the debris. Continuous rains have affected the efforts. 

A plume of smoke and ash rise from the Volcano of Fire as seen from San Miguel Los Lotes, Guatemala, Friday, June 15, 2018

A plume of smoke and ash rise from the Volcano of Fire as seen from San Miguel Los Lotes, Guatemala, Friday, June 15, 2018

President/Prime Minster-Eid Greetings

President/Prime Minster-Eid Greetings

Kathmandu, June 16 (RSS): President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended best wishes to all Nepali Islamic religious sisters and brothers at home and abroad for their happiness, peace and good health on the occasion of Eid al-fitr.

In a message delivered today, President Bhandari expressed her confidence that the grand festival of Islamic people would help promote mutual harmony, tolerance, togetherness and fraternity among all Nepali people and preserve fundamental culture and tradition

"The Eid al-fitr has special significance as it entails a long fasting meant for purifying the soul and exchanging happiness with own relatives. May this festival encourage all to fulfil the national resolution towards building prosperous nation", reads the message.

On the same occasion, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has also extended greetings to all Islamic religious people.

Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after their national football team won the the World Cup Group B soccer match between Morocco and Iran on June 15, 2018

Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after their national football team won the the World Cup Group B soccer match between Morocco and Iran on June 15, 2018

Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after their national football team won the the World Cup Group B soccer match between Morocco and Iran on June 15, 2018

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (R) vies with Spain's Jordi Alba (L) during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (R) vies with Spain's Jordi Alba (L) during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (R) vies with Spain's Jordi Alba (L) during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.

Nacho (C) of Spain celebrates scoring with his teammates during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

Nacho (C) of Spain celebrates scoring with his teammates during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates his third goal during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates his third goal during a group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi, Russia, June 15, 2018. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.