Submit your Article

In a bid to promote Tharu foods, an indigenous food festival is being organized for the first time in Nepalgunj City. 

The Tharu food festival will be held for three days, beginning from April 30, according to General Manager of Soaltee Western Premier Nepal Raj Bikram Shah. 

The event has aimed at preserving and promoting indigenous cuisines and associated culture. "Experienced cooks prepare food items so that the visitors can relish the delicacies," Shah said, adding that the event is further expected to make known the long preserved food culture of Tharu community to the national and international markets. 

Anyone can visit the event for free of cost but requires a Rs 500 voucher to enjoy varieties of tastes. 

The festival runs from early morning to 11 pm every day. It also features cultural performances from 9 pm to 10pm. 

The living culture, arts and traditions of Tharu people are displayed during the festival, the organizers added. 

The eastern belt of Nepal has witnessed impact of low pressure range along with westerly and local winds. 

It is currently partly cloudy in Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces.

The Weather Forecasting Division has predicted heavy rainfall along with thunder and lightning in one to two places in hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces, while storms in some places of Tarai belt later today.  

The weather service said that it is raining moderately in some places of Gandaki Province and one to two places of Bagmati and Karnali Provinces at present. The rainfall is coupled with lightning and thunder.

Most of the places in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces are likely to have cloudy weather. 

One to two places of Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces are expected to have moderate rainfall along with thunder and lightning.

The storm coupled with rainfall has damaged winter crops in the Pokhara Valley and vicinity.

Creeper vegetables and corn were damaged by the storm and rainfall occurred for some days. 

Two weeks back, the hailstone that took place during evening perished cucumber and watermelon, while the storm recently damaged maize farming. 

Some farmers also lost livestock due to lightning.

Owner of Tikhedhunga Livestock and Agriculture Farm Ramesh Acharya said that lightning struck a buffalo to death on Tuesday. 

King Charles has extolled the importance of Britain’s “special relationship” with the US in a speech to Congress that made pointed reference to the importance of Nato, the defence of Ukraine and the climate crisis, The Guardian reported. 

In a speech that will be read as a veiled plea to Donald Trump to return to the US’s traditional European alliances and restore his country’s role as a defender of liberal values, Charles said: “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more."

Charles’s appearance before the joint session of Congress – the first such royal address in 35 years – was billed as the centrepiece of his four-day state visit to the United States, where he and Queen Camilla are taking part in celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of independence.

EU countries and European Parliamentlawmakers failed to reach a deal on watered-down landmark artificial intelligence rules after 12 hours of negotiations on Tuesday and will resume talks next month, Reuters reported. 

The changes to the AI Act, which entered into force in August 2024 with key elements set to be enforced ⁠in ⁠stages starting this year, are part of the European Commission's Digital Omnibus, which aims to simplify a slew of regulations in the digital sector to help businesses catch up with US and Asian rivals.

Europe's AI rules, considered to be the strictest in the world, came amid concerns about the impact of the ​technology on children, workers, companies and cybersecurity.

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday said it was quitting OPEC, dealing a blow to the oil producers' group ​as an unprecedented energy crisis caused by the Iran war exposes discord among Gulf nations, Reuters reported. 

The exit of the UAE - one of the group's biggest producers - weakens ‌OPEC's control over global oil supplies and widens a rift between the UAE and its neighbour Saudi Arabia, effectively the leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

It could also free the UAE to increase output once exports via the Gulf resume as it would no longer be governed by OPEC quotas.

Kim Jong Un has praised North Korean soldiers who killed themselves by detonating their grenades while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, confirming a long-suspected battlefield policy, BBC reported. 

In a speech this week, the North Korean leader said those who "unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honour" were "heroes".

South Korea estimates at least 15,000 North Koreans have been sent to help Russia recapture parts of western Kursk, and more than 6,000 have been killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed the numbers.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has urged one and all to adopt high alert measures, indicating chances of thunderstorms, lightning, hail and rain in various parts of the country from Wednesday evening. 

Meteorologist at the Department, Sanjeeb Adhikari shared that  the likelihood of strong winds in Dadeldhura and Doti in Sudurpashchim Province; Bardiya, Banke, Dang and Arghakhanchi in Lumbini Province; Dhanusha and Bara in Madhesh Province, and Morang and adjoining districts in Koshi Province on Wednesday. 

The Department has stated that the windstorm is expected to start at 5:45 pm Wednesday and end at 7:45 am Thursday. 

As the westerly system moves eastwards, the Department has indicated the possibility of rain with thunderstorms, lightning, windstorms and hail in many parts of the country. 

In view of possible effects on livelihoods, agriculture, transport and electricity services due to adverse weather, the Department has urged for necessary precautions.