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Indian Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chauhan paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday. 

Minister Chauhan, who is currently in Nepal to attend a meeting of agriculture ministers of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), called on PM Oli at the latter's official residence, Baluwatar.

Referring to dimensions of the traditional relations between Nepal and India, Minister Chauhan stressed the need for bilateral cooperation to augment the modernization of agriculture, food security and economic development. 

The bilateral agreements and joint working mechanism should be forwarded and for which he was ready to work in a dynamic manner with equal concern on pressing issues. 

He argued that the recent meeting between Nepali Prime Minister Oli and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok, Thailand, was an opportunity to create a promising future for the two countries.

On the occasion, PM Oli expressed the view that the two neighbours should move forward together for economic development, including modernization of the agricultural sector.

The Indian Agriculture Minister reminded that the meeting with the Indian counterpart in Thailand created an atmosphere of trust to move ahead together for economic development. Oli stressed the need to embrace the changing global environment and unite for national, regional and international interests. 

PM'S Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava were also present in the meeting.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and irrigation Deepak Khadka has said that there would be no load shedding in the country.

Inaugurating the 78-megawatt Sanjenkhola Hydropower Project constructed in Rasuwa today, Minister Khadka argued that the people would not face the problem of power outage. 

He shared that the government was committed to provide power supply round the clock in every household and industry.  The Energy Minister directed the Nepal Electricity Authority to carry out activities for the development of the hydropower sector in order to prevent load shedding.

Minister Khadka expressed the belief that the NEA would take a new height in coming days as it has got accomplished engineer Hitendra Dev Shakya as its leader. 

He made it clear that the government has been carrying out activities in order to export power to various countries including India and Bangladesh forwarding reservoir –based projects with priority in coming days.  

He urged the private sector and donor agencies to invest in the hydropower sector with confidence as an agreement was signed to export 10,000 megawatt power to India. 

Saying the NEA is capable of ending load shedding, NEA Managing Director Shakya urged not to run behind the rumor.  He expressed commitment to take the NEA to a new height resolving the existing problems as the NEA has full support from the Ministry. 

Charge d' Affaires of the Chinese Embassy, Wang Xin, said the progress made by Nepal in the hydropower sector is very hopeful, adding Nepal would get continued support from China in this sector. 

The project, constructed at Amachhodingo Rural Municipality-5 at the investment of Rs 22 billion, is officially connected to the national transmission line from today. Sinohydro Bureau-11 of China had constructed the project.

The Sudurpaschim government has decided to provide Rs 5 million to the fire survivors in Achham.

A meeting of the Province Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority held at Dhangadhi today took a decision to this effect.

Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah said in the initial phase, the affected families and business community will be provided monetary assistance by preparing guidelines towards that end. 

The fire took place at Jayagadh Bazar of Bannigadhi Jayagadh Rural Municipality in Achham last night destroyed 10  mud houses, 15 huts, two cemented houses and a hall, according to Achham's Chief District Officer Anand Saru. 

Among these structures, 11 were used for business purposes. 

The explosion of a gas cylinder at an IME Center owned by local Pushpa Raj Sharma caused the fire in the evening. 

It was taken under control at 1:30 am today with the help of police and locals. 

The preliminary estimations of the losses amount to Rs 75.4 million.

Iran is ready to engage with the US at talks on Saturday over its nuclear programme "with a view to seal a deal", its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, BBC reported.

But US President Donald Trump must first agree there can be no "military option", Araghchi said, and added that Iran would "never accept coercion".

He also insisted the negotiations in Oman would be indirect, contradicting Trump's surprise announcement on Monday that they would be "direct talks".

Trump, who pulled the US out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers during his first term, warned that Iran would be in "great danger" if talks were not successful, according to BBC.

At least 79 people have been killed and more than 150 injured after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic's capital Santo Domingo, officials have said, BBC reported.

A provincial governor and former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel were among the victims. Dotel, 51, died on the way to hospital after being pulled from the debris.

The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday at a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Perez at the Jet Set nightclub. He was reported among those trapped in the rubble.

Hundreds of people were inside the venue and some 400 rescuers are still searching for survivors. There are fears the death toll will rise further, according to BBC.

The Narayangadh-Butwal road project has decided to halt vehicular traffic for four hours daily from today. 

Information Officer at Narayangadh-Butwal Road Construction Project, Shiva Khanal informed that the Daunne section will remain closed from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm today. 

The timetable will be effective till April 13. The road will remain closed from 11.00 pm to 5.00 am from April 14. 

Ambassador of Nepal to Denmark, Sumnima Tuladhar, presented her Letters of Credence to the King of Denmark Frederik Andre Henrik Christian. 

Ambassador Tuladhar presented the letters of credence amid a special ceremony held at Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen on Tuesday. 

During her courtesy call on the Danish King following the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Tuladhar conveyed warm greetings and best wishes on behalf of President Ram Chandra Paudel, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for the King's continued good health and happiness as well as for the sustained prosperity and well-being of the people of Denmark, the Nepali Embassy informed. 

Also on the occasion, various dimensions of the Nepal-Denmark bilateral relationship were discussed. 

The King fondly recalled his visit to Nepal in 2015, following the devastating earthquake, during which he oversaw humanitarian relief efforts in the western regions of the country. 

His Majesty also expressed concern regarding climate change and its detrimental effects on the Himalayan region. 

In response, Ambassador Tuladhar briefed the King on the forthcoming ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad – Everest Dialogue,’ an international forum to be held in Nepal aimed at addressing the alarming rate of glacial melting and its consequences for mountain communities.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Agriculture minister-level meeting is to take place in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Ministers related to Agriculture Affairs of the member states are arriving in Kathmandu to participate in the meeting. 

Earlier, the secretary-level meeting was held in Kathmandu, shared by the secretariat of Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Ramnath Adhikari. The meeting was attended by the secretaries of the ministries related to agriculture. 

It is stated that the secretary-level meeting had prepared the agenda of the ministerial-level meeting. 

Ministers for Agriculture of three among seven member states of BIMSTEC will participate in the meeting in person while ministers of remaining countries will join the meeting virtually, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Nepal. 

Minister Adhikari will preside over the minister-level meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Ministers for Agriculture of India and Bhutan are arriving in Kathmandu this evening to attend the meeting. 

The meeting will discuss matters related to the status and challenge of agriculture, and collaboration among the member countries, Ministry sources informed.