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The Honorary Consul Corps-Nepal (HCC-N) celebrated its Charter Day and convened the 17th Annual General Meeting at Hotel Marriott Kathmandu on Tuesday. On the occasion, Chandra Dhakal, Honorary Consul of Indonesia to Nepal, was elected as the new Dean of HCC-N. Outgoing Dean Vishnu Agarwal handed over the deanship and organization’s logo to Dhakal.

With 62 Honorary Consuls/Consul Generals representing countries without residential diplomatic missions in Nepal, HCC-N plays a pivotal role in promoting economic, cultural, and diplomatic ties between Nepal and these nations, claims the organization. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba, the Chief Guest of the event, acknowledged the significant contributions of Honorary Consuls and Consul General in enhancing Nepal’s international relations. She emphasized the importance of economic diplomacy in attracting foreign investment from the represented countries.

Outgoing Dean Agarwal underscored the values of service, volunteerism, and goodwill that define HCC-N’s initiatives. He highlighted that the Lumbini Conclave on ‘Global Peace and Prosperity’ was successful in promoting the message of peace, tourism, trade and mutual understanding among nations. The conclave, organized on the aegis of HCCN, was attended by 19 non-residential ambassadors and mission representatives. 

In his address as the new Dean, Dhakal outlined his vision for HCCN, emphasizing its role in advancing economic diplomacy and safeguarding the interests of sending states. He pledged to strengthen partnerships with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to capitalize on emerging opportunities for Nepal’s economic growth and development. “I assure you the HCCN will actively lobby for increased FDI and the signing of BIAs with as many countries as possible. Our efforts will bring substantial investment into Nepal and contribute to our nation’s economic growth,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of a conducive investment climate in Nepal. 

The event also launched the HCC-N website (www.hcc-nepal.org).

Ambassador of Switzerland to Nepal, Dr Danielle Meuwly Monteleone, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba at the latter's office in Singha Durbar today.

Various matters relating to Nepal-Switzerland relations and cooperation were discussed in the meeting, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Also today, Non-Resident Ambassador of Canada to Nepal, Cameron Mackay, paid a farewell call on Foreign Minister Dr Deuba.

On the occasion, the Foreign Minister thanked the Ambassador for his efforts in further strengthening Nepal-Canada relations.

Bahadur Singh Lama has been appointed as the chief minister of Bagmati Province.

Bagmati Province Chief Yadav Chandra Sharma appointed Lama as the chief minister as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal.

Earlier this afternoon, he had staked claim for the post of chief minister with the support of the CPN-UML.

Out of 12 ministries in the Bagmati Province, Nepali Congress has got seven ministries including the chief minister.

The newly appointed chief minister and ministers will be administered the oath of office and secrecy at 11 am on Wednesday.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to restore the power supply to six industries.

The state-owned power utility decided to reconect the electricity supply to six industries where the power was cut off, but with conditions.

The NEA disconnected the power lines of six industries after they refused to pay the dues of dedicated feeders and trunk lines.

The lines will be connected gradually from Tuesday evening.

Last week, the NEA had cut the power supply of Reliance Spinning, Ghorahi Cement, Arghakhachi Cement, Jagadamba Synthetic, Hulas Steel and Jagadamba Steel.

Executive Director Kulman Ghising had taken a minute regarding the decision of the meeting of the Board of Directors.

Also the Secretary of the Authority’s Board of Directors, Ghising has given a deadline of three months to the industries to pay the dues.

Eating healthy reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, and many other diseases. But it’s not something most of us are able to do, given our busy schedules and the one too many cravings that seem to hit us when we are bored and uninspired. But it’s not impossible or even that difficult to make the right kind of food choices. This week, we bring you five basic ideas that you can incorporate in your lifestyle with minimal effort. Before you know it, you will be making healthy choices and enjoying its many rewards.

 Eat home-cooked meals

We all know this but we push the thought to the corner of our minds as we go about our days. Who has the time to pack lunch or snacks every single day? It’s much easier to step into the local sandwich shop and grab a bite to eat. But if you are serious about eating healthy and staying fit, make it a priority to eat at home or home-cooked food as much as possible. You have control over the ingredients, can ensure the food is fresh, and prepared the way you like it. A bonus is that you will save quite a bit of money. Learn to make simple meals from some basic ingredients that you always have in your pantry and you will be sorted. Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar recommends always having boiled potatoes in your fridge. You can whip up a delicious meal in minutes with this one ingredient. Brar has plenty of recipes on his YouTube channel.

 Check your portions

Most of the time what leads to weight gain is not what you eat but how much you eat. We don’t mean you can eat anything but even healthy foods can lead to weight gain if you have too much of it. So, portion control is important. Get a smaller plate so that you don’t heap food when you serve yourself. Learn about portion sizes so that you can measure and thus control how much you eat. Also, if you are craving something, have it. But have a small piece. You don’t have to eat an entire bar of chocolate to satiate your craving for something sweet. Have a small piece and take time to savor it.

Have fruits, seeds, and nuts daily

Nuts and seeds are a powerhouse of vitamins and antioxidants. The fiber in them will also keep you feeling full for longer. Have a handful of nuts and seeds every day. Carry a small ziplock bag with some raisins, dates, cashews, almonds etc. and snack on them when you aren’t really hungry but want to munch on something. Let’s be honest, we all have those moments. Have soaked nuts first thing in the morning. It’s the healthiest habit you can adopt. Most dieticians advise eating a fruit every day and trying to eat it in the afternoons, as a snack, if possible. Have the whole fruit instead of juices so that the fiber can keep you full and help regulate your bowels as well.

Check the package label

As far as possible, refrain from buying anything that comes in plastic or cardboard packages. But if you must, compare nutrition facts labels on food products and select products with the lowest amounts of sodium, added sugars, saturated fat and trans-fat, and no partially hydrogenated oils. The food label will provide information on what you are putting into your body. You must also learn to read the labels and educate yourself. For example, there are many sources of sodium. Ingredients can contain ‘hidden’ sources of sodium such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) or trisodium phosphate. You will only be able to make good choices if you know what you are looking for and what to avoid.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Many a times we tend to mistake thirst for hunger so make sure you are drinking enough water. If you suddenly have a craving, try drinking a glass of water. Chances are the craving will go away. It’s also important to replenish your body from time to time so add some lemon and salt or some electrolytes in your regular water. Carry a water bottle with you so that you always have water on hand and don’t find yourself reaching for a can of soda or ordering some other sugary drink like lattes and iced teas when you feel hot and want something to drink.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 75.33 points to close at 2,563.43 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 10.40 points to close at 459. 19 points.

A total of 39,790,889-unit shares of 317 companies were traded for Rs 14. 11 billion.

Meanwhile, Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) Limited (BNL), Samriddhi Finance Company Limited (SFCL), Mandu Hydropower Limited (MANDU), Hathway Investment Nepal Limited (HATHY) and Nepal Warehousing Company Limited (NWCL) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Ganapati Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (GMFBS) was the top loser as its price fell by 5.83 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 06 trillion.

Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak has expressed commitment to extend support in formulation of Acts and laws related to immigration.

After inspecting the Department of Immigration today, Home Minister Lekhak directed the Department to submit acts, rules, procedure and regulations at the Home Ministry within a month.

He also instructed the Department to forward the process for the establishment of immigration offices at Tinkar of Darchula and Korala of Mustang.

Saying allegations of involvement of immigration staff in human trafficking activities be untrue, the Home Minister warned of taking stern action if found guilty.

He further said that human trafficking is on the rise and directed the immigration officials to act cautiously.

Minister Lekhak asked concerned employees to behave well with all passengers.

Laying emphasis on the need of operating immigration offices in full-capacity, Home Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal mentioned the Department should carry out activities coordinating with all government bodies.

He pointed out the need for collaboration and coordination among the Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry and the line offices.

Similarly, Director General of the Department, Kosh Hari Niraula said performance as per the Immigration Act, 2049, Immigration Regulations, 2059 and Immigration Procedure, 2065 was challenging in the changed context.

A female endangered one-horned rhino was found dead at Bhagadi, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-26 in the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park today.

Park information officer Ganesh Prasad Tiwari said that the carcass of a female rhino was found at the Park's Kalabanjar Buffer Zone Users Community Forest. According to him, the horn and hooves of the dead rhino are intact and no signs of wounds are seen on the animal's body. Similarly, no suspicious articles were found at the location.

Based on this, Tiwari said, the rhino might have died of natural causes, probably due to age.

A team of veterinarians from the CNP has already reached the site and the cause of the rhino's death will be known after the team carries out a postmortem, he said.