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There is possibility of rainfall in most of the places of the country on Wednesday and Thursday, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said.

Meteorologist Manju Basi said that there are chances of increased monsoon activity on these two days as the monsoon low pressure system is close to the Nepali territory.

The weather will be generally to completely cloudy throughout the country on those two days due to the influence of this weather system with chances of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning at many places of the hilly region and at some places of the rest of the regions.

Similarly, there is possibility of heavy rainfall at a few places of the Sudurpaschim, Lumbini, Gandaki, Bagmati and Madhes provinces. At present, the weather is generally cloudy across the country with light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning occurring at some places.

Heavy rain is occurring at one or two places of Lumbini province. The weather will be generally to fully cloudy throughout the country tonight with chances of light to moderate rain along with thunder and lightning at some places , the Department said.

There is also possibility of heavy rain at few places of the Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim provinces tonight.

As per the Meteorological Forecasting Division’s weather update, the minimum temperature in Kathmandu Valley is 21.2 degrees Celsius and the highest 30.1 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours.

Women and Social Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the National Women Commission to work in a more sensitive way to serve the needs of violence survivors.

According to committee President Niru Devi Pal, today's meeting of the committee instructed the NWC to focus on promotion of overall interests of women and to deliver effectively. The conclusion of the meeting is that NWC, despite constitutional recognition, has not been able to connect and coordinate with other bodies working for the rights of women. The committee urged NWC to ensure effective collaboration and make integrated efforts to meet its objectives and goals.

The goals of the commission are to eliminate all sorts of violence against women and ensure social, economic and political empowerment of women through their meaningful inclusive and proportional representation in all sectors and levels of government and non-government bodies and the effective enforcement of national and international legal instruments related to the rights of women. Besides, the assessment of the meeting is that the NWC has also failed to ensure in-house cooperation and coordination. "It is a matter of concern that survivors of violence against women have been deprived of necessary assistance," the meeting said.

The district reported 213 cases of dengue last fiscal year. Of the total 3,564 tests, this number of people tested positive to the mosquito-borne disease.

According to Health Office Chitwan’s public health officer Gitanjali Dhakal, the figure is less than of the previous fiscal year that recorded 247 cases out of 1,986 tests.

Dengue, a viral infection, is caused by the bite of infected mosquito and female mosquito Aedes aegypti is its primary vector. Fever, reddish eyes, eye pain, headache, stomach pain, joints and muscle pain and laziness are primary symptoms of dengue fever. Dengue is sometimes fatal.

Dengue fever lasts for five to seven days. It can cause a drop in the counts of white blood cells and platelets, leading to the immunity loss.

To stay away from the mosquito and its bite is the major prevention of the disease.

Likewise, there were 268 cases of scrub typhus, out of 3,286 tests, in the district last year. Scrub typhus is a bacterial disease that is transmitted to human by the bite of infected mite. It is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi.

High fever, reddish eye, couth, vomiting and diarrhea, stomach pain, breathing difficulty, headache, joints and muscle pain, skin rashes and a dark mark at the site of bite are among the symptoms of scrub typhus.

National Assembly members have demanded management of waste in Kathmandu valley soon.

In a session of the Upper House today, CPN (Unified Socialist)'s Gomadevi Timilsina said, "The streets in Kathmandu have turned almost unwalkable due to piles of waste."

The report of the outbreak of cholera is creating panic. When will Kathmandu folks be free from the constant struggle for waste management," she questioned.

She advised that the government could use a machine manufactured in Hetauda to segregate waste.

Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal's Pramila Kumari said the provision of inclusion guaranteed by the constitution was yet to be brought into practice.

Shekhar Kumar Singh of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party urged the House not to delay endorsement of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Dil Kumari Rawal of the CPN- UML accused the government of not being serious about people's issues and urged political leaders to rise above personal and partisan interests.

CPN-Maoist Centre's Suresh Alemagar drew the government's attention to the problems facing Nepalis in the British Gurkha force.

CPN (Unified Socialist)'s Rajendra Laxmi Gaire asked the government to monitor the market to control skyrocketing prices, while CPN-Maoist Centre's Nar Bahadur demanded investigation into the rumour that 'M Adhikari' and Nepal Rastra Bank's governor Maha Prasad Adhikari are the same person.

Anita Devkota demanded a proper space for women in the upcoming election.

A high-tech equipment is to be installed at Nagdhunga – the main entrance to Kathmandu Valley – for scanning and keeping records of the vehicles.

Currently traffic police are daily maintaining hand-written log of the incoming and outgoing vehicles to and from Kathmandu Valley. The traffic police has also been screening suspected vehicles and passengers on ad hoc basis at the main checkpoint.

As informed, Chandragiri municipality has intensified its preparation to place vehicle scanning machine at the main entry point to the federal capital for the first time.

In this connection, the municipality had held dialogue with key stakeholders including high-placed officials of Nepal Police and Department of Roads in the first phase.

'It has become essential to place vehicle scanning machine at Nagdhunga from security perspective of Kathmandu Valley', shared Chandragiri mayor Ghanashyam Giri, adding how long traffic police maintain log in a paper in the present digital age.

The machine can be used to scan person(s) along with vehicles and keep their records as per the need. It is expected to help maintain law and order and also reduce traffic management burden.

The scanning machine costs around Rs 25 million. He informed that the municipality has solicited collaboration with other municipalities of the Valley and concerned stakeholders for machine purchase.

'This is not only necessary for Chandragiri. This will help all municipalities in the Valley and federal government as well. It is expected to ensure smooth traffic management and safety', Mayor Giri further said.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has directed the concerned authorities to identify the problems of freed Kamaiyas and find ways to resolve them.

Addressing a program organized today on the occasion of the 22nd year of the declaration of abolishment of the Kamaiya (bonded labor) practice, he directed the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation to carry out the necessary works to root out this practice.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister said that creating employment opportunities for the freed Harawa Charawa and Kamaiyas and their families is also equally necessary.

"It is necessary for the three tiers of the government and the bodies concerned to boost up the freed Kamaiyas' self-respect, independence and honor by making them economically self-reliant," he said.

The Prime Minister directed all the bodies concerned to also run special targeted programs on a priority basis for increasing entrepreneurship among the families of such freed bonded laborers to make them self-reliant and for developing their skills and capacity for their long-term socio-economic progress.

PM Deuba said that unequal labor relations and exploitative practices as Harawa Charawa and Kamaiya, among others, have been abolished and the indentured families under such practices have been freed of their debts through the Abolition of the Kamaiya Practice Act, 2058 BS. 

Reiterating that the consistent efforts of all were needed in building a Nepal free from all types of exploitations, inequalities and injustices, he expressed his best wishes for happiness and decent living to all the freed Kamaiyas.

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has announced a 23-member team to play the 2022 SAFF U-20 Championship.

The regional event will be held in Bhubaneswar of Odisha state of India from July 25 to August 5.

The coach selected 23 members from among the 30 and Ishwor Gurung, Unesh Chaudhary and Jiyarath Sheikh have been selected as goalkeepers.

Amar Shrestha, Sonit Dahal, Ayush Shrestha, Ajay Chaudhary, Sumit Shrestha, Srijan Dhani, Roshan Thapa and Abhishek Waiba are playing in the defence line while Dipesh Gurung, Ashish Rai, Sandip Karki, Janmajaya Dhami, Mohit Gurung, Kritishratna Chhunju, Sugam Suwal, Managya Nakarmi and Aayush Ghalan are the midfielders when Dipesh Rai, Niranjan Malla and Rohan Khadgi have been selected as forwards.

Host India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka will be competing in the event and Nepal will meet the Maldives in the opening match on July 25.

Likewise, Nepal will play against Sri Lanka in the second match on July 27 and against India in the third match on July 31. Nepal will face Bangladesh on August 2.

Newly appointed Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava paid a courtesy call on Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota at the latter's office in Singha Durbar on Sunday.

During the meeting, the Speaker expressed the hope that the relations between Nepal and India would reach qualitative heights through long experiences and the responsibility of Ambassador Srivastava during his tenure.

Stating that the two countries have exchanged original and multi-dynamic relations, he remembered the 75th establishment of the bilateral relations between the countries and the 75th Independence Day being observed by India.

Recent visit of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lumbini in Nepal has contributed a lot to religious tourism in the country and has opened a new chapter, he said, adding that the exchange of high level visits between Nepal and India has further strengthened relations between the two countries.

He also thanked Ambassador Srivastava for India having exhibited humanity to Nepal not only as a neighbor by providing medical equipment and COVID-19 vaccines at a time when the country was battling the virus.

Both the countries should have a common understanding on resolving problems facing the world including pressing climate change issues, he said. "We (both countries) must come together for a global peace."

On the occasion, the Speaker also touched on the issue of a lack of fertilizers that has hit Nepali farmers.

In response, stating that India has had a 'Neighbor First Policy', Ambassador Srivastava recalled the five prime ministerial level visits of India to Nepal in a span of eight years.

There have been many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries that have exchanged a long and historic relation, and connectivity could be further expanded, he viewed.

He was of the view that solutions to the impacts of climate change, a common problem in the South Asian region, should be sought collectively.