Hotel mgmt training

KATHMANDU: A 10-day long training on hotel and lodge management for small scale hotels and lodges of different parts of Rasuwa and Chitwan districts started on Wednesday. 25 participants are taking part in the training. The 10-day long training is focussed on standardising food and accommodations. — HNS

Tomato price goes up

KATHMANDU: Market development directorate said that the price of tomato in Birtamod, Kathmandu, Butwal, Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar has gone up by about 162 per cent during the last few weeks. Likewise, the price of red potato has gone up by 70 per cent in the markets. However, the prices of ginger, mango and chilly have gone down. — RSS

Small firms’ workshop

LALITPUR: A one-day long workshop organised with the objective of developing and publicising the appropriate technology put into use by micro-enterprises and small entrepreneurs was held in Kathmandu on Friday. Inaugurating the workshop, Dr Swayambhu Man Amatya, secretary at the ministry of science and technology said that the government aims at setting up a coordination unit and an information centre concerning appropriate technology at the national level. — RSS

Cooperatives day marked

KATHMANDU: Prakash Man Singh, minister for physical planning and works inaugurated a programme organised by Women Development Co-operatives Ltd on the occasion of the 42nd International Co-operatives Day on Saturday. He honoured Surendra Dhakal, Bijaya Raj Ghimire and Jang Bahadur Shrestha for their contributions in the co-operatives sector. — RSS

Organic fertilizer popular

RASUWA: District agriculture development office has started to use the organic fertilizer in off-seasonal vegetable keeping in view the negative impact of chemical fertilisers. Organic insecticides have proved to be beneficial for the off-seasonal vegetable, said Rajaram Adhikari, chief at the office. — RSS

Iraq oil exports hit again

BASRA: An oil pipeline has been ‘breached’ in southern Iraq causing a fresh fall in exports, the British military and Iraqi oil officials said on Saturday. “I can confirm the pipeline was breached. The cause was unknown,“ a British military spokesman said. An official at the terminal serving the southern oilfields said exports had fallen to 40,000 barrels per hour from 84,000 barrels per hour. — AFP

Job fear grows in US

WASHINGTON: A surprising slowdown in June employment growth raised fears the jobs boom may be fizzling and stirring a presidential election spat over the economy. Employers created 112,000 new jobs in June, the Labour Department said, less than half the 250,000 predicted by economists. — AFP

Urge to change policy

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has urged Pakistan to modify its aviation policy, saying it is heavily loaded in favour of the country’s flag carrier and is resulting in huge losses to the exchequer. According to the WB, Pakistan’s aviation policy, laid down by the defence ministry, does not provide a level playing field to foreign airlines. — HNS