Agricultural fair ends:

HETAUDA. A three-day long district level agricultural fair, organised by the district agriculture development office, Makwanpur, concluded here recently. Farmers involved in cultivation of seasonal vegetables, maize, paddy, grain and fishery stood first, second and third on the occasion. 518 farmers from 21 VDCs took part in the fair. — RSS

National industrial fair:

BUTWAL: Number of people visiting the national industrial fair in Butwal is increasing everyday. Some 22,000 people have visited the fair till the sixth day. The fair is being organised with a slogan ‘Let’s use indigenous products and make Nepal self sufficient.’ Industrial estates from Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Narayanghat and other industrial estates are taking part in the fair. — RSS

Lankan Airlines in loss:

COLOMBO: The Asian tsunami and high fuel costs have hit SriLankan Airlines hard and the national carrier said on Wednesday it expects to lose about $10 million this fiscal year. — AP

Fed rate hikes to continue:

WASHINGTON: The US economy has had ‘a solid start’ to 2005, with growth near

four percent and inflation tame enough to keep the Federal Reserve on its ‘measured’ path of rate hikes, Fed governor Ben Bernanke said. — AFP