Twelve hurt in mishap

DHANGADHI: Twelve persons were injured when a bus heading to Dhangadhi of Kailali from Jogbudha of Dadeldhura district met with an accident in Godavari of Kailali district on Friday. The Attariya-based far-western regional traffic police office said the bus fell 18 feet down the road after its brakes failed. The injured have been identified as: Hari Prasad Jaisi and Krishna Bahadur Dhami of Dadeldhura’s Alital, Seeta Nath and Bir Bahadur Dhami of Jogbudha, Parvati Gautam of Kailali, Devi Thapa, Bisna Pandey of Sahajpur, Sanja Mahara and Parvati Mahara of Banbehada, Dan Singh Damai of Kanchanpur Bani, and Shanker Dutt Bhatta and Padam Bhandari. — HNS

Driver shot dead

SARLAHI: A gang of 10 robbers shot dead a bus driver in Sarlahi district on Thursday night. The gang stopped a bus heading to Dhankuta from Kathmandu in Gaurishankar village development committee-9 on the East-West Highway and tried to rob passengers, SP Ganesh KC said. Driver Krishna Khawas of Dharan-10 was gunned down after he retaliated against the robbers. Police said seven persons were arrested from Lalbandi on the suspicion of involvement in the robbery bid. — HNS

Three hurt in fire

BHAIRAHAWA: Three persons were injured when fire engulfed a house and a cowshed belonging to Janardan Yadav at Pokharbhindi VDC-7 in Rupandehi district on Thursday night. Janardan, his wife Umawati and daughter Reeta were injured, police said, adding that cash, clothes and crops were destroyed in the fire. — HNS

SAARC summit hailed

KATHMANDU: SAARC secretary-general Dr Sheel Kant Sharma on Friday said the 15th SAARC Summit made a huge progress with declarations on food security, SAARC Development Fund, South Asian Regional Standards Organisation and Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters. At a press conference here, he said that the SAARC nations would tackle issues such as climate change, food crisis, terrorism and regional trade. — HNS

Blast suspects freed

POKHARA: Three people held on the suspicion of involvement in recent blasts in Sabhagriha Chowk and Jalpa Road of Pokhara were released yesterday after investigation, DSP Bhojraj Ojha said. The three were among seven people held on the suspicion of involvement in the blasts. Police had arrested the seven people on Wednesday. No one has owned up the bombings. — HNS

Envoy to Ireland

KATHMANDU: The government has appointed ambassador to United Kingdom Murari Raj Sharma also the envoy to Ireland. Ambassador to Denmark Bijayakant Lal Karn has been appointed envoy to Finland and ambassador to Israel Baijanath Thapaliya as envoy to Seychelles, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. — RSS

Woman kills self

UDAYAPUR: Thirty-year-old Kumari Rai of Riski VDC-2 in Udaypur committed suicide by consuming poison on Thursday. Her husband said Kumari consumed poison when other family members were not in the house. The reason behind the suicide is still unknown. Rai’s body has been handed over to the family. — RSS

Journos threatened

KATHMANDU: The Federation of Nepali Journalists has expressed concern about the act of threatening journalists in Pyuthan district. Ram Bahadur BK of the Young Communist League (YCL) had threatened journalists over their reports. The FNJ has urged the Maoist leadership to make clear its views on press, take action against the guilty and create an environment in which journalists can work without fear. — RSS