Spurious liquor seized:

SUNSARI: Police has seized a large quantity of spurious liquor worth millions of rupees from the market in Dharan on Friday. The special team raided around a dozen shops at the mini market of Dharan-6, the notorious area for the business of adulterated alcohol in the region. A haul of liquor bottles without seal of revenue office and spurious alcohol were seized. — RSS

Coffee cultivation to start:

CHAINPUR: Coffee cultivation is to be started on the five hectares in Chainpur with the help of Sankhuwasabha Agriculture Service Centre, Chainpur, and Nepal Organic Coffee Production Association, the coffee development programme. A group has been formed under the chairmanship of Tika Ram Shahi to start the test coffee cultivation. — RSS

Plans for Tsunami-hit:

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is to build more than 20,000 temporary houses for victims of the December 26 Asian tsunami. The houses would be built in the southern and northern provinces in six months. — HNS

Japan’s economy to grow:

OKYO: The Japanese economy is to have posted very modest growth in the October-December quarter as corporate spending slipped, especially in the high-tech sector, and consumer demand softened. — AFP

Eurozone to show growth:

PARIS: Eurozone indicators to be released this week will show that growth in the 12-nation bloc picked up in fourth quarter 2004, although the recovery was patchy. In Britain the data should show that retail sales firmed in January, the housing market improved and inflation dipped. — AFP

US woos European Union:

BRUSSELS: Despite the new US commerce chief’s visit plans to Brussels this week in preparation of a landmark visit by George W Bush, relations between US and EU continue to be under stress. — AFP