Guv goes to Lahore

KATHMANDU: Bijaya Nath Bhattarai, Nepal Rastra Bank governor on Saturday left for Lahore, Pakistan to participate in the 34th annual meeting of Asian Clearing Union (ACU), scheduled for May 16-17. Central bank of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Iran and Bhutan are the members of ACU. The meeting will discuss payment clearance on export and import trading. — HNS

Economic stagnation

ROME: Premier Silvio Berlusconi invited unions and businesses on Friday to work with the government to jump-start Italy’s faltering economy after figures showed Italy plunged into recession in the first quarter of the year. He said the economy required intervention by the government. — AP

Bush promises help

WASHINGTON: President George W Bush has again pledged US help to India in its quest for energy security, particularly in new and clean technologies that are against proliferation. “We must help growing energy consumers overseas,” Bush said. — HNS