Minister supports tourism:

Kathmandu: Buddhi Raj Bajracharya, minister of culture, tourism and civil aviation while addressing a roundtable meeting of the ministers of the BIMSTEC countries in Kolkata has emphasised the importance of tourism and its economic contribution to Nepali economy. On the occasion, he said that joint tourism promotion between the two countries is needed, according to a press release. Bajracharya held talks with Renuka Chaudhary, Indian minister of state for tourism and shared common concerns in developing tourism activities in this region. — HNS

S Korean jobless rate rises:

SEOUL: South Korea’s unemployment rate rose to 3.9 per cent last month from 3.7 per cent in December amid dwindling job opportunity due to a prolonged economic slump and seasonal factors. The seasonally-adjusted rate also rose to 3.6 per cent in January. — AFP