Flights cancelled

KATHMANDU: Poor visibility owing to thick fog caused cancellation of all scheduled flights, except for four flights at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Wednesday. TIA sources said scheduled flights of many airlines, including Qatar Airways, Air Sahara and Jet Air, could not take off on Wednesday. A Gulf Air plane from Bahrain had to land at Dhaka due to poor visibility at the TIA. Scheduled flights of Air Arabia, Air China and Cosmic Air, however, managed to take off, the TIA source said. A Thai Airways plane landed at the TIA, the source said, adding it faced difficulties while landing. — HNS

Nepal leaves for China

KATHMANDU: The prime minister has assigned minister for Foreign Affairs Sahana Pradhan to look after the portfolio of the Ministry of Education and Sports in the absence of minister for Education and Sports Pradip Nepal. Nepal left for China on Tuesday to participate in a study tour of Guangzhou, China, office of the prime minister and council of ministers said. — RSS

‘End Water Poverty’

KATHMANDU: Civil society and non-governmental organisations working to promote people’s access to water and sanitation are organising a nationwide campaign, urging the government to provide people with adequate water. The End Water Poverty campaign, started in November 2007 by the UK-based Water Aid, is expected to begin soon and run up to six years. Advocacy manager at Water Aid Nepal, Rabin Lal Shrestha, said a mechanism has been put in place, which will coordinate among the NGOs in Nepal to raise voices demanding urgent action and leadership from donors and governments alike for their contribution to end poverty in terms of water. — HNS