Chinese aid to House

KATHMANDU: The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China has donated 24 laptops, 20 personal computers, 10 Laser Jet Printers and four multifunction printers to the parliament. Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Zheng Xianglin, handed over the gifts to the general secretary of the parliament, Surya Kiran Gurung, on Monday. — HNS

UK pledges help

KATHMANDU: The United Kingdom is ready to help Nepal hold constituent assembly elections in a free and fair manner, additional director for South Asia at the British Foreign and Common Wealth Office (FCO), John Dennis, said on Monday. He offered the assistance after a meeting with the Acting Foreign Secretary, Gyan Chandra Acharya, at the Foreign Ministry. He said the law and order situation should be improved to ensure fair polls. — HNS

Editor flays SC move

KATHMANDU: Editor of the Jana Aastha weekly, Kishore Shrestha, on Monday accused the Supreme Court of attacking the free press. It may be noted that the apex court had summoned editors of the weekly in connection with the publication of a report linking Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel with a sex scandal. Shrestha said at a press conference on Monday, “We are surprised as to why the apex court took such a serious step against us. We simply published the news on the basis of a plaint.” — HNS

Sandalwood haul

KATHMANDU: A police team from the Metropolitan Police Range, Bhaktapur, seized 15,470 kg of red sandalwood from a truck bearing registration number Na 2 Kha 3495 at Sallaghari on Sunday night. The truck driver, Kamal Shrestha, was also arrested. The police handed over the seized sandalwood to the District Forest Office, Bhaktapur. — HNS

Talks inconclusive

Kathmandu: The second round of talks between the government and the Nepal Schools Employees’ Council — an organisation of non-teaching school staffers — held on Monday at the Department of Education ended inconclusively. While representatives of the council were firm on their demand for permanent positions in community schools, government representatives said the Ministry of Education and Sports alone cannot take a decision in this regard. —HNS

Maoist inmate’s strike

Kathmandu: One of the two Maoist inmates of Central Jail is on a fast-unto-death since Friday. Bhanubhakta Acharya is demanding that all prisoners of conscience be freed across the country. Acharya had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister around 11 days ago demanding that his concerns be addressed within a week. According to Uttam Adhikary, a leader of the ANNISU-R, around 100 Maoist inmates are still languishing in various prisons of the country. — HNS