Ex-Lanka PM’s visit

Kathmandu: Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, arrived here on a four-day visit. Wickremesinghe will attend the meeting of the Asia-Pacific Democratic Union which will starts from Friday. Wickremesinghe told reporters at the TIA that he is here to learn about the peace process, and what further needed to be done here. “Nepal has made a tremendous progress in restoring peace, the ability of the political parties to cooperate and the presence of UN has brought the significant development here,” he said citing the example of conflict in his own country. He said that there may come lots of hurdles in the way of peace process and such problems have to be rectified. He is scheduled to meet the PM Girija Prasad Koirala, and other political leaders. He will return on January 28. — HNS

Korean minister’s visit

KATHMANDU: Minister of Labour of Republic of Korea, Lee Sang-soo two other members of National Assembly, and other top Korean officials are arriving Nepal on January 27 in a three-day visit, the Korean Emassy said in a press statement issued on Thursday. The purpose of the visit is to discuss the way to promote the cooperation in the area of labour between the Republic of Korea and Nepal. The Korean delegation is scheduled to pay a courtesy calls on PM Girija Prasad Koirala, Speaker Subas Nembang and Ramesh Lekhak, the minister for labour and transport management. The delegation will wrap up his visit on January 29. — HNS

Report released

Kathmandu: According to a report of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) which was launched on Thursday pollution of water is the most serious public health issue in the Kathmandu Valley. “Solid waste disposal, dumping household and industrial effluents into the rivers are responsible for the deteriorating quality of river water, causing water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and skin diseases,” the report said. Rapid urbanisation, poor transport management and maintenance is leading to deteriorating air quality in the Valley. The population of Valley has doubled between 1995-96 and 2003-04, according to the report, entitled “The Kathmandu Valley Environment Outlook”. — HNS

EC holds discussion

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday held discussions with representatives of all the political parties represented in the interim Legislative Parliament on the mixed election system. The EC has asked political parties to come up with their views on the topic. — RSS