Maoists blast bridge

Syangja: Maoists damaged a bridge in the Syangja’s Putalibazaar-Helu road section by detonating a powerful bomb, on Saturday night. The vehicular traffic has stopped since Sunday morning after the small bridge in the Siddharth highway was damaged. Hundreds of vehicles and passengers are stranded as a result, district police office Syangja said. — HNS

Simra scribe held Bara: The correspondent of the Prateek daily, published from Birgunj, was arrested by security personnel at Simra, on Sunday morning. Chamina Bhattarai was handed

over a three months’ detention warrant and is being sent to the Birgunj prison, district police office, Bara said. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists Bara, issuing a press release on Sunday, has urged Bhattarai’s release. — HNS

Greetings to Tamangs

Kathmandu: On the eve of Lhosar, NC president Girija Prasad Koirala on Sunday expressed best wishes to the indigenous Tamangs. In a statement issued on Sunday he said, “Nepal can only keep up its pride if all the languages, religions, cultures and traditions could be promoted,” he stated. “NC, since it inception believes that all the communities should be given equal opportunity and inspire them. While fighting for the democracy NC also fought against social discriminations and for the equal rights of all the nationalities.” — HNS