ONCE-OVER

Two mountaineers killed

KATHMANDU: Two members of the 2005 Korea Busan Pumori Expedition Team died while descending from Mt Pumori on March 29. However, three members and three Sherpas scaled the peak. Sang Kyun Joung, 50 and Do Young Kim, 31, from Korea died while descending from the 7,161 metre peak, according to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Hyang Mi Yu, Sung Ho Seo, and Myeong Su Kim, scaled the peak along with Psang Kaji Sherpa, Puchhanga Bhote and Jumik Bhote. — HNS

Pandey lauds China’s help

KATHMANDU: Foreign Minister Rameshnath Pandey has said Nepal expects reciprocity from her neighbours while respecting the right of a nation to decide in accordance with national aspirations, needs and people’s wishes. Inaugurating a seminar on ‘Nepal-China relations’ organised here on Wednesday by the Institute of Foreign Affairs to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China, Pandey lauded the cooperation extended by China in the past years in Nepal’s development efforts. — RSS

5 political activists freed

RAUTAHAT: Five leaders and cadres of Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) arrested on charge of staging an agitation last month were released by the district administration office on Wednesday. It released former minister and Nepali Congress Rautahat district president Mohammad Aftab Alam and Binda Sahani on Wednesday. The CPN (UML)’s Revant Jha, Shyam Sundar Patel and former DDC chairman Rajendra Raut Kurmi were also set free from Gaur prison after they were arrested on March 11. — HNS

Team leaves for India

BHAIRAHAWA: A 16-member Nepali team left for India on Wednesday to share ideas on cultural tourism. The team led by LDO of Rupandehi Chiranjeevi Bhandari included four journalists, two officers of the Lumbini Development Trust, a DDC officer and tourism entrepreneurs. The team will hold talks with the Indian tourism entrepreneurs and media men on the possibility of developing religious tourism, said Bhandari. — HNS

RCCC grills secretary

KATHMANDU: The Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) on Wednesday summoned Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction, Tika Dutta Niraula, for necessary investigation on “irregularities” and issues related to access road of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project. The RCCC has told Niraula to be present before it on April 24 for further investigation. — HNS

Journo, 2 others released

TANAHUN: The joint editor of Tanahun Awaz weekly and Nepali Congress leaders Purna Chandra Khanal and Bishnu Shrestha, who had been arrested by the local administration, were released on Wednesday. Currently, three Nepali Congress cadres including the district chairman Raghunath Poudel and four NCP-UML cadres including district secretary Pratap Lal Shrestha are in custody in Damauli. — HNS

Kala-azar cases rising

Janakpurdham: Temperatures are soaring in the central Terai, and so is the number of patients suffering from kala-azar in the region. Patients suffering from the disease are alleging that the hospital staff are providing sub-standard food to them. “We hardly get any change in the menu,” said Saubhagya Devi, of Tatanpur in Mahottari, adding that patients earlier used to get two boiled eggs — one in the morning and another at evening everyday. But this had been discontinued. Patients are getting a spartan diet of rice, dal and vegetables, other inmates alleged. — HNS