PLA blocks highway

Chitwan: The highway in Chitwan and Makawanpur, blocked by the Maoist PLA soldiers from the third division, was reopened after five hours on Thursday. They obstructed the highway after the police stopped the soldiers from transporting timber for building houses at the camp and arrested them. Addressing a meeting at Pulchowk of Narayangahr in the morning, assistant commander of the third division Sandip said the road obstruction programme was withdrawn after the issue was resolved. Sandip said they and the district administration agreed to release 12 Maoist soldiers and the detained vehicle and let unobstructed movement of vehicles carrying timber for house construction at the camp. — HNS

MJF faction’s strike

MAHOTTARI: A dissident faction of the MJF has begun a relay hunger strike placing various demands in Mahottari since Thursday morning. The strike has been staged under the leadership of the District member of the MJF’s People’s Movement Mobilisation Committee, Indraraj Prasad Singh, demanding the declaration of a republic from the parliament and fully proportional electoral system for the CA polls, among others. — RSS

Five hurt in mishaps

DHANGADHI: Chairman of the Kailali chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and editor of the Dhangadi Post, Karna Shaha and news editor of the Ghodaghodi FM in Kailali, PR Chataut, were injured in a motorcycle accident near Godawari bazaar of Kailali on Wednesday. Meanwhile, two students and a motorcycle rider were injured after the vehicle hit them in Choumala. — RSS

Woman killed

TANAHU: Min Bahadur Pariyar and his son Bhim Bahadur from Pokhari Bhanjyang village development committee murdered Bishnu Maya Nepali, 83, from Ramkot of Keshavtar village development committee-9 in Tanahu on Wednesday night. Nepali is the mother of Maoist District Member and area no 2 in-charge, Janardan Nepali. Following the murder, the Maoists have arrested and handed over the murderers to the police. — RSS