SAARC media meet

KATHMANDU: A three-day seminar for media persons on SAARC Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) began here on Wednesday. Media persons from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan are taking part in the seminar being organised with a view to achieving the MDGs. Opening the seminar, Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara said, “We should focus on ensuring welfare of the people of the SAARC region through economic growth, social uplift and cultural development.” — RSS

Mishap kills one

ILAM: A 16-year-old Tika Mukhia of Barbote-Panch died after a truck run over him at Ilam’s Sumbek VDC today. Police personnel said that a truck heading from Sumbek to the district headquarters crushed Mukhia to death. He lost his grip when he was clinging on the truck’s side and was crushed after he fell under the rear wheels of the truck. — HNS

Landslide toll 29

BAGLUNG: The death toll in landslides that occurred at Gwalichour and Jaljala VDCs in Baglung on July 12 has risen to 29. “Twenty people were killed at Gwalichour VDC and nine were killed at Jaljala VDC,” The district’s Technical Team said. — RSS

Sinha meets PM

KATHMANDU: Former Indian Minister for External Affairs Yashwant Sinha met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter’s residence on Wednesday and discussed the Tarai situation and preparations for the Constituent Assembly elections. Baluwatar sources said Sinha asked the PM what he could do to help resolve Tarai problem. The duo also discussed the future of monarchy. Sinha, who arrived here on Saturday, also met NC-D president Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal before his departure on Wednesday. He, however, did not meet the Maoist leadership. — HNS

Booths for CA polls

LAMJUNG: Lamjung district will have 118 polling centres for the upcoming CA elections, the Lumjung district election office said. One on Wednesday. A poll centre will be set up for every 1,150 voters, officer at the election office, Dolnath Aryal, said, adding that constituency No 1 will have 63 polling centres, while constituency No 2 will have 55 centres. The district election office will dispatch a total of 192 election teams to 118 polling centres. — HNS

Sanders recovered

NUWAKOT: Police on Tuesday recovered five tonnes of red sandalwood from a petroleum tanker that had met with an accident at Thade along the Pasanglhamu road on Thursday. The tanker had left for Rasuwa’s Dhunche from Kathmandu on July 5, police said on Wednesday. — HNS