Report on MDGs

LALITPUR: The efforts of South Asian countries in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are slow, revealed the South Asia MDGs report on Friday. The report released by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities concluded that the South Asian countries could not attain remarkable progress in the sectors of drinking water and sanitation, poverty alleviation and reduction of child mortality rate. — RSS

Disease outbreak

NUWAKOT: Gastroenteritis has spread in Apraha Bazaar in the past one week. Around 24 people have been taken ill in the bazaar that lies between the Narjamandap, Kharanitar and Kabilas VDCs. — RSS

Two shot dead

RAJBIRAJ: Unidentified criminals shot dead Bishnu Shrestha, 40, and his sister-in-law, Basanti Shrestha, 42, at Siswabelhi VDC-7 of Saptari district after abduction on Thursday night. Bodies of the two were found on the banks of the Chapin river. — RSS

Project bags award

KATHMANDU: The Improved Water-mill Project implemented in rural areas with an aim to improve the traditional watermill has bagged this year’s Green Energy Prize. — RSS

MJF no to airport plan

BARA: The Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) on Friday opposed the idea of constructing an international airport at Nijgarh of Bara. In a statement, MJF Bara secretary Pramod Kumar Gupta said that the construction of such an airport as mentioned in this year’s budget will damage property worth thousand of lakhs of rupees and natural resources here. The statement further suggested to construct the airport either in Simraungarh or Bariyapur. — HNS

UML’s PP meet

KATHMANDU: The Parliamentary Party (PP) of the CPN-UML on Friday extended its “critical support” to this year’s budget. Parliamentarian Om Ojha of the UML told this daily that though the budget has not been satisfactory as expected, the PP meeting of the party held at its office in Singha Durbar on Friday decided to extend its “critical support”. — HNS

10 cabbies hurt

KATHMANDU: Ten taxi drivers were injured when the police lathicharged at them at the gate of TIA on Friday, police said. The agitating taxi drivers were on strike with a number of demands related to TIA’s contract system. The police said that they had to use force to clear the road as the agitators were disturbing the movement in the TIA. The taxi drivers alleged the police of vandalising 30 taxis and arresting 15 drivers. SP Dhak Bahadur Karki at the Metropolitan Police Range in Kathmandu, however, denied the arrest. — HNS