Sadbhavana merger

Kathmandu: Talks teams of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) on Saturday decided to go for unification. Laxman Karna, president of the NSP, told this daily that they are, however, yet to decide on the party name, flag and the election symbol. “The meeting will continue tomorrow. Most probably, we will come up with a concrete outcome in a day or two.” On Wednesday, the NSP(A) constituted a three-member talk team under the coordination of party joint general secretary Anil Kumar Jha to to initiate dialogue with the NSP. — HNS

Woman killed

ITAHARI: A gang murdered Sita Shrestha, a computer operator in the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), on Friday. The assailants stabbed Shrestha, 36, to death in her residence at Itahari-8, the Itahari Area Police Office said. Sita’s brother Madan Shrestha and sister-in-law Rita Shrestha were injured in the attack. They are undergoing treatment in the BPKIHS. The motive behind Shrestha’s murder is unclear, police said. An investigation into the incident is on, inspector Bishwa Mani Pokhrel said. — HNS

Abductee freed

SIRAHA: The Jwala Singh-led Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-Jwala) on Saturday released 12-year-old Krishna Kumar Mahato of Bhwanipur-9. JTMM-Jwala cadres had abducted Krishna, a sixth-grader of the Manokamana Boarding School in Lahan from the house of his maternal uncle Harisaran Mahato at Medinipur on Tuesday. — HNS

COAS in far-west

DHANGADHI: Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal visited the Dadeldhura-based Shumsher Dal Battalion of the Nepal Army (NA) on Saturday. Katawal will also visit other barracks in the far-west, high level sources at the Far-West divisional headquarter of the NA said. However, the NA did not give any prior notice to the media regarding the CoAS’ visit. — HNS

UNHCR probe

Damak: Officials of the Damak-based office of the UNHCR and refugee camp management office today jointly started an investigation into the incident in which activists of the Bhutan Communist Party (BCP) disrupted UNHCR’s programme on Wednesday. The activists had disrupted an interaction between Vincent Cochepal, director of the UNHCR’s rehabilitation and security department, and an officer Berna Dette at Beldangi Bhutanese Refugee Camp. “As the disruption of that programme was a serious issue, an investigation into the incident has started,” said Beldangi camp secretary Manorath Khanal. — HNS