Swiss diplomats arrive

KATHMANDU: Deputy Secretary of State at the Federal Department of Foreign Ministry of Switzerland Heidi Tagliavini, Chief of the South Asia Division at the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) Walter Meyer, and Boris Richard of the Political Division II of SDC arrived here on Tuesday on a six-day visit to Nepal. Deputy Head of the Mission at the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi Olaf Kjelsen is also accompanying Tagliavini’s team. Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Head of the Political Affairs Division IV, Human Security, is to arrive on Wednesday to join the team that is here to acquire “first hand information” on the ongoing peace process. — HNS

Campus strike ends

POKHARA: Agitating lecturers and staffers of the Pashchimanchal Engineering Campus ended their strike on Tuesday after the appointment Surya Prasad Adhikari as acting campus chief on Monday. Lecturers and staffers were protesting for the past two weeks demanding that a campus chief be appointed soon. — HNS

NSP (A) for republic

Kathmandu: The Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) has officially decided to go for a republican set-up. The decision was taken on Tuesday following a meeting of the party central committee, which began on Monday. Party’s central leader Sarita Giri said the meeting was likely to endorse and formally announce the same on Wednesday. — HNS

Unity must: Kaini

Tanahun: Nepali Congress (D) central member Amar Raj Kaini on Tuesday stressed the need for strengthening the unity of eight political parties to institutionalise loktantra in the country. Speaking at a function organised to mark the first Loktantra Diwas (Democracy Day) in Damauli, Kaini said, “Regressive forces will not get a chance to be active if the unity of eight parties remains strong.” He said Nepal won’t develop until the end of monarchy. Kaini accused Maoists of still being involved in the politics of violence. — HNS