Elephant not spotted

GAIGHAT: An expert team that had arrived here to bring a rogue elephant under control returned on Monday after it could not spot the elephant. The team searched for the elephant for two days. Forest ranger Lok Nath Timilsina said: “The team was here for taming the wild elephant to avoid human loss. But it could not spot the elephant.” He said that the team has returned after claiming that the elephant did not pose a big threat to human settlement. — HNS

Health workers’ strike

Pokhara: Workers of the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, have been staging an agitation since Sunday to push for the fulfilment of their 13-point demand. Their major demands include the termination of labour contract system and provision of their appointments in hospital along with facilities. — RSS

Call to search missing

Pokhara: Students affiliated to different student unions staged a sit-in at the Kaski district police office on Monday, demanding that the two students who went missing almost a month ago be located as soon as possible. Eighth grade student of Paschimanchal Higher Secondary School - Madan Koirala, 14, and a grade 9 student of the same school Prem Raj Acharya, 15 -went missing on November 24 from Pokhara. — HNS

Envoy opens training

Kathmandu: Nepali ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Mohankrishna Shrestha, on Sunday inaugurated “certificate in hospitality” training for Nepali trainees. The training is being conducted by the Sydney International Course in Dubai. Twenty-one Nepali participants are taking part in the hospitality training. — RSS

Property looted

Rautahat: A group of around 25 armed dacoits looted cash and goods worth of Rs 700,000 from 17 houses situated at Santapur VDC-6, Matiaun of Rautahat district on Sunday night. The dacoits made away with jewellery, cash and other goods from 16 houses at Nayabasti and one house at Nagintole, police said. — HNS

Panel’s decision

KATHMANDU: The meeting of the Nagarkot and Belbari Murder Parliamentary Probe Committee has decided to write to the Home Ministry to recommend an additional compensation of Rs 25,000 each to the three persons who sustained minor injuries in the Nagarkot incident, Rs 75,000 to four severely injured and Rs 600,000 to five persons who became disabled following the incident. The meeting has decided to acquire information about the Nagarkot and Belbari incidents. — RSS

Bomb defused

RAJBIRAJ: Police on Monday defused a bomb planted by activists of the Jwala Singh-led Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) in the house of CPN-UML Sagarmatha zonal secretary Suman Pyakurel in Rajbiraj-4. JTMM activists had planted the bomb on the eve of a Madhesh bandh called by the Nepal Sadbhawana Party-Ananadidevi, said Suman’ wife Jyoti. The JTMM has supported the strike and also owned for planting the bomb, police said. Meanwhile, issuing a press statement the CPN-UML condemned the act and appealed to the JTMM to stop violent activities and join the peace process. — HNS

2 APF men suspended

KATHMANDU: The armed police force (APF) has suspended assistant head constables Chakra Bahadur Budha and Pal Singh Pun on suspicion that they might have been involved in stealing telephone cables. The APF said in a statement on Monday that locals had nabbed the two with a hacksaw blade and pliers at Naya Naikap on Sunday. They were handed over to the APF. — HNS