FRIDAY MORNING’S CAPITL TEMPERATURE -0.4 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu., 11 Jan.: The morning temperature recorded Friday in the capital was -0.4 degrees Celsius. Mercury on a clear day will rise to 17 degrees Celsius on a clear day as the winter chill continues. Nnnn . ALLEGED DEKENDRA KILLER BEING TRANED BY NEPAL ARMY Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: It has been disclosed that one of the accused in the gruesome murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa is currently receiving military training at the Trishuli Barracks of the Nepal Army, Kamal Pariyar writes in Republica.. Multiple sources confirmed that former Maoist combatant Bam Bahadur Khadka aka Arun of Chhiudipusakot VDC, Dailekh is undergoing training for the lower ranks of the Nepal Army. He is said to have joined the integration process from Dashrathpur, Surkhet. According to police sources, Khadka might have changed his original name to join the integration process. According to NA spokesperson Suresh Sharma, accused Khadka is not in the name list in the possession of army headquarters. He said, “I checked the list for the name of the accused and it´s yet to be conformed if he changed names during the integration process.” Balananda Sharma, coordinator of the Secretariat of the Special Committee for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Former Maoist combatants, told Republica, “If anyone accused of murder is undergoing training we need to bring him out for further investigation.” He further said it has to be confirmed by the stakeholders first and then we will help bring him out. • Five Maoists sent to judicial custody Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kuber Singh Rana told Republica, “Once the matter is formally confirmed we will leave no stone unturned to arrest the accused.” Police on January 4 arrested five of the eight allegedly involved in the abduction and subsequent murder of the journalist. Bam Bahadur Khadka of Chhiudipusakot VDC, Bam Bahadur Khadka of Katti VDC and Keshav Khadka of Dwari VDC, who are among the accused, are yet to be arrested. According to police, they have deployed different teams to arrest the three. According to the sources, the absconding Khadkas are hiding in India and it is learnt that Bam Bahadur Khadka of Katti VDC is visiting Kathmandu for the treatment of his mother. Among the arrested are Laxmi Ram Gharti Magar of Dwari VDC-1, Bir Bahadur KC of Baluwatar VDC-7, Nirak Bahadur Gharti Magar of Baluwatar-9, Harilal Pun Magar of Dwari VDC-3, and Jay Bahadur Shahi of Raniban VDC-1. They are under police custody for further investigations. Nnnnn COLDEST WINTER IN 8 YEARS Coldest winter in eight years 3 REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Jan 11: The Kathmandu valley´s temperature remained below the freezing point for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday. This winter, the valley´s temperature went below the freezing point for the first time last Monday. The minimum temperature, which was recorded at -0.7 degree Celsius on Monday, further dipped to -1 degree Celsius on Tuesday and then to -2 degree Celsius on Wednesday. On Thursday, although the minimum temperature slightly rose to -- 0.9 degree Celsius, the valley residents felt colder as the maximum temperature dipped to 15 degree Celsius -- one degree Celsius down compared to the previous day. At 0 degree Celsius, water starts changing into ice. This is why meteorologists term it as the freezing point. However, as minimum temperature stays at the freezing point for a very short while -- often a little before sunrise, the valley residents have not clearly seen water changing into ice. The Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) records weather in Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) area and generalizes it for the whole valley. "Even though we record minimum temperature at 0 degree Celsius in the airport area, it may not be below the freezing point in some other places," says senior meteorologist Rajendra Shrestha. According to Shrestha, the morning the MFD records temperature below the freezing point, frost can be seen particularly on the open ground. Unlike in the past few years, the temperature has consistently been going below the freezing point for many days this winter. And, for the next few days, there will be no change, according to Shrestha. However, the day-time temperature, has not declined below 15 degree Celsius. "It is all thanks to dry winter," says Shrestha. "If it rains, the maximum temperature will also dip drastically." As per available records at MFD, the maximum temperature had gone to as low as 6.9 degree Celsius in 1997. "It had drizzled all throughout the day," says Shrestha. "If it rains in the next few days, maximum temperature will drop drastically. However, minimum temperature will then start rising," he explained. nnnn