ONE KILLED, 31 INJURED IN SALYAN TRACTOR ACCIDENT Kathmandu, 19 March: A girl Mina Yogi, who appeared for her LC examination,was killed Monday while undergoing treatment in a tractor accident at Khalanga-5 in Salayan. Thirty-one others were ijured, 13seriouly. Nnnn TWO NEPALIS PARDONED IN IRAQ Kathmandu, 19 March: Two Nepali migrant workers who entered war-torn Iraq illegally, have been freed from a prison, foreign ministry said. Gopal Sharma and Rajesh Lama were freed after the previous government asked for an anesty. nnnn.. A MOTHER-IN-LAW DIESAFTER HEARING GRANDCHILD DIED WITH DAUGHTR-IN-LAW Kathmandu, 19 March: A mothering-law died after hearing her daughter-in-law died along with her grandchild in Taplejung. Kamala Limbi, 38, and her five-year-old son were found dead Monday. Their bodies were recovered from a stream. Nnnn UML UNITED IN POLLS SAYS PARTY LEADER KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Secretary Bishnu Poudel today said that there was no dispute in his party’s rank and file over the appointment of Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi as chairman of the interim election government, which came in place after the four major political forces reached a deal on March 13. Dismissing recent media reports, Poudel claimed that the UML was a united force over Regmi’s appointment to lead the election government. “With Regmi’s appointment as chairman of the interim election government the differing views expressed by former prime minister and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and party General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel has faded away,” said Poudel, who was one of the UML leaders working behind the scenes to reach a deal with other parties to form a CJ-led election government. “They do not have any conflicting views regarding the new development,” said Poudel, adding that the UML was ever ready to face fresh election. “This is not the time to raise objections over the formation of the election government; all should stand united to get people’s mandate,” Poudel said. Nepal and Pokharel have called for Regmi’s resignation as the chief justice of the Supreme Court to lead the election government, arguing that a person cannot hold both the posts —chairman of the election government and chief justice of the apex court. But a 25-point agreement reached among the four major political forces — UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front — has clearly stated that Regmi need not resign as the chief justice even if he leads the election government. The President, as per the recommendation of the Baburam Bhattarai-led Cabinet, has already invoked Article 158 of the Interim Constitution, allowing Regmi to remain as the apex court’s chief justice even while leading the election government. Saying that his party would fully embrace the achievements made by the dissolved Constituent Assembly, Poudel said the UML would concentrate on fresh election, keeping all intra-party issues at bay. “Election is the only issue on which the party wants to be fully focused on,” he said. Asked to comment on controversial proposal on appointment of former chief secretary Lokman Singh Karki’s as the chief commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Poudel said his party would not get bogged down on such minor issues as his party was fully focused on the upcoming election. “We are geared up for the election. So, we do not engage in disputes over who should be appointed in the constitutional bodies,” he said, adding that people were being appointed as per the standard procedures. Dismissing rumours, Poudel said that UML would fully back Regmi’s government as it was formed after the major forces reached a political understanding to that effect. He also hoped that parties opposing the new government would also contest the election. “Nobody has opposed the election,” he said, adding: “The only objection they are raising is over the processes the four major forces adopted.” He also made it clear that the principle of separation of powers could not be fully adhered to due to absence of the Legislature. “The principle of separation of powers would be established once the Legislature comes into force after elections.” nnnn, . CHINESE LEADER LI METS TOP US OFFICIAL Kathmandu, 19 March:: U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew met new Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday at a critical time in relations between the world's two largest economies, with cyber hacking, market access and the Chinese currency high on the agenda for talks, Reuters reports from Bejing. In a carefully-choreographed gathering, both officials emphasised the importance of the relationship between the world's two largest economies, and made only passing reference to contentious topics. "I can say we have a seamless connection," said Xi, speaking in front of a tapestry depicting a pine tree and flying cranes, both symbols of hospitality. "In the China-U.S. relationship we have enormous shared interests, but of course unavoidably we have some differences." Lew said both countries have a responsibility to promote global growth, and called on China to boost domestic demand to help in global rebalancing. "The (U.S.) president is firmly committed to building a relationship of growing strength where we cooperate on issues of economic and strategic importance, understanding that we will each have to meet our own responsibilities, but we'll also have to manage our differences," he said. The United States is eager for China to move toward a more consumer-oriented economy and away from investment and export-driven growth, which has contributed to a record-high $315 billion U.S. trade deficit with China last year. Lew also called on both countries to reduce barriers to trade and investment, but did not mention concerns about China's undervalued yuan currency, a key concern for U.S. lawmakers. U.S. companies face barriers to invest in around 100 Chinese sectors, while China has complained the United States blocks Chinese investments on unjust national security grounds. The meeting was Xi's first with a senior foreign official since he was formally elected as president by China's parliament on Thursday in a once-in-a-decade transition. It is also Lew's first foreign trip since his confirmation, indicating the importance of the relationship. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the head of government, pledged on Sunday to forge "a new type of relationship" with the United States and called for the end of a cyber-hacking row between the two countries. A private U.S. computer security company said last month a secretive Chinese military unit was likely behind a series of hacking attacks targeting the United States. President Barack Obama raised the issue during a phone call with Xi last week. Lew plans to press Chinese officials to stop cyber attacks directed at the United States. China, in turn, says it is the target of U.S. hacking attacks. Lew also wants Beijing to allow its currency to rise faster against the U.S. dollar, to take steps to increase market access for U.S. goods, and to better protect intellectual property rights. Later on Tuesday, Lew is set to meet Xu Shaoshi, chairman of China's National and Development Reform Commission, the economic planning agency that wields approval authority over major investment projects. Lew will also meet newly-appointed finance minister Lou Jiwei, formerly head of China's sovereign wealth fund, and U.S. business leaders. nnnn 32 KILLED IN INDIA BUS CRASH Kathmandu, 19 March: A bus crash left 32 people dead and another 13 injured after the vehicle careered off a bridge into a dry river bed in India's western state of Maharashtra on Tuesday, police said, AFP reports from Mimbai. "The bus was travelling from Goa to Mumbai when the driver suddenly lost control," an officer in the police control room told AFP. The pre-dawn accident happened in Khed district, around 350 kilometres south of the state capital Mumbai. Most of the injured, including the driver, sustained head and arm injuries and were undergoing treatment at a local hospital, said the officer. Media reports said there were some foreign tourists on the bus, but there was no immediate confirmation from the police. About 110,000 people were killed in Indian road accidents in 2011 -- more than 300 every day -- according to the last available statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau. Bad roads, speeding vehicles and poor driving were among the contributing factors. nnnn