KATHMANDU: Journalist Khem Bhandari has been appointed the Chair of the Minimum Wage Fixation Committee.

The Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday appointed Bhandari for a term of two years, according to Matrika Poudel, the press advisor to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

A resident of Kanchanpur, Bhandari, a UML loyalist, has been affiliated with various FM radio and newspapers. He is presently the General Secretary of Community Radio Broadcasters Association.

KATHMANDU: At a time when the country was gearing for freedom of expression and free press, the Nepal Police personnel have arrested journalist Sushil Panta just for writing news in a newsportel–nepaliheadlines.com

Panta also a news coordinator in Gokrha FM 93 MHz was arrested for his news story ‘Brinjal found in a girls’ college’ in Kathmandu.

Now, Panta has been kept at Hanumandhoka Police Range.

The Nepal Press Council and different organizations of journalists have condemned the arrest of Panta.

Panta is general secretary of Society of Parliamentary Reporting.

Pyakurel had sustained serious injuries after a Tata Sumo vehicle hit him at Jeetpur along the Birgunj-Pathalaiya road section on Tuesday died on his way to Kathmandu.

Earlier, he was rushed to Birgunj for treatment.

Pyakurel was the Bara district correspondent for the Gorakhapatra.

The driver of the Tata Sumo has been arrested in this connection, police said.

KATHMANDU: The World Press Freedom Day is being marked today by organising different programmes across the country.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day is being marked under the slogan of ”Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media’.

On the very occasion, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) organized a morning assembly in the Capital.

A large number of scribes and media activists participated in the morning rally. FNJ Vice-chair Yashoda Timsina, General Secretary Om Sharma, former chairs of the FNJ and others addressed the program.

On the occasion, General Secretary Sharma said that implementation of the working journalists act was still a big deal in Nepal.

A total of 228 anti-press incidents occurred in Nepal during this year (May 3, 2012 to May 2, 2013), stated a press release issued by FNJ Vice-chairperson Yashoda Timsina.

Addressing the corner meeting, former president of FNJ, Homnath Dahal, said that journalists have made unparalleled contribution in support of press freedom, human rights and democracy.

Chairperson of the Sancharika Samuha Nirmala Sharma, FNJ vice president Yasoda Timilsina and general secretary Om Sharma, Kumar Shah of the Revolutionary Journalists´ Association, Madhav Nepal of the Press Chautari Nepal, Shiva Lamsal of the Press Union and Khil Bahadur Bhandari of the Revolutionary Journalists Association, among others, lamented that the State has not paid adequate attention for the protection of journalists and for their professional advancement even long after the establishment of democracy.