Beijing, Sep 14 (PTI): China on Sunday congratulated Sushila Karki on taking office as the prime minister of Nepal's interim government, stressing the “time-honoured friendship” between the two neighbouring countries.

Karki, 73, took over as the head of the interim government on Friday following a week of violent protests.

“China congratulates Madam Sushila Karki on becoming Prime Minister of Nepal’s interim government,” a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a press release here on Sunday.

“China and Nepal share a time-honoured friendship. China, as always, respects the development path chosen independently by the people of Nepal,” the spokesperson said.

“We stand ready to work with Nepal to promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, enhance exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and further advance bilateral relations,” the spokesperson added.

Karki was sworn in on Friday night as Nepal's first woman prime minister, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli following widespread anti-government protests against a ban on social media and alleged corruption.

Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation. More than 50 were killed in the nationwide protests.

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Kottayam(Kerala) (PTI): A 33-year-old man climbed onto a parked truck carrying cooking gas cylinders and set fire to one of them near Thalayolaparambu in the small hours of Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred around 12.30 am, they said.

The fire and rescue personnel soon arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire, averting a major disaster.

According to police, the man is suspected to be under mental distress as he claimed that he was walking from Ernakulam to his home in Marangattupilly here when he saw the truck on the roadside.

An FIR under sections 329(3)(criminal trespass),324(2)(mischief),326(f)(mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was lodged against him.

Police said that the man was formally arrested, but will be released on station bail as the offences he is accused of are bailable.

"His family is here at the station and he will be released to them," the officer said.

In the FIR, police have said that the man opened the seal of one of the gas cylinders and set fire to it with the knowledge that his act was dangerous to those living in the area.

According to the company transporting the cooking gas cylinders, it suffered a loss of Rs 2,300 in the incident.