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Princess Prekshya cremated

Princess Prekshya was cremated Tuesday at 12.30 AM Tuesday at Pashupatinath Aryaghat with full state honours. A Brahmin lit the funeral pyre. King Gyanendra, Queen Komal and other members of the royal family paid their last respects to the Princess at her residence in Jivan Kunj
from where the funeral procession began.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior officials attended the funeral. The Princess died in a helicopter crash Monday morning over the picturesque Rara lake in far west Nepal. Two persons are seriously injured in the accident while the search continues Tuesday for two other passengers and a pilot still missing.

Well-wishers can sign condolence books being kept at the Narayanhiti royal palace and Jivan Kunj Tuesday. Flags were flown at half staff Tuesday over government buildings and Royal Nepali embassies abroad as a mark of respect for the Princess. nepalnews.com br Nov.13

Delayed Maoist, Govt. talks being held Tuesday

The delayed talks between the government and Maoists to end a bloody communist insurgency that has claimed more than 1,800 lives in nearly six years is being held in Kathmandu Valley Tuesday, chief government negotiator Minister Chiranjibi Wagle said. 

Facilitator of the talks Padma Ratna Tuladhar said the same and that two Maoist negotiators have already arrived in Kathmandu. Chief Maoist negotiator Krishna Bahadur Mahara would arrive in Kathmandu today and the talks would start, Tuladhar further said. However, he did not disclose
the venue. He said it would be held somewhere in the Kathmandu Valley. 

The talks that first began in July is being held after a two month break. The talks are being held after rebels gave up their demand for a republic. But they will continue to press for an interim  government and elections for a constitution assembly to frame a new constitution. 
nepalnews.com br/yl Nov.13

Tihar festival begins

The tihar festival began Tuesday by feeding the crow. The five-day festival began with the worship of the crow considered as a messenger of Yamaraj. Bhaitika is on Friday. nepalnews.com br Nov.13

Pushpa Nepali dead

Singer Pushpa Nepali died at a hospital in the capital Monday. He was 73. He is survived a wife, one son and two daughters. nepalnews.com br Nov.13

Four arrested with stolen artefact

Police posing as art dealers arrested four persons Monday with a 400-year-stolen artefact stolen from Thimi earlier this year, police said. Police recovered a gold plated peacock statue from the room of Prem Lama in Dhalku.

The gang was trying to sell the statue for Rs.2.5 million. nepalnews.com br Nov.13

Princess Prekshya to be cremated

The body of Princess Prekshya who died in a helicopter accident was flown to the capital Monday night for cremation at the Pashupatinath Aryaghat.

The helicopter in which she was traveling crashed into the Rara lake Monday morning shortly after take-off. The cause of the crash was not known. She will be cremated with full state honours later in the night.

The funeral procession from the airport had not started as of 9 PM. Search and rescue teams will continue to find two passengers and a pilot of the helicopter still missing.

Two injured passengers have been airlifted to the capital for medical treatment. Police and gun toting soldiers lined the deserted street from the airport to Pashupati.

Flags will be flown at half staff over government buildings and Royal Nepali embassies abroad Tuesday to mourn the death of the Princess, a government announcement said. nepalnews.com br Nov.12

Details of helicopter crash

Princess Prekshya died when a helicopter in which she was travelling crashed after take-off at Rara lake Monday morning at 11.25 AM, the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said in the first official confirmation of the Princesses' death.

Dr.Rishi Khatri and Mrs. Sharada Singh are being evacuated to the capital for treatment of serious injuries, the Authority said. Flight 9N-AFP had five passengers and one pilot.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing to find pilot Robin Kadaria, Dab Bahadur Shahi and Ishwar Basnyat.

The French helicopter took-off from Nepalgunj for a sightseeing trip at 8.16 AM for Phoksungdo lake and landed at Rara at 10.15.

The cause of the crash was not known. nepalnews.com br Nov.12

Tragedy again strikes royal family

Another tragedy struck the royal family when Princess Prekshya died in a helicopter accident in far west Nepal Monday. A search and rescue team have recovered the body of Princess Prekshya, an official source said. The body will be flown to the capital later this evening, according to the same source.

She was killed when the French manufactured chopper plunged into the Rara lake, initial reports said. The helicopter carrying Queen Komal’s younger sister took off from Nepalgunj at 8.16 AM for Mugu and lost contact with the airport tower at 10.15 AM, Radio Nepal said.

Minister for Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K.C. is coordinating a search and rescue mission in the area. 

Two unmarried daughters of the Princess, Sheetasma and Dilasha, who accompanied their mother to far west Nepal returned to the capital Sunday.

More than five months ago on June 1, 14 members of the royal family were killed or injured in a royal palace shoot-out started by Crown Prince Dipendra. King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya died in the shooting spree. Princess Prekshya was not present at the evening party shoot-out.

Airport officials did not respond to repeated telephone queries for details of the accident and said inquiries should be made with the Rashtriya Samachar Samiti. nepalnews.com br Nov.12

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Princess Prekshya Obituary

Princess Prekshya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, 49, married Dhirendra Shah, younger brother of King Gyanendra, in 1973.

She has three daughters, Princess's Pooja, Sheetasma and Dilasha. She is the sister of Queen Komal.

She had her early education at St Mary’s Convent and Darjeeling and had an I.A. degree from Tribhuvan University; Madhyama in sitar playing from Kalanidhi Music College.

She accompanied then Prince Dhirendra on the coronation of Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk. Dhirendra Shah died in the June 1 Narayanhiti royal palace shoot-out. nepalnews.com br Nov.12

Princess Prekshya killed in helicopter crash

Princess Prekshya, sister of Queen Komal, and four other passengers died when their helicopter crashed into Rara Lake in western Nepal shortly after takeoff on Monday morning, sources close to the family said. 

Details were sketchy, but the French-built Ecuriel helicopter belonging to Fishtail Air with six people on board was making a stopover at the remote and scenic lake on the way to Nepalgunj where the Princess was to have graced a function. Aviation sources confirmed that the helicopter had crashed.

One doctor on board is said to have survived, but the sources said five of the other passengers were dead. Rescue helicopters have flown from Kathmandu and Pokhara to the crash site. 

Princess Prekshya was the ex-wife of late Prince Dhirendra, the younger brother of King Gyanendra. nepalnews.com kd Nov 12

Ferocious leopard killed in Sunsari

A ferocious killed that attacked seven persons at a village in Sunsari was shot dead Saturday, police said.  The leopard emerged from a neighbouring forest and attacked villagers in Madhayapari Saturday afternoon.

Police shot dead the leopard on instructions of district officials. Meanwhile, four wild elephants from the Koshi Tappu sanctuary leveled 15 houses and destroyed crops at Kusaha and Madhuban villages, reports said. nepalnews.com br Nov.12

NEPSE index gains

The NEPSE index gained 6.12 points at the end weekly of trading Friday after gaining 4.73 points a week earlier. The index opened at 290.97 points Monday and closed at 297.12 points.

Altogether 172,263 shares of 42 listed companies valued at Rs.33.3 were traded during the week. Commercial bank index rose from 303.70 to 313.37. Commercial bank shares were in highest demand accounting for 44.48 percent of the total trade.

Soaltee Hotel Ltd. lead trading with 102,772 shares valued at Rs.11.4 million sold. 
nepalnews.com br Nov.11

Man-eater shot dead

A man-eating tigress was shot dead Friday hours after claiming its seventh victim Friday at Daunne forest in Nawalparasi district,  wildlife officials said.

The latest victim was a woman who was foraging for firewood and cattle fodder near the inaccessible forest. Hunters decided to shoot dead the tiger instead of darting it for capture.

The tiger escaped from the Royal Chitwan National Park to Nawalparasi last month terrorizing three villages in nearly one month. The tiger eluded the hunters for 10 days. nepalnews.com br Nov.11

Next round of Indo-Nepal trade talks in Kathmandu

Nepali and Indian trade officials will meet again in Kathmandu likely from November 18 to 20 to hammer out differences on renewing a bilateral trade treaty that expires on December 5, Nepali officials said.

The fifth round of three-day talks in New Delhi from Friday was inconclusive. Nepalese Commerce Joint Secretary  Purshottam Ojha and his Indian counterpart  S. Ramasundaram headed the talks. 

India proposed a 50 percent Nepali content in exports while Nepal is insisting on only 30 percent. New Delhi proposed the value addition to previous duty free exports after it claimed that Nepal was dumping goods in the Indian market harming Indian industry. 

India is seeking curbs on Nepali vegetable oil, acrylic yarn, GI pipe, zinc oxide and copper wire exports. nepalnews.com br Nov.11

Ganesh Thapa re-elected ANFA president

Ganesh Thapa was Saturday re-elected president of the FIFA, Asian Federation Confederation (AFC) recognized All Nepal Football Federation (ANFA). Seven A division clubs immediately asked the AFC to declare the election by the 10th congress invalid.

Nine members of a 17 member executive body were also elected unopposed. FIFA and AFC representative Harnoor Rashid observed the elections. AFC General Secretary Peter Veleppan in a message to Thapa said: "The elections must be agreed upon by all the three parties concerned in order to legalize the status of the ANFA. If each party goes in its own direction, there will be no solution to the ongoing conflict."

Similar messages were also sent to ANFA headed by Geeta Rana and Nepal Olympic Committee President Rukma Shumshere Rana. NOC, National Sports Council and the government recognize the rival ANFA led by Rana in a one year dispute that has plagued Nepal's most popular sport. 

Rana ANFA also says it will hold elections for its national soccer body. nepalnews.com br Nov.11

Maoists drop demand of republic

The underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) that has been waging an armed insurgency for the last six years has dropped the demand of abrogation of monarchy in the third round of peace talks with the government.

Chairman of Maoist party Comrade Prachanda issued a statement Saturday saying that the issue of  “institutional development of republic” has been dropped from the talks.

The Maoist leader further said the party’s overall policy regarding monarchy does not change. A republic state was one of their three main demands during the first and
second rounds of talks with the government.

The government representatives have clearly refused to discuss the issue of republic in the talks. The other two main demands of Maoists are abrogation of constitution and formation of an interim government.

“The decision to drop the issue of monarchy in the talks with the government aims at furthering legal and democratic exercise”, said Prachanda in the statement. The Maoist leader said that his party would leave the issue of monarchy to the people to decide.

“This decision of the party is to give a political outlet to the present complex problem of the country, which should not be taken as the weakness of our party”, Maoist chairman warned.

He described the decision of the government to scrap the Public Security Act and withdraw charges against 68 Maoist workers as a positive move. However, Maoist leader demanded whereabouts of all Maoist workers who were arrested by police.
nepalnews.com yl Nov.10