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Guragain arrested

A man was arrested before boarding a flight for Lhasa Tuesday with an idol of the Buddha, airport police said.

Arjun Guragain was arrested with the gold-plated idol weighing 51 kgs. The Department of Archaeology has not approved the idol's export, airport police said. nepalnews.com br Aug.12

Cricket in SAF Games

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Sunday suggested the inclusion of cricket in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games as part of a  move to end a deadlock between two neighbours, AFP reported from Karachi.

"ACC will officially request the South Asian Sports Federation (SASF) to include cricket in the SAF Games which we think can be a stepping stone for the revival of cricket between India and Pakistan," ACC development manager Zakir Hussain Syed told AFP.

India snapped bilateral cricket ties with arch rival Pakistan over political tension in 2000 but recent efforts to normalize relations between the two neighbours have triggered hopes of ties being revived
only next year.

"We are sure that cricket can increase the  appeal of the Games to a great extent and besides Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh- the four test playing nations- Nepal  can also chip in," Syed said.

Pakistan  last week announced it will stage the biennial SAF Games in January 2004 after withdrawing its right to host the games April this year, after becoming frustrated by repeated postponements. nepalnews.com br Aug.12

SAARC intervention sought

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf  Monday urged the South Asian regional forum SAARC to step in to help spur stalled peace moves between Pakistan and India, AFP reported from Islamabad. 

Musharraf said SAARC which groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, should take on the job of resolving regional conflicts, of which the worst was Pakistan's 56-year old dispute with India. 

"There is a need to amend the SAARC charter, it should be the forum to resolve regional and bilateral conflicts," Musharraf told a conference of academics, scholars and serving and former ambassadors from Europe, the United States, China, Japan and India. nepalnews.com br Aug.12 

Father murders three children

A father murdered three children at Dasrathchand in Baitadi district by slitting their throats with a sickle, published reports quoting district police said. 

Chandra Giri slit the throats of two daughters and a son aged between seven and two years at his father-in-laws house where he had gone to fetch his estranged wife. 

The couple had been married for nine years. nepalnews.com br Aug.12

Standoff at Yak and Yeti ends

The week-long standoff between management and workers at the Hotel Yak and Yeti ended Monday, and announcement said. 

The strike ended with an agreement to establish a gratuity fund and implement accords signed in January this year The Hotel will be fully operational from Tuesday. nepalnews.com br
Aug.12

Koirala changes statement

Changing his "no-objection-statement" on appointment of KP Bhattarai as the next Prime Minister, Congress President GP Koirala said Monday regressive forces may be active to make Bhattarai the next PM. 

Earlier on August 4, Koirala had said he would have no objection if the King appoints Bhattarai the next Prime Minister. "I have doubts that the regressive forces are hooking Bhattarai to the post of PM," Koirala said in a press meet in Birgunj Monday. 

"But I am sure Bhattarai will not agree to be the PM of the King." "We can make Bhattarai the next PM if the House of Representatives is restored," Koirala said. 

In 2056 B.S., Nepali Congress won the parliamentary elections, chiefly on the promise that Bhattarai would be the next PM. Bhattarai hardly held the PM's post for a year after the election and resigned following "consistent pressure and nagging" from Koirala camp. nepalnews.com mr Aug 12

NSP (Anandi Devi) files petition

Nepal Sadbhawana Party, Anandi Devi faction Monday filed a petition at the Supreme Court demanding to annul the Election Commission decision, court officials said. 

The Commission recognised a faction led by former deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal as the genuine NSP. nepalnews.com mr Aug. 12

New bird species in Koshi Tappu

A new bird species, Asian Glossy Starling has been spotted for the first time in Koshi Tappu Wildife Reserve, published reports said Tuesday.

Reports quoting a statement from Bird Conservation Nepal, said ornithologist Badri Chaudhary first spotted the bird.

"The bird's natural habitat is Andaman and Nicobar islands. It has been also found in Meghalaya, Tripura and Baghdogra. It is also a rare passage migrant to Bangladesh," reports said.

The new species is from Sturnidae family. It has a glossy green dark upper part with no marking on the back, dark stout bill and distinct red iris, the statement said. nepalnews.com mr Aug 12

Coke, Pepsi under investigation

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has started sample testing of five major soft drinks, including Coca Cola and Pepsi, to investigate if they contained health hazardous ingredients, a news report said Tuesday.

"Samples of Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Pepsi and Mirinda were collected from the market for lab test, which commenced Monday," The Kathmandu Post quoted Urmila Joshi, Food Investigation Official at the Department.

The Department took initiative for the inspection after laboratory test of Pepsi and Coke in India revealed that the soft drinks contained pesticides, which is hazardous to human health, the report said.

Owing to the lack of advanced technology, the Department's study, however, would not be at par with European standard test, which was conducted in India.

"Our inspection will confine to hazardous tests only," Shrestha said, adding, "The test will confirm whether the local soft drinks possess unsafe contents or not." nepalnews.com mr Aug 12

Janai Purnima today

Janai Purnima, or Gunhu Punhi festival is being observed in Nepal on August 12, 2003, Tuesday. People eat "Kwati" and "Tagadhari" and wear a new "Janai" (sacred thread) on this day.

Kwati is a soup of nine different beans, which is said to be nutritious. People wear sacred thread on their wrists too.

Terai communities celebrate this day as the day of brothers and sisters. Sisters offer "Rakhi" to brothers and brother offer gifts.

Thousands of people worship lord Shiva on this day. Religious fairs are held in Baraha Chhetra and Gosaikunda, among other places. nepalnews.com mr Aug. 12

Feinstein's letter to Foreign Ministry

American Senator Dianne Feinstein recently wrote a letter to the Foreign Ministry assuring that she would reintroduce a bill in the US senate on quota-free access for Nepali garments to the US market, The Kathmandu Post reported Tuesday.

"Senator Feinstein has written that she would move the Bill to the Finance Committee this September," the report said quoting an undisclosed government source. The bill once approved by the Committee would go to the Senate for final endorsement.

Senator Feinstein had withdrawn a bill tabled by herself in June protesting Nepal government's move to deport 18 Tibetan immigrants back to China on May 31. nepalnews.com mr Aug 12

New NPC members

A cabinet meeting Monday decided to appoint Dr. Pushpa Shrestha, the first woman to be a member in five decades, Shambhu Sharan Prasad Kayastha and Dr. Hari Krishna Upadhyay as the members of the National Planning Commission, an announcement said.

Dr. Shrestha was associated with the Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA) in Tribhuvan University. Kayastha was director of Nepal Administrative Staff College and Upadhyay, an agro-economist. nepalnews.com mr Aug. 12

Baidya new ambassador to Japan

A cabinet meeting Monday decided to appoint Dr. Rameshananda Baidya as the Ambassador to Japan, an announcement said.

Baidya was former member of National Planning Commission. nepalnews.com mr Aug. 12

One policeman killed

A policeman died while undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in the capital Monday after being ambushed by Maoists at a village in Sindhupalchowk at 2.30 in the afternoon, security sources told Nepalnews. 

He was one of six security personnel injured in the ambush. Four soldiers and two policemen were injured, he said. '"This is a clear cease-fire violation," the source told Nepalnews. 

The joint security patrol was providing support to a police team investigating the murder of a civilian at Dhiskun village in the district. They were investigating the murder after receiving reports from a civilian that a decapitated body with hands tied behind his back had been found. 

"The patrol was providing security to the police team in hostile territory," he told Nepalnews. "But the cease-fire still holds. We are doing our duty," he said while minimizing the cease-fire violations. 

"It is clear that the government is responsible for the clashes by not forming monitoring teams to oversee the cease-fire and code of conduct agreement," facilitator Padma Ratna Tuladher told Nepalnews. 

Government and Maoists agreed to form monitoring teams during the second round of talks two months ago, Tuladhar told Nepalnews. 

The monitoring teams teams would consist of seven organizations including the National Human Rights Commission and six individuals, Tuladhar claimed. Malla K Sundar, Birendra Jhapali, Dhaniram Lamichani, Bal Krishna Nepuane and two others were agreed monitors, Tuladhar told Nepalnews. 

Government representatives were not immediately available for comment. nepalnews.com br Aug.11

It is Pratappur, not Anantapur: Dept. of Archaeology

Which Swayambhu temple caught fire - - Pratappur or Anantapur? The Department of Archaeology Monday ended the controversy, saying, it was Pratappur temple where fire broke out last Tuesday night. 

"It is obviously Pratappur, not Anantapur," Chandra Prasad Tripathi, Joint Secretary and Chief Investigation Official at the Department told Nepalnews Monday. 

Tripathi is the Department's authentic person to look into the Swayambhu fire case. He is also a member of the government-formed probe committee. 

The controversy grew with a nameplate mistakenly attached at the Pratappur temple by Nepal Tourism Board. "Anantapur" was written in the nameplate, which created confusion. 

"We are removing the faulty nameplate tomorrow," Tripathi said. Locals of Swayambhu area also told Nepalnews that it was Pratappur temple, which caught fire. "We all know that fire broke out at Pratappur," said Rajesh Buddhacharya, a local resident. 

Earlier, officials of Nepal Tourism Board refused to make an official comment on the controversy, saying, "The Archaeological Department knows it better." 

Pratappur and Anantapur temples are two Shikhara style temples dedicated to Vajrayana deities of Buddhism. They were built by King Pratap Malla some 350 years ago and were named after his queen Anantapriya and himself.  

The twin temples are located at north-east and south-east of the Swayambhu chaitya. nepalnews.com mr Aug 11