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PM Thapa leaves for Bangladesh, Maldives Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, current chairman of SAARC, left for the second and last leg of a tour of two South Asian regional nations for consultations ahead of the Association's 12th summit in Pakistan in January 2004. Thapa will visit Bangladesh and Maldives before returning home on December 23. Thapa said he will discuss bilateral issues with his Singapore counterpart; Thapa is transiting Singapore en route to Dhaka and Maldives. The premier told reporters he will discuss land transit through India with Bangladesh and tourism promotion in Maldives. Thapa has completed visits of India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Pakistan for regional consultations. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Related
News The King Wednesday evening granted an audience to visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca, Radio Nepal said. The details of their discussions were not disclosed. Rocca arrived Tuesday for the second time in one year to update herself on developments in Nepal. Rocca discussed Maoist and other issues with Prime MInister Surya Bahadur Thapa immediately after arrival Tuesday. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Related
News Kathmandu special court Wednesday extended the remand of former minister Govinda Raj Joshi for another 12 days at the request of CIAA. The investigating agency sought the extension to prepare corruption charges against him. The agency has not filed corruption charges against Joshi despite his arrest earlier than RPP leader Rabindra Nath Sharma against whom formal charges have been registered at the court. This is the fifth time his remand has been extended. Prosecutors charged Joshi was not cooperating in investigations causing delay in filing formal charges. Sharma has been admitted to Norvic Hospital after formal charges against him at the court. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Related
News Administration prepares charges against students Local administration Wednesday prepared state offences charges against three student leaders arrested Tuesday during and after anti-King demonstrations in the capital. Charges are being prepared against Chairman of Nepal Student's Union Gurujaj Ghimere, General Secretary Gagan Thapa and a leftist leader. They were presented before the court where the police sought their detention extension for another seven days. Students protested their arrests and organised street corner demonstrations in the capital and padlocked the office of the TU Vice-Chancellor and took control of several motorcycles. Activists of five political parties hurled abuses against the King during Tuesday's protests. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Security forces shot dead 12 Maoists in continuing operations against rebels, Radio Nepal said Wednesday. Nine rebels were killed in five districts this week, the Ministry said. Two rebels were killed in Bara when they tried to break a security cordon and one rebel was killed in Talplejung Wednesday. Altogether 230 socket bombs, binoculars and communist literature were recovered in the five districts. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Related
News Kamal Thapa calls for understanding Communications Minister Kamal Thapa Wednesday asked political parties to come to an understanding through dialogue to end the current crisis. This is not a time for a movement, he said. "A movement now will only deepen the crisis," he told a public meeting in Lalitpur. He said government is preparing for local elections. Thapa asked political party leaders not to denigrate the King. He accused political party leaders of perusing personal and party interests. Government was ready for a dialogue to resolve problems, Thapa said. Thapa's remarks came one day after five political parties launched the 10th phase of their anti-King protests for perceived regressive actions since dismissing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on October 4, 2002. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Road ambush kills 10 security personnel A Maoist laid ambush has killed at least 10 security personnel in the bordering areas between Kapilvastu and Dang districts Wednesday, a radio report said, quoting a district correspondent. According to Kantipur FM, 10 security forces were killed when the Maoists ambushed a vehicle carrying them Wednesday morning. The vehicle was heading from Chanrauta of Kapilvastu to Bhaluwang of Dang, the report said. Among the ambushed, five were from the army and five from civil police. The name of the dead could not be known immediately. Details are still awaited. Meanwhile, six police personnel were injured Wednesday in another Maoist-laid ambush in Sarlahi near the district headquarters, Malangwa, other radio reports said. Among the six, one policeman was seriously hurt, the reports said. nepalnews.com mr Dec 17 Related
News Maoists have confirmed the CPN-UML rejected a rebel proposal to work for a republic during a meeting in Lucknow three weeks ago. "At the Lucknow talks, the UML leadership, it appears, did not accept our proposal for a working relationship for the need and inevitability of a republic. Even then, there can be direct or indirect working relationship with the UML and other powers on minimum understanding," politburo member Ananta said Tuesday in the on-line edition of weekly Janadesh, a mouth-piece of the rebels. Ananta said the underground party is ready for talks with all parties and powers. The UML has already said it rejected a call for a working relationship for a republic during a meeting between CPN-UML General Secretary Madav Nepal and rebel leaders Prachanda, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara. India has objected to the secret meeting on its soil. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Related
News Bhutanese troops act against rebels The Bhutanese army, backed by Indian troops, killed or wounded several people and captured a key rebel base in an offensive against Indian separatists based in the kingdom, AFP reported from Guwahati in Assam Tuesday. Some 6,000 Bhutanese troops have been fighting since Monday to flush out the rebels after they ignored previous warnings to leave the Buddhist state, according to officials. "The presence of the militants, who entered Bhutan clandestinely 12 years ago and established their camps initially without our knowledge, has become a direct threat to Bhutan's sovereignty and national security," a Bhutanese government statement said. Lt.Gen. Jitendra Singh Verma, who heads the Indian army's eastern command, said India was providing Bhutanese troops logistical support, medical services and ammunition. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Three persons died when there was a sudden increase of cold in Siraha district in the last few days, RSS reported from the district Tuesday. Those who died on the cold are Annapurna Dhakal, 72 and Karidevi, 55, both of Hanumannagar VDC and Ujegan Pasman, 65, of Belaha VDC. Because of the shivering cold, the children in the rural areas of the district are suffering from diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea, it is learnt from doctors at Siraha District Hospital. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 The resumption of direct flights between Nepal and Pakistan in January next year by Pakistan International Airlines will help increase tourist arrivals, Nepal Association of Travel Agents (NATA) said. NATA welcomed the resumption of flights after India and Pakistan agreed to give their carriers over-flying rights. "The resumption of PIA flights is a very positive step towards bringing in the desired support to consolidate regional tourism," NATA said. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 One policeman killed, two injured One policeman was killed and two others were injured in a Maoist ambush at Pahadipur in Bardia Wednesday morning, local security agencies said. Two Maoists were killed in an encounter at Simraungadh in Bara Wednesday. They were identified as Lal Jaiswal and Achelal Mahato. Rebels attempted to ambush a motor vehicle transporting security personnel near Bhalubang in Dang Wednesday. Vehicular traffic along the national highway was disrupted during a search for rebels. nepalnews.com br Dec.17 Related
News 287 security personnel killed in four months: RNA A
total of 287 security personnel, including the army, armed police and civil
police, have died since the breakdown of ceasefire on Among the dead, 82 were army, 105 civil police and 100 armed police personnel, the RNA officials said, not revealing the death tolls in the Maoist side during the same period. A total of 127 army personnel, 157 civil police and 100 more armed police were also injured, the RNA said. In the same period, the RNA seized 350 kgs of explosives, 171 detonators and many more Maoist documents and devices, said RNA spokesman, Col. Deepak Gurung. On the question of increasing human rights violations by security forces, Gurung and chief of the RNA Human Rights Cell, Brig. Gen. B.A. Kumar Sharma said the RNA is “serious” about the rights violations cases. “We have our mechanism to punish the guilty,” Sharma said. “We cannot instantly take action. It takes time and we should not be blamed, especially by the media, that we are protecting the culprits.” Fielding a query as to what would be the “answer” of RNA to the visiting top US official, Christina Rocca, with regard to the growing rights violation cases by the security forces, Gurung dismissed the issue, laying emphasis on “transparency”. “We will convince her through transparency,” Gurung said. Noteworthy, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, who is in Nepal on a four day official visit, is reported to have raised serious concerns over rights violation cases, during her separate meetings with Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa and Ambassador-at-large Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa on Tuesday. nepalnews.com mr Dec 17 A task force constituted to check crime rate on the Indo-Nepal border in Rupandehi district has chalked out a strategy to tackle the growing Maoist activities in the area, published reports said Wednesday. The reports quoting Gorakhpur zone IGP Rameshwar Dayal of Uttar Pradesh, India, said, hi-tech weapons, including AK-47s, would be given to the task force personnel. Similarly, orders were already passed for the construction of 25 police stations and sub-stations in the five Indian districts of Maharajgunj, Siddharthanagar, Balrampur, Bahraich and Shravasti, which borders Nepal, the reports said. nepalnews.com mr Dec 17 Lesbian couple's plea to live together Two lesbians from Hetauda have filed an appeal to the police in Kathmandu seeking security and freedom to remain single, published reports said Wednesday. Meera's family has been forcing her to get married to a man and was about to forcibly get her formally engaged to the man living outside Kathmandu, according to Blue Diamond Society (BDS). The couple Radha and Meera contacted the Blue Diamond Society for help, the reports said. The BDS, as it says, is a private organisation working for the rights of homosexuals. nepalnews.com mr Dec 17 |
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