Civic reception for King and Queen

A civic reception is being organised for the King and Queen in Nepalgunj on behalf of the people of west Nepal.

In this connection, a civic reception committee was formed Saturday under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Dhanendra Bahadur Singh. Ministers Kamal Thapa and Buddiman Tamang were present. The date for the reception has not been announced.

Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had protested two such receptions last year including one in Biratnagar. nepalnews.com br Dec.21

NEPSE index slips marginally

The NEPSE index slipped 0.40 points at the end of five day trading Friday. The market opened at 201.94 points Monday and closed at 201.54 points Friday.

Commercial bank share index slipped 1.04 points from 196.74 points to 195.70 points. Commercial bank shares captured 79.64 percent of the total trade.

Bank of Kathmandu led the market; altogether 29,975 shares were sold for Rs.5.3 million. Altogether 89,724 shares were sold in 1,759 transactions for Rs.16.56 million. nepalnews.com br Dec.21

Indian envoy calls for intelligence sharing

Indian Ambassador Shyam Saran Saturday called for intelligence to nab Maoist leaders in India.

"Baburamji and Prachandaji can be arrested if secret information is exchanged between the two countries," he told a meeting in the capital. He said the rebels were a threat to Indian security as well.

Sharan said India had reinforced border security and some successes had been recorded. He said Maoists and Indian rebel groups were jointly running training camps on the Indian soil. nepalnews.com br Dec 21

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‘Undesirable elements’ should not use open border: Dr. Lohani

Nepal and India need to make sure that the open border the two neighbours share, is not used by “undesirable elements” to create violence or instability or economic distortion in the two nations, officiating Prime Minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani said Sunday.

“Nepal, I am happy to say, has remained sensitive to this issue,” Dr. Lohani, who holds the portfolio of Finance Ministry and ranks second after the PM, said in a workshop titled “Indo-Nepal Cooperation” on Sunday.

On India’s role to this regard, Dr. Lohani, chief guest of the program, said, “We are also confident that certain elements that want to destroy the multi-party constitutional system and the development infrastructure of Nepal will not be able to misuse the hospitality of India towards the Nepali people.”

Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Shyam Saran, speaking as the special guest, said, Nepal and India need to move forward with an increase in the bilateral trade.

“With some private Indian airlines flying to Kathmandu soon, Nepal’s tourism sector is expected to get a boost,” Saran said.

In the one-day workshop jointly organised by Nepal Council of World Affairs and B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, six work papers are scheduled to be presented and discussed.

Among the six, three work papers are from Nepali scholars and three from the Indian scholars. nepalnews.com mr Dec 21

PM holds talk with Singaporean counterpart

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa met with Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in Singapore before flying for Maldives Saturday, RSS said.

Discussion was held on bilateral issues of mutual interests during the meeting, the national news agency said. PM Thapa requested for the co-operation of Singapore for the establishment of Information Technology Park in Kathmandu on the occasion, it said.

"The Singaporean PM Tong was positive to the request of Nepal and asked to send a Nepali delegation to Singapore to discuss the detail of the plan." PM Tong was also positive on the request of Nepal on resuming Singapore Airlines flights to Nepal again.

A total of 1,600 Nepalis are working in the Singapore police and it has helped promote the friendly ties between the two countries, PM Tong said.

PM Thapa, who is on a SAARC consultation visits to Bangladesh and Maldives, finished his Bangladesh tour and is now in Maldives. On the first leg of his visit, PM Thapa has already toured India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Pakistan. nepalnews.com mr Dec 21

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Bank accounts of NOC chief frozen

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Friday froze bank accounts worth Rs.30 million belonging to Rudra Khadka, Executive Director of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), reports said Saturday.

The CIAA, through Friday's interrogations, reached a conclusion that Khadka's properties must be investigated and so it decided to freeze all his properties, Space Time said. Along with the bank accounts, the CIAA has also frozen Khadka's land, a car and houses in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Chitwan, whose value runs into millions, the daily said.

The CIAA arrested Khadka on Thursday after raiding his house the same day, it said. "The CIAA started to interrogate Khadka from Friday." nepalnews.com mr Dec 20

Congress forms fighting force

Nepali Congress has launched an unarmed force to prevent arrests of student leaders. Party President Girija Prasad Koirala launched the force in Biratnagar Friday. 

The force having 251 members has been named " Drut Sakriya Samiti Morang". Morang District President Ashok Koirala is its convener. The force will be formed nation-wide. nepalnews.com br Dec.20

Kathmandu air dirtiest

Kathmandu, now tops a list of 17 Asian cities with the dirtiest air, followed by New Delhi, according to a World Bank reported presented at a conference titled Better Air quality, AP reported from Manila.
Jakarta and Chongqing, China's second largest city, share third place.

Chris Hoban, acting World Bank director for the Philippines, said every 1,000 people in urban East Asia and the Pacific lose more than 12 productive years due to disability caused by air pollution. nepalnews.com br Dec.20

Security committees formed in three districts

Lt. Gen Chitra Bahadur Gurung said the process of constituting village security forces have been completed at Lamjung, Parsa and Kapilvastu under the central division, RSS reports from Pokhara.

EU members have protested the force arguing it will be counterproductive.  He said the army had been active in decreasing the might of the Maoists and bringing them to the mainstream of governance. nepalnews.com br Dec.20

Nepal praised

Nepal is among the countries which have come in for praise from the United States in an annual report on international religious freedom, agencies reported from Washington.

The US, however, rebuked Pakistan for failing in 'many respects' to protect religious minorities and for passing discriminatory laws. This was mentioned in the State Department's annual report on religion. nepalnews.com br Dec.20

Agreements signed

A five-year agreement has been signed by the Social Welfare Council (SWC) and the Switzerland based Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Department of World Service Friday for launching various development activities in Nepal, RSS said. The LWF will provide Nepal with a minimum of one million US dollars annually. 

SWC and Lutheran World Federation Nepal also signed an agreement to launch Nepal development programmes for five years. US dollars 4.6 million will be provided to launch the programme in Accham, Doti, Kailali, Banke, Kathmandu, Morang, Jhapa, Ilam, Baglung and Ramechap. nepalnews.com br Dec.20

Dutch aid to end

Dutch aid to Nepal will end. Parliament approved a government decision to stop the assistance Friday, reports from the Dutch capital said.

Nepal was among 13 countries affected by the government decision protested by the opposition.
India and Bhutan, in South Asia, have been affected by the cut. nepalnews.com br Dec.20 

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Two Maoists killed

Security forces killed two Maoists in Gorkha Friday, local security agencies said. The clash occurred at Arkhed bazzar.

Pistols and communist literature were seized from the clash site. A security personnel was injured and a motor vehicle damaged in Pokhara Friday. 

One day after the government announced an amnesty for rebels, a Maoist surrendered with a SLR to the army in Dhankuta Friday, security sources said. nepalnews.com br Dec.20

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Govt. offer for surrender a tactic: Maoists

Maoist rebels have strongly reacted to the government offer for "surrender and amnesty". In a statement, Maoist supremo Prachanda said the offer is "suspicious" and is a new "tactic" of the government. 

"The newly announced so-called price-list for surrender is nothing but the government's tactics to build up morale of the already waning royal army, which is on the verge of collapse," claimed the statement.  

"The price list has proved that many soldiers of royal army have quit the government side and have been joining our people's army," said the statement.  "After the ceasefire break, our people's army has seized hundreds of modern weapons such as LMG, M-16 and SLR from the royal army." 

The statement has further termed "the price list and call for surrender" "pathetic and paradoxical." The Maoist statement has also called upon all to "unite" with them to bring a "republic" state.  

"It's high time all leftist, progressive, democratic and patriotic forces should unite to root out feudal dictatorship from the country and move ahead for the construction of a republic state through constituent assembly," said the statement. "For this, we are ready to hold any kind of talks or reach an agreement with all," it said.  

Minister for Information and Communications Kamal Thapa Thursday unveiled a new government policy, which has assured amnesty, full security and jobs to those Maoists who surrender by February 12, 2004.
For this, the government is setting up a rehabilitation centre at Dhakaltar of Tanahun, according to Thapa. nepalnews.com mr Dec 19

PM Thapa arrives in Singapore

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa arrived in Singapore Friday afternoon en route to Maldives on a visit of SAARC countries ahead of January's 12th summit of SAARC, Radio Nepal said.

Thapa will hold bilateral discussions with his Singapore counterpart before leaving for Maldives Saturday.
The prime minister returns home December 23. nepalnews.com br Dec.19

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