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Govt. donation for cyclist

Government Monday donated Rs.100,000 to cyclist Pushkar Shah who has covered 83,000 kms in 51 countries on a peace mission for four years. 

Minister for Tourism Kuber Sharma presented a cheque to Shah on behalf of the Government. Shah is continuing his cycling mission from Mexico where be broke his world tour last year. nepalnews.com br May 26

27 climb Everest Monday

Twenty-seven climbers with five expeditions climbed Mount Everest Monday until last reports from base camp, the Ministry of Tourism said.

More climbers with the five expeditions were heading towards the summit Monday, the Ministry said. One American, 6 Indian army men and 20 Nepalis climbed the world’s tallest peak Monday.

Nine liaison officers are reporting the progress of the climbs from the base camp, the Ministry of Tourism said. 

Altogether 116 climbers scaled the world’s tallest peak in three days; 89 alpinists scaled the 8848 meters high peak Thursday and Friday. nepalnews.com br May 26

Speaker asked to convene meeting 

Five opposition parties decided Monday to ask Parliament Speaker Taranath Ranabhatt to convene a
meeting of the dissolved legislature Wednesday. 

Nepali Congress central committee member said his party was hopeful the Speaker would agree to
a party directive as he is a Nepali Congress member. 

As the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party said it will boycott a call to participate in a meeting of the dissolved parliament Wednesday, five opposition parties jointly Monday asked others to join a protest movement against the King to oppose his alleged "regressive actions" since dismissing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur deuba on October 4 last year. 

The Nepali Congress (Deuba) said it will join the meeting conditionally; the party asked the five parties to agree to the restoration of his dissolved government. 

The five parties condemned government plans to run local government bodies by issuing an ordinance and said the government will be responsible for the "serious consequences." 

The opposition parties last week boycotted a meeting called by Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur
Chand to run local bodies by appointing all party committees to replace officials whose term expires next month. 

The opposition condemned what they called violence during anti-King protests Sunday and wished
the injured speedy recovery, the parties said. 

The parties appointed a 10-member committee to oversee the third phase of the protest that enters
its third week Wednesday. The protests have been successful while reiterating their campaign will succeed, they said. 

The King convenes sessions of parliament on the recommendation of government and parliament. nepalnews.com br May 26

Khadka resigns

In a severe blow to former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his Nepali Congress Party (Democratic), Khum Bahadur Khadka has resigned as general secretary, party sources said. 

Khadka, general secretary of the party, submitted his resignation to Deuba. Khadka resigned one day after President of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala asked rebels to re-join the party. The Party is meeting to right now to discuss the crisis. 

Khadka is expected to publicly announce his resignation later Monday. Close friends of Khadka are expected to join him. 

Khadka's move comes as five opposition parties asked members of the dissolved parliament to
join a meeting of five opposition parties who have decided to convene an assembly of members of
the dissolved parliament. nepalnews.com br May 26

Nepali, Indian army team again climb Everest 

Seventeen Nepali and Indian army men climbed Mount Everest again Monday to put a record
31 climbers on the world's tallest peak in two groups in five days, the Ministry of Tourism said
Monday. 

Six Nepali and six Indian army men and five Sherpas climbed the 8848 meters high peak in the
latest group. Sergeant Major Bhim Gurung, 37, Sergeant Devendra Tamang, 38, Sergeant Tenzing Sherpa, 32, Corporal Krishna Thakuri, 29, Corporal Shree Tamang, 29,and Gunner Kul Bahadur Ale, 20, of the Royal Nepal Army climbed the peak between 4.15 and 5.05 in the morning. 

Major Abijeet Singh, 26, Subedar Lalit Kumar Negi, 43, Havaldar Rajendra Singh Jalal, 31, Havaldar
Lal Singh Thapa, 43, Havaldar Tashi Giapo, 32, and Lance-nayak Kunwar Singh Rawat, 28, climbed
with the Indian Army. 

Pasang Tendi Sherpa, 27, Ngawang Jangbo Sherpa, 48, Dendi Sherpa, 30, Pasang Sherpa, 27 and
Damai Shhiri Sherpa, 26, assisted the army team. 

The joint team was led by Lt. Col. Surya Sen Thakuri, 49, of the RNA and Lt.Col. Ashok Abbey, 42, of
the Indian Army. 

Fourteen members and Sherpas climbed in the first group Thursday. nepalnews.com br May 26

Twins climb Nuptse

American twin brothers of a 12-member expedition scaled the 7855 meters high Nuptse from the normal route Friday at one in the afternoon, the Ministry of Tourism said Monday.

Galiemo Benegas and his brother Damian are mountain guides from California. They are 35.

The expedition is led by Scott Conney, 26 . Other details were not known. nepalnews.com br May 26

Lakpa Gheylu bettered Pemba Dorji Sherpa’s speed record of Mount Everest by climbing the peak in 10 hours and 46 minutes Monday, reports reaching the capital from base camp said. This was also Lakpa’s 10^th ascent of the world’s tallest peak. 

Lakpa Ghelu Sherpa, 36, climbed the peak with his brothers Jangbu and Da Nurbu as three sisters
climbed the peak from the north in Tibet last week. Elder brother Jangbu has climbed Everest nine times while Da Nurbu has scaled the peak four times. 

Lakpa planted a six feet high brass national flag on the summit that, he hoped, will be a permanent
marker on top of the world to confirm ascents of Mount Everest. Lakpa climbed the peak with a German team while Appa stepped on top of the world with an American team. Lakpa came safely off the mountain Monday morning to complete the entire run in 18 hours 20 minutes

Three Sherpas of a Spanish expedition also scaled Everest through the normal south east ridge
Monday, the Ministry of Tourism said. Full details of climbs by four teams Monday are still pouring in from base camp. 

Pemba knew his record was being challenged; his ascent of Everest in 12 hours and 45 minutes stood just for three days only.

Lakpa set off from base camp for the summit Sunday afternoon as Pemba left the camp for Kathmandu to take part in celebrations commemorating the ascent of the peak 50 years ago by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary.

Pemba told reporters Sunday he will try to shatter his bettered record; he was the star attraction at Lalitpur on the first day of week-long celebrations marking the golden jubilee year of the conquest of Everest.

Pemba said Sunday he lost almost 80 minutes resting at four camps en route to the summit. Pemba told a newspaper Monday he will also attempt the first traverse of the mountain twice in the same season.

Appa Sherpa also improved his personal world record to climb the 8848 meters peak for the 13^th time Monday, reports from base camp said. nepalnews.com br May 26

Nepali trafficker arrested

A Nepali boarding a flight for Doha en route to London was arrested at the Airport Sunday with 1.05 kgs of hashish concealed in trinkets, Senior Police Officer Bimala Thapa said in published reports.

Drugs enforcement officials are preparing  trafficking charges against Sharad Kafle. 
nepalnews.com br May 26

Sherpa dead on Everest

Kami Sherpa died Saturday near the first camp of Mount Everest, the Ministry of Tourism said quoting delayed base camp reports Monday . Other details were not known.

Seven out of 25 expeditions are still attempting to climb the world's tallest peak this spring. nepalnews.com br May 26

Maoists threaten to withdraw from peace talks

Maoist peace negotiators have warned that they will not sit for the third round of peace talks unless the government implements the agreements made at the end of the second round of peace talks, Nepal Samacharpatra reported.

The two sides had agreed to confine the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) within a periphery of five kilometers from their barracks and also release the Maoists currently serving jail terms. Though the agreements were to be implemented within a week, nothing has happened two weeks since the second round of peace talks were held.

The government has put forward a proposal to the Maoists to rethink over its proposal of confining the RNA within the five kilometers range. Talks were held Sunday between Maoist peace negotiator Krishna Bahadur Mahara and his counterpart Minister Narayan Singh Pun to identify the shortcomings and thereby fix the dates for the third round of peace talks. But the two sides were not able to arrive at any decision. "We are taken aback from the stance shown by the government regarding our proposal,"
Mahara said.

Mahara quoted Pun as saying that he did not know anything about the dates regarding the third round of peace talks. nepalnews.com am May 26

Manandhar completes peace run to Dolakha

Three runners led by Nepal's renowned runner Baikuntha Manandhar completed their 140 Km long run to the Bhimeswore temple in Dolakaha district Sunday and lighted 115,000 oil fed lamps praying for the success of the peace talks, reports from the district said.

The team began their run to Dolakha on Friday. They reached the Bhimeswore temple at nine o'clock Sunday morning. The team rested at Mudebazar of Sindhupalchok on Saturday. The other two runners accompanying Manandhar were Ratna Tuladhar and Ram Krishna Maharjan.

Manandhar has already run to Palanchwok Bhagwati, Lumbini and Muktinath in a bid to to pray for the peace talks. Nepalnews.com am May 26

Rift in RPP widens

Rabindra Nath Sharma and Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, two senior leaders of the Rastriya Prajatnatra party Sunday issued a press release charging party president Pashupati Shumsher Rana of arbitrary exercise of power and demanded that he call the central committee meeting of the party
immediately.

The two leaders have claimed that the appointments made by Rana to different party posts were not carried out as per the party statute. They have also accused Rana of undermining the senior politicians in the party and promoting the junior ones.

The statement of the two leaders has come a day after senior leader of the party Padma Sundar Lawoti rejected the top party post of vice president charging party president Rana of trying to propagate despotism in the party. nepalnews.com am May 26

CIAA to interrogate five ex-ministers Monday

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) will be interrogating seven politicians and bureaucrats Monday who were summoned last week and asked to submit the property detail forms.

Those issued summons in the first phase include former ministers Arjun Narsingh K.C., Bal Bahadur K.C., Sharad Singh Bhandari, Ram Bahadur Gurung and Ram Janam Chaudhari. Apart from the five ex-ministers, former secretary Lok Man Singh Karki and incumbent Assistant Inspector General of Police Ananta Ram Bhattarai were also issued summons in the first phase.

The ex-ministers, ex-secretary and AIGP have been charged of failing to show the income source for their property holdings. The interrogations will most likely take place at CIAA Monday. nepalnews.com am May 26

Opposition disrupts traffic

Five opposition parties Sunday afternoon obstructed vehicular traffic in the capital and Bhaktapur at 3 in the afternoon for one hour in anti-King protests but did not stop the movement of vehicles at Kupandole as scheduled and permitted summiteers of Mount Everest to participate in the first day of week-long celebrations in Lalitpur to commemorate the 50th year of the ascent of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary. 

Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) had requested the opposition to postpone protests during historic celebrations to mark the conquest of the world as nearly 500 conquerors of the peak, including Sir Edmund Hillary, assemble in Kathmandu for the biggest single gathering of Everest heroes the world will witness. 

The opposition will launch the third phase of their anti-King protests Wednesday, the opposition parties said. Opposition activists disrupted vehicular movement at Kuleshwor in Kathmandu and Suryabinayak in Bhaktapur while in the capital some demonstrators burnt a tire in front of late King Mahendra's statue at Durbar Marg, eyewitnesses said. 

Several police and demonstrators were injured in clashes in Lahan and Janakpur during the protest, radio reports said. nepalnews.com br May 25

Patan honours Everest climbers

Residents of Patan, led by municipal authorities, Sunday gave a rousing reception to the conquerors of Mount Everest Sunday on the first day of week-long celebrations to mark the golden jubilee of the year of the world's historic ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary. 

Amidst pomp and festivities, municipal authorities welcomed them at the Patan Durbar Square; they went on a tour of the town and feasted on traditional Newari cuisine and rakshi. 

Sir Edmund Hillary and Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Everest, were not present. But a lean and happy Pemba Dorje was the star attraction as he rushed first to the NMA headquarters to receive a traditional khata welcome from President Ang Tshering Sherpa and then it was off to Patan Durbar Square immediately after returning to the capital from base camp in a chartered helicopter to participate in the celebrations. 

Pemba Dorji Sherpa brushed aside appeals by NMA officials to rest after his record-breaking 12.45 hours speed climbing on Everest and rushed to Lalitpur..

Kathmandu will fete the climbers Monday. nepalnews.com br May 25