Three killed,15 others injured

Three persons were killed and 15 others were injured Thursday in a collision between a truck and a bus in Nawalparasi Thursday, radio reports said.

The accident occurred at Rajar in the central Nepal district. The bus was traveling to the capital from Nawalparasi. Eight undergoing treatment at Bharatpur hospital in Chitwan are in critical condition. 
nepalnews.com br Nov.6

19 Maoists killed

Nineteen Maoists have been killed in fresh clashes between government forces and Maoists in seven districts, the Defence Ministry and Radio Nepal said.

Two rebels were killed in Taplejung and Udaipur Thursday, the Ministry said. Radio Nepal quoting security sources said two rebels were killed at Phulbari in Rautahat Wednesday.

Two rebels extorting money at Sisbhari in Okhaldhunga were injured; insurgents fled with the injured, Radio Nepal said. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

India deports three Maoists

India Thursday extradited three Maoists to Nepal through the district police office in Rautahaat, Radio Nepal said. The three rebels were arrested in Barganiya in Uttar Pradesh district. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

British Army chief returns

Gen. Sir Mike Jackson, chief of the British Army Staff, returned home after a five-day official visit to Nepal Thursday. Chief of Staff Gen. Pyar Jung Thapa saw off Gen. Jackson at the airport. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Maoists declare Dhankuta govt.

Maoists Wednesday declared a 17-member Dhankuta district people's government, published reports said.

The committee is headed by Dilli Ram Rai and Aadhunik Dewan is its vice-chairman. Dhankuta is Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa's home district. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Medical students on strike

Two hundred students of Nepalgunj Medical College Teaching Hospital are on a strike since Wednesday demanding affiliation with the Nepal Medical Council and the Medical Council of India, radio reports said.

A letter demanding affiliation was handed to the management earlier this week. The future of the students in uncertain without the affiliation. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Two Russians scale Nuptse

Two Russians scaled the 7855 meters high Nuptse from the difficult south face Nov.2, the Ministry of Tourism said. Expedition leader Valeriy Babanov, 38, and Yuri Koshelenko, 40, climbed the peak. 
nepalnews.com.br Nov.6

Student killed in Maoist ambush

A 15-year-old student was killed in Dhading in a Maoist ambush targeting security forces Tuesday, published reports said.

Resham Bahadur Kumal was killed in the electric ambush. Human rights activists have condemned the murder. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Foreign currency reserve stands at Rs.108.8 bn

Gross foreign currency reserve in mid-August totalled Rs.108.8 bn, Nepal Rashtra Bank said Wednesday. Convertable currency reserve increased 22.9 percent to Rs.98.0 bn and inconvertible currency reserve fell 57.3 per cent to Rs.10.7 bn. 

Share of convertible currency in the total reserve increased to 90.1 percent from 89.8 percent. The increased bank remittances from private parties led to the rise in share of convertible reserve. There is a Rs.8.4 bn surplus in the current account, the Bank said.

The national urban consumer price index jumped to 5.0 percent in the first month of the current fiscal year compared to the same month in 2002. nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Unified Command is not militarization: Army

The concept of Unified Command cannot be termed militarization of the country, Royal Nepal Army (RNA) said in a press meet Thursday. “The Command is for coordination and integrated approach among security bodies.”

“If there is any military operation in a country, then there must be a common action from all security bodies,” RNA spokesperson and Colonel Dipak Gurung said in the press meet.

“All the security bodies work independently but their action to a particular mission remains united during such operations,” Col. Gurung said elaborating the concept of Unified Command. “So, the Command will be functional only for specific operations.”

In fact, the Unified Command is for insurgency operation, the army spokesman said indicating towards the eight-year-old Maoist rebellion.

RNA’s explanation on Unified Command has come at a time when the government is being criticised by the opposition parties for allegedly militarizing the country through the Command.

“Our investigation on the killing of students in Mudhbhara, Doti is still going on,” Chief of the RNA human rights cell and Brigadier General BA Kumar Sharma said. Sharma, meanwhile, alleged Maoists, saying they used human beings as the shield in the Doti incident.

“We respect the National Human Rights Commission and are committed to protect human rights of all citizens,” Sharma said.

Asked whether the situation of the country is in favour of elections, army spokesman Gurung did not want to be specific. He said, “We are ready to obey what the government says. You (journalists) can also evaluate the situation of the country.” 

Fielding a query whether security is adequately mobilised in the country to curb the Maoist activities, Gurung said army cannot be placed at one metre’s distance. “But we have adequate security arrangements in the necessary places,” he said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 6

130 kgs of explosives recovered in Valley

Security forces recovered two truckloads of explosives weighing 130 kgs and 50 timing devices in the Valley during a special three-day search launched from Friday (Oct.31), Army spokesman Col. Dipak Gurung told reporters Thursday.

The Army defused 45 improvised explosive devices, including 13 lives bombs in the Valley since the resumption of hostilities, he said. 

Fifty-nine soldiers have been killed and 86 others have been injured since the breakdown of peace talks in the last week of August this year, he said. Altogether 700 rebels Maoists have been killed and another 200 are feared dead in clashes with security forces.

The Army led unified command is operational "only during operations" to "coordinate and make more effective" action against terrorists," Col. Gurung said. "Maoists have not been able to attack our base camps. They have, therefore, increased ambushes." 

"Their strength is the same," he said in response to a question on whether rebel strength had increased recently. An increase of 100 to 150 calories for soldiers deployed to fight Maoists "will increase morale of soldiers," he said in reply to another question.

The Army can provide security if elections are held, he said in reply to another question.  nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Quake rocks Dolakha

A quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale hit Dolakha Wednesday at 6.04 in the evening, the Department of Mines and Geology said.

The epicentre was around Puma Valley on the Nepal-Tibet border 78 kms northeast of the capital nepalnews.com br Nov.6

Five parties considering extension

The five agitating parties have begun fresh discussions among themselves to include other parliamentary parties in the five parties' block, Nepal Samacharpatra said Thursday.

"We are trying to incorporate more parties to our movement," said Lila Mani Pokhrel, secretary general of People's Front, Nepal. "Most probably, a proposal to this regard will be forwarded to five parties' senior leaders' possible meeting on November 10," Pokhrel said.

The five parties will mainly discuss inclusion of Nepali Congress (Democratic) and United Leftist Front, Nepal to their alliance, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 6

Four policemen arrested for robbery

Police has arrested four of their colleagues who were allegedly involved in some looting incidents in the capital, Annapurna Post said Thursday. The four were involved in the looting of diamonds, cash and mobile sets from civilians and businessmen, the daily said. 

Of late, they looted more than one million rupees from a shop in New Road. The shop belonged to Jayaram Pandey. 

The four policemen arrested are assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Dipakraj Acharya, ASI Jhupra Bahadur Ghale, head constable Hit Bahadur Ghale and constable Rabin Chauguthi, the newspaper said. 

They were working in various police posts in Kathmandu valley. "We will take legal action against the four," said AIG Keshab Baral, who is head of the Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari. nepalnews.com mr Nov 6 

Govt. planning to set up Industrial Security Force

The government is planning to form an Industrial Security Force to secure major installations and infrastructures from the Maoists, The Himalayan Times said Thursday, quoting security sources. 

The ISF will be formed under the army's command as soon as the government sanctions funds for it, the daily quoted an army official at the Directorate General of Military Operations, as saying. 

"Initially, the Force will have two battalions and the army will recruit and train the force. In recruitment, priority will be given to former policemen and army personnel." 

Institutions which need security, are also expected to be involved in the scheme by contributing to the budget for forming the Force. But the problem lies in developing an understanding between the government and the private sector in sanctioning the budget, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 6