Indian Embassy retains Soaltee Cricket Cup

Indian Embassy retained the “Soaltee Super Sixes Cricket Cup” Monday. In today’s final Kantipur Publications were beaten with just one ball to spare.

Asked to score 47 by Kantipur Publications, the target was achieved with the loss of two wickets, aided by 17 runs from Suresh Kumar and 15 by Amit Jain.

Indian Embassy defeated Nabil Bank, ILFC and Himalayan Bank to reach the final. British Gorkhas were trounced in the semi-finals. nepalnews.com br Nov.17

81 Nepalis prisoners to return

The Royal Nepal Embassy in Saudi Arabia has issued travel documents to 81 jailed Nepalis to help them come back to Nepal, an Embassy statement said Tuesday. The move aims at rescuing the Nepalis from a Jeddha-based Saudi Arabian jail.

Those 81 Nepalis were arrested following breach of contracts with their respective employers. They quit the jobs due to the different types of suffering they encountered, the statement said.

"We are in the process of booking air tickets for them," the Embassy said. "The Immigration Department at Jeddha has completed all preparations to send them back."

"This is the first time that we have issued travel documents to such a hugh number of Nepalis at the same time," the Embassy said. So far, the Embassy has rescued about 1,000 stranded and jailed Nepalis from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and other Gulf countries, the statement said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Human rights promotion centre flayed

The New Delhi based Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has denounced the establishment of a "National Human Rights Promotion Centre" under the Prime Minister's Office of Nepal, saying, it is a direct attempt to undermine the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

"NHRC has been established under a parliamentary Act and has also been critical of violations both by the security forces and armed opposition groups," the ACHR said in a statement received here on Monday. 

"The National Human Rights Commission is being punished for pointing fingers at the Royal Nepal Army for brutally killing 19 unarmed rebels in Doramba, Ramechhap on 19 August," the ACHR claimed.

On 4 November 2003, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa disclosed constituting a human rights promotion centre under his chairmanship. 

The ACHR has further called upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge the government of Nepal to strengthen the NHRC by giving financial resources and autonomy to establish its sub-offices in all the districts to monitor human rights violations both by the security forces and the Maoists.

"The move to establish the human rights promotion centre is aimed at whitewashing the atrocities of the security forces," the ACHR said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Rana calls RPP emergency meeting

President of the ruling Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Pashupati Shamsher Rana has called an emergency meeting of the party this afternoon, reports said Tuesday quoting party sources. 

The meeting has been called after six months, the reports said. "The meeting will press Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa to form an all-party government." 

Prior to the announcement of today's meeting, Rana also nominated nine central committee members. This move may create differences between the government and the party, the reports said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Ration scale of police now at par with army

The government has decided to make ration and uniform facilities of the police, involved in the fight against the Maoists, at par with the facilities being provided to the army, Rajdhani daily reported Tuesday, quoting Cabinet sources. 

"The Cabinet meeting on Monday approved a proposal forwarded by Home Ministry to increase ration scale and uniform facilities to police," the daily said. 

The proposal was designed after discussion among the Home Ministry and army officials, the daily said. "Some 3,000 police who are fighting the battle against the Maoists will get the facilities." nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Attorney General's suggestion to govt.

Attorney General Sushil Panta has suggested the government appoint at least a government attorney in the Council of Ministers and in all ministries and departments. 

Such suggestions are made in a report forwarded to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, according to published reports. 

"This will help make the justice system more effective," Panta said. "With this, the government can defend well in the court cases." 

The present Constitution has envisaged the Attorney General as the chief legal advisor to the government. nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Koirala for conditional co-ordination with Maoists

Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala said Monday the five parties are ready to work with the Maoists, provided, such work should aim at safeguarding the constitutional rights of the people.

"We are ready to join hands with the Maoists to consolidate our movement and to strengthen democracy," Koirala said speaking at a program in Birgunj Monday.He further said the co-work will be possible if the Maoists implement what their leader Prachanda announced earlier. 

On five parties' movement, Koirala said democracy will ultimately defeat "regression". nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Experts warn of earthquake havoc in Valley

Were a moderate-scale earthquake to hit Kathmandu Valley, around 4,000 people will die due to poorly engineered buildings, newspapers said Tuesday, quoting studies.

More than the earthquake itself, the collapse of tall, concrete building will cause more damage to lives in such a situation, experts warned quoting the study report.

"The Valley is in a precarious situation," said Ram Sharan Humagain, chief of Social Welfare Department. "Earthquakes are particularly dangerous for those living in densely populated cities," the Himalayan Times quoted Carollos Villacis of UNESCO, as saying.

Villacis, from Mexico is in Nepal to work with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City for designing plans to save Kathmandu from the hazards due to possible earthquakes, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

Refugee screening from next week

The Nepal-Bhutan joint verification team (JVT) is scheduled to begin the verification of the category 3 (non-Bhutanese) refugees of the Khudunabari camp from next week, a newspaper reported Tuesday, quoting Foreign Ministry officials.

In June, the JVT categorised some 2,948 persons of the 12,000 plus refugees in the Khudunabari camp as non-Bhutanese despite their concrete evidence placed before the JVT officials.

The team will start reviewing the appeals form the refugees falling under category 3 as agreed during the 15th Nepal-Bhutan Ministerial Joint Committee meet held in Thimpu in October, the Himalayan Times said.

The JVT will also meet in Damak in the last week of November to implement the outcome, the daily said. 

The refugees in categories 1, 2 and 4 (genuine, forcefully evicted and criminal background refugees) have been demanding guarantee of citizenship and original homesteads after their repatriation. nepalnews.com mr Nov 18

PM pays floral tributes

Prime Minister and Defence Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa Monday paid floral tributes to Brig. Gen. Sagar Bahadur Pandey and his wife at the Birendra Military Hospital before their cremation, Radio Nepal and Nepal Television said. 

The couple and four other soldiers were killed in a Maoist ambush Saturday at Bhainse in neighbouring Makwanpur district. 

Chief of Staff Gen. Pyar Jung Thapa and representatives of Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions also paid their tributes. 

Brig.Gen. Pandey is the senior most military official killed in an eight year communist insurgency. nepalnews.com br Nov.17

Remands extended

Kathmandu special court extended the remand of former minister and Nepali Congress leader Gobinda Raj Joshi for another 15 days Monday to prepare corruption charges against him, court sources said. 

CIAA had sought the extension. The court also extended for remands of former secretaries Padma Prasad Pokhrel and Chakrabandhu Aryal for an additional 12 days. This is the third time their remands were extended after their arrests 35 days ago. nepalnews.com br Nov.17

Elephant calf dead

An elephant calf has died at a pen in the Royal Bardia National Park, Annapurna Post said.

Laxmikali gave birth to the 100 kgs calf last week. Normal calves weigh between 80 to 90 kgs , the newspaper said. nepalnews.com br Nov.17

Fresh clashes kill five Maoists

At least five rebels have been killed in the fresh Army-Maoist skirmishes in Sindhupalchowk and Bhojpur, reports said Monday. 

Maoist area commander Padam Bahadur Moktan was killed along with Laxmi Moktan and Garjen Moktan in the encounter with the security forces in Bhotang jungle of Sindhupalchowk Sunday. Likewise, security forces shot dead Amrit Moktan in Manekharka jungle of the same district. Arms, ammunition, explosives and documents were recovered from the clash sites.

One security personnel died and four others were injured in an attack on a repeater station at district headquarters after rebel attacks on an army and police barrack were repulsed, radio and published reports said. One rebel was killed but the Maoists may have suffered heavier casualties, local officials said. Some 300 Maoists attempted to blow up the telephone tower in Bhojpur, reports said. 

In Satbariya, Dang today, Maoists shot a civilian Shyam Lal Chaudhary, who died at the hospital. In Mohamadpur, Bardia today, Maoists set ablaze the house of former VDC chairman Nasiruddin Shekh. 

Four security personnel were injured in an ambush Sunday at Khadbari in Sankhuwasabha district. Maoists shot dead guard Bhim Bahadur Thapa in a failed bid to rob a bank at Tikapur in Kailati Monday, another radio report said. nepalnews.com mr/br Nov.17 

Nine-year-old killed

A nine-year-student studying in grade four died in a hidden pressure cooker bomb explosion at Daphcha in Kavre Sunday, Radio Nepal said. He was identified as Min Bahadur Lama. 

Security forces had defused a string bomb in the area. nepalnews.com br Nov.17

RNAC to resume normal flights

RNAC will resume all its international flights from Monday afternoon, Managing Director Mohan Khanal told RSS. A damaged Boeing 757 landed in Kathmandu from Shanghai overnight and another grounded Boeing 757 in Kathmandu will join operations Monday afternoon repairs, Khanal said.

RNAC's international flights were affected during the weekend because of the groundings. Khanal said a committee has been formed to lease purchase a third Boeing 757. nepalnews.com br Nov.17