Naag Panchami being observed

The festival of Naag Panchami is being observed in Nepal Friday. Hindus observe the festival by worshipping Naag (serpent deity).

Hindus paste the Naag (serpent) picture above the main gates of their houses believing that it protects their houses from lightening and fire.

Special religious fairs are also held at Naag-kundas (serpent-ponds) throughout the country.

The festival is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Shrawan according to the Lunar calendar. nepalnews.com pd Aug 20 04

Queen mother's birthday being observed

Her Highness Queen Mother Ratna’s 77th birthday is being celebrated as the 40th National Children’s Day with greeting and various programs nationwide Friday.

The Queen Mother has assumed the patronage of Nepal Children’s Organization. She was born on Bhadra 4, 1985 BS in Kathmandu. nepalnews.com pd Aug 20 04

Crown prince returns

Crown Prince Paras and Princess Himani, after completing a two-week official visit to China, returned home Thursday evening.

PM Sher Bahadur Deuba and other dignitaries welcomed their royal highnesses at the VVIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport. 

Their royal highnesses had left for China on August 6 at the invitation of the Chinese government. nepalnews.com pd Aug 20 04

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Early morning blast in Bhaktapur

Suspected Maoists set off a powerful bomb at a police post in Kaushaltar of Bhaktapur district at around 6:15 AM Friday, police said. 

According to the police, no human casualties and injuries have been reported in the explosion. 

The police added that a search operation is underway to track down the rebels. nepalnews.com pd Aug 20 04

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PM to visit India

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is to pay an official visit to India from September 8, reports said Friday.

Kantipur daily quoted Royal Nepalese ambassador in New Delhi, Karna Dhoj Adhikari, as saying that it was a routine visit and would focus on reviewing the bilateral relations and looking for new dimensions rather than on any particular issue.

Mr. Deuba will discuss issues related to the Maoist insurgency, amendment in the five-decade old extradition treaty between the two countries, border security and construction of bunds by India in the bordering areas, among others, reports said quoting official sources.

The Prime Minister will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh and will also call on President APJ Abdul Kalam, president of Congress party Sonia Gandhi and other senior officials during his Delhi sojourn.

This will be the first official visit by premier Deuba after he was re-appointed to the post in June this year. nepalnews.com by Aug 20

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Nepal-India launch joint `search operation'

Security officials from Nepal and India have launched joint 'search operations' across the border in Rupandehi district in southern Nepal from Thursday.

According to reports, a meeting of senior officials of Royal Nepalese Army, Nepal Police and Special Service Bureau and its intelligence agency in the Indian town of Maharajgunj took the decision with a view to control Maoist insurgency and other criminal activities on both sides of the common, open border.

The operation will focus on bordering Rupandehi, Kapilvastu and Nawalparasi districts in Nepal and Maharajgunj, Siddhartha Nagar and Balrampur districts of India and involve exchange of information between the security agencies of both the countries. nepalnews.com by Aug 20 

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‘Special’ cabinet meeting today

The council of ministers is holding a ‘special meeting’ Friday morning, cabinet source told Nepalnews.

According to an influential minister, the meeting will concentrate on the recent Maoists-imposed blockade of the capital. The meeting would also discuss steps to be taken for initiating peace talks, the minister added.

Saying the meeting was a special one, the minister denied revealing further agendas of the meeting. “The agendas would be revealed as soon as the meeting is held,” he said.

Usually, the meeting of the council of ministers is held on Mondays and Thursdays. nepalnews.com pd Aug 20 04

Life in Kathmandu remains largely normal

Life in Kathmandu remained largely normal on the second day of the Maoist `blockade' on Thursday. Schools and offices remained opened, roads in the city interior were crowded and there were no queues in gas stations.

Transport of vehicles in and out of Thankot post, a major entry point to the capital, was, however, affected due to the Maoist 'blockade.' Most of the long-route buses kept off the roads fearing reprisals. Some vehicles plied on the road with security escort. But tourist vehicles moved unhindered throughout the day.

There has been pressure on the domestic airlines after the road transport was disrupted.

Meanwhile, the council of ministers is to meet Friday to review the situation and take decisions to ensure smooth supply of essential goods, reports said. nepalnews.com by Aug 19 04

FNJ organises nationwide protest, CPJ alarmed by the  killing

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) organised nationwide protest programmes Thursday against the reported killing of radio reporter, Dekendra Raj Thapa, in the mid-western district of Dailekh by Maoist rebels.

The protest programmes, organised at district headquarters in dozens of districts, were also participated in by writers, artistes and other professionals.

The FNJ has demanded that the Maoist leadership beg public apology, provide compensation to the families of victim journalists and express public commitment not to recur such incidences in the future. The FNJ organised a meeting of editors of various media organisations in Kathmandu to discuss ways to counter threats to press freedom.

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)- a New York-based non-profit organisation that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide - has said it is alarmed by the increasing violence against journalists by Maoist rebels in Nepal including the murder of journalist Thapa and the subsequent death threats made against at least nine other rural reporters earlier this week.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, CPJ said it was investigating whether Thapa's murder was related to his work as a journalist.

The Maoist leadership is yet to respond to widespread concerns over their sustained assault on the Nepalese press. nepalnews.com by Aug 19 04

NC protests price hike in capital

The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC) and its youth organizations Thursday took out a protest rally in the capital against the recent hike in the petroleum products.

Hundreds of protesters including senior leaders of the NC raised black flags and marched along the thoroughfares in the capital demanding withdrawal of price hike in petroleum products. 

Talking to Nepalnews, NC spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC said, “If the government ignores our demands, the price hike protests will take a multi-party shape.” KC further said that the hike in the petroleum products has deepened the trouble of the people reeling under economic recession. 

He further added that protests against ‘regression’ would soon begin. “The four agitating parties would sit for a high-level meeting and prepare a schedule for a decisive round of protests,” he said.

‘Withdraw the price hike’ and ‘down with autocracy, long live democracy’ were some of the slogans chanted by the protesters of the opposition party as they marched along the busy market hub in the capital.

Leaders like Ramchandra Poudel, Arjun Narsingh KC, KP Sitaula, Mahanta Thakur among others took part in the protests. The protests had also interrupted vehicular traffic in the Ratna Park area.

The government increased the prices of the petroleum products from 12th August citing increase in price of petroleum products in the international market. nepalnews.com pd Aug 19 04 

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