Kumari resumes audience to tourists 

Kumari, the Virgin Living Goddess who is worshipped by millions of Nepalis has once again started giving darshan or audience to foreigners after an 11-month hiatus at her abode-Kumari Ghar, Basantapur. 

Foreign tourists were restricted from seeing the Kumari following a dispute over allowances to be given to the Living Goddess from the fees raised from them.  

Nepali visitors go to the top floor of the Ghar to worship the Kumari. But foreigners are allowed only in the courtyard where they can have a glimpse of the Kumari as she looks out of her window. 

Foreigners can have a glimpse of the Kumari from 8 to 12 in the morning and from 4 to 7 in the evening everyday. But in the winter, it closes an hour early in the evening. 

As per the new agreement, any offering of gifts or money is purely voluntary. In the past, tourists were charged a certain amount. But taking photographs of the Kumari is prohibited. (press release of NTB) nepalnews.com dr Jan 03 04

Queen Komal's birthday panel formed

A 554-member National Civic Main Celebration Committee headed by Raj Parishad member Bhadra Kumari Ghale, has been constituted for celebrating the 54th birthday of Queen Komal at the people's level, RSS said Friday.

A variety of programs will be organised throughout the country from February 13 to 19, the agency said. The committee comprises industrialists, businessmen, social workers, politicians and journalists, according to the agency. nepalnews.com mr Jan 0 3 04

Japanese give donation

A group of Japanese tourists, consisting of schoolteachers, have donated Rs.11,700 along with stationary and textbooks, to the Prithvinarayan Secondary School located at Dhampus VDC in Kaski, published reports said Saturday.

The assistance will be given to orphan students and will be used in renovating the school building, according to the reports. nepalnews.com mr Jan 0 3 04

Nepali youth footballer in Bangladeshi top club

Bikash Malla, 18, a member of Nepal's U-19 national football team, has been signed by Mohammedan Sporting Club, Bangladesh's current league champion, for his brilliance as a goalkeeper, reports said Saturday.

Bikash is not the first Nepali signed by a Bangladeshi club but he is the youngest, the Kathmandu Post said about the 18-year old, who originally hails from Gorkha district.

According to reports, the Club has assigned Malla for two months on US $ 1000 salary per month.

"Money is nothing. I am happy that this opportunity will be a breakthrough in my career," Malla told journalists in Kathmandu three hours before his flight to Dhaka on Friday, according to published reports.

"Maybe they are impressed with me because of my performance in Dhaka recently," Malla said indicating towards Nepali U-19 team's superb victory over Bangladeshi counterparts. In the match, Malla had foiled at least half a dozen dangerous attempts of the opposition. 

Malla is a product of ANFA (All Nepal Football Association) Academy. The world football body, FIFA, funded the Academy. Malla was picked up to be a member of the Academy, from among other competitors, when he was 12. nepalnews.com mr Jan 0 3 04

Probe on Pokhrel's custody continuing: Thapa

Communications Minister Thapa said Friday the government's efforts to acquire additional information in connection with the CPN-UML leader Ishwor Pokhrel's custody in New Delhi is still continuing.

"The Royal Nepal Embassy in New Delhi had inquired about the matter as soon as information in that connection was received," Thapa said in a program Friday, according to RSS.

"The government has received information from the Indian side that India had only wanted to acquire information on suspicion that Pokhrel was meeting Maoists," Thapa said. 

On the burning of Indian Prime Minister's effigy in Kathmandu, Minister Thapa said it was a regrettable incident.

"I urge all to exercise restraint while making statements or utterances or carrying out activities concerning sensitive matters related to the foreign relations of the country," he said. nepalnews.com mr Jan 0 3 04

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SAFTA pact endorsed finally

A meeting of SAARC foreign ministers have reached an agreement on a landmark South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) pact to be signed at the seven-nation Summit beginning Sunday, agencies reported from Islamabad Friday.

"Member countries of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) have sorted out their differences over SAFTA and it will be signed during the Summit," the agency reports quoted Pakistan's foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, as saying.

Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives had reportedly raised serious objections to SAFTA, arguing that it was unfair to smaller, less developed countries, the the reports said.

Foreign secretaries of SAARC had failed to reach an agreement Thursday and referred it to their foreign ministers, according to the reports.

"The differences have been ironed out at the meeting of the Council of Ministers," Kasuri said.

After signing the SAFTA pact, SAARC countries would be in a better position to cooperate with each other, he said. "This would be a mile stone in the history of SAARC." nepalnews.com mr Jan 0 3 04

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Thapa says, he is still RPP general secretary

Responding to Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)'s action against him, Communications Minister Kamal Thapa said Friday he is still the general secretary of the party. 

"The RPP president has no right to take action against the party's general secretary," Thapa said in a statement. "Such an action will go against the party's statute." 

"In this backdrop, the party's action against me is against the party's statute and the decision cannot be implemented," he said. He further said he will "continue to serve the party and nation" as the RPP's general secretary. 

The RPP, in a letter sent to Thapa on Friday, said the party had expelled him from the party's general secretary's post. The letter had the signature of RPP president Pashupati Shumsher Rana. nepalnews.com mr Jan 0 3 04

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ANNFSU takes responsibility for effigy burning 

CPN-UML's student wing, ANNFSU has taken responsibility for the burning of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's effigy in Kathmandu on Thursday. 

In a statement issued by its president Rajendra Rai on Friday, the ANNFSU (All Nepal National Students' Union) said if no one else claims the responsibility for the incident, then the organization is ready to take the responsibility. 

"The effigies were burned during the protests. It is meaningless to ask who or which student organization burned the effigies," the statement quoted Rai, as saying. 

Rai further said the incident will not affect the unity of seven student organizations, which have been launching anti-King protests. 

In the mean time, Nepal Students' Union (NSU) and Nepal Students' Forum issued two separate statements and said they had no involvement in the effigies burning incident. 

NSU and NSF are student unions of Nepali Congress and Nepal Sadbhawana Party, two allies of the five parties' block. nepalnews.com mr Jan 02 04

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Govt. forms three advisory committees

The government has constituted three advisory committees, Communications Minister Kamal Thapa announced in a press meet on Friday. 

According to him, a 16-member committee has been formed under the coordination of Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani to suggest to the government on how to implement reservation plans for women, dalits and janjatis. 

Likewise, a 12-member committee has been formed under the coordination of Kamal Thapa, who is the minister for local development, to suggest solutions on local development issues. 

Similarly, another 5-member committee, under the coordination of former chief election commissioner, Surya Prasad Shrestha, has been constituted to suggest ways to bring reforms in the Commission. The committee has been given two months' period to submit its recommendations. 

The rest two committees have been given three months each for submitting their suggestions, according to Thapa. nepalnews.com mr Jan 02 04

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Maoists shoot constable, civilian 

Maoists Friday shot dead a traffic police constable and one more civilian in Jitpur, Bara, radio reports said. 

The dead were constable Dil Bahadur Gaira and civilian Kapil Dev Chaudhari, the reports said. Chaudhary was a worker at the local traffic police office. 

The assailants came in cycles and ran away after the incident, according to the reports. 

Meanwhile, reports from Sankhuasabha said a woman Maoist was shot dead in retaliatory action of security forces in the district on Friday morning. nepalnews.com mr Jan 02 04

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