Date for royal visit had not been finalized: Officials

Officials at Shital Niwas have told Nepalnews that dates for visit of His Majesty King Gyanendra to India had not been finalized.

A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that he did not have any information regarding the proposed visit.

A source at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu said that there was no question of postponement of the royal visit to Delhi as it had never been decided.

Earlier, some newspaper reports in Kathmandu had said that His Majesty would leave for Delhi on Thursday (Sep. 30).

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had visited New Delhi early this month. He had held discussions with top Indian leaders including Indian premier, Dr. Man Mohan Singh, on a number of issues including Maoist insurgency.

Indian officials have said the insurgency is a common security threat to both the countries. nepalnews.com by Sep 29 04

Related News
- King Gyanendra to visit Delhi later this month

"Bilateral relations are not dependent on quid pro quo:" Indian embassy

A senior official at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu has said bilateral relations between Nepal and India are not dependent on quid pro quo.

When asked about a news report in a Kathmandu weekly that claimed that India had raised some complex issues related to water resources with Nepal in exchange for its support to the (Nepal) government to fight Maoist insurgency, First Secretary (Press and Information) at the Indian embassy, Sanjay Verma, told Nepalnews that definitely nothing like that had been suggested in the senior technical level meeting between water resources officials of the two countries."

The official level meeting is to conclude in the Nepali capital Wednesday.

Jana Aastha weekly reported today that India had raised issues related to water resources through Royal Nepalese embassy in New Delhi on the eve of the proposed royal visit to India.

"The news report is totally baseless," said Verma.

The weekly also claimed that royal palace was unhappy with the Royal Nepalese ambassador in New Delhi, Karna Dhoj Adhikary, for failing to deal diplomatically on the 'issues raised by India.'

Nepali officials are yet to comment on the said news report. nepalnews.com by Sep 29 04

Three feared 'disappeared' after release from prison 

Three persons, including two teenager boys, who were rearrested by security personnel, after the court ordered their release saying they had been detained illegally, are feared to have been disappeared in Banke district, Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said. 

According to the AHRC, Govinda Damai, Jimdar Kewat and his father Keshu Ram Kewat were taken away by a group of security personnel after the Nepalgunj Appellate Court ordered their release on 26 and 19 September respectively. Govinda and Jimdar are teenager boys.

Their whereabouts are not known, it is said. Meanwhile, the police office in Banke has said it is not aware of their detention. nepalnews.com pd Sep 29 04

Bodies of five security men recovered

The bodies of five security personnel have been recovered from Fewa Lake on Wednesday morning. Six security personnel had gone missing since Saturday after the boat they were on capsized in the lake.

According to reports, four divers from Chitwan have been deployed in searching for the missing security men since Sunday.

The divers are searching for the body of one security man who is still missing, reports added. nepalnews.com pd sep 29 04 

Related News
- Search for missing security men underway
- Six security personnel missing in Pokhara

Cultural program held in South Korea

A cultural program 'Samannaya Saugat 2061 BS' was held on September 27 at the Concert Hall of the Catholic University at Pucheon city on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the Nepalese Consulting committee (NCC).

Six artists from Nepal, Madan Krishna Shrestha, Haribansha Acharya, Dilip Rayamajhi, Anil Singh, Narendra Kansakar and Sudha Gurung performed in the program. A few local artists also performed dances and songs. 

NCC established on 1993 in Korea to solve problems of Nepalese migrant workers in Korea. NCC has a parallel organization in Nepal called the Nepal Korea Concern Center (NKCC). nepalnews.com dr Sep 29 04

China denies death sentence to Nepali Maoists

China on Tuesday denied reports that two Nepali Maoists facing charges for smuggling arms had been sentenced to death, agency reports said.

"As far as I know, this case is still being heard. China's judicial court will strictly and in accordance with regulations in the criminal law, hand down a fair decision," AFP quoted spokesperson of Chinese foreign ministry, Kong Quan, as saying.

Hira Lal Shrestha and Gyaljen Sherpa were arrested in October 2003 in a Tibetan village and were charged for smuggling of arms.

In a press statement issued Thursday, Maoists had said Shrestha and Sherpa were their cadres from Sindhupalchowk district but denied that they were involved in smuggling of arms. nepalnews.com pd Sep 29

Related News
- ‘Two Nepalis waiting death penalty in Tibet are Maoists’

Pooja offered at 'Dolakha Bhimsen' temple

Clemency pooja has been offered on behalf of the royal palace to Bhimsen, a Hindu deity, at the famous Bhimsen temple in Dolakha municipality Tuesday, reports said.

Bhimsen is the second among five Pandavas, according to Hindu epic Mahabharata. The offerings included bells and jalhari, sent by the royal palace from Kathmandu in a helicopter, a priest at the temple said.

According to popular myth, some national disaster hits the country within six months if the idol of Bhimsen perspires. There is a tradition of the Nepalese royal palace offering clemency pooja at the temple whenever there are reports of such perspiration in order to avoid `bad luck' to the country, people and royal family members. nepalnews.com pd Sep 29 04

Spanish held with hashish in TIA

Police have taken into custody, a Spanish national, Mayor Seldeveyar, with two grams of hashish on Monday, while he was to board a Qatar Airways aeroplane on the way to Barcelona.

According to police, Mayor was arrested during security check at the Tribhuvan International Airport. He had concealed the hashish inside a bandage in his left leg. Police said further investigation is underway. nepalnews.com pd Sep 29

Life remains disrupted on the second day of `bandh'

Life remains disrupted in the eastern and central region of the country for the second day, Wednesday, following Maoists call for the shutdown strike. 

Schools, colleges, shops and private offices remain closed in the capital, Kathmandu, and the number of vehicles plying in the streets was well below average. Life in major towns in the eastern part of the country also remains affected due to the strike.

Amid early morning showers in Kathmandu, commuters were hurrying towards their offices. Cycles, a few motorcycles and public vehicles were also spotted with their number plates hidden. Government-owned Sajha buses were plying on the streets. Shuttle buses are providing services for tourists to different parts of the city in the capital.

No incidents was reported in the two regions until 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, police control told Nepalnews.

The rebels had called the strike in protest of killing of their half a dozen comrades including two central committee members in eastern district of Siraha early this month by the army 'after taking them into custody.'

The Royal Nepalese Army has, however, said they were killed during encounters. nepalnews.com by/pd Sep 29 04

Related News
- Maoist leaders were killed in encounters: RNA

Maoist attack on vehicles carrying foreign delegates condemned

Political leaders and civil society activists have condemned Maoist act of setting on fire two vehicles hired by international delegates and journalists taking part in the Asian People's March 2004.

A senior UML leader and chairman of the All Nepal Peasants Association, Bamdev Gautam, chairperson of UML-affiliated All Nepa  Women's Association, Mrs Bidya Bhandari, and convener of South Asian Forum for Poverty Alleviation, Dr Arjun Karki, have condemned the Maoist act saying that Maoists have made a great mistake by targeting Nepal's foreign friends.

"This act has given a bad name to the entire country and Maoists should beg apology for it," said Gautam.

Rajdhani daily quoted 68-year-old farmer from Rajasthan state of India, Moti Singh Rathour, as saying that he had never thought that Nepali Maoists would be so rude. Another member in the people's march, Nijamuddin Baghban, said some one dozen armed people asked us to get out of our vehicles and set fire on them by spraying petrol. "We even did not have time to take out our belongings from the vehicles," he said.

The caravan remained stranded at Jugekhole of Dhading district throughout the night. Security personnel later escorted the group of 22 Indian nationals including four journalists, a Philippine national and three Nepalis to Kathmandu on Tuesday.

The organizer of the Food Sovereignty Caravan program have, however, said their programme would continue in Kathmandu on Sep. 29 and 30. The program, that includes delegates from 13 Asian countries, marks the conclusion of the international farmers' march, which had kicked off from Malaysia on September 1.

The rebels had torched at least nine vehicles in different parts of the country on the eve of their 48-hour strike Monday night. nepalnews.com by Sep 29 04

Related News
- Over half a dozen vehicles set on fire, life remains disrupted due to 'bandh'