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King Gyanendra receives Bhaitika from his sister Shobha Shahi |
ON THE OCCASION OF BHAITIKA FESTIVAL on Tuesday (October 23), King Gyanendra received Bhaitika from his younger sister Shobha Shahi. King Gyanendra went to the residence of his sister at Shobha Griha in Kamaladi to receive auspicious Bhaitika at 11:25 am. Likewise, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala also received Bhaitika from his elder sisters Indira Acharya at Chabahil and Nalini Upadhyaya at Biratnagar. Bhaitika marks the end of five-day Tihar festival. On this day, brothers receive Tika from sisters. They pray for each other’s long life and happiness.
NEPAL ’S HOPES OF BECOMING A TEMPORARY MEMBER of UN Security Council for the third time have been quashed. On Monday (October 16) night, it lost to Indonesia in the race for the temporary membership for the year 2007/08. At the voting carried out late Monday in New York , Nepal only got 28 votes against 158 votes in favor of Indonesia . Any nation that seeks to become a temporary member of UNSC would require to bag two-third votes of 192-member strong UN general assembly. Nepal had been elected as temporary member of UNSC twice in the past – once in 1968 and second time in 1988/89. Meanwhile, South Africa , Indonesia , Belgium and Italy have been elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for a two-year term beginning January next year, according to media reports.
THE NEPAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY (NEA) does not appear confident about its ability to avert the crippling hours of load shedding in the coming winter months. The chief of the state-owned electricity monopoly has revealed that it may not be possible to import power from India this winter season. Arjun Bahadur Karki, Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has said that because of delay in the construction of sub-station in the Indian side, the power import may not be possible. The NEA has already said that during forthcoming winter season it will suffer from big shortfall in power and, thus, will be compelled to impose crippling hours of load-shedding. “We have already requested Indian Embassy to expedite the construction of the sub-station. However, if the current pace of construction continues, it would not be ready for the winter months,” Karki said. The NEA has already signed an agreement with India ’s Power Trading Corporation (PTC) to import 50 MW of power during the winter months. That power would have been used to fulfill domestic demand and to do away with load-shedding. During winter months, almost all of the hydro projects in the country run in very low capacity since they are of the run-of-the-river type. In winter, rivers run dry affecting their capacity.
BHUTAN HAS REQUESTED TO DEFER the bilateral ministerial meeting with Nepal
that was scheduled for November 12-13. " Bhutan 's Prime Minister called me to request for the deferment," said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister KP Oli. "He said that since November 11 is the birthday of Bhutanese King, he will have busy schedule at that time." Oli said that the Bhutanese PM also requested to hold the meeting in Thimpu instead of Kathmandu . Oli had written a letter a week ago officially requesting for holding the meeting on November 12-13 in Kathmandu . Although no new date for the meeting has been set, DPM Oli hoped it would be held sometime on November 18-19. Meanwhile, reports say DPM Oli is scheduled to pay a five-day visit to New Delhi beginning November 5.
THE SUPREME COURT (SC) has overturned the decision of the government to retire Major General Pradip Pratap Bam Malla. The special bench of the apex court comprising judges Sharada Shrestha, Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and Tahir Ali Ansari has decided that the government's decision was illegal. It has ordered the Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet and the Ministry of Defense to reinstate General Malla. General Malla is one of the senior-most officers of Nepalese Army and is in line to become the next chief of the army staff after the current chief retires.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAS allocated 28 million Euros for drought victims in western Nepal . The funds are channeled through the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department, a statement issued by the EC office in Kathmandu said. Food and nutritional support will be provided to people in the western region, it said. Lowest rainfall recorded in the history of Nepal last year had an adverse effect on winter crop production, which in turn resulted in acute food shortage, particularly in the western region. “This decision targets more than 120,000 people living in the remote mountainous districts of western Nepal .”
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF JOB ASPIRANTS leaving the country for employment abroad went up by 14.67 percent in the first quarter. Latest report of Department of Labor and Employment Promotion shows that a total of 44,881 workers left the country for various labor destinations around the world in first three months of the current fiscal year. A total of 39,136 workers had left the country in the similar period last year. However, the number of people leaving the country in the month of Asoj (September 17 to October 17) fell by 8.66 percent compared to same period last year. The number of outgoing workers stood at 10,571 in that month, compared to a monthly average of around 15,000. According to the report, of total workers, 46.7 percent opted to go for Malaysia , 21.9 percent chose Qatar and 16.5 percent accepted employment in Saudi Arabia .
