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Three killed in Maoist-police shootout

Kathmandu, 7 February: Three days after the failed assassination attempt on Chief Jusice Keshab Prasad Upadhaya, two Maoists and a policeman were killed Tuesday in a shootout in Surkhet. The rebels were killed during an intensified search operation in the district.

Police also exchanged gunfire with rebels in another incident at Borlang village in neighbouring Gorkha district. No casualties have been reported in that incident but a policeman was injured in an ambush laid by rebels in another village of the same district. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Kathmandu, 7 February: Two members of the newly appointed 37-member Council of Ministers have withdrawn their names just hours after Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala announced the new list. In a press statement released Wednesday, Khum Bahadur Khadka, who was appointed Minister for Physical Planning and Works, and Palten Gurung, appointed Minister of Labour and Transport Management, have declined to take part in the oath taking ceremony.

The two accused Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of making a one sided decision without consulting other senior leaders like Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. "This was a one-sided decision and is against party unity and policy," they said in a press release. However, they hastened to add at the end of the release that, "the Nepali Congress party will remain in power for its full term".
Nepalnews.com/at

Kathmandu, 7 February: Hotel workers have threatened to resume their strike from 12 February to force the government to impose a 10 percent service charge. Two separate unions submitted memorandums to Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel Tuesday demanding the imposition of a service charge.

A committee headed by vice chairman of the National Planning Commission Prithvi Ligal is studying the issue. The committee was formed in December after the government agreed to consider the demands of hotel workers. Hoteliers say the tax will adversely affect the industry while workers claim the tax will increase government revenue and encourage transparency.

Nepalnews.com/br/at

Cabinet reshuffle

Kathmandu, 7 February: The Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been reshuffled today. The new 37-member Council has 18 Ministers, 14 Ministers of State and 5 Assistant Ministers. According to a press release of the Principal Press Secretary at the Royal Palace, the King approved the new Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and allocated portfolios.

The new Council of Ministers and portfolios:

Ministers of State

Assistant Ministers

Nepalnews.com/yl/at

Philanthropist Kansakar passes away

Kathmandu, 5 February: Famed philanthropist Daya Bir Singh Kansakar passed away at 90, Monday evening at his own residence. Kansakar, a pioneer in social service activities in Nepal was suffering from paralysis for the last five years. 

He helped found Paropakar Sanstha, the first charity organization for orphans and the poor in Nepal. Kansakar has five sons and two daughters. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

Surya Khanal wins Mercantile-CAN InfoTech Lucky Draw

Kathmandu, Feb 5: Surya Khanal of Chabhil with coupon No 105 won the Hero Honda CBZ motorbike when he was declared winner of Mercantile-CAN InfoTech Lucky Draw Award
Monday.

The winner was declared at the presence of CAN members and office bearers. CEO of Mercantile Communications Sanjib Rajbhandari and CAN general Secretary Rajib Subba jointly announced the winner by drawing from a lot.

Mercantile Communications had announced to give a Hero Honda CBZ motorbike to one of its costomers that purchased services and goods worth Rs. 5000 from Mercantile Communications in CAN InfoTech 2001 that was held from January 25-29. The Lucky Draw contest was further extended till February 4.

CAN InfoTech is the exhibition of information technology, which is held every year. There were more than 50 persons who bought the services and goods of Mercantile worth over 5000 rupees from January 25 to February 4, 2001, said Madhu Amatya of Mercantile Communications.

The customers who bought the services or goods worth over 5000 rupees from any stalls of the Mercantile Communications in CAN InfoTech 2001 were given a coupon from which the winner was chosen. However, staff of Mercantile Communications and their immediate family members were barred from the contest.

This is the first time that Mercantile Communications, the pioneer in information technology in Nepal, has started the practice of awarding its customers.Nepalnews.com/yl 

Six tons of relief material sent to Bhuj

Kathmandu, 5 February: Nepalis businesses and industries dispatched a six-ton consignment of relief materials for earthquake victims in Bhuj Monday. The government also donated Rs10 million as relief assistance besides sending a team of nine doctors to Gujarat to treat survivors.

Fresh reports from the region say nine Nepalis have been identified among the dead so far. Some Nepalis survivors have returned home but the exact number of Nepalis killed in the quake will never be known due to the absence of an exact record of how many are actually working in India or neighbouring Pakistan.Nepalnews.com/br/at

Nepal, Israel celebrate 40th year of diplomatic ties

Kathmandu, 5 February: The 40th year of diplomatic ties between Israel and Nepal, established by BP Koirala the first elected prime minister of Nepal, was celebrated Monday.  At a ceremony to mark the occasion Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said the decision was a historic one despite the scepticism of neighbouring countries. The premier also asked Israel to increase investments in Nepal.

Appreciating Nepal for extending her friendship 40 years ago the Israeli Ambassador to Nepal His Excellency Abraham Nir said; We had relations with only 40 countries when Nepal disregarded her neighbours and other members of the non-alignment and established ties with us. Nepal's neighbours India and China followed only nine years ago.

Successive governments and His Majesty have continued this friendship. We appreciate the effort and will remember it. Israel upgraded the status of its embassy in Nepal this year to ambassadorial level after downgrading it two years ago.Nepalnews.com/br/at

Opposition demands PM’s resignation

Kathmandu, 5 February: The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, National People’s Front, United People’s Front and Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party, have jointly submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding his resignation. 

The opposition parties in Parliament accused Koirala of failing to maintain law and order, control corruption, respect the Parliament and solve other pressing problems. Leader of the opposition Madhav Kumar Nepal, RPP president Surya Bahadur Thapa, Narayanman Bijukchhe, Lila Mani Pokhrel and Dila Ram Acharya were in the procession that started from Sundhara and went to Singha Darbar to submit the memorandum. The premier personally received the memorandum. After submitting the memorandum, Madhav Nepal told reporters that Koirala said he would “think it over”. 

The opposition has warned that if the Prime Minister does not step down voluntarily, they would be forced to launch a joint campaign in the forthcoming session of Parliament beginning Thursday. Koirala has however publicly announced that he will not step down under opposition pressure.
Nepalnews.com/yl/br/at

Memorandum Demanding PM Koirala’s Resignation Submitted

Kathmandu, Feb.5 : Representatives of five opposition parties in parliament marched to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s office Monday and submitted a memorandum demanding his resignation ahead of the winter session of the House of Representatives beginning Thursday. 

Koirala personally received the memorandum from opposition leaders including Madav Nepal , leader of the main opposition, and Surya Bahadur Thapa, chief of the Rashtriya Prajatantra party, the second largest party in parliament.

Nepal Sadbavana party abstained. The opposition parties have leveled four main charges including failure to maintain law and order and curb official corruption, opposition sources said. The opposition leaders went to the Singha Durbar leading a procession through the city starting from Sundhara. 

Opposition leaders quoted Koirala as saying he will study the demands while accepting the memorandum. Nepalnews.com br

Nepal, Japan to review economic ties

Kathmandu, 5 February: Nepal and Japan will review bilateral economic ties for the first time since 1997, the Japanese Embassy said. An aid policy consultation mission led by Motokatsu Watanabe, Senior Assistant for Economic Co-operation in the Foreign Ministry, arrived Friday to participate in the talks scheduled for 5-6 February. The meeting will review, explore and identify ways to direct Japanese assistance to Nepal. 

Japan has invested approximately $2 billion in Nepal from 1969 to 1998, making it the biggest donor here. The meeting follows the historic visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to Nepal last year, and the meeting of the Nepal Development Forum in Paris in April last after years of procrastination.  Nepalnews.com/br/at

Nepal, China consultation meet continues

Kathmandu, 5 February:  Nepal and China continued bilateral consultations for the second day Monday, a Foreign Ministry source said. Foreign Secretary Narayan Shumshere Thapa and Assistant Foreign Minister Wang Yi are discussing exchange of visits by senior leaders, economic co-operation and bilateral, regional and international relations. This is the third consultative meting between the Nepali and Chinese foreign ministries after a consultation mechanism was established in 1996. 

The meeting comes ahead of the first visit to Nepal by Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian later this month, reports quoting an official Chinese source said. King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya will also pay an official visit to China on 26 February. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Chief Justice unperturbed

Kathmandu, 5 February: Chief Justice Keshab Prasad Upadhyaya said he was not disturbed by the Maoist attempt to assassinate him Saturday in Surkhet in west Nepal. “I am not perturbed by the attack but saddened by the loss of lives of five policemen and a colleague. I am a servant of the nation and such incidents will occur in the course of duty,” Upadhyaya told reporters in Butwal Sunday, en route to the capital from west Nepal. 

Meanwhile various political parties, leaders and various organisations continued to flay the attack against the chief justice that killed six people. The Prime Minister condemned the attack, terming it as an attack against the institution of monarchy and democratic institutions. The opposition blamed the government for the attack. “The attack is a testimony to the present government’s failure to protect life and property and the government should take moral responsibility,” said the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). 

The Nepal Bar Association called for solidarity and asked the government to improve the law and order situation to safeguard the people's right to live in peace. Nepalnews.com/br/at

CJ was not targeted: Maoists

Kathmandu, 6 February:Maoists said they were surprised that Chief Justice Keshab Prasad Upadhyaya was part of the convoy attacked by rebels in Surkhet and that they had no intention of targeting a judicial official. Upadhyaya returned to the capital Monday night after surviving an assassination attempt that killed six persons Saturday in west Nepal.

An official statement issued by the chief of the western bureau of the insurgency, Comrade Divakar, said: “We are surprised that the Chief Justice was also involved in the operation.” The statement also said the rebels have no plans to target judicial officials and that the Surkhet attack was targeted at police and activists of the ruling Nepali Congress party. The statement issued three days after the incident said the rebels would make public the findings of their internal investigation.

Leader of the opposition in Parliament, Madav Kumar Nepal, Speaker of Parliament Taranath Ranabhat, Inspector General of Police Pradip Rana and other senior officials greeted the Chief Justice on arrival at the domestic airport in Kathmandu. Nepalnews.com/br/at