HM greets UAE president

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KATHMANDU, Dec. 2: His Majesty the King has extended cordial felicitations to Sheikh Zayid Bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, on the occasion of the National Day of the United Arab Emirates.

In a message, His Majesty has expressed best wishes for the president's personal health and happiness and for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of the United Arab Emirates.

His Majesty also expressed confidence that the friendly relations between the two countries will grow from strength to strength in the years to come.

AIDS-affected people can contribute to nation: PM

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KATHMANDU, Dec l: AIDS Days was observed in Nepal also today with various awareness generating programmes around the theme "Live and Let Live".

Addressing a public function held at Tundikhel Open Air Theatre to mark the occasion, Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said any discrimination shown towards people infected with the AIDS virus could be counter-productive for society, and that is why everyone should show humanitarian concern for such people and should have a cooperative approach towards them.

He said if AIDS affected people are shown love and goodwill by all they can make a good contribution to social and economic development.

Also addressing the function, Health Minister Dr. Upendra Devkota said instead of feeling dispair over HIV/AIDS we should learnt to be cautious, and called on everyone to play a coordinated role in the effort to dealing with this grave challenge.

HIV-positive Anjan Amatya said those suffering from this malady should be given opportunities for skill development and employment along with affection and goodwill.

At the function the Prime Minister gave away prizes to winners of national and regional level essay and song contests on the HIV/AIDS theme.

Meanwhile in Charikot, Nepal Red Cross Society district branch Dolakha held a rally today to mark the World AIDS Day today.

The rally which was organised to generate awareness about HIV/AIDS went round the city with various placards to inform the people about the menace of the HIV/AIDS.

Representatives of political parties, teachers, journalists, students, representatives of various organisations, women, social workers, businessmen and intellectuals participated in the rally.

Similarly, in Mahottari, Nepal Red-Cross Society, Mahattori organised a rally today to mark the World HIV/AIDS Day.

The rally shouting different slogans pertaining HIV/AIDS went round different parts of the municipality.
The rally was participated in by representatives of Red-Cross and other organisations, school teachers and students, office workers and local public.

Based on the blood check-up some 16 persons in Mahottari district have been diagnosed as HIV-positive, Mahottari Red-Cross has said.

CJ for laws to check terrorism, cyber crimes

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DHULIKHEL, Dec. 1: Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyay initiated a l0-day workshop organised by the Supreme Court in association with UNDP at Dhulikhel today with an objective of providing information about criminal justice.

The workshop was attended by 22 district judges of Nepal.

Speaking on the occasion, Upadhyay said there should be successful implementation to make the administration of criminal justice efficient as per the concept of International Human Rights.

New crimes including terrorism, gender crimes, delinquencies and cyber terrors have emerged lately, he said adding that there is a need to formulate new rules and laws.

Upadhyay said we should be aware on the evils and aberrations created in science and technology, adding that criminal justice should be made human rights and people-oriented.

Manager of Gender Equality Mainstreaming and Supreme Court Registrar Indu Pant Ghimire regretted that no laws have been formulated on women's equality and gender discrimination so far.

At the function presided over by Supreme Court Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyay, registrar of the Supreme Court Sri Prasad Pandit and other speakers also expressed their views.

Chief of the Law Faculty of Delhi University BB Pandey and Dean P.N Singh will impart training at the l0-day workshop.

Good governance major concern of govt: Thapa

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KATHMANDU, Dec 1: Home Minister Dharma Bahadur Thapa has said the fundamental concern in Nepal at present is good governance.

Stating that the ruling system of Nepal reached this irresponsible state due to corruption, non-transparency and an undisciplined working style so rampant in the past 12 years, he said the same vicious circle of corrupt and non-transparent working style has resulted in bad governance in the country.

Minister Thapa said the challenging task before the present government is to make Nepal's administrative machinery, ruined by corrupt leaders, more responsible towards the state and the people.

He said good governance is the mandate this government has and it has a responsibility to strengthen democracy by driving away evil, corruption and the bad governance of the past 12 years.

Minister Thapa, who was addressing a function organised to launch the book "Sushasan Ra Bartaman Shatabdika Sandarbhik Ayamharu" (or good governance and relevant dimensions of the present century) written by Laxmi Prasad Poudel, he said leaders of the political parties with their inability and passivity cannot be stake holders in democracy.

He said a strong body is urgently needed to ensure that the fundamentals of democratic institutions and the laws of the state are followed in order to deliver good governance.

Minister Thapa said the campaigns and activities of the political parties which call themselves responsible are irresponsible and indecent at a time when everyone who is worried about the country, people and democracy needs to extend help from their respective fields.

NPC member Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada said the country is in a complex and critical situation due to the inefficiency of political parties who were in power for the past 12 years after restoration of democracy.

Public Service Commission (PSC) member Dr. Bhimdev Bhatta said Nepal's administration was used by the past rulers for their personal interests instead of making them responsible to the state and the people.

At least 12 rebels killed in encounters

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Dec. 1: At least 12 terrorists were shot dead in encounters with the security forces in Ilam, Lamjung, Bajura and Kailali districts on Friday and Saturday, a Defence Ministry statement said today.

Various types of guns, pistols, magazines of automatic weapons, .303 rifles bullets, plastic grenades, socket bombs, improvised mines, camera reels and terrorist documents from the encounter sites, it said.

More homework in service sector must for WTO entry

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Dec 1: Traders and industrialists have demanded the protection of national interest at a time when His Majesty's Government is preparing for the third round of negotiations to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Before agreeing to open the service sector, the government should try to assure the market for the Nepalese. On top of that, the government should give special attention to preserving the Nepalese culture, tradition and originality, they said.

At a programme organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), with the assistance of the UNDP Nepal Accession to WTO Programme, industrialists and traders emphasised the need for identifying the areas of comparative benefit.

Before entering into any formal agreement, the government should do adequate homework in the banking, finance, construction, aviation and service sectors. The government should decide on the amount of leeway to be given in those sectors, they said.

Before opening the service sector for foreign investment, the government should evaluate the areas in which Nepal can reap more benefit, they added Traders and industrialists also pointed out the need for opening the Nepalese market particularly in the areas of maintenance of aircraft, expansion and construction of airports, reservation of aircraft, insurance and banking.

Second vice-president and spokesman of the FNCCI, Rajendra Kumar Khetan pointed out the need to be aware of protecting the national interests. "The government should be aware of the issues relating to the protection of employment."

Chief of the UNDP Nepal Accession to WTO programme, Dr. Posh Raj Pandey said that the government policies relating to WTO should be transparent and pragmatic. While opening the service sector for foreign investment the government should accord priority to technology transfer. "We should focus our attention in the areas of banking, finance, tourism, health and construction in which Nepal can take more benefit," Dr. Pandey added.

While opening the market in the areas of education, the government should be aware of adverse impact in the job market, they said.

S&T govt's priority to reduce poverty

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KATHMANDU, Dec. 1: Minister for Science and Technology and Health Dr. Upendra Devkota has said that the present government has given high priority to poverty alleviation through science and technology.

Inaugurating the second International Conference on 'Information-Technology (I-T), Communications and Development' organised by the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) here.

today, Minister Devkota said the country was confronted with the present situation because we failed to make rapid progress in science and technology and the economic realm in the last 12 years.
He said construction of an I-T park has been in full swing after the adoption of the I-T policy and the government was eager to move ahead with the private sector in this connection.

President of CAN Lochan Lal Amatya said in a country like ours it is necessary to develop I-T for long-term national development.

On the occasion, professor from Hong Kong Roger Harris highlighted the importance of information technology in a nation's development.

Some 100 I-T experts from 20 countries are taking part in the conference that will last for three days.

Govt to make economy dynamic

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KATHMANDU, Dec. 1: Minister for Finance Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha has said that the notion of HMG and the non-governmental sectors looking to one another should be given up to forge a partnership for the development of the country.

He was speaking at a reception cum discussion programme hosted by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) here today.

Referring to maintaining financial balance as the greatest challenge of the present government, he said unnecessary expenditures had been curtailed and the declining credibility among donor countries restored to maintain balance between expenditures and revenue.

He said though the economy of the country was static, the government had already fixed priorities to make it dynamic.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Mahesh Lal Pradhan said that the government had introduced the economic reforms package not for the sake of cheap popularity but under compulsion to rectify the distortion and aberrations seen in the economic sector and expressed his commitment to implement it sincerely.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma laid emphasis on the need for businessmen to conduct their businesses on the basis of self-discipline and expressed commitment to deal with an iron hand against those indulging in corruption and unethical activities.

Assistant Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ravi Bhakta Shrestha reiterated the commitment of the government to extending full cooperation to those conducting healthy business and said that necessary cooperation was expected from the non-governmental organisations as well.
FNCCI acting president Binod Bahadur Shrestha presided over the programme.