BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

FLOODS CAUSED BY INCESSANT rains over the past few days have continued to wreak havoc in eastern Nepal. According to Police reports, more than 150 houses have been severely damaged in Jhapa district alone. Further 385 houses were underwater in Jhapa and Morang districts. Large segment of agricultural land has also been inundated by the floodwaters. In Morang district, floods have badly affected transport and communications as well as caused damaged to property and crops.

A NEPALI WOMAN, WHO HAD gone to South Korea in search of a better future, has returned home with harrowing tales. A resident of beautiful village of Ghandruk in Kaski district in western Nepal, Chandra Kumari Gurung told reporters here on Sunday, she was put in a mental institution for not being able to pay 30,000 Won. She said that as she could not speak Korean or English, she could not put her case to the Korean authorities. K. P. Sitaula, Secretary of Nepali Concern Center in Korea said Gurung was located through doctors she had come in touch with. He said a case is going on in Korea against the Korean police and the mental hospital.

THE SPECIAL ELECTION COURT of Ilam has postponed the recounting of votes from Jhapa-4 constituency in eastern Nepal for an indefinite period. Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola represents the constituency. Judge Ramesh Jha postponed the recounting on Sunday citing a writ filed in the Supreme Court by Bastola's lawyers challenging the court's jurisdiction over the matter. Judge Jha said recounting would not begin until the Supreme Court clears the matter. Bastola was elected from Jhapa-4 constituency in the general elections last year by a margin of 26 votes over his rival, UML's Yukta Bhetwal. Earlier, the special election court of Lalitpur declared RPP's Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani elected by one vote after recounting last month.

THE REMOTE NORTHERN DISTRICT of Mugu is suffering from acute shortage of food supply for the last four months. Chairman of Pina VDC, Takka Bahadur Malla, said nearly 165 families from the district have left the villages for India in order to meet their basic needs. There was no good harvest of millet, wheat and maize last year due to drought resulting into famine. The state owned Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) has almost finished distributing its total quota of more than 5000 quintals in the district and now has only 200 quintals in its stock, said Jay Raj Ojha, chief of the NFC branch in the district. Chief District Officer Laxmi Sharan Ghimire said they had slowed down coupon distribution, as the stock was limited.

THE GOVERNMENT has signed a memorandum of understanding with two private companies jointly to develop housing area and construct buildings for the parliamentarians under BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has signed the MOU with Shraddha Shree Trading International Pvt. Ltd. and Sunita Shrestha and Company Pvt. Ltd., the Ministry said. The private sector companies, said to be associated with the Sahara Petroleum Group in London, will invest up to Rs 900 million at current prices to develop the housing area sprawled at 123 ropanis of land at Bhaisepati in Lalitpur district. The primary proposal has said that the investment could be paid back over a period of 31 years including two-year grace period. The private companies have said they will hand over the housing complex to the government within two years of formal agreement.

TWO SUSPECTED MAOIST REBELS, both women, died in an encounter with Police in western district of Gorkha Thursday night, reports said. According to Friday's APARANHA daily, an eveninger, the encounter took place at Ghyampesal, nearly four hours away from the district headquarter Gorkha bazar. A policeman got injured in the incident. Police said they have recovered some explosives and secret documents from the site of encounter. Gorkha is one of the highly affected district from Maoist activities.

Singapore Airlines and 12 other major airlines have announced the creation of the airline industry's largest business to business e commerce exchange. The exchange, to be officially launched in the next few months as Aeroexchange, will offer the most comprehensive selection of aircraft technical parts and services as well as general business supplies, to airlines on the web. Oracle Corporation of USA will become the exchange's technology provider. The participant airlines of the exchange include Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, American West Cathay Pacific Airways, FedEx Express, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. With founding member airlines in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe representing passenger and cargo operations, the new exchange is global in scope. It is estimated that the exchange will handle more than USD 45 billion annually of the 13 airlines' current purchase of goods and services, excluding aircraft and fuel. Initial development will center on electronic procurement capabilities to lower the total cost of ownership throughout the supply chain and create significant value for all participants. Later development stages will involve supply chain management features such as production planning. Airframe, avionics and engine components and maintenance services along with a wide range of general goods and services, will be bought and sold through the exchange. All airlines, and other industry-related companies and their suppliers will be invited to use the services of the exchange.

The Great Siddhartha School recently organized a program to award its best students. During the program organized July 29, the top three students of the school Sanjeev Pudasaini, Kamala Lama and Rmita Gurung were awarded certificates of scholarships. The program was participated by the members of the schools' management as well as the advisory committee. Founder Principal Baburam KC spoke about the importance of education during the program.