Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King Gyanendra, Queen Komal, Queen Mother Ratna and Crown Prince Paras along with other Royal family members attending a tea party reception organized at the Royal Palace on the occasion of the auspicious naming ceremony of Nava Yuvaraj.

THE AUSPICIOUS NAMING ceremony of His Royal Highness the Navayuvaraj was solemnized at Narayanhiti Royal Palace in accordance with Hindu Vedic rites. HRH Navayuvaraj is to be known as Hridyayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, press secretariat of His Majesty the King said Friday. Meanwhile, a tea party was hosted at the Royal Palace on the occasion. Royal family members, diplomats and senior government officials and other distinguished personalities attended the reception.

AT LEAST 36 journalists were arrested on Friday (Aug. 9) in different parts of the country when they were protesting against the arrest and abduction of journalists nationwide. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) carried out a rally with burning lanterns, symbolically looking for justice in broad daylight. Around 250 journalists, including some human rights activists, writers and intellectuals, took part in the rally that started from Ratnapark in the capital. The FNJ later said that local administration detained 22 journalists who were taking part in the protest rally in Chitwan and released them after one and half hours. Their banners and lanterns also were confiscated. Sixteen more journalists were arrested in the eastern town of Itahari when they were meeting at the local FNJ branch office, after holding the protest rally. They were released after one hour, KANTIPUR daily reported Saturday. The FNJ has been launching a nationwide protest program for over last one month demanding constitution of a judicial commission to probe into cases of arrest, torture and alleged death of journalists since the imposition of state of emergency in late November last year.

NEPAL CHAMBER OF Commerce (NCC) has asked for amending the impeding factors in the recently renewed Nepal-India Trade Treaty to expedite business activities between the two countries. The anti-dumping duty, quality fixation, quarantine check, luxury and state taxes and special additional tax have posed problems in the implementation of the Nepal-India Treaty, the NCC said. The export of goods like copper products, acrylic yarn and zinc oxide from Nepal has come to a standstill due to imposition of anti-dumping duty by Indian side on them, the Chamber said. The Chamber demanded that these issues should be discussed during the upcoming Inter-governmental Committee (IGC) meeting between Nepalese and Indian officials that is to take place in New Delhi in mid-August.

PRIME MINISTER SHER Bahadur Deuba has sent a letter to President George W. Bush of the United States of America thanking him for his government's decision to extend 20 million US dollars worth assistance to Nepal in order to combat terrorism in the country. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Deuba also extended his gratitude to the US government for its consistent support and solidarity with Nepal in facing current difficulties and in consolidating the democratic polity in Nepal.

TENSION IN THE EASTERN town of Pashupatinagar in Ilam district eased Saturday after Nepalese and Indian officials agreed to hold dialogue to resolve the controversy related to border encroachment. The Indian side also admitted an act by an Indian security person as 'irresponsible,' a leading daily reported Sunday. According to the report, Indian security personnel had beat up two Nepalis whose houses were in the region that Indian officials have claimed to be theirs by placing one of the four new border pillars further to the Nepalis side. Border pillar number 71/22 has now located one Nepalis government office and six other houses belonging to Nepal on the Indian side. Nepalis youth immediately gathered at Pashupatinagar turning the situation tenser after an Indian Special Security Bureau, comprising of Assistant Commandant, came into Nepalis territory and slapped Ruben Sharma and Jarilal Tamang, threatening them of further severe action.

THE GOVT. HAS decided to allow foreign companies importing Nepali goods and services to open liaison offices within the country. Foreign companies importing Nepalese goods and services worth 500,000 USD or more will be eligible to open their contact offices here. The move is aimed at promoting export of Nepalese products, officials said. Necessary have been made at the department of commerce in this regard, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies said.