Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King Gyanendra receiving credentials from ambassador of Islamic Republic of Pakistan

THE GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND has decided to contribute Swiss Francs 400,000 (approx. Rs 21.09 million) as an emergency assistance to meet the urgent needs of families affected by this year's floods and landslides. The assistance, to be channeled through the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC), will be made available to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS). The assistance will be used for the provision of family kits, food items, clean water and building materials; and to maintain the response capacity of the NRCS for disaster.

THE ELECTION COMMISSION has registered three more political parties on Thursday. The parties registered are Rastriya Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist reconstituted) and Nepal Sanatanbadi Party. The number of new political parties registered for the forthcoming mid-term elections has reached 23, the Election Commission said. Meanwhile, sources said that the EC was expected to deliver verdict on the legitimacy of the ruling Nepali Congress factions later Friday. The EC is looking into the issue for more than last three months.

AFTER MONTHS LONG gloom, there is some positive news for the Nepalese travel trade sector. Nepal Tourism Board said Monday that Indian tourist arrivals in Nepal by air has registered a record growth of 68 percent in August 2002 compared to the same period last year. A total of 6,318 Indian tourists visited Nepal last month. The strengthening of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) and SAARC ministerial meetings also helped to increase the number of arrivals including from Sri Lanka, said the Board. Similarly, the number of Chinese tourists went up by 23 percent last month while the overall arrival from the third countries (other than India) declined by 24 percent totalling 11,147, the Board said. At least one employee of the Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was injured when an improvised explosive went off at the KMC's office at Teku on September 4 (Wednesday). Police said the bomb went off at around 11:30 a.m. and that the device was left in the toilet at the ground floor of the building. The blast damaged the toilet and broke windowpanes in the building. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the explosion. In a separate incident, a group of Maoist insurgents exploded a pressure-cooker bomb at the house of former MP and president of premier Deuba-led Nepali Congress district unit in Sankhuwasabha, Tanka Prasad Rai, Monday night, reports said. Meanwhile, police said they have taken into custody so-called regional commander of the Maoist terrorist group, Chhetradhoj Lama, along with the jeep he was traveling in from Lagankhel of Lalitpur sub-metropolis Wednesday.

THE MARTYR GANGALAL national heart centre in the capital is extending state-of-the-art facilities to heart patients in the country at affordable prices, hospital authorities said. Talking to reporters here Thursday, executive director of the Centre, Dr. Bhagwan Koirala, said that the hospital was performing open and close heart surgery through indoscopy video x-ray technique, and also offering echo color dopplor, treadmill test, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring services. The center had provided treatment to about 17,000 patients through its out patient department and 2,000 patients through its internal department over the last one year of its operation. Dr. Koirala said that efforts were being made to expand the 60 bed hospital to 200 bed hospital in the next five years.

LEATHER EXPORTS FROM various customs in the eastern region has gone up by more than 15 million rupees in the year 2001-02 compared to the previous fiscal year. Four leather factories alone have exported more than 3.2 million square feet of processed and semi-processed leather worth more than 18 million rupees. Export of processed leather during the last fiscal year, however, has decreased compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the Biratnagar Customs Office. Chief of the Biratnagar Customs Office, Bir Bahadur, views the increment in the leather export as a positive sign though it is less than the government target for the year. Highest quantity of leather was exported to Italy whereas Germany and Korea counts lowest during the last fiscal year. Export to Italy amounted to more than 400 million rupees.

THE ROYAL NEPALSE ARMY headquarters said last week that it is investigating into the involvement of at least two soldiers allegedly involved in an extortion racket in the capital, Kathmandu. At least five people, including two army jawans, were arrested by the police last Saturday while they were on their way to collect Rs. 500,000 extortion money from a businessman by issuing threats.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS constituted a five-member investigation committee to probe into the derailment of the Janakpur Railway train in between Mahinathpur and Khajuri on Tuesday. The committee will present its report within seven days from the commencement of its work and also make recommendations for avoiding such accidents in future and provide reliable service, said the ministry of labour and transport management. Three passengers had died and a few others injured when the train plying on the Janakpur-Jayanakpur route derailed last week.

BRILLIANT HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL organized its third anniversary. Senior poet Chettra Pratap Adhikari, the chief guest of the program, distributed medals and certificates to the winners of sporting events and literary programs. He expressed his best wishes for future of the school. Sadhana Singh Sahi, principal of the school, emphasized the need to provide quality education at minimum fees. "The school is also focusing on involving students in extra-curricular activities to explore their talent," she said.

HARIYALI NEPAL PARTY RECENTLY organized a press meeting at Biratnagar. Kuber Sharma, president of the party, accused politicians of mainstream parties for the present dire situation of the country. "Putting 22 civil servants behind bars cannot be a long-term solution for corruption. Thousands of people are victims of political crimes. So 22,000, including politicians involved in corruption in the last 12 years should be punished for their unforgivable crimes against the country," Sharma said. He emphasized the need for cooperation between His Majesty the King and political parties to solve the country's problems. It was informed that the party is going to contest 15 seats in the upcoming election.