Maoists force cancellation of beauty pageant

Kathmandu, 7 Aug: Maoist activists have succeeded in forcing the postponement of
Miss Nepal Pageant 2008 slated to be staged Thursday.
Maoists and other groups had failed in their attempts the previous years.
Contest organizer Girendra Man Rajbanshi announced the cancellation of the popular contest.
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Dr Upendra Devkota’s daughter released after Rs 13 million ransom payment

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Aug: Megha, the teenage daughter of noted neurosurgeon Dr Upendra Debkota, has been freed after the payment of a Rs 13 million ransom by the family to unidentified abductors, published reports said Thursday.
Megha, a 10th grade student of Rato Bungala, was abducted Saturday from home in Bansbari ; she was one of three daughters of Dr Debkota who was minister in the royal regime as well.
The family struck with kidnappers and to secure a release two days later Monday.
Dr Banskota runs a hospital in Bansbari.
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Gyawali Group sells off interests in Kantipur Publications

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Aug: Gyawali Group has sold off all its interests in Kantipur Publications Pvt Ltd and Kantipur FM Pt Ltd Wednesday.
The Group published The Kathmandu Post, Kantipur, the largest selling English and Nepali language newspapers.
Kailash Sirohiya has been appointed chairman and managing director of the new board of which Swastika Sirohiya and pilot Capt Rameshwar Thapa are board members.
Thapa is managing director of Simrik Air.
Differences had been simmering within the publication between promoters Sirohiya and the Gyawali team of father Hem Raj Gyawali and son Binod Raj.
Gyawali launched the publication 16 years ago with another Marwari to successful break the domination of the Gorkhapatra government publication that still published The Rising Nepal and Gorkhapatra, Nepal’s first newspaper.
The first Marwari partner, Goenka, withdrew from the publication shortly after launch.
Other published reports said Gyawali sold off his interests for Rs 700 million.
There was no official announcement whether Gyawali had sold off its interests in Kantipur TV though.
Gyawali launched Kantipur FM as a FM station in Kathmandu Valley but developed as a national radio network receiving controversial permission from then government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba .
Jaya Prakash Gupta, now a leader of Madesh Janaadhikar Forum, was communication minister in that cabinet.

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Govt. crackdown on Tibetans; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Aug: Government is beginning a crackdown of Tibetans in Nepal ahead of Saturday’s Beijing Olympics as the community holds almost daily anti-China protests in front of the Chinese embassy since March.
In a report under the headline “Tibetan separatists face strong action”, government daily newspaper The Rising Nepal quoting unidentified persons reported Thursday,” ‘very strong measures will betaken shortly to deal with such kinds of unauthorized activities and some key elements will be detained soon.”
The government newspaper added: “Though in the past those people involved in the so-called Tibetan independence activities were arrested and freed immediately but this time professional demonstrators and backbones are to be detained and kept in cell for much longer time depending on their nature of activities.
“Once they are detained their identity will be checked and strong measures will be taken accordingly. Those who do not have proper identity documents will be sent back to where they have come from.
“Strong security force will be deployed around places of suspicion so as to check the movement of the Tibetan separatists.
“The Visa Section of the Chinese Embassy area in Hattisar will be more strictly controlled and further anti-China activities will be stopped.
“According to the source, the separatist forces for theTibetan independence have been taking shelter in Boudha, Jorpati, Lazimpat, Syambhu, Patan etc.”
USA has protested the government crackdown of Tibetans in Nepal.
Kathmandu district administration from Thursday issued prohibitory orders banning rallies, sit-ins, demonstrations, mass meetings around the Chinese embassy and the Visa Section around Bhatbhateni.
The order banning running of shops and parking of vehicles has been slapped around other places in the capital, including Singha Durbar and Baluwatar where the official residence of the prime minister is located.
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PM Koirala continues consultations to form a govt.

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Aug: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala continued consultations with leaders of political parties for the second day Thursday to form a government immediately after returning home from the SAARC summit and New Delhi where he held consultations with Indian leaders, including Manmohan Singh and Congress (I) president Sonia Gandhi.
Koirala held discussions even as President Dr Ram Baran Yadav gave Maoists Wednesday three more days to from a government of national consensus.
Koirala Wednesday held discussions with leaders of TMLP, NSP, CPN (ML) and RPP, apparently to from a government without Maoists.
Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, who accompanied Koirala on his foreign tour, said Maoists have failed to create an environment of trust to form an elected government even four months after the 10 April CA polls.
Koirala reportedly told leaders the ‘international community’ wants a government of national unity as he began political consultations at government formation.
There was no immediate reaction from Maoists.
Maoists haven’t drawn the support of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and MJF to form a majority government.
“When the elder brother [Maoists] can’t form a government, younger brothers take such responsibility,” CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal said.
‘Civil society’ leader Daman Dhungana, a former speaker of dissolved parliament, demanded imposition of presidential rule to end a four-month political deadlock; he had opposed royal rule while propounding presidential rule in a loktantra [Indian style democracy and prajatantra, original Nepali word for democracy].
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