Bush assures Prachanda of continued US support

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Prime Minister Prachanda had a brief meeting with US President George Bush on Monday evening during a reception hosted by Bush at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Nepali Ambassador to the UN Madhu Raman Acharya told the The Himalayan Times over phone, The Himalayan Times reports.
President Bush said he was aware of the political transformation underway in Nepal.
“We have come a long way in political transformation. Now we need your support in Nepal’s economic transformation,” Prime Minister Dahal told President Bush.
The ambassador told BBC that Bush assured him of support to Nepal as far as possible.
The meeting lasted 10 minutes, Nepal Samacharpatra reports.

[Note: The meeting is important because Maoists are still on Washington’s terrorist list.]
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Govt releases Rs 15.5m for flood victims

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Acting Prime Minister Bamdeb Gautam Tuesday told CA government has released Rs 15.5 million for flood victims of the mid and far-West.
Gautam said floods there killed 26 persons displacing 18,029 families and damaging 5,000 houses.nnnn

Armed PLA combatants enter CA premises

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Maoist central leaders attend CA meetings accompanied by armed security guards despite reminder by the assembly secretariat, Khagendra Pant reports in Naya Patrika.
Police don’t intervene; even if they do, police are challenged.
One to five armed guards accompany the leaders
Maoist guards are armed with AK-47s and pistols.
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Indian embassy opens camp in Biratnagar

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Foreign Minister Upendra yadav Tuesday opened a camp of the Indian embassy in Biratnagar.
The camp will facilitate movement of goods and vehicles to India and from the eastern region to cntran and western regions through Bihar.
Kosi floods damaged the road network in Nepal.
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Nepal to purchase additional 60 MW electricity from India

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Nepal is to purchase additional 60 MW electricity from India to meet shortage, Nepal Samacharpatra reports.
An agreement is being signed Wednesday between Nepal Electricity Authority and India’s Power Trading Corporation Ltd.
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Koirala talking of toppling Maoists using Nepal Army

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood said the present strategy is only to neutralize Maoists in a meeting with former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Thursday, Janaastha reports.
Sood returned from New Delhi one day earlier.
Koirala later told relatives India also weakening Maoists; Sood told Koirala India won’t support Maoist agenda.
‘A situation has emerged when Maoists must be weakened. They have been brought this far to neutralize Maoists,” Sood told Koirala who has concluded relations of Maoists with foreigners is deteriorating and India is also working to weaken them.
Foreign assistance mentioned in the budget won’t be forthcoming.
‘Foreigners won’t finance a programme to popularize Maoists,’ Koirala told relatives.
Koirala has started talking of toppling Maoists by using Nepal Army; he has sought suggestions from relatives.
Koirala claims Chief of Army Staff Gen Rukmangud Katawal and other generals are against integration.
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Madhav Kumar Nepal in India

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Former CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal is currently in India, Budhabar reports.
He will attend a two-day conference on Nepal organized by the Indian government in Varanasi from Friday.
Law Minister Deb Gurung is leaving Thursday as head of a 23-member team to attend the conference.
The team includes representatives of political parties, diplomats and journalists.
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Chinese ambassador transferred to Japan

Kathmandu, 24 Sept: Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xianglin, who has been in Nepal only for 18 months has been transferred to Japan from where he was posted to Nepal, Janaastha reports.
He is fluent in Japanese.
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