PM Prachanda’s third India visit aborted

Kathmandu, 21 Nov: Prime Minister Prachanda’s third India visit planned without consultations with the foreign ministry has been aborted, Naya Patrika reports.
Having returned from New Delhi one week ago, he was scheduled to fly for New Delhi Friday to attend a leadership summit organized by Hindusthan Times.
World leaders, including Tony Blair, were scheduled to attend.
The visit was cancelled after the Maoist national conference was postponed until Friday (today).
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USAID-supported mediation center in Dolakha
Kathmandu, 21 Nov: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Nepal) supported court-referred mediation center has been launched at the Dolakha District Court in Charikot this week, US embassy said.
Mediation centers ensure greater access to justice for all Nepalis by alleviating the overwhelming case burden on the formal justice system.
The center was inaugurated by Mr. Rana Bahadur Bam, Chief Judge of the Patan Appellate Court, who reiterated the need for and the benefits of such mediation centers. Ramchandra Rai and Balendra Rupakheti, newly appointed District Court Judges and the Chief District Officer Kashi Raj Dahal were also present.
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Premier and foreign minister’s advisors competing for ambassadorship in US

Kathmandu, 21 Nov: Relations between advisors of the prime ministers and the foreign minister have cooled down recently, Sambodhan reports.
Hari Bahadur Thapa, the Prime Minister Prachanda’s foreign advisor, and Shayamanda Suman, the advisor of Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav, are lobbying for the vacant position of ambassador to USA.
Both are retired career diplomats.
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Protests called off

Kathmandu, 21 Nov: A struggle committee that launched protests particularly in the Valley to protest YCL abduction and murder of two CPN-UML activists in neighbouring Dhading, called off further protests Friday.
The strike was called off by the committee on the third day of protests following a meeting and understanding with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Government agreed to immediately start the process to launch a judicial inquiry to successfully placate protestors.
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MEDIA GOOGLE
“The boy is very lucky! At least he is carrying books even though he has no opportunity to attend school.”
(A NGO representative comment after seeing a boy carrying a crate of UNICEF books, cartoon in Kantipur, 21 Nov.)