Students disrupt vehicular traffic

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Students affiliated with eight unions Tuesday morning disrupted vehicular traffic in the capital demanding immediate ‘scientific’ vehicular fares and ration cards.
They rejected a six to seven percent cut in fares calling it inadequate.
Students affiliated with ruling parties called a three-day protest that will culminate Thursday with a sit-in in front of the prime minister’s residence.
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PM Prachanda, Pranab Mukherjee hold discussions

Kathmandu, 25Nov: Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday morning discussed the stalled peace process and other issues in a 30-minute meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.
They continued discussions held in New Delhi during the premier’s second India visit this month to attend the second BIMSTEC summit in the Indian capital.
“Talks were positive,” Mukherjee said after his third meeting with the prime minister in three months in New Delhi and Kathmandu.
In the bilateral review, Prachanda and Mukherjee also discussed Kosi floods, economic assistance, constitution drafting and stalled army integration.
Mukherjee also held discussions will Foreign Minister Upendra and main opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala onhe second day of his three-day official Nepal visit.
Mukherjee, accompanied by an 11-member delegation, and Yadav, participated in delegation-level talks.
Mukherjee launched consultations Monday with Nepali leaders on bilateral issues on common interest immediately on arrival Monday in consultations with CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal and Sher Bahadur Deuba, the likely successor of ailing Koirala in Nepalu Congress.
Mukherjee will call on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Vice-president Parmananda Jha; later in the afternoon.
The visitor interact with some members of the CA thatis meeting Tuesday immediately after discussions with Chairman Subash Nemwang.
Khanal told reporters after meting Mukherjee Monday discussions centered on constitution drafting, peace process and integration of PLA an Nepal Army.
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Maoists to adopt common approach

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Maoist central committee began discussing Tuesday to incorporate differing suggestions of 21 groups on a transitional republic and people’s republic in a common document to be presented at a proposed meeting of the party general convention in June 2009.
The central committee met Tuesday after group discussions ended Monday with their suggestions.
Prime Minister Prachanda penned the concept of a transitional republic while Organization Chief Mohan Baidya Kiran proposed an immediate communist people’s republic through revolt.
Main opposition Nepali Congress has launched a jihad.
against the Maoist plan.
A Maoist national meet of 1,200 delegates will give approval to the suggestions of the central committee; workers are assembling later Tuesday.
Thirteen out of 21 groups supported Prachanda, six lent support to Kiran and two groups took a neutral line recommending amalgamation of good points in both proposals.
Maoists began what they called a ‘great debate’ as the constitution drafting process has begun.
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Maoist combatants in UN camps still carry bombs

Kathnmandu, 25 Nov: A bomb carried by a Maoist combatant exploded at Khorgaon in Dailekh Sunday according to locals, Annapurna Post reports from Dailekh.
A child was injured in the blast.
Locals said a Maoist combatant Udit Singh Shahi returned on home leave from Shaktikhor camp in Chitwan with the bomb.
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MJF calls indefinite strike in Janakpur

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Ruling MJF of Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav Tuesday called an indefinite strike in Janakpur protesting what it alleged was the arrest of its lawmaker.
The strike paralyzed life in the town famous for the Janaki Mandir.
But police said the lawmaker attempted to kidnap two policemen leading to his arrest.
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Prolonged Colgate Palmolive row enters 5th day

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: As thel abour dispute that stopped operations at Colgate Palmolive entered its fifth day Monday, labourers of companies that supply cartons and and tubes have joined the agitation, The Kathmandu Post reports from Hetauda.
Talks between agitating labourers and management at the labour office here ended late Sunday night without an agreement.
The dispute started after employees at the factory in Hetauda Industrial Area started agitation demanding security and incentives from the previous management after multinational Colgate-Palmolive (India) transferred ownership of its Nepal subsidiary to Nepali entrepreneurs.
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Power cut loss Rs 59b

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Entrepreneurs Monday said they expected load shedding to cause productivity loss to reach Rs 59 billion in 2008, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Hydropower expert and entrepreneur Gyanendra Lal Pradhan said losses could reach Rs 71.2 billion by2010 if the situation didn’t change.
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MEDIA GOOGLE



“… NC President Girija Prasad Koirala is after the Maoists for not letting him become the first president of the nation. The NC needs to get rid of this sheer negativism.”

(CPN-UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari, The Himalayan Times, 25 Nov.)


“The UN agency will have a lot of explaining to do as the rice provided by the WFP allegedly [to Kosi flood victims in camps] was littered with pebbles. ‘It was extremely difficult to cook the rice. It has raised health hazards, for the victims.”

(The Himalayan Times, 25 Nov.)

“One such product is Supanet Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs). There are only handful of INT’s approved by WHO and Supanet is not one of them. If Nepal is its tender only allows WHO approved ITNs, why is it allowing INGO to import substandard nets? INGOs are trying to push their own brand of product with donor money. Donor money is for Nepal and no for INGOs to push their product and brand.”

“Letter in The Kathmandu Post, 25 Nov.)