China proposes extending Beijing, Lhasa rail link to Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 2 Dec: China’s Deputy Minister He Yafei has Nepal to consider the extension of the Beijing, Lhasa railroad to link Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, in Nepal, Annapuran Post reports.
He Yafei made the request of Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai who was attending an international conference in Doha, Qatar.
The minister said the extension will promote Nepal’s tourism and help augment China, India trade.
He said he has given priority to the extension of the rail link.
The minister said he will instruct officials to begin a feasibility study.
Dr Bhattarai earlier asked He to extend the rail link only up to Kathmandu.
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PM Prachanda’s rival wants to debar ‘criminals, compradors’ from politics

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 2 Dec: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s rival in the CPN (Maoist) has opposed the chairman’s proposal for competitive politics in a new political order.
Organization Chief Mohan Baidya Kiran said ‘criminals and compradors’ should be banned from politics in an interview Tuesday with The Himalayan Times.
Prachanda is also the top party functionary of the Maoist party that is leading a coalition government dominated by communists.
“We want to bar notorious criminals [notorious feudal barons may also come under this category] and compradors, who are anti-nationals, from politics.” Hard-line leader Kiran said.
‘He [Prachanda] presented two documents during the meet. The first one talked of federal competitive republic. However, the concept wasn’t clear,” Kiran revealed.
The two fought a duel in this month’s workers’ national meet which ultimately adopted the party slogan: people’s federal democratic national republic.
Kiran said he differed with Prahcanda on ‘policies and plans’ and ‘analysis of national, international events and evaluation of past policies’.
Prachanda has been charged for ‘revisionism’ almost like Khrushchev in the former Soviet Union by hardliners in the CPN (Maoist).
Prachanda and his group have been arguing the party and government led by Maoists should try to preserve the gains of a republic after toppling Nepal’s 238-year-old monarchy and Shah dynasty of Nepal.
The Baidya group is pushing a revolt to immediately establish a communist republic arguing with a communist majority in the constituent assembly, a Chile or an Indonesia could be repeated in Nepal where communists are now on the ascendancy.
“Both of us presented different synthesis of the political analysis,” Kiran said further elaborating his differences with the prime minister in an interview with The Himalayan Times.
Differences persist even after the national meet, Kiran added and said they are ‘likely to be settled during the upcoming national convention’ in early 2009.
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Japan to help expand part of a highway linking Kathmandu with Tibet

Kathmandu, 2 Dec: Japan Tuesday began the construction of the Rs 1,770 million six-lane 9.1 km Tinkune- Bhaktapur section of the Arniko Highway linking Nepal’s capital with Tibet.
The project will be completed in 30 months.
China constructed the only road link with Tibet in the 1960’s.
A second highway linking Nepal and Tibet is being constructed with Chinese assistance in neighbouring Rasuwa district.


PM Prachanda shares sofa with HIV-positive teenager

Kathmandu, 2 Dec: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda sat next to HIV-positive Sudip Bhattarai, 15, while participating in a programme Monday to observe 20th World AIDS Day in the capital.
Newspaper pictures Tuesday showed a somber looking prime minister sharing a sofa with Bhattarai during an hour-long programme.
Prachanda’s right hand placed on Bhattarai’s left shoulder listening to a speaker.
An estimated 69,790 people are infected with the HIV and only 2,280 people are on anti-retroviral medication.
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Passenger killed, bus torched

Kathmandu, 2 Dec: One passenger was killed when suspected armed rebels torched a bus in Saptari at around 4.30 in the morning.
The bus was traveling to Bhantabari from the capital.
Other passengers in the torched bus on the Mahendra Highway were safe.
Rebels in the south are becoming more ferocious.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said the US and Europe should undertake effective measures to insulate the underdeveloped countries from the financial crisis that originated from within monopolistic and profit seeking financial systems created by them.”

(RSS report, The Rising Nepal, 2 Dec.)

“After an extended dispute, we solemnized the marriage of PM Prachanda and Mohan Baidya Kiran [two rivals in CPN-Maoist]. Now we will marry off PLA and Nepal Army.”

(Maoist Tourism Minister Hishila Yami, Nepal Samacharpatra, 2 Dec.)

“Dispute in Nepali Congress will continue until tendency of arrogance is overcome. The party is in trouble because leaders aren’t accepting their weaknesses.”

(Party Spokesman Arjun Narsingh KC, The Himalayan Times, 2 Dec.)