60 million euro grant

Kathmandu, 21 Jan: EU will give Nepal a 60 million euro grant for social and economic development, Nepali embassy in Belgium said.
The grant will finance education, trade facilitation, peace and economic capacity building programmes,
The agreement was signed at the end of a joint Nepal/ EU commission meeting in Brussels; Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya led the Nepali team.
Nepal’s Ambassador Pramesh Kumar Hamal and EU representative Karel Kovanda signed the grant agreement.
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Bhutani journalist of Nepali descent jailed for seven years

Kathmandu, 21 Jan: A Bhutanese journalist of Nepali descent has been jailed by a court in Bhutan for seven years for anti-government activities and involvement with Bhutan Communist Party (Maoist), Naya Patrika reports.
Shanti Ram Acharya of Bhutan Reporter monthly had gone missing for one year.
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Ian Martin a Maoist: Girija Prasad Koirala

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 21 Jan: Ambassadors of three powerful countries have described PM Prachanda and Chairman of Unified CPN (Maoist) ‘the threat for the world’, Janaastha reports.
US Ambassador Nancy J Powell, British Ambassador Dr Andrew Hall and French ambassador to Nepal collectively met NC President Girija Prasad Koirala Tuesday; the collective meeting was unprecedented.
They met Koirala several days Prachanda issued a threat to capture power if toppled while addressing a public meeting in the capital after unification of CPN (Maoist) and CPN (Unity center/ Mashal).
The ambassadors said the statement was a threat to the world and compared Prachanda to Venezuelan Hugo Perez; they said Prachanda was becoming anarchical like Perez.
An appointment was arranged with Koirala on behalf of EU.
Koirala laughed when he was told the collective meeting would be routine and said it was ‘not normal’.
“Ambassadors said Nepal’s problems have increased,” Koirala said and replied according to a source the main cause was an appointment of UNMIN Chief Ian Martin.
Koirala said Martin was chosen by the countries the ambassadors represented.
“The person you appointed is a Maoist,” Koirala said and was told by the ambassadors the matter has been raised at concerned place.
The threat to capture power was serious to which EU is opposed and asked Koirala to act for democracy.
‘The system can’t be ousted; let him work under the system,” Koirala told the ambassadors.
The ambassadors buttered Koirala who was told he was South Asia’s democratic leader on an hour-long meet.
Most of the time was taken by the Prachanda threat.
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