PM Nepal, Prachanda meet

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 8 Aug: In a last ditch effort to resolve a political deadlock ,Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Prachanda held hour-long discussions Saturday morning before the Maoist chairman flew for London to impart political training to supporters in London.
Mohan Baidya Kiran assisted the chairman in the talks.
The talks were inconclusive.
‘Prachanda flew for London at the invitation of Maoist supporters in Europe.
Maoists launched protests on the street and in parliament Friday demanding correction of what they called unconstitutional presidential action to retain sacked Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal who is proceeding on month-long leave from Monday prior to retirement.
Maoists have warned the constitution drafting will be delayed and the peace process will be stalled if their demands aren’t addressed.
Maoists are demanding the presidential action should be discussed in parliament in a censure motion.
PM Nepal Saturday again rejected debate of the presidential action in parliament.
Katawal recommended Lt Gen Chatraman Singh Gurung to officiate as acting army chief prior to his formal appointment.
For the first time after 2007, a Gurung will takeover as army chief who were Shaahs, Ranas, a Basneyt or Thapas.
Meanwhile, Maoist workers continued their shutdown industries in the Valley Saturday demanding release of workers arrested after assaulting a general manager of an industrial estate.
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Swine flu alert along Bihar border

Kathmandu, 8 Aug: The state government of Bihar has issued a swine flu alert in towns close to its border with Nepal.
The alert was issued by state health minister Nanda Kishore Yadav to cover the towns of Gaya, Raxaul and Jogbani.
Gaya is a Buddhist pilgrimage destination visited by foreign tourists as well.
The flu has claimed 14 lives in the Nepalese capital.
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Nepal facing sub-Saharan food conditions: WFP

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 8 Aug: Nepal is currently facing Asia’s worst malnutrition comparable with sub-Saharan conditions in Africa, World Food Programme (WFP) said.
“This is the worst level of malnutrition in Asia, and is comparable to the worst countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet Nepal is not internationally associated with harrowing images of hunger,” the UN agency that distributed food in Nepal said.
“In recent years, Nepal has experienced a sharp and sustained decline in food security.
“Compared to neighbouring countries around the world, Nepal’s food security situation has suffered considerably over the past three years.
“Even prior to the recent deterioration in food security, the rate of malnutrition was alarming.
“The rate of chronic malnourishment in children under five is estimated at 48 percent, with an average rate of 60 percent in mountain areas,” WFP said.
Altogether 3.4 million in 38 of the country’s 75 administrative districts are suffering.
Shortages have been crated by sharp rises in food prices and a winter drought in 2008/09.
The situation will be compounded in the coming months with a failed monsoon this year.
Double digit inflation hovers around 12 percent.
Little attention is being paid by government to the shortage with a political impasse; problems are being encountered while attempting to integrate Maoists into society after the extreme communists abandoned a 10-year people’s war in 2006.
But Maoists who won a constituent assembly election in April 2008 are trying to enforce a communist state in strategic Nepal located between Asian giants, India and China.
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Biplab Man Singh remanded to seven-day custody

Kathmandu, 8 Aug: Biplab Man Singh, 20, was remanded to seven-day judicial custody by a court in the capital Friday to enable police to investigate a car crash that killed six persons, including five Indians.
One Indian was also seriously injured in the worst vehicular accident in the capital.
Singh is suspected of drunken driving causing the crash.
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Laxman Prasad Aryal hospitalized

Kathmandu, 8 Aug: Laxman Prasad Aryal has been hospitalized for treatment of a kidney ailment.
Retired supreme court justice Aryal was chairman of a committee that drafted the interim constitution 2007.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“We are ready to quit government for national consensus.”

(CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, The Himalayan Times, 8 Aug.)
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