Cabinet being expanded

Kathmandu, 2 Sept: The 33-member council of ministers is being expanded Wednesday by including a dozen ministers and ministers of state, parties said.
A minister of state from Rashtriya Janasakti Party is also being inducted.
More ministers and ministers of state are joining from MJFL and NSP.
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YCL central meeting starts

Kathmandu, 2 Sept: A two-day central meeting of YCL started in the capital at a garment factory Tuesday.
The meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) youth wing started as the party decided to intensify street and parliament protests against government to restore what has been called civilian authority.
YCL was launched in 2006 largely by inducting former combatants of the people’s war; 19,000 fighters were thought to be in seven cantonments and 21 satellite camps under UNMIN watch.
But UNMIN most recently said former combatants in camps are not under their watch—a statement that acknowledges the Maoist soldiers are free as they were in the urban Indian jungle or Npali hills and plains.
Prachanda, Mohan Baidya Kiran, Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal conducted a training for YCL cadre.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Nepal, Qatar update air agreement

Kathmandu, 2 Sept: Airlines of Nepal and Qatar can operate 25 flights a week between the two countries using any kind of aircraft under terms of a signed a new air agreement signed in Doha Tuesday.
Increased frequency will help US, European arrivals.
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Tourist arrivals up slightly

Kathmandu, 2 Sept: Tourist arrivals jumped five percent in August compared to the same month the previous year, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said.
Altogether 27,676 visitors were recorded; arrivals increased 2009 for the third consecutive month.
But total arrivals fell.3.3 percent in eight months of 2009; only 217,242 arrivals were recorded until August.
NTB said arrivals increased in the second half of 2009 with improved economy in the West.
Indian arrivals declined 10 percent.
Arrivals from Europe jumped 11 percent.
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RBB records Rs 2.03 billion profit

Kathmandu, 2 Sept: Rashtriya Banijya Bank (RBB) a wholly owned government and country’s biggest commercial bank, registered a Rs 2.03 billion net profit in 2008/09.
The bank reduced non-performing asset to 15 percent by recovering Rs 2.4 billion loan, CEO Janardhan Acharya said.
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NRN Sweden chapter

Kathmandu, 2 Sept: Non-Resident Nepalis (NRN) Sweden chapter has been opened in Stockholm.
The 17-member chapter is headed by Nabin Thapaliya.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“I’m also not against religion. I worshipped Panchayan until SLC examinations. Don’t bracket Maoists as anti-religion.”

(Chairman Prachanda, Annapurna Post, 2 Sept.)


“Big parties are working to amend the constitution to enable the vice-president to take an oath in Hindi. The country will turn into a Sikkim by sidelining the supreme court directive and by mocking rule of law.”

(RPP Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa, Nepal Samacharpatra, 2 Sept.)
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