Three more swine flu cases detected

Kathmandu, 1 Sept: Three more swine flu cases were reported Monday raising the total cases detected to 31, health officials said.
Cases were brought into the country from the middle east by migrant workers.
Two were brought in by foreigners.
No deaths have been reported in the epidemic that started from Mexico.
But deaths have been reported from neighbouring countries China and India with which Nepal shares a common border.
Cross-border movement of people along the 1,700 km is not controlled.
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Maoists replace Ram Bahadur Thapa with Barsha Man Pun in special committee

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 1 Sept: Maoists have replaced party General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal with Barsha Man Pun Ananta in a special joint committee chaired by the prime minister representative for resettlement and integration.
Maoists sent former minister Janardhan Sharma to the committee as well Monday.
A committee meeting was delayed after Prachanda demanded to replace Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal after ouster three months ago; the Maoist chairman headed the committee.
The appointment following a telephonic conversation between Nepal and the Maoist chief Monday paved the way for the stalled committee meeting.
Nepali Congress is represented in the committee by Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and Dr Minendra Rijal, Ishwor Pokhrel represents CPN-UML, Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta MJF, Sharad Singh Bhandary MJFL and Mahendra Yadav TMLP.
A technical committee assists the special committee which extended its expired mandate Tuesday for another two months..
The integration/resettlement of 19,000 plus combatants has been delayed especially over the issue of whether three should be individual or unit integration of former rebels in Nepal Army which opposes mass integration fearing it will encourage rebellion in the state army like in Bangladesh recently.
UN and some western governments, especially UK, have sought a role in integration which can be done by6 Nepalis given the will.
Indian embassy has also opposed unit/sub-unit integration of Maoists in Nepal Army and suggested integration in productive unarmed sector.
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Singapore arrests five suspected Nepali traffickers; face possible death sentence

Kathmandu, 1 Sept: Five Nepalis were among the eight men arrested in Singapore Sunday morning, while attempting to smuggle drugs to Australia, Republica reports channelnewsasis.com,
If convicted, all may face the death penalty, Central Narcotics Bureau officers discovered 2 kg heroin No4 in the shoes of three South Korean men at Changi Airport.
Five Nepalis, aged between 22 and 41, were also arrested in connection with the case.
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China asks PM Nepal to stop anti-China activities

Kathmandu, 1 Sept: A visiting delegation of the Communist Party of China Tuesday asked Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal at a meeting Tuesday to stop what has been described as anti-China activities.
The top delegation headed by politburo member Zhang Gaoi arrived Monday and immediately started deliberations with the first meeting with Chairman Prachanda.
Zhang holds discussions Tuesday with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav.
The delegation is timed with the scheduled visit of Nepal to China later this year.
Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala flies for Beijing 8 September to lay the groundwork for the trip.
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Nepal to host WHO regional meet

Kathmandu, 1 Sept: Health ministers from 11 countries of South East Asia will attend a four-day conference in the Nepalese capital from 7 September.
Nepal from South Asia has been put in the region by the UN.
The meeting will also discuss the swine flu pandemic.
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Jha creating a problem

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 1 Sept: Vice-President Parmananda Jha has created a problem for the country and government by not taking an oath of office in Nepal as directed first by the supreme court and then the government.
The charge was leveled Tuesday by top CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli.
Jha has not resigned after refusal to take the oath creating a dilemma for the government which clear on how to tackle a language issue that has been created.
Jha continues to receive perks although Home Minister Bhim Rawal Monday threatened to cut it off.
Three ruling terai parties at a meeting with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala asked the interim constitution be amended for the 7th time to accommodate Jha to take an oath in a language of choice,
The amendment will need the support of major ruling parties and Maoists for a required two-third majority in the 691-member parliament; Maoists have been obstructing parliament proceedings for three months.
Government also suggested an amendment to accommodate Jha at a time when hardly any work has been done to draft a durable constitution.
Governments have been making changes in what is an interim constitution to resolve immediate party and government needs to run the administration.
Jha has mostly been criticized for his role with some support from the south.
Supreme court justices have expressed extreme displeasure for attempting to dilute making its directive after the refusal of the vice-president, Rajdhani quoted three unnamed justices as saying.
“People in government and the vice-president have minimized the supreme court. How can implementation of directives on commoners be expected?,”
“The vice-president who is a retired judge defied the directive. He spent half his life in the profession. He has shamed the profession,” another judge said.
“The vice-president has asked for a review saying he has no confidence in the court. This is dual character.
“Vice-president automatically ceases to hold office from Monday. Don’t quote me,” another judge said.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Madhav Nepal has been continuously absent for 31 meetings [of constituent assembly], Prachanda 50, Khanal Khanal 31, Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar 24, Upendra Yadav 18, Mahanta Thakuir 22, Rajendra Mohoto 22, Sher Bahadur Deuba 48, Dr Baburam Bhattarai 21, Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal 20. According to a constitutional provision, almost all top leaders can be suspended from membership of the constituent assembly [for being absent.”

(Headline in Naya Patrika, 1 Sept.)

“The government has adopted a special security strategy to deal with criminal groups. It also means that there shall be no negotiations with them.”

(Peace Minister Rakam Chemjung, The Kathmandu Post, 1 Sept.)
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