Constitution drafting committee meeting adjourned

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: A constitutional drafting committee meeting of the constituent assembly was adjourned until Friday without the required quorum.
Only 15 of 63 members committee members were present
A committee on fundamental rights Thursday recommended 31 fundamental rights.
There were differences in the committee on property right with Maoists restrictions on property.
Only seven months remain to promulgate a republican constitution by 28 May 2010 deadline.
A republic has been declared while it has yet to be institutionalized and sustained.
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Maoist strike disrupts life in five eastern districts

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: An indefinite strike called by Maoists has affected life in five eastern hill districts Thursday closing down schools, businesses and industries.
Maoists damaged a vehicle in Dhankuta in an arson attack for defying strike,
UCPN (Maoist) are protesting the murder of activist Madan Limbu.
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Three Nepalis feared killed in Taliban Kabul attack

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Three Nepalis working with the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan were feared killed Wednesday in a Taliban attack in Kabul Wednesday.
Afghanistan’s local television channel Tolo TV said a Taliban attack killed at least three Nepalis.
RIA Novosti news agency of Russia also quoted Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman as saying three Nepali employees of the UN assistance mission n Afghanistan were among the dead.
Taliban militants wearing suicide vests and police uniforms stormed a guest house used by UN staff in the heart of the Afghan capital Wednesday, killing 12 people—including six UN staff, AP reports from Kabul.
It was the biggest in a series of attacks intended to undermine next month’s presidential runoff election.
But another published report said four Nepalis escaped unhurt in the attack.
The report in Nagarik said four Nepalis were in the building during the attack.
Dinesh Malla, Ashok Karki, Sudip Paudel and a person with Gurung surname of British Gurkha Service smashed windows and jumped out of the building.
“They left their mobiles in the building. But the condition of all Nepalis is normal,” said Pradumna Deuja from Kabul.
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Sri Lankan president begins three-day official visit

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala will receive Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the airport when he begins a three-day official visit Thursday.
The visit that was to begin Saturday was rescheduled by two days.
The president and his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa will now return home Saturday or one day before Maoist threat to launch nation-wide popular movement to topple government.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is scheduled to hold discussions with the visiting president who is leading a 70-member delegation.
The Sri Lankan president and President Dr Ram Baran
Yadav will hold discussions Friday.
Rajapaksa, a devout Buddhist, will visit Lumbini, the birthplace of The Buddha, and offer prayers.
The president’s visit was aborted in March 2009 when he returned home abruptly after an attack of a Sri Lankan test cricket squad in Pakistan.
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Govt. begins consultations to thwart Maoist movement from Sunday

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: With time running short, ruling parties Wednesday began urgent consultations to thwart a planned Maoist popular movement to oust the government of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Planned Maoists movement will be launched Sunday as major political players have failed to end a deadlock even for five months.
Nepal held discussions with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Speaker Subash Nemwang Wednesday while consultations were held between major ruling parties, including CPN-UML and Nepali Congress.
Government is facing an imminent political and financial crisis with continued obstruction of parliamentary proceedings for five months.
Only the account bill has been approved by parliament which still has to approve the appropriation bill.
The annual budget for fiscal year 2009/10 has to be approved by 15 November.
Government is even mulling promulgating the budget through ordinance by proroguing the current parliamentary session—a move opposed by Nemwang.
‘There’s no alternative to approving the budget from parliament, Nemwang said after consultations with the prime minister who even suggested forceful means to approve the budget.
“The prime minister urged Memwang to use his power to let the budget pass through the house if consensus could not be reached on the Maoist demand.
“The speaker can say the budget tabled for approval has been passed even if the Maoists continue chanting slogans. If it doesn’t work, he could even use force to evict the unruly parliamentarians,” Republica quoted an unidentified source at the Office of the Prime Minister as saying.
Even three days before the protests, the prime minister Thursday hopingly told the CPN-UML parliamentary party meeting he expected a resolution after discussions with Chairman Prachanda Wednesday.
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WFP again in the dock

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: UN WFP is again in the dock after National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Wednesday again said inedible food was distributed in the mid and far-West during the monsoon when more than 360 persons died of cholera and diarrhea.
But the rights body didn’t such food triggered the epidemic.
The UN in Nepal earlier this tried to drag the government into a controversy
threatening to stop food assistance; it asked government to certify the qualify of food distributed.
Temporary cutoff of food assistance created additional problem by creating shortage.
“It has been found that inedible food was distributed in the epidemic affected areas, whatsoever the reason of the outbreak of the epidemic.
“It cannot be said that the food distributed by WFP was the only reason that caused diarrhea though the food were found polluted and reached the people as inedible food,” NHRC said in a statement.
NHRC called for a judicial inquiry, compensation for victims and asked CIAA to probe malpractices in food distribution and punish guilty.
“People’s right to life shouldn’t be violated,” said NHRC Chairman Kedar Nath Upadhaya while releasing findings of a month-long probe.
WFP rebutted charges and said the food distributed was not sub-standard.
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Two Nepalis murdered in New Delhi

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Two Nepali nationals were found bludgeoned to death in their rented house here on Wednesday with police suspecting the role of their roommates in the crime, PTI reports from New Delhi.
Bhola,25, and Kartik Yadav, 24, who sold Chinese food at a roadside stall were found dead in their residence in Mundka village in outer Delhi, a senior police official said.
Police suspect their roommate, who is also from Nepal, to be behind the double murder.
A case of murder was registered at the Mundka police station.
A search is on to nab the suspected killer who has gone missing.
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Nepali gets honourary Korean citizenship

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Seoul municipality Wednesday gave honourary Korean citizenship to a Nepali who has been working in Korea for the last 17 years, Nagarik reports from the South Korean capital.
Sixteen foreign were honoured for their contribution to Korean society.
“I am happy for the honour for a Nepali amongst a select few foreigners. I don’t have to relinquish Nepali citizenship as the citizenship is honourary,” KP Shitaula of Jhapa.
He is a tourism entrepreneur.
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Parliamentary committee suggestion to upgrade army weapons

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Parliament’s state affairs committee has suggested Nepal Army should be provided modern weapons to replacing aging SLRs and SMGs more than 34 years old, Nepal Samacharpatra reports.
Such weapons are not being used by armies in elsewhere and they aren’t also being manufactured.
Nepal Army is facing problems finding replacements for the aging guns.
Fifty-percent of guns with Nepal Army are INSAS and M-16 while 45 percent are SLRs and SMGs.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“The envoy [US charge de’ affaires] informed us that the process to lift terrorist tag from our party is moving ahead positively.”

(Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara, The Rising Nepal, 29 Oct.)