Injured Birgunj businessman dead

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: A seriously injured Birgunj trader died while undergoing treatment in the capital Thursday morning.
Manoj Hasyal died while another seriously injured in undergoing treatment.
They were shot and injured in the border town this week.
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Tihar begins

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: Tihar or Yamapanchak festival started Thursday with kag or crow puja.
Bhai tika is on Monday.
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Girija to be summoned by party central committee after tihar

Kathmandu, 15 Oct. Nepali Congress central committee will summon party President Girija Prasad Koirala after tihar to explain why daughter Sujata was recommended as deputy prime minister without an institutionalized decision, Nagarik reports.
A system for institutionalized decision-making in the party will be encouraged and the next central committee will discuss how, Nagarik quoted central committee member Amod Prasad Upadhaya as saying.
“The central committee will call the party president after tihar and arrangements will be made for his personal presence. Sujata was sent to the government without party decision and now she has been appointed deputy prime minister. A clarification will be sought,” Nagarik quoted Upadhaya as saying.
Eyewitnesses said Sujata was restrained by a central committee member when she attempted to physically assault Ram Chandra Paudel and Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, her vehement critics in the central committee.
There were heated exchanges at the committee meeting.
Sujata said her father appointed Paudel vice-chairman without consulting the party.
Girija didn’t chair the meeting and flew to his hometown Biratnagar instead Wednsday to inaugurate statues of BP Koirala and Nona Koirala at the Morang office of the party Thursday.
Nona is Girija’s sister-in-law.
Aging Koirala is now being openly challenged in the party which he led with an iron grip until recently.
Koirala pushed a republican agenda in the party even without discussion, Khum Bahadur Khadka said.
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Rs 25, 000 for each family

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: Government will provide Rs 25,000 to each family affected by the devastating floods in the mid-and far-West that claimed more than five dozen lives and left behind a trail of destruction.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told a parliamentary committee Wednesday government has set aside Rs 150 million for relief.
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Seized red sandalwood handed over to India

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: India has taken back seized red sandalwood smuggled into Nepal, Annapurna Post reports.
Twenty-five metric tons of the previous wood was handed over to India Wednesday.
The first consignment was handed over to officials of India’s forest ministry and Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood after discussions.
The previous government had decided to return the wood to India.
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UN official coming to observe discharge of Maoist child soldiers

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of UN Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict said she’s coming to personally inspect the discharge of 2,973 Maoist child soldiers from various camps.
The delayed process has started from a camp in Sindhuli and Ramechap amid uncertainty whether Maoists will cooperate with the government in their discharge.
The UN official said Chairman Prachanda had given assurances Maoists would cooperate.
“These children have a right to start their lives anew and help to build a peaceful and prosperous Nepal. The UN and its partners stand ready to provide support and assistance for their successful rehabilitation into Nepali society,” she said in a statement.
The minors were put in camps under UN watch and given dole even after they were verified as minors by the world body.
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Sweeping transfers in Nepal Army after Gen Chatraman Singh Gurung takes over

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: Army headquarters has transferred principal staff officers and division chiefs, Annapurna Post reports.
The transfers were made two months after Gem Chatraman Singh Gurung was appointed army chief.
Maj. Gen Toran Jung Bahadur Singh, the second-ranking officer in Nepal Army has been transferred to the inspection office.
His file for promotion has been pending at the Office of the Prime Minister for more than three months; he has been accused of human rights abuses.
The transfer comes at a time when Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari is pushing his promotion.
Maj Gen Pawan Jung Thapa has been appointed chief of the eastern division.
Maj Gen Daman Bahadur Ghale has been appointed Valley Division chief.
Maj Gen Shiba Ram Pradhan has been transferred to National Security Council as coordinator.
Brig Gen Nara Bahadur Kandel has been appointed acting western division chief.
File for transfers has been sent to the defence ministry for approval of the cabinet.
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TRADE, COMERCE, ECONOMY

Gold cross Rs 30,000 per tola mark

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: Gold crossed the Rs 30,000 per tola mark in the market Wednesday as the price of the yellow metal also rose in the international market.
Gold sold for Rs 30,052 per tola [11.664 grams] while silver sold for Rs 443 per 10 grams.
But the price of the dollar has plummeted in the Nepali money market.
Nepal Rashtra Bank fixed Thursday’s selling rate of the dollar at Rs 74.14 per dollar.
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US, Nepal discussing signing trade agreement

Kathmandu, 15 Oct: At a time when Nepal’s trade with the US has been going down, the US has proposed to sign a bilateral trade and investment agreement with Nepal to boost trade and investment to a new height, The Kathmandu Post reports.
The US has forwarded the proposal some one month ago which is being discussed by the ministries and the private sector.
Chiranjivi Nepal, advisor to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, told the Post that the government has received the draft of the agreement and that discussions were underway to incorporate the concerns of the commerce ministry and the private sector.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Nepal Army, courts and cabinet are the centers of corruption according to CIAA Secretary Bhagwati Kumar Kafle.”

(Report in Rajdhani, 15 Oct.)
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