Doctors on strike

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Doctors went on strike from Monday disrupting health services nation-wide, except emergency service.
Services have been affected at government and private hospitals.
A cabinet is meeting Monday to address demand of doctors.
Doctors are demanding legislation for security at work protesting assaults on doctors and hospitals.
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PM Nepal begins substantive part of China visit Monday

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal begins the substantive part of his China visit Monday when he arrives in Beijing for talks with top Chinese leaders from Xian in central China.
Nepal flew for China via Lhasa Saturday.
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Garbage being lifted Monday

Kathmandu, 28 Dec. Heaps of garbage will be lifted from the streets of the capital Monday after three weeks of protests by employees of local bodies.
Tons of rubbish had been lying on the streets as employees pressed demands, including permanence of tenure and treatment at par with government officials.
Government and striking employees reached a three-point agreement to resolve demands within three weeks.
Employees were on a nation-wide strike.
Employees of local bodies, like municipalities, have threatened to resume their strike if demands aren’t met within three months.
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Maj. Gen Toran Bahadur Singh promoted

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Major Gen. Toran Bahadur Singh was appointed Lt. Gen. and chief of the general staff Sunday despite pressures on the government by UN, several western capitals and human rights not to promote him.
Army Chief Gen Chatraman Singh Gurung conferred on him the insignia at army headquarters.
Three Maoist activists challenged the legality of the promotion at the supreme court Sunday arguing the promotion was against rule of law while ignoring human rights concerns.
An army court of inquiry cleared him of charges for involvement in human rights abuses while he commanded the Bhairabnath Battalion during the Maoist insurgency.
Although it’s claimed 49 Maoists went missing from the battalion in the capital more than 20 have been traced.
There’s no conclusive evidence army was involved in possible killings.
The promotion comes after the restoration of snapped relations five years ago between the armies of Nepal and India which has now agreed to resume suspended arms supplies.
India in Nepal’s main weapons suppliers; China this month agreed to equip the engineering wing of the state army.
Western governments, mainly some EU states, and human rights groups haven’t shown similar concern with Maoist human rights violations.
The UN was a silent spectator to the murder of a Kathmandu businessman at a cantonment where Maoist combatants are under UN watch.
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First swine flu death

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Nepal’s first swine flu death was reported at the Bir Hospital Sunday.
Prof. Dr Vijaya Sharma at the hospital said a 29-year-old woman succumbed to the disease.
But health Secretary Dr Pravin Mishra said one person died earlier at Janamaitri Hospital in the capital.
More than five dozen cases have been reported from the capital, Chitwan, Pokhara and Parbat.
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Obstacle to amend the interim constitution

Kathmandu, 28 Dec. : A proposal to amend the interim constitution for the seventh time couldn’t be tabled in parliament bill Sunday by Law Minister Prem Bahadur Singh because of procedural flaws.
Jayaprakash Prakash Gupta (MJF) objected the bill was being tabled without informing lawmakers; lawmakers weren’t given opportunity to file amendments to the government bill.
Legislators should have been given a day’s notice to propose amendments at the parliament secretariat.
A seventh amendment to the interim constitution was proposed amid tardy progress to promulgate a constitution to institutionalize a republic by 28 May 2010.
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Nepali dead in Korea

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Shyam Guring died in a fire which broke out at a motel Sasan, reports from South Korea said.
Gurung had gone there in 2000.
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Parliament ratifies bill

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Parliament Sunday ratified a bill to accede to United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its operational protocol.
The convention approved by the UN 13 December 2006 is open for signature from March 2007.
The bill was the first to be approved after Maoists lifted its disruption of parliamentary proceedings.
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Matrika Yadav, Jagat Prasad Yadav to be expelled from CA

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Matrika Yadav and Jagat Prasad Yadav, elected to the CA and parliament, on Maoist ticket, will be expelled.
A CA business advisory committee Sunday decided to annul membership demanded by UCPN (Maoist).
The CA will meet to act on the decision of the business advisory committee.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Nepal Army will also support the rebellion now.”

(Maoist leader Lilamani Pokhrel in Maoist mouthpiece Janadisha, 28 Dec,)
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