No PM’s address to parliament

Kathmandu, 25 Dec.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal couldn’t address parliament Thursday evening without a quorum.
Less then two dozen legislators of the 601-member legislature present when the government chief was scheduled to speak.
He waited for nearly 30 minutes for seats to be filled.
Chairman Prachanda and UMC Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and other members spoke when parliament convened.
Maoists didn’t disrupt proceedings as in the past seven months.
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Voting in main constitution drafting committee

Kathmandu, 25 Dec.: Voting is being held Friday in the 63-member main constitution drafting committee chaired by Nilambar Acharya on concepts to be incorporated in a proposed constitution
Voting will be at 3.30 in the afternoon.
There was no unanimity between major parties on the name of the constitution, preamble, flag, emergency management ban on political parties and other subjects.
Voting was inconclusive during a similar voting in the committee without three major parties getting a clear majority.
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Christmas celebrated with public holiday

Kathmandu, 25 Dec.: Government Friday declared a public holiday to mark Christmas in a predominantly Hindu state.
Present rulers who toppled monarchy, also declared the previous Hindu kingdom a secular state.
Nepal probably is the only country in the world that announces public holiday during festivities of major religions and ethnic groups.
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Maoist explosives destroyed

Kathmandu, 25 Dec.: United Nations Mines Action team (UNMAT) has destroyed the last explosive cache stored at seven cantonments under UNMIN watch, an official announcement said.
Sixty-five explosives were destroyed at a cantonment in Surkhet.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Congress and Maoists are fattening all because of Girijababu.”

(Congres leader Khum Bahadur Khadka, Rajdhani, 25 Dec.)

“Prachanda must learn to honour and accept not only Prithvi Naraya Shah’s but also the positive contributions of King Mahendra, BP Koirala, Kirtinidhi Bista, Yadhunath Khanal, King Birendra and King Gyanendra. Only when he speaks publicly of national issues, they only a situation will come when he will be cleared for speaking satirically.”

(Yubaraj Ghimere, Rajdhani, 25 Dec,)