EU envoys meet PM

Kathmandu, 22 Jan.: Envoys of EU held a collective meeting with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Friday.
They held discussed the peace process, constitution drafting, Maoist combatants and other issues.
The meeting comes at a time when Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari has publicly opposed integration of Maoist combatants in the state army.
The main opposition has demanded a government position on Bhandari’s statement.
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HLPM task force meets again Friday

Kathmandu, 22 Jan.: A task force of the high-level political mechanism (HLPM) meets again Friday to prepare a code of conduct and terms of reference (ToR) for the three-member body launched by NC President Girija Prasad Koirala, Chairman Prachanda and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal.
The meeting of the six-member task force couldn’t make headway Thursday after Maoists objected to the inclusion of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal as an invited member.
The controversial mechanism has been supported by foreign countries and UN.
But the body formed without consultations in the three political parties has come fire in the NC, CPN (Maoist) and UML.
Critics also said a mechanism without a prime minister is meaningless as it cannot take the peace process to a logical conclusion or draft a constitution within the 28 May deadline.
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Indian army chief Gen Kapoor leaves Friday

Kathmandu, 22 Jan.: Indian Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor leaves Friday after concluding a four-day visit.
He was conferred the rank of honourary general of Nepal Army by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav Friday.
The visit marks the normalization of ties between the armies of
two South Asian states after it snapped five years ago following a
royal takeover.
Gen Kapoor Thursday held consultations with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari.
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Only 361 disqualified Maoist combatants sent home

Kathmandu, 22 Jan.: Only 361 of 622 disqualified Maoist combatants, including child soldiers, were discharged from a camp in Nawalparasi Thursday.
Government and Maoists sent them home with Rs 22,000, including transport fare.
Combatants disqualified by UNMIN were earlier sent back home from Sindhuli and Chitwan where also only half were discharged.
Government expressed concern the combatants under UNMIN watch have gone missing.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepalis staking up the issue with UNMIN, sources close to the prime minister’s office said.
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YCL has 28 camps in capital alone

Kathmandu, 22 Jan.: Maoists still maintain YCL as its paramilitary unit inside camps, Kantipur reports.
In the capital alone, there are 28 camps where 15 to 250 workers are kept.
Thy are kept in camps in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kirtipur and Bhaktapur.
They are placed in strategic positions.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Alpine Air flying between Kathmandu, Delhi

Kathmandu, 22 Jan.: Alpine Air will start daily flights between Kathmandu and New Delhi 3 February with A320-200.
One way fare is Rs 4000 plus tax while return fare in Rs 7600 plus tax,
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on
Thursday that expansionist India was behind the murder of then
King Birendra Shah because he was a nationalist.”

(The Kathmandu Post report, 22 Jan.)

“You [India] wanted us to help your lackeys in the Nepali
Congress and UML to clobber the king. Could they have done that
on their own? But you weren’t about to fool us either.
Sure, we needed a safe landing. And, boy, didn’t we get it on our
terms.”

(Maila Baje’s conceptualized conversation between Prachanda and visiting Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna, People’s review, 22 Jan.)
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