Home Minister Rawal to visit India

Kathmandu, 12 Jan.: Home Minister Bhim Rawal is visiting India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart.
The visit has earlier been cancelled.
Exact date for the visit hasn’t yet been fixed.
The cabinet Monday okayed the trip.
Rawal is visiting India with heads of three security chiefs.
The visit comes at a time when India is pressing for the signing of a new extradition treaty and urging stricter surveillance along the open 1,700km border.
India has also asked Nepal to sign a strip-mapping of the border that will confirm the border at a time when India is encroaching the demarcation line.
Nnnn

Tuesday coldest day

Kathmandu, 12 Jan.: The temperature Tuesday morning in the capital was 0.6 Celsius—the coldest this winter.
The morning was frosty.
nnnn.

Prithvi Narayan Shah remembered

Kathmandu, 12 Jan.: The 228th birthday of Nepal’s founder King Prithvi Narayan Shah was remembered by thousands of people Monday in the capital even as present ruling parties stopped national celebrations as national unity day following the popular movement five years ago.
But top leaders of Nepali Congress and UML paid homage to him by placing wreaths at his statue in front of Singha Durbar.
RP-Nepal held a reception to celebrate the day amid demands the contributions of founder of modern Nepal be recognized.
The crowd Monday was the biggest after the janaandolan three.
Nnnn


.British Gurkhas lose court battle for equal pay

Kathmandu, 12 Jan.: Former Gurkha soldiers have lost a test case against Britain’s Ministry of defence over pension rights at the high court in London on Monday, AFP reports from London.
The ruling came after he British government last year granted Gurkha veterans the right to settle in Britain following a high-profile campaign led by actor Joanna Lumley.,
The latest legal action was launched by British Gurkha Welfare Society which says around 24,000 veterans and dependents who served in the British army before 1997 receive only a third of the normal payment.
The UK Government has welcomed the High Court ruling, stating that it has always sought to treat ex-Gurkhas fairly. The British Ambassador, Dr Andrew Hall, has also welcomed the Judgement, saying, “I am pleased that the Court has once again confirmed that the Gurkha Pension Scheme is both good and fair. Generations of Gurkhas have served the United Kingdom with courage, sacrifice and distinction and they continue to make a vital and valued contribution to operations around the World. We will continue to honour and reward their commitment under existing arrangements.”
Nepal Government had formally support Gurkha demanding through official letter to the British government.
Nnnn

EU, Switzerland, Norway welcome HLPM

Kathmandu, 12 Jan..: Heads of missions of EU, Switzerland and Norway Monday welcomed the formation of a HLPM.
“Following a year of slow progress in the implementation of the peace agreements and in the constitution drafting process, the ambassadors encourage the parties to make use of this mechanism in order to rebuild trust in the peace process and rediscover the spirit of compromise to complete the task.
”They urge that the key issue of the verified former combatants also be finalized as son as possible. They urge the political leaders to agree the numbers and modalities so that the process can begin in the near future.
“2010 is a critical year for Nepal and its peace process,” a French embassy statement said.
nnnn

RPP, RJP unite

Kathmandu, 12 Jan.: Rashtriya Janasakti Party led by former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa and RPP led by Pashupati Shumshere Rana have agreed in principally to unite, Rajdhani reports.
The name of the unified party will be Rashtriya Janasakti Prajatantra Party.
This was agreed at a meeting Monday night between Thapa and Rana.
A coordination committee for unification has been formed under leadership of Senior RPP leader BIshwabandhu Thapa.
Nnnn

US diplomat arriving

Kathmandu, 12 Jan.: Patrick Moon, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, is arriving for a three-day visit 17 January, Kantipur reports quoting foreign ministry.
Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna arrived two days earlier.
Nnnn

MEDIA GOOGLE

“I don’t personally decide my visit; it’s for the government to decide. At a time when the government gave no decision, I was surprised by news the prime minister [Prachanda] would go to Beijing.”

(President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Nagarik, 12 Jan.)

“Prachanda’s statement, which attributed Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal as sating that the fate of those who blatantly rejected the call by America and Indian for a meeting will like this [murder of former UML General Secretary Madan Bhandari] is extremely objectionable, hateful and irresponsible, PM’s press advisor Bishnu Rijal said in a press statement.”

(Report in The Rising Nepal, 12 Jan.)

“Discussions should be held with men. What result can be expected by discussions with robots?”

(Prachanda in Annapurna Post, 12 Jan.)

“Ir is not the business of the president [his comment on what will happed if constitution isn’t promulgated within the deadline]. He has violated the limits of the constitutional post, its dignity and jurisdiction when he should honour and respect the position he holds.”

(UML Chief Whip Bhim Acharya, The Kathmandu Post, 12 Jan.)
nnnn