Five killed as truck plunges into Trisuli river

Kathmandu, 8 April: Five persons, including two children and a women were killed Thursday morning when a truck fell into Trisuli river at Darechowk.
The truck was hading for Mugling from the capital when the truck veered off the highway.
Seven have been injured.
One person was killed and 25 persons have been injured with two buses collided at Thakre in Dhading Thursday.
One bus was hading for the capital from Dharan while another bus was heading for Pokhara from Kathmandu.
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Parliamentary presenting report to govt.

Kathmandu, 8 April: Parliament’s state affairs committee is submitting its report on irregularities while purchasing logistics for Armed Police Unit (APU) in Dafur, Sudan, to government Thursday.
A five-member sub-committee headed by Pradip Geywali made an on-the-spot study and presented its report to the state committee in the Rs 500 million scam.
The sub-committee will present the report to the state affairs committee.it will be presented to state affairs committee Rs 500 million
The report will be presented to Home Ministrr Bhim Rawal in the presence of the prime minister.
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NC central committee begins


Kathmandu, 8 April: The first meeting of the Nepali Congress central committee began Thursday after the death of party President Girija Prasad Koirala.
The committee will discuss constitution drafting, the peace process and review the fresh political situation.
The central committee is expected to discuss dates for the party’s 12th general convention when a new party leadership will be elected following the death of Koirala.
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MJFN strike hits east, central terai districts

Kathmandu, 8 April: A two-day strike by MJFN disrupted life in the eastern and central terai districts Thursday.
The opposition party allied with Maoists is demanding past agreements with the government in the second round of protests.
Markets, schools and industries remained closed Thursday.
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Public accounts pursues MRP scandal

Kathmandu, 8 April: Parliament’s public accounts committee began discussions Thursday on the deposition of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and officials on awarding a contract to print machine readable passports (MRPs) without tender to an Indian government security press.
Committee members said the response of the government Sunday and officials weren’t satisfactory.
Nepal has again been summoned by the committee Thursday for further deposition.
Committee members said the cabinet decision was illegal and against the country’s interest.
Maoists students have also come out on the streets against the cabinet decision.
The prime minister told the committee Sunday cabinet awarded the contract to India to maintain good diplomatic ties and under pressure.
The prime minister has also been summoned by the international relations and human rights committee of parliament to depose on MRPs disregarding a suggestion of the public accounts committee to print the passports only through international tender.
The supreme court issued a stay order not to go ahead with the deal until the apex court completes hearing on the legality of the cabinet and foreign ministry decision.
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UML, YCL clash in Bajura

Kathmandu, 8 April: At least half a dozen persons were injured overnight in a clash between UML an Maoist YC:L in Bajura.
An indefinite curfew in Humla district Simikot was lifted Thursday at six in the morning after normalization of the environment following clashes between Nepali Congress and Maoists Wednesday.
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Three seats on CA vacant

Kathmandu, 8 April: Three seats are now vacant in the 601-member constituent assembly (CA) with the death of Girija Prasad Koirala.
The assembly declared the seats of Matrika Prasad Yadav and Jagat Prasad Yadav vacant when they defected from UCPN (Maoist).
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Unity committee formed

Kathmandu, 8 April: RPP and Rashtriya Janasakti Party (RJP) Wednesday formed a 25-member unity committee coordinated by Bishwabandhu Thapa.
The two parties have announced plans for merger.
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Nepal issues permits for 22 teams to climb Everest

Kathmandu, 8 April: Twenty-two expeditions have received permits until now to climb the 8848 meters peak from the south in Nepal, tourism ministry officials said.
The permits are issued by the ministry of tourism.
The spring climbing season has begun.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Gloomy macroeconomic situation

Kathmandu, 8 April: A record trade deficit of Rs 21.83 billion was recorded in the first seven months of the current year against a surplus of Rs 20.32 billion in the same period the previous year, Nepal Rashtra Bank said.
The current account deficit was Rs 30. 32 billion against a surplus of Rs 20.32 billion in the same period the previous year.
The central bank released the country’s macroeconomic situation for the seven months of the current fiscal year 2009/10.
Merchandise trade deficit widened 62 percent to Rs 180.20 billion.
Foreign exchange reserves fell 13.5 percent to Rs 242.22 billion in mid-February 2010—enough to finance merchandise imports for only 7.8 months.
Gross foreign exchange reserves in dollar terms declined 8.7 percent to $3.27 billion in mid-February 2010.
Imports shot up 42.2 percent to Rs 222.07 billion compared to a growth of 25.8 percent in the same period the previous year.
Following increased imports and declining exports, trade deficit widened 59.9 percent to Rs 186. 27 billion.
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Height of Mount Everest resolved by Nepal, China

Kathmandu, 8 April: Nepal and China have agreed to recognize snow and rock heights of Mt. Everest, thereby settling differences over the height of the world’s tallest peak, The Kathmaudu Post reports.
The agreement came during the joint secretary-level boundary talks in Kathmandu.
“Since Everest lies on the Nepal-China boundary line, we have to identify its location and height,” said a senior official at the Department of Survey.
‘The Chinese side-led by Li Qingyuan—accepted Nepal’s claim that the snow height is 8,848 meters while the Nepali side recognized the Chinese claim that the rock height in 8848.43m” said an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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CHATTER

“Foreigners are at it again. Now we have a South African judge in town at the invitation of UN and telling interpreting to Nepalis the consequences of not promulgating a constitution by 28 May. Nepalis promulgated the constitution in Nepali’ Nepalis know the consequences of not promulgating a constitution within the deadline. They know Nepali language better than foreigners.’

(Tirtha Man Singh)


MEDIA GOOGLE

“The interim constitution will cease to exist if a constitution isn’t promulgated by 28 May; the prime minister, president and all will be unconstitutional. In that anarchic situation, UML will be shattered. Another democracy should be established by revolutionaries by reorganizing the party.”


(UML leader Bamdev Gautam, Kantipur, 8 April)

“This government will continue till the new democratic system is established by promulgating the new constitution in the country.”

(Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar, The Rising Nepal, 8 April)

‘I’m not an obstacle to national agreement.”

(PM Nepal, Rajdhani, 8 April)

“The army personnel below the officers’ rank are ready to support us.”

(Maoist leader Amik Serchan, The Himalayan Times, 8 April)