President meets small party representatives

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: A concerned President Dr Ram Baran Yadav Sunday morning held collective discussions with representatives of small parties in parliament and discussed the prolonged political deadlock one day after he held collective discussions with top Maoist, NC and UML leaders.
He will met a second group later in the day
The president urged the leaders to the three biggest parties to break the impasse by developing a common concept for understanding.
But the party leaders only exchanged accusations against each other.
Sixth round voting for prime minister is being conducted 5 September.
Maoist Chairman Prachanda and NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel are the two contestants.
Meanwhile, NC Acting President Sushil Koirala Sunday asked UML to help end the deadlock by abandoning a policy to stay neutral by voting either for NC or the Maoists in the 5 September vote in parliament for prime minister.
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One shot dead in Rautahat

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: Unidentified gunmen shot dead Billat Raya Yadav at Dubahi VDC in Rautahat overnight.
Yadav was shot dead by a group of four to five gunmen.
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Air crash probe starts

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: A five-member government appointed team Saturday began its probe of Tuesday’s Agni Air Dronier crash that killed 14 passengers and crew over Makwanpur.
Four Americans, one Japanese and a Briton were among the 11 passengers killed.
A 43-memver police squad is still searching for the missing black box that will give clues to the reasons for the crash.
Two American forensic experts are assisting a Nepalese team to identify the body parts of foreigners through DNA tests.
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Monsoon menace continues

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: Heavy monsoon rain continues to create havoc nation-wide leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.
The highest water flow on Mahakali river was recorded at 256,000 cusecs Sunday.
The river has breached embankments and 56 families of Bhujel gaon have been threatened.
The swollen Bagai river in Chitwan has again deluged Madi and surrounding areas.
More than 36families have been threatened and animals and fish farms have been swept away while agricultural land has been destroyed by silt.
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Govt. panel favours UNMIN tenure extension

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: An expert panel formed by the caretaker prime minister to advise the government on the future of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has recommended the government to extend the tenure by another six months, but with a reduced mandate, The Kathmandu Post reports.
The recommendation comes amid fierce Maoist opposition to changing UNMIN terms.
The advisory panel that includes bureaucrats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction that doesn’t include Maoist representatives has suggested a mandate revision to allow UNMIN to monitor the Maoist army.
It said that in the changed political context, the Nepal Army should no longer be kept under the UN’s supervision.
“We have given our suggestions and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will now draft a letter that will be dispatched to the UN Security Council,” said Retired Lt. Gen Balananda Sharma, a member of the advisory panel.
The panel has also suggested the government scrap other responsibilities given to UNMIN during the inception in 2007. The current UMNMIN mandate includes management of arms and armed personnel of Nepal Army and the Maoists’ Peoples Liberation Army assisting parties through the Joint Monitoring Coordinating Committee in implementing the agreement signed during the peace protests, assisting in the ceasefire monitoring and providing technical assistance to the Election Commission for conducting the Constituent Assembly elections.
‘We have suggested the government to draft a new request exclusively to monitor Maoist combatants,” added Sharma.
The UCPN (Maoist) has been objecting to the government’s idea of revising UNMIN’s current mandate, saying such a move would be a ‘serious blow’ to the peace process.
Meanwhile, RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa also said UNMIN mandate should only be limited to monitoring the PLA and not the Nepal Army.
Thapa said in Pokhara Saturday UNMIN tenure should be extended.
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Abducted boy rescued
Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: One week after the abduction of a two-year-old boy for ransom, police rescued him unharmed and rounded up three persons in connection with the crime, today[ Saturday] morning The Himalayan Times reports.
The kidnappers have been identified as Basanta Gurung (19) from Sirdibas of Gorkha, Raju Gurung (21) from Dumkibas of Nawalparasi and Suryaman Lama (17) from Dumre of Tanahun.

They had kidnapped Mahesh Shrestha, the only son of Sushma Limbu Shrestha, from her rented room in Machhapokhari, Kathmandu, on August 21 at around 6:45 pm and held him hostage for one week in Basanta’s room in Teku, demanding a ransom of Rs 6 million.

Sushma was stunned with disbelief when she came to know of Basanta’s involvement, especially because Basanta was a close acquaintance. “He used to come to my room frequently and also take my son out,” she said. I had never even thought he would do such a thing.”

Sushma told mediapersons that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 150 million on the day her son was abducted. “Finally, they agreed to Rs 6 million,” said Sushma.

Police nabbed the abductors in Dumre and Kathmandu separately. DSP Kedar Dhakal said Basanta was the mastermind behind the abduction. “Six days after the boy’s abduction, the grieving mother sought police help on Friday,” informed DSP Dhakal.

Police scrutinised telephone calls and SMS details in Sushma’s mobile phone, and pursued Basanta. “Sushma reached a deal with Basanta on the ransom. Basanta asked her to come to Dumre Bazaar to make the swap,” said Dhakal. “Police drove her to the location in the wee hours of Saturday, cordoned off the area, and arrested Basanta and Suryaman.”

However, the boy was not with them when police nabbed them. Basanta told investigating

officials that Mahesh was being kept in his rented room in

Teku, leading to his release. It has been revealed that Basanta and Suryaman had kept the boy

there under Raju’s care. DSP Dhakal said Suryaman and Raju were accomplices.
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3,088 reps for NC convention

Kathmandu, 29 Aug.: Over 3,088 representatives across the country are taking part in the upcoming 12th General Convention of Nepali Congress (NC) scheduled for September 17-23, Republica reports.
According to Krishna Sitaula, the chief of Publicity Department of the 12th General Convention, these will include 12 representatives each from all 240 electoral constituencies, 98 representatives from sister and well-wisher organizations and 54 representatives from the party’s Central Working Committee.
NA has made a provision that is liaison committees abroad having over 500 active members can send seven representatives to the general convention.
However, liaison committees with less than 500 active members can send observers only.
Shitaula said seven representatives each from party’s liaison committee in the UK, Qatar, Belgium and Malaysia will take part in the convention.
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