MAOISTS DENY BIBEK SHAH CLAIM THEy WERE TRAINED BY INDIA

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: After India, Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel denied Thursday Maoists were trained by India at a facility constructed by USA in outskirt of Dehra Dun in India.
He denied the claim saying Maoists launched a tunnel war against India during the 10-year people’s war which was also launched from Indian safe havens across the open border.
Gajurel challenged the allegation be proved saying the claim was a ‘planned conspiracy’.
The senior Maoist official said,: ”Not all claims are false”.
Bibek Shah, sacked military secretary to two kings, made the allegation in a book released Wednesday,
Shah said India even pressed for his dismissal as palace official after New Delhi came to know he was aware of India training Nepali Maoists.
Shah claimed India trained Maoists and personnel separately in Dehra Dun’s outskirts.
He said India also trained Tibetan Khampas, Bangladeshis against Pakistan Army and Sri Lankan Tamils against the government.
Former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, considered close to India and Chairman of Rashtriya Janaskakti Party, dismissed the contents of thebook generally as a story of ‘Akbar and Birbal’/
He said this while talking with representatives of Reporters’ Club at his residence Wednesday.
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MAOIST FIGHTERS WON’T COME UNDER SPECICAL COMMITTEE EVEN IN 40 YEARS

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: Former Maoist fighters under watch of UNMIN, a
political wing of UN, won’t come under government’s special
committee headed by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal even in another 40 years, Nepal told Norway’s controversial environment minister Eric Solheim Thursday in a telephone conversation.
This was revealed by an aide and a television report.
Solheim is unwanted in Sri Lanka for siding with Tamil rebels; he attemped a peace deal between Maoists and the present government by ousting monarchy.
Nepal make the frank comment even as he attempted to bring former Maoists under government command and control this week as UMNMIN prepares to quit Nepal 15 January 2011 after a failed attempt to broker a peace.
Nepal had spoken proudly of his secret attempts with foreign help and coordination to bring Maoists into the political mainstream.
The prime minister was a frequent visitor to Norway and his party has close links with the Norwegian government.
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FIVE BURIED ALIVE BY SAND MINE

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: Five persons, including two woman and a girl child, were buried alive by a sand mine in Baglung Thursday morning.
Those killed were three persons of a sarki community and two KCs.
Three inured of the sarki community were rescued alive.
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CASINO GENERAL MANAGER ARRESTED

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: Manoj Pradesh Paudel; general manager Tara Casino at Hyatt Hotel was arrested from a hospital in the capital Thursday.
He’ll be presented before police Friday.
Police said he was on a ‘most wanted list’ for tax evasion and allowing Nepalis illegally into casinos.
“He was challenging the state by illegally permitting Nepalis into
casinos” a top police officer in the capital said.
Paudek said he was arrested without a warrant.
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INFLATION FALLS TO 8.1 PERCENT

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: Inflation in the first four months of the current fiscal year 2010/11 ending mid-November fell 8.1 percent compared to the same period the previous year when price rise shot up 9.1 percent, Nepal Rashtra Bank said.
But food and beverage price indexes jumped 13.3 percent in the review period.
Current account deficit was Rs. 1.92 billion compared to Rs 14.78 billion the same period the previous year.
Remittances increased 13.6 percent to Rs. 76.88 billion in the review period.
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BHAI SHAB DEAD

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: Prof. Dr. Shamba Bhakta Pant [Bhai Sahib] died 13 days ago, his family announced Thursday.
He was 84.
He was Campus Chief of Padma Kanya Multipurpose Campus, Bagh Bazzar.
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MAOIST LAWMAKER ARRESTED, RELEASED

Kathmandu, 30 Dec.: Former Maoist minister and lawmaker K. Bishwakarma was arrested Thursday from Chabahil and released one hour later conditionally.
He was arrested for riding a stolen vehicle.
Then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his home minister
Krishna Prasad Shitaula legalized import on stolen vehicles from
India and Maoist possession of weapons.
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