NOTED AUTHOR DIAMOND SHUMSHERE RANA DEAD

Kathmandu, 4 March: Noted author Diamond Shumshere Rana Rana.94,died Friday.
He was undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital for diabetes, heart and kidney failure.
Rana’s Seto Bagh and Basanti were bestsellers.
He was a critic of Rana rule although he was a Rana.
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UPDATE ON KRISHNA PRASAD BHATTARAI’S CONDITION

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 4 March: The condition of former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, 87,contnues to be serious.
The hosptal where he’s undergoing treatment will issue an official statement at 9 PM Friday.
A regular statement at 4 in the afternoon wasn’t issued.
NC central committee didn’t meet Friday; most committee members were at Norvic Hospital waiting anxiously for news on Bhattarai’s condition.
But Bhattarai quit the party which is trying to remember him after NC adopted a republican agenda under Girija Prasad Koirala abandoning traditional support for constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy.
Bhattarai never accepted the switch.
The witty politician was unofficial spokesman of multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy even as other party colleagues including BP Koirala and Gabesh Man Singh went into self-exile to launch anti-king an anti-panchayat protests from India to restore banned parties,
Bhattarai would be available in the mornings and evenings, except during a brief siesta after lunch, very day to answer queries of a band of about eight journalists, Nepalis and Indians, representing western agencies and Indian media and stringing for western publications out of Kathmandu in the panchayat era.
NC even after advocated of multi-party democracy were defeated in a referendum called by King Birendra, opened a party during the panchayat regime first at Rani Pokharit and later next to the first American embassy nearly.
Bhattarai, as acting party president, would be present every day at the office sitting at a table; on his right would be Ganesh Man Singh and GirijaPrasad on the left.
The trio conducted open multi-party politics when parties were banned.
Communists now the largest political force thanks to Girija Prassad Koirala, except Mahmohan Adhikari, who was then general secretary of CPN (Marxist, was the only communist leader to more around publicly in the panchayat regine.
Bhattarai, except on Saturdays, would walk from the NC office from Rani Pokhari to buy his quota of Indian newspapers from Sandesh Grha at New Road where he would have paan and walk back home to Kupandole with a small group of loyalists, including Yog Prasad Upadhaya who was appointed home minister when Kishunji was appointed premier in 1990.
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AIRBUS RETURNS $ 175,000 LOCK-UP MONEY

Kathmandu, 4 March: European Airbus manufacturer Friday deposited $175,000 lock-up money Nepal Airlines Coporation (NAC ) paid last year to purchase two aircrafts for the beleaguered state carrier.
The money was deposited in the account of NAC at Himalayan Bank.
The management didn’t cooperate for one month to accept the money by providing Airbus its account number.
Airbus has kept its option alive to sell aircraft to NAC through the return amid stiff competition from Boeing of USA to NAC with backing of US embassy n Kathmandu.
Wikileaks confirmed US embassy pushed the sale of Boeing.
CEO Sugat Ratna Kansakar and his executive team have been charged for allegedly irregularly releasing the lock-up money to Airbus.
The Airbus move has embarrassed the CIAA which leveled the charge.
A team of tourism entrepreneurs Thursday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal demanding Kansakar’s release after a court demanded a surety of Rs. 60 million for his freedom
The entrepreneurs said NACc needs to buy aircraft to maintain international operations.
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