BOMBINGS IN MORANG, SUNSARI

TWO BOMBINGS IN MORANG AND SUNSARI

Kathmandu, 11 April: There were no casualties in two bombings in 30 minutes Monday morning in Morang and Sunsari.
Literature of Khumbuwan Mukti Morcha were recovered from the sites.
A government office was damaged in a pressure cooker bomb explosion at Belbari, Morang.
A building of Kosi Yatayat Karlaya was damaged in Ithari.
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KHIL RAJ REGMI NEW CHIEF JUSTICE

Kathmandu, 11 April Khil Raj Regmi, the senior most supreme court justice, is being appointed chief justice to replace Ram Prasad Shrestha who has gone on leave prior to superannuation.
Shrestha retires 2 May after a 14-month tenure.
A constitutional council meeting has been convened for Monday to confirm the appointment.
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WORLD BANK ASSISTANCE

Kathmandu, 11 April: World Bank (WB) has approved a $3 million grant for Nepal for the first phase of an Adaptable Programme Loan to enhance shared capacity, institutions, knowledge and incentives in illegal wildlife trade and other regional conservation threats to wildlife trade to habitats in the border while encouraging ecotourism, an announcement said.
Habitats across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal are home to over 60 percent of the 3,000 or so remaining wild tigers.
Bangladesh received a $36 million credit.
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FIRE KILLS GIRL CHILD IN SUNSARI

Kathmandu, 11 April: A fire killed a seven-year-old girl child at Singhiya in Sunsari Monday.
Another adjoining village was also destroyed.
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GORKHAPATRA GETS NEW EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Kathmandu, 11 April: Hari Gobinda Luitel was appointed executive chairman of Gorkha Sansthan Sunday by the communication ministry now under Maoist control.
Luitel was chief editor of monthly Mulyankan.
The Sansthan publishes Gorkhapatra, the country’s oldest newspaper.
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DUTCH DRUGS TRAFFICKER ARESTED

Kathmandu, 1 April: Dutch national Peter Liruwen was arrested before boarding an international flight at Tribhuvan International Airport Sunday for trafficking 9 kg hash.
The consignment was concealed in a false bottom of his luggage.
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INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS HALT SERVICE ONE HOUR

Kathmandu, 11 April: Internet service providers Sunday disrupted service for one hour Sunday inconveniencing customers.
They were protesting investigation of alleged illegal diversion on international telephone calls by providers.
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NEPAL PLAYS SRI LANKA

Kathmandu, 11 April: Nepal plays Sri Lanka in the AFC Challenge Cup Group D qualifying match Monday for a place in the final.
Nepal has collected three points with a won over Afghanistan and lost its second league match to Asian soccer giant North Korea which has collected six points with two wins.
Sri Lanka has lost two matched and plays Nepal in its last match.
Two teams will move to the next round.
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NT TO EXPAND IN DOHA

Kathmandu, 11 April: Nepal Telecom (NT) is all set to expand its presence in international market, The Himalayan Times reports.

“The company is launching Point of Presence (PoP) in Doha, Quatar,” said managing director at the NT Vishwa Nath Goel here today.

The Point of Presence will help direct interconnection with gulf countries. “The Point of Presence construction project will be finished by mid May this year,”

he said, adding that NT is also constructing Point of Presence in Hong Kong

to establish direct interconnection with rest of the countries in the world.

The Point of Presence is a multiservice node that will enable the delivery of secure and reliable connectivity.

Nepal Telecom is also creating interconnectivity with telecom service providers from across the world through Equinix Data Centre of Singapore, Goel informed.

Equinix is the leading provider of network-neutral data centers and Internet exchange services.

“NT is starting direct interconnection with ten telecom service providers from different countries,” according to him, “The NT has already reached an agreement with Qatar Telecom (Qtel) to start interconnection through newly-established direct cable interconnection between Nepal and Qatar and it will enter into agreements with rest nine countries soon.”

Similarly, NT is purchasing mobile Base Transmitter Station (BTS) vehicle soon, he said, adding that mobile BTS will help keep the mobile service smooth at the time of over call flow.

The company is also upgrading its CDMA network into an Internet Protocol (IP) CDMA network, which is expected to significantly improve the quality of voice and data services,” Goel said.
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COMMUNTYGROUP INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT
Kathmandu, 11 April: ATHMANDU: The private sector is planning to invest on infrastructure, that too through Users’ Community Group on much-needed fast track road that will link the Valley with the southern plains, Kuvere Chalise writes in The HimalayanTimes..

Some 21 village development committees in Makwanpur are planning a company for a proposed 50-km Kathmandu-Hetauda fast track road that will not only reduce the driving distance to one hour but will also help reduce population concentration in Kathmandu Valley, said Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Kush Kumar Joshi.

Though, Hetauda-Kathmandu aerial distance is only 37 km, the present road, Tribhuvan Highway, that links the two cities is 133 km. Currently, it takes more than eight hours to reach Hetauda, and travellers have to pay high fare.

Of the four roads — Tribhuvan Highway, Chhaimale-Sisneri, Phakhkle-Kulekhani-Pharping, Ganeshman Marg (Chitlang) and Prithvi Highway — that link Kathmandu to Hetauda, the proposed Hetauda-Sisneri fast track road is the shortest and feasible too, as it just needs to be upgraded, informed Joshi, who is the coordinator of Users’ Community Group. “The work on the proposed Hetauda-Kulekhani-Kathmandu fast track road will begin in a year, after a final study.”

The idea of constructing fast track road was floated when Girija Prasad Koirala became the Prime Minister post-1990 movement, but had not materialised. But this time, the locals are committed to constructing the dream highway, Joshi said, adding that the locals, whose land will be used for road, and labourers will have a share in the company.

Some 2,000 vehicles ply on the existing seven-km road that will be widened according to the proposed four-lane fast track design.

“Along the proposed fast track, many satellite cities can also be developed that will reduce the population concentration in the overcrowded Valley,” Joshi said, adding that a preliminary study showed that a tunnel of two to three kilometres needs to be constructed in a section of the proposed fast track near Phimphedi.

The government has also been planning Kathmandu-Hetauda fast track at an estimated cost of around Rs 50 billion, but the proposed fast track road will be more feasible, as it will run through the Bagmati River corridor and it overlaps some section of the government planned fast track road.

The fast track will also improve trade linkage with India, Nepal’s largest trading partner, and link the Asian Highway making the country a transit route.
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POLICE CRACKS DOWN ON ARMED OUTFIT





Kathmandu, 11 April: - In yet another crackdown, the police Sunday arrested three central committee members of the underground armed outfit of the United Wallo Kirant Koichwan National Front Nepal (UWKKNFN) from the capital, The Rising Nepal reports.
A special squad deployed from the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD), Hanumandhoka held them along with the organisation’s pamphlets, letters asking for donations, the party flags, letter pads, banners and different cutting machines.
The arrested persons were identified as Laba Dhoj Sunuwar, 36, of Ragani VDC-5 of Okhaldhunga, Champak Sunuwar, 25, of Khichi Chandeshwore-4 of Okhaldhunga and Sher Bahadur Sunuwar, 25, of Patle Jeshe-7 of Okhaldhunga.
They were staying separately in Takathali of Lalitpur, Bhimsengola and Chhetrapati of Kathmandu respectively.
Hemanta Malla Thakuri, Senior Superintendent of Police of the MPCD, said that they were held by the special squad of the MPCD from Baneshwore of the capital while they were moving freely in a suspicious manner carrying various documents.
Briefing about the background of the arrested persons, SSP Malla said that Laba Dhwoj had earlier joined the UCPN-Maoist in 2062 B.S and latter joined the CPN-Maoist led by Matrika Prasad Yadav in 2064 B.S.
Similarly, Champk had joined the UCPN-Maoist in 2059 and joined the Matrika Yadav-led party in 2064 and worked as district in-charge of Udaypur.
Malla said that the group had issued different threats to VDC secretaries in Sindhuli district three months ago.
Likewise, the MPCD team also rounded up Asha Kaji Suwal, 55, of Panauti-7 of CPN-Revolutionary Maoist party Sunday. Suwal was identified as a central committee member of the Maoist Revolutionary Party.

Suwal mostly used to extort in the Panauti area of Kavre. Similarly, five other politburo members of the same party were also held. They were identified as Lalit Limbu, alias Girban, Bhim Prasad Ojha, alias Mukti, Netra Dahal, alias Rijan, Barun Shrestha and Ajay Kumar Thapa, a.k.a Akhanda.
Police filed a case against them under the arms possession and ammunition act
Successful police crackdown on armed outfit
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