FORMER MAOIST COMMANDER DETAINED

SURENDRA PANDEY APOLOGIZES FOR CRITICISM OF K.P.OLI
Kathmandu, 1 June; Former finance Minister and top ULM leader Surendra Pandey apologized after a self-confession ordered by the party central committee Wednesday for charging KP Sharma Oli without naming him in a 11-point charge sheet presented to the committee Tuesday.
The committee said the charges were baseless.
Pandey was attempting to counter charges leveled by another influential leader K.P.Sharma Oli against Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal who is also and party chairman demanding the latter’s resignation.
The committee will meet again for the third day Thursday.
Pandey charged Oli for indiscipline, anarchy and creating parallel bodies in the ruling party.
Nnnn

ROCKY START TO NC CENTRAL COMMTTEE MEET
Kathmandu, 1 June: Main opposition NC central committee meeting got off to a rocky start the party signed a five-point agreement with ruling Maoists and UML Sunday to extend the tenure of the constituent assembly without approval of the policy making body and against its directive.
The party was accused for sidelining a 10-point demand of the party for the conditional extension of the assembly tenure.
The precondition of the party was immediate surrender of Maoist weapons to the government and formation of a national government.
Party Spokesman Arjun Narsingh KC leveled the charges whle talking with reporters Wednesday after the first day’s committee meeting.
The committee meeting continues.
nnnn
MAOIST FORMER COMMANDER DETAINED
Kathmandu, 1 June: One judge bench of Kathmandu district court Wednesday ordered a four-day detention by police of former Maoist brigade commander Govinda Bahadur Batala for investigation in an abduction charge..
Batala has been for abducting Ramhari Shresthalhewas found murdered in a Maoist camp in Chitwan under UN watch three years ago.
Batala was arrested Tuesday in Chitwan on abduction charge immediately after he completed a three-year jail term on murder case.
The wife of Shrestha had filed a charge of abduction.
Maoists Kali Bahadur Kham, Keshav Adhikari, Ganga Ram Thapa and Arjun Karki are missing.
nnnn
TOURIST ARRIVALS JUMP DESPITE STRIKES

Kathmandu, 1 June: Tourist arrivals in the first five months of 2011 jumped 23 per cent compared to the same period the previous year with the arrival of 208,137 visitors.

European arrivals increased 10.5 per cent while arrivals from Australia and New Zealand jumped 53 per cent and 129 per cent, respectively.


Altogether 52,489 foreign tourists departed from TIA in May 2011 while 51,610 flew in and 67,908 departed from TribhuvanINternational Airport (TIA) in May.
Altogether 39, 179 tourists flew in in May—a 47.1 percent jumped compared to the same month last year.
nnnn