BHAT-BHATENI EXPANDS TO BOUDHA

BHAT-BHATENI SUPER STORE OUTLET AT BOUDHA

Kathmandu, 15 July: Bhat-Bhateni Super Store has opened another outlet at Chuchepati, Boudha, in the capital Friday.
One of the country’s first superstores started operations from Bhat-Bhateni and is rapidly expanding in and beyond the capital.
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FLOODED NARAYANI RIVER KILLS RHINO

Kathmandu, 15 July: The flooded Narayani river swept away and killed an old and sick male rhino in Chitwaan National Park.
The carcass was found downstream in neighbouring Nawalparasi.
There are 503 endangered and protected rhinos in the national park.
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TRADE, FINANCE, ECONOMY

VIBOR BIKASH BANK, BHAJURATNA FINANCE SAVINGS TO MERGE

Kathmandu, 15 July: Vibor Bikash Bank, and Bhajuratna Finance Savings, a class C finance company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Thursday.
The merged development bank and finance company will be named Vibor Bank
Nepal Rashtra Bank recently bailed out Vibor Bikash Bank that faced a severe financial crunch.
The merged institution will raise paid-up capital to Rs. 1.36 billion by issuing rights shares.
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SPORTS
TARA DEVI PUN SETS NATIONAL 69 KW WEIGHT CATEGORY CLEAN AND JERK

Kathmandu, 15 July: Tara Devi Pun of Nepal Police set a national record Thursday in the 69 kg clean and jerk women’s 69 kg weight category lifting 83 kg.
The recode was set during the First National Open Grand Prix Weightlifting Tournament at Dashrath Ranghashala
Pun broke a record of Jhanta Katuwal who lifted 82 kg
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MAOIST BOSS PUSHES CADIDACY OF RAM BAHADUR THAPA FOR PM

Kathmandu, 15 July: In a new twist to the ongoing intra-party power struggle, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stated that he would accept General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa as the party´s prime ministerial candidate, Post B.Basnet writes in Republica.
The Maoist chairman put forward such views at his residence in Nayabazaar during a meeting with a group of party´s Janajati leaders led by party politburo member Gopal Kirati.
“He said we spoke his mind when we requested the chairman that the party should forward Badalji´s [Thapa] name as the prime ministerial candidate,” Kirati told Republica. He said Dahal has asked him to talk to vice-chairmen duo Mohan Baidya and Dr Baburam Bhattarai and then to Thapa over the issue.

Interestingly, all those who met Dahal with the proposal are from his own faction and Kirati is said to be his trusted lieutenant. “We want Badalji to be the prime minister because he is a Janajati leader who is competent enough to run the country. And also, he is so humble,” Kirati said.

The leaders from the Baidya-Bhattarai alliance have smelt a rat in the proposal, terming it Dahal´s ploy to split the alliance backed by Thapa.

By floating Thapa´s name as the prime ministerial candidate, Dahal, the leaders claimed, has played a game to win Thapa´s allegiance to him. “By offering the carrot of premiership, the chairman wants to put Thapa in a difficult situation,” said a leader close to Bhattarai.

The Baidya faction has been more aggressive against Dahal for the latter´s “conspiracy to split the alliance” instead of seeking solutions.

“The party´s glory, dignity and revolutionary goals are being sold out at a cheap very cheap price,” said party politburo member Kul Prasad KC who is close to Baidya faction.

He said the chairman is playing games to divert the attention of the whole party and the people from real issues that have given rise to intra-party conflict.

Meanwhile, the Baidya and Bhattarai factions are yet to garner the support of majority members in the party central committee. Some of the Bhattarai faction´s “loyal members” including Dinanath Sharma, Giridharilal Neupane, Dilaram Acharya and Tej Prakash Kandel did not sign the paper that demands sharing of power in the party.

But leaders from the alliance have claimed that they would show a majority once the CC meet starts.

The party has scheduled the CC meeting for 2 pm Friday.
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