THREE HELD IN SUSPECTED MURDER CASE IN LALITPUR

SUSPECTED MURDER CASE IN LALITPUR, THREE HELD

Kathmandu, 3 Dec.: Three persons have been arrested for questioning
After Juju Kazi Bajracharyam d,24, was found dead Saturday morning at a jewelry shop at Pulchowk.
His hands and legs were tied.
Murder is suspected.
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HONG KONG SETS NEPAL A TARGET OF 115 RUNSS IN ASS TWENTY20

Kathmandu, 3 Dec.: Kong Kong set Nepal a target of 115 runs in the ACC Twenty20 Championship being played at TU Cricket Ground Kirtipur Saturday.

Hong Kong won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions and scored 114 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.

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MORE DETAILS MANAHARA DECLARED BIRD FLU INFESTED AREA





Kathmandu, 3 Dec.: The government Friday declared Manohara area at Lokanthali in Bhaktapur as bird-flu affected zone, The Rising Nepal reports.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers announced the human settlement areas that comprise of eastern part of Lokanthali, western side of Manohara, landless squatters’ settlement in the northern side of Manohara, and southern belt that touches the Araniko Highway as bird-flu-hit zone.
Emerging from the cabinet meeting, government spokesperson, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that the government initiated a plan to control the epidemic in an effective and prompt manner as per direction from the concerned stakeholders.
"The government would further take necessary measures to control the disease that started from Manohara area," Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha said.
The government decided to accept grant assistance of Rs. 27.6 million to be provided by South Korean government for the establishment of technical training centre at the Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel.
Similarly, the government accepted a grant assistance of Rs. 5 million to be provided by South Korea government for improvement of Tikapur Health Service Centre in Kailali district.
Likewise, the government extended the term of the probe committee, formed to look into Faizan Ahmed’s shooting case, for one month. The term of the probe committee ended on December 1.
Similarly, the government decided to give economic assistance of Rs. 10,000 each to 12 Badi families residing in Bajhang district.
The government also promoted Deepak Prasad Bastola to the post of colonel (technical) from Lieutenant Colonel of Nepal Army, Devendra Bahadur Khatri to a post of colonel from lieutenant colonel and Yadav Dev Deuja to a post of Brigadier General from Colonel working in account section of the Nepal Army. Meanwhile, in Banepa the District Livestock Services Office, Kavre, has declared high alert against bird flu in the district.
Chief of the office Dr. Keshav Achhami said effective monitoring has been intensified in the disease-prone areas.
The office has formed a committee in the convenorship of Dr. Hari Kumar Raghu Shrestha.
Dr. Achhami said the office has adopted high alert in Bhakunde, Dolalghat, Panchkhal, Mahadevsthan, Nala, Banepa and other regions where commercial poultry farming is done.
However, no case of H5N1 virus that causes bird flu has been seen in the district so far.

REVIEW LICENSING POLICY WB SUGGESTS

Kathmandu, 3 Dec.: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, on Friday suggested that the Government of Nepal should review the licensing and regulatory process on business operation for attracting investments to the country, The Rising Nepal reports.
Presenting a report on ‘Unleashing Private Sector Potential: Licensing and Regularity Reform in Nepal’ at the National Planning Commission (NPC) Hall on Friday, a representative of the IFC called for reducing hassles on the licensing process, which would encourage the investors.
The IFC report suggested that the government should make the high-level working plan to reform the tradition of licensing process.
As the traditional licensing process costlier and more time-taking for getting permission for businesses and FDI, it has affected the entrepreneurship of entrepreneurs.
In the course of preparing the report, the IFC studied the licenses of 125 companies issued by 41 institutions.
The report has recommended for focusing

on business reforms, streamlining licenses, simplifying business taxation, and trade facilitation for investment.
Madhav Ghimire, Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, said that the government was ready to review licensing processes and regulations for making them more investor-friendly.
He said, "We have to reduce the existing hassles in the licensing process for attracting more investments to the country. "The government is committed to reviewing the process as per the report’s recommendation," he said.
He said that they had to identify the existing problems related to the process and work towards simplifying it.
Lila Mani Poudel, Secretary at the Prime Ministry Office, said, "We have to create an investment-friendly friendly environment in the country for luring FDI as well as promoting domestic investments."
He said that the government would ensure the security of investments and address problems facing the investors.
Secretaries of the various ministries, who also attended the meeting, emphasized the need for improving the licensing system and facilitating investors and enhancing CAPACITY OFPROJECTS.
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URBANIZATION RATE HIGHEST IN NEPAL





Kathmandu, 3 Dec.: Urbanization and migration of rural population to cities has emerged as a challenge in Nepal posing problems of waste management, air pollution, vehicle congestion, security and management, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speakers at a national population debate organized by Ministry of Health and Population here on Friday said that policy changes are necessary to stop the increasing migration of rural people to the urban areas because this is creating pressure in the cities and towns.
The urbanization rate of Nepal is 6.4 per cent which is highest in Asia. About 20 per cent population lives in the urban areas. People move to the cities for better facilities but overpopulated urban settlements have created their own problems.
Some speakers spoke about the boon of the urban life but others highlighted the multiple problems brought about by rising urbanization. But all of them converged at one point- that better managed city is worth living for all.
Secretary of Ministry of Health and Population Dr Praveen Mishra said that the country requires stern policies for addressing the rising problems of urbanization.
"Lack of youth oriented programmes has contributed for rapid pace of urbanization at the country that can be filled This problem can be addressed by bringing youth focused policies and programmes," said Mishra.
Regional technical advisor of UN-HABITAT Bhusan Tuladhar said that the high consumption habit of the urban residents needs more resources which ultimately degrade environmental quality.
However, Tuladhar said that urbanization cannot be described as a single reason behind degradation of environment. "We are developing six lane roads to cater to the rising number of vehicles but we are limiting the size of footpath."
Citing recycling, composting and land filling facilities at Karauti Danda of Dang district as a good model of solid waste management, Tuladhar urged all to use bio-gas, rain water harvesting system, recycling and composting measures for saving the environment.
The problem of waste disposal has increased because we are not recycling the solid waste and focusing only on dumping. This is one of the reasons of degrading environment, he said.
President of the Association of Youth Organizations Nepal Pradeep Pariyar said that migration of youth from villages to the district headquarters, and district headquarters to the capital.
Yogendra Gurung from Central Department for Population Study said that increase in population is not a problem in itself because

it can be a useful resource.
"Proper utilization of population can bring economic growth," he added.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Hem Raj Tater Friday expressed his hope that he would succeed to control many environmental hazards during his tenure at the Ministry. .
Addressing a seminar on "Quality Environmental Journalism" organized by Center for Public Health and Environmental Pollution (CEPHED) and Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists (NeFEJ), Minister Tater stated that the ministry was working to reduce the environmental pollutions in many ways.
"Now the ministry is working to control the unmanaged settlements of the river banks in Kathmandu," Tater informed.
He further informed that the ministry was studying about the exhaust fume pollution control equipment.
"If the equipment works well as reported, the ministry will make it mandatory for all to install the equipment," he said.
Vinaya Kasaju, chief of National Information Commission said that the media were putting the environmental issues under shadow as they attached more importance to political issues.
He said that the media workers should work responsibly as media are strong mediums for increasing public awareness to control environmental pollution and its effects.
Former Registrar at the Supreme Court (SC) Dr. Ram Krishna Timilsina stressed need to seeking sustainable solution to negative impacts of environment pollution on general public.
Executive director of the CEPHED Ram Charitra Sah said the seminar was organized with the purpose of providing factual information on the impact of pollution on a person.
Minister Tater also released Nepali edition of Public Health, Community Direction published by Hesperian, USA.
Likewise, Kasaju released Fact Sheets of 22 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) published jointly by CEPHED, Global Environment Facility, The GEF Small Grants Programme and UNDP.
CEPHED officials said that both books would be useful to create public awareness about environmental health.
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