BRAHMIN SAMAJ CLOSES DOWN VALLEY Kathmandu, 17 May: Brahmin Samajm Chhetris, Dashnami and other groups and other groups opposed to an ethnic state renewed their nation-wide closure Thursday after failure of talks with government pressing implementation of mainly two demands. Brahmins along with Chhetris, the two largest caste groups, are demanding elisstment as indigenous people after being officially sidelined by government in ‘others’ category ‘after 2008. The groups their protests and pressure after for the second time after the first three-day closure which ended Saturday. A 20-day strike by advocates of a greater far-west region encompassing nine distrists was withdrawn but strikes by other groups continued nation-wide Thursday. Nnnn PRESIDENT CONSULTS CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYERS Kathmandu, 17 May: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Thursday morning consulted constitutional lawyers amid hopes a constitution will be prolumgated by 27 May. The role of the head of state in constitution promulgation and other issues were discussed. Nnnn REVENUE OFFICIAL SENTENCED BY SUPREME COURT Kathmandu, 17 May: A joint bench of the supreme court Wednesday sentenced Director of Inland Revenue Department (RID) Murari Bahadur Karki to a six-month jail term for possessing unaccounted wealth totaling Rs.3.61 million. Special court earlier cleared the CIAA charge on a technicality. The cae was revived by the apex court. The joint bench of Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi and woman Justice Sushila Karki issued the judgment. nnnn GOLD PRICE DIPS Kathmandu, 17 May: Gold price Wednesday dipped to Rs. 53,600 per tola Wednesday with fall of the price in the yellow metal in the international market. The billion market opened at Rs.54,400 per told Sunday. Nnnn AMATYAS RESIGN FROM SPORTS BODY Kathmandu, 17 May: Bimala Joshi Amatya resigned Wednesday as member of Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC), Women Commission and coordinator of Sports Commission protesting exclusion from the 2012 London Olympics. Husband Diwakar Lal Amatya also resigned later charging NOC of ‘misconduct’ with his wife. Joshi claimed she was listed as athletics coach for the forthcoming London Olympics. nnnn