PM INAUGURATES CLIMATE CHANGE MEET Kathmandu, 5 June: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday pledged to establish a fund to fight against the impacts climate change in the mountain countries and move ahead by preparing new work plans, RSS reports. Inaugurating a programme organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in the capital on the occasion of the World Environment Day today, the Prime Minister expressed his commitment to making a convincing, worldwide and common forum to the declaration made by ´Kathmandu Call for Action´. A two-day International Conference of Mountain Countries on Climate Change had concluded in Kathmandu on August 6 by issuing a 10-point ´Kathmandu Call for Action´. Saying Nepal would lead of the Least Development Countries Coordination Group on climate change for two, years starting 2013, the Prime Minister said that Nepal´s presence in dialogues and agreements over the issues would be made stronger and more effective. The PM said best possible steps would be taken to make the international agreements in favor of the LDCs by raising their issues strongly to open the doors of opportunities and possibilities of the mountain countries. Prime Minister said that Nepal would strongly put its issues for sustainable development, economic prosperity and environment conservation and balance in the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to be Rio de Janeiro of Brazil from 20-22 June nnnn GANG RAPE VICTIM IN BAJURA GETS RS.100,000 RELIEF Kathmandu, 5 June: The government has decided to constitute a talks team on its behalf to hold talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding the release of a grant assistance of 11 million US dollars from the ADB for the Waterware Project Preparation Facility. The meeting has decided to authorize the team to hold negotiations with the ADB in this regard, RSS reports. Government spokesperson and also Minister for Information and Communications, Raj Kishor Yadav, the Council of Ministers decided to provide Rs. 100,000 to Basanti Bohara, a gang rape victim of Baitadi district, for her medical treatment. The amount would be handed over to her through her father Ram Singh Bohara. Basanti was gang raped in April while appearing in the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations at the Shree Krishna Higher Secondary School, Patan exam centre in Baitadi district. The Council of Ministers at its meeting today [Tuesday] also decided to approve the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to setting up the Nepal Chair at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) prepared by the Ministry of Education. Nnnn NORWEGIAN MINISTER URGES CONSENSUS Kathmandu, 5 June: Visiting Norwegian Minister for International Development Hekai Helmas has urged the political parties in Nepal to move ahead on the basis of national consensus to give new constitution to the people on time. Speaking at a press meet in the Capital on Tuesday, Minister Helmas expressed his hope that the political parties here would be able to promulgate the new constitution as soon as possible to protect the achievements of the past movements for change. With his concern over the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly without promulgating the new constitution, the Norwegian Minister pledged to continue the support from the Norwegian Government to Nepal for political stability, peace, and development in the future, too. On the occasion, Minister Helmas said that during his Nepal stay, he met with various political leaders including Prime Minister and UCP-Maoist Vice Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and discussed on the issues relating to bilateral cooperation and current political situation in Nepal. Stating that three are possibilities and opportunities for the social and economic development in Nepal, Minister Helms said any nation could move towards prosperity with the maximum utilisation of the hydro power sector. He added that he would again come to Nepal to join the celebrations of the promulgation of the new constitution. nnnn