ANOTHERVICTORY FOR GOVINDA PRASAD MAINALI IN JAPANESE COURT Kathmandu, 31 July: Tokyo High Court Tuesday rejected a prosecutor’s objection to grant a retrial for Govinda Prasad Mainali. A charge against Mainali was rejected after serving part of a 15-year sentence for murder and rape of a Japanese woman in Tokyo. Mainali was convicted by a court 1997 but was found innocent after DNA tests. The Nepali from Ilam entered Japan illegally and returned home with his wife and two daughters 7 June. Nnnn SAPTARI FARMERS DEMAND DISTRICT BE DECLARED DROUGHT-HIT Kathmandu, 31 July: Farmers in Saptari district have demanded that their district be declared a drought-affected area. A gathering of farmers at the BP Secondary School, Bhardaha took a decision to this effect. Hundreds of farmers from a dozen Village Development Committees (VDCs) attended the farmers' assembly, RSS reports. The gathering concluded that drought-like condition persisted in Saptari district as there was no adequate rain this year and demanded that the district be declared a drought-affected area. Farmers also demanded that the government provide a compensation of Rs 50,000 per bigaha of land. Similarly, the gathering called for the supply of fertilizers an accessible manner, for providing diesel, petrol and other agricultural implements at subsidized rate, making provisions for issuing farmers' cards and appointment of agriculture extension workers in villages. nnnn