TWO CHILDREN BURIED ALIVE, THREE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY LANDSLIDE IN SURKHET Kathmandu, 7 July: Two children of a same family were killed after a landslide caved in the house they were asleep. Gangaram BC's children, Bhadra BC, 14, and Dhanshara BC,10, died when the landslide fell upon his house at Chhapre VDC-6, Lokotchiuri in Surkhet district at around 4:30 am, on Saturday, RSS reports from Surkhet. Three other members of the family sustained critical injuries in the incident. Police have been sent to rescue and bring the injured members for treatment in Surkhet district headquarters, Birendranagar, said the District Administration Office sources. RSS nnnn MAOIST CHIEF CALLS FOR SUPPORT TO END POLITICAL CRISIS Kathmandu, 7 July: Chairman of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that support and contributions from all sides was a must to find a way out to the present political crisis in the country, RSS reports.. "We all are familiar about the situation facing the country at present and are also serious towards this and focused on giving an outlet to the country", said the Maoist Chairman. Releasing three books "Different Issues of Women (Chelibetika Beglai Kura), Feminism in the Nepali novels (Nepali Upanyasma Naribad) and Feminist Thought (Naribadi Soundarya Chintan) by Dr Sudha Tripathi, Dahal stressed the need of taking the issues of women liberation and movement ahead simultaneously. Tripathi's new creations in the Nepali literature would be important references not only for literary people and women but also the political leaders, he said. Underscoring the need of the 'book policy', he pledged to do his best from his respective capacity to bring the book policy. Vice Chancellor of Nepal Academy, Ganga Prasad Upreti, said the works by Tripathi are readable. Likewise, litterateur Khagendra Sangroula said the books are focused on reflecting the common woes of women. Similarly, Ramchandra Timothi said export of books has been difficult in the absence of the book policy. He urged the Maoist Chairman to take an initiative for preparing the book policy as early as possible. Sushma Sharma, critique Govinda Raj Bhattarai, Prof Dr Devi Prasad Gautam, Onsari Gharti and writer Tripathi put their opinions on the occasion. The books are published by the Bhrikuti Academic Publications. nnnn BAIDDYA CALLS FOR MANAGING FOREIGN INTERFERENCE Kathmandu, 7 July: Chairman of newly formed CPN-Maoist, Mohan Baiddya, has stressed the need of unity and alliance among the nationalist forces to check 'growing interference' from the Indian side, RSS reports. Releasing a book 'Why India Panics Nepal?'(Kina Pirolchha Bharat Nepallai) by Dr Chandraman Bajracharya amidst a programme here Saturday, leader Baiddya urged all the nationalist forces to come to a common ground to safeguard the nationality. Speaking on the current political developments in the country, Mr Baiddya refuted the possibility of both fresh elections to the Constituent Assembly and resurrection of the dissolved CA in the present situation. Underlining the need of the emergence of third stream in the politics of Nepal, he accused the major parties of getting involved in the power game. The Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) have been waiting for an opportunity to get the state power while the UCPN (Maoist) and the Madhes-centric parties have been attempting to continue the government, he said. Also speaking on the occasion, NC leader Bhim Bahadur Tamang said the demand for one Madhes one Province was wrong since the Terai is the residence of the people from Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Tharu community as well. Similarly, leftist leader Shanta Shrestha accused Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai of failing to strongly raise the issues of border encroachment before India. Border expert Dr Buddhi Narayan Shrestha stressed the need of raising the issues of border encroachment from the government side itself. RSS nnnn AFGHANISTAN DECLARED NON-NATOUS ALLY Kathmandu, 7 July: The Obama administration on Saturday declared Afghanistan the United States' newest "major non-NATO ally," an action designed to facilitate close defense cooperation after U.S. combat troops withdraw from the country in 2014 and as a political statement of support for Afghanistan's long-term stability, AP reports from Kabul. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made the announcement shortly after arriving in the country for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "We see this as a powerful commitment to Afghanistan's future," she said at a news conference in the grand courtyard of Kabul's Presidential Palace. "We are not even imagining abandoning Afghanistan." Clinton insisted that progress was coming incrementally but consistently to the war-torn nation after decades of conflict. "The security situation is more stable," she said. Afghan forces "are improving their capacity." At the news conference, Karzai welcomed Clinton to Kabul and thanked the U.S. for its continued support. Clinton repeated the tenets of America's "fight, talk, build" strategy for Afghanistan. The goal aims first to defeat dangerous extremists, win over Taliban militants and others willing to give up violence and help in the long reconstruction of Afghanistan ahead. Fighting still rages as Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces battle insurgents in the mostly eastern part of the country. Although casualties have fallen among foreign forces as the United States and other nations begin a gradual withdrawal, 215 coalition soldiers were killed in the first six months of the year — compared to 271 in the same period last year. Reconciliation efforts haven't gained steam, but Clinton said she was pleased to be meeting the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan together in Tokyo — a three-way relationship seen as key to stabilizing Afghanistan. From Kabul, Clinton and Karzai were heading separately to Japan for an international conference on Afghan civilian assistance. Donors were expected to pledge around $4 billion a year in long-term civilian support. Clinton stressed the importance of the pledges for civilian aid. Afghanistan's cash-strapped government is heavily dependent on foreign largesse, and any significant drop-off in financial assistance after 2014 could set back the country's development. Asked about the systemic corruption that has plagued the Afghan government, Clinton said the U.S. was working hard with Afghan authorities to eliminate fraud, mismanagement and abuse. She said the meeting in Tokyo would include accountability measures to ensure that money sent to Afghanistan benefits the Afghan people. "This is an issue the government and the people of Afghanistan want action on, and we want to ensure they are successful," Clinton said. Nations that once gave more generously to Afghanistan are now seeking guarantees that their taxpayer money will not be lost to corruption and mismanagement. International donors say that many promises to crack down on corruption have not been carried out. Some highly placed Afghan officials have been investigated for corruption but seldom prosecuted, and some of the graft investigations have come close to the president himself. In Tokyo, representatives from some 70 countries and organizations will establish accountability guidelines to ensure that Afghanistan does more to improve governance and finance management, and to safeguard the democratic process, rule of law and human rights — especially those of women. On the major non-NATO ally designation, Clinton said Afghanistan would have access to U.S. defense supplies and training and cooperation. "This is the kind of relationship that we think will be especially beneficial as we plan for the transition," she said. "It will help the Afghan military expand its capacity and have a broader relationship with the United States." Designating Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally was part of a Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by Presidents Barack Obama and Karzai in Kabul at the beginning of May. On July 4, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, and the country's foreign minister announced that the two countries had completed their internal processes to ratify the agreement, which has now gone into force. The declaration allows for streamlined defense cooperation, including expedited purchasing ability of American equipment and easier export control regulations. Afghanistan's military, which is heavily dependent on American and foreign assistance, already enjoys many of these benefits. The non-NATO ally status guarantees it will continue to do so. Afghanistan becomes the 15th such country the U.S. has declared a major non-NATO ally. Others include Australia, Egypt, Israel and Japan. Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan was the last nation to gain the status in 2004. nnnn