UPDATE PROTEST NOTE TO PM PASTED AT SINGHA DURBAR GATE KATHMANDU: Youth and students' associations agitating after the hike in the price of petroleum products pasted a protest letter at the South Gate of Singha Durbar, as they were barred to submit the letter to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday. The associations had to paste the letter at the Gate after the Prime Minister did not give time for the submission, said Niraj Acharya, General Secretary of Youth Association Nepal. With the big festivals of Nepalis approaching near, the government increased the petroleum price which irked the student associations affiliated to the opposition parties. They have given 24-hour ultimatum to the government to roll back the price hike decision. Acharya warned that they would launch vigorous protest if the government does not form a probe committee involving representatives of the student associations to investigate into the irregularities in the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation. The meeting of the associations on Monday had decided to demand withdrawal of the price hike decision by submitting a protest letter to the Prime Minister and Minister for Supplies. nnnn MORE IEDs FOUND ALEBAS: A powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) found at Badagaun Chur of Kushma Bazar in Parbat district on Tuesday morning has been defused, RSS reports from Alebas.. An Armed Police Force mine disposal squad deputed from the Muktinath Brigade defused the bomb in the afternoon. The IED found outside the premises of APF Chandika Battalion might have been planted there for the security of the battalion during the armed- conflict, according to chief of the squad Inspector Hira Bahadur GC. The bomb was recovered during the construction of roads with a help of a dozer. It was found wrapped in a plastic bag. Local children were about to take the plastic bag to their homes thinking that it was a money bag. However, the APF team was successful in averting any damage by taking control of the IED. Following the detection of the IED, an alternative route to the roadway from Balewa to Kushma Bazaar has been managed for the movement of people. nnnn