SAARC MINISTERIAL POVERTY MEET STARTS Kathmandu, 4 April: A two-day third SAARC ministerial meeting on fighting poverty in South Asia began in the Nepalese capital Thursday. The meeting will review progress in fighting poverty in the region and discuss new pogrammes and challenges. Nepali team is led by Local Development Minister Bidhayadhar Mallick. nnnn. MANISHA KOIRALA TO FACE CAMERA IMMEDIATELY AFTER MUMBAI RETURN EXCERPTS Kathmandu, 4 April: Doctors want Manisha Koirala to face the camera, she wants resume Lenin’s film, agencies report out of Mumbai. The countdown has begun for the feisty actress to reclaim her life. According to sources, Koirala has been putting up a spirited fight against cancer, and no sooner than she hands in the city, she will resume work. She will first face the camera for an unfinished Malayalam film directed Rajendra Lenin.. nnnn SENIOR ADVOCATES DIVIDED OVER APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES Kathmandu, 4 April: Senor advocates were today [Wednesday] divided over the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court even though the apex court is yet to rule on sub-judice cases that have challenged the presidential decree that removed constitutional difficulties while appointing the interim election council of ministers led by Chairman Khil Raj Regmi, The Himalayan Times reports.. While discussing with Nepal Bar Association’s executive committee, senior advocates, former presidents and secretary generals of the umbrella organisation have expressed conflicting opinions on judges’ appointment. The NBA sought opinion from them at a time when the judges appointing body is doing its homework for appointing judges. “Despite seriousness of the cases, some seniors underlined the necessity of the appointments to deal with thousands of cases that have piled up as the right to justice of the people is being deprived,” Tikaram Bhattarai, vice president, NBA told The Himalayan Times. “We will stick to our opinion and advise accordingly,” Bhattarai said. The JC is discussing the issue with NBA tomorrow. The seniors also added that if NBA allow the JC to appoint in such a situation, it would go against NBA’s previous stance and also undermine judicial norms as the case was sub-judice in the apex court. Senior advocates Subas Nembang, Radheshyam Adhikary, Bishwokanta Mainali, Sindhunath Pyakurel, Prem Bahadur Khadka and Raman Shrestha attended the meeting. Nembang was against the appointment and suggested that JC should wait for the apex court verdict, while Adhikary emphasised on considering the rights of the common people to justice, according to a source. “Nembang claimed that appointments without deciding the case would be against the norms and values of justice, while Mainali suggested pragmatism as hundreds of cases were being postponed in the apex court everyday.” Nnnn LIST OF SICK INDUSTRIES PREPARED KATHMANDU, 4 April: The Industrial Promotion Division (IPD) has prepared a list of five industries to recommend them to the technical committee for sick industries facility, The Himalayan Times reports.. “A team of experts has prepared the list of five industries including Everest Floriculture, Basulinga Sugar Mill, Nepal Boards, Birat Leather and Birat Shoe,” said a member of the technical committee. “The team including representatives from Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN) has listed five sick industries among the applicants for the facility,” he added. IPD had assigned ICAN to coordinate the team of experts to observe and select sick industries for recommendation. Likewise, the team of technical experts has also completed its field observation tour of 20 different industries and is preparing to further classify them. The technical committee had earlier recommended a dozen industries. The reports of the 12 industries were based on their documents and observations by representatives of the committee after field visits, interaction with stakeholders and their bank transaction report. The recommended industries included wood and wire industries, Everest Floriculture, Nepal Board, Birat Shoes, Birat Leather, Bishesh Textile, Sumi Pharma, Fleur Himalayan, Basulinga Sugar Mill and Sirish Herbal. nnnn