Sushil blames Maoists for deadlock, polls delay

Acting president of the Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala has blamed the Maoists of their resistive stand on demands that brought deadlock in the political process.
Speaking at the national gathering of the Nepal Press Union on Friday, Koirala said his party now has no inch to go ahead for consensus on the issues raised by the communist parties.
Koirala also blamed Maoists for the failure of holding the CA polls for the second time in pretext of Nepali Congress not agreeing with republic and their other agendas. He said his party was not an obstacle to establishing republic.
Expressing concern over the increasing attacks and intimidation of journalists, Koirala appraised that journalists are the first pillars to institutionalising democracy.
Speaking at the same programme, President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Bishnu Nisthuri urged the journalists for unity for security. He flayed the government for failure to bring those involved in targeting journalists to book.

No bird flu here, say officials

At a time when bird flu has hit parts of West Bengal of India, which also borders Nepal, officials here have said that the dreaded disease has not arrived in the country.
But they have warned that the disease could enter into the country if proper precautions are not taken.
“Bird flu has not been seen in Nepal. But we cannot be complacent,” Dr. Baikuntha Parajuli, director of Livestock Health Directorate, told today.
He said that experts would immediately be dispatched to any area reporting unusually high mortality of birds and chicken.
He informed that chicken that recently died in hundreds in Jhapa district had not suffered from bird flu but quite another disease.

CA election is the most important step: Mukherjee

The Indian ambassador to Nepal has pointed out that upcoming election for the Constituent Assembly (CA) is ‘the most important step’ in the current journey, which Nepal is taking.
“A free and fair election to the Constituent Assembly, which will give Nepal and its people their new social, economic and political future, remains the most important step in this journey,” Shiv Shankar Mukherjee has said in a statement he issued on the occasion of 59th Republic Day of India, on Saturday.
“As Nepal turns a new chapter in its history, India has expanded its existing cooperation with Nepal and is rendering all possible assistance for the success of the peace process,” he said.
Ambassador Mukherjee also reiterated India’s commitment to contribute to meeting ‘the requirements of Nepal and the friendly people of Nepal in their historic quest and endeavour.

EU troika delegation to visit Nepal

With the objective of pressing the political parties to work together to meet the demands that people of Nepal have expressed for change and peace an EU troika delegation will visit Nepal from December 3 to 6.
"The aim of the visit is to express continued EU support for Nepal's peace process and to encourage the parties to work together to meet the demands that the people of Nepal have expressed for change and peace. An essential part of this will include free and fair elections," states a press release by the EU.
"The Troika will offer its support to the Government to put in place the key building blocks of the peace process to enable credible elections at the earliest opportunity. These include improvement of public security, discussion on the future of Maoist combatants, an end to impunity for human rights abuses, progress on development and dialogue with marginalised groups," it adds.

UML MPs criticise their leaders for divergent views

The lawmakers of UML, on Friday, took their leaders to task over the ‘divergent’ views regarding the issue of implementation of proposals on republic and PR system.
At the meeting held at the party’s parliamentary party office, the MPs urged the leaders to clarify the actual wordings and intention of the proposal on republic passed by the special session of the parliament. They complained that the Maoists were making their own interpretations about the proposal. The UML’s proposal on republic was supported by the Maoists while the Maoists’ proposal on PR system was supported by the UML during the special session.
“The MPs have urged to shed light on the UML’s proposal in straight manner,” said UML standing committee member Jhal Nath Khanal, adding, “They also urged the leadership to reach to political resolution soon and pave the way for election.”

Don't ask for leadership change ahead of polls: NC

A day after the major four communist parties agreed on reshuffling the current cabinet including replacing the government leadership, Nepali Congress has asked not to raise any other issues ahead of the constituent assembly polls.
The party has asked the communists groups to concentrate on holding polls at the earliest to achieve the mandate given by Jana Andolan II.
During an informal meeting of the party leaders held on Saturday morning, NC leaders criticised the Maoists and the UML for raising issue of leadership change that would put the agenda of constituent assembly polls under shadow.
The Congress leaders held the meeting ahead of the seven party meeting to discuss the political impasse. The top leaders of the ruling alliance and the Maoists are scheduled to meet this afternoon to make another round of effort to end the deadlock.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who attended the meeting briefly, expressed hope of solving the impasse after the meeting of the top leaders.

Britney Spears' purported plans to adopt twins?

Still reeling from those tabloid tales of Britney Spears' purported plans to adopt twins? Then you'd better grab a double dose of Dramamine, because you're gonna feel woozy after getting a gander at the latest cover of In Touch.
"Yes, she's pregnant!" the mag terrifyingly declares. "Ultrasounds, her excited e-mails to friends -- now the father of Britney's third child confirms it's true."
(That sound you hear is either your brain melting or the approaching hoofbeats of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Your call.)
The kicker, according to a source, is that Sean Preston and Jayden James' court-monitored mess of a mommy "won't be happy unless it's a girl."
The supposed daddy-to-be? Music producer and onetime Spears paramour J.R. Rotem, who is quoted as saying of the spawn speculation, "It's true."

experts stress more efforts to attain durable peace

Today, November 21, is the first anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) between the then Koirala led seven party government and Maoists which officially ended decade long people's insurgency and brought the Maoists into the mainstream of national politics.
The signing of the CPA with Maoists promising to come to the peaceful politics had paved the way for the drafting of the interim constitution and culminated in former rebels joining the government in April, 2007 (only to leave it after a few months).
The CPA was signed with both sides agreeing to abide by the letter and spirit of the 12-point agreement, the peace code of conduct and promising to establish competitive multi-party democratic system of governance while respecting civil liberty, human rights, full press freedom. During the time they had also vowed to build a "New Nepal" after restructuring the state. Above all they promised Constituent Assembly election to write a new constitution.

carter in kathmandu

former us president jimmy carter reached kathmandu today .this is his third visit in nepal and stay four days .former us president jimmy carter said that he wished to see political parties forging consensus to improve the law and order situation and holding the elections to the ca at earliest posible .thursday mr carter meet with the prime minister girija prasad koirala in baluwatar . he again emphasis to do the election as soon as possible .carter has planned to meet other politicalparty too.

Experts warn of 'abrupt' warming

After arduous talks in Valencia, Spain, scientists agreed a document they hope will shape debate on the next phase of the fight against climate change.
It declared the fact of global warming "unequivocal", and said it may bring "abrupt and irreversible" impacts.
The text will be officially launched by UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Saturday.
Delegates to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) summarised thousands of pages of scientific analysis, bringing together elements of the three reports already released this year, on the science of climate change, impacts and adaptation, and options for mitigating the problem.
"This is the strongest report yet by the IPCC - but says that there is still time to act," Bill Hare, an Australian climate scientist and one of the authors, told Reuters.

KMC garbage trucks stopped again by Sisdol locals

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) today started collecting the heaps of stinking garbage, which had remained piled up in the major thoroughfares and streets of the city for the past one week, causing serious eyesore and possible health risks for the city dwellers.
But KMC garbage trucks were again stopped from dumping the city waste in the Sisdol landfill site by the locals despite an agreement they reached with the KMC and Young Communist Leauge (YCL) representatives Tuesday for allowing the same.
The Sisdol locals are saying that they would allow the garbage trucks to transport the garbage to the landfill site only after the YCL’s Lalitpur secretary Navaraj Dhungana public apologises as per yesterday's understanding.

Prachanda hints split in SPA

A day after the Nepali Congress decided to stand by its decision against implementing the decisions passed by the special session of the interim parliament, Maoist chairman hinted at further polarisation in the political circle.
Speaking at a programme organised by Maoist affiliated Revolutionary Journalists Association (RJA) in Ghorahi of Dang on Wednesday morning, Prachanda said the reluctance of the government to implement the decision would change the political scenario of the country leading to further polarization. He blamed Nepali Congress of not being serious towards the peace process.
He repeated his party's position that constituent assembly elections is of less priority over announcing republic. "Holding constituent assembly elections is impossible without announcing republic first," he said.

government provides Rs 1 million to shsh's family

The government has decided to provide Rs 1 million, as relief assistance, to the family of journalist Birendra Shah, who was murdered in Bara by Maoist cadres after abduction.
A cabinet meeting held at the PMO Wednesday afternoon took the decision to this effect.
The government announcement came after relentless pressure from various media groups including the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and Press Chautari Nepal.
The dead body of Shah, who was murdered on the day of his abduction five weeks earlier, was recovered on November 8.

माओवादी चुनाव हुन नदिने रणनीतिमा- मन्त्री

पर्यटन मन्त्री पृथ्विसुब्बा गुरुङले माओवादी संविधान सभा चुनाव कुनै हालतमा हुननदिने रणनीतिमा रहेको बताएका छन् । कार्तिक २४ गते राजधानीमा आयोजित एउटा कार्यक्रममा बोल्दै एमालेबाट मन्त्री भएका गुरुङले चुनाव हुन नदिनै माओवादीले सरकार छाडेको तथा सरकारमा नफर्किएको पनि धारणा राखे । संविधान सभा चुनाव हुने वातावरण बनेमा माओवादीले त्यसलाई भाड्न संसद छाड्नसक्ने दावी पनि मन्त्री गुरुङले गरे ।
मन्त्री गुरुङले संविधान सभा चुनाव माओवादीसहित या माओवादी बाहेक रोज्नुपर्ने स्थिति आएको धारणा कार्यक्रममा राखे । 'माओवादीसहितको चुनाव म असम्भव देखिरहेको छु' मन्त्री गुरुङले भने, 'माओवादीबाहेकको चुनाव कठिन हुनेछ, तर, खुर्सानीवेगर भतेर रोकिदैन भन्ने हामी सबैलाई थाहा छ ।' मन्त्री गुरुङले माओवादीले संविधान सभाको चुनाव हुननदिन राजासंग हात मिलाएको आफूले सुनेको पनि कार्यक्रममा बताएका थिए ।
गुरुङले संसदबाट पारित प्रस्ताव कार्यन्वयन गर्न सरकार वाध्य नहुने पनि बताए । एमालेबाट मन्त्री भएका प्रदीप नेपालले पनि संसदबाट पारित प्रस्ताव अवैधानिक भएकाले कार्यन्वयन गर्न सरकार वाध्य नहुने बताइसकेका छन् । उता एमाले महासचिव माधवकुमार नेपालले भने सात दलबीचको सहमतिमा संसदबाट पारित प्रस्ताव सरकारले कार्यन्वयन गर्नुपर्ने बताउदै आएका छन् । माओवादी प्रस्ताव अवैधानिक भए पनि उसलाई संसद छाड्ने निहुँ नदिन उसको प्रस्ताव दर्ता गरिएको मन्त्री गुरुङको धारणा थियो