Kathmandu, April 30
Veteran Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala was today sworn-in as Prime Minister of the Himalayan Kingdom by King Gyanendra.

The oath-taking ceremony of 84-year-old Koirala took place at Narayanhiti Royal 
Palace this morning.

The King administered the oath of office to the Nepali Congress leader, whose 
swearing-in was delayed due to ill health. He was earlier scheduled to be 
sworn-in on Friday.

Crown Prince Paras was also present on the occasion, the the state-run Radio 
Nepal reported.

However, Royal Council Chairman Parashu Narayan Chaudhari was not invited at the oath-taking ceremony, according to sources close to the Koirala.

The King had appointed Mr Koirala as Prime Minister after the Opposition Seven-Party Alliance unanimously proposed his name for the top post following over two weeks of protest to demand restoration of democracy.

Mr Koirala, leading an all-party government, is expected to constitute a 15-member Cabinet later in the day, according to party sources.

Mr K.P. Sharma Oli, senior Politburo member of the Nepal Communist Party-UML, is likely to be included as Deputy Prime Minister.

Others likely to be included in the Koirala Cabinet are Nepali Congress General Secretary Ramchandra Poudyal, its central member Ramsharan Mahat, Nepali Congress (Democratic) acting president Gopal Man Shrestha and its general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi.

Mr Koirala will also attend the Parliament session this afternoon and is expected to address the meeting. — PTI

Boston, Apr 30
John Kenneth Galbraith, former ambassador to India and the a professor in Harvard, who won worldwide renown as a liberal economist, backstage politician and witty chronicler of affluent society, is dead, his son Alan Galbraith said. He was 97.

Galbraith died of natural causes last night at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, where he was admitted nearly two weeks ago.

During a long career, the Canadian-born economist served as adviser to Democratic presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, and was John F. Kennedy’s ambassador to India.

“He had a wonderful and full life,” his son said.

Galbraith, who was outspoken in his support of government action to solve social problems, became a large figure on the American scene in the decades after World War II.

He was one of America’s best-known liberals, and he never shied away from the 
label.

One of his most influential books, “The Affluent Society,” was published in 1958. Galbraith’s prose won admiration at the very top. When he was ambassador to India, Kennedy enjoyed his writing so much that he insisted on seeing all Galbraith’s cables.

Globe-trotting was a favourite activity of Galbraith, who spent time touring India 
during his tenure as ambassador. 

He wrote a factual account of his India years as well as a novel, ‘The Triumph,’ concerning what he called “an uncontrollably funny institution,” the US State Department. — AP

Islamabad, April 30
Pakistan has released a key aide to disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan after holding him for more than two years in a probe into a nuclear black market scandal, the military said today.

Authorities detained about a dozen men for questioning after the scandal involving the father of the Pakistan’s atom bomb came to light in 2003.

Later, all but Mohammad Farooq, director of procurement at a uranium-enrichment laboratory established by Mr Khan near Islamabad, were released.

Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said Farooq had been released last week.

“He has gone home. He has been advised to stay home and restrict his movements for the sake of his own security,” Sultan said without giving further details.

Mr Khan has been under house arrest since the investigation was launched against him and authorities last month tightened security at his home.

Khan, praised at home for his role in developing a nuclear weapon, confessed in 2004 in a televised address that he sold nuclear secrets to Libya, Iran and North Korea.

The government had sacked him as special adviser but President Pervez Musharraf pardoned him. —Reuters

Islamabad, April 30
Former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto had ordered in 1990 that F-16 fighter jets be kept ready to launch attacks on Indian nuclear facilities amid reports of a similar strike being planned by the US, India and Israel on it, a former Army Chief has claimed.

She had also dispatched her Foreign Minister Yaqoob Khan to New Delhi with a message that Islamabad would launch a counter-atttack on Indian nuclear facilities if New Delhi targeted Pakistani nuclear establishments, Former Pakistan army chief retired Gen Mirza Aslam Baig was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The Pakistan Government received intelligence reports that the three countries had hatched a conspiracy to attack Pakistan nuclear facilities in 1990, the paper quoted him as saying at a meeting in Hyderabad city yesterday.

General Baig, who recently floated the Awami Qayadat Party said when intelligence reports were passed on to the government, Ms Bhutto convened an emergency meeting which was attended by the then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and nuclear scientist A Q Khan. — PTI

Teheran, April 30
Iran’s promised today it would show “maximum cooperation” with a probe into its nuclear programme on condition the case was dealt with by the International Atomic Energy Agency and not the UN Security Council.

“We have said that we are ready to solve the questions through dialogue. If the IAEA and the Security Council commit for the case to remain at the IAEA, we are ready for maximum cooperation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. 

“But if they take radical measures, we will take measures as a consequence. If their decisions are reasonable, ours will be too. If their decisions are radical, ours will be too,” he added. 

Iran says it will allow United Nations inspectors to resume snap inspections of its nuclear facilities, but only if the dispute again goes before the UN nuclear monitor.

The White House rejected the offer which came yesterday as Iran apparently sought to avoid a full-blown UN debate over sanctions. — AFP 

London, April 30
There may be times when you just feel like aiming at your bosses face to vent your frustration. Well, hold on because now there is a better option, rather than risking your job by acting on impulse.

Two Chinese businessmen have offered themselves as human punchbags so fuming workers can blast them instead of the boss.

Zhang Li and Chen Jun let office staff slap them for 9 pounds a minute, although only women can use that service.

Workers of both sexes can yell insults at the pair for 7 pounds a minute, rather than risk their job by attacking managers.

The duo have had five clients in their first month - all well- paid office staff, 
Zhang told the Sun. — ANI