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India ready to help Nepal in poll process: Menon
Nepal politician killed
Deadlock in talks with Pervez
Sunita to encourage kids in India
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Sikh lawyer to lose Canadian honour
NRIs honoured
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India ready to help Nepal in poll process: Menon
While major political parties and Maoists in Nepal have locked horns over the 22-point preconditions for the Constituent Assembly (CA) poll, Indian foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon said that India was ready to extend any support that needs to make the election a success.
Following his two-day consultations with Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, senior politicians and officials here on Sunday Menon said, "India will support and assist the transition to a democratic, inclusive, stable and prosperous Nepal." He also added that India has consistently believed that the election (on November 22) would allow the people of Nepal to choose the manner in which they wished their country to be governed by giving themselves a new constitution. Earlier this morning while meeting with PM Koirala, it is learnt that he discussed with Koirala about the ongoing preparations made for November 22 elections to the constituent assembly, finding lasting solution to the Terai crisis, security arrangement in Terai and sealing of the southern border during the polls. Before returning to Delhi, Menon met speaker Subas Nemwang, foreign minister Sahana Pradhan, chief election commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokharel, among others and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest. Immediately after arriving in Kathmandu on Saturday afternoon, Menon held discussions with Nepalese Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoist chairman Prachanda and Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai. While meeting with Maoists leadership, which has been insisting other political parties to abolish 240-year-old monarchy and to declare Nepal a republic before going for the November 22 poll, Menon has been learnt to have reiterated India's stance that the fate of monarchy should be decided only by the people through the ballot. Meanwhile, in the course of meeting with chief election commissioner this morning, Menon expressed commitment to assist Nepal by providing electronic voting machines that the Election Commission is going to use over 200 machines in the Kathmandu constituency number one for the test.
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Nepal politician killed
The local administrations have imposed an indefinite curfew in major cities and surrounding areas of Kapilvastu district and Butwal of Rupandehi district in western tarai following the killing of a local politician, Mohit Khan, by an unidentified armed group on Sunday.
Chief district officer of Kapilvastu district Narendra Dahal said an indefinite curfew had been clamped in Kapilvastu Municipality and nearby villages from 1:30 pm to control the situation. Meanwhile, the irate demonstrators killed a policeman, Hasan Puri, while he was returning to his room after doing his duty. Local residents in Krishnanagar and Chandrauta resorted to vandalism, torched hundreds of houses, dozen of vehicles and scuffled with the police, protesting against the merciless killing of Khan. Sources said Khan was a former member of a retaliatory group formed against Maoist rebels during the insurgency period. According to a local correspondent of an English daily, two unidentified persons on a motorcycle shot dead Khan in Taulihawa, the district headquarters of Kapilvastu, at around 8:30 am. The murder sparked protests among local residents, who clashed with the police and set afire dozens of shops and vehicles. Local residents have claimed that the two involved in Khan’s killing were Maoist cadres. Meanwhile, immediately after the incident, the violence spread to Butwal, neighbouring district of Kapilvastu, where angry protesters targeted public and private vehicles, shops and government offices. Citing possible religious and communal violence, the local administration imposed a curfew in Butwal as well. The police claimed that some armed criminal gang from across the southern border had infiltrated into the demonstration to instigate mayhem.
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Thais eye Everest for king’s birthday gift
Kathmandu, September 16 TITV, one of Thailand's main broadcasters, is planning the loftiest birthday gift anyone can ever hope to have - the first Thai expedition to Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world. A nine-member Thai team, supported by Nepali Sherpas, aims to plant on the 8,848-metre summit the national flag, a Buddhist flag and a flag with the royal emblem. "No Thai has ever scaled Mt Everest," TITV said in its letter to Nepal's culture, tourism and civil aviation ministry. "Also, we want to climb from Nepal and not Tibet since Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha. The king's birthday is in December. A nine-member expedition has to pay a whopping royalty fee of $90,000. TITV estimates that the climb will altogether cost it about $450,000. It plans to cover the event from the beginning of the training sessions in August to the ultimate summit, planned in October. However, with a growing clamour for the abolition of monarchy in Nepal, the ministry has turned down the request to waive or reduce the fee, saying the regulations have no such provision. Only Nepali expeditions or joint expeditions with Nepali climbers are eligible for such concessions. Though there was a media furore that the Nepal government is considering offering "off season discounts" on the world's most coveted mountain during autumn - when there are fewer teams - to promote mountaineering, Khadanand Dhakal, under secretary at the tourism department, said it was too premature. "However, the panel just held its first meeting Friday and will take some time to study the aspects and give its recommendations." Discount or no discount, the Thai team is still planning to go ahead with the expedition.
— IANS
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Deadlock in talks with Pervez
Pakistan People’s Party chairwoman Benazir Bhutto has said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) leadership is responsible for the deadlock in her talks with Gen Pervez Musharraf.
Bhutto said the PML-Q in general and its president Chaudhry Shujaat in particular do not want to see democracy restored in the country. "They have obstructed the progress”, she told Sindh TV in an interview. Bhutto said the PML-Q was afraid that the restoration of democracy would bring the PPP to power. Bhutto said the PPP was willing to form a coalition government with other parties that shared its views for a peaceful restoration of democracy. She expressed the hope that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) would not create any hurdles on her arrival, as there was a possibility of power sharing with the MQM following the general election.
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Sunita to encourage kids in India
US astronaut Sunita Williams plans to use her forthcoming visit to India to generate interest in space among schoolchildren.
Williams is scheduled to leave for India on September 19. In an interview, Williams said she would visit a number of cities to meet friends, family and schoolchildren to share her experience. Gujarat’s CM Narendra Modi had been hesitant to applaud Williams’ achievements because of his bitter rivalry with her slain cousin, Haren Pandya of the Bharatiya Janata Party. But now he, too, is rolling out the red carpet for her. Pandya’s father, Vitthal, has blamed Modi for the ‘political murder’ of his son. Williams, however, declined to discuss the controversy. “I just want to share my experience with as many folks as possible,” Williams said, adding, “I realise not everyone gets this opportunity and hope to generate some more interest in space among the next generation.” “I would like kids to understand that they are the next generation of explorers ,” she said. Despite the grand reception that awaits her, she does not feel like a hero. “I am just another person involved in the space business,” said a modest Williams. She hopes to encourage children to take interest in mathematics, science and technology to become explorers as well. Williams set a record for the most time spent in space by a woman when she surpassed Shannon Lucid’s 188 days, 4 hours record set in 1996. She also became the record-holder for the most time spent by a woman outside a spacecraft by completing four spacewalks with a total time of 29 hours and 17 minutes.
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Sikh lawyer to lose Canadian honour
Toronto, September 16 The Governor-General’s office said that the advisory council of the Order of Canada, will reconsider the 2002 investiture of Sher Singh when it meets this fall. “The advisory council ... will review the matter at its earliest opportunity,”Marie Paule Thorn, a spokesperson for Governor-General Michaklle Jean, said. Singh’s 2002 citation from the Governor-General’s office said the honour was in recognition of his “vast record of public service.” Singh, who lives and practiced in Guelph, was disbarred over allegations that he failed to serve his clients, mishandled trust funds, took $2,000 from a client and practiced law after he had already been suspended by the law society in November,2005.
— PTI
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NRIs honoured
London, September 16 The IOC lauded the work of Madanjit Singh, managing director of Punjab National Bank (International) Limited, and entrepreneurs T. S Garewal and Sukhdev and hailed growing ties between the India and UK last night. The other two receiving the recognition were writer and journalist Chamanlal Chaman and J. S Sandhu, a builder who is also known for his philanthropy.
— PTI
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Cruise sexiest ‘small man’
London, September 16 The five-foot-seven-inches (1.7 metres) Cruise, who is shorter than his wife Katie Holmes and ex-wife Nicole Kidman, beats British TV presenter Richard Hammond and actor Mark Owen to take the top spot. Also in the top 10 sexiest small males were Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton, jazz star Jamie Cullum, actor James MCAvoy and English soccer ace Michael Owen.
— IANS
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