PM Koirala's health improving

Amidst rising concerns over his health condition in the country, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met with media-persons in his official residence in Balulwatar Wednesday.
PM Koirala who is under close observation of doctors from the past 11 days met three media persons including a television reporter and a photo journalist to dispel worries about his health among the people. "I am sure you are assured (about my health) now?" the ailing 84-year-old leader asked,"Now you can go."
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Sitting in a chair donning a overcoat, Daura Suruwal and his trademark Bhadgaule topi, Koirala was taking artificial oxygen through a breathing device as he spoke to the journalist.
Immediately after this doctors involved in his treatment held a press conference in Baluwatar and informed that the prime minister's health is improving.

Student union election postponded

The meeting of the Steering Committee of the Seven Party Alliance has decided to put on hold the election of Free Student Unions (FSU).
The meeting held at CPN-Maoist head office in Buddhangar decided to ask student organisations to suspend the FSU election as it could affect the constituent assembly elections. The CPN-UML leaders, however, insisted that the FSU polls should take place.
The Maoist side proposed to suspend the campus election taking into consideration the need to intensify the CA polls campaigning, emphasising that the students should also actively take part in it.
Nepali Congress and other smaller parties raised no objection to the proposal to stall the FSU polls.
however, student organisations have not yet reacted to the Steering Committee's decision.

33,000 refugees to be resettled by 2009

The Kathmandu-based representatives of the Core Group of Nations working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to support the refugees from Bhutan has stated that in 2008 more than 13,000 refugees will be resettled from Nepal.
"By the end of 2009, we hope that an additional 20,000 or more refugees who have chosen resettlement will be starting new lives in the United States, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere," said a statement issued on Wednesday by US Ambassador to Nepal Nancy J Powell as Chair of the Core Group of Nations -- Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the US.
The Core Group has emphasized that the offer of resettlement goes hand in hand with continuing efforts to urge the government of Bhutan to accept the return of the refugees. "Repatriation and local integration are recognized by all of us as being equally desirable durable solutions," said Powell in the statement.
The Core Group nations and other nations have extended the offer of resettlement as a durable humanitarian solution for the refugees only after many years of attempts by the governments of Nepal and Bhutan to negotiate a repatriation solution, Powell said.

पेट्रोलियम पदार्थको मूल्य बृ‌द्धि दुई दिनमै फिर्ता

तीव्र दबाबपछि सरकारले इन्धनको भाउ बढाउने आफ्नो निर्णय दुई दिनमै फिर्ता लिएको छ।सत्ताधारी दलहरुसँग सम्बद्ध विद्यार्थी संगठनहरुकै अगुवाइमा भएका विरोध प्रदर्शनहरु नियन्त्रणभन्दा बाहिर जाने स्थिति देखा परेपछि सरकारको यो निर्णय आएको छ। सोमबार मध्यरात देखि मट्टितेल, डिजेल र खाना पकाउने ग्यासको भाउ ९ देखि २० प्रतिशतले बढाइएको थियो। केही दिनदेखि अस्वस्थ रहेका प्रधानमन्त्रीको अनुपस्थितिमा बुधबार बसेको मन्त्रिपरिषदको अनौपचारिक बैठकले निर्देशन दिएपछि नेपाल आयल निगमले भाउ बृद्धि फिर्ता लिएको थियो।

निगमका कार्यकारी निर्देशक दिगम्बर झाले भने, “यो निर्णय व्यापारिक भन्दा राजनीतिक उद्देश्यले प्रेरित छ, अराजक तत्वले चुनाव बिथोल्न सक्ने भएकाले यो राजनीतिक फैसला गरिएको हो।“ तीन महिनामा इन्धनको भाउ दोश्रो पटक बढाइएपछि भएको विरोध प्रदर्शन प्रहरी नियन्त्रणभन्दा बाहिर जाने संकेत देखिएको थियो। भाउ बढेको समाचार सार्वजनिक भएको पहिलो दिनको बिहान सबेरैदेखि विद्यार्थीहरुले विरोधमा टायर र काठका मुढा बालेर सडक तताएका थिए। कतिपय ठाउँमा सामान्य मानिसहरुले पनि प्रदर्शनमा भाग लिएका थिए।

दोश्रो दिन बुधबार पनि त्यही दृश्य दोहोरिएको थियो। तर दिन ढल्किंदै जाँदा धेरै ठाउँमा स्थिति निकै तनावग्रस्त बनेको थियो।ठाउँ-ठाउँमा प्रदर्शनकारी र प्रहरीबीच झडपहरू भएका थिए।
अघिल्लो दिनझैं प्रदर्शनकारीहरुलाई तितर वितर पार्न प्रहरीले लाठी चार्ज र अश्रुग्यास प्रयोग गरेको थियो। प्रदर्शनकारीहरुले चाहीं ढुंगा प्रहार गरेका थिए।