Laxmi puja being celebrated Tuesday

Kathmandu, 28 Oct: Tuesday is Laxmi puja the third day of tihar.
The Goddess of wealth will be worshipped in the evening.
Three-day government holiday for the festival also begins Tuesday.
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Three Congress nominated ambassadors recalled.

Kathmandu, 28 Oct: Cabinet Monday approved a proposal to recall three Nepali Congress ambassadors from Washington DC, London and New Delhi.
Those recalled are former secretary of then Prime Minister Dr Suresh Raj Chalise, retired Foreign Secretary Murari Raj Sharma and Dr Drugesh Man Singh, a former ambassador to Belgium and nephew of Ganesh Man Singh.
Other Congress nominated ambassadors are being recalled in the second phase.
Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav of Madesh Janaadhikar Forum is lobbying to send his party nominee as ambassador to the Indian capital.
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Norwegian aid

Kathmandu, 28 Oct: Norway has extended a Rs 390 million grant to implement an integrated pest management programme the
same day Monday when Denmark extended a Rs 2.8 billion financial assistance to the on Maoist-led government.
The Maoist-led government is relying heavily on assistance from these Scandinavian countries, including Finland to budget the government’s ambitious development programme through the annual budget.
With the onset of international recession, expected Rs 61 billion in foreign aid may not be forthcoming whill be problematic for the Prachanda government.
Scandinavian countries are positive to the Maoists and the government it is leading.
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Constitution being amended to enfranchise 18-year-olds

By Bhola B Rana
Kathmandu, 28 Oct: The cabinet Monday gave approval to a proposal to amend the constitution to enfranchise those who reached 18 years in the second week of April 2007 to vote in by-elections in early 2009.
By-elections are being held in sis constituencies vacated by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Prachanda and Ministers Upendra Yadav, Bijaya Gachedhar, Deb Gurung and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The president vacated a constituency in Dhanusha after his election as head of state and the prime minister, ministers and Deuba were elected from two constituencies.
Ironically, the CA has only been involved in amending the constitution without even beginning preliminary work to draft a new constitution nearly seven months after the assembly election.
Work on drafting a constitution is being sidelined with deep political differences that have surfaced between the Maoists and main opposition Nepali Congress.
Congress has begun a jihad accusing Maoists of attempting to derail democracy.
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Manipokhari declared 9th ramsar

Kathmandu, 28 Oct: Manipokhari in the mid-hills has been declared Nepal’s ninth ramsar or wetland.
The 10th meet of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to Convention of Wetlands in Changwon, South Korea, declared the wetland.
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