Former king, Indian ambassador meet

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: Former King Gyanendra and Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood 9 December for two hours from 6.30 in the evening at Soaltee Hotel, Sanghu reports.
The meeting has created stirs in high political circles and the Prachanda government.
The meeting, political circles say, isn’t normal.
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PM Prachanda visiting three EU member states

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is visiting EU member states Finland, Norway and Belgium to promote their investments in the power sector in the end of January 2009, Nepal Samacharpatra reports.
He has ordered the foreign ministry to workout details of the visit even as the embattled government faces opposition from within the government and the opposition.
The PM has already visited China, India and New York to address a UN general assembly session.
[The three counties openly support Maoists in government; the left Belgium government suspended military to the government which then was fighting Maoists before 2004.]
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Inflation skyrockets to 14.5 percent

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: Inflation skyrocketed to 14.5 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year 2008/09, Nepal Rashtra Bank said.
Sugar price recorded a 37 percent increase compared to the same period previous year.
Prices of rice, lentils, ghee, oil have also shot up.
Price of rice increased 22 percent.
Prices increased despite government efforts to limit inflation to single digit.
The central bank announcement is bad news for Maoist-led government which has made promises to the people.
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14 committees related to drafting being constitution being announced Monday

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: Members of 14 committees related to drafting the constitution are being announced by CA Chairman Subash Nemwang Monday.
The election of the chairmen of committees can’t be met within the announced Monday deadline.
Major parties are trying to grab the chairmanship of the constitution drafting committee.
The election of the committee chairmen should have been completed by Monday.
There’s no agreement between 25 parties in the CA to share responsibility on the leadership of the committees.
A constitution has to be drafted within the next 18 months as differences between major political parties have surfaced increasing doubts the constitution won’t be drafted within the deadline.
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Strike hits Pokhara

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: A sudden strike called by the Nepali Congress, Kaski, closed down the tourist resort of Pokhara Monday as student activists of the main opposition clashed with police.
Life came to a standstill.
The main opposition, in a statement, charged Maoist and CPN-UML activists for an arson attack on an educational institution one day earlier.
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Two houses bombed in Bara

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: One businessman of Madeshi descent was injured in a bombing attack by a rebel group at Jitpur in Bara overnight.
The house of Jitendra Malla was also damaged in a separate bombing attack as violence continues in the south.
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Maoist central committee meet begins

Kathmandu, 15 Dec: A Maoist central committee meeting resumed Monday after three days.
The meeting will discuss a political report represented by Prime Minister Prachanda who is also the chairman of the CPN (Maoist).
The report amalgamates suggestions of the prime minister and his main critic Mohan Baidya Kiran for the party’s future strategy.
The two leaders differed on a federal democratic republic to consolidate gains of a republic and Kiran’s demand for a revolution to establish a people’s republic.
The meeting will also discuss organizational change.
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