Nepal unfolds its policies and programmes

September 23rd, 2009 NEW YORK - Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has said climate change had hindered the progress on programmes focused at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in Nepal. Madhav Kumar, who is in New York, to attend the 64th United Nations General Assembly took part on the Opening Session of the High-Level event and Interactive Round table on Climate Change convened by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday.

September 22nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - President Barack Obama's government has announced a $205 million aid for Nepal intended for humanitarian crisis and peace measures. Over the next five years, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will disburse the funds for peace measures, to strengthen democracy and governance and improve health services.

July 13th, 2009 KATHMANDU - A part of eastern Nepal is simmering with anger against the Indian authorities and its own officials with wild elephants playing havoc and no compensation or permanent solution in sight. It is also a matter of growing concern for wildlife organisations with two tuskers having died within one week and over 200 local houses having been destroyed.

July 10th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Amid increasing incidents of lynchings triggered by suspicions of kidnapping, Nepal police Friday said they had rescued an abducted young woman who was being taken across the border to India. Isha Bhattarai, from Jhapa district on the Indo-Nepal border and a second-year student in the Padma Kanya Campus, was abducted from a busy area of the capital Thursday while she was going to college, police said.

July 10th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Though they ended their two-month siege of parliament, Nepal's former guerrilla party, the Maoists, Friday indicated they would keep up their opposition to the new ruling alliance by rejecting its policies and programmes for the current financial year. "Since this government was formed due to an illegal and unconstitutional step taken by the president (Ram Baran Yadav), its policies and programmes too are illegal and unconstitutional," veteran Maoist leader and former finance minister Baburam Bhattarai told the media Friday.

July 9th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The Nepal government said it would seek better ties with neighbours India and China, as it unveiled policies and programmes for the current financial year Thursday. A 27-page document, presented in parliament by President Ram Baran Yadav, said foreign policy would be conducted "on the principles of the UN Charter, Panchasheela, and Non-alignment keeping national interest on the top".

July 9th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's new government Thursday tabled its policies and programmes in parliament, pledging to investigate the properties and assets owned by the former royal family. As the Maoist siege of the house ended after two months, their arch enemy President Ram Baran Yadav tabled the new policies and programme of the communist-led government that gave priority to ferreting out the properties of its former King Gyanendra and his family members in Nepal and abroad and bring them under state control.

June 30th, 2009 KATHMANDU - After the Manipal Education and Medical Group and global online tutoring company TutorVista came together last year to launch Manipal K-12 Education that aims to provide technology supports to schools, the venture is now poised to enter Nepal's education sector in a big way. Manipal, which already has a collaboration with the government of Nepal since 1994 to run the Manipal College of Medical Sciences and a teaching hospital in Pokhara city, has teamed up with the Chaudhary Group, one of the biggest business houses in Nepal, with diverse interests ranging from construction, hotels and food and beverages, to run schools and high schools in Nepal.

June 9th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal and India signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering cooperation under the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework here on Monday. The MOUs were signed by Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Gyan Chandra Acharya and Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood.

May 29th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's first Republic Day is being celebrated on Friday throughout the nation with various programmes, exactly one year after the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a republic on May 29, 2008 ending the 240-year old monarchy. In his message to the nation, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has urged everyone for consensus to reach the goals and conceded the first year was not very easy.

May 27th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has congratulated his Nepalese counterpart Madhav Kumar Nepal on his appointment as Prime Minister and invited the latter to visit India.

May 26th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will address the nation on Tuesday afternoon. He will address the nation from his office in Singha Durbar at 4.00 pm.

May 25th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) chief Karen Ladgren have separately met newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal at the latter's residence, Koteshwor. They congratulated Nepal on his election as the new Prime Minister and extended best wishes for his successful term.

April 19th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda has told British Under Secretary of State for Defense and Minister for Veterans Kevan Jones that the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) may be asked to stop work after the integration of the army and the rehabilitation of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) combatants by July. Jones, in his departure statement at the end of his five-day visit to Nepal, said that the people of Nepal could be assured of Britain's steadfast support, both for peace building and for development.

March 24th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Power Trading Corporation (PTC) of India has proposed to supply additional 500 MW electricity to Nepal. Nepalnews quoted Shankar Prasad Koirala, secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, as saying that PTC had stated in a letter to the ministry that it could provide 500 MW in 18 months if Nepal government agreed to its proposal.