Security meet begins

KATHMANDU: A five-day seminar on security sector reforms entitled “Democratic Control of the Security Forces” began on Monday here. Senior officers of all the three security wings, Nepalese Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police, representatives of all the political parties except the Maoists, bureaucrats, academics, and business representatives are attending the conference. — HNS

Team Malaysia-bound

KATHMANDU: A Nepali delegation led by General Director of the Department of Information, Mukunda Prasad Acharya, departed for Kuala Lumpur on Monday to take part in the Asia Media Summit-2007 to be held in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia from May 29 to 31. Deputy General Manager of the Nepal Television Biswo Keshar Maske is also a member of the delegation. — RSS

PM’s greetings

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has extended sincere congratulations to Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Artur Rasizade on the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. PM Koirala also congratulated Girma Woldegiorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and PM Meles Zenawi on the occasion of National Day of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. — RSS

Rs 2.2b UGC grant

MADHYAPUR THIMI: The University Grant Commission (UGC) has provided Rs 2.2 billion as grant to various universities of the country by mid-May this year. The commission provided Rs 1.71 billion to Tribhuvan University, Rs. 116.5 m to Nepal Sanskrit University and Rs 31.2 million to Purbanchal University. It provided Rs 25.1 million to Pokhara University, Rs 19 million to Kathmandu University and Rs 2.5 million to Lumbini Buddhist University, said UGC accounts chief, Kedar Acharya. — RSS

Rs 261m Finnish grant

Kathmandu: The Republic of Finland has agreed to provide a grant assistance of about Rs 261.24 million for the Nepal Peace Trust Fund. The agreement to this effect was signed between the the respective governments at the Ministry of Finance, on Monday. The Nepal Peace Trust Fund has been established to support the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). — RSS

Additional portfolio

KATHMANDU: Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been designated by the Prime Minister to look after the Ministry of Local Development also in absence of Minister Dev Gurung, who left here on Monday to take part in the meeting of the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific Governing Council to be held in Manila, according to the Office of the Prime Minister. — RSS