SC notice to govt

Kathmandu: The Supreme Court today issued show cause notices to the government and all the regional and zonal administrators demanding reasons on why the administrators have been staying in the posts even after the end of their tenure as per the ordinance under under which they were appointed in the posts some 10 months ago. A single bench of justice Kedar Prasad Giri issued the order following today’s hearing on a writ petition filed by a group of people including advocate Hari Bahadur Mainali. The petitioners have claimed that the administrators’ tenure ended four months ago as soon as the six-month-long tenure of the Ordinance promulgated to appoint them ended. — HNS

Nepal-Russia ties

KATHMANDU: A high-level committee was formed on Tuesday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between Nepal and Russia. The committee, which is headed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ramesh Nath Pandey, held its first meeting on Tuesday at the Shital Niwas in order to plan programmes to be organised to

mark the golden jubilee of the establishment of bilateral relations between the two countries. —HNS

Meghauli fest ends

CHITWAN: A tourism festival concluded at Meghauli of Chitwan district on Wednesday. There were 125 stalls exhibiting local products, life styles of indigenous and nationalities, traditional food, goods for promoting tourism and handicrafts at the festival which was started on January 28. Some 70,000 people visited the festival, which was jointly organized by Meghauli VDC, Meghauli Tourism Development Committee and Meghauli Buffer Zone Forest User’s Committee. — RSS

Demo in Delhi

New Delhi: The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) organised a demonstration here on Wednesday demanding the restoration of democracy in Nepal. Hundreds of students participated in the protest. Addressing a mass meeting organised later today, Chairperson of JNU Students’ Union, Mona Das, and Nepali student, Amresh Kumar Singh, highlighted the importance of democracy for Nepal and urged the King to initiate dialogue with the political parties.Such a demonstration calling for democracy was organised for the first time at the JNU. — HNS

Mystery cattle disease

Janakpurdham: Over three dozen cows died on Tuesday at the Janakpur city area. The cows bled profusely from nose and anus before dying, an eyewitness said. Thirty-eight cows were found dead on Wednesday morning at the Janaki temple, railway station and Pethiyagachhi, Janakpur municipality said. The owner of cows has not been located.

Head of the District Veterinary Department, Dhanusha, Dr Indrakant Jha, said the cows may have died after consuming poisonous food. The real cause will come to light after post-mortem of the dead cows, he added. — HNS

Exports decline

BIRTAMOD: Transactions amounting to Rs 14.6 million have been decreased in the first six months of the current fiscal year in export from Nepal to Bangladesh via the Kakarbitta-Panitanki-Phulbari-Banglabandh route. Nepal transacted in goods worth Rs 182.76 million from the month of July, 2005, to Mid-January, 2006. In the same duration, Bangladesh transacted in goods worth Rs 197.35 million with Nepal, the Mechi Customs Office said. — RSS

Two shops gutted

DHANUSHA: Two shops were gutted when fire broke out on Tuesday night in the shops of Ram Bhagat Saha and Baldev Saha in Birendra Bazaar of Bharatpur VDC. Property worth Rs 200,000 has been estimated to have been damaged in the fire. The fire started from an electric short circuit, said Ram Bhagat. — RSS

Street drama on AIDS

MAHOTTARI: A street drama was staged at Jaleswor with a view to creating awareness among people about HIV/AIDS. The drama, Pashchatap, was staged on the premises of a

local school by local artists. Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN), Mahottari, organised the street drama with the assistance of District Health Office (DHO) and YFS Project. — RSS

Liquor destroyed

BIDUR: The Bhairawi Police Post confiscated and destroyed 165 litres of illegally made local liquor in the District Police Office, Bidur, in the presence of police officials, DDC representatives and journalists on Tuesday. Shyam Ghale and Bhim Bahadur Ghale of Khani Gaun VDC-7 were arrested with alcohol. They were however released after 24 hours on condition that they would not produce and sell alcohol illegally in the future. — RSS