The Maoists in Nepal spearheaded by Prachanda today surged ahead in the landmark constituent assembly polls, winning 14 seats and leading in 65 of the remaining 240 constituencies. Prachanda, 53, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist who led a decade-long insurgency in the country to overthrow the monarchy, defeated his closest rival Rajendra Kumar K.C of the Nepali Congress in Kathmandu.
The elections, which are set to usher in democracy ending the 40-year monarchy, saw the first seat going to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress party, whose candidate Prkash Man Singh won one of the constituencies in Kathmandu. Maoist chairman Prachanda, Maoist war time strategist Ram Bahadur Thpa (Badal), its spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara and two female Maoist leaders Pampha Bhushal and Hisila Yami are leading in their respective constituencies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries will meet in Kathmandu on Wednesday with an aim to revitalise the regional grouping and make it a major platform to fuel economic growth through liberalised trade and combat challenges of terrorism and climate change effectively.
53-year-old Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda was administered the oath of office by President Ram Baran Yadav during a function at the Rastrapati Bhawan in Kathmandu.
The reduced fare offer is also available for travel on partner airline Etihad Airways flights
The fibre optic cable project contract, from Kathmandu to Khasa in China, was signed in the Nepalese capital on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Prince Paras, son of Gyanendra, suspended king of Nepal, was admitted at Norvic Hospital in Thapathali, Kathmandu, after he suffered a heart attack today, an official said.
In a sudden U-turn that could break the lingering political deadlock in Nepal, Maoists on Thursday decided to give up their claim on the post of president, paving the way for formation of a new government. Following its Central Secretariat meeting in Kathmandu, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist party also announced that it has withheld its decision to quit the interim multi-party government by Thursday.
Faced with a June 12 deadline, Nepal's ousted king Gyanendra on Monday assured the government that he will exit his Narayanhiti palace in Kathmandu within a week and live as a commoner, saying he is ready to make the "sacrifice for Nepalese people and permanent peace."
He said there would be progress on some issues soon while it will take time for progress on others.
Nepal police have arrested two persons, including the daughter-in-law of one of the Nepalese maids rescued from a Saudi diplomat's residence in Gurgaon, who allegedly ran a trafficking racket which sold the women to Indian agents on the pretext of providing them jobs.
She said China's blocking of India's move in the UN for action against Pakistan over 26/11 plotter, saying it was at "variance" with progress in ties.
Koirala told the former rebel that they should wait until the constituent assembly elections expected in June.
"I don't think there's any change. There's no change in their status," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, commenting on the issue in the backdrop of a meeting between a top American envoy in Kathmandu Nancy Powell and Maoist leader Prachanda.
'We have not been able to use the potential of our location in the region and the world and our strength as a nation and an economy to establish an EU-like structure in South Asia,' points out Aakar Patel.
A powerful bomb exploded near the Nepal telecom office in southern Nepal's Parsa district killing one person and injuring five others, police said.
Commissioned into the 5th Gorkha Rifles regiment, he has had an illustrious military career spanning 36 years during which he held several prestigious command, staff and instructional appointments
Chanting slogans against the Indian government, the refugees attempted to burn the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh near the embassy but were stopped by some three dozen riot policemen deployed in the area.
It's time for colours, lights and celebrations - Diwali is here! In these photos, see celebrations from Gujarat to London to Colombo.
An American woman who was rescued by the Indian Air Force from Nepal recalled her horror at being stuck in the devastating earthquake which has killed over 5,000 people.
The directives came after he took stock of the situation arising from the massive earthquake at a high-level meeting attended by Ministers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra and senior officials of National Disaster Response Force and Indian Metereological Department.
A Nepalese "agent" of Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin in the multi-crore kidney racket, has been arrested in Saptari district of eastern Nepal.
Police raided dozens of houses, lodges, hotels and other places after the near-simultaneous blasts rocked Kathmandu on Sunday.
The airline has already commenced the sale of tickets for the new destination, which will be the ninth international sector to be served by carrier, SpiceJet said.
63-year-old Sobhraj, also known as 'Bikini Killer', said that he was shocked over the recent decision of the Supreme Court to reopen a fake passport case against him, which was earlier dismissed by the lower courts. French national Sobhraj, who is half-Indian and half-Vietnamese, had filed an appeal before the apex court against the Kathmandu District Court's verdict awarding him life sentence for murdering American backpacker Connie Bronzich in 1975.
Also known as 'Serpent' for his skills of deception and evasion, 63-year-old Sobhraj had filed an appeal in the apex court against the life sentence given to him by the Kathmandu District Court, for the murder of American backpacker Connie Bronzich. He is suspected to have killed at least 12 travellers in India, Thailand and Nepal in the 1970s.
Left with nothing, many survivors staying at a relief camp in UP, recount the horror of Saturday's earthquake.
Singapore-based airline SilkAir plans to launch thrice a week flights from Singapore to Coimbatore from October. The proposal is still subject to government approval.
FCMG companies which have plants i Npal may take a hit on revenues.
Maoist chief Prachanda is ready to meet Nepal's King Gyanendra to persuade him to quit the palace as the monarch made it clear that he has no immediate plans to take refuge in India. The Maoist supremo said the King would be allowed to do business or other activities, including politics, if he desired so. The King should not be ousted from the throne in a humiliating manner as it would have negative impact at home and abroad, he said.
According to Indian meteorological department, tremors were felt in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, lasting for a minute, triggering panic and forcing people to rush out of their homes and offices. There was no official word about casualties from any of the states but reports from West Bengal said cracks appeared in several multi-storeyed buildings in Siliguri in north Bengal. An incident of wall collapse was reported from Telipara in Jalpaiguri district.
"Sri Lanka regrets that the prevailing environment in the region is not conducive for holding the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The occasion passed unnoticed by many as there were no grand celebrations, with the prime minister receiving gifts from party workers and well-wishers at his Baluwatar home and not venturing out, sources close to his family said.
'The cooperation of Yakub with the investigating agencies after he was picked up informally in Kathmandu and his role in persuading some other members of the family to come out of Pakistan and surrender constitute, in my view, a strong mitigating circumstance to be taken into consideration while considering whether the death penalty should be implemented,' B Raman had written in August 2007.
Prajapati told a meeting in Dhulikhel near Kathmandu on Saturday that the announcement of a republic might spell an end to the existence of parallel regimes.
Musharraf attended the SAARC summit in 2002 at Kathmandu where he grabbed headlines with his famous handshake with the then Indian Prime Minister A B Vajpayee in a bid to reduce the mounting military tensions.
Two senior Maoist leaders on Wednesday met Indian Ambassador Shiv Shanker Mukherjee in Kathmandu and discussed the current political situation and the peace process in Nepal.
The yoga training was scheduled to start at the Tundikhel ground on Saturday afternoon and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was invited as the chief guest.
An image of Maoist leader Prachanda speaking at a public function.
The peace talks between the government and the Maoists, which were postponed about a month ago, will resume in Kathmandu on Monday.
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