SC directs govt to review all public holidays

KATHMANDU, Nov 16: The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the government to review all public holidays. Giving verdict on a writ demanding public holiday on Christmas Day (December 25), a joint bench of Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Sapana Malla Pradhan has issued the order to the government.

SC had set its final hearing on Thursday for testing the legality of the government decision. The writ petition was filed by advocates Buddha Singh Ghising and Ganesh Shrestha.

‘Court has issued a directive order to review all public holidays considering the religious independence, social independence, equality independency along with religious tolerance and also the impact while receiving services from public organizations’, reads the verdict. 

Nepalese Police Unit awarded UN Medal for service in South Sudan

The Nepalese Police Unit was awarded with the United Nations Medal for its service in South Sudan. In awarding the medals, the Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, David Shearer, praised the contingent of 320 police officers for “their commendable contribution to the Mission’s core mandate which is to protect civilians and to build durable peace in South Sudan.” Nepal is the sixth largest Troop Contributing Country with over 5,100 uniformed personnel currently deployed in UN peacekeeping missions across the world. Nearly 2,000 currently serve in South Sudan.

PMO recalls secretary from COP 22 conference, cites poor work performance 

The Office of the Prime Minister has recalled Dr. Bishwanath Oli, secretary of the Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE) for poor work performance. Oli, who is currently attending the COP 23 at Bonn, Germany, will return Nepal tomorrow. Upon arrival, Oli will be shifted to the Ministry of Livestock Development. A source said that Minister of MoPE, Mithila Chaudhary had complained of poor work performance of Dr. Oli to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

Bomb goes off near mass gathering attended by Oli, Dahal in Baglung

A bomb went off near the mass gathering organized by left alliance - CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Janamorcha - at Hatiya in Galkot Municipality in the district. A huge explosion went off sending a plume of smokes near the dumping site behind Galkot Multiple Campus when the top leaders of left alliance were addressing the mass meeting this afternoon. 

In another incident, A bomb was hurled at Amar Singh Pun’s vehicle which was en route to Jailipokhari from Liwang of Rolpa. Pun is State Minister of Irrigation and Nepali Congress’s candidate for the upcoming elections.  

Deuba confident on fortuneteller’s prophecy

 Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has dismissed CPN-UML’s chairman, KP Sharma Oli’s claim that the current premiership of Deuba would be his last. In a press conference at Dhangadi, Deuba, has claimed that he’d be the country’s prime minister for another three times.“I will be the prime minister for another three times. Fortune teller has said that I’ll be the country’s prime minister for seven times another three times.”

Five leaders, cadres of Biplav-led Maoist arrested

Police have apprehended five leaders and cadres of Maoist party led by Biplav, adopting sensitivity towards the likelihood of untoward incidents during the upcoming elections. Superintendent of Police of Sunsari, Bidyananda Majhi, said that Indra Bahadur Rai, Jay Kumar Rai, Roshan Dhakal, Laxman Karki and Ram Prasad Rai were arrested. 

 
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