BY PUSHPA R PRADHAN

On 10 August British authorities revealed that they had thwarted a plot by suicide bombers to simultaneously explode around 10 American aircraft over the Atlantic. British police claimed that “murder on an unimaginable scale” was planned. Indeed given that this is the height of the holiday travel season, if successful, it would have surely rivaled the horrific 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the US by Al-Qaeda.....more

MR JOSSE

Special supplement of the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan.

We realize importance of a strong, prosperous and progressive country for us as a nation

(Message from General Pervez Musharraf President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan, August 14, 2006)

I am privileged to greet my Pakistani brothers and sisters both at home and overseas on the auspicious occasion of our 60th Independence Day....more

Getting ready to Harvest tourism bonanza

The urge to travel is as old as the history of human civilization. This urge of man to travel has given birth to a flourishing and ever prospering industry called tourism. Frequently, termed as the white industry, tourism has emerged, at the international level, as the second largest manpower employment industry after petroleum...more

BY ALAUDDIN MASOOD

Make Pakistan a truly modern, progressive, enlightened, democratic Islamic welfare state: Shaukat Aziz

“Today, we are celebrating our Independence Day. On this auspicious occasion, I extend my heartiest felicitations to my fellow citizens living in Pakistan and abroad. We must remember that the Muslims of South Asia made great sacrifices for achieving independence, and our ancestors, under the inspiring leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah pledged to strive for the greater glory of our nation...more

(Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s message on the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan)

Maoists losing their relevance

For more than a decade the Maoists have been waging war against the state for a republic Nepal and an election to a constituent assembly. However, the recent political developments have shown that the Maoist demands have lost their relevance. In an era of political decisions where all can be achieved through parliamentary proclamations, the power of the people, who the Maoists claim to be on their side, has been marginalized. .... more

BY M.R. JOSSE

Can Nepal Support A Republic state?

It was about 32 years ago democratic movement was gaining momentum in Sikkim. After Lendup Dorje became prime minister of Sikkim went to meet BP Koirala in Banaras to put forth a proposal to remove Chogyal (King) of Sikkim. Giving his advice BP Koirala had told Dorje that if Chogyal is removed Sikkim would lose its sovereignty and it will cease to become an independent country. ..... more

BY DIRGHA RAJ PRASAI

Arms management under United Nations Auspices?

The time for rejoicing has arrived. The 7-party government (which has no mandate from the people) and the Maoists (which continue to terrorize the people) after having signed various joint agreements on sundry subjects with any number of points, have now finally agreed on a 5-point ‘joint’ letter to the United Nations regarding the management of arms of the Nepalese Army and the People’s Liberation Army(PLA)..... more

BY SHASHI P.B.B. MALLA & RALF NARENDRA B.B. MALLA

The Crown in Koirala's space and time

The more you hear him express it, the more assured you become that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's admiration for a ceremonial monarchy comes with a utilitarian strain of adoration. At one level, it's hard to feel affection for someone - or an institution, in this case - that you feel has repeatedly beleaguered you. At another, the torment is the thrill. ... more

BY MAILA BAJE

Goodbye to Ambassador Nivine Ashmawy

BY COCKTAIL MAN

Ashmawy, Egyptian ambassador, who said farewell to her Nepali friends. Khalid Ali ElMenshawy, DCM at the Embassy, hosted a goodbye reception on Friday in honour of Mrs Nivine. The guests were mostly friends of Ambassador Ashmawy, both diplomats and Nepalese dignitaries. Cocktail Man also observed that very few local journalists were there at the reception. .... more

Some views on monarchy vs republic

Monarchy is a feudal institution. No question about it. But then so is the concept of democracy which has its origin in feudal Greece starting around 590 BC and ending approximately 322 BC under the Macedonians. Republics are equally old and feudal concept as it was already established during the Mahajanapad period Ca. 700BC with Vaishali being the first republic in the world. That is years before the birth of the Lord Buddha..... more

BY HD

National Interest

An on-line article that appeared also in this paper last week comparing Nepal with Lebanon must set all Nepalese thinking on what it is we have been doing to our country. Israeli interest, Syrian interest, American interest, Hezbollah-Iranian interest, all came to play once more in the destruction of Lebanon since that country could not define and act upon and pursue its own interest and this is not the first time that this has happened in a country that merely thirty years ago was the banking capital and the more developed isle amid west Asian turbulence..... more

Lok Deep Thapa’s SoHo

After his voluntary retirement from The Rising Nepal as editor-in-chief, I have not been meeting my friend Lok Deep Thapa as frequently as before. But when I met him last week, I had the opportunity to complain to him by saying he was forgetting us. He gave the clarification that he was doing many things these days. This scribe knows that he is leading an organization called the Janajati Unity Taskforce (JUT) and he informed that he was also busy in some writing projects and also social work. Thapa is also planning to launch a newspaper “Weekly Chronicle”. ... more

By PR Pradhan

SPACE FOR KING

How is Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's statement advocating space for the King controversial? This charge against Koirala is coming from advocates of a republic-a demand which is more controversial that the prime minister's logical statement. Koirala has also urged space for Maoists and other small parties as well for an inclusive democracy..... more

Good work Ambassador Moriarty!

Sir,

Excerpts from vernacular weeklies and dailies

"The Maoist proposal is to keep the Nepal Army and Maoist Army on par. But how is this possible? Nepal Army has a history of 100 years and the Maoist Army has a history of 10 years only." (State Minister for Transport and member of government dialogue team Ramesh Lekhak, 6 August) ... more