That conviction was confirmed by Wednesday’s ruling.
He also faces other charges of money laundering, influence peddling and obstruction of justice. He has repeatedly denied those claims.
“I know I haven’t committed any crime,” he told thousands of his supporters.
On Wednesday, all three judges at the appeals court in the city of Porto Alegre said Lula had broken the law by accepting special favors over a seafront apartment from a construction company involved in a major corruption scheme.
They increased his original sentence from nine-and-a-half years to 12 years and one month in jail.
Even though the 72-year-old was sentenced in July 2017 and that conviction has now been upheld, he could remain out of prison for many months if he takes his appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. Brazilian former president loses appeal against corruption
An appeals court in Brazil has unanimously upheld a corruption conviction imposed last July on ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
While he can still take his appeal to a higher court, the decision could rule Lula out as a candidate for October’s presidential election.
The ex-leader, who governed from 2003 to 2011, had been favourite to win.
Speaking at a rally in Sao Paulo after the ruling, Lula said he would still contest the presidency.
Lula and his lawyers were convinced they would win this appeal. His supporters weren’t contemplating any other scenario either. They want him as their candidate in October’s elections and they say this conviction is designed to stop him running.
But his critics will be pleased. They want him locked up in jail for the crimes he’s been accused of. They believe he and his Workers’ Party are corrupt and justice needs to be done.
Lula and his lawyers say they will explore all avenues to get him absolved. But the fact that it was a unanimous vote will make it harder to convince other courts.
As for whether he will run for presidency, he has said he will keep campaigning, no matter the verdict.
The appeals process could buy him time to stay in the race for a few months but with a criminal conviction, another Lula term is looking much less likely.
When left-winger Lula rose to power in 2003, he promised an end to corruption-ridden politics. Then in 2005 a huge vote-buying scandal nearly cost him his job.
Despite that, he won the support of the poor by pouring billions of dollars into social programmes, and left office in 2011 with record approval ratings.
The investigation, which began in 2014, sucked in more than 80 politicians and members of the business elite.
In 2017, Lula was found guilty of accepting an upgrade to a beachfront flat he was buying from an engineering firm in return for help in winning contracts for Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company.
That conviction was confirmed by Wednesday’s ruling.
He also faces other charges of money laundering, influence peddling and obstruction of justice. He has repeatedly denied those claims.
“I know I haven’t committed any crime,” he told thousands of his supporters.
On Wednesday, all three judges at the appeals court in the city of Porto Alegre said Lula had broken the law by accepting special favors over a seafront apartment from a construction company involved in a major corruption scheme.
They increased his original sentence from nine-and-a-half years to 12 years and one month in jail.
Even though the 72-year-old was sentenced in July 2017 and that conviction has now been upheld, he could remain out of prison for many months if he takes his appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.
That conviction was confirmed by Wednesday’s ruling.
He also faces other charges of money laundering, influence peddling and obstruction of justice. He has repeatedly denied those claims.
“I know I haven’t committed any crime,” he told thousands of his supporters.
On Wednesday, all three judges at the appeals court in the city of Porto Alegre said Lula had broken the law by accepting special favors over a seafront apartment from a construction company involved in a major corruption scheme.
They increased his original sentence from nine-and-a-half years to 12 years and one month in jail.
Even though the 72-year-old was sentenced in July 2017 and that conviction has now been upheld, he could remain out of prison for many months if he takes his appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. Ex-olympic gymnastics team doctor jailed for 175 years
The former US Olympic gymnastics team Doctor Larry Nassar, who testimony from nearly 160 of his victims and has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years after
The judge dismissed Nassar’s attempted apology as insincere, saying he would “be in darkness the rest of his life”.
Nassar pleaded to be guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault against girls and young women, including Olympians.
This 54-year-old had already been sentenced to 60 years for possession of child pornography.
“Because, sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again.”
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar during the sentencing: “As much as it was my honour and privilege to hear the sister survivors, it was my honour and privilege to sentence you.
She told the paedophile: “You have not owned yet what you did. I wouldn’t send my dogs to you, sir.
Following seven days of emotional testimony from Nassar’s victims, he was given an opportunity to address the court.
“What I am feeling pales in comparison to the pain, trauma, and emotional destruction that all of you are feeling,” he told the packed courtroom.
“There are no words to describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred,” he added.
His sentencing follows a week of harrowing testimony from scores of women, including Olympic gold medal gymnasts Aly Raisman and Jordyn Weiber.
Their teammates, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles, also revealed they had been abused by Nassar.
In 2015, USA Gymnastics – the sport’s top governing body – quietly cut ties with Nassar over allegations about his professional care.
An investigation in 2014 resulted in a three-month suspension from Michigan State University (MSU), where he coached.
But he continued to see patients until he was publicly accused of abuse in a 2016 report by the Indianapolis Star newspaper.
Later that year, he was arrested and charged by Michigan officials with sexual contact with a child.
A year later, he was sentenced for child abuse images found on his computer.
Rachael Denhollander, who was one of the first women to publicly accuse Nassar, pointed the finger at MSU in court on Wednesday.
CPN Maoist and NC confirms the NA candidates
Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress today have finalized the names of their candidates for the National Assembly election.
CPN MC has confirmed the 13 seats for the NA and still a seat from province-2 is yet to be decided upon. The CPN MC candidates are as follows:
Similarly, the Nepali Congress has listed their final candidates for the National Assembly election for Provinces 4, 6 and 7.
A total of 12 seats have been finalized by the NC for the NA election. The names of the NC candidates are as follows:
(UPDATED)
| Name of the Candidate | Category | Province |
| Bina Pokharel | Women | Province-1 |
| Sashi Kala Dahal | Women | Province-2 |
| Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal) | Open | Province-3 |
| Ganga Parajuli | Women | Province-3 |
| Dinanath Sharma | Open | Province-4 |
| Khim Bahadur BK | Dalit | Province-4 |
| Raj Kumar Kunwar | Disable | Province-5 |
| Chandra Bahadur Khadka | Open | Province-5 |
| Jeevan Budha | Disable | Province-6 |
| Yutul Lama | Women | Province-6 |
| Kali Bahadur Malla | Open | Province-6 |
| Lali Ram Lohar | Dalit | Province-7 |
| Hari Ram Chaudhary | Open | Province-7 |
| Name of the Candidate | Category | Province |
| Brinda Rana Magar | Women | Province-4 |
| Surendra Raj Pandey | Open | Province-4 |
| Jeet Bahadur Nepali | Dalit | Province-4 |
| Prakash Panta | Disable/Marginalised | Province-4 |
| Bishnu Bahadur Shahi | Open | Province-6 |
| Surya Devi Malla | Women | Province-6 |
| Sita Ram BK | Dalit | Province-6 |
| Gopal Prasad Sharma | Disable/Marginalised | Province-6 |
| Badri Pandey | Open | Province-7 |
| Tara Bhatta | Women | Province-7 |
| Sheri Ram Parki | Dalit | Province-7 |
| Chhatraraj Joshi | Disable | Province-7 |
The super Blue Moon, to be waxed
Some nights when we look up at the moon, it is full and bright; sometimes it is just a sliver of silvery light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases occur about a week apart. The first phase of the moon exhibited on January 22, 2018 and the second phase to be waxed on January 31, 2018. What’s more, this Blue Moon will be a supermoon, or generally closest to Earth for the month. And it’ll stage a total lunar eclipse.
So … each night this upcoming week will find the moon closer to Earth than on the night before. We give the moon’s distance for the upcoming week, as measured between the centers of the moon and Earth, at 0 hours Universal Time (or at 6 p.m on the previous date Central Standard Time).
Jan. 23, 2018: 241,003 miles (387,857 km)
Jan. 24, 2018: 238,058 miles (383,118 km)
Jan. 25, 2018: 234,913 miles (378,056 km)
Jan. 26, 2018: 231,719 miles (372,916 km)
Jan. 27, 2018: 228,668 miles (368,038 km)
Jan. 28, 2018: 226,077 miles (363,835 km)
Jan. 29, 2018: 224,156 miles (360,744 km)
Jan. 30, 2018: 223,164 miles (359,149 km)
Source: The Moon Tonight
Finally, the moon is back to its new moon starting position. Now, the moon is between Earth and the sun. Usually the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point, but occasionally it passes right in front of the sun, and we get a solar eclipse. [Infographic: How Moon Phases Work]
So … each night this upcoming week will find the moon closer to Earth than on the night before. We give the moon’s distance for the upcoming week, as measured between the centers of the moon and Earth, at 0 hours Universal Time (or at 6 p.m on the previous date Central Standard Time).
Jan. 23, 2018: 241,003 miles (387,857 km)
Jan. 24, 2018: 238,058 miles (383,118 km)
Jan. 25, 2018: 234,913 miles (378,056 km)
Jan. 26, 2018: 231,719 miles (372,916 km)
Jan. 27, 2018: 228,668 miles (368,038 km)
Jan. 28, 2018: 226,077 miles (363,835 km)
Jan. 29, 2018: 224,156 miles (360,744 km)
Jan. 30, 2018: 223,164 miles (359,149 km)
Source: The Moon Tonight
Phases of the moon
The moon, like Earth, is a sphere, and it is always half-illuminated by the sun. However, as the moon travels around Earth, we see more or less of the illuminated half. The moon’s phases describe how much of the moon’s disk is illuminated from our perspective. New moon: The moon is between Earth and the sun, and the side of the moon facing toward us receives no direct sunlight; it is lit only by dim sunlight reflected from Earth. Waxing crescent: As the moon moves around Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight. First quarter: The moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view. We call it “first quarter” because the moon has traveled about a quarter of the way around Earth since the new moon. Waxing gibbous: The area of illumination continues to increase. More than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight. Full moon: The moon is 180 degrees away from the sun and is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun from our perspective. The sun, Earth and the moon are aligned, but because the moon’s orbit is not exactly in the same plane as Earth’s orbit around the sun, they rarely form a perfect line. When they do, we have a lunar eclipse as Earth’s shadow crosses the moon’s face. Waning gibbous: More than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight, but the amount is decreasing. Last quarter: The moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. The sun’s light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon. Waning crescent: Less than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight, and the amount is decreasing.
Finally, the moon is back to its new moon starting position. Now, the moon is between Earth and the sun. Usually the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point, but occasionally it passes right in front of the sun, and we get a solar eclipse. [Infographic: How Moon Phases Work]
All 7 provinces governors PA members sworn-in
The swearing-in ceremonies by all provincial members have successfully made to their respective temporary capitals.
Province 1 newly appointed governor, Govinda Bahadur Tumbahang, sworn the oath to Provincial Assembly members at the Biratnagar-based Birendra City hall at 10:00 am this morning.
Similarly, the Provincial Assembly members of Province 2 were sworn in at Janakpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall by Governor Ratneshwor Lal Kayastha today.
110 PA members of Provincial Assembly 3 were sworn in at 10:00 am today. They were administered oath of office by PA 3 governor Anuradha Koirala at Hetauda Province Secretariat.
Likewise, Baburam Kuwar, governor of Province 4 administered oath of office to the Provincial Assembly members at 11:00 am this morning in Regional Administration Office Convention Hall, Pokhara.
In Province 5, 87 Provincial Assembly members were sworn in by the newly-appointed governor, Umakanta Jja today itself at the Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall.
Meanwhile, elected Provincial Assembly members were sworn in by governor Durga Keshar Khanal at Surkhet District Coordination Committee Hall at 11:00 am this morning.
Mohan Raj Malla, governor of Province 7 administered the oath of office to Provincial Assembly members at the Kailali District Coordination Committee Hall.
Earlier, newly appointed governors of the seven provinces took oath of office and secrecy from President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at Shital Niwas on January 19 themselves.
Nepse limits one billion transactions on 3rd day
On the third say of this week securities market has informed that 2.4 million scrip of 170 listed companies were traded. However, the transaction has fallen by 35.98 per cent from Nrs 1.71 billion in previous weeks to Nrs 1.09 billion this week.
Likewise, Nepse index has closed at 1406.52 points after seeing a drop of 24.58 points.
Sanima Hydropower, Nabil Bank, Nepal Life Insurance, Standard Chartered Bank and National Life Insurance Company gained the most while Sanima Hydropower Limited topped the chart with highest turnover of Nrs 109 million.
The securities market saw regular trading for three days during this week.
Sandip Lamichhane makes into IPL 2018 Auction List
Nepal’s Leg Spinner, Sandip Lamichhane, makes into the IPL Auction 2018 player list. The second auction is scheduled for this 27th and 28th January.
Lamichhane is one of two players from ICC Associate Nations listed for the auction. The other player is a Canadian wicket keeper Tariq Hamza.
With 18 Players already retained, 182 spots are up for auction. Lamichhane is one of the 182 capped overseas player bagging their claim in the upcoming auction at Lamichhane.
The 17 Year old Nepalese Leg Spinner has taken 12 wickets in 9 matches with an average of 28.25 and an economy of 4.59. He was invited by Michael Clarke to represent the Sydney-based club Western Suburbs in 2016.
Educational credit transfer system to be introduced by TU
After years of debate, Nepal will start a credit transfer system that will make it easier for students and working professionals to switch between education and jobs.
Things have gotten much easier now that colleges in Kathmandu have started collaborating with abroad-based institutes to introduce initiatives like study-abroad programs and international guest speaker series. Many provide spacious and conducive educational environment with particular focus on personality enhancement, industrial internship and job placement. If we are to draw a parallel between studying abroad and in Nepal, it is more convenient and economical to study within the country.
For all those that are still weighing in different possibilities on where to study, following is a profile of eight well-established colleges in Kathmandu. These institutions provide exciting academic and non-academic opportunities and deserve a quick read, even if you have figured what to do next.
A three-member research committee has submitted a report on introducing credit transfer system in Tribhuvan University. The TU senate had endorsed the work procedure relating to the system on September 20, 2015.
Once the new system is introduced, Nepali and foreign students studying in foreign universities will be allowed to continue their studies in TU. However, only international students who have completed 50 or less credit hours in foreign universities can apply for credit transfer in TU. Likewise, 50 per cent of the subjects of the transferred course should match with the course in TU. Students seeking credit transfer will not be allowed to change their core or major subjects.
Tirtha Raj Khaniya, vice-chancellor of TU, however, said implementation of the system in the university where political tussles were often reflected in classrooms, was very difficult. “Although we decided to implement credit transfer system, we are not sure if reputed foreign universities are willing to work with us as classes are often disrupted for political reasons,” he said and added that they would introduce the system for a few programmes from the new academic session.
“We are facing difficulties even implementing the semester system in colleges. So, running classes on the basis of credit hours can be really challenging,” VC Khaniya said.
Hridish Pokhrel, executive director of Office of Planning Directorate at TU, said the office had started research on credit transfer system after a lot of foreign universities and students showed their interest in studying in TU.
“Foreign students have shown interest in seeking credit transfer to our colleges especially in technical and health related subjects,” added Pokhrel. More than 80 per cent students in the country either study in 60 constituent campuses of TU or in more than 1,084 private and public campus affiliated to TU.
The TU is a largest university in the country and ninth largest in the world. It offers more than 2,000 post graduates programmes under the wide range of disciplines.
Bir Hospital to to launch telemedicine services
Few months ago, a woman of Malikarjun VDC, Darchula was brought to the district hospital as she writhed in labor pain. Seeing the baby´s hand come out first instead of head, the doctors and other staff at the hospital were confused about what to do.
“The woman´s condition was serious but the doctors were helpless,” Dr Amit Pokhrel, a doctor at the hospital, said. He said that the dilemma before the hospital at the time was whether to refer the patient to the nearest referral center, which is more than eight hours away by an ambulance. The hospital refers complicated cases sometimes to a nearby hospital at Pithauragadh, India, but on that day it was already dark and the border was closed.
Some health workers suggested that the child be pushed back and then pulled out using hands. “But we decided to take medical help from gynecologists at Patan Hospital,” said Dr Pokhrel. He said that a gynecologist at the hospital cautioned them not to intervene in the process and asked them to wait.”
“The child itself pulled its hands in and came out normally after 24 hours,” he said, adding, “We saved both mother and child by the advice of consultant doctors.”
After few decades of supernal medication Bir Hospital has set to launch telemedicine services to provide healthcare services to people living in remote areas.
Infrastructures for launching telemedicine services have already been set up in the hospital. It has already started transmission and completed the trail phase. The hospital is now working to make round-the-clock arrangement of doctors.
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunications technology to provide delivery of healthcare services to patients living in remote locations. This allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients without the need for hospital visit.
The services will first be launched in Dhading and Dolakha and gradually be extended to Butwal, Chitwan and Biratnagar in collaboration with doctors of National Academy of Medical Sciences and Bir Hospital, as per Dr Bhupendra Basnet, director, Bir Hospital.
“Doctors living in remote areas can consult specialists in Bir Hospital through video conferencing. This will improve delivery of treatment,” said Dr Basnet.
Currently, 2,000 people visit the out-patient department of Bir Hospital while the hospital has the capacity of treating 460 indoor patients.
The service will be helpful to people living in remote areas as they will not have to travel a long distance for treatment. “It saves time and is also cost effective. Similarly, it will also be beneficial for patients who need to be in regular touch with doctors for consultation,” said Dr Basnet.
District hospitals of Humla, Mugu, Dolpa, Solukhumbu, Darchula, Bhajang, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Rashuwa, Bajura, Kalikot, Aachham, Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa, Gorkha, Pyuthan, Okhaldhunga, Mustang, Manang, Sindhuli, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Dolakha, Jumla, Solukhumbu, Khotang and other three have been linked with the service. The center said that hospitals in Darchula, Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha and Rukum are the most active ones in making use of the service.
“Each day, 10 to 15 calls come from these districts,” said Keshav Pradhan, a public health inspector at the center. He said that over 4,500 people have already received services from the center in the last 15 months. Pradhan said that expensive referrals to the regional and sub regional hospitals from district hospitals have been significantly reduced after they were connected with the center. “People in the districts have been feeling huge relieved from the service,” he added. The center said that efforts are under way to have telemedicine services in all the districts.
Provincial capital protest continues in Doti, Dhankuta and Dang
The agitation that started expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to fix the temporary provincial headquarters, continued in Doti’s Dipayal, Dhankuta and Dang today as well.
The two districts in Province 7 and Province 1, both of which have long been organising protests and demonstrations for state capitalhood, have refused to recognise the government’s decision to grant the status of temporary provincial capitals to Kailali’s Dhangadhi and Morang’s Biratnagar.
Doti and Dhankuta were shut from early Wednesday morning to build pressure on the government, but to no avail. In Dipayal, the district headquarters of Doti, the enraged locals hurled stones at government offices and briefly seized a police van.
Demanding Dang to be the capital of province 5, residents of Dang have come together to protest government’s decision of proposing temporary capitals where a high court is located. Residents have called indefinite strike from today. Since early morning today, schools, markets and industries have shut down, while vehicle movement has come to a standstill.
The district secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), the party’s area president and municipal committee president announced that they were quitting from their positions in the party, accusing the NC President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of letting down the people of Doti.
In Dhankuta, the locals burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Deuba and demanded the government to withdraw its decision to base the headquarters of Province 1 in Biratnagar.
Earlier in the day, protesters had vandalised a motorcycle for defying the banda at Atmara. Meanwhile, the people of Dang has called for an indefinite strike from Wednesday to protest the government’s decision to make Butwal of Rupandehi district the temporary headquarters of Province 5. They also staged demonstrations at Ghorahi, the district headquarters of Dang, to protest the decision. The demonstrators also bunt tyres at different places along the East-West Highway to obstruct traffic.
At Deukhuri of Lamhai, protesters have shut down market and halted Mahendra highway-thereby affecting passengers commuting the highway. Likewise, Ghorahi, the district headquarter has also been affected. Protest at Tulsipur, one of the major economic centers of the district, has affected vehicle movement from two adjoining districts, Rukum and Salyan.
Protesters have been claiming that Dang would be the only feasible option as a provincial capital, and they would continue with the protests as long as their claims materialized.
The clash had erupted after agitators pelted stones at the security personnel from the corner meet organised in front of DAO Doti. Police had charged batons and opened dozens of tear gas shells.
Agitators claimed that two dozen demonstrators including CPN-UML Doti chair Chakra Malla were injured in the incident. They accused the police personnel of firing tear gas shells in the peaceful demonstration. They alleged that police personnel had charged batons indiscriminately to all and sundry.
Agitators clashed with security personnel in Doti’s Silgadhi. Over three dozens of agitators including police personnel were injured when the protesters clashed with police personnel. Doti locals are agitating against the government decision to fix Kailali’s Dhangadhi as the provincial capital of Province 7.
Doti police Chief SP Madhusudan Luitel, however, refuted the allegation and said that police had to charge batons and fire tear gas shells for their self defence after the agitators pelted stones at them. SP Luitel said situation was brought under control after long and hard efforts.
Doti remained shut for the third consecutive day today demanding that Dipayal be made the provincial capital. Market places and educational institutions pulled down their shutters. Buses stayed off the road while government offices, industries and factories remained closed.
Agitation Coordination Committee Coordinator Narendra Khadka said their agitation would not come to an end unless the government corrects its decision.
Similarly, after the government fixed Biratnagar as temporary capital of Province 1, agitation has become stern in Dhankuta. The agitation with demand to make Dhankuta the provincial capital for the past 34 days has hit normal life very hard.
A meeting held between the local administration and Provincial Capital Struggle Committee today ended inconclusively. After the talk, Struggle Committee Coordinator Sundarbabu Shrestha said general strike would continue in Dhankuta. He informed that they would announce other programmes of agitation.
District Administration Office Dhankuta lifted prohibitory order from 5:00pm today. The DAO had imposed the order from Thursday saying that the agitation had turned violent. Due to the prohibitory order, commuter and heavy trucks plying along the Koshi highway had been stuck midway. With the lifting of the order, vehicular movement has resumed on the highway.
Protests continued in Dang also. The strike called with demand to make Dang provincial headquarters has hit the normal life very hard. The government offices remained closed. Some offices were shut down forcefully by the agitators while some were closed by employees. Buses stayed off the road while schools, business organizations, factories and market places pulled down their shutters. The government has fixed Rupandehi as provincial headquarters of Province 6. Struggle Committee Dang Secretary and CPN-Maoist Centre Dang District joint in-charge Nirmal Acharya said their agitation would continue unless Dang was fixed as provincial capital of the Province 6.
Local political parties have supported the protest.
Protesters have been claiming that Dang would be the only feasible option as a provincial capital, and they would continue with the protests as long as their claims materialized.
The clash had erupted after agitators pelted stones at the security personnel from the corner meet organised in front of DAO Doti. Police had charged batons and opened dozens of tear gas shells.
Agitators claimed that two dozen demonstrators including CPN-UML Doti chair Chakra Malla were injured in the incident. They accused the police personnel of firing tear gas shells in the peaceful demonstration. They alleged that police personnel had charged batons indiscriminately to all and sundry.
Agitators clashed with security personnel in Doti’s Silgadhi. Over three dozens of agitators including police personnel were injured when the protesters clashed with police personnel. Doti locals are agitating against the government decision to fix Kailali’s Dhangadhi as the provincial capital of Province 7.
Doti police Chief SP Madhusudan Luitel, however, refuted the allegation and said that police had to charge batons and fire tear gas shells for their self defence after the agitators pelted stones at them. SP Luitel said situation was brought under control after long and hard efforts.
Doti remained shut for the third consecutive day today demanding that Dipayal be made the provincial capital. Market places and educational institutions pulled down their shutters. Buses stayed off the road while government offices, industries and factories remained closed.
Agitation Coordination Committee Coordinator Narendra Khadka said their agitation would not come to an end unless the government corrects its decision.
Similarly, after the government fixed Biratnagar as temporary capital of Province 1, agitation has become stern in Dhankuta. The agitation with demand to make Dhankuta the provincial capital for the past 34 days has hit normal life very hard.
A meeting held between the local administration and Provincial Capital Struggle Committee today ended inconclusively. After the talk, Struggle Committee Coordinator Sundarbabu Shrestha said general strike would continue in Dhankuta. He informed that they would announce other programmes of agitation.
District Administration Office Dhankuta lifted prohibitory order from 5:00pm today. The DAO had imposed the order from Thursday saying that the agitation had turned violent. Due to the prohibitory order, commuter and heavy trucks plying along the Koshi highway had been stuck midway. With the lifting of the order, vehicular movement has resumed on the highway.
Protests continued in Dang also. The strike called with demand to make Dang provincial headquarters has hit the normal life very hard. The government offices remained closed. Some offices were shut down forcefully by the agitators while some were closed by employees. Buses stayed off the road while schools, business organizations, factories and market places pulled down their shutters. The government has fixed Rupandehi as provincial headquarters of Province 6. Struggle Committee Dang Secretary and CPN-Maoist Centre Dang District joint in-charge Nirmal Acharya said their agitation would continue unless Dang was fixed as provincial capital of the Province 6.
Local political parties have supported the protest. 