Nepal Highlights

Police have raided a guest-house in Sundhara, Kathmandu and recovered 400 litres of petrol, 2 sacs of marbles, 10 sacs of empty beer bottles, saw dust, and cotton clothes   The materials were recovered from room no. 103 of Seti-Mahakali Guest House in Sundhara, booked in the name of Krishna Ghimire, Kupandole.   Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramesh Kharel claimed the materials were brought to make petrol bombs for use during the up coming Maoist protests.   Guest House owner Ajab Pande has been arrested for investigation

Private school owners have agreed to revoked the fees hiked during this academic session. With the withdrawal of the fee-hike, the Maoist student wing, All Nepal National Independent Students Union (ANNISU-R) has called off its strike in the private schools. The private schools across the country will open from Friday after remaining closed for five consecutive days. The agreement to revoke the fees and the strike was reached at the talks held in the education ministry Thursday afternoon. However, confusion persists, as the Maoists are reportedly planning to keep their cadres at the schools. Even if the schools open tommorrow, the confusion about what happens after May 1 is still there.

A Constituent Assembly (CA) member nominated by CPN (UML) on its proportional quota has died, Thursday morning. Damodar Chaudhary of Narayanpur, Dang died in the course of treatment at Model Hospital, this morning. He was suffering from high blood pressure. Chaudhary was a member of CA Committee on determination of form of legislative and Legislature parliament's development committee. Chaudhary is survived by two wives, three sons and four daughters. He was jailed for two years from 1980 to 1982 for involvement in anti-Panchayat activities.

Unified CPN (Maoist), which has announced to stage a largest ever demonstration in the country on May 1 and an indefinite general strike from the next day against the present government, has brouught tens of thousands of cadres and common people from various districts around the country to Kathmandu for the protests. As of Wednesday evening, over 100,000 had entered Kathmandu through various entry points including Thankot, Sanga, Sankhu, Dakshinkali and Kakani. Flocks of Maoist cadres continue to enter the valley in reserved buses Thursday. Small and medium groups of Maoist cadres were seen marching along the streets in various parts of capital Kathmandu yesterday. The scene of Maoist cadres marching along the street sides is quite frequent in Kathmandu, today, too. The cadres who have entered Kathmandu have taken shelter in various public and private buildings. They are kept in underconstruction Housing complexes, party palaces, schools and colleges, Dharmashalas and even privat