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Posted
on 05-Sep-01 09:18 AM
Nepal's King Gyanendra has reiterated that he is committed to function within the boundaries of a constitutional monarchy.
There had been speculation that King Gyanendra was planning to take back the powers his predecessor was forced to give up more than a decade ago following a pro-democracy movement.
His remarks are believed to have been aimed at dismissing such speculation.
In a rare press interview, King Gyanendra, who ascended the throne three months ago, ruled out moves to dismantle multi-party democracy.
He told the Nepali language newspaper, Rastrabani, that he was determined to follow the present constitution that guarantees both constitutional monarchy and multi-party parliamentary democracy.
Palace massacre
Gyanendra became king last June after his elder brother, King Birendra, and several royal family members were killed in a palace massacre, blamed on crown prince Dipendra, who reportedly shot himself later.
King Birendra was praised for his liberal image
The slain king was widely praised for his liberal image and commitment to democracy.
King Gyanendra had pledged to follow the footsteps of his elder brother.
Despite that, there had been speculation that he was not happy with the existing democratic system which was established after a pro-democracy movement 11 years ago.
Increasing frustration of the people over the failure of the elected governments to deliver has further fuelled such speculation.
But in reply to a question, King Gyanendra said that he was fully committed to democracy.
Maoist rebellion
Instead, analysts say, Nepal's young democracy faces immediate threats from Maoist rebels waging an armed struggle to establish a communist republic in the world's sole Hindu kingdom.
Maoist rebels are said to pose a greater threat
Some 1,800 people have died since the insurgency was launched nearly six years ago.
Last week the rebels, for the first time ever, began formal peace talks with the government.
Both sides described the talks as positive and cordial, but there has been some concern ahead of the second round which is due in a week's time.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday accused the rebels of not being sincere enough in seeking a negotiated settlement of the long-running insurgency.
The rebels have not responded to the allegations yet.
But if the dialogue fails violence could flare up across the country, seriously jeopardising the Himalayan kingdom's young democracy.
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Posted
on 05-Sep-01 09:28 AM
King Gyanendra, who was not in the Nepali capital at the time of the bloodbath, had been criticised for continuing his business activities after ascending to the throne of the poverty-stricken country.
''Now we don't have any involvement (in business activities),'' he told the Nepali weekly, Rastravani, the first interview he has given to any newspaper since becoming king.
''Past investments were made in a different context,'' he added. He did not disclose what he had done with his investments.
King Gyanendra also said he had transferred ownership of his property but did not say to whom.
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Posted
on 05-Sep-01 09:29 AM
Deuba told a public meeting in the Nepali capital that despite assurances by the rebels, extortion, intimidation and the public display of weapons by them continued to scare people.
''These activities could affect the ongoing peace talks. Therefore, the Maoists must stop them immediately,'' Deuba said.
Maoist rebels in landmark peace talks with the Nepali government last week vowed to meet again to seek a resolution to their five-year-old bloody rebellion, and pledged to stop the use of force as the talks continue.
Deuba also criticised the rebel group for its plans to organise a massive public meeting in Kathmandu on September 21 to display their strength in the capital, which has so far been spared from major rebel activities.
There was no immediate reaction from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
The talks were the first formal contact between the two sides since the Maoist guerrillas, who derive inspiration from Peru's Shining Path movement, launched a violent campaign to overthrow the constitutional monarchy in early 1996.
A second round of peace talks was scheduled for next week.
The group is fighting to set up a one-party communist republic in the mountainous nation and more than 1,800 people have lost their lives in the insurgency.
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Posted
on 05-Sep-01 11:04 AM
Expedition Searches Black Sea for Evidence of Noah's Flood
Wednesday, September 05, 2001
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SOFIA, Bulgaria — Could it be that Noah's Ark lies well-preserved somewhere in the inky depths of the Black Sea?
A joint U.S.-Bulgarian scientific expedition is combing the Black Sea for traces of a lost civilization — a mission that could shed more light on the controversial timing and site of the biblical Great Flood.
Under the supervision of American underwater explorer and Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard, the team of 19 scientists left the port city of Varna, about 300 miles east of Sofia, in mid-August. Their ship, the "Akademik," will use sonar technology to search the mouths of the Provadiyska and Kamchia rivers.
During their 30-day expedition, they will search for undersea evidence of human habitation in the Black Sea region before the flood described in the Old Testament book of Genesis. The Bible says Noah built an ark in which he, his family and living creatures of every kind survived the flood. Numerous towns are believed to have been situated along both rivers.
Some scientists theorize that a society predating those of Egypt and Mesopotamia was submerged by the Black Sea at the time of a massive flood 7,600 years ago. The flood transformed a stillwater lake into the saltwater sea.
Ballard, a National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence, is best known for finding the remains of the sunken Titanic in 1985. He also operates the Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Conn. Three years ago, he found indications of an ancient coastline miles offshore from the current Black Sea coast.
Although he didn't join the current expedition, Ballard is in constant satellite communication with the crew. Ballard has said that if the expedition is successful, he'll return in 2003, when he would to continue the search with Hercules, a robot being developed for underwater archaeological excavations.
The expedition is sponsored by the National Geographic Society, which is planning a book and television programs on Ballard's Black Sea research.
"We are looking for evidence of settlements where people had been living before the flood," Ballard told journalists during a brief stay in Bulgaria ahead of the expedition. Flooding occurred all over the world 7,600 years ago, he said, but "this was the flood of floods."
In 1999, Ballard's team discovered a wooden ship in "absolutely astounding" condition — despite being up to 1,500 years old — in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey.
"When archaeologists saw the ship, they said that it could have sunk a week ago," Ballard said.
The unique oxygen-free deep water of the Black Sea allowed the ship to be preserved without the normal worm damage that affects wooden vessels. Unlike other oceans, its deep water does not circulate and the lack of oxygen prevents the development of microorganisms that destroy shipwrecks.
In addition to the preserved ship, three other wrecks were found in shallower water where there is some oxygen. Those suffered some worm damage.
According to a theory to which Ballard and his Bulgarian colleagues subscribe, when glaciers melted at the end of the Ice Age, water flowing from the Mediterranean surged over the Bosporus at a speed 200 times greater than that of Niagara Falls.
"Our mission now is to find the ancient shore line 510 feet down and find evidence of human habitation before the flood," Ballard said. "We are undertaking the expedition thanks to maps prepared by Professor Petko Dimitrov and his colleagues, which show the ancient shoreline."
Dimitrov, who heads Bulgaria's Oceanological Institute, also believes evidence of a lost civilization could be found in the deeps of the Black Sea.
"In 1972, a Neolithic necropolis containing the oldest tomb discovered in Europe to this day was discovered near Varna," Dimitrov said.
The necropolis on display at an archaeological museum in Varna dates back to 4600-4200 B.C. It contains 294 tombs and about 3,000 gold objects, 200 copper objects, various tools made of flint and stone, and numerous religious and funeral objects.
During a Bulgarian-Russian expedition in 1985, Dimitrov found an ancient stone plate 40 miles offshore. He later called it "Noah's Plate."
"My impression was that it had not fallen from a sunken ship, but had been used there by people," Dimitrov said.
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| rastriyabadi |
Posted
on 05-Sep-01 12:52 PM
it is good to see all these news appear on gbnc. but hey dear news, isn't it good to at least mention the source u've pasted these news items from? the first article u've pasted is, i believe, from the bbc website. what bout the others?
and hey, there's been so much argument going on this site bout "plaguiarism" and it's sad to see someone doing just that here.
hey, let's be ethical maan. anyone from any publications must have worked hard to write all that stuff - let's respect him for that.
nepal needs a lot of ethical people at this serious times of history. let's be so...
gp, plz add in more here. wish to read u're comment.
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