Kathmandu, Sept 22 : The Federation of Nepali Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) today expressed its support, although with some reservation to the budget announced by the new government.

In a statement issued here, FNCCI said though many suggestions put forward by the organisation have been incorporated in the budget, the Nepal Government are still intends to increase its presence in the business sector by resuming its hold on public companies which were in the process of privatisation.

Kathmandu, Sept 22: Nepal Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has apologized to the Legislature-Parliament for his carelessness while presenting the government's budget for the current fiscal year 2008-09 on Friday.

Dr Bhattarai apologized to the house after Nepali Congress member Laxman Ghimire raised concern over Bhattarai's blunders.

As Speaker Subas Nembang was about to proceed with deliberations on the government's budget, Ghimire expressed serious objection as Dr. Bhattarai had skipped 35 major clauses while reading out the budget speech.

Kathmandu - At least 38 people were confirmed killed and 90 others missing after floods and landslides brought on by heavy monsoon rains devastated several districts in western Nepal, official media reports said Monday.

Heavy rains accompanied by high winds have been hitting eight districts in western Nepal since Friday, leaving a trail of destruction, the official Gorkhapatra newspaper said.

The reports said at least 18 people were killed in Kailali district, about 450 kilometres west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, with 42 others missing.

Kathmandu, Sept 21: Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda will visit the birthplace of Karl Marx, whose writings have inspired communist revolutions all over the world on September 30.

The house where Marx was born in 1818 was turned into the Museum-Karl-Marx-Haus in 1947 by Germany''s Social Democratic Party.

The museum houses a study centre with 80,000 volumes including the works of Marx and the spectrum of his reading, the history of socialism, socialist and workers'' movement as well as the social and economic history of the 19th century. 

Kathmandu, Sept 21 : A day after presented the big-size budget, Nepal''s Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai defended it saying that it was necessary to bring about economic changes in keeping with the heightened aspirations of the people following the establishment of republic.

During a press meet here on Saturday, Dr Bhattarai said, "To build a new Nepal, we had to have ambitious budget."

He expected larger contribution from foreign donors since the development partners, too, were ''keen to see peaceful and prosperous Nepal.''

Kathmandu - Large parts of Kathmandu city centre shut down Sunday following clashes between police and protestors demonstrating a government decision not to finance traditional animal sacrifice.

Thousands of protestors, mostly from the Newar community - considered the original inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley - forced shops, educational institutions and main markets to shut down and prevented transport from operating in the Old City area.

Police said at least a dozen vehicles that defied the strike were vandalized by the demonstrators.