Kathmandu - At least 14 people were killed and dozens more missing after torrential monsoon rains in western Nepal triggered flash floods and landslides, official media reports said.

The government-owned Rising Nepal newspaper said most of the deaths were reported from four districts - Kailali, Kanchanpur, Doti and Gulmi.

In Doti district, about 450 kilometres west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, five people included a 7-month-old infant were killed when their house was struck by landslide. .

Kathmandu - At least five people were killed and another 15 missing after flash floods and landslides hit several districts in western Nepal, official reports said Saturday.

Government-owned Nepal Television said at least six districts in western Nepal had been hit by heavy rains since Friday night causing landslides in several mountainous areas and flooding farmland and villages in the plains.

It said at least four people were killed when their houses were buried by landslides in Gulmi and Kalikot districts, about 300 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu.

Kathmandu, Sept 20 : Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias ''Prachanda'' will leave for the United States today where he will address the UN General Assembly in New York. 

"I am leaving for the US visit where I will address the UN General Assembly. I have also just received an invitation to attend a reception to be hosted there by the US president George Bush," said Prachanda in his address to the Constituent Assembly last night.

Kathmandu - Parts of Kathmandu were tense on Saturday after one of the major festivals was halted over a government decision not to give money for animal sacrifice which is part of centuries-old tradition.

Thousands of people from Newar community, considered the original inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley, gathered outside the royal palace in old part of the city early Saturday morning accusing the government of trying to wipe out their culture.

Kathmandu  - Nepal's Maoist-led government presented its first annual budget since abolishing the monarchy on Friday, focused mainly on infrastructure building and social development.

Finance Minister Babu Ram Bhattarai, who is the second highest- ranking Maoist leader, delivered a 236-billion-rupee ( about 3.2 billion dollars) budget, which was widely interpreted as being populist in nature.

"The government has given priority to education, employment generation, health and judicious distribution of economic gains to remove economic inequality," Finance Minister Bhattarai said.

Kathmandu, Sept.