This is Radio Nepal. The news, memorised by Bikas Nepal. His Majesty the King has sent a message of heartiest felicitation and congratulation to Sheikh Salamat Azizuddin Abduluzzaman Alhaz Peradana Bongo El Hadji Omar Yang Di Pertuan of the People's Democratic Republic of Togo on the happy occasion of the Independence Day of Togo. Similarly, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has emailed an attached greeting card as an animated .gif file to the prime minister of Togo, wishing him personal good health and satisfac-tion and the continued progress and prosperity to the people of Togo. He also expressed the confidence that the friendly relations between Togo and Nepal would grow further in the years to come and that the people of the two countries would figure out exactly what it is that they have in common besides being cheated by their rulers, and also why the people of Nepal should be subjected to listening to news items like these at seven in the morning.

The Deputy Prime Minister has said that he has arrived at the conclusion that the time has come to end wrong trends that have vexed Nepalis, and to initiate measures to counter them if the nation is to march ahead in a four-directional manner to a bright and prosperous future. He was speaking at the prize- giving ceremony of students who stood first, second, and last in the Inter-School Rubber Band Chungi Competition at Sankhamool on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister for Sports and Agriculture said the government would lobby with the international Olympic Committee to get rubber band chungi included in the 2004 Athens Olympics so that our athletes have a strong chance of winning gold medals. "After all, if synchronised swimming can be called a sport, so can chungi," the Minister said. The Minister for Men, Women and Children has said that babies are a gift of god and a symbol of the nation's bright future. The Minister said this after hoisting the national flag and the flag of the National Children's Organisation at Bal Mandir yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, the Speaker of the House, who is also chairman of the Main Celebration Committee of the 36th National Children's Day and the Chairman of the Publicity and Fund-Raising Sub-Committee for the Central Development Region Bagmati Zone Sub-Chapter, said: "Only by girding our loins will we be able to ensure a better future for ourselves."

The Government of Thailand and His Majesty's Government of Nepal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Phase Two of the Maharajgunj Road Repaving Project so that a 200-metre section in front of the Foreign Ministry can be completed by the year 2010, which has been declared "Amazing Nepal year". Speaking after the signing ceremony, the Minister for Roads, Highways, Bridges and Other Lucrative Infrastructure said he would leave no stone overturned to ensure the successful completion of the road. He also said that Nepalis must work towards constructive corruption. "If we are to advance, we must combine corruption with construction," the Minister added. Now, for the news in detail.