News from Nepal

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepalese mountaineer Chhurim entered the record book by scaling Mount Everest twice in the same climbing season. In fact, she did so a week apart. Guinness World Records said she is the first woman to climb the world's highest mountain twice in the same season -- the brief window of good weather each year that allows climbers to reach the summit. Nepal's Tourism Minister Posta Bahadur Bogati handed over the Guinness World Records certificate issued to 29-year-old Chhurim on Monday. She scaled the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit on May 12, 2012, descended to the base camp for a couple of days' rest and then scaled the peak again a week later on May 19. Chhurim, who uses only one name like most Sherpas, said she is not ready to quit. "Everest is the first of the highest mountains that I have climbed, but I will continue mountaineering and hope ...

Nepal’s former crown prince Paras Shah, who is being treated in Thailand following a cardiac arrest, showed slight improvement but is yet to regain his consciousness, doctors said yesterday. Doctors, in a statement, said they have been successful to stop the bleeding in Shah’s stomach but his blood pressure was low. The doctors found internal bleeding in Shah’s abdomen on Sunday. They, however, said the former crown prince has not regained his consciousness. According to the Ekantipur news portal, the doctors have been working to make 42-year-old Paras’s blood pressure normal. It has been said despite the partial improvement in his health condition Shah still remains in critical condition. Paras has been undergoing treatment at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital in Bangkok since Tuesday. In September 2007, Paras had been admitted to the Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu after he suffered a mild heart attack. Paras, who as crown prince, was unpopular for his pla...

Kathmandu , Feb. 26: A play entitled 'Natakharuko Natak (Drama of the Dramas)' has gained popularity especially among youths and students. The play, orchestrated in Sarbanam Theatre Home for the past couple of weeks, has vividly depicted economic challenges facing an artist o perform a drama. 'Daily an average of 100 youths are watching the performance. The thrust of the play is to inform the audience about the financial needs and crisis an artist has to encounter to bring out a drama on stage, said Founder Chairperson of Sarbanam Theatre Group and veteran playwright of Nepal, Ashesh Malla. Artists including Om Mani Sharma, Tika Bhakta Jirel, Bhimmaya Prajapati, Shiva Adhikari, Sadhana Bhandari Meena Khadka, Hementa Acharya, Ram KC and Shyam Khadka featured in the drama. The same play was performed at Nepal Academy in 2037 BS, some 32 years ago. It is being performed without any amendments in the manuscript of the play, added Malla. The play has shown tha...

Butwal, Feb. 26: A bomb planted at local Pushpalal Park created panic among the general public in Butwal town area this morning. The bomb was reportedly planted by the CPN Maoist (Revolutionary). It was kept in a bag at the Pushpalal Park, Ward No. 8 of Butawal Municipality. Roadside shopkeepers had detected the bag with the bomb at 7 in the morning and informed the police about it.        Police cordoned off the area and called in a bomb disposal squad of the Nepalese Army Bhawani Baks   Battalion which defused the device at about 10 a.m. Police suspect that the group might have planted the bomb to show its presence and activities.Further investigation is underway in this connection, said the police

Kathmandu, Feb. 26: Police on Monday arrested 711 hooligans including three women from the capital as per their campaign to control incidents of theft, looting, and criminal activities in the Kathmandu Valley. Police have kept the records including the name, surname, address, fingerprints, and photographs of the arrestees, according to Metropolitan Police Circle, Hanumandhoka. As per the campaign, police cut the hair of those arrested with very long and uncouth hair in the presence of their guardians and warned them not to go around in such get-up, said police. Police arrested 65 people from Maharajgunj, 83 from Baneshwor, 71 from Bauddha, 93 from Kalimati, 105 from Balaju areas. Similarly, 42 hooligans were arrested from Singhadurbar area, four from Farping, nine from Gongabu, five each from Budhanilakantha and Sankhu, 32 from Gaushala, 39 from Kapan, 11 from Koteshwor, and one from Thankot areas. Likewise, 31 people were held from Swayambhu, 22 from Janasewa, 17 fro...

KATHMANDU: A Cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to establish Nepali Embassies in Bahrain and Oman— the popular destination for Nepalis youths seeking overseas jobs. The meeting of Cabinet also decided to change the name of Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management to Ministry of Physical infrastructure and transport, Minister for Information and Communication Raj Kishor Yadav read out the decisions. Likewise, the government has decided to rebate loans provided to farmers and household entrepreneurs and Rs 2.9 million grant has been decided for JP foundation with assistance to purchase land to construct building of the foundation. The meeting also decided to form a committee led by Minister for Tourism Posta Bahadur Bogati to mark the diamond jubilee of the accent on Mt Everest. The meeting has picked Dr Dharma Raj Khanal and Narayan Prasad Ghimire respectively as Chairman and registrar at Nepal Veterinary Clinic.

KATHMANDU: Former Crown Prince Paras Shah, who suffered from a heart attack on Tuesday evening , is receiving treatment in an unconscious state at the Bangkok-based Samitivej Hospital. His condition is said to be critical as brain injury is suspected due to an apparent brain haemorrhage that followed the cardiac arrest. Quoting Sunil Khadka, the g eneral Secretary of Non-Residential Nepalese Association (NRNA) Thailand, Nepali journalist Rupak D Sharma wrote on Twitter this morning that doctors are uncertain about the former royalty's condition. Embassy rep visits Representative from the Embassy of Nepal in Thailand visited the hospital to inquire about the former crown prince's condition this morning. After the visit, Deputy Chief of Nepali mission in Bangkok, Dor Nath Aryal, told THT Online over telephone that Shah is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital and is assisted by ventilator. He informed that doctors have suspected Shah suffered from ...

Chairman of dissolved Constituent Assembly ( CA ) Subash Chandra Nembang has said that constituting an election government under the leadership of incumbent Chief Justice would be against the spirit of the Interim Constitution of Nepal. Speaking at an interaction organised on the occasion of the Democracy Day in Mangalbare on Monday, he said forming such government would be in violation of democratic norms and values. The condition of the nation was further worsened after the dissolution of the CA , said Mr Nembang, underlining the need of finding a way out to the nation from existing crisis as quickly as possible. The political parties´ proposal to form an election government under the leadership of incumbent CJ Khila Raj Regmi should not be implemented at any circumstances, he added. Local Development Officer Suman Adhikari chaired the programme.

Kathmandu, Feb. 17: Four small political parties took out a protest rally against the ongoing efforts of the big parties to appoint the Chief Justice   the prime minister of the country. CPN-Maoist, CPN-Unified, Revolutionary Communist Party Nepal and CPN (Maoist) organized the rally which emanated from Shantibatika and converged into a corner gathering at the same place after passing through Bagbazar, Putalisadak, Shahid Gate, and Newroad. Addressing the gathering, CPN-Maoist Spokesperson Pampha Bhushal said the consensus the four parties were trying to forge to appoint the CJ as the Prime Minister was a traitorous scheme and her party would continue to protest until it was thwarted. Similarly, CPN-Maoist coordinator Matrika Yadav said the decision of the big four parties was unconstitutional because the same person could not lead both the executive and the judiciary. General Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist Party Mani Thapa warned of launching the third jana...

Kathmandu, Feb. 17: A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court on Sunday calling for an interim order against the proposal being floated to appoint an election government led by the Chief Justice. In the petition filed by advocate Bharatmani Jungum, it has been argued that the step reportedly being taken to form an election government under the leadership of the sitting Chief Justice was unconstitutional, and thereby an interim order was warranted, according to Registrar of the Court, Lohit Chandra Shaha. The petitioner has also called for a mandamus order in order to protect the various articles of the Interim Constitution and the principle of separation of power by issuing a directive to form an election government under the chair of a former Chief Justice or an independent person, with a condition to hold elections to the CA or the parliament within six months. The Office of the President, the Prime Minister, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Mini...

Kathmandu: An election government led by the chief justice is likely to be formed soon in crisis-ridden Nepal as ruling and Opposition parties inched closer to a "package deal" that would enable fresh polls by May. Top leaders of Unified CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Joint Madhesi Front in principle agreed yesterday to form a government led by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi and to hold Constituent Assembly Elections by May-end, according to Nepali Congress general secretary Prakash Man Singh. The parties have also formed an eight-member task force comprising two representatives each from major political parties to work out modalities of the proposed government under the chief justice. The major political forces held formal and informal consultations yesterday and today to hammer out a "package deal" on all issues related to the formation of an election government and to frame rules for forthcoming election, sa...

Kathmandu, Feb. 11: The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has announced a 16-member team for the qualifying games to be held here for the AFC Challenge Cup 2014. Accordingly, the probable include Kiran Chemjong, Biraj Maharjan, Bijaya Dhimal, Sandip Rai, Bikram Lama, Bijaya Gurung, Anil Ojha and Santosh Sahukhala. Likewise, Rajendra Rawal, Sabindra Shrestha, Chetan Ghimire, Dipak Rai, Bishal Rai A, Jagjit Shrestha, Nirajan Khadka, Anil Gurung, Rabin Shrestha, Ritesh Thapa, Bikesh Kuthu, Bhola Silwal, Jumanu Rai, Jitendra Karki, Raju Tamang, Bharat Khawas, Nawayug Shrestha, Sagar Thapa, Amar Dangol and Rohit Chand have also been selected for the tournament. The Group D qualifying games for the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 is being held at local Dasarath Stadium from March 2 to 6 as per the annual programme of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Nepal is grouped together with Bangladesh, Palestine and Northern Mariana Island.

Chitwan, Feb. 11: Fifteen police personnel were injured when a police van escorting the Prime Minister's motorcade met with an accident at Bharatpur on Monday. The van (Ga.1Cha.6184) was carrying police personnel serving as an escort to Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai who arrived here to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the Bal Kumari Girls' Higher Secondary School. The accident took place at the uphill road of Bharatpur. Of the injured, four are in a critical condition, according to police. The injured are undergoing treatment at various medical centres in Chitwan.  Though a mechanical failure in the van was reported as the reason behind the accident, eye witnesses said the van carrying personnel more than its capacity and high speed led to the road accident.