News from Nepal

Melamchi : Four passengers who were travelling on a bus (Ba 2 Kha 2702) heading to Baramchi, Sindhupalchowk from Kathmandu were electrocuted after they happen to touch live wire above the bus. They were travelling on the roof top of the bus and were killed when they mistakenly touch the electric wire, police said. The other injured in the accident are undergoing treatment at Balephi Hospital, police said. The deceased are yet to be identified, said Police Inspector Raj Kumar Thapa.

Kathmandu : The 19-party Alliance led by the UCPN (Maoist) has formed an 11-member taskforce to announce protest programmes, after discussion with the ruling parties—Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) ended inconclusive. Today's meeting of the Alliance held at the Parliamentary Party Office of the UCPN (Maoist) formed the taskforce comprising Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Hridayesh Tripathi, Jitendra Narayan Dev, Prem Bahadur Singh, Gopal Dahit, Laxman Lal Karna, Dr Bijay Sainju, Rukmini Tharu, Rani Sharma Tiwari, Ram Kumar Rai and Rajendra Shrestha. The taskforce would propose the protest programmes on Monday and the meeting of the Alliance scheduled for Monday afternoon would make the protest programmes public, said Chairman of Samajbadi Janata Party Prem Bahadur Singh.

Kathmandu : The Government has felicitated noted Indian child rights activist and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi at a function organized by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the Central Child Welfare Board here today. Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Nilam KC felicitated the joint Nobel peace prize winner for 2014 in recognition of his contribution to the field of child rights. Accepting the honour, Satyarthi said the prize he received was the prize won by all the voiceless and identity-less children across the globe. He also emphasized on the need to internalize child rights in our customs, instead of limiting it to the law and speeches. Satyarthi said the credit of him winning the coveted Nobel peace prize also goes to Nepal, while pointing out the commonality in the problems faced by the children of Nepal and India.

LALITPUR - Nobel laureate and noted child rights activist of India Kailash Satyarthi joined the clean Bagmati campaign at Teku this morning. He attended the 84th series of the campaign that took place amidst the cleaning of solid waste along the Bagmati River from Teku bridge to Sanepa bridge. Speaking on the occasion, the joint winner of Nobel Peace Prize 2014 urged all to clean up mother Bagmati with a true heart and not just as a showpiece. "You are in a way serving yourself, first you committed paap or sin by polluting the Bagmati and now you are winning back punya or rewards by cleaning it up", he said. Also speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel, who is spearheading the Clean Bagmati campaign, said he was left speechless by the commitment expressed by Sartyarthi towards Bagmati.

KATHMANDU - Apple- samsung smartphone rivalry is set to heat up in Nepal, with the official launch of the iPhone on Friday. Generation Next Communica-tions (Genxt) has been named the authorised distributor of iPhone for Nepal, while the country’s leading telecom operator Ncell has offered the smartphone with its service bundling. Although Apple has been selling its products like the iMac, iPod and MacBook through authorised resellers in Nepal, it had not appointed any authorised distributor for the iPhone. So far, Samsung has been the lone player in the premium smartphone segment, with minimum competition from other brands. It always enjoyed that first-mover advantage, with the official Samsung distributor having one of the largest sales network in Nepal.

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By: Allan Woods Quebec Bureau, Published on Thu Oct 16 2014 MONTREAL―It is a photograph, taken in early October, that shows excitement, vitality and well-being. Six Canadians gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal, ready to begin the journey of a lifetime near the top of the world. On the far left is the group’s local guide, Kusang Sherpa, dressed in a blue vest that bears the logo of Terra Ultima, the Montreal tour company that had arranged the trek through Nepal’s famed Annapurna region. On the far right is Sylvie Marois, a 54-year-old veteran of the outdoors as well as an instructor in adventure tourism, which included training in avalanche safety. In the photo, which was posted on Facebook but has since been removed, Marois, too, is wearing a black shirt with the red logo of the Canadian outfitter.

The death toll in Nepal's Himalayas from a blizzard and multiple avalanches rose to at least 27 Thursday, with about 70 people still missing. Those missing are believed to be near the Annapurna trail, a route located about 100 miles northwest of the capital of Katmandu, where October is peak trekking season because of the favorable weather. Officials are worried the death toll could rise after a massive snowstorm Tuesday left hikers stranded. Search teams rescued dozens of foreign hikers from different parts of the Manang district Thursday, according to a news release from the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal.  That follows news that more than 60 trekkers, including Nepali support staff, were rescued from the adjacent Mustang region Wednesday.

Written by Yubaraj Ghimire | Maoist chief Prachanda swallowed his pride when he gave up his earlier claim to permanent leadership of the High Level Political Committee (HLPC), accepting that its stewardship would be transferred to other parties on rotation. But even in retreat, he inflicted a blow on the leadership of the governing coalition — the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN- UML) — by securing major concessions, like the transfer of public property under the possession of Maoist cadres since the insurgency to their names. As per the five-point agreement signed between the chiefs of the three parties — the NC, UML and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) — last Wednesday, the state will also pay two lakh rupees in “compensation” to the families of Maoists and pro-Madhes activists killed or wounded.

Actress Joanna Lumley yesterday urged Nepal to ban a ‘festival of slaughter’ in which up to 250,000 terrified animals are killed. They are held in a giant open-air pen where their heads are hacked off in full view of each other. The victims include buffalo, goats, chickens and pigs. Some have their legs severed before they are decapitated. The festival is held every five years to honour Hindu goddess Gadhimai and takes place at the end of November.  Millions cross the border from India to circumvent laws against animal sacrifice in their own country.

KATHMANDU (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than two weeks after a Nepalese hunger striker died, his frozen corpse still lies unclaimed in a hospital morgue - a grim reminder of the desperate struggle for justice by the families of victims of the decade-long civil war.     Nanda Prasad Adhikari, 56, and his wife Ganga Maya had been on hunger strike for 11 months, demanding a formal investigation of the death of their teenage son in 2004, a time when conflict raged in the impoverished Himalayan nation.     Adhikari died in a Kathmandu hospital on Sept. 22, while 54-year-old Maya, still on hunger strike, is "stable but critical" in the hospital's intensive care unit, doctors say. "The tragic outcome of the protest by Nanda Prasad Adhikari shows the desperation of the demands for justice by victims of the conflict in Nepal," Rory Mungoven, Asia-Pacific head of the UN Human Rights office, said after Adhikari's death.

Kathmandu: Though some substantive achievement has been made in the region for overall development of children, compared with developed nations, South Asia needs to do more, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said here. The prime minister made the observation during his meeting here Thursday with the newly appointed Unicef Ambassador for nutrition in South Asia and Bollywood superstar, producer and director, Aamir Khan. Congratulating Aamir on his new responsibility, Koirala said South Asia was thoroughly backward in socio-economic development and involvement of such a renowned celebrity like Aamir in the field of curbing malnutrition in the region would make a difference.

काठमाडौं – मासु दशैंको मुख्य परिकार हो । दशैंका बेला सक्ने, नसक्ने सबैका घरमा मासु पाक्छन् । धेरै भएकाहरूका घरमा मासुका विभिन्न परिकार तयार गरिन्छ । भुटेको, झोल हालेको, सुकुटी बनाएको, पोलेको, साँधेको जस्ता विविध परिकार पाक्छन् । मासु कसैले घरमै तयार पार्छन् भने कसैले पसलमा किनेको प्रयोग गर्छन् । तर, बिरामी पशु तथा राम्रो सरसफाइको ब्यवस्था नभएको पसलमा किनेको मासु खा“दा उल्टो बिरामी परिएला भनेर भने चाँहि सतर्क रहनैपर्छ । अस्वस्थकर मासुले टाइफाइड, झाडापखाला तथा पेटका समस्या निम्तन सक्ने भएकाले किनिएको पशु तथा मासु स्वस्थकर छ कि छैन भनेर ध्यान पु¥याउनुपर्छ । दशैंतिहारजस्ता चाडबाडका बेलामा बिरामी भएर अस्पताल पुग्नुभन्दा पहिल्यै सतर्क रहनु नै ठीक होइन र ? सकेसम्म व्यवस्थित बधशालामा काटिएको मासु खानुपर्छ । रोगी, झोक्राएको जस्तो पशुको मासु खानु हुँदैन । फ्रिजमा राखेको र सूक्ष्म जीवाणुबाट मुक्त मासुको प्रयोग गर्नुपर्छ । अस्वस्थकर मासु तथा रोगि पशुको मासु सेवन गर्दा मानिसलाई जुनोटिक रोग बढी लाग्ने सम्भावना हुन्छ । त्यस्ता रोगी पशुपंक्षीको मासु सेवन गर्नाले बर्डफ्लु, स्वाइनफ्लु, एन्थ्राक्सलग

While the majority of participants entered the recent 2014 AFC U-16 Championship seeking to make a name for themselves, Bimal Magar was heralded as an established star prior to the competition. The talented Nepal forward, who is plying his trade with the U-19 side of Anderlecht, had already tasted significant international experience before the Asian campaign. Despite being just 16, he has already represented his country at nearly every age level. He began his international career with the U-14 national team, before graduating into the U-17 and U-23 sides. It was all the more notable that he made it into the national senior side competing in last September's 2013 SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Championship. He had a dream debut in the second match against Pakistan, scoring the equaliser with a stoppage-time strike in a 1-1 stalemate which helped Nepal progress to the last four as section winners. "I thought it was like a dream when I score

AHMEDABAD: India, Pakistan and Nepal performed brilliantly at the National Institute of Design's (NID), South Asian Short and Documentary Film Festival, Alpavirama 2014. This year, the opening film and the festival favorite, Nepalese fiction 'The Contagious Apparitions of Dambarey Dendrite' won the Golden Comma award. Directed by Bibhusan Basnet and Pooja Gurung, it's a story on street life. India's entry 'Life' also left a mark on the jury and grabbed the Silver Comma award. The film has been directed by Srinjay Thakur and reveals how technology changes an old retired government worker's life. The third most talked-about film was Indian fiction 'Little Hands' directed by Rohin Raveendran. The film explores the life of a sixth-grader who sits through a difficult mathematics examination. Hostile classmates and a strict teacher force him into other options to pass the exam. Pakistan's documentary film 'A Life With

Growing paddy, potatoes and corn on his family farm in a tiny village in eastern Nepal. And on Saturday he was standing on top of the podium, receiving India’s first gold medal of the 2014 Asian Games. As the medal hung from his neck, Rai, who was an image of calm in his pursuit of the 50m air pistol gold, showed first signs of emotion. It was a mixture of relief and joy, and vindication. Rai had given up his country of birth and left his family behind to pursue an Army career in India. This moment of victory seemed to have made his long journey worth it. A few years back, I wouldn’t have thought that I could achieve so much. I owe a lot to the Army. If it was not for them, I would have either been in Britain or growing potatoes in Nepal

A spate of road building projects in and around the most popular trekking area in Nepal has sparked a battle involving local people, tourist entrepreneurs and developers. The Annapurna region is one Nepal's main attractions, attracting some 40,000 to 50,000 trekkers every year who enjoy its pristine mountain trails, valleys and spectacular scenery. Ghandruk village could previously only be reached by a day-long trek largely uphill through beautiful rhododendron forests. But recently, a dirt road was built linking the village to the nearest biggest place, Kimche, which can now be reached in just one and half hours. Khusi Bahadur Gurung, an elderly local man, grins at the inroads made by development in his village. "Road development is good for us people. It will lead to easier transportation," he said. Dust and fumes But not all locals share his enthusiasm. Dilu Gurung is a small-time hotel operator, relying on the trekking business and tourism.

Bollywood star and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra puts on her boxing gloves to play India’s 5-time world champ Mary Kom MC Mary Kom may not be a household name to un-sporty audiences outside India. A five-time world champion in women’s boxing and still competing today, she put India on the map in this sport and became an inspiration for young women in her country looking to break out of traditional social roles. Bollywood actress-singer Priyanka Chopra also knows something about winning international titles: she was elected Miss World in 2000. Strange to tell, in Mary Kom these two famous ladies and their apparently opposite styles of femininity come together with fiery energy, even if the context is an overly familiar, poor-girl-makes-good tale of true grit. The ending is so rousing it should generate the cross-over energy and help Viacom 18 to win some adventurous commercial rings, though it is bound to score most o

British authorities have been accused of funding a four-year intelligence operation in Nepal that led to Maoist rebels being arrested, tortured and killed during the country’s civil war. Thomas Bell, the author of a new book on the conflict, says MI6 funded safe houses and provided training in surveillance and counter-insurgency tactics to Nepal’s army and spy agency, the National Investigation Department (NID) under “Operation Mustang”, launched in 2002. Nepal’s decade-long civil war left more than 16,000 dead, with rebels and security forces accused of serious human rights violations including killings, rapes, torture and disappearances. “According to senior Nepalese intelligence and army officials involved in the operation, British aid greatly strengthened their performance and led to about 100 arrests,” said Bell, whose book Kathmandu is released in south Asia on Thursday.

London: Thomas Bell, a journalist who writes on Nepal for The Economist and other publications, has in his new book, "Kathmandu", accused British secret service MI6 of aiding Nepal authorities in the torture of Maoist rebels during the South Asian country’s civil war, a media report said Sunday. Bell said that Britain funded a four-year intelligence operation in Nepal in 2002 that provided "safe houses", training in surveillance and counter-insurgency tactics to Nepal’s army and spy agency, the National Investigation Department (NID), Press TV reported. The British agency "also sent a small number of British officers to Nepal, around four or five -- some tied to the embassy, others operating separately", Bell wrote in his book, according to the report. According to the author, Nepalese authorities were trained in how to place bugs, penetrate rebel networks and groom informers.

KATMANDU, Nepal –   Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Nepal's capital holding colored boards in an attempt to break the record for the largest human national flag. The crowd Saturday comprised mostly students, but other participants included doctors, government workers, politicians and business executives — all of whom stood for hours in an open area in the heart of Katmandu. One of the event's organizers, Ashish Chaulagai, said more than 38,000 people were estimated to have formed Nepal's flag, shaped as two red triangles with a blue border. Nepal is the only country whose flag is not quadrilateral. Chaulagai said photographs of the event and a detailed report would be sent to Guinness World Records. The last record was set in Pakistan by 28,957 people. HUMAN NATIONAL FLAG IN OTHER WORLD........see here...