Nepal News archive for 26 September 2009

In Nepal, a Long, Cold Climb to Inspiration – New York Times (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
IT was 4 a.m. in mid-November, and I was stretching in a lodge in Thorong Phedi, Nepal , at 14,500 feet, trying to pump warmth back into my body and get rid of a throbbing headache brought on by dehydration and altitude sickness. Wolfing down chapati …

MJ wanted to be buried with kids – Newstrack India (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
Washington, September 26 (ANI): Michael Jackson wanted to be buried among children, his one-time confidante has claimed. Spiritual advisor Rabbi Shmuley Boteach released recorded interviews with the King of Pop between 1999 and 2001 as part of the …

I don’t want to sing ‘crap’ in Bollywood: Sonu – Express India (September 26, 2009) – [read more]
Boney plans sequels of ‘No Entry’ and ‘W… Suffering from slip disc, Shiney winces … We are hypocrites when it comes to child… New Delhi After a host of foreign concerts and producing his independent music, versatile singer, Sonu Niigaam is back …

Devotees travel on foot from Tibet to pray for Dalai Lama – Thaindian.com (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
Patna, Sep 26 (IANS) To pray for long life of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, three Buddhist devotees travelled hundreds of kilometres on foot from Tibet and reached Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya “to fulfil their wish”. Kelsang Dondup, 56 …

Mandalas grace Grace Cathedral – San Francisco Chronicle (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
They flew to San Francisco from Nepal to build intricate sand Shi-tro mandalas – ancient Tibetan circular artworks that symbolize peaceful awareness. Using metal cones similar to a cake decorator’s funnel, they carefully tapped colorful grains of …

Devizes cleric has crumb of comfort for bakery – This is Wiltshire (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
One of Devizes’ biggest employers is praying a recovery from the recession will continue. To help with divine intervention Hayden’s Bakeries has appointed Justin Brad-bury, curate of St James’ Church, as company chaplain. Managing director Paul …

Thousands of Muslims rally, pray at Capitol – The Washington Times (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
About 3,000 Muslims gathered Friday for a first-ever prayer service in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol in what turned out to be a peaceful assembly despite the taunts of Christian evangelists on the surrounding sidewalks. Dressed in colorful tunics …

Sonu doesn’t want to sing ‘crap’ – Mynews India (September 25, 2009) – [read more]
New Delhi: After a host of foreign concerts and producing his independent music, versatile singer, Sonu Niigam is back on the Bollywood front, but this time he means business and that is not to sing “crap”. The 36-year-old singer whose ‘Chiggy Wiggy …

Nepali Times

New report raises conflict toll (September 22, 2009) – [read more]
The death toll of the 10-year long insurgency is 3,000 more than previously reported.

They’ve done it again (September 16, 2009) – [read more]
Maoists tried to block PM Nepal’s attendance at Tribhuvan University’s convocation

US grant (September 15, 2009) – [read more]
The U.S. grants $900,000 for renovation of historical monuments in Patan Darbar

Deliberations on judicial system begin (September 13, 2009) – [read more]
The NC and UML opposed the new provisions of the preliminary draft report and concept paper on the judicial system.

Kanak Dixit awarded (September 11, 2009) – [read more]
Himalmedia publisher and editor of Himal Southasian, Kanak Mani Dixit, has been awarded the first Prince Claus Award to Nepal for “his outstanding contributions to public debate, for creating platforms that enable South Asians to connect, interact and network transcending national and cultural boundaries, and for his socially engaged, multi-disciplinary approach to creativity and

Gurung assumes office (September 9, 2009) – [read more]
General Chhatra Man Singh Gurung, the newly appointed army chief assumed office from Wednesday.

Foreign minister leaves for China (September 8, 2009) – [read more]
Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala leaves for a goodwill visit to China on

Depoliticise education! (September 6, 2009) – [read more]
A citizen’s initiative Saturday submited a petition to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to depoliticise higher education system in Nepal.

Nepal News

20 killed, 15 missing in bus accident in central Nepal (September 25, 2009) – [read more]

At least 20 people died and 15others went missing when a bus veered off the road and fell some 30 meters into the Sunkoshi River at Sukute area along Araniko Highway in Sindhupalchowk district in central Nepal on Thursday.

Buddhist model is new Miss Nepal (September 24, 2009) – [read more]

A 20-year-old popular Buddhist model and music video star yesterday prevailed over Nepal’s Maoists as well as 14 other contenders to walk off with the Miss Nepal 2009 crown held under the shadow of Maoist threats.

Maoists threaten to battle Miss Nepal pageant Thursday (September 23, 2009) – [read more]

Nine Maoist organisations Wednesday warned the organisers of Nepal’s biggest and most popular beauty pageant not to hold the Miss Nepal contest or be ready to face dire consequences if they did.

Reception held to mark China s 60th anni. in Nepal (September 23, 2009) – [read more]

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a reception was held in Kathmandu on Tuesday evening.

Nepal gets $205 million in U.S. aid (September 23, 2009) – [read more]

Nepal will get $205 million from the United States in the next five years to strengthen democracy following its decade-long civil war, officials announced.

Three skydivers land at world’s highest point (September 22, 2009) – [read more]

Britons Leo Dickinson and Ralph Mitchell are joined by Indian R C Tripathi during a press conference in Kathmandu Three skydivers – two British and one Indian – plunged through the shadow of Everest yesterday to land at the world’s highest drop zone.

Nepals Maoists, rebel groups pose threat to India, says Jaswant Singh (September 22, 2009) – [read more]

Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh has said that the rise of Maoists in Nepal and the rebel groups taking sanctuary there pose a threat to India.

Secular Nepal celebrates Eid (September 21, 2009) – [read more]

Clad in white clothes and white caps, thousands of Muslims thronged to mosques to pray and celebrate as a newly secular Nepal announced the first public holiday for Eid al-Fitr and the first Nepali moon-sighting committee independently heralded the rise of the moon that marks the start of the festival after a month of fasting and intense prayers.

United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal

Nepal’s Political Impasse (August 23, 2009) – [read more]
Ending his five-day official and ‘mandatory’ India tour, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal returns to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal that is going through the turbulent times: Opposition threatening to bring down a shaky coalition, anti-nationalist forces based in Nepal-India border launching vicious attacks against the State in Terai and a fragile peace process [...]

Face Value: Being a Nepali in India (August 9, 2009) – [read more]
What are Nepalis and Indians supposed to look like? Search me!

By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle Street Journal
This article first appeared in today’s Kathmandu Post. Here is the PDF page It’s also available in eKantipur, and the official web page of the Post.
I often carry my passport these days in Delhi whenever I go out. Not that a [...]

Maoist Showdown Begins in Nepal, Again (August 8, 2009) – [read more]
Maoists block the house proceedings and have warned to stage a series of protests from both the streets and the parliament if the issue of civilian supremacy is not resolved. Prime Minister Nepal makes it clear to the Maoist chairman Prachanda that there will be no discussion on resolution motion against the President
Prime Minister Madhav [...]

Life and Death in Kandahar (August 1, 2009) – [read more]
Chopper crash survivor retells

By Dinesh Wagle
[This article was first published in today's Kathmandu Post Here is PDF version of the page. Here is Nepali version PDF with more details that appeared in Kantipur daily.]
NEW DELHI- Bishnu Malla was probably the happiest man in the flight when he left Kathmandu two and half months ago. The [...]

Never Again: Maoists in Nepal and India (July 26, 2009) – [read more]
Nepal’s Maoist conflict has thankfully ended while India seems to have begun its own.
[This article was first published in today's Kathmandu Post Here is PDF version of the page.]
By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle Street Journal
“An amazing, heart gripping and emotionally loaded showcase of the reasons why not to go to war! Hope [these] photos… act as a [...]

Nepal: A Country Cursed by a Widow? (July 19, 2009) – [read more]
By Krishna Giri
I don’t think any Nepali will raise their eyebrows when they hear- “SATI LE SARAPEKO DESH”. Right from the unification, Nepali have witnessed ongoing severity in terms of governance. Power snatching by any means has become style in Nepal. I don’t want to go back to 17th century to dig the past. Rather [...]

Inclusive Hindutva: BJP in India (June 27, 2009) – [read more]
The Bharatiya Janata Party of India has realized that its hard-line brand of Hindutva politics doesn’t work anymore. And that’s a good news thanks to its defeat in the parliamentary polls
By Dinesh Wagle
as published in today’s Kathmandu Post
“There’s a fire raging in BJP,” said a headline in India the previous week. After the humiliating loss [...]

Happy Republic Day Nepal (May 29, 2009) – [read more]
The Himalayan Republic Celebrates First Republic Day Anniversary
[From a year ago: 1. Nepal is Declared a Republic!!! 2. Minute by Minute Account of the Historic Session of the CA that Declared Nepal a Republic

Republic Day rally in Pokhara, Nepal. Pic by Krishna Mani Baral
The first anniversary of the declaration of federal democratic republic of Nepal [...]