The Himalayan Times

Market monitoring team seals Ram Dairy

Sep 22, 2011 – RAJBIRAJ: A team of the District Market Inspection and Monitoring Sub-committee on Wednesday directed the Ram Dairy Factory in Rajbiraj-6 to close its operation and productions.
The team seized various products from the factory, which were found substandard and rotten. The factory was also found very stinking, according to the monitoring team.
The factory was sealed off after the team detected different products of the factory with no manufacturing date, batch number, expiry date, selling price and other necessary credentials.
The team also destroyed three kgs each of raisin and curd and two kgs of milk that were produced by the factory.
Similarly, the team monitored Milan Dairy and Shivam Dairy factories, Rajbiraj-7 on Wednesday and took samples of milk, curd and raisin produced by the factories for lab test.
The samples of the products will be examined at lab of Regional Food Technology and Quality Control Office, Biratnagar, informed the team.
Administration Officer at the District Administration Office Om Prakash Mahato, Industry Officer Raghubar Shah, Suresh Singh of the District Food Inspection Unit Office, Vice-president of Saptari Chamber of Commerce and Industries Gauri Shankar Shah, security personnel and media persons were present while carrying out market monitoring.
… [read more]

WCup chief concerned at Aussie bashing

Sep 22, 2011 – Rugby World Cup chief Martin Snedden described New Zealanders\’ treatment of Australian fans as “disappointing” Thursday, after fierce trans-Tasman rivalries took on a spiteful edge.
Australian fans complained of being spat on and abused when the Wallabies slumped to a shock defeat against Ireland in Auckland last weekend, identifying New Zealanders, not travelling Irish fans, as the culprits.
Australia and New Zealand have always enjoyed a healthy level of sporting one-upmanship but Snedden said it would be uncharacteristic if it had crossed the line into outright hostility.
“The overwhelming response here has been one of welcoming and supporting the visiting teams and their fans,” the Rugby World Cup 2011 chief executive told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“If some visiting Wallaby fans have not been welcomed this way, we would be very disappointed as this would definitely be out of character with the way New Zealanders have looked after our visitors over the past two weeks.”
An online poll conducted by the Sydney newspaper found 61 percent of 10,500 respondents felt threatened attending a game with New Zealand rugby supporters.
The home fans\’ rancour towards Australia has been partly fuelled by New Zealand-born Quade Cooper\’s presence in the Wallabies\’ team, particularly as he has a reputation for needling the All Blacks\’ revered skipper Richie McCaw.
The Wallabies are also seen as perhaps the main obstacle to the All Blacks\’ hopes of breaking a 24-year World Cup drought, explaining the unrestrained glee with which many New Zealanders greeted Australia\’s 15-6 loss to Ireland.
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen admitted he was enjoying Australia\’s discomfort but said the historic rivalry was tempered with respect.
“I mean we\’ve gone to war and fought shoulder to shoulder,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“They\’re probably looked upon as the big brother and we\’re the little brother, we want to belt them, they want to belt us.
“So if they\’re suffering a bit at the moment, the little brother will be smiling and chuckling away won\’t he? So we\’ll enjoy that while we can.”
However, TVNZ presenter Alison Mau, an Australian who moved across the Tasman in the 1990s, said she had never seen such vitriol against her homeland.
“For the first time, I feel there might be a bit more to it that just good fun between mates. It worries me,” she told the New Zealand Herald.
“The worst sledges (insults) are generally fuelled by alcohol and are both unprintable and not worth the ink.”
She attributed the animosity to New Zealand\’s inferiority complex about Australia, which is both richer than its neighbour and has long enjoyed sporting ascendancy, including winning two Rugby World Cups to New Zealand\’s one.
“In economics and in sport, we — and I mean kiwis — feel like the junior version and it doesn\’t sit well with us,” she said.
“On top of that, the Aussies are second only to the Americans for supreme self-confidence, and that can wear thin after a while.”
A survey published in the lead-up to the World Cup found Australia was the team New Zealanders least wanted to win the tournament if the All Blacks were eliminated.
The Wallabies polled 33.8 percent on the survey of 750 people, almost doubling the next least-popular nation South Africa\’s figure of 18.6.
… [read more]

Greece sharpens austerity; IMF warns on banks

Sep 22, 2011 – ATHENS/WASHINGTON: Greece adopted yet more austerity measures on Wednesday to secure a bailout installment crucial to avoid running out of money next month, as the IMF warned that Europe\’s sovereign debt crisis risks tearing a giant hole in banks\’ capital.
The Greek cabinet agreed to cut high pensions by 20 percent, put 30,000 civil servants in a “labor reserve” on a road to redundancy, lower the income threshold for paying tax and extend a real estate tax, a government spokesman said.
“The measures taken today allow us to comply with the bailout plan through 2014,” the spokesman, Ilias Mossialos, said.
The new package is designed to ensure Greece gets an 8 billion euro rescue loan vital to pay state salaries and bills in October. Senior European Union and International Monetary Fund officials are to arrive in Athens early next week to review progress, Mossialos said.
Greece is on the front line of the euro zone debt crisis that has engulfed Ireland and Portugal and now threatens Italy, Spain and some of Europe\’s biggest banks, risking plunging the West back into recession.
BANK EXPOSURE
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said the crisis had increased European banks\’ exposure by 300 billion euros, and they need to recapitalize to ensure they can weather potential losses.
“Risks are elevated and time is running out to tackle vulnerabilities that threaten the global financial system and the ongoing economic recovery,” the IMF said in its Global Financial Stability Report.
Officials said European governments are now looking seriously at ways to shore up banks\’ capital after initially rejecting an IMF call last month for urgent action, and signs of progress began emerging late on Wednesday.
Qatar is in talks with BNP Paribas on investing in France\’s biggest listed bank, and the Gulf state has held similar talks with other French banks, a source close to the deal in Qatar told Reuters.
Several banking sources also said they had heard private rumblings that France was discussing an injection of preference shares, a departure from its earlier position that its banks were well capitalized.
In Washington, South Africa\’s Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said an IMF official told a meeting of developing nations that a solution to the euro crisis was “coming in the next few days.”
Fears of another credit crunch or recession due to Europe\’s inability to overcome the debt crisis are expected to dominate the IMF/World Bank and Group of 20 meetings of finance chiefs that formally begin on Thursday in Washington.
A senior U.S. Treasury official, briefing reporters before those talks, said European sovereign and banking stress posed the most serious threat to the global economy.
“The challenge they have before them is pretty clear. It is to be able to unequivocally ensure that sovereigns with sound fiscal plans have access to affordable financing. It is to unequivocally assure that European banks have the requisite liquidity and are sufficiently capitalized,” the official said.
Canada\’s finance minister, Jim Flaherty, added his voice, calling on Europe to make absolutely clear its firm commitment to Greece and monetary union and to provide resources — as much as 1 trillion euros — to backstop banks and nations .
“Otherwise the markets will get ahead, we will have some sort of a crisis,” Flaherty told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “It will become a banking crisis, it will affect banks all around the world, we could be into another credit crisis which will cause contraction in the real economy.
… [read more]

Sarkozy to UN: admit Palestine as non-member

Sep 22, 2011 – French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called on the United Nations to admit Palestine as a non-member state, upgrading its status as a simple observer but opposing a Palestinian bid for full membership.
In a speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Sarkozy also called for “one year to reach a definitive agreement” between Israel and the Palestinians, saying the usual US-led peace process should not bypass European, Arab or other countries.
Aiming to avoid a showdown, Sarkozy sought a middle road between the Palestinian plan to ask the UN Security Council to admit Palestine as a full state and the US determination to block the effort with a veto, which he warned would be dangerous.
“Each of us knows that Palestine cannot immediately obtain full and complete recognition of the status of United Nations member state. The first reason for this is the lack of trust between the main parties,” Sarkozy said.
“But who could doubt that a veto at the Security Council risks engendering a cycle of violence in the Middle East?” the French leader said.
“Must we therefore exclude an intermediate stage? Why not envisage offering Palestine the status of United Nations observer state? This would be an important step forward,” Sarkozy said.
“Most important, it would mean emerging from a state of immobility that favors only the extremists. We would be restoring hope by marking progress towards the final status.”
Under UN rules, any bid for full membership requires a recommendation from the Security Council and then a two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly.
Non-member status would require only a straight majority in the General Assembly where no veto is possible.
It would also give the Palestinians access to international organizations like the World Health Organization and perhaps the International Criminal Court.
The French leader later met with US President Barack Obama who has insisted that only negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians can forge a lasting peace.
Obama did not comment on the French leader\’s proposals, but Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security advisor, said Sarkozy\’s suggestions were “important” and “constructive.”
But he added there were differences over the role of the United Nations in the process. “President Sarkozy is a leader who speaks his mind, who speaks directly, who puts forward ideas,” Rhodes said.
“It is indicative of his interest in trying to catalyze the process. There are issues of commonality that we can work with the French on around the need to get back to negotiations.
“There are a lot of areas where we think we can work with the French even as we have had a different view on the UN.”
Sarkozy had also called for greater involvement of the international community in the peace process, suggesting the process led by the United States, Israel\’s top ally, was leading nowhere.
He appeared to imply that the role of the Diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East — composed of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations — was not enough to find a peaceful settlement.
“Let us stop believing that a single country or a small group of countries can resolve so complex a problem. Too many crucial players have been sidelined for our efforts to succeed,” he said.
“After so many failures, who still believes that the peace process can succeed” without Europe, without all the Security Council\’s permanent members, and without the Arab states that “have chosen peace?” Sarkozy asked.
The French leader also called for a timeline for negotiations, which stalled weeks after they were relaunched by President Barack Obama\’s administration in September last year.
“One month to resume discussions; six months to find an agreement on borders and security; and one year to reach a definitive agreement,” he said.
Like Obama, he said negotiations should lead to two states, including a Palestinian nation based on the boundaries that existed before the 1967 war but with agreed land swaps to account for some Jewish settlements.
But his proposals met with a lukewarm reaction from German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle who said they were “not a surprise for us” as they contained elements which had already been discussed in the international community.
… [read more]

Jazz producer‚ historian Frank Driggs dies at 81

Sep 22, 2011 – NEW YORK: Frank Driggs, a music historian and producer who amassed a world-class archive of more than 100,000 jazz-related images, has died. He was 81.
Friend and co-worker Donna Ranieri (RAY\’-nee-ehr-ee) told The Associated Press that Driggs was found dead in his Manhattan home on Tuesday. She says he died of natural causes.
A 1952 Princeton University graduate, Driggs became enamored with jazz and swing while listening to late-night broadcasts in the 1930s. He later joined Marshall Stearns, founder of the Rutgers University-based Institute of Jazz Studies, and began documenting jazz history.
Driggs produced numerous recordings, including Columbia Records\’ “Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings.” He received a Grammy for it in 1991.
Driggs also co-published “Black Beauty, White Heat,” a pictorial history of classic jazz culled from his vast collection. … [read more]

Asian markets stung by Fed pessimism

Sep 22, 2011 – BANGKOK: Asian stocks opened lower Thursday, stung by a pessimistic assessment of the U.S. economy by the Federal Reserve.
Japan\’s Nikkei 225 slumped 1.6 percent to 8,598.32 while South Korea\’s Kospi index slid 2.6 percent to 1,806.62. Australia\’s S&P ASX 200 was 2.2 percent down at 3,984.40.
In a highly anticipated move, the Fed on Wednesday announced it would buy Treasury bonds to help the U.S. economy. But Wall Street stocks fell anyway because the U.S. central bank made it clear that a full U.S. economic recovery was likely years away.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 2.5 percent to closed at 11,124.84. The Standard & Poor\’s 500 index fell 2.9 percent to 1,166.76. The Nasdaq composite fell 2 percent to 2,538.19.
The Fed said after a two-day meeting that it would buy long-term Treasurys and sell short-term ones to help the economy regain momentum. It surprised investors when it said it would include more 30-year bonds in its purchases than expected.
The Fed said it would buy $400 billion in 6-year to 30-year Treasurys by June 2012. Over the same period, it planned to sell $400 billion of Treasurys maturing in 3 years or less. The move is intended to drive down interest rates on long-term government debt, and could lower rates on mortgages and other loans.
The inclusion of more 30-year bonds than expected means the Fed saw the need to keep very long-term rates lower for an extended period. Many analysts viewed the move as an acknowledgment that the U.S. economy\’s problems are long-term.
The Fed also bleakly stated that the economy has “significant downside risks” and that a number of problems won\’t be easily solved, including high unemployment and a depressed housing market.
Meanwhile, the price of oil continued its slide on expectations that there\’ll be less demand for energy because of the economy.
Benchmark crude for October delivery was down $1.53 per barrel to $84.39 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.00 to settle at $85.92 on the Nymex on Wednesday. … [read more]

Libya rulers say they seize Gaddafi desert outposts

Sep 22, 2011 – TRIPOLI: Libya\’s interim rulers said on Wednesday they had captured one of Muammar Gaddafi\’s last strongholds deep in the Sahara desert, finding chemical weapons, and largely taken control of another.
With the National Transitional Council (NTC) struggling to assert full control over the country, military spokesmen said its forces had seized the outpost of Jufra about 700 km (435 miles) southeast of Tripoli, and most of Sabha.
“The whole of the Jufra area — we have been told it has been liberated,” spokesman Fathi Bashaagha told reporters in the city of Misrata. “There was a depot of chemical weapons and now it is under the control of our fighters.”
His comments could not be confirmed independently. Under Gaddafi, Libya was supposed to have destroyed its stockpile of chemical weapons in early 2004 as part of a rapprochement with the West under which it also abandoned a nuclear program.
However, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says Libya kept 9.5 tonnes of mustard gas at a secret desert location, although it could no longer deliver it.
Gaddafi loyalists have been holding out in Jufra and Sabha along with the bigger strongholds of Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli, and Gaddafi\’s hometown of Sirte since the fall of the capital in August.
“We control most of Sabha apart from the al-Manshiya district. This is still resisting, but it will fall,” said another NTC military spokesman, Ahmed Bani.
CNN, citing a correspondent in Sabha, reported that NTC fighters had occupied its center on Wednesday after taking the airport and a fort the day before.
NATO countries gave the NTC another boost by extending for three more months the air cover that helped anti-Gaddafi fighters to victory.
However, chaos prevailed among fighters besieging Gaddafi\’s other two remaining major strongholds. Several attempts by NTC fighters to take Bani Walid and Sirte in the past week have ended in disarray and panicked retreat.
BORED MILITIAMEN
At Bani Walid, bored militiamen fired weapons at camels and sheep while awaiting orders on Wednesday, as much a danger to themselves as to Gaddafi fighters holed up in the town.
One man shot his own head off and killed another fighter while handling a rocket-propelled grenade in full view of a Reuters team. In another incident, a fighter wounded himself and another fighter after losing control of his machinegun.
Seven NTC fighters were also killed in an ambush by pro-Gaddafi soldiers inside Bani Walid, NTC officials said.
At Bani Walid, troops from other areas have been arguing with local fighters, and there has been talk of traitors infiltrating the ranks and sabotaging the assault.
NTC official Abdullah Kenshil told Reuters that pro-Gaddafi forces in Bani Walid had killed at least 16 civilians there in the last two days after suspecting they supported the NTC.
“They were killed in cold blood. They were all civilians and they were killed execution-style,” he said. His account could not be independently verified.
Sporadic fighting also continued outside Sirte, where an NTC push from the east toward Gaddafi\’s birthplace has been blocked for days by heavy artillery fire from loyalist soldiers.
Fighters making their way back from the front line said they were meeting fierce resistance at Khamseen, 50 km (30 miles) east of Sirte, and that they lacked the firepower to respond.
“I\’m 100 percent sure that there is someone important in Sirte, either Gaddafi himself or one of his sons, because his forces have become suicidal in the Khamseen area,” NTC fighter Hamed al-Hachy told Reuters.
NEW CABINET
Efforts to take control of all of Libya\’s territory are taking place alongside attempts to reshuffle the interim government. A plan to do so this week collapsed after members of the current council failed to agree.
The NTC has its roots in the eastern city of Benghazi, but most of the fighters who captured Tripoli came from the west, and Interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril is under pressure to reflect this better in his cabinet.
Jibril said in New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly, that he expected to name a new government within 10 days.
Among issues being debated were the number of ministries in the new government and whether they would be in Tripoli or divided between eastern and western Libya, he added.
U.S. President Barack Obama called on Gaddafi\’s loyalists to give up and said the U.S. ambassador would return to Tripoli.
“Those still holding out must understand — the old regime is over, and it is time to lay down your arms and join the new Libya,” he said.
NATO, which took command of a military mission on March 31 under a U.N. mandate to protect Libyan civilians, agreed at a meeting of ambassadors of its 28 member states in Brussels to extend the mission for three more months, a NATO diplomat said.
Britain said its planes had struck at pro-Gaddafi troops in three areas and destroyed bases in Sirte and Bani Walid.
The Syrian-based Arrai TV, which has broadcast several audio messages from Gaddafi, his sons and his aides, said NATO warships and planes had hit a hospital in Sirte on Wednesday, wounding a Ukrainian doctor and patients.
It was not immediately possible to verify the report. Previous allegations of NATO causing civilian deaths have rarely been backed up with evidence.
Tunisia said its troops had killed several infiltrators on Wednesday in clashes near the border with Algeria.
Helicopters destroyed seven vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns, which had been used to fire at a Tunisian army helicopter, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
Armed Libyans clashed with Tunisian troops last month in the final days before the fall of Tripoli. … [read more]

Typhoon passes Japan tsunami zone‚ heads north

Sep 22, 2011 – TOKYO: A powerful typhoon that left at least 13 people dead or missing, paralyzed commuter trains and dumped rain on tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan was headed to the major northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday.
Typhoon Roke caused no immediate problems other than broken security cameras at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which had been in its path overnight. The plant had been sent into meltdown by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and efforts are still under way to bring the reactors under control.
Hiroki Kawamata, spokesman for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., said several cameras set up to monitor the plant were damaged, but that there had been no further leaks of radioactive water or material into the environment.
“We are seeing no problems so far,” he said.
The storm passed just west of the plant on its way north late Wednesday. The typhoon brought new misery to the northeastern region, dumping up to 17 inches (42 centimeters) of rain in some areas.
Two people were rescued after they were found buried in a landslide in northern Iwate prefecture early Thursday, and one remained unconscious, Kyodo News agency reported.
Hundreds of tsunami survivors in government shelters in the Miyagi state town of Onagawa were forced to evacuate for fear of flooding.
More than 200,000 households in central Japan were without electricity late Wednesday. Police and local media reported 13 people dead or missing in southern and central regions, many of them believed swept away by rivers swollen with rains.
As of early Thursday, the typhoon had reached Hokkaido, weakening overnight to sustained winds of up to 78 mph (126 kph). There were no immediate reports of damage on Hokkaido.
The typhoon made landfall Wednesday afternoon near the city of Hamamatsu, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Tokyo.
Overnight in Tokyo, where many rush hour commuter trains were suspended for hours, thousands of commuters got stuck at stations across the sprawling city and stood in long lines for buses and cabs.
“The hotels in the vicinity are all booked up, so I\’m waiting for the bullet train to restart,” Hiromu Harada, a 60-year-old businessman, said dejectedly at Tokyo Station.
Kyodo said 5,000 people stayed overnight inside Shinkansen bullet trains at Tokyo and Shizuoka stations.
Fire department officials reported three people injured in Tokyo. In the trendy shopping district of Shibuya, winds knocked a tree onto a sidewalk, but no one was hurt. Pedestrians struggled to walk straight in powerful winds that made umbrellas useless.
The storm had set off landslides in parts of Miyagi state that already were hit by the March disasters. The local government requested the help of defense troops, and dozens of schools canceled classes.
A magnitude-5.3 earthquake struck late Wednesday just south of Fukushima in Ibaraki state. Officials said the temblor posed no danger to the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, and that it did not cause any damage or injuries in the region.
Heavy rains prompted floods and caused road damage earlier in dozens of locations in Nagoya and several other cities, the Aichi prefectural government said. More than 200 domestic flights were canceled.
A typhoon that slammed Japan earlier this month left about 90 people dead or missing. … [read more]

Braves lose to Marlins 4-0

Sep 22, 2011 – … [read more]

Public debate for Karnali’s development

Sep 22, 2011 – JUMLA: Karnali FM 105.2 Mega-Hertz – a community radio being operated from Jumla district – has started live transmission of \’Karnali Discussion Programme\’ (KDP) once a month from Wednesday.
The community radio took this initiative in collaboration with Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDARC-Nepal) and KC Jumla.
Judge at Appellate Court, Jumla, Khem Raj Sharma inaugurated the programme, which was designed and aired to raise up various issues and explore ways to address them for the development and prosperity of Karnali.
At the programme, Chairman of CPN-UML District Committee Bal Bahadur Mahat said a front should be formed in coordination with all the parties to deal with every issue of the district.
Dr. Kal Bahadur Rokaya presented concept paper on social-economic and cultural or the overall development of the district.
… [read more]

Au naturale beginning

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Finally the curtain was raised and the first day of TGIF Nepal Fashion Week”11 revealed an array of designs from both student and established designers. When the show got over everyone was gushing over Bangladeshi designer Emdad Hoque”s collection. His collection with modern designs done in traditional fabrics definitely stole the show on September 21 at Hyatt Regency. The asymmetrical cuts and the bold use of primary colours like red and yellow along with dramatic black and gold made all the apparel of the collection stand out. There were kaftan style kurthas with salwars that ranged from harem style to parallel. There also were the saris Bangladesh is famous for accompanied by conservative blouse of high neckline. “these clothes represent different tribes like Rakhaain, Chakma, Bom and Murong among others,” shared Dipti Hoque, wife of the designer.
Though the usual fabrics like satin and silk were present at the runway, natural fabric was the highlight of the evening. While Hoque used fabrics weaved by different tribes of his nation, Karuna Natural Wears brought out simple yet appealing designs in fabrics like bamboo, hemp, and wool among others. These two collections had clothing for both him and her. Karuna”s casual collection included woollen stoles plus cardigans and hoodies for men. Coats and jackets done in very contemporary style with interesting collars were the main attraction of the collection.
Uniquely designed collars stood out in another sequence – Casual Corporate. The designer had focused more on high waisted pencil skirts, wrap and tulip style skirts but it was the shirts with huge collar, frills that added a twist to the corporate look. The pleasant looking colour combination of light-green with grey kept the look minimal and chic.
Before getting all natural and corporate the ramp witnessed dazzling beauty and coy of a bride through two collections. Oodni boutique”s collection for Nepali bride included anarkali and lehengas with heavy embroidery and velvet borders. The deep neckline and rather low backs provided sensual touch. On the other hand Cindrella Dream was all about white gowns clubbed with net headgears. Cute little dresses with dramatic details like ruffles and bows dominated the One and Only sequence. Use of subtle shades of only two colours made the collection sleek.
The night also saw showstoppers like Miss India International 2011 Ankita Shorey, Miss Nepal 2010, first runner up, Sahana Vajracharya, VJ Pallavi Dhakal and the choreographer of the show Prasant Tamrakar.
The Himalayan Times TGIF NFW “11 is organised by APCA Events and IEC and is presented by Signature. The main sponsor of the event is Emirates and is supported by Ford, Demak, and Timex. San Miguel and Invenio Wine are the beverage partners. The creative partner for the event is Echoad and Party Nepal is handling the sound design and the afterparty. … [read more]

Arsenal avoid shock exit; Man United rout Leeds

Sep 21, 2011 – LONDON:Arsenal avoided a humiliating League Cup third round exit against Shrewsbury as the troubled Gunners came from behind to win 3-1, while Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 victory over old rivals Leeds on Tuesday.
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger could hardly afford such a shocking defeat so soon after an incredible 8-2 loss at Manchester United. So the Frenchman breathed a sigh of relief as goals from Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun sent Arsenal into the fourth round.
Shrewsbury went ahead when Collins powered home a header from Marvin Morgan”s cross in the 16th minute. Arsenal equalised moments later through Gibbs” header and winger Oxlade-Chamberlain put the hosts ahead with a long-range shot that trickled past Shrewsbury goalkeeper Ben Smith. That settled Arsenal”s nerves and a first goal for on-loan Chelsea midfielder Benayoun killed the tie.
At Elland Road, Michael Owen bagged a brace as Manchester United gained a measure of revenge for their shock FA Cup defeat against Leeds with a routine win. Sir Alex Ferguson”s team were left with red faces after Leeds, then languishng in League One, won 1-0 in the FA Cup third round at Old Trafford in January 2010.
But there was no repeat of that shock scoreline this time as Owen”s double and a Ryan Giggs goal secured an emphatic success on United”s first visit to Elland Road for eight years. United were in front after 15 minutes when Owen converted Park Ji-Sung”s pass. Owen scored his second goal in the 32nd minute and Giggs put the result beyond doubt with an individual effort on the stroke of half-time.
Stoke beat Tottenham 7-6 on penalties after a dour 0-0 draw. Thomas Sorensen was the hero for Stoke as the Danish goalkeeper saved a spotkick from Massimo Luongo to end an epic shoot-out.
Newcastle left it late to go through with a 4-3 win at Nottingham Forest thanks to a goal from Fabricio Coloccini in the last minute of extra-time. Forest had earlier come from behind three times with Robbie Findley, Matt Derbyshire and Marcus Tudgay cancelling out Peter Lovenkrands” double and Danny Simpson”s 93rd-minute strike.
Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish won the event with Birmingham last season, but he won”t be going back to Wembley as Bolton won 2-0 at Villa Park. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy made eight changes from the team beaten by QPR, but his stand-ins still thrashed Millwall 5-0. Blackburn built on the momentum from Saturday”s win over Arsenal as they beat League One strugglers Leyton Orient 3-2. … [read more]

Nepali Congress caught in a quandary

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress, it seems, is in a perilous position; if not between the devil and the deep blue sea, then may be between the party president and the senior leader, with factionalism between the camps led by them growing by the day.
Of late, dispute has surfaced over whether to dissolve the working committees of party”s sister wings, with both the factions – and their leaders – trying to have control over them.
Party President Sushil Koirala and senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba today held separate gatherings of their supporters at their residences and decided to move ahead with their stances.
The Koirala camp decided not to withdraw the party”s decision of dissolving the working committees of party”s sister wings and move ahead with the idea of forming preparation committees for their fresh conventions. The Deuba faction, however, concluded that it would continue with its protest against party”s Central Working Committee decision yesterday to dissolve the central bodies of four sister organisations – Nepal Tarun Dal, Nepal Women Association, Nepal Adibasi Janajati Sangh and Nepal Prajatantra Senani Sangh.
Factionalism in the party is at its peak in the last four years since the section led by Deuba – Nepali Congress (Democratic) – decided to come back home and merge with the mother party NC. The party, since its merger in 2007, has held its first general convention but its sister wings are yet to do so, resulting in struggle among the leadership to hold control over the organisations.
With growing infighting, the grand old party is once again in predicament.
The Deuba faction yesterday had even boycotted the CWC meeting to protest the decision. Since the Deuba camp holds sway in party”s sister wings, it wants to go for fresh conventions keeping the current central bodies intact.
For the past three days, both Koirala and Deuba supporters have been staging relay hunger strike and fast-unto-death on the premises of party headquarters in Sanepa.
Deuba, including other central leaders from his camp, today reached the party headquarters to boost the morale of his supporters who are on a hunger strike. “The party leadership has unilaterally dissolved the sister organisations and breached the agreement reached between me and late Girijababu during the merger of NC and NC (D). We will not tolerate it; it”s undemocratic way of running the party,” said Deuba, but hastened to add that he did not want the party to split.
CWC member Krishna Chandra Nepali, who is close to Koirala, however, said, “Boycotting the CWC meeting and defying its decision is not a democratic practice.”
NC Vice-president Ramchandra Paudel, General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula and several other leaders today reached Sanepa and requested both the groups to end their strikes, but they refused to oblige, saying they will continue the protests until their demands were met.
The bone of contention
Koirala”s call
• Dissolve sister wings
• Form preparation committees for general conventions
• Supporters on fast-unto-death
Deuba”s demand
• Continue with sister wings
• Hold fresh conventions with existing bodies
• Followers on hunger strike … [read more]

Three players on top

Sep 21, 2011 – DAMAK: Niraj Niroula of hosts Dhrubatara Sporting Club, Krishna Thapa of Makwanpur and Trailokya Nanda of India shared fifth round lead of the Dhrubatara Cup Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament with 4.5 points here on Wednesday. Niraj defeated Chudamani Rai of Sunsari and fellow clubmate Raju Subedi to record the double victories. Krishna, who beat Umesh Sainju of Bhaktapur in the fourth round, played a stalemate against Trailokya in the next round. Trailokya, meanwhile, overcame Niranjan Prajapati of Bhaktapur. Former Nepal champion Naveen Tandukar, Raju, Niranjan, Milan Rokka of Rukum, Rajan Puri of Kantipur Chess Club and Rakesh Rauniyar of Kathmandu are tied for second with four points each. Overnight leader and former Nepal champion Surbil Lama
suffered shock defeat against rookie Raju in the fourth round before
playing a draw against Dharam Lama of Makwanpur in the fifth round.
Surbir, Gyanendra Khaiju of Bhaktapur, Bishwo Bijay Ghimire of Jhapa, Prakash Nepal and Suman Shrestha of the hosts are tied on 3.5 points.
SVI, Galaxy through
LALITPUR: Siddhartha Vanasthali Institute (SVI), Galaxy Public School and Kathmandu Valley School entered the quarter-finals of the boys” basketball of the 18th Eicher Gyan Carnival here on Wednesday. SVI edged Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya 45-41 riding on 13 points from Narayan Khadka, while Prince Singh posted 16 points as Galaxy defeated Neric 51-45 and Kathmandu Valley outplayed Malpi 66-28. Meanwhile, Malpi and Mahendra Bhawan made it to the last eight in girls” section. Malpi sneaked past Learning Realm International 27-24 and Mahendra Bhawan trounced St Xavier”s 35-4 with Shanti Shrestha contributing 17 points.
Full-contact Karate
KATHMANDU: The Nepal Shin-Kyokushin Karate Association-affiliated Sashambhu Dojo is organising the first Nationwide Full-contact Karate Tournament in Lamatar, Lalitpur from Friday. The two-day event offers six championship titles – below 25kg, below 35kg, below 45kg, below 55kg, below 65kg and open weight category. In all 150 karatekas from 25 dojos of 15 districts will compete for the titles. The estimated cost of the tournaments is Rs 5,25,600, informed the tournament coordinator Bhimsen Thapa during a press meet here on Wednesday.
TIA, Wilson in quarters
KATHMANDU: Trungram International Academy (TIA) and Wilson Academy advanced to the boys” basketball quarter-finals of the first Excelsior Cup here on Wednesday. TIA hammered Graded English Medium School 44-26 with Abhishek Gurung netting 17 points, while Pema Daniel posted 15 points as Wilson saw
off Arniko 34-15. Joining them in
the last eight were Buddha Academy and Skylark Academy. Buddha overcame Teresa Academy 33-25 riding on 15 points from Tashi Tshering while Suraj Tamang tossed in match-high 16 points as Skylark overcame Ideal
Model School 32-25.
Bijay Sports in semis
DHANGADHI: Bijay Sports Club advanced to the semi-finals of the Rampur Challenge Cup Football Tournament in Nainital, India on Wednesday. The Dhangadhi-based outfit thrashed Varanasi Railway Club 4-0 in the quarter-finals. Tanka Lama struck a hat-trick while Mani Ram Chaudhary added one for Bijay Sports Club.
Mayor”s Cup Chess
KATHMANDU: All four Nepali players lost their eighth round matches of
the fourth Mumbai Mayor”s Cup
Open International Chess Tournament in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The 1986-rated Prachanda Man Malakar lost to Indian FIDE Master Gagare Shardul while 1858-rated Bijay Maharjan went down to 2105-rated Indian Nandhidhaa. The 1698-rated Govinda Khadka, who recorded double wins on Tuesday, suffered went down against 2074-rated Indian Cholleti Sahajasri and 1678-rated Asha Narayan Lawat lost to 1882-rated Indian Kochrekar Vishwesh. … [read more]

Growing need of IC could prove to be dicey

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: In the wake of escalating imports from India and Nepal”s failure to maintain trade balance with the southern neighbour, the country has been forced to buy more and more Indian currency, with the purchase in the last four years seeing a jump by around 1.5 times.
In the last fiscal alone Nepal Rastra Bank sold $2.7 million to buy IC worth Rs 123.8 billion. Two years ago, the central bank had purchased IC worth Rs 73.4 billion by selling $1.5 million.
Experts say the increasing purchase of IC signals Nepal”s growing concentration and reliance on India for imports.
To make matters worse, growth of Nepali exports to India has been declining over the years, with trade deficit with India almost doubling from Rs 121 billion to Rs 218 billion (from 2008/09 to 2010/11).
“Nepal has been forced to sell more dollars to buy IC to finance the trade, which is eroding Nepal”s foreign exchange reserves,” says economist Prof Bishamber Pyakurel. “There is an urgent need for trade facilitation and investment promotion so that the current contraction haunting Nepali exports can be dealt with and trade balance with India can be achieved.” Declining foreign exchange reserves means Nepal becoming poorer and its ability to buy goods and services from foreign countries getting weaker.
“The exchange rate for Indian currency through open market determination can easily go as high as Rs 1.8 due to current level of trade deficit with India, if Nepal decides to abandon the current fixed exchange rate regime with India,” he points out.
Nepal, on one hand heavily relies on India for imports for its geographical proximity to the country, and on the other, it has floundered to produce good quality stuff for exports, leading it to lag far behind in bridging the trade deficit gap. In addition, it also has not been able to exploit the opportunities despite it having the vast Indian market in such Indian states as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Even the goods that Nepal imports and exports have a huge mismatch.
Nepal imports capital goods such as petroleum products, vehicles and spare parts, cement and electronics, whereas it exports small and low-priced stuff, which is not going to help maintain the trade balance.
“Nepal needs to produce better quality goods with competitive edge,” suggests Pyakurel.
The imports from India presently amount to Rs 261 billion while Nepal is exporting goods to India worth just Rs 43 billion.
The trend
Fiscal year IC Purchase
2007-08 Rs 70.6
2008-09 Rs 73.4
2009-10 Rs 102
2010-11 Rs 123.8

(Figures in million rupees. Source: NRB) … [read more]

Bogati vows unilateral regrouping of ex-fighters

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Energy Minister Post Bahadur Bogati today said the government will unilaterally start regrouping Maoist combatants by determining the number to be integrated in the security forces if the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML refuse to cooperate.
Bogati, who is also the secretary of the Unified CPN-Maoist and close to party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, said although it was mandatory to find consensus on all issues of the peace process, the government would be compelled to fix the number of combatants for integration and start combatants” regrouping, if NC and UML remained adamant on their stands. NC and UML are insisting on finding a package deal on the peace process.
Bogati said the peace process would not remain stalled because of the Maoists, but because of NC and UML, who have said the peace process must conclude before drafting the new constitution.
Stating that the UCPN-M had shown maximum flexibility on issues of the peace process, Minister Bogati said the Baburam Bhattarai-led government would conclude both the peace and constitution-drafting processes.
He added that the four-point deal reached between the UCPN-M and United Democratic Madhesi Front on August 28 would not be scrapped as demanded by the opposition parties and a section of his own party.
But Ram Sharan Mahat, an NC leader who is also a member of the Special Committee (for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants), dismissed Bogati”s statement, saying the government could not take a unilateral decision on the peace and constitution-making process.
“Both the issues demand consensus among the major parties as per the Interim Constitution,” said Mahat. Before entering into regrouping, Mahat said, the Special Committee must agree on modality, number of combatants for integration, rank determination and rehabilitation package.
“It is a Maoist gimmick to disillusion the people to say that they will fix the number for integration and start regrouping unilaterally,” said Mahat. … [read more]

England‚ India in same World T20 group

Sep 21, 2011 – COLOMBO:Defending champions England and India have been placed in the same group for next year”s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, the sport”s governing body said today.
A yet-to-be determined qualifier will be the third team in group A, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced at the tournament launch in Colombo. Australia, West Indies and a qualifier are drawn in group B, hosts Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe in group C and Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh in group D.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eights round, which will also be contested in two pools. The first two in each pool will advance to the semi-finals. The two-yearly tournament in cricket”s shortest format will be played from September 18 to October 7, with Hambantota holding three matches, Pallekele nine and capital Colombo 15. The Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will hold the semi-finals on October 4 and 5 and the final on October 7.
The two qualifiers will be determined through a separate competition between non-Test nations to be held in the United Arab Emirates from March 13-24.
The eight-nation women”s tournament will run from September 26 to October 7 with the league matches in Galle, and the semi-finals and final in Colombo on the same days and at the same venue as the men”s matches.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat was confident the tournament will be as successful as the three previous editions in South Africa (2007), England (2009) and the West Indies (2010).
“The ICC World Twenty20 is now a marquee event in Twenty20 cricket where nations face each other for the most coveted title in the shortest format of the game,” Lorgat said. Lorgat said it was significant the men”s and women”s knockout games will be played on the same dates at one venue. … [read more]

Waste collection to be a norm soon

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) plans to collect waste from the streets on a regular basis after a month.
“We are preparing to collect garbage from the streets in scheduled routines after the Tihar festival,” said Rabin Man Shrestha, deputy chief at the Environment Management Department, KMC. “The arrangement to pick up waste in a routine manner is under way,” he added.
The routine will be enforced after a month in all 35 wards of the metropolitan city.
According to KMC, about 350 metric tonnes of waste is produced daily in the metropolis. Till now, there is no routine for garbage collection.
“Nobody will be allowed to throw waste recklessly on the streets. They will have to drop waste produced at home only on KMC vehicles, rickshaws, and at certain places in the time determined by the civic body,” he said. “However, we are yet to finalise the details.”
Shrestha said action will be taken against people who do not follow the routine. “We have started campaigning to enforce the legal punishment provisions,” he added.
The bill of the Solid Waste Management Act-2011 was prepared three years ago. The parliament on May 26 approved the bill of the Waste Management Act that provisions a punishment of jail sentence up to three months against waste disposal disrupting agents, not allowing anyone to call strike or obstruct the waste disposal process.
The Act includes waste segregation system at home, waste management as one of the most essential state services, public-private partnership concept, treatment of hazardous waste by producers themselves, environment protection among others, according to Solid Waste Management and Technical Support Centre (SWMTSC).
Fine of Rs 500 to Rs 100,000 and a jail term of 15 days to three months against disrupters are the special provisions of the Act. Every household should segregate disposable and non-disposable waste at their homes. “Otherwise, they will be deprived of state services along with punishment,” said government officials.
People will also not be allowed to throw waste wherever they like. People should throw waste at fixed locations at fixed time. The SWMTSC, as provisioned by the Act, will look into the management of waste. … [read more]

Red sandalwood haul from ambulance

Sep 21, 2011 – BHAKTAPUR: With increased police surveillance of public and private vehicles, red sandalwood smugglers have resorted to a novel mode of operation to hoodwink authorities. They have started using ambulances to smuggle sandalwood.
The incident came to light after Metropolitan Police Sector Jagati today seized four logs of red sandalwood weighing 50 kg from an ambulance bound for Tatopani of Sindhupalchowk from Kathmandu. The seized red sandalwood was being ferried under the patient”s bed inside the ambulance belonging to Bhairab Kunda Youth Club at Tatopani VDC-4, Sindhupalchowk.
According to Bhaktpaur Police Chief Krishna Shrestha, police found the red sandalwood while inspecting the ambulance after police saw an unusual box under the patient”s bed.
Police have arrested ambulance driver Sangbo Sherpa (23) and a patient Sangbu Sherpa (25) who was wearing plaster on the right hand and traveling in the ambulance. Both of them are from Sindhupalchowk.
Smuggling of red sandalwood has been prohibited by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Incidents of Indian red sandalwood being smuggled to china via Nepal has increased recently. The red sandalwood has religious and medicinal values and is also used in making perfumes. It is said that one kg of red sandalwood costs Rs 9,000 in Tibet. … [read more]

Dashain commuters fear highway jam

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Like in previous years, thousands of people leaving Kathmandu for their home districts during Dashain are likely to face a nightmare along the Naubise-Nagdhunga road section of the Prithvi Highway.
The usual breakdown of heavy vehicles may strand commuters if the authorities fail to take measures to cope with the problem.
A tipper that encountered mechanical problem in Jhyaplekhola today at around 10 pm should be a wake-up call for authorities. According to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, the traffic came to a standstill for nine hours merely because it lacked a powerful crane to remove the vehicle from the spot. The problem becomes more nagging during festive season.
SP Jagat Man Shrestha admitted the need to address the recurring problem along the 13-km long road section and pledged to ensure hassle-free travel for Dashain commuters.
According to MTPD, on average, two heavy vehicles encounter mechanical problem along the road per day. “Even a situation that lasts 10 minutes will have impact on smooth flow of traffic for six hours,” said SP Shrestha. More than 1,500 vehicles ply the road section daily.
“We have written to Heavy Equipment Division of the Department of Road requesting it to arrange a crane and keep it stand-by on the road during Dashain,” said Shrestha.
According to him, MTPD has three ordinary cranes but they are always busy in the Capital city. MTPD has also plans to mobilise 50 traffic cops to manage the vehicular movement during the festival.
Hari Kumar Shrestha, HED chief, told THT that his office would make MTPD avail of a crane without any delay. … [read more]

More News from – The Himalayan Times

eKantipur News

Nepal may seek new oil importing arrangement

Sep 22, 2011 – Nepal could push for importing petroleum products from India on an export parity price … [read more]

Dashain bonanza: Essentials at subsidised rates

Sep 22, 2011 – MoCS has introduced subsidy schemes on major commodities being sold by state-owned entities. … [read more]

Individual migrant worker departures soar four-fold

Sep 22, 2011 – The number of Nepali migrant workers leaving for foreign employment through personal contact has soared. … [read more]

Saarc ministers stress political will for economic integration

Sep 22, 2011 – Ministers and political leaders from the region have stressed the need for genuine political will. … [read more]

Subscribers hit as NT pre-paid recharge service conks out

Sep 22, 2011 – Nepal Telecom pre-paid mobile subscribers had a harrowing time on Wednesday. … [read more]

NRB no to directors holding promoter shares

Sep 22, 2011 – Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has barred professional directors of banks and financial institutions (BFIs) … [read more]

Malls turn on the charm

Sep 22, 2011 – Dashain is the time when Nepalis shop like there’s no tomorrow. … [read more]

Princesses and Pantomimes

Sep 22, 2011 – The Sapana Group, Nepal’s only circus, works rigorously to prove the general stereotype wrong. … [read more]

A whirlwind of desires

Sep 22, 2011 – Pulbata Herda is a poignant rendition of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge … [read more]

Nepal doesn’t seek ‘special relationship’ with India

Sep 22, 2011 – Narayan Kaji Shrestha is the new foreign minister and deputy prime minister in Baburam Bhattarai’s cabinet. … [read more]

Rule of minority

Sep 22, 2011 – The rule of ‘democratic game’ has gone awry, but that may not be a bad thing. … [read more]

Symbol and substance

Sep 22, 2011 – Consensus on common agenda will help refine Nepal’s future foreign policy … [read more]

Congress at crossroads

Sep 22, 2011 – Politics in NC is likely to turn into a zero-sum game … [read more]

World alzheimer’s day: Alzheimer’s disease remains neglected in the country

Sep 22, 2011 – Dr Dhruba Man Shrestha, a psychiatrist and professor at Nepal Medical College, on a regularly basis, deals with the elderly patients … [read more]

Gachhadar scoffs at secy transfer criticism

Sep 22, 2011 – In teeth of fierce criticism stemming from the transfer of the home secretary, DPM Gachhadar on Wednesday termed his rejig move merely a “regular process”. … [read more]

No end in sight to Manipal Hospital row

Sep 22, 2011 – The ongoing strike at Pokhara-based Manipal Teaching Hospital is staying on as the talks brokered by a government committee. … [read more]

Nepal making MDG strides, says PM

Sep 22, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha attended high-level meetings and symposiums in New York. … [read more]

Relief work continuing at snail’s pace

Sep 22, 2011 – Relief distribution to Sunday’s earthquake victims in the eastern hilly districts is going on at a snail’s pace. … [read more]

Red sandalwood found in ambulance

Sep 22, 2011 – Police have confiscated four red sandalwood timbers being smuggled in an ambulance from Jagati of Bhaktapur. … [read more]

Amateur radio: The infallible means of communication

Sep 22, 2011 – When a powerful tremor of 6.8 magnitude rocked the country on Sunday, people immediately started dialing numbers to their relatives to know their condition. … [read more]

More News from – eKantipur News

Nepali Times

Rehearsal for the Big One

Sep 19, 2011 – Twenty-four hours after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on Sunday night, it is becoming clear from Sikkim and Nepal that the death toll will be much higher than the official 60. … [read more]

Quake warning for Nepal

Sep 18, 2011 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 magnitude rocked eastern Nepal at around 6.25 pm, killing at least six people, including three who were crushed by the collapse of the perimeter wall of the British … [read more]

PM addresses the parliament

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements and urged the … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 15, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers for the third time on Thursday, taking its strength to … [read more]

CIAA annual report released

Sep 15, 2011 – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) released its annual report for the fiscal year 2010/11 on … [read more]

Former NAC chaiman remanded to custody

Sep 14, 2011 – The District Court, Kathmandu, has remanded former chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Ramagya Prasad Chaturvedi to police custody, enforcing the Supreme Court … [read more]

Maoists meet NC

Sep 14, 2011 – The talks held between the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress today ended inconclusively. During the talks, the Maoist side proposed that the number of combatants to be integrated and the rehabilitation package should be decided first to be … [read more]

Tourist arrival at ACAP record high

Sep 14, 2011 – The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) recorded the highest number of tourists visiting the ACAP this … [read more]

UML proposal approved

Sep 14, 2011 – The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting on Wednesday unanimously approved the special proposal tabled by the Party Chairman Jhalanath … [read more]

Micro-hydro project in Arghakhachi

Sep 12, 2011 – Over 120 families of Subarnakhal VDC have benefitted from … [read more]

Do people really matter?

Sep 10, 2011 – Less than two weeks in the government, the Baburam government has come out with an ambitious relief program on Friday. … [read more]

Stolen treasure found

Sep 10, 2011 – The famous bronze Laxmi Narayan figure that was the centerpiece of the Sundari Chok of Patan Durbar Square has been retrieved by police on Friday … [read more]

Obstinate politicos, carefree nation

Sep 5, 2011 – The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 4, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers on Sunday, adding 13 more members to make it a 15-member … [read more]

Naya Patrika office vandalised

Sep 4, 2011 – An unknown gang vandalised the office of the Naya Patrika, a daily paper based at Kamal Pokhari on … [read more]

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The Himalayan Times

Ex-Afghan leader’s assassin waited days to see him

Sep 21, 2011 – KABUL: The suicide bomber who assassinated Afghanistan\’s former President Burhanuddin Rabbani insisted on meeting face-to-face with the ex-president and waited in Kabul for days to talk with him about brokering peace with the Taliban, an associate of the former leader said Wednesday.
Mohammad Ismail Qasemyar, the international relations adviser for the peace council, said the bomber, identified as Esmatullah, had approached several council officials, telling them that he was an important figure in the Taliban insurgency and would only speak directly with Rabbani.
Rabbani, whose death came just days after insurgents attacked the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, was the latest high-ranking official close to Karzai to be killed by militants in recent months. Outnumbered on the battlefield, insurgents are conducting targeted attacks against officials aligned with the Afghan government and U.S.-led coalition, lowering hopes that Afghan forces can secure the country.
“Every day they are killing,” said Mirza Mohammad, a 50-year-old former Afghan Army officer from Parwan province. “The killing of Rabbani has brought chaos to Afghanistan.”
Mohammad, who was among those paying respects Wednesday at Rabbani\’s home in Kabul, called for a national uprising. “We will soon get revenge,” he said. “Pakistan is behind this attack.”
Meanwhile, in the Waghaz district of Ghazni province, nine Afghan policemen were killed Tuesday evening while they were trying to defuse a roadside bomb, said Gen. Zirawer Zahid, provincial police chief.
“He wanted to talk about peace with Professor Rabbani,” Qasemyar said.
Qasemyar said the bomber stayed at a house used for guests of the peace council while waiting for Rabbani to return from a trip to Iran.
On Tuesday, the two met and the attacker went to shake hands with Rabbani at his home, bowing his head near the former president\’s chest and detonating a bomb hidden in his turban, Qasemyar said.
The U.S.-led coalition said another attacker was also involved, but that could not be confirmed by Afghan officials. A Western official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the killing is still being investigated, said one person has been detained in connection with Rabbani\’s death.
The assassination dashed hopes for reconciling with the Taliban and raised fears about deteriorating security in Afghanistan just as foreign combat troops are starting to pull out. Some U.S. and Canadian troops have left in recent months and all foreign combat forces are to go home or move into support roles by the end of 2014 when Afghan forces are to be in charge of protecting and defending the nation.
“Today is a sad day,” said Mohammad Egris, a 25-year-old Kabul University student who was one of dozens of people and top Afghan officials who went to Rabbani\’s house on Wednesday morning to pay their respects. “The enemies of Afghanistan – the terrorists – continue killing our leaders and our people. The people being killed are working for peace and prosperity.”
Egris called on the Afghan government and the international community to do something to root out militants planning attacks in Afghanistan from hideouts in Pakistan. Karzai has repeatedly called for the fight against militants to be waged in Pakistan instead of Afghanistan.
The Pakistani government and leaders across the world condemned the killing. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Afghan President Hamid Karzai as he rushed back to Kabul from the United States.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Gen. Mohammad Ayub Salangi, police chief in Kabul, said the Taliban were behind it.
When contacted by The Associated Press, Taliban spokesmen declined to discuss the killing.
In Washington, John Kerry, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Rabbani\’s assassination a “great setback” for the cause of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
“Former President Rabbani was a historic figure who fought the Taliban in the 1990s and who continued to work for peace and stability as the head of the High Peace Council,” Kerry said in a statement. “Afghanistan\’s enemies want to use his death along with other previous attacks to destabilize the region. We cannot let that happen. Too much is at stake for the people of Afghanistan and the country\’s future.”
Afghans at Rabbani\’s home blamed the Haqqani network, a militant organization based in Pakistan and affiliated with the Taliban and al-Qaida that has conducted several attacks in the capital. … [read more]

U.S. says Pakistan’s ISI using group for "proxy war"

Sep 21, 2011 – WASHINGTON: The United States has accused Pakistan\’s intelligence agency of using the Haqqani Network to wage a “proxy war,” hardening its criticism of Islamabad\’s ties with Taliban-allied factions fighting NATO and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that in a discussion with Pakistan\’s army chief that lasted about four hours, he had pressed Pakistan to break its links with the militant group.
“We covered … the need for the Haqqani Network to disengage, specifically the need for the ISI to disconnect from Haqqani and from this proxy war that they\’re fighting,” he said in a speech to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Tuesday.
“The ISI has been doing this – working for – supporting proxies for an extended period of time. It is a strategy in the country and I think that strategic approach has to shift in the future.”
Washington blames the Haqqani Network, one of the most feared Taliban-linked groups fighting in Afghanistan, for last week\’s attack on the U.S. embassy and other targets in Kabul.
It has in the past suggested that Pakistan\’s powerful Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) maintains ties to the network to guarantee that it has a stake in any political settlement in Afghanistan when American troops withdraw.
Accusing the ISI of using the Haqqanis to wage a “proxy war” goes further, and risks fuelling tension between Islamabad and Washington, which have been running high since al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a surprise U.S. Navy SEALs raid in Pakistan in May.
The United States has repeatedly pressed Pakistan to go after the network, which it believes enjoys sanctuaries in Pakistan\’s mountainous North Waziristan region on the Afghan border.
The Washington Post reported that U.S. officials had delivered an ultimatum to Islamabad in recent days, warning that if it did not cut ties with the Haqqani Network and help eliminate its leaders then “the United States will act unilaterally.”
There has been no public statement suggesting that the United States could itself mount a full-scale offensive against the Haqqanis in North Waziristan, and the official line in background briefings is only that all options are on the table.
The mountainous terrain would make it extremely difficult to launch a military operation in North Waziristan.
While keeping the pressure on Pakistan over its links to insurgent groups, U.S. officials are also trying to shore up relations with a nuclear-armed country it considers a strategic ally in the fight against Islamist militancy.
“What I believe is the relationship with Pakistan is critical,” Mullen said. “We walked away from them in the past and … I think that cut-off has a lot do with where we are.”
A senior U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday that, despite the strains over last week\’s attack in Kabul, there had been incremental improvements in the relationship in recent weeks.
“I don\’t have a sense right now that its falling off the cliff again,” he said. … [read more]

French want Palestinians to drop UN membership bid

Sep 21, 2011 – UNITED NATIONS:The French and U.S. presidents planned to heap pressure on their Palestinian counterpart Wednesday in a concerted push to persuade Mahmoud Abbas to end his bid for full U.N. membership and to instead seek upgraded status in the world body.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French leader, and President Barack Obama will make their pitches during speeches at the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly. Obama will likewise argue in private against the Palestinian drive for U.N. membership when he meets with Abbas on Wednesday.
U.S. officials conceded they cannot stop Abbas from officially launching his case for the Security Council\’s approval of the statehood effort, but also make the case for the Palestinian leader to essentially drop the move for stateood recognition after delivering his letter of intent to the U.N.,
Abbas was expected to deliver a formal request for statehood recognition on Friday when he speaks to the General Assembly. But it could take weeks or months for the U.N. to act on the Palestinians\’ request.
“The president will say, frankly, the same thing in private that he\’ll say in public, which is that we do not believe that this is the best course of action for achieving Palestinian aspirations,” White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said.
And while Obama will formally ask Abbas not to pursue the statehood bid, the mission is actually directed at containing the fallout by urging the Palestinian leader not to push for an actual vote in the Council, where the U.S. has promised a veto. A delay would give international peacemakers time to produce a statement that would be the basis for resumed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Obama will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.
Sarkozy met with Abbas on Tuesday, and diplomats close to the talks said the French leader told the Palestinian leader that he would outline a proposal for the Palestinians to seek upgraded status with the General Assembly, where no member holds a veto. The resolution would be designed to make Palestine a non-member observer state, raising its status from that of permanent observer. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.
With Abbas determined to seek membership rather than upgraded status, the Palestinian delegation relentlessly knocked on diplomatic doors at the U.N. trying to sell their case for international recognition.
Netanyahu, issued dire warnings against hasty action as he boarded his jet for New York. Obama plans to meet with Netanyahu as well as Abbas.
The issue of the unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, born of decades of frustration and failed negotiations with Israel, has consumed diplomats who are gathering for Wednesday\’s opening of the annual U.N. General Assembly ministerial meeting.
Abbas has rejected all attempts to steer him away from formally submitting an application for full U.N. membership.
For his part, Netanyahu, in a meeting with members of his hardline Likud Party before leaving Jerusalem late Tuesday, vowed to speak “the truth” in New York – “the truth of a people that wants peace, a nation that was attacked time after time and that is being attacked time after time by those that don\’t oppose our policies but rather our very existence.”
He said he would warn world leaders against prematurely establishing a Palestinian state when many issues in the conflict must still be resolved. He did not elaborate, saying this would be the focus of his speech to the U.N. on Friday, scheduled shortly after Abbas speaks.
With the Palestinian issue nearing a diplomatic and political crisis, American diplomats have worked at a furious pace to lure the Palestinians back to negotiations, knowing a U.S. veto was certain to inflame anti-American sentiment in the Arab world.
Under a new approach that has been pulled together in three days of meetings in New York, the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators – the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia – would issue a statement addressing both Palestinian and Israeli concerns and setting a timetable for a return to the long-stalled peace talks, U.S. officials said.
Israel would have to accept its pre-1967 Mideast War borders with land exchanges as the basis for a two-state solution, and the Palestinians would have to recognize Israel\’s Jewish character if they were to reach a deal quickly, officials close to the talks said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomacy.
European officials, supported by the United States, were outlining the compromise agreement to the Israeli and Palestinian governments, and asking for tough concessions from each. That was creating undertones of pessimism that mediators would be able to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. The goal would be a comprehensive agreement.
The Palestinians would be allowed to deliver their letter of request Friday to the United Nations, but would agree not to act on it for a year or withdraw it at a later point. That would allow Abbas to save face and prevent an embarrassing defeat that might empower his Fatah party\’s rival faction, the militant islamic group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States.
The Palestinians could also go to the U.N. General Assembly, where they have overwhelming support, but would have to seek instead some form of intermediate upgrade of their status that would stop short of a full recognition of statehood.
And the quartet, with Israel and the Palestinians\’ advance approval, would give the two sides a year to reach a framework agreement, based on Obama\’s vision of borders fashioned from Israel\’s pre-1967 boundary, with agreed land swaps. The statement would also endorse the idea of “two states for two peoples, Jewish and Palestinian,” which would be a slightly amended version of Israel\’s demand for recognition specifically as a “Jewish state.”
Were the Palestinians to bow to the ideas of Obama and Sarkozy, they would become a non-member observer state, a status similar to that of the Holy See. That would give them an opportunity to seek membership in U.N. agencies and join treaties, including the Rome statute that established the International Criminal Court.
But Mohammed Ishtayeh, an Abbas aide, said Lebanon\’s President Michel Suleiman, whose country holds the Security Council presidency this month, urged the Palestinian leader at a meeting Tuesday to proceed with the application for U.N. membership.
Ishtayeh said Abbas\’ discussions Tuesday with Sarkozy and British Foreign Secretary William Hague “focused on what can be done to avoid going to the Security Council,” adding that “some still believe that a way out can be found.” But he said Abbas made it clear that the discussions should be focused on the aftermath of the Palestinian application for recognition to the Security Council. … [read more]

Gas leak near Mumbai kills four

Sep 21, 2011 – … [read more]

The private worry of US Marines in Afghanistan

Sep 21, 2011 – AFGHANISTAN: It is a conversation, the military surgeon says, that every U.S. Marine has with his corpsman, the buddy who is first to treat him if he is wounded by an insurgent\’s bomb.
The Marine says, “\’If I lose my manhood, then I don\’t want to live through it,\’” according to Navy Lt. Richard Whitehead, surgeon for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, which is fighting in one of the most treacherous combat areas of Afghanistan.
“They ask us not to save them if their \’junk\’ gets blown off,” said Whitehead, using a slang term for genitals. “Usually, we laugh. We joke with them about it. At the same time, you know that you\’re going to treat them anyway.”
This is a world of fear, resolve and dark humor that is mostly hidden from accounts of the human cost of the war in Afghanistan. American troops who patrol on foot in bomb-laced areas know they might lose a leg, or two, if they step in the wrong place. But for young men in their prime, most unmarried and without children, the prospect of losing their sexual organs seems even worse.
Whitehead said: “It\’s one of the areas we can\’t put a tourniquet on.”
Sangin, the district of southern Afghanistan where the Marine battalion is based, was a Taliban stronghold for years. It has one of the highest concentrations of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, in the country. Robust Marine operations in the past year have weakened the insurgency in Sangin, and troops now seek to build up the authority of local government and community leaders.
But elusive fighters routinely strike with booby traps on trails and around patrol bases. Lt. Col. Thomas Savage, the battalion commander, said there was a rough average of five IED strikes, finds or interdictions a day in Sangin, in Helmand province. Estimates vary, but some Marines say roughly one in 10 IEDs hits a target.
Sixteen of the battalion\’s Marines have died and at least 160 have been injured during a seven-month deployment that ends in October. Of those, about 90 were sent home because of the severity of their wounds, said Whitehead, the battalion surgeon. One lost both testicles, four Marines lost one testicle and two had penis injuries.
The U.S. military\’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany said it has treated 134 servicemen with one or more amputated limbs through July 31 this year, about 80 percent of the number that suffered similar injuries in all of 2010. Ninety of the 134 also had genital injuries, according to the center. Virtually all the troops were injured in Afghanistan.
Several months into the deployment, the Marines in Sangin were issued so-called “blast panties” or “ballistic boxers,” British-made underwear made of densely woven silk that ends above the knee. The black garb resembles cycling shorts and can\’t stop shrapnel, but it protects against infection and the tight fit compresses flesh and offsets the impact of a blast wave, which separates skin from muscle.
“We\’ll get guys in here with all of the skin on their legs pushed up like a pair of loose pants around their waist,” said Whitehead, of Pascagoula, Mississippi. “All that tissue is going to die. With the compression down around their knees, the blast wave stops.”
Early on, some Marines complained the heavy underwear was hot and uncomfortable. It is now mandatory clothing, deemed as essential as gloves, helmets, plastic eyewear and other protective gear. Before a patrol, squad leaders check to make sure their men have it on.
A flap hanging from body armor around the torso also offers Marines some protection to the groin, which has major blood vessels. The sweepers, those who lead patrols with a metal detector, wear extra padding that loops between the legs. Some call it a “Kevlar diaper.”
One of the first things that Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Richard Erfurth of Portland, Oregon does when he assists an injured comrade is check his groin. If all is well, he will reassure the wounded Marine by saying: “Your junk\’s still there.”
Erfurth says the Marine usually appears relieved and says something like: “Sweet, dude.”
This scenario, the medical specialists say, plays out even if an injured Marine has lost a foot or a leg. Troops in areas where IED attacks are common have become so accustomed to the prospect of extreme injury and amputation that a gruesome relativism takes over.
From one perspective, a Marine who loses a foot is lucky because he didn\’t lose the leg. If he lost the lower part of his leg, he\’s lucky because he didn\’t lose the knee, which enables an easier transition to a prosthetic leg. If he lost most of the leg, he\’s lucky because he still has the other one.
Losing genitals, however, is a “whole new ballgame,” said the battalion\’s chaplain, Navy Lt. David Kim of Mineola, N.Y.
Marine Cpl. Robert Cole of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was blown up twice in this deployment, suffering a concussion both times and falling unconscious for a few minutes in the second attack. In each blast, men near him lost legs.
Cole said a close friend in his platoon lost a testicle as well as his legs in an IED strike in May, and is recuperating in the United States.
“He\’s dealing better with losing his legs than with losing his testicle,” Cole said. He recalled that his friend, in a telephone conversation, paused awkwardly before mentioning his lost testicle. Two months after the blast, however, the injured friend had sex with his wife for the first time and they were both “bragging” about it, according to Cole.
The corporal said he once had tests for possible testicular cancer and that the results came back negative. After grappling with the private fear of losing his testicles, he believes more than ever that there should be open talk of a grievous, deeply personal injury that is often dodged in public discussions about casualties.
The topic has edged into popular culture. A fictional character in a U.S. television series, Sons of Anarchy, is called “Half-Sack” because he lost a testicle while serving in the Marines in the Iraq war.
Marines seem more likely to indulge in macabre humor about losing legs as a way to deflate the anxiety. At Camp Pendleton in California, a Marine scrawled “I am going to miss my legs” on the walls of a portable restroom before deploying to Afghanistan. Some Marines posted photos of their legs or feet on Facebook accounts.
There\’s a shorthand for the unfortunates now: “double amp,” or “triple amp” if they lose an arm as well.
Such injuries are common in Afghanistan because insurgents bury bombs made with small amounts of homemade explosives. During the Iraq war, vast quantities of military-grade ordnance left over from Saddam Hussein\’s dictatorship were available to the insurgency. So massive bomb attacks there caused what medical specialists described as “total body disruption,” instantly killing their targets.
“There\’s a mass of tissue laying there. … You can\’t necessarily identify the head, shoulders,” said surgeon Whitehead, a veteran of the Iraq war. “The charges here aren\’t meant to kill, they\’re meant to maim.”
Dressed only in his protective underwear, tattoos across his torso, Staff Sgt. Rick Meyers of Riverbank, California, relaxed one evening on his cot at Forward Operating Base Jackson, the headquarters of the Marine battalion. He said men under his command don\’t succumb to fears of devastating injury.
“What is in your mind is making it not happen,” he said. … [read more]

Police nab 3 people in Chitwan

Sep 21, 2011 – CHITWAN: Police arrested a youth in connection to his involvement in the killing of Biraj Bishwakarma of the western Chitwan.
According to District Police Office, Chitwan, the special team of police deployed from the district arrested Rajan Sapkota, 22, of Mangalpur VDC-2 from Kanchhi Chowk of Parbatipur VDC-8 on Tuesday evening.
Police forwarded the investigation to confirm Sapkota\’s involvement in the killing.Similarly, police seized 125 khukuris (knife) from a night bus bound to Kathmandu from the east on Wednesday morning.
Police seized the khukuris from Bhandara of Chitwan while they were being taken to Kathmandu hiding in the bus, said police.
Likewise, a man was arrested on the charge of carrying prohibited drug. from Aaptari of Chitwan this morning. Police said Thakur Singh Karki, 40, of Bahundangi-1 from Jhapa district was arrested with 195 tablets of Dyzapam and 195 tablets Nurfim from Aaptari of Chitwan this morning while he was heading to Kathmandu bound bus from Biratnagar.
Police has forwarded further investigation against Karki.

… [read more]

French want Palestinians to drop UN membership bid

Sep 21, 2011 – UNITED NATIONS: The French and U.S. presidents planned to heap pressure on their Palestinian counterpart Wednesday in a concerted push to persuade Mahmoud Abbas to end his bid for full U.N. membership and to instead seek upgraded status in the world body.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French leader, and President Barack Obama will make their pitches during speeches at the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly. Obama will likewise argue in private against the Palestinian drive for U.N. membership when he meets with Abbas on Wednesday.
U.S. officials conceded they cannot stop Abbas from officially launching his case for the Security Council\’s approval of the statehood effort, but also make the case for the Palestinian leader to essentially drop the move for stateood recognition after delivering his letter of intent to the U.N.,
Abbas was expected to deliver a formal request for statehood recognition on Friday when he speaks to the General Assembly. But it could take weeks or months for the U.N. to act on the Palestinians\’ request.
“The president will say, frankly, the same thing in private that he\’ll say in public, which is that we do not believe that this is the best course of action for achieving Palestinian aspirations,” White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said.
And while Obama will formally ask Abbas not to pursue the statehood bid, the mission is actually directed at containing the fallout by urging the Palestinian leader not to push for an actual vote in the Council, where the U.S. has promised a veto. A delay would give international peacemakers time to produce a statement that would be the basis for resumed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Obama will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.
Sarkozy met with Abbas on Tuesday, and diplomats close to the talks said the French leader told the Palestinian leader that he would outline a proposal for the Palestinians to seek upgraded status with the General Assembly, where no member holds a veto. The resolution would be designed to make Palestine a non-member observer state, raising its status from that of permanent observer. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.
With Abbas determined to seek membership rather than upgraded status, the Palestinian delegation relentlessly knocked on diplomatic doors at the U.N. trying to sell their case for international recognition.
Netanyahu, issued dire warnings against hasty action as he boarded his jet for New York. Obama plans to meet with Netanyahu as well as Abbas.
The issue of the unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, born of decades of frustration and failed negotiations with Israel, has consumed diplomats who are gathering for Wednesday\’s opening of the annual U.N. General Assembly ministerial meeting.
Abbas has rejected all attempts to steer him away from formally submitting an application for full U.N. membership.
For his part, Netanyahu, in a meeting with members of his hardline Likud Party before leaving Jerusalem late Tuesday, vowed to speak “the truth” in New York – “the truth of a people that wants peace, a nation that was attacked time after time and that is being attacked time after time by those that don\’t oppose our policies but rather our very existence.”
He said he would warn world leaders against prematurely establishing a Palestinian state when many issues in the conflict must still be resolved. He did not elaborate, saying this would be the focus of his speech to the U.N. on Friday, scheduled shortly after Abbas speaks.
With the Palestinian issue nearing a diplomatic and political crisis, American diplomats have worked at a furious pace to lure the Palestinians back to negotiations, knowing a U.S. veto was certain to inflame anti-American sentiment in the Arab world.
Under a new approach that has been pulled together in three days of meetings in New York, the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators – the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia – would issue a statement addressing both Palestinian and Israeli concerns and setting a timetable for a return to the long-stalled peace talks, U.S. officials said.
Israel would have to accept its pre-1967 Mideast War borders with land exchanges as the basis for a two-state solution, and the Palestinians would have to recognize Israel\’s Jewish character if they were to reach a deal quickly, officials close to the talks said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomacy.
European officials, supported by the United States, were outlining the compromise agreement to the Israeli and Palestinian governments, and asking for tough concessions from each. That was creating undertones of pessimism that mediators would be able to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. The goal would be a comprehensive agreement.
The Palestinians would be allowed to deliver their letter of request Friday to the United Nations, but would agree not to act on it for a year or withdraw it at a later point. That would allow Abbas to save face and prevent an embarrassing defeat that might empower his Fatah party\’s rival faction, the militant islamic group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States.
The Palestinians could also go to the U.N. General Assembly, where they have overwhelming support, but would have to seek instead some form of intermediate upgrade of their status that would stop short of a full recognition of statehood.
And the quartet, with Israel and the Palestinians\’ advance approval, would give the two sides a year to reach a framework agreement, based on Obama\’s vision of borders fashioned from Israel\’s pre-1967 boundary, with agreed land swaps. The statement would also endorse the idea of “two states for two peoples, Jewish and Palestinian,” which would be a slightly amended version of Israel\’s demand for recognition specifically as a “Jewish state.”
Were the Palestinians to bow to the ideas of Obama and Sarkozy, they would become a non-member observer state, a status similar to that of the Holy See. That would give them an opportunity to seek membership in U.N. agencies and join treaties, including the Rome statute that established the International Criminal Court.
But Mohammed Ishtayeh, an Abbas aide, said Lebanon\’s President Michel Suleiman, whose country holds the Security Council presidency this month, urged the Palestinian leader at a meeting Tuesday to proceed with the application for U.N. membership.
Ishtayeh said Abbas\’ discussions Tuesday with Sarkozy and British Foreign Secretary William Hague “focused on what can be done to avoid going to the Security Council,” adding that “some still believe that a way out can be found.” But he said Abbas made it clear that the discussions should be focused on the aftermath of the Palestinian application for recognition to the Security Council. … [read more]

Obama to meet Palestinian leader amid U.N. crisis

Sep 21, 2011 – UNITED NATIONS: President Barack Obama will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday to urge him to drop plans to ask the U.N. Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state despite U.S. and Israeli objections.
The White House said Obama will meet Abbas at 6 p.m. ET on the sidelines of this week\’s U.N. General Assembly session in New York. Obama is also due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Wednesday.
“With both the Israelis and the Palestinians the president will be able to say very directly why we believe action at the United Nations is not the way … to achieve a (Palestinian) state,” Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters.
Abbas has promised to present U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with a membership application on Friday, setting the stage for a Security Council vote that the United States, one of five veto-wielding permanent members, says it will block.
The Obama administration and Israel both say that only direct peace talks can lead to peace with the Palestinians, who in turn say almost two decades of fruitless negotiation has left them no choice but to turn to the United Nations.
The drama over the Palestinian U.N. bid is playing out as Palestinian, Israeli and U.S. leaders all grapple with the fallout from Arab uprisings that are raising new political tensions across the Middle East.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said he thought at least nine of the 15 members of the Security Council would back the Palestinian bid and urged the United States to get out of the way.
“We\’re working toward it and I think we\’ll manage it,” Malki told reporters. “We hope the United States will revise its position and be on the side of the majority of nations or countries who want to support the Palestinian right to have self determination and independence.”
A U.S. veto in the Security Council would still block approval even if most other members agree — something that is far from certain.
But securing the nine votes necessary to claim a Security Council majority would allow the Palestinians to highlight the U.S. veto as an obstacle, increasing the diplomatic risks for Washington.
It would also raise pressure on Israel, which despite its offer of direct peace talks has not made any of the concessions that the Palestinians say would make such talks possible.
NO PROGRESS YET
Senior diplomats from the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations — the Quartet of Middle East mediators — are meeting throughout the week but with little sign thus far of a breakthrough.
The Quartet has been trying to put together guidelines for future peace talks for months, so far without result. British Foreign Secretary William Hague acknowledged there had been no progress.
Even if the Palestinians file their Security Council application on Friday, an immediate vote is unlikely. This may allow more time for diplomacy aimed at restarting peace talks, said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.
“There\’s a procedure for dealing with such requests and it can take a few days or weeks more, which means there is room for other initiatives,” Juppe told Europe 1 radio.
“We hope to find a way of convincing all involved to get back around the negotiating table, and in a serious fashion.”
Highlighting the political minefield Obama faces on the issue, Republican presidential challenger Rick Perry blasted the administration over its Middle East policy, saying U.S. peace efforts had “encouraged the Palestinians to shun direct talks.”
Perry\’s comments were a reminder that Obama must prepare for what is shaping up as a tough campaign for re-election in 2012 and cannot afford to alienate Israel\’s broad support in Congress and with the American public.
In the West Bank, clashes broke out as angry Jewish settlers protested against the Palestinian plans — another sign of growing tensions in the territory that some fear could spin dangerously out of control.
TOUGH CHOICES
Israel says the U.N. move aims to delegitimize the Jewish state. The Palestinians say their U.N. bid will open the door to new peace talks among two sovereign equals.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed a year ago after Israel refused to extend a moratorium on new settlements in areas the Palestinians want for a future state.
Israel has occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since the 1967 war, and the two sides are divided on borders, the status of Jerusalem, the future of Palestinian refugees and whether Israel should be acknowledged as a Jewish state.
The Palestinians want the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for their future state, with East Jerusalem as their capital.
With a U.S. veto certain at the Security Council, the Palestinians may also ask the U.N. General Assembly to upgrade them from an “entity” to a “non-member state.” Such a step, they say, would be backed by at least 126 of the assembly\’s 193 members and give further legitimacy to their claim.
The Palestinian decision to force a confrontation at the United Nations has cast new doubt over the Obama administration\’s effort to harness the “Arab Spring” uprisings to forge a new set of U.S. relationships in the Middle East.
“A U.S. veto … will be seen by the region as once again a double-standard policy of selectively standing by certain people in the region yearning for freedom, but not others,” said Marwan Muasher, a former Jordanian foreign minister and now vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment. … [read more]

Indian soccer star Bhutia in quake drama

Sep 21, 2011 – India\’s most famous footballer Baichung Bhutia told Tuesday of his desperate eight-hour journey on foot and by bus to reach his pregnant wife after the earthquake in his home state of Sikkim.
Bhutia, 34, said he was at home enjoying a cup of tea in the sleepy village of Tinkitam in southern Sikkim, when the powerful quake struck on Sunday evening, rocking large parts of India, Tibet and Nepal.
“I was really worried because my pregnant wife and 17-month-old twins were in (state capital) Gangtok, which was badly affected,” Bhutia told AFP after a press conference on rescue and relief efforts in the northeastern state.
The soccer star, who retired from the international scene last month, walked for two hours from his village before he managed to catch a bus to Gangtok, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the quake\’s epicentre.
“It took me eight hours to reach my family, they are all fine. Fortunately everyone in my village is safe and there is no major damage there but I worry for my people in north Sikkim,” he said.
At least 83 people died in the 6.9-magnitude quake, 50 of them in Sikkim, with the toll likely to rise as rescuers reach remote communities cut off since the disaster.
Bhutia, who is celebrated for his good looks as well as his on-field skills, was the first Indian to play in Europe when he was signed by English club Bury on a three-year contract in 1999.
After a series of injuries, he now co-owns and plays for United Sikkim FC in Indian domestic football.
Bhutia\’s engaging personality helped boost football in cricket-focused India, earning him lucrative contracts from Adidas and Nike, and he also won the Indian version of the dance reality show “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009.
The striker said he hoped to organise a series of matches to raise funds for rebuilding in the state.
… [read more]

Lille escape with draw after Diabate penalty miss

Sep 21, 2011 – French champions Lille missed the chance to go level on points with Ligue 1 leaders Lyon on Tuesday as they drew 1-1 away with out of form Bordeaux.
It could have been worse for Lille – who drew for the third successive match – as Bordeaux\’ Chieck Diabate missed a penalty 12 minutes from time.
Lille – who had let leads slip against both Sochaux in the league and CSKA Moscow in last week\’s opening Champions League group game – had gone behind to a Diabate penalty in the third minute only for their Belgian star Eden Hazard to level in the 57th minute with a fine goal.
Lille lie fourth two points adrift of Lyon, who play away at Caen on Wednesday while Bordeaux have only one win in their seven matches so far and are just three points above the relegation places.
The hosts had taken an early lead through Diabate\’s well-executed penalty after referee Tony Chapron adjudged Florent Balmont to have knocked over Diabate.
Lille pressed the hosts throughout the half but Bordeaux \’keeper Kevin Olimpa came to their rescue, especially in the 37th minute when he saved from veteran Czech defender David Rozehnal and then again from Moussa Sow who followed up the rebound.
Hazard struck shortly before the hour mark finishing off a neat move which began just inside the Bordeaux half and which saw English midfielder Joe Cole deliver him the decisive pass.
The Belgian star still had work to do when he got the ball on the left side of the penalty box but he made light work of two Bordeaux defenders and placed his right-footed effort perfectly into the far corner.
It came just minutes after Bordeaux had gone close to doubling their lead but Maurice Belay made a complete mess of his shot from only a few yards out.
Bordeaux had an even better opportunity in the 78th minute to take the three points as Chapron awarded them another penalty after Lille\’s veteran \’keeper Mickael Landreau was penalised for kneeing Fahid Ben Khalfallah on the jaw when he went up high to collect the ball.
However, whilst Diabate sent Landreau the wrong way his penalty came back off the post and bounced to safety.
… [read more]

Rural libraries established in Rajbiraj

Sep 21, 2011 – RAJBIRAJ: The Radhakant Mallik Memorial Academy has established two libraries at rural Bathanaha and Sambhunath VDCs of Saptari district focusing on the students reeling under problem due to lack of of textbooks.
The Academy set up the libraries with the assistance of Be Educated Movement as to prevent growing trend of school drop-out caused by the shortage of references and textbooks.
The “Be Educated Movement” provided with 360 textbooks of different subjects including Mathematics, Science, English and Social to the library in the beginning, informed Ganjendra Prasad Yana, coordinator of the library situated at Bathanaha-9, Dhikali.
General Secretary of the Academy, Satish Kumar Dutta said the libraries were established with the purpose of enhancing access of rural area children to extra-curricular reference during their study hour.
Former Chairman of Bathanaha VDC Baidhyanath Yadav expressed the belief that the libraries will help arouse interest of students towards elevating knowledge and awareness level of the students.
Library will be established at the rural areas and students will also be awarded and upgraded after properly conducting exam, said Programme Coordinator of the Movement Deep Kumar Gaud.
Anil Kumar Gupta of Sambhunath VDC said all villagers, teachers and guardians should collectively move ahead to make wide publicity of the library as an epitome in this sector.
… [read more]

NC CWC meeting concludes

Sep 21, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) that continued of late on Tuesday endorsed the report presented by party general secretary regarding the dissolution of party sister organizations.
The meeting also expressed heartfelt condolence on the families of those killed, injured and affected by earthquake that took place on September 18.
The meeting drew the attention of the government to provide with necessary relief and compensation to the quake-affected individuals and families without any delay by assessing all the losses incurred in the disaster.

The NC also urged the government to keep the entire nation alert and put various security measures in place so as to mitigate possible risks caused by natural disaster.

A three-member team consisting NC central member Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Padma Narayan Chaudhary and Ananda Prasad Dhungana has been formed to prepare and present study report of Chitwan case.
The meeting held at party head office at Sanepa expressed sorrow over the demise of Pundit Teknath Gautam, who had had significant contribution to the enhancement of Vedic literature and spiritual awakening.
NC President Sushil Koirala chaired the meeting.
… [read more]

11 dead as boat sinks off Indonesia’s Bali island

Sep 21, 2011 – BALI: Indonesian police say a wooden boat carrying dozens of Balinese musicians has sunk in high waves, killing 11 people.
Rescuers are scouring the waters for 14 others still missing, including the captain.
Col. Agus Doeta Soepranggono says members of a traditional percussion troupe were heading Wednesday from Bali to the nearby island of Nusa Penida to perform at a cremation ceremony when their vessel capsized a half-hour into the journey.
Accidents at sea are common in Indonesia, the world\’s largest archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands, in part because of overcrowding and poor safety standards. … [read more]

National IT Centre to set up in Hetauda

Sep 21, 2011 – HETAUDA: The Ministry of Science and Technology is all set to establish a National Information Technology Centre in Hetaudfa municipality-4, Chhaprachaur within coming December.
An all-party meeting of the Hetauda Town Development Committee presided over by the Committee Chair Ram Krishna Shrestha on Tuesday decided to hand over its five katthas of land in Chhaprachaur to the Centre for the construction of building, informed Committee Secretary Digambar Thakur.
The Centre”s building will be constricted at the estimated cost of Rs. 300 million with the grant assistance of the Korean government, said Makwanpur Chief District Officer, Dinesh Bhattarai.
… [read more]

Marlins shut out by Braves‚ 4-0

Sep 21, 2011 – … [read more]

Powerful typhoon headed toward Japan disaster zone

Sep 21, 2011 – TOKYO: A powerful typhoon was bearing down on Japan\’s tsunami-ravaged northeastern coast Wednesday, approaching a nuclear power plant crippled in that disaster and prompting calls for the evacuation of more than a million people.
Even before its arrival Typhoon Roke turned deadly, with the Yomiuri newspaper reporting four people killed or missing after being swept away by rivers swollen with rain.
The storm was expected to make landfall along Japan\’s southeast coast around midday and then cut a path northeast through Tokyo and into the northeastern Tohoku region, which was devastated by the March 11 tsunami and earthquake.
Also in the path of the storm is the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which started spewing radiation after it was sent into meltdown by the tsunami.
Takeo Iwamoto, spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that operates the plant, said the cooling system for the reactors, crucial to keeping them under control, will not be endangered by the typhoon.
He said some construction work around the plant was canceled and utmost efforts were under way to prevent leaks of radioactive water and other material from the typhoon.
Japanese media reports said more than a million people have been ordered or advised to evacuate across the country as their homes may be flooded or buried in mudslides triggered by the typhoon. The numbers varied, as there is no nationwide tally, and the situation has been flexible. The Mainichi nationwide newspaper reported 1.4 million people were issued evacuation warnings, while the Yomiuri put the number at 1.2 million.
Heavy rains as the storm approached caused floods and road damage in dozens of locations in Nagoya and several other cities, the Aichi prefectural (state) government said. The storm was bringing rain and wind to the Tokyo area, and commuters were being warned to go home early before the storm approaches closer, expected to hit the capital Wednesday afternoon.
Television footage showed people wading through water up to their knees in the central city of Nagoya, 170 miles (270 kilometers) west of Tokyo. In parts of the city near swollen rivers, rescue workers helped residents evacuate in rubber boats.
Police in nearby Gifu prefecture said a 9-year-old boy and an 84-year-old man were missing after apparently falling into swollen rivers.
A typhoon that slammed Japan earlier this month left about 90 people dead or missing. … [read more]

SKorean religious leaders heading to NKorea

Sep 21, 2011 – SEOUL: South Korean Catholic, Buddhist, Protestant and other religious leaders are heading to North Korea amid signs of easing tension between the countries.
The delegation departed Wednesday for the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, where they are to fly to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang later in the day.
They\’re scheduled to meet with North Korean religious leaders and visit a scenic mountain during their four-day trip.
South Korea has toughened restrictions on civilian travels to the North in the wake of a warship sinking blamed on a North Korean torpedo attack last year.
But Seoul recently allowed Buddhist monks and a prominent orchestra maestro to visit North Korea amid international efforts to resume negotiations on the North\’s nuclear ambitions. … [read more]

Gillard not watching ‘sex scene’ TV comedy

Sep 21, 2011 – Australia: Julia Gillard,Australian Prime Minister, says she will not be watching a controversial TV comedy Wednesday that portrays her in a compromising position with her boyfriend on the floor of her office.
The third episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation\’s satirical “At Home with Julia” has sparked widespread condemnation with some MPs calling for a rethink of the state broadcaster\’s funding.
The show mercilessly makes fun of Gillard\’s partner Tim Mathieson, a former hairdresser, and the prime minister said she had better things to do than sit in front on the TV.
“I\’m not intending to watch tonight\’s episode. I\’ve got more to do,” she said, although she admitted viewing the first episode.
“Aspects of that first episode were funny but, seriously, I\’ve got more to do than sit around watching ABC TV.”
Wednesday\’s instalment shows Gillard, played by lookalike Amanda Bishop, and Mathieson draped in the Australian flag, using it as a sheet after having sex.
Treasurer Wayne Swan called the show “low rent”.
“I don\’t mind programmes taking the mickey out of politicians,” he said. “But frankly I think this one is a bit low rent.”
Nationals MP John Forrest called the segment appalling.
“Having sex in the prime minister\’s office under the Australian flag is the last straw for me,” he said. “It is sick, I\’m offended and we should take a stand.”
… [read more]

Europe to face G20 heat on euro crisis response

Sep 21, 2011 – WASHINGTON: Europe will come under heavy pressure this week to stem its deepening debt crisis but talks among the self-proclaimed guardians of global finance are unlikely to yield bold action.
Spreading fears about a Greek debt default and contagion to larger economies in the euro zone have raised alarm in the United States and among emerging market heavyweights about the risk of a potentially major shock to an ailing global economy.
At talks among the Group of 2O major economies and at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, the United States and big emerging economies such as China, Brazil and India are likely to join the IMF and call on Europe to be more decisive.
But with U.S. political leaders divided on how to fix their own economic problems and no sign of consensus among the so-called BRICS emerging economies on how to help, the chances of a new approach to righting the global economy look slim.
“The G20, all it can do is to provide some peer pressure on the Europeans, to sensitize the Europeans to the huge scope for spillover that the euro crisis is already having,” said Domenico Lombardi, a former IMF official and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
“We should not expect any type of international response along the lines we saw at the height of the financial crisis.”
EUROPE FOCUSES ON FISCAL CONSOLIDATION
The meeting is the third gathering of finance chiefs in three weeks, after G7 and EU ministers made little headway in tackling the crisis during each of the last two weekends.
Underscoring the gravity of the situation, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner attended both. He was received coolly by EU officials meeting in Poland, when, according to participants, he urged wealthier states — in particular Germany — to do more to support growth and suggested leveraging euro-zone bailout funds to give them more clout.
European ministers continue to say that belt-tightening remains their priority. German officials on Tuesday said they will stress the need to cut deficits at this week\’s talks.
The EU intends to shift the spotlight elsewhere. It will call on China to boost domestic demand and the United States and Japan to tackle their public deficits, according to a document obtained by Reuters.
This would help rebalance global growth, the EU said — a key agenda item for the G20 since it emerged as the premier economic policy forum during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Tuesday expressed frustration at Europe\’s slow pace in dealing with the crisis and called on officials to ensure European banks are adequately capitalized.
“There\’s risk and there\’s increased risk the longer this matter is delayed. We\’ve been talking about Greece since January 2010 and the euro zone has not yet brought the matter to a conclusion,” Flaherty told reporters in Ottawa.
He said Canada had fiscal room to maneuver, but would open its coffers for new stimulus only if hit by an external shock.
Ministers will have little time at the G20 meeting to make their points as the agenda is largely devoted to development issues, with just a dinner on Thursday earmarked for discussion of threats to the global economy.
The only G20 statement is expected to come on Friday after a meeting on climate change, sustainable agriculture and infrastructure financing in developing economies.
“It would be unjust to say that the G20 did not reach agreement on the euro zone crisis at this meeting, because that is not the point,” said a source from G20 host France.
Talks about the euro crisis are expected to spill over into the weekend\’s meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.
GET IT TOGETHER
With Italy slapped with a debt downgrade on Monday and the IMF warning that Europe and the United States could slip back into recession, concerns over the immediate outlook for the global economy are likely to take precedence over longer-term goals on reducing trade imbalances.
The IMF on Tuesday warned Europe it needed to move fast.
“There is a wide perception that policymakers are one step behind markets,” IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard told reporters. “Europe must get its act together,” he added.
Some investors are anxious to see signs of fresh action by policymakers. “I think it\’s going to necessitate some sort of action by the G20 this weekend,” said Kathy Lien, director of currency research at GFT, shortly after Italy\’s downgrade.
The talks in Washington offer a forum to emerging markets to weigh in on the debate.
The so called BRICS group — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — will meet separately on Thursday to discuss possible options to limit fallout from the euro-zone crisis.
The United States has long urged China and other emerging nations to boost domestic demand and let their currencies rise to take up some of the slack in the global economy.
Brazil is expected to propose that it and other developing economies make new funds available to the IMF as a way to improve its firepower to ease the euro zone crisis.
But analysts expect little agreement on specifics among the emerging heavyweights.
“The BRICS in particular are likely to make a strong statement about how Europe needs to resolve its crisis soon because they fear the negative effects of more troubles from Europe,” said Eswar Prasad, a former IMF official who is a professor at Cornell University.
“I suspect they are unwilling to put up any serious money for this,” he said.
The Washington talks come about three weeks ahead of another G20 ministerial meeting in Paris. It will aim to finalize details on a deal to reduce global trade and financial imbalances ahead of a G2O leaders summit in November. … [read more]

Bid to control smuggling

Sep 21, 2011 – BHAKTAPUR: The Metropolitan Police Sector, Jagati has begun ambushing in a bid to check smuggling of goods occurring via the Araniko highway.
According to Sector Chief Police Inspector Keshav Prasad Thebe, they have initiated ambushing acting on the complaints of locals about growing smuggling of goods through Jagate border and alternative roads.
A police post equipped with four police and necessary weapons has been established at Bramhayani – the main checkpoint along the Chyamasingh-Tathali-Nala road section – after getting information that smugglers have been massively involved in importing and exporting goods illegally through the alternative ways by cheating on-duty police personnel at the Jagate border, Thebe added.
The Chyamasingh-Tathali-Nala road section is the alternative road to the Araniko highway.
Thebe claimed they have beefed up security along the border so as to check the illegal act of evading customs office.
Similarly, Jagate police have intensified its patrol in order to controlling various criminal activities like robbery, theft and gambling keeping in view the festivals around the corner.
They have increased vigilance in and around the areas, which are prone to criminal activities, said Thebe.
… [read more]

More News from – The Himalayan Times

eKantipur News

Finland: officially, world’s worst rugby team

Sep 21, 2011 – As the world’s best rugby teams continue their quest for World Cup glory in NZ, spare a thought for players on the other side of the globe. … [read more]

Pakistani killer mob members get death sentence

Sep 21, 2011 – A Pakistani court has sentenced seven men to death for lynching two teenagers in a mob killing that was recorded and shown widely on television. … [read more]

Gunmen dump 35 bodies on busy avenue in Mexico

Sep 21, 2011 – Masked gunmen blocked traffic on a busy avenue in a Gulf of Mexico coastal city Tuesday and dumped the bodies of 35 slaying victims. … [read more]

Deuba panel meet inconclusive

Sep 21, 2011 – A meeting of Deuba panel held to device a new strategy against the CC decision to dissolve its sister organisations, concluded inconclusively on Wednesday. … [read more]

Armed outfit District-in- charge arrested

Sep 21, 2011 – District-in-charge of JTMMP, who owned the responsibility for planting bombs in different places, was arrested on Wednesday. … [read more]

Four Tibetans arrested

Sep 21, 2011 – Police has arrested four persons in suspicion of being Tibet nationals from Kakarvitta, Jhapa on Wednesday. … [read more]

‘Special package for conflict victims before Dashain’

Sep 21, 2011 – Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal has said that the government would soon bring a special package for the family of those killed during the insurgency. … [read more]

PM Bhattarai meets Bolivian Prez in New York

Sep 21, 2011 – PM Bhattarai on Tuesday held discussion with leaders of various countries on the matters related to bilateral relations. … [read more]

Heath condition of hunger strikers getting worse

Sep 21, 2011 – Health condition of the two out of three, who have been on fast-unto-death against corruption for the past 11 days, is getting worse. … [read more]

Encouraging exercise may help teens quit smoking

Sep 21, 2011 – Encouraging teenage smokers not only to quit, but to get physically active, may boost their odds of kicking the habit, a new study suggests. … [read more]

Raw Video: Bomber kills ex-Afghan President

Sep 21, 2011 – Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani was assassinated Tuesday by a suicide bomber concealing explosives in his turban. … [read more]

11 dead as boat sinks off Indonesia’s Bali island

Sep 21, 2011 – Indonesian police say a wooden boat carrying dozens of Balinese musicians has sunk in high waves, killing 11 people. … [read more]

At least four dead as typhoon nears Japan

Sep 21, 2011 – A powerful typhoon bearing down on disaster-ravaged Japan has killed at least four people. … [read more]

Gas leak near Mumbai kills four

Sep 21, 2011 – Four workers died and another eight were injured when poisonous gas leaked at a pharmaceutical factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. … [read more]

17 dead in landslides at plant hit by India quake

Sep 21, 2011 – Indian soldiers scrambled Wednesday to reach a hydroelectric project in northeastern India where at least 17 people were killed. … [read more]

5 killed in grenade attack in bar in Philippines

Sep 21, 2011 – Police say two suspects on a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade into a karaoke bar in a northern Philippine town, killing five people and wounding seven. … [read more]

PM Bhattarai addresses high level meetings in New York

Sep 21, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai addressed the high level meeting on nutrition at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. … [read more]

New series of Dell products in market

Sep 21, 2011 – Generation Next Communications, authorised distributor of Dell in Nepal, has unveiled a new series of Dell printers. … [read more]

Govt measures fail to boost market

Sep 21, 2011 – Considering skyrocketing share prices two years ago, the current prices are largely corrected values, as a PE ratio between 10-15 percent is considered good. … [read more]

One-fourth of new CSIs based in Kathmandu

Sep 21, 2011 – Among the CSIs that have been registered in the last fiscal, one-fourth are based in the Kathmandu Valley, with the largest number 2,873 being registered in KTM … [read more]

More News from – eKantipur News

Nepali Times

Rehearsal for the Big One

Sep 19, 2011 – Twenty-four hours after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on Sunday night, it is becoming clear from Sikkim and Nepal that the death toll will be much higher than the official 60. … [read more]

Quake warning for Nepal

Sep 18, 2011 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 magnitude rocked eastern Nepal at around 6.25 pm, killing at least six people, including three who were crushed by the collapse of the perimeter wall of the British … [read more]

PM addresses the parliament

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements and urged the … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 15, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers for the third time on Thursday, taking its strength to … [read more]

CIAA annual report released

Sep 15, 2011 – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) released its annual report for the fiscal year 2010/11 on … [read more]

Former NAC chaiman remanded to custody

Sep 14, 2011 – The District Court, Kathmandu, has remanded former chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Ramagya Prasad Chaturvedi to police custody, enforcing the Supreme Court … [read more]

Maoists meet NC

Sep 14, 2011 – The talks held between the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress today ended inconclusively. During the talks, the Maoist side proposed that the number of combatants to be integrated and the rehabilitation package should be decided first to be … [read more]

Tourist arrival at ACAP record high

Sep 14, 2011 – The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) recorded the highest number of tourists visiting the ACAP this … [read more]

UML proposal approved

Sep 14, 2011 – The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting on Wednesday unanimously approved the special proposal tabled by the Party Chairman Jhalanath … [read more]

Micro-hydro project in Arghakhachi

Sep 12, 2011 – Over 120 families of Subarnakhal VDC have benefitted from … [read more]

Do people really matter?

Sep 10, 2011 – Less than two weeks in the government, the Baburam government has come out with an ambitious relief program on Friday. … [read more]

Stolen treasure found

Sep 10, 2011 – The famous bronze Laxmi Narayan figure that was the centerpiece of the Sundari Chok of Patan Durbar Square has been retrieved by police on Friday … [read more]

Obstinate politicos, carefree nation

Sep 5, 2011 – The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 4, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers on Sunday, adding 13 more members to make it a 15-member … [read more]

Naya Patrika office vandalised

Sep 4, 2011 – An unknown gang vandalised the office of the Naya Patrika, a daily paper based at Kamal Pokhari on … [read more]

More News from – Nepali Times

Google News – Nepal

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The Himalayan Times

TAAN assistance to quake victims

Sep 20, 2011 –
KATHMANDU: The Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN) has decided to provide Rs. 111,111 to the Prime Minister”s Natural Disaster Relief Fund for providing relief to the recent earthquake victims.
According to Association Chairman Mahendra Singh Thapa, the amount will be handed over to the Fund after the arrival of Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai from New York.
Presently, the Prime Minister is in the United States of America in course of attending the 66th General Assembly of the United Nations.
Speaking at a programme organised here on Tuesday to give information about this, Thapa recalled the Association provided Rs. 333,303 for the Saptakoshi flood victims some three years back and pledged to continue such support in the future, too.
An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale with its epicenter near the border between Tapelejung district and Sikkim, India jolted the country at 6:25 p.m. on Sunday, killing at least nine people and injuring many.
Similarly, according to information made available at the programme, the Association is going to open four new trekking routes and organise several programms on the occasion of the World Tourism Day.
… [read more]

1 dies in clash‚ 1 in landslide in Taplegung

Sep 20, 2011 – TAPLEJUNG: One person died in a clash between locals in Sanghu VDC of Taplejung and one has been seriously injured.
Seriously injured in the clash Bal Bahadur Pandhak (Limbu ) of Sanghu-9, Tamrang died on the way to District Hospital for teatment. Durga Limbu, 28, of Sanghu-9, who was serious injured in the incident has been referred to another hospital as he needed CT scan. The deceased body is kept for postmortem.
Police rushed to the scene of the incident from Sanghu Post and seized an Italian automatic pistol and its bullet.
Police have arrested eight people including Pasang Sherpa (Gopal), Santa Baraili, Anil Sherpa, Sudip Limbu of Sanghu-8, said Police Inspector of the District Police Office, Kabindra Raj Karki.
Debate arose while playing football before the clash at the Narayani Higher Secondary School at 5:00 pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, one Rabichandra Chongwang, 16, of Thukima-4 died after being buried in a landside at 5:30 pm on Monday. Four others with him at the landslide at Kebung survived,
The body of the deceased was taken out only at 9:30 pm on Monday night.
The landslide is believed to have caused by Sunday”s earthquake.
… [read more]

8-yr-old boy electrocuted in Chitwan

Sep 20, 2011 – CHITWAN: A minor was electrocuted in Sharadanagar VDC of Chitwan district on Tuesday morning.
According to the information provided by District Police Office, Chitwan, the deceased has been identified as eight-year-old Ritin Lama of Ward No. 1 of the VDC.
Lama, who was found unconscious after the electric shock, died while undergoing treatment in Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur, said Police.

… [read more]

Matrika-led Maoist party ousted spokesperson Dahal

Sep 20, 2011 – RAJBIRAJ: Matrika-led CPN-Maoist has expelled the party\’s spokesperson from the post for six months.
The Central Ad-hoc Committee of the party that concluded in Rajbiraj on Tuesday ousted its spokesperson Bharat Dahal saying he was involved in activities against the party policy.
Likewise, issuing a press release today, the party termed the UCPN-Maoist as an agent of anti-revolutionaries and announced nationwide protest programmes for September 26 to condemn the UCPN-M.
Similarly, Central member of the CPN-Maoist Mahesh Yadav said the meeting has decided to demand with the government to distribute relief support to the earthquake victims at the earliest.
… [read more]

Quake damages 6 police offices in Mechi

Sep 20, 2011 – BHADRAPUR: At least half a dozen Police Offices were completely damaged and around two dozen have minor damages in Mechi zone due to the powerful earthquake on Sunday.
The tremor damaged more offices in Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam districts, according to Mechi Zonal Police Office, Bhadrapur.
Out of 12 police offices in Taplejung, five offices in Siwa, Sinam, Lelep, Khebang and Sablakhu were completely damaged and seven others have minor damages.
Similarly, Police Posts in Ranke and Phalaicha of Panchthar were completely damaged and two others have minor damages.
Likewise, Rakse based Police Post in Ilam was also completely destroyed and other five police offices have minor damages.
In Jhapa, a total of six police offices including the wall of the kitchen of the security guards in the District Police Office, Jhapa, have minor damages.
… [read more]

5-member committee to investigate Ranbang bus accident

Sep 20, 2011 – MYAGDI: A five-member investigation committee was formed to investigate the facts about the Ranbang bus accident in Myagdi district.
Thirteen persons were killed and six others were injured when the bus (Ga 1 Kha 2704) bound to Darbang from Babiyachaur met with an accident at Ranbang of Babiyachaur-8 on Sunday. The bus fell some 200 meters down from the road.
Secretary of the Myagdi Bus and Jeep Operators\’ Committee, Suman Shrestha is the coordinator of the investigation committee. Similarly, Vice-chairman Jay Bahadur Adhikari, transport entrepreneurs Kamal KC, Binod KC, and secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Myagdi, Hari Krishna Gautam are the other members of the committee.
The committee members visited the accident site on Tuesday and began the investigation.
… [read more]

Disperse Gurkhas around: UK Defense Minister Howarth

Sep 20, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Gerald Howarth, Minister for International Security Strategy at the UK Ministry of Defence has claimed that the retired Gurkha soldiers residing in Britain should be dispersed around the country.
Talking to BBC Radio on Tuesday, Howarth said, “Gurkha veterans settling in Britain should be dispersed around the country in the same way as asylum seekers.”
“There needs to be a policy of dispersal,” stated Howarth, the MP for Aldersho- the home of the British Gurkhas.
Howarth”s hasty comments have sparked anger among the admirers of Gurkhas including all those 7,500 former Gurkhas from Nepal who have settled in the UK in the last two years.
Gurkhas have been an essential part of the British Army for almost 200 years. British Gurkhas have lost more than 50,000 men in different wars and have received 26 Victoria Crosses till date.
It was only in the year 2009 a campaign headed by actress Joanna Lumley succeeded in convincing the UK government to grant British Gurkha soldiers with more than four years of service the right to settle in the UK with their family.
… [read more]

Himalayan quake rescuers blast route to epicentre

Sep 20, 2011 – SIKKIM: Rescue teams backed by army sappers using explosives tried to force their way Tuesday to the remote epicentre of a powerful Himalayan earthquake that killed 67 people in India, Nepal and Tibet.
Before the grim search for more victims can even begin, the main challenge is to reach the isolated, mountainous impact zone on the border between India\’s northeastern Sikkim state and Nepal after Sunday\’s 6.9-magnitude quake.
Convoys of vehicles carrying rescue workers, medical teams and emergency supplies left the Sikkim capital Gangtok at daybreak Tuesday.
But progress was tortuously slow over the narrow, badly damaged roads more often frequented by groups of adventurous tourists heading for Himalayan trekking trails.
After covering just a short section of the 60-kilometre (40-mile) route to the worst-affected districts of Mangan and Sangthan, the convoys came to a complete halt, with the path ahead blocked by a huge rockfall.
As army engineers drilled holes for explosives to try and blow apart the largest boulders, rescuers could only wait in frustration along with distraught locals trying to get through to relatives — unsure whether they were alive or dead.
“I\’ve been here for six hours, waiting for the army to clear the road,” said Pema Doma, 37, who has heard nothing from her parents or 16-year-old son in Mangan since the quake hit.
“I\’d walk if they would let me,” Doma said. “The anxiety is killing me. What if he\’s screaming for me? What if he\’s calling for me and I can\’t even hear him?”
Those who did attempt walking around the rockfall were stopped by soldiers, who insisted it was too dangerous to go ahead on foot.
“I know many shortcuts to reach Mangan but the army says it\’s not safe,” said P. Sherpa, 62, whose son is a student at the North Sikkim Academy, a private school in Mangan.
“So all we can do is sit here and stare at the rocks,” he said.
One army official told AFP it could take up to 48 hours to clear the entire stretch of road to the quake epicentre.
One bright spot for the rescue effort was a break in the monsoon weather that allowed a resumption of helicopter flights which had been grounded most of Monday by heavy rains and low cloud.
Air force officials said food packages and small medical teams with doctors and paramedics had been air-dropped into Mangan and Sangthan.
The death toll from building collapses and landslides in Sikkim stood at 35, but Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh warned the number could rise as emergency relief workers reached far-flung villages.
“We cannot rule out more casualties,” Singh told a news briefing in New Delhi.
More than 5,000 army troops were mobilised across the state to help clear roads and assist with the relief operation.
The Press Trust of India said 26 tourists, including 15 trekkers, had been rescued and taken to army encampments for their own safety.
Hundreds of Gangtok residents spent a second night out in the open, too scared to sleep in homes badly damaged by the quake.
Many saw out the night in the city\’s football stadium, slinging plastic sheets over the goalposts or sleeping on the terraces.
“The stadium is our kitchen and bedroom for the night. We\’re honestly just too scared to consider anything else,” said Amrita Laqandri, 32, as she helped make tea and warm bread on stoves brought from her family home.
There was some relief as power, cut off by the quake, was restored, but landline and mobile communications remained erratic, especially in the worst-affected areas.
In Nepal, eight people were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged in the east of the country, where rescuers faced the same problems as their Indian counterparts with rains and mudslides blocking the only highway.
Seventeen other people died in the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal, while China\’s official Xinhua news agency said seven people had been killed in southern Tibet, near the border with Sikkim.
… [read more]

Yemen protesters storm elite military base; 50 die

Sep 20, 2011 – SANAA: Thousands of protesters backed by military defectors seized a base of the elite Republican Guards on Monday, weakening the control of Yemen\’s embattled president over this poor, fractured Arab nation. His forces fired on unarmed demonstrators elsewhere in the capital, killing scores, wounding hundreds and sparking international condemnation.
The protesters, joined by soldiers from the renegade 1st Armored Division, stormed the base without firing a single shot, according to witnesses and security officials. Some carried sticks and rocks. They used sandbags to erect barricades to protect their comrades from the possibility of weapons fire from inside the base, but none came and the Republican Guards eventually fled, leaving their weapons behind.
Although the base was not particularly large – the Republican Guards have bigger ones in the capital and elsewhere in Yemen – its capture buoyed the protesters\’ spirits and signaled what could be the start of the collapse of President Ali Abdullah Saleh\’s 33-year-old regime.
“It was unbelievable,” said protester Ameen Ali Saleh of storming the base on the west side of the major al-Zubairy road, which runs through the heart of Sanaa. “We acted like it was us who had the weapons, not the soldiers.”
“Now the remainder of the regime will finally crumble,” said another demonstrator, Mohammed al-Wasaby. “Our will is more effective than weapons. The soldiers loyal to Saleh just ran away.”
As clashes continued into the night, several loud explosions rocked Sanaa, and a mortar hit the Islamic University of Al-Iman, killing one and injuring two others. The cause of the explosions was not known.
Saleh went to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after a June attack on his Sanaa compound and has not returned to Yemen, but has resisted calls to resign.
A final showdown may well pit the Republican Guards, led by Saleh\’s son and heir apparent Ahmed, against the soldiers of the 1st Armored Division, another elite outfit that has fought in all of Yemen\’s wars over the past two decades, and their tribal allies in the capital.
The Republican Guards and the Special Forces, also led by the president\’s son, have long been thought to be the regime\’s last line of defense against the seven-month-old uprising.
The storming of the base capped two days of clashes in the capital that have left at least 50 people dead and nearly 1,000 injured, mostly demonstrators.
Government forces used snipers stationed on rooftops, anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled grenades and mortars against the unarmed protesters. Witnesses and security officials described scenes of mutilated bodies, some torn apart. An infant girl, a 14-year-old boy and three rebel soldiers were among the at least 23 people killed on Monday.
“It is over,” concluded protest leader Abdul-Hadi al-Azzai. “The Ali Abdullah Saleh regime is finished. How can you negotiate while massacres are ongoing? The world is silent.”
The head of doctors\’ syndicate, Abdel-Qawi al-Shemmari, said that two medics were shot to death while trying to rescue the injured. A news cameraman, Hassan Wadah, was in a coma after he was shot in the face, according to witnesses.
The Yemeni Interior Ministry said in a statement that two members of security forces and three citizens were killed, without referring to protesters.
The violence led authorities to close Sanaa\’s airport and order four flights to go instead to the southern port city of Aden, according to an airport official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
But even Aden did not escape bloodshed. Three protesters were wounded in clashes with government forces, witnesses there said.
In the southern city of Taiz, at least four protesters were killed and 40 others were wounded Monday in clashes between anti-regime demonstrators and security forces, according to witnesses.
The latest violence was born partly out of frustration after Saleh shattered hopes raised by the U.S. last week that he was about to relinquish power. The United States once saw Saleh as a key ally in the battle against al-Qaida, but withdrew its support for him as the protests gained strength.
Much is at stake in Yemen for the United States, its Gulf Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, and the West.
Yemen is close to the major oil fields of the Gulf region and overlooks key shipping lanes in the Red and Arabian seas. It is home to one of the world\’s most dangerous al-Qaida branches, whose militants have staged or inspired a series of attacks on U.S. territory. Already, the chaos in Yemen has allowed al-Qaida militants to capture and hold a string of towns in the nearly lawless south of the country.
Monday\’s events could significantly help the protesters\’ cause against the regime, but it is also likely to push Yemen toward civil war or to break up along tribal or regional lines.
The clashes coincided with a flurry of diplomatic activity designed to resolve the crisis.
U.N. envoy Gamal bin Omar and Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, secretary-general of a regional alliance that groups Yemen\’s six Gulf Arab neighbors, were in Yemen on Monday. Saleh and King Abdullah, the Saudi monarch, met in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
“The situation is tense. It can\’t continue like this. This is a sign of deep crisis,” bin Omar told The Associated Press.
Opposition figures refused to meet the envoys.
“We can\’t talk after all the bloodshed, the torn limbs and the killing of our people. Any talks would be a collaboration in the crimes committed by the regime,” said Mohammed al-Sabri, an opposition spokesman.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned “the excessive use of force by government security forces against unarmed protesters” and called on all sides “to exercise utmost restraint and desist from provocative actions,” U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
The U.S. Embassy said it regretted the bloodshed and called on all parties to “refrain from actions that provoke further violence.”
Yemen\’s foreign minister, Abubakr al-Qirbi, said the government was committed to political reforms, but rejected claims of excessive force by police and pro-government militia, accusing some opposition groups of terrorist activity.
Troops from the Republican Guards and the 1st Armored Division were engaged in skirmishes for most of Monday.
“I have been hearing heavy explosions and gunshots since morning,” said Atiaf Alwazir, a 31-year-old blogger from Sanaa. Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division soldiers, she said, returned fire, giving pro-regime forces “an excuse to shoot at peaceful protesters.”
The 1st Armored Division, along with its commander, mutinied and joined the protesters about six months ago. Its mutiny was followed by a series of high-profile defections that left the president largely isolated but did not weaken his resolve to stay in office.
Last Thursday, the U.S. State Department raised expectations by predicting Saleh would relinquish power within a week under a Gulf-mediated, U.S.-backed deal that would grant him immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down. But violence flared anew after Saleh said he had asked Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to negotiate further.
Saleh has already backed away three times from signing the deal, and many believe this move is the latest of many delaying tactics.
His departure for Saudi Arabia in June left the country without an effective political leadership. Hadi took over the reins of power but his authority appeared to pale in comparison to that of the president\’s son, two powerful nephews as well as the tribal leaders who took the side of the protesters. … [read more]

Study: Whooping cough vaccination fades in 3 years

Sep 20, 2011 – ATLANTA: The whooping cough vaccine given to babies and toddlers loses much of its effectiveness after just three years – a lot faster than doctors believed – and that could help explain a recent series of outbreaks in the U.S. among children who were fully vaccinated, a study suggests.
The study is small and preliminary, and its authors said the results need to be confirmed through more research. Nevertheless, the findings are likely to stir debate over whether children should get a booster shot earlier than now recommended.
“I was disturbed to find maybe we had a little more confidence in the vaccine than it might deserve,” said the lead researcher, Dr. David Witt, chief of infectious disease at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Rafael, Calif. Witt presented his findings Monday at the American Society for Microbiology conference in Chicago.
The study was done in California, where whooping cough vaccinations are a hot-button issue. The state had a huge spike in whooping cough cases last year, during which more than 9,100 people fell ill and 10 babies died. California schools have turned away thousands of middle and high school students this fall who haven\’t gotten their booster shot.
Government health officials recommend that children get vaccinated against whooping cough in five doses, with the first shot at age 2 months and the final one between 4 and 6 years. Then youngsters are supposed to get a booster shot around 11 or 12. That means a gap of five to eight years.
Witt\’s study looked at roughly 15,000 children in Marin County, Calif., including 132 who got whooping cough last year. He found that youngsters who had gone three years or more since the last of their five original shots were as much as 20 times more likely to become infected than children who had been more recently vaccinated. The largest number of cases was in children 8 to 12 years old.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that in rare cases can be fatal. It leads to severe coughing that causes children to make a distinctive whooping sound as they gasp for breath.
Marin County has a reputation for anti-vaccine sentiment, and Witt said that when he started the study he expected to see the illness concentrated in unvaccinated people. But more than 80 percent of the children who developed whooping cough in Witt\’s study were fully vaccinated.
California health officials told doctors last year that they could give the booster to kids as young as 7 in an effort to stifle the outbreak. Federal health officials said that they are still studying the issue and that it is too soon to make that a standard practice.
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which makes recommendations on childhood shots, officials acknowledged that the vaccine\’s protection declines, but they said the agency\’s own studies show the drop-off is not as pronounced as Witt\’s research found.
The CDC has estimated that the risk of the disease can increase fourfold several years after vaccination, not 10 to 20 times. One reason may be differences in how a case of whooping cough is defined: Witt counted positive test results, while the CDC also requires more than a week of symptoms.
CDC officials stressed that the vaccination is still much better than nothing – it reduces how sick a child becomes. Also, the nation no longer sees thousands of whooping cough deaths each year, as it did before there was a vaccine.
The shots “are still our best protection against pertussis, and they still protect well against fatal disease,” said Dr. Tom Clark, who leads the CDC\’s epidemiology team focused on vaccine-preventable diseases.
Versions of the vaccine are made by two companies – Sanofi Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline. The companies have acknowledged that the immunity conferred by the vaccine wanes over time, but they declined to comment on Witt\’s study.
The type of vaccine given in the U.S. has been in use since the late 1990s. It is typically administered in a combination shot that also protects against tetanus and diphtheria. Nearly every state requires children to get the full series of shots before enrolling in school.
Periodic outbreaks still occur in places with high vaccination rates.
The short-term effectiveness of the vaccine has been shown to be 90 percent or higher in the first couple of years. The long-term effectiveness is not well understood, but researchers thought it was more than three years.
A preliminary study conducted by the CDC last year found the five-dose vaccination for children was about 70 percent effective five years after the last shot. Witt\’s research suggests the effectiveness may drop much lower than that, perhaps below 50 percent after just three years.
Witt also found that shots work great in the short term. Rates of whooping cough dropped dramatically after kids were age 11 and 12, when many get the booster shot.
The long-term effectiveness of that booster also is not known and has received relatively little study. Health officials are also discussing whether additional boosters may one day be recommended for teenagers or adults.
“It\’s a little too soon to say much” about the longer-term effectiveness of that booster, said Lara Misegades, a CDC epidemiologist. … [read more]

4 earthquakes rock Guatemala‚ 1 confirmed dead

Sep 20, 2011 – GUATEMALA CITY: Four earthquakes struck the southeastern part of Guatemala in less than two hours Monday afternoon, causing at least one death as some walls collapsed, authorities said. At least three people were reported missing.
President Alvaro Colom urged calm after the temblors were felt across much of the Central American country, the largest a 5.8 magnitude. All were centered in an area about 30 miles (51 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Guatemala City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“There is no reason to think there will be anything bigger,” Colom said at a news conference.
He said all rescue forces and government agencies had been activated to deal with the aftermath.
USGS geophysicist Rafael Abreu said all four quakes were connected to the same fault running through the area.
A 38-year-old woman, Floridalma Divas Escobar, died when a wall fell down in her house in Cuilapa, the epicenter and one of the areas most effected, said Mariano Laz, spokesman for the local Volunteer Fire Department.
Colom said there were at least three people missing and others injured, though he didn\’t say how many or in what locations.
Besides Cuilapa, the areas of Santa Maria Inhuatan and Oratorio were most affected, Guatemala\’s seismology institute said. Public buildings were evacuated and school classes canceled.
Many people camped out in tents Monday night because of damage to their homes or worries about further quakes.
The quakes also caused landslides along the main highway to El Salvador, and at least one car was buried, authorities said.
The largest quake hit about 12:34 local time, a half hour after a 4.8-magnitude temblor. Another 4.8-magnitude quake hit at about 1:20 p.m. A fourth of 4.5-magnitude was reported in an area south of the others at 2:30 p.m.
The depths of the quakes varied from 23 miles (37 kilometers) to 38 miles (61 kilometers). … [read more]

Nepalgunj hotels found running poor services

Sep 20, 2011 – NEPALGUNJ: The sanitation in some renowned hotels in Nepalgunj of Banke district was found very poor.
The District Market Monitoring Committee monitored local Batika Hotel, Swastik Cottage Restaurant, and Hamro Momo Center on Monday evening. During the supervision, the services provided by the hotel were found below the standard.
The committee has urged the management of the hotels to maintain cleanliness within the next seven days, said Chief of the Commerce Office, Govinda Pandey.
Similarly, the Committee destroyed the date-expired cold drinks found in different shops in the presence of the representatives of civil society, media persons and consumers.
… [read more]

SJTMM chief nabbed on charge of involving in criminal activities

Sep 20, 2011 – NEPALGUNJ: Police have arrested chief of so-called armed outfit group, Samyukta Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (SJTMM), Jakir Hussein Jolaha known as Suraj Singh, 42.
Singh was involved in various criminal activities including murder, forced donation and kidnapping.
The existence of the armed outfit group has been, so far, collapsed with the arrest of notorious criminal Singh. Singh had operated different criminal activities living in Rupediya Bazaar along the Nepal-India border.
Earlier, police had arrested five cadres of the Morcha. The Morcha had intensified its criminal activities in Banke district for the past one-and-a-half year.
According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Dinesh Amatya, police recovered eight pistols and its bullet, mobile SIM cards and list of businesspersons and Industrialists prepared for extortion purpose from Singh and his accomplices.

… [read more]

Minor burnt to death in Rukum

Sep 20, 2011 – RUKUM: A minor was burnt to death in Rukum district on Monday night.
The deceased has been identified as 14-month-old son of Kasam Oli of Rukumkot VDC-3.
The incident took place when the child\’s mother was outside the home for household chores after making him asleep nearby the oven, according to the Area Police Office, Rukumkot.
Meanwhile, an elderly person of Athbiskot VDC went missing for the past three days while crossing through a Ginjagar rivulet.
The rivulet swept Ana Damai, 69 away while he was on the way to Radi bazaar from house.
Police personnel of the Area Police Office, Athbiskot and locals have intensified the search operation.
… [read more]

Morang sans senior police officer

Sep 20, 2011 – PANITYANKI: Morang district has seen no senior police officers to check criminal activities during the festive season.
The vacuum created when Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) at Morang District Police Office, Deepak Thapa, had to leave the district some 20 days ago after he was appointed as a personal security officer of the Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.
There are only three duty police officers in the District Police Office, among whom a female police officer is assigned to look after cases at Women and Children Cell while another officer is deputed at ward office.
Lack of police officers is felt in maintaining peace and security in the district as the department concerned has not sent police officers despite making urges for several times, according to Morang DSP Pradhumna Karki.
At least five police officers are required in the district police office.
Various criminal activities including theft, smuggling, burglary and robbery are occurred high in the district as it is the highly populated bordering area.
There are no adequate human resources at the District Police Office since some have been transferred to other area and some other are on training, Karki added.
Meanwhile, the trend of timber smuggling in the community forests of Morang district is still continuing.
A joint team of police, forest officials and office-bearers of the community forests on Monday seized 70 cube feet of timbers in course of carrying out raid at a local of Pathari-1, Phulbari Tole.
The team also recovered six cycles from the house where timbers were hidden for smuggling, said DSP Anup Niraula.
… [read more]

21 injured in bus accident

Sep 20, 2011 – BIRATNAGAR: At least 21 persons are injured when a passenger bus en route to Siraha from Biratagar met with an accident at Tankisinbari-6, Gokuea chowk of Biratnagar-Ithari road section in Koshi highway on Tuesday morning.
Among the injured, four are in a critical condition.
According to the District Police Office, the accident took place when the passenger bus (Ba 2 Kha 3725) collided with a parked jeep on the road.
The injured have been taken to Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar for treatment.

… [read more]

Fiji’s Waqaniburotu banned for 3 weeks at RWC

Sep 20, 2011 – AUCKLAND: Fiji backrower Dominiko Waqaniburotu has been suspended for three weeks after admitting he made a “dangerous tip tackle” in the Rugby World Cup match against South Africa last week.
Waqaniburotu was banned by Independent Judicial Officer Christopher Quinlan of England on Tuesday.
The blindside flanker was cited after tackling Springboks fullback Pat Lambie near the end of South Africa\’s 49-3 win in Wellington on Saturday.
Waqaniburotu will miss Pool D matches against Samoa and Wales and will be free to resume playing on Oct. 10.
He is the second player at the tournament to be suspended, after England lock Courtney Lawes was banned for two matches for striking Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma with his knee. … [read more]

US military ban on gays to end Tuesday

Sep 20, 2011 – PENTAGON: After years of court battles and political debate, the US military will formally end its ban on openly gay troops on Tuesday with little fanfare.
The historic change will enter into force one minute after midnight (0401 GMT) Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary George Little told reporters.
“We are prepared for repeal. It will occur at 12:01 tomorrow,” Little said.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, will hold a news conference to coincide with the repeal but the Pentagon was taking a business-as-usual approach with no high-profile ceremonies or events planned, officials said.
After Congress voted in December to lift the ban, the military reviewed its policies and had 2.25 million service members — virtually the entire force — undergo training to ensure a smooth transition, according to Little.
The 1993 law that will expire, known as “Don\’t Ask, Don\’t Tell,” required gay and lesbian troops to keep quiet about their sexual orientation or face expulsion from the force.
Roughly 14,000 service members have been kicked out of the military under the rule.
Former president Bill Clinton backed lifting the ban altogether but after he met with strong opposition from commanders and lawmakers, he accepted the “Don\’t Ask, Don\’t Tell” compromise.
The military already has begun accepting applications from gay or lesbian recruits but said it would not take any action on them until Tuesday when the prohibition officially ends.
Gay rights groups, including soldiers who were discharged under the rule, are holding celebrations across the country on Tuesday to mark the change.
Zeke Stokes, spokesman for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said the change in the military\’s policy could help secure the eventual legalization of same-sex marriage.
“In the United States and perhaps around the world, the military tends to be one of the more conservative institutions in society,” Stokes told AFP.
“For the military to embrace this, for the American people to see the military embrace this, make it work, see it work. I think it makes a difference in other civil rights issues.
“In every country where same-sex marriage is legal, open military service preceded it,” he said.
Before Congress voted in December to repeal the ban, the military carried out a survey and found that most troops did not believe that allowing openly gay soldiers to serve would cause any major disruption.
Out of all the services, opposition ran stronger among the Marine Corps.
One marine working in the White House, however, backed the change. According to GQ magazine, the marine recounted how he approached President Barack Obama when no other aides were present and thanked him for working to end the ban.
“You know, sir, I want to let you know that there are a number of us that work very close to you who appreciate very much what you\’re doing on \’Don\’t Ask, Don\’t Tell\’ more than you probably realize,” he told the president.
… [read more]

Atty: Muslim students’ speech rights not absolute

Sep 20, 2011 – … [read more]

Thousands march against nuclear power in Tokyo

Sep 20, 2011 – TOKYO: Chanting “Sayonara nuclear power” and waving banners, tens of thousands of people marched in central Tokyo to call on Japan\’s government to abandon atomic energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Monday\’s demonstration underscores how deeply a Japanese public long accustomed to nuclear power has been affected by the March 11 crisis, when a tsunami caused core meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex.
The disaster – the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl – saw radiation spewed across a wide part of northeastern Japan, forcing the evacuation of some 100,000 people who lived near the plant and raising fears of contamination in everything from fruit and vegetables to fish and water.
“Radiation is scary,” said Nami Noji, a 43-year-old mother who came to the protest on this national holiday with her four children, ages 8-14. “There\’s a lot of uncertainty about the safety of food, and I want the future to be safe for my kids.”
Police estimated the crowd at 20,000 people, while organizers said there were three times that many people.
In addition to fears of radiation, the Japanese public and corporate world have had to put up with electricity shortages amid the sweltering summer heat after more than 30 of Japan\’s 54 nuclear reactors were idled over the summer to undergo inspections.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who took office earlier this month, has said Japan will restart reactors that clear safety checks. But he has also said the country should reduce its reliance on atomic energy over the long-term and explore alternative sources of energy. He has not spelled out any specific goals.
Before the disaster, this earthquake-prone country derived 30 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. Yet Japan is also a resource-poor nation, making it a difficult, time-consuming process for it to come up with viable alternative forms of energy.
Mari Joh, a 64-year-old woman who traveled from Hitachi city to collect signatures for a petition to shut down the Tokai Dai-ni nuclear plant not far from her home, acknowledged that shifting the country\’s energy sources could take 20 years.
“But if the government doesn\’t act decisively now to set a new course, we\’ll just continue with the status quo,” she said Monday. “I want to use natural energy, like solar, wind and biomass.”
Before the march, the protesters gathered in Meiji Park to hear speakers address the crowd, including one woman from Fukushima prefecture, Ruiko Muto, who described herself as a “hibakusha,” an emotionally laden term for survivors of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Those evacuated from around the plant remain uncertain about when, if ever, they will be able to return to their homes.
An AP-GfK poll showed that 55 percent of Japanese want to reduce the number of nuclear reactors in the country, while 35 percent would like to leave the number about the same. Four percent want an increase while 3 percent want to eliminate them entirely.
The poll, which surveyed 1,000 adults between July 29 and Aug. 10, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
Author Kenzaburo Oe, who won the Nobel literature prize in 1994 and has campaigned for pacifist and anti-nuclear causes, also addressed the crowd. He and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, who composed the score to the movie “The Last Emperor,” were among the event\’s supporters. … [read more]

More News from – The Himalayan Times

eKantipur News

Matrika-led Maoist party suspend spokesperson

Sep 20, 2011 – Matrika Yadav-led CPN (Maoist) has expelled the party’s spokesperson from the post for six months. … [read more]

Gadhafi says his regime still alive in Libya

Sep 20, 2011 – Moammer Gadhafi says his regime is still alive in Libya and is calling his opponents’ takeover of all but a few pockets of the country a charade. … [read more]

New bird flu outbreak reported in India

Sep 20, 2011 – Authorities in eastern India will start culling chickens and destroying eggs to contain a new outbreak of H5 bird flu, the government said on Tuesday. … [read more]

Quake hits Himalayan Region, scores killed

Sep 20, 2011 – Rescue workers in helicopters and earth movers raced to reach Indian villages cut off by mudslides after a powerful earthquake killed 53 people. … [read more]

Deposed Gaddafi makes defiant statement on TV

Sep 20, 2011 – Libya’s deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi said the system of rule he set up was based on the people’s will and could not be removed. … [read more]

1 million urged to evacuate as typhoon nears Japan

Sep 20, 2011 – More than a million people in central Japan were urged to evacuate Tuesday as a powerful typhoon approached, triggering floods that left two people missing. … [read more]

Home Minister directs police to work confidently

Sep 20, 2011 – Acting Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar on Tuesday said that a Police Service Commission would be set up as soon as possible. … [read more]

NC CC underway

Sep 20, 2011 – The Nepali Congress Central Committee (CC) meeting is underway at the party headquarters in Sanepa, Kathmandu. … [read more]

WHO targets non-communicable ‘lifestyle’ diseases

Sep 20, 2011 – The WHO has set out a plan to tackle non-communicable diseases like heart disease, which now pose a greater global burden than infectious diseases. … [read more]

Earthquake damages 79 VDCs of Sindhupalchowk

Sep 20, 2011 – Sunday’s earthquake has caused damage to all 79 VDCs of Sindhupalchowk district. … [read more]

Bomb in Turkish capital kills at least 2

Sep 20, 2011 – A bomb blast in the center of the Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday killed at least two people, television stations reported. … [read more]

Deuba stands against proposal to dissolve sister organisations

Sep 20, 2011 – Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday stood against the party decision to dissolve its sister sister organisations
. … [read more]

VP Jha stresses on sustainable peace

Sep 20, 2011 – Vice President Paramananda Jha Tuesday underscored the need to focus on sustainable peace, terming it to be the necessity of the nation. … [read more]

More dead in Himalaya quake as rescue efforts slow

Sep 20, 2011 – Air force helicopters flew rescue workers to a remote Himalayan region on Tuesday. … [read more]

US scientists testing earthquake early warning

Sep 20, 2011 – Elizabeth Cochran was sitting in her office when her computer suddenly sounded an alarm. … [read more]

Pakistan says 21 killed in Taliban clash

Sep 20, 2011 – Taliban gunmen stormed a Pakistani checkpoint in the country’s lawless tribal belt … [read more]

Minor burnt to death

Sep 20, 2011 – A minor was burnt to death in Rukum district on Monday night. … [read more]

Five injured in Kailali clash

Sep 20, 2011 – Five persons have been injured in a clash ensued between the workers of Far-Western Transportation and Karnali River at Attariya of Kailali district on Tuesday. … [read more]

Woman stabbed to death

Sep 20, 2011 – A woman has been stabbed to death at Thapapur VDC-6 of Kailali district on Monday night. … [read more]

Iran hangs convicted murderer in public

Sep 20, 2011 – Iran on Tuesday publicly hanged a convicted murderer at a square in the capital Tehran, local media reported. … [read more]

More News from – eKantipur News

Nepali Times

Rehersal for the Big One

Sep 19, 2011 – Twenty-four hours after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on Sunday night, it is becoming clear from Sikkim and Nepal that the death toll will be much higher than the official … [read more]

Quake warning for Nepal

Sep 18, 2011 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 magnitude rocked eastern Nepal at around 6.25 pm, killing at least six people, including three who were crushed by the collapse of the perimeter wall of the British … [read more]

PM addresses the parliament

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements and urged the … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 15, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers for the third time on Thursday, taking its strength to … [read more]

CIAA annual report released

Sep 15, 2011 – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) released its annual report for the fiscal year 2010/11 on … [read more]

Former NAC chaiman remanded to custody

Sep 14, 2011 – The District Court, Kathmandu, has remanded former chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Ramagya Prasad Chaturvedi to police custody, enforcing the Supreme Court … [read more]

Maoists meet NC

Sep 14, 2011 – The talks held between the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress today ended inconclusively. During the talks, the Maoist side proposed that the number of combatants to be integrated and the rehabilitation package should be decided first to be … [read more]

Tourist arrival at ACAP record high

Sep 14, 2011 – The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) recorded the highest number of tourists visiting the ACAP this … [read more]

UML proposal approved

Sep 14, 2011 – The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting on Wednesday unanimously approved the special proposal tabled by the Party Chairman Jhalanath … [read more]

Micro-hydro project in Arghakhachi

Sep 12, 2011 – Over 120 families of Subarnakhal VDC have benefitted from … [read more]

Do people really matter?

Sep 10, 2011 – Less than two weeks in the government, the Baburam government has come out with an ambitious relief program on Friday. … [read more]

Stolen treasure found

Sep 10, 2011 – The famous bronze Laxmi Narayan figure that was the centerpiece of the Sundari Chok of Patan Durbar Square has been retrieved by police on Friday … [read more]

Obstinate politicos, carefree nation

Sep 5, 2011 – The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 4, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers on Sunday, adding 13 more members to make it a 15-member … [read more]

Naya Patrika office vandalised

Sep 4, 2011 – An unknown gang vandalised the office of the Naya Patrika, a daily paper based at Kamal Pokhari on … [read more]

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The Himalayan Times

Biggest quake since ’34 leaves destruction trail

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The 6.8-magnitude quake that hit almost all parts of the country was the biggest since 1934, claims National Seismological Centre. The epicentre of the quake was along the Sikkim-Nepal border, about some 60 km off Sikkim”s capital Gangtok.
Traffic in Kathmandu came to a standstill as thousands of terrified residents poured on to the streets. Mobile networks were jammed as anxious people frantically tried to call their loved ones.
“The quake shook the Valley and most parts of the country for one minute,” said Som Nath Sapkota, senior seismologist at National Seismological Centre at Lainchaur. NSC also informed that 14 aftershocks of small magnitude were recorded within one hour of the quake.
Past quakes
• 1934: 8.4-magnitude – Highest casualties for any recorded earthquake in the history of Nepal. A total of 8,519 people lost lives, 1,26,355 houses damaged and 80,893 buildings destroyed
• 1980: 6.5-magnitude – Far western region hit – Baitadi, Bajhang, Darchula – 125 dead, 248 seriously injured, 11,604 buildings destroyed
• 1988 : 6.7-magnitude – epicentre in Udayapur, Eastern Development Region affected, 721 deaths, 64,174 private buildings, 790 government buildings damaged … [read more]

Tremor wreaks havoc in eastern Nepal

Sep 18, 2011 – ITAHARI: Two persons were killed and scores injured in the eastern Nepal when an earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude rocked several districts at around 6.23 pm.
Police said Kamal Pariyar”s sons – Santosh Pariyar (22) and Bimal Pariyar (5) – were killed after their rented house in Dharan collapsed. Kamal – a staffer at Army School in Fusre, Dharan, – and his wife were injured.
Indian Prema Pradha (19) was injured after another house collapsed in Dharan. Police said scores of houses were damaged in Dharan, Itahari and Inaruwa.
Ten persons, including two journalists and a constable, were hurt in Sankhuwasabha. Science building of Sankhuwasabha-based Himalaya Higher Secondary was completely destroyed.
Buildings of Rastriya Banijya Bank, District Development Committee, Red Cross, and Armed Police Force base camp were damaged. Gurans FM”s Jivan Nepal and RSS correspondent Raju Thapa were injured after they jumped out of windows.The quake damaged scores of houses in Terhathum and Panchthar districts.
Death, destruction, darkness
• Two killed, dozens of houses destroyed in Dharan
• More than 10 injured, over 50 houses hit in Sankhuwasabha
• 29 police units of eight eastern districts affected
• More than 100 houses destroyed in Panchthar
• More than 12 houses destroyed in Dhankuta
• Landslip in Taplejung
• 30 houses damaged in Terhathum
• Eight houses destroyed in Solukhumbu
• More than 12 houses damaged in Nuwakot
• Nine houses damaged in Kavre
• Electricity and phone services halted in the east
… [read more]

Three killed‚ scores hurt in Valley

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Three persons, including two of a family, were killed when compound wall of the British Embassy in Lainchaur collapsed on them following the tremor. They were passing through an inner road when the incident happened.
According to police, the deceased have been identified as Sajan Shrestha (36) of Gorkha, his eight-year-old daughter Anisha and Bir Bahadur Majhi (in 30s) of Sindhuli. Doctors pronounced them dead one hour after they were brought to Manmohan Memorial Hospital, Sorhakhutte.
Four houses collapsed in Bhaktapur, leaving one person injured. Separately, two inmates were injured when part of Sundhara-based Central Jail collapsed. They are undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital. Parts of Dilli Bazaar Jail were also damaged.
A man fractured his legs after he jumped out of window from the second floor of Bishal Bazaar, New Road. Four persons, who were injured as they jumped out of window in panic, were rushed to Kathmandu Model Hospital. Three houses in Sankhu and one each in Syuchatar and Ramkot were also damaged. Four persons were injured in Maitidevi and Buddhanagar.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha said during a Cabinet meeting: “We have directed all government bodies, including NA, Nepal Police and APF, to carry out rescue and search operations, and send relief materials to affected areas.” … [read more]

Pandemonium in Parliament

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Almost all top political figures, bureaucrats and journalists covering the Parliament proceedings were inside the Constituent Assembly building when the earthquake tremors were felt today.
CA Chairman Subas Nembang had to postpone the meeting for 15 minutes after the tremors were felt and CA members, staff and others rushed out of the building.
Lawmakers were seen calling through their mobile phones to enquire about their families and relatives. Leaders including PM Bhattarai, Dahal, Paudel, CA Chairman, Deuba and Khanal, however, did not come out of the CA building as someone informed them that they were safe in the building as it could resist earthquake up to 9-magnitude, according to House sources. … [read more]

Rescue teams sent to Gangtok

Sep 18, 2011 – GUWAHATI: The epicentre of today”s quake was just over 60 km northwest of Sikkim capital Gangtok. At least five people were killed in the state and more than 50 were injured, according to the state”s top official, Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso. The north Indian states of West Bengal and Bihar each reported one death.
The full extent of damage was not immediately known because the region is sparsely populated with many people living in remote areas now cut off by mudslides triggered by the quake, state police Chief Jasbir Singh told The Associated Press.
TV stations reported that buildings buckled, sidewalks cracked and two major roads collapsed in Sikkim”s state capital of Gangtok, 68 kilometres southeast of the quake”s epicenter. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police said two of its buildings had collapsed in Gangtok.
Small army columns
fanned out across the city of some 50,000 overnight to search for anyone pinned under fallen debris.
“We have sounded a high alert. Police are on the streets in Gangtok and other major towns,” he said.
Electricity and some phone service was interrupted in the area.
Power lines snapped in the West Bengal cities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which “are now in total darkness,” state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, according to Press Trust of India.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offered to send troops to help, and summoned the National Disaster Management Authority for an emergency meeting. The air force sent five planes to help with rescue efforts. Powerful tremors were also felt in Bhutan, Bangladesh and the eastern Indian cities of Guwahati and Kolkata, as well as New Delhi.
Strong tremors were felt in Guwahati, the main city in neighbouring Assam state, some 600 km away, sending panicked residents running into the streets.
“Our apartment block was literally swaying,” said housewife Anamika Das.
In Bhutan, buildings in the capital Thimphu were also rocked. “Our wooden house is safe. Jars fell in kitchen, books fell from shelf,” Thimphu resident Aby Tharakan, a media consultant, said in a message posted on the microblogging website Twitter. … [read more]

PM off to New York

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday embarked on a trip to New York to attend the 66th session of United Nations General Assembly. He is accompanied by wife Hishila Yami, Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Acting Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai and aides. Bhattarai is scheduled to meet his Indian and Chinese counterparts – Dr Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao – on the sidelines of the meet.
… [read more]

Bhaktapur teenager killed for Rs 11‚000

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Two men who were arrested on the charge of murdering a teenager today confessed to have killed the Chhaling-1, Bhaktapur, resident for Rs 11,000 that was in his possession.
The crime came to light after Bishwo Ram Thapa (18), an eighth grader at Byasi-based Prabhat Secondary School, was found dead near his house and police arrested those involved in the crime.
The arrestees, Gokarna Thapa (23) and Deepak Thapa (22), and Kimar Pahari alias Lure (35), who has fled to Malaysia, had strangulated Bishwo on September 9 at around 7 pm while playing cards at a local eatery. “Gokarna, Deepak and Kumar laid claim to the Rs 11,000 and shared it among themselves,” according to police.
The youngster”s body was recovered on Wednesday.
“A dog took out a hand from the 1.5 feet deep pit where the body was buried and local residents informed us,” according to Inspector Ganesh Chand at Metropolitan Police Crime Division.
Meanwhile, police have arrested Laxmi Magar (28) and Prabin Katri (30) of Kathmandu for hacking Som Bahadur Tamang (30) to death and dumping his body in Gokarna forest.
Som, a native of Danchhi-7 on the outskirs of the Capital, was found dead this morning. According to DSP Shyam Gyawali, Laxmi and Prabin had attacked Som with a khukuri and iron rod in course of a dispute yesterday.
Police have recovered the khukuri and the rod used in the incident.
The victim used to work as a labourer at a dying factory in Danchhi. … [read more]

Govt defends polymer note printing

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Defending the printing of polymer notes, the Ministry of Finance told the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) that the notes were printed as per the Cabinet decision, a highly-placed CIAA source said today.
“The ministry stated that the printing was in line with the policy decision of the Cabinet and Nepal Rastra Bank tender was within the legal parameter,” the source said, quoting the ministry”s written clarification. The CIAA had taken control of relevant documents from the NRB after it did not furnish a written explanation to the CIAA.
According to the ministry, the Cabinet had approved the printing of polymer notes on January 31, 2002, considering the benefit that polymer notes have over paper notes.
The anti-graft body has been conducting preliminary investigation on polymer notes responding to a report of the Australian Federal Police. The report states that the Australian notes printing company – Note Printing Australia – had bribed NRB officials and former prime minister through Himalayan Bahadur Pandey to get the tender.
Nepal Police had recently forwarded the Australian report to the anti-graft constitutional body for further investigation.
Immediately after getting the report, the CIAA had issued separate letters on August 16 to the NRB and the ministry to provide the details within seven days. The Australian report stated that the printing company had bribed Nepali politicians and the central bank through local agent Pandey while awarding the contract for printing 100 million notes of Rs 10 denomination in 2002 to the printing company.
“Now, we will appoint an investigation officer and begin a thorough probe. We may summon the NRB officials and other officials of then government and do the needful,” the CIAA source added. … [read more]

Hanuman Pharma shut

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) today shut down Hanuman Pharma for two weeks for selling expired medicines and suspended its proprietor Nawaraj Khanal, directing him not to engage in any transactions during the period.
In the wake of consumer complaints, reporters from The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post and representatives of DDA and Consumers Right Investigation Forum had inspected the drug store near Bir Hospital on September 9.
DDA Director-General Radha Raman Prasad said Khanal was called today for further investigation after he submitted a written clarification on September 12. “We suspended him for two weeks and directed him not to engage in any transactions during that period,” said Prasad, adding that the DDA had decided to shut the pharmacy for two weeks. … [read more]

Nepal-B’desh trade to get boost

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Trade between Nepal and Bangladesh is likely to increase after the approval of India to use the Rohonpur-Singhabad metre gauge rail line.
“The bilateral trade between Nepal and Bangladesh is likely to increase as India has allowed an additional railway route to Nepal,” said under secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies Jeev Raj Ghimire.
On September 6, India and Bangladesh signed an addendum to a 1978 India-Bangladesh memorandum of understanding (MoU) between themselves regarding the use of Rohanpur-Singhabad rail transit route.
“Along with the approval from the Indian side of the use of Rohonpur-Singhabad metre gauge rail line, we are hopeful that Nepal”s trade volume will also grow as we can trade on huge quantity,” he said, adding that after the agreement from India, Nepal and Bangladesh will now sign the final letter of exchange to use the Singhabad route substituting the Birol-Radhikapur rail transit. “After signing the letter of exchange, it will be forwarded to the cabinet for the final approval,” he added.
Bangladesh Railway has – after long request to the Indian railway to allow its Rohanpur-Singhabad metre gauge rail line for bilateral trade with the landlocked Nepal – finally got the approval.
According to the earlier protocol signed in 1978, Bangladesh had been using Birol-Radhikapur rail route for trading goods with Nepal. The transit facility was suspended in 2005 after India upgraded its rail line to broad gauge from metre gauge.
The latest India-Bangladesh agreement was signed in the light of Birol-Radhikapur rail route. The transit through Birol-Radhikapur rail route was suspended due to line mismatch but it made difficulty for Bangladesh to maintain trade with Nepal for not getting permission from India to use alternate metre gauge route.
After a long effort, the Indian railway authority gave Bangladesh permission to trade 25,000 tonnes of fertiliser only with Nepal in last July.
Nepal is currently importing fertilizer through the Rohanpur-Singhabad route on a limited scale but the other route between Birol Railway station in Dinajpur and Radhikapur Railway station in India remained suspended since April 2005 due to depolar condition of rail tracks. … [read more]

DRI to take action against IC defaulters

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: After completing preliminary investigation, Department of Revenue Investigation is all set to take action against all defaulters involved in Indian Currency (IC) misappropriation under Foreign Exchange (Regularisation) Act, according to director general Shanta Bahadur Shrestha.
“The department will immediately start action against all the firms under to Foreign Exchange (Regularisation) Act at first,” he said, adding that other acts including Revenue Leakages (Investigation and Control) Act might be attracted later, if they are found guilty in revenue leakages too.
The department has come to the conclusion that it should take action against eight firms since they have misappropriated Indian Currency through 599 fake customs declaration forms, he added.
The department has forwarded the customs declaration forms to the Department of Custom and it had on September 16 tallied all forms and found them all fake. The Department of Revenue Investigation has suspected some Rs 1 billion IC misappropriation from the fake customs declaration forms, he informed.
However, the department is yet not clear regarding the action against banks involved in the case, according to the department.
An investigation team that was deployed by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Wednesday has sought justifications from six commercial banks and they are yet to submit them clarification, the department source said, adding the department will decide the type of action after it gets clarifications.
Nepal Rastra Bank team is expected to finalise investigation process by Tuesday, according to the bank source. Banks will face action under the Foreign Exchange Act, if they have proved to be approving foreign currency exchange without filling foreign currency exchange form, the central bank said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Revenue Investigation is planning to send a team for a detailed investigation into the issue. The department will carry out the investigation in other parts of the country including Biratnagar, Butwal, Bhairahawa and other districts bordering to India besides Birgunj, Shrestha added.
Some of the businessmen have been misusing the banks to draw IC fuelling the capital flight apart from informal business channels. They have been using the banks in the bordering districts as it will be easier for them to draw IC and pay to traders which has been not only hurting the government coffer but also widening the gas between formal and informal channels.
DRI confiscates 12 vehicles
KATHMANDU: Department of Revenue Investigation seized 12 vehicles carrying under-valued goods from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) customs office. The department took the vehicles under their control after getting tip-offs that they were importing under-valued goods, a source at the department said, adding that the investigation process will begin on Monday. The vehicles were importing garments and foreign watch, according to him. … [read more]

Himal Iron celebrates golden jubilee

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Himal Iron and Steel is celebrating its golden jubilee year.The industry established in the year 1961 by late Maniharsha Jyoti, one of the pioneers in the industrialisation of Nepal, has over the years grown from strength to strength to become an example of industrialisation by the private sector, said chairman of the Jyoti Group Padma Jyoti.
Established with the slogan “Himal builds beautiful and strong homes,” Himal Iron and Steel has been able to be the backbone of a strong Nepal providing around 450 direct jobs and thousands indirect jobs.
At a time, when there was no infrastructure, it was a distant dream of establishing an industry and that too of iron that was of very little use in the construction unlike the present time, he recalled the days at Parwanipur of Parsa district in 1961. “Parwanipur was covered by dense shrubs and when Himal Iron was established steel rods were not even commonly used in Nepal,” Jyoti, who is also a CA member said, adding, “With the course of time, Himal Iron has remarkably developed and progressed but has been consistent in the quality. “Installed with the Japanese machine in the very beginning, the industry at present has state-of-art equipments and machines.”
Established with the authorised capital of Rs 2.9 million, the industry has at present Rs 800 million worth share investment apart from loans.
Himal Iron – the first iron and steel industry of Nepal – used to produce 8,000 tonnes during the early years but its capacity has been increased to more than 70,000 tonnes annually at present, said one of the oldest staff and the member of the board of director Lok Ratna Tuladhar. “It has a strong network of 108 dealers all over the country,” he added.
Steel rods produced by Himal Iron – the first industry of Jyoti Group that was into trading business before Himal Iron – have been used to construct all kinds of small to big buildings, bridges and projects of Nepal at present, according to vice-chairman of Jyoti Group Dr Roop Jyoti.
From the Karnali Bridge – which is considered a role model for the use of best technology in South Asia – to the buildings of Nepal Telecom, Engineering College Pulchowk, Sunkoshi Hydropower House, and Kulekhani Hydropower Project, Soaltee Hotel, Everest Hotel, to Indian Embassy and Lincoln School Ravibhawan, there are various infrastructure projects that have used Himal Steel that has around 25 per cent market share in retail at present. “It produces 19 categories of iron rods,” said the chairman of the Jyoti Group that was founded by the visionary Maniharsha Jyoti in the 1940s after his return from India, where he used to mine the ores and supply to the Steel Authority of India for sometime.
“Influenced by Mahamta Gandhi, Maniharsha Jyoti returned to the country and started his own trading house prior to establishing Himal Iron with a couple of friends,” he added. … [read more]

Govt should increase capital expenditure

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The government should focus on boosting capital expenditure, according to vice-chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC) Deependra Bahadur Kshetri speaking in an interaction here in the valley.
“Our recurrent expenditure is higher than capital expenditure,” he said, adding that it will not lead the country towards prosperity.
In the fiscal year 2010-11, the capital expenditure accounted for only 67.8 per cent of the annual budget estimate. Similarly, the recurrent expenditure rose by 13.5 per cent to Rs 166.01 billion compared to an increase of 22.3 per cent a fiscal year ago, whereas the capital expenditure went up by 15.7 per cent to Rs 87.89 billion compared to an increase of 21.1 per cent a fiscal year ago. Regular administrative expenses like salaries come under Recurrent expenditure and development expenses come under capital expenditure.
The government should increase capital expenditure for economic growth and employment generation, he said. “If the government doesn”t act towards increasing development budget and allocating sufficient fund for the infrastructure development, the country cannot achieve its growth target.”
He also promised that the National Planning Commission will not bring additional projects out of red book. “It will expedite its effort to complete projects that have already been started but have not completed yet,” he said, adding that the NPC will sincerely assess why projects under construction have not been completed within the stipulated time. … [read more]

Ncell Timro ra Mero

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Ncell has come up with a new scheme “Timro ra Mero Lagi” that will enable a subscriber to avail two SIM cards at Rs 99. Calls between the two numbers under the scheme will cost only Re 0.50 per minute, the company said, adding that talk time equivalent to Rs 24 will be available for any desired networks whereas Rs 25 will be available for calls within network. The campaign will be effective from September 16 for 60 days or till stock lasts.
Demak sidhai cash
KATHMANDU: Agni Incorporated – the authorised distributors of Malaysian Demak bikes – launched “Demak Dashain/Tihar Sidhai Cash – Just Relax” offer that is valid till November 1. Under the scheme, with every purchase of Demak DMX-R motorbike, a buyer will get Rs 10,000 cash discount along with a chance for two to win a trip to Malaysia.
CDLA holds AGM
KATHMANDU: The Complex Developers and Leasers Association (CDLA) also known as Mall Association of Nepal”s third annual general meeting has formed an executive body on Friday. The members in the recently formed board of the company includes Shakunta Lal Hirachan as president, Binod Ratna Tuladhar as vice-president, Rajesh Shrestha as secretary and Narendra Ballav Panta as treasurer.
Him festive scheme
KATHMANDU: Him electronics” Himstar brand has launched a festive scheme called “Haath Chhilayo, Himstar le Khusiyali Lyayo”. Under the scheme, with every purchase of Himstar TV, refrigerator or deep freezer, customers will get a “Haath Chhilayo” coupon and can win LCD, Refrigerator, DVD or LED Emergency Light of Himstar brand by scratching the coupon. … [read more]

‘Unity govt for peace‚ statute’

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The 11th CPN-UML central committee meeting that concluded on Friday has once again emphasised the need to form a national consensus government to conclude the peace and constitution-making processes.
The five-day central committee meeting passed political resolutions with the party”s stand on the Maoist-led coalition government, the four-point deal between the UCPN-Maoist and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) of August 28 and problems that have surfaced in the peace and constitution-drafting processes.
The political resolution said the three previous governments – one led by UCPN-Maoist the two others by UML – had failed to make progress on the peace and constitution-drafting processes and expressed doubt in the Baburam Bhattarai-led government”s ability to accomplish these tasks in the absence of consensus.
“The Jhala Nath Khanal-led majority government had resigned on August 14 to pave the way for unity government as per the five-point deal among the parties,” the resolution, distributed at today”s press conference, said.
On the four-point deal between the Maoists and UDMF, the UML said it was done only for the “sake of power”, compromising the country”s “constitutional and legal provisions as well as previous agreements” reached among parties. It said the deal was “inappropriate” and “”controversial”.
The party has expressed serious concern about lack of concrete progress on issues of the peace process – integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants – and the delay, which has posed threats to management of transitional politics.
The party flayed the ruling Maoist party for backtracking on formal and informal agreements reached with other parties. It has said the statute-drafting will not move forward without making tangible progress on the peace front.
“The people are disillusioned with political parties, their leaderships as well as overall political changes brought about by Jana Andolan II that declared the country a republic on the lines of a federal structure,” the UML resolution said.
It said it would be easier to find consensus on key contentious issues of the constitution – forms of governance, election system and federalism – once major tasks of the peace process were completed.
It has also shown concern about the government”s relief programme, which was made public outside Parliament. The resolution said the relief programme undermined the sovereign parliament and expressed doubt over implementation. … [read more]

Two detained

Sep 18, 2011 – MALANGAWA: Armed Police Force on Saturday night arrested two persons in possession of weapons from Simara VDC in Sarlahi. DSP Roshan Shrestha identified the arrestees as Aash Mohammad Ansari and Chandesworram Chamar of Mudhaghat of Sitamadhi district in India. Police have seized one pistol, some bullets and a knife from them. … [read more]

Teachers‚ staffers directed to return

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Education today issued a directive to the Department of Education, Regional Education Directorates and other line agencies to see to it that staffers and teachers return to their original postings.
The move comes as numerous government school staffers and teachers, who were assigned to remote areas, are working in district headquarters and urban areas on temporary contract, citing various reasons such as security.
“We have already sent a circular to the DoE and other line agencies such as Curriculum Development Centre, Non-formal Education Centre and Office of Controller of Examinations to recall those staffers who have been not been performing assigned duties,” said Rose Nath Pande, deputy spokesperson for the ministry.
Pande said the Education Ministry did not have accurate figures on staff and teachers who had been absent from their original postings. “It will take us some time to gather information about such staffers,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ministry today said it sent a report to the PM”s office about progress on getting teachers to return to their postings and other education-related issues, as demanded by Prime Minister Babu Ram Bhattarai. … [read more]

Plan to ease festive traffic on Nagdhunga-Naubise road

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Not only protest rallies or transport strikes, but also breakdown of vehicles causes traffic jam along the national highways almost every day.
The problem becomes more terrible along the Naubise-Nagdhunga section of the Prithvi Highway during the festive season, especially Dashain and Tihar.
Traffic on the road leading to the main transit of the Capital goes haywire leaving thousands of commuters stranded due to vehicles that encounter mechanical glitch.
To make matters worse, the road section lacks diversions. So, what are the things the traffic police are doing to ensure a hassle-free travel to Dashain revellers?
SP Jagat Man Shrestha, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, concedes the need to address the traffic snarl caused by vehicle breakdown.
MTPD today wrote to the Department of Roads requesting it to arrange a crane and keep it stand-by on the road section during Dashain round-the-clock. “The DoR officials together with traffic cops will reach the troubled spots and remove vehicles encountering mechanical disturbance,” he informed.
“On an average, two heavy vehicles (lorries, tippers and buses) encounter mechanical problems along the Naubise-Nagdhunga section ever day. Even the situation that lasts 10 minutes will have an impact on smooth flow of traffic for five hours,” said SP Shrestha.
More than 1,500 motorised vehicles pass through the road on an average day, while during the festival season, the number is more than double the average.
“The cranes are always busy removing vehicles that encounter mechanical problems in core areas of the Capital city. On an average, 10 cases of vehicle breakdowns are reported in the Valley. Besides, the cranes are used to lift the vehicles violating traffic rules,” SP Shrestha further said.
According to MTPD, cranes will also be sent to the Nagdhunga-Naubise section as and when required during Dashain. … [read more]

Budget deficit up to Rs 50.63bn

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The budget deficit has increased by Rs 10 billion in the fiscal year 2010-11 compared to a fiscal year ago, according to the central bank.
The budget deficit – on cash basis – increased by 24.3 per cent to Rs 50.63 billion in 2010-11 against a deficit of Rs 40.73 billion in 2009-10, said the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) annual report. “The ratio of budget deficit to gross domestic product (GDP) remained at 3.8 per cent against 3.5 per cent in a fiscal year ago.”
The domestic financing of the budget deficit through the issuance of securities amounted to
Rs 33.68 billion accounting for 2.5 per cent of GDP, it said, adding that after deducting the principal repayment of Rs 6.05 billion from gross domestic borrowings, net domestic
borrowings – including overdraft of Rs 13.01 billion from the Nepal Rastra Bank – stood at Rs 40.64 billion.
The ratio of net domestic borrowing to GDP stood at three per cent. Consequently, the government”s total outstanding domestic debt increased to Rs 200.21 billion including the government”s overdraft of Rs 7.88 billion in 2009-10 and an overdraft of Rs 13.01 billion in 2010-11.
Though the revenue mobilisation has increased by 11.6 per cent to Rs 200.79 billion, it could not meet the government”s estimate of Rs 216.64 billion.
The revenue had risen by 25.4 per cent to Rs 179.95 billion in the fiscal year 2009-10.
But the revenue to GDP ratio remained at 14.9 per cent in 2010-11 as against 15.4 per cent in 2009-10, the data revealed. The central bank attributed the delayed budget and slow growth rate of the capital expenditure for low growth rate of revenue mobilisation.
Similarly, decline in the growth rate of import has also affected the growth rate of revenue, it added.
The government expenditure – on cash basis – increased by 10.7 per cent to Rs 277.68 billion in the fiscal year 2010-11 compared to an increase of 21.3 per cent to Rs 250.82 billion a fiscal year ago.
The low growth rates
on both recurrent and capital expenditures were attributed for a low growth rate in the government
expenditure, the central bank noted.
The government”s recurrent expenditure rose by 13.5 per cent to Rs 166.01 billion compared to an increase of 22.3 per cent a fiscal year ago. “Delay in the announcement of the annual budget was responsible for a low growth rate of recurrent expenditure, “it blamed.
Similarly, the capital expenditure went up by 15.7 per cent to Rs 87.89 billion compared to an increase of 21.1 per cent a fiscal year ago. However, capital expenditure accounted for only 67.8 per cent of the annual budget estimate.
“Delayed budget and approval of programme and procurement process slowed down the infrastructure development projects lowering the capital expenditure,” the central bank concluded. … [read more]

Casinos forget to renew‚ attract fine

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The casinos now needs to pay fine to renew their licences.
According to the new rule, they have to renew their licence annually within the two months of the completion of the fiscal year. “The casinos have not yet renewed their licences within the first two months of the current fiscal year,” according to the Department of Revenue Investigation.
They should now have to pay 15 per cent fine to renew their licence, director general at the department Shanta Bahadur Shreshtha said, adding that they now get another chance to renew their licence – within three months – paying 15 per cent fine. “After the three months from now, the department will do its best to get the renewal fee in any way possible.”
According to the Finance Bill, the management of the casinos or its owners should renew the license by the end of the fiscal year, if the owners are willing to operate the casinos for the next fiscal year.
Casinos have to pay Rs 20 million at the begining of the fiscal year to renew their licences. Four casinos have outstanding royalty dues including royalty dues and interest – Rs 326.18 million – until mid-May, the department said.
After Nepal Recreation Centre failed to clear royalty dues of different four casinos operated by it, the department, Ministries of Tourism and Finance came into action.
Following its reluctance to pay royalty dues, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under Legislature Parliament had in December directed the government to scrap the licences of casinos failing to clear their dues.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in June had officially declared that it scrapped the licence of Nepal Recreation Centre – the oldest casino operator of Nepal – since it failed to clear its revenue dues.
Currently, there are 10 casinos in Nepal. Of total, two casinos are in Pokhara and rest are in the capital.
Remaining royalty dues
• Casino Nepal Rs 139.23 million
• Casino Anna Rs 101.23 million
• Casino Fulbari Rs 61.96 million
• Casino Royal Rs 23.75 million
(Source: Department of Revenue Investigation) … [read more]

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Quake warning for Nepal

Sep 18, 2011 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 magnitude rocked eastern Nepal at around 6.25 pm, killing at least six people, including three who were crushed by the collapse of the perimeter wall of the British … [read more]

PM addresses the parliament

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements and urged the … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 15, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers for the third time on Thursday, taking its strength to … [read more]

CIAA annual report released

Sep 15, 2011 – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) released its annual report for the fiscal year 2010/11 on … [read more]

Former NAC chaiman remanded to custody

Sep 14, 2011 – The District Court, Kathmandu, has remanded former chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Ramagya Prasad Chaturvedi to police custody, enforcing the Supreme Court … [read more]

Maoists meet NC

Sep 14, 2011 – The talks held between the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress today ended inconclusively. During the talks, the Maoist side proposed that the number of combatants to be integrated and the rehabilitation package should be decided first to be … [read more]

Tourist arrival at ACAP record high

Sep 14, 2011 – The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) recorded the highest number of tourists visiting the ACAP this … [read more]

UML proposal approved

Sep 14, 2011 – The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting on Wednesday unanimously approved the special proposal tabled by the Party Chairman Jhalanath … [read more]

Micro-hydro project in Arghakhachi

Sep 12, 2011 – Over 120 families of Subarnakhal VDC have benefitted from … [read more]

Do people really matter?

Sep 10, 2011 – Less than two weeks in the government, the Baburam government has come out with an ambitious relief program on Friday. … [read more]

Stolen treasure found

Sep 10, 2011 – The famous bronze Laxmi Narayan figure that was the centerpiece of the Sundari Chok of Patan Durbar Square has been retrieved by police on Friday … [read more]

Obstinate politicos, carefree nation

Sep 5, 2011 – The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 4, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers on Sunday, adding 13 more members to make it a 15-member … [read more]

Naya Patrika office vandalised

Sep 4, 2011 – An unknown gang vandalised the office of the Naya Patrika, a daily paper based at Kamal Pokhari on … [read more]

Maoists pick six ministries

Sep 4, 2011 – The UCPN (Maoist) finalised the name of six ministers to join the government from the party’s … [read more]

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Google News – Nepal

– Earthquake Rocks India And Nepal – New York Times. more >>
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Bing News – Nepal

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– Magnitude 6.8 quake hits northeast India – Chicago Tribune. more >>
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– Quake kills six, injures over 100 in north Bengal – MSN India. more >>
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The Himalayan Times

Irish get first win‚ beat No. 15 Spartans 31-13

Sep 18, 2011 – SOUTH BEND: Cierre Wood ran for two touchdowns, freshman George Atkinson III returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score and Robert Blanton had a late interception Saturday as Notre Dame beat No. 15 Michigan State 31-13 for its first win.
The Spartans (2-1), who stunned Notre Dame in overtime a year ago with a game-winning TD pass off a fake field goal, tried to surprise the Irish with another fake near the end of the first half.
Notre Dame (1-2) was ready this time. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Ethan Johnson broke up a shovel pass attempt and the Irish led 21-10 at halftime.
Michigan State\’s Kirk Cousins, who had 11 straight completions at one juncture of the second half, was 34-for-53 for 329 yards but he was intercepted at the Notre Dame 6 with just under four minutes left by Blanton, who returned it 82 yards to the 12.
The Spartans had just recovered a fumbled punt by Notre Dame\’s John Goodman at the Irish 21 and were ready to set the stage for another frantic finish between the rivals. But with the Spartans trailing 28-13 and having a first and goal at the 3, Blanton came up with a juggling interception and took off on his long return that sealed the win.
Notre Dame held the Spartans to 29 yards rushing on 23 carries. And Michigan State was hurt by its own sloppiness – 12 penalties for 86 yards. Cousins completed 12 of his passes to B.J. Cunningham as the Spartans were forced to go to the air and play catch up.
Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees overcame a first-half fumble and interception and finished 18 of 26 for 161 yards.
Notre Dame pushed the lead out quickly the third quarter when Rees hit Michael Floyd on a 22-yard pass and then lofted a perfect 26-yarder to TJ Jones for a touchdown – the Irish were penalized on the ensuing kickoff for unsportsmanlike conduct after Jones made a hand signal following his catch. And coach Brian Kelly came out after the extra point to apparently ask officials to explain the penalty.
Wood\’s 6-yard TD run capping a 92-yard drive that featured a 33-yard pass from Rees to Floyd and another of 16 to Tyler Eifert helped the Irish to a 21-10 lead.
Cousins came right back after a 42-yard kickoff return by Nick Hill gave the Spartans good field position. His 21-yard pass to Todd Anderson and an 11-yarder to Cunningham gave the Spartans a first down at the Irish 8.
But after the drive stalled, MSU lined up for a field goal, only to have their attempt at trickery turned away.
After Notre Dame took an early 7-0 lead on a Wood TD run, the teams traded turnovers twice.
Rees took a hard blindside hit from Kevin Pickelman and fumbled with MSU\’s Jerel Worthy recovering. Moments later, Notre Dame freshman defensive end Aaron Lynch drove into Cousins from behind, forcing a fumble and Johnson recovered for the Irish. Three plays later Rees\’ pass was picked off by Kurtis Drummond and returned 34 yards to the Irish 27, setting up Conroy\’s 40-yard field goal that made it 7-3. It was Notre Dame\’s 12th turnover of the season.
But 12 seconds later, Atkinson – the son of the former NFL star defensive back – took the ensuing kickoff, broke to the sideline and sprinted in for the touchdown. It was Notre Dame\’s first kickoff return for a TD by a freshman since Raghib Ismail returned two against Rice in 1988.
Michigan State\’s offense then began to click as Cousins hit a 25-yarder to Cunningham. Cousins connected on 5 of 7 passes in the 80-yard drive, hitting Dion Sims on 6-yard TD pass when freshman linebacker Troy Niklas fell down in the end zone. Niklas started the game because starter Prince Shembo was absent to attend to a family medical emergency.
Wood ran six times for 59 yards in the opening drive of the game, carrying 22 yards for the TD.
Michigan State starting right tackler Skyler Burkland was carted off the field with a left leg injury late in the first half. … [read more]

24-hr highway patrol

Sep 18, 2011 – PARASI: Police have started patrolling the highway in Nawalparasi district round the clock to control the incidents of theft and robbery that take place on the highway at the time of Dashain.
According to Superintendent of Police, Gyan Bikram Shah, they have increased patrols in the district after asking for police reinforcements to control incidents of robbery.
With the start of the highway patrol by security personnel, locals of the district have been feeling secure.
The number of incidents of theft, robbery and smuggling has decreased since a month back after the Police Headquarters assigned SP Gyan Bikram Shah and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mukunda Marasini at the same time in the district of late.
The petty smugglers are finding it hard to carry out their nefarious business with the increased patrols by police.
… [read more]

Flood obstructs Hetauda-Kathmandu road section

Sep 18, 2011 – HETAUDA: Vehicular movement has come to a halt on the Hetauda-Kathmandu road section due to the flood at Baghjora along the Tribhuvan highway.
The flood was caused by incessant rainfall Saturday night, the District Police Office, Makawanpur, said.
According to the Office, necessary measures have been carried out to control the flood. It is expected that the flood could recede with the improvement in weather.
Vehicles plying towards Kathmandu from Hetauda and vehicles coming from Daman and Palung have been stranded at Baghjora, according to police sources.
… [read more]

Scientists discover 12 new frog species in India

Sep 18, 2011 – NEW DELHI: Years of combing tropical mountain forests, shining flashlights under rocks and listening for croaks in the night have paid off for a team of Indian scientists that has discovered 12 new frog species plus three others thought to have been extinct.
It\’s a find the team hopes will bring attention to India\’s amphibians and their role in gauging the health of the environment.
Worldwide, 32 percent of the world\’s known amphibian species are threatened with extinction, largely because of habitat loss or pollution, according to the group Global Wildlife Conservation.
“Frogs are extremely important indicators not just of climate change, but also pollutants in the environment,” said the project\’s lead scientist, biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju of the University of Delhi.
Many of the newly found frogs in India are rare and are living in just a single area, so they will need rigorous habitat protection, Biju told The Associated Press on Saturday. “Unfortunately in India, conservation has basically focused on the two most charismatic animals – the elephant and the tiger. For amphibians there is little interest, little funding, and frog research is not easy.”
Night frogs are extremely hard to find, coming out only at dark and during the monsoon season, living either in fast-flowing streams or on moist forest ground.
Biju said he and his student researchers had to sit in dark, damp forests listening for frog sounds and shining flashlights under rocks and across riverbeds. They confirmed the new species by description as well as genetics.
The 12 new species include the meowing night frog, whose croak sounds more like a cat\’s call, the jog night frog, unique in that both the males and females watch over the eggs, and the Wayanad night frog, which grows to about the size of a baseball or cricket ball. “It\’s almost like a monster in the forest floor, a huge animal for a frog, leaping from one rock to another,” Biju said.
Three other species were rediscovered, including the Coorg night frog described 91 years ago, after scientists “had completely ignored these animals, thinking they were lost.”
The discoveries – published in the latest issue of international taxonomy journal Zootaxa – bring the known number of frogs in India to 336. Biju estimated this was only around half of what is in the wild, and said none of India\’s amphibians are yet being studied for biological compounds that could be of further use in science.
“We first have to find the species, know them and protect them, so that we can study them for their clinical importance,” he said.
Biju is credited with discovering dozens of new Indian frog species during his 35-year career. … [read more]

Over 500 villagers protest China factory pollution

Sep 18, 2011 – BEIJING: Hundreds of villagers in eastern China have been demonstrating against pollution they say is caused by a solar panel factory. Some protesters have stormed the compound and overturned vehicles.
The government of Haining city said Sunday that more than 500 villagers in the city in Zhejiang province gathered in front of the Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd. on Thursday demanding an explanation for the alleged pollution.
It says some protesters charged into the factory compound, overturned eight company vehicles and destroyed its offices. It says on Friday, protesters damaged four police vehicles.
The government says it has asked the factory to suspend production. It says that local leaders will soon meet with village representatives. … [read more]

Reno crash killed 9; probe focuses on wayward part

Sep 18, 2011 – RENO: The death toll rose to nine Saturday in an air race crash in Reno as investigators determined that several spectators were killed on impact as the 1940s-model plane appeared to lose a piece of its tail before slamming like a missile into a crowded tarmac.
Moments earlier, thousands had arched their necks skyward and watched the planes speed by just a few hundred feet off the ground before some noticed a strange gurgling engine noise from above. Seconds later, the P-51 Mustang dubbed The Galloping Ghost pitched oddly upward, twirled and took an immediate nosedive into a section of white VIP box seats.
The plane, flown by a 74-year-old veteran racer and Hollywood stunt pilot, disintegrated in a ball of dust, debris and bodies as screams of “Oh my God!” spread through the crowd.
National Transportation Safety Board officials were on the scene Saturday to determine what caused Jimmy Leeward to lose control of the plane, and they were looking at amateur video clips that appeared to show a small piece of the aircraft falling to the ground before the crash. Witnesses who looked at photos of the part said it appeared to be an “elevator trim tab,” which helps pilots keep control of the aircraft.
Reno police also provided a GPS mapping system to help investigators recreate the crash scene.
“Pictures and video appear to show a piece of the plane was coming off,” NTSB spokesman Mark Rosekind said at a news conference. “A component has been recovered. We have not identified the component or if it even came from the airplane … We are going to focus on that.”
Investigators said they also recovered part of the tail section, where the tab is located.
A tour near the site offered to journalists Saturday evening revealed debris spread in a fan-shape over more than an acre around a crater roughly 3 feet deep and as much as 8 feet across. Based on the crater\’s location, it appears the P-51 Mustang went straight down in the first few rows of VIP box seats, or about 65 feet in front of the leading edge of the grandstand.
Yellow crime tape surrounded the scene and spectator seats remained askew.
Among the dead were the pilot and eight spectators. Officials said 69 people were treated at hospitals, including 36 who have been released and 31 who remain there. Nine were in critical condition late Saturday.
Doctors who treated the injured said it was among the most severe situations they had ever seen because of the large number of people, including at least two children younger than 18 who are not among those in critical condition.
Injuries included major head injuries, facial trauma and limb injuries, including amputations, said Dr. Myron Gomes, chief trauma surgeon at Renown Regional Medical Center.
“I\’ve seen more patients, but never this many patients with this number of severe injuries,” added Dr. Michael Morkin, chief of Renown\’s emergency department, who trained at Cook County General Hospital In Chicago. … [read more]

Book by ex- PM Nepal’s father released

Sep 18, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Sankshyipta Kathasar, a collection of 11 plays in Sanskrit by renowned writer Mangal Kumar Nepal has been launched.

This is Nepal”s 12th literary creation. The book is a collection of the summarized version of eleven plays in Sanskrit language.

Rastrakabi Madhav Prasad Ghimire released the book at a function here on Saturday. The author is father of former Prime Minister and senior leader of CPN -UML Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Speaking at the occasion, poet Ghimire praised Mr. Nepal for his works and literary genius at the ripe age of 95 years. He said the author has done a great service to the promotion of Sanskrit literature.

Chancellor of Nepal Acadey Bairagai Kainla said author Nepal has been consistently carried forward his literary interest.

Various litterateurs expressed their views on the occasion, shedding light on the life and works of the author and the richness and vivacity of Sanskrit literature. … [read more]

Sahara sports journalism award to Baral

Sep 18, 2011 – POKHARA: Youth journalist Dinanath Baral has been honoured with the Sahara Sport Journalism Award on the occasion of the sixth anniversary and the seventh general convention of Sahara Club Pokhara.
The Club honored Baral in recognition of his contribution to sports by being based in Kaski district. The award carries a purse of Rs. 5,555 and a letter of appreciation.
Similarly, the Club awarded its member Min Bahadur Gurung for his excellent work in his capacity as the member of the working committee of the Club.
The Club has also started constructing a building of Sahara Academy at Dobilla of Pokhara at a cost of Rs. 12.7 million. The building will be used for providing education and sports training to the underprivileged children.
About 80 per cent construction works of the building has been completed. … [read more]

Post-WWII plane pilot dies in W.Va. air show crash

Sep 18, 2011 – MARTINSBURG: The pilot of a post-World War II plane died Saturday after crashing into a runway and bursting into flames, the second deadly air show crash in 24 hours.
The West Virginia Air National Guard said that no spectators were injured and that the crash site was far away from anyone at the show. Still, air show officials posted a notice on their website encouraging those who witnessed the crash to seek support if they felt viewing it had been traumatic.
The crash occurred a day after a stunt pilot crashed at a Nevada air show Friday, killing nine.
“We were fortunate that the safety measures put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration ensured the safety of those on the ground,” Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said in a statement. “Right now our thoughts and prayers are with the family members of the deceased.”
Officials have not released the pilot\’s name. The fixed-wing, single-engine T-28 plane is registered to John Mangan of Concord, N.C., and was built in 1958, according to a Federal Aviation Administration registry.
The Journal of Martinsburg (http://bit.ly/nJ268P ) reports the aircraft lost control during a six-plane stunt formation and then crashed on a runway near hangers at the airfield, causing thousands at the show to cry, hug and pray afterward.
The plane was part of the T-28 Warbird Aerobatic Formation Demonstration Team, which performs at air shows around the country.
The team is known as the Trojan Horsemen and its website says Jack “Flash” Mangan is part of the alternate wing. His biography on the site says he is a former Air Force fighter pilot who won three Meritorious Service Medals and Tactical Air Command\’s Instructor Pilot of the Year.
A message left at Mangan\’s North Carolina home was not immediately returned on Saturday.
According to The Boeing Co.\’s website, the North American T-28 Trojan was a basic trainer that was used by the U.S Navy, including for carrier operation. Its first flight was in 1949 and it was designed to transition pilots to jet aircraft. … [read more]

Date-expired gutkha destroyed

Sep 18, 2011 – RAJBIRAJ: The District Market Monitoring Team, Saptari, has seized and destroyed different date-expired commodities including Gutkha and candies.
The team, in course of inspection at the Om Traders owned by one Om Shah at Rajbiraj-1, which is also known by the name Nagmani grocery shop, seized and destroyed some 500 packets of date expired Gutkha, a packet of chocolate and a packet of Puja brand spices, the team informed.
Gutkha are the small bits of catechu either mixed with chewing tobacco or various flavours, and packed in small plastic sachets.
According to the Industry Officer and Member Secretary of the team Raghubar Shah, the team seized and destroyed the Gutkha and toffees after finding that they were date expired.
The team directed the shopkeeper to be present at the District Administration Office with the price list, the shop”s sign board, and certificates of renewal of the license and registration.
The joint team headed by Administration Officer at the District Administration Office, Om Prakash Mahato including Small and Cottage Industry, Saptari, the Saptari District Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the District Development Committee, the Rajbiraj Municipality and municipal police has started inspecting the markets regularly since a week.
… [read more]

Libyan fighters inch forward in Gadhafi hometown

Sep 17, 2011 – SIRTE: Revolutionary fighters struggled to make gains in an assault into Gadhafi\’s hometown Saturday with bloody street-by-street battles against loyalist forces fiercely defending the most symbolic of the shattered regime\’s remaining strongholds.
The fresh attack into the Mediterranean coastal city of Sirte contrasted with a stalemate in the mountain enclave of Bani Walid where demoralized anti-Gadhafi forces tried to regroup after being beaten back by loyalist snipers and gunners holding strategic high ground.
Intense resistance has stalled forces of Libya\’s new leadership trying to crush the dug-in fighters loyal to Gadhafi, weeks after the former rebels swept into Tripoli on Aug. 21 and pushed the country\’s leader out of power and into hiding. Sirte and Bani Walid are the main bastions of backers of the old regime in Libya\’s coastal plain, but smaller holdouts remain in the deserts of the center of the country – and another major stronghold, Sabha, lies in the deep south.
The resistance has raised fears of a protracted insurgency of the sort that has played out in Iraq and Afghanistan, even as the transitional government tries to establish its authority and move toward eventual elections.
A military spokesman for the transitional government said revolutionaries do not know Gadhafi\’s location.
Col. Ahmed Omar Bani pointed to the still uncollected bounty of nearly $2 million that the new leadership has put on the fugitive leader\’s head, saying, “Up to now we don\’t have any certain information or intelligence about his whereabouts.”
Columns of black smoke rose over Sirte, as revolutionary fighters backed by heavy machine guns and rockets tried to push through crowded residential areas in the city. They claimed to have gained less than a mile into the city, along the main coastal highway leading in from the west.
The forces were met by a rain of gunfire , rockets and mortars. A field hospital set up outside Sirte at a gas station filled with wounded fighters, including some from a convoy hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Twenty-four anti-Gadhafi fighters were killed and 54 wouneed in the day\’s battles, the military council from the nearby city of Misrata reported.
The pro-regime radio station in Sirte repeatedly aired a recorded message it said was from Gadhafi, urging the city of XXXX\’s defenders to fight on. “You must resist fiercely. You must kick them out of Sirte,” the voice said. “If they get inside Sirte, they are going to rape the women.” The voice resembled Gadhafi\’s but its authenticity could not be confirmed.
Gadhafi\’s spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, vowed, “We have the ability to continue this resistance for months,” in a phone call Friday to Syrian-based Al-Rai TV, which has become the mouthpiece for the former regime.
The conditions inside Sirte were reportedly growing increasingly dire for those caught in the crossfire. Nouri Abu Bakr, a 42-year-old teacher fleeing the city, said there is no electricity or medicine and food supplies are nearly exhausted.
“Gadhafi gave all the people weapons, but those fighting are the Gadhafi brigade of loyalists,” he said.
Hassan Dourai, Sirte representative in the new government\’s interim government, said fighters reported seeing one of Gadhafi\’s son, Muatassim, shortly before the offensives began Friday, but he has not been spotted since the battles intensified. The whereabouts of Gadhafi and several of his sons remain unknown. Other family members have fled to neighboring Algeria and Niger.
Most of the hundreds of fighters assaulting Sirte are from Misrata, a city to the northwest along the coast that held out for weeks against a brutal Gadhafi siege during the civil war. Revolutionary commanders were trying to open a second front into Sirte, from the east. They said they were trying to reach a surrender deal with elders in most of the Harawa region, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Sirte, to open a possible new pathway – but fighting was reported in the area Saturday, suggesting efforts were stalled.
The other stronghold of Bani Walid, 150 miles (250 kilometers) east of Sirte, has proven even more difficult for the forces of the new regime. The fighters withdrew Friday after facing withering sniper fire and shelling from loyalist units.
The loyalists hold the strategic high ground along the ridges overlooking a desert valley called Wadi Zeitoun that divides the city between northern and southern sections. From there, they could bloody the fighters trying to move down through the northern half of the city and into the valley, which is irrigated with olive groves. The terrain has made the city a historical hold-out: In the early 20th century, Italian forces occupying Libya struggled to take Bani Walid.
“This may be the worst front Libya will see,” said fighter Osama Al-Fassi, who joined other former rebels gathered at a feed factory outside the city\’s northern edge, where they drank coffee and took target practice at plastic bottles.
On Saturday evening, Gadhafi forces blasted fighters at the northern entrance with snipers and mortar fire, prompting the revolutionary forces to battle their way in once again in an unplanned advance, said Bilqassim el-Imami, one of the fighters. They made their way back to the edge of Wadi Zeitoun amid heavy fire with anti-aircraft machine guns.
A 50-year-old civil servant fleeing Bani Walild with his family, Ismail Mohammed, described the pro-Gadhafi forces as “too strong” inside Bani Walid and suggested a generational divide between young people strongly behind the uprising and older Libyans often more cautious about whether the revolutionary forces can bring stability.
“The youth wanted this revolution and sometimes you can\’t control your own son,” he said.
In Libya\’s southern desert, hundreds of revolutionary fighters were negotiating with villagers in the still pro-Gadhafi region to surrender peacefully. The fighters left the captured Bani Jalloud air base and rolled through villages where they reached truces. Along the route, crowds cheered their arrival and flashed V-for-victory signs. But in one village, Ayoun, they came under fire, prompting a heavy gunbattle in which one fighter was killed.
Col. Bashir Awidat said they seek to secure the surrounding hinterlands before moving against Sabha, the main southern urban center about 400 miles (650 kilometers) south of Tripoli. He said the villagers had been isolated and believed Gadhafi\’s propaganda.
“They think that we\’ll raid their houses and rob them. The media coverage here has been bad for 42 years and it has trained people to think a certain way, and that will take time to change,” he told The Associated Press at the captured air base. … [read more]

Venezuela leader heads to Cuba for more treatment

Sep 17, 2011 – CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he is heading back to Cuba for a fourth round of chemotherapy.
Chavez says that Bolivian President Evo Morales is accompanying him on Saturday\’s trip. Their nations are aligned with Cuba in a bloc of leftist Latin American countries. Under Chavez, Venezuela has been a financial backer of Cuba and Bolivia.
Chavez said in a broadcast Saturday that he hopes to finish cancer treatments this year. He plans to be ready for run for re-election in October 2012.
Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba for an undisclosed cancer in his pelvic region on June 20. Since then, he has undergone three rounds of chemotherapy treatments, most in Cuba. … [read more]

Gurung counters Dahal’s take on peace process

Sep 17, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Maoist parliamentary party chief whip Dev Prasad Gurung came out strongly against his party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal”s statement the day before that UCPN-M would conclude the peace process “unilaterally” if Congress and CPN-UML continued obstructing it. Gurung said it would be “illegitimate” to do so.
At a function at Reporters” Club, Gurung, who belongs to the hardline Mohan Baidhya faction, said issues of the peace process – modality, number of combatants to be integrated, standard norms, rank determination and financial package for rehabilitation – should be settled through understanding with major political stakeholders.
At a function organised by the Proletariat Trust yesterday, Dahal had warned that his party would take a unilateral decision for concluding the peace process if major parties did not cooperate with UCPN-Maoist on the issues involved.
Gurung said unilateral conclusion of the peace process would lack political and constitutional legitimacy and therefore create further political complications. He also said the parties must find a package deal on all issues of the peace process.
It should be recalled that NC and UML have also called for a package deal. But Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, while addressing the House on Friday, called on the parties to reach understanding at least on modality, the number of combatants to be integrated and rehabilitation package, if understanding was not possible on all issues.
Gurung said, “It is constitutionally mandatory that the peace process be concluded on consensual basis. Short-cut approaches are unacceptable.”
Gurung”s counter statement clearly indicates widening rift within the Maoist party on understanding ways of concluding the peace process.
Gurung also called for amendment to some of the clauses in the four-point deal between UCPN-M and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on August 28, when Bhattarai was elected PM.
He said agreement on bulk entry for up to 10,000 people of the Madhesi community in Nepali Army; ending the semi-judicial power enjoyed by chief district officers and simplifying procedures of issuing citizenship certificate were “objectionable and detrimental to national interest”.
Meanwhile, addressing a function in Lalitpur, Dahal said his party was still considering more sacrifices to conclude the peace process in two and half months.
He, however, reiterated that the Maoists alone would conclude the peace process if other parties remained adamant.
Dahal, however, called on the parties to stop bickering until November-end and concentrate on concluding the peace and constitution writing processes. … [read more]

Paudel objects

Sep 17, 2011 – KATHMANDU: NC Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Paudel on Saturday objected to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal”s statement that UCPN-M would conclude the peace process unilaterally. At a programme in Bhaktapur, Paudel accused the Maoists of attempting to conclude the peace process without consensus. He pointed out that the peace process had been stranded because the Maoists had deviated from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. He reiterated that the statute could not be promulgated until Maoist combatants were integrated. Meanwhile, NC General Secretary Prakash Man Singh told the PM not to look for cheap popularity. “The prime minister is using a Nepal made vehicle, but allowing Maoist leaders and cadres to hold illegal vehicles. This attempt of his will remain meaningless until he brings them to book,” he said. … [read more]

Fiscal budget to be passed today

Sep 17, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and United Democratic Madhesi Front today agreed to include issues raised by Madhes-based parties in the fiscal budget.
It is almost certain that the budget will be passed with Unified CPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and the five Madhes-based parties supporting it. The main opposition Nepali Congress will vote against it as it has tabled the Expenses Cut Motion.
A meeting between the PM and UDMF leaders today decided to bring some changes in budget allocations by including UDMF concerns, said Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Republic) chairman Jay Prakash Gupta.
“Madhesi concerns will be addressed by remaining within the limitations of budgetary allocations. The concerned ministries will manage allocations internally, keeping the concerns of Madhes-based parties in mind,” said Minister for Irrigation and Women, Children and Social Welfare Mahendra Prasad Yadav.
Madhesi concerns include constructing postal roads, giving land compensation to people whose lands have been used for roads; stopping the imposition of tax on people who have to purchase their daily commodities from across the border in India; providing gratuity in the name of martyrs of the Madhes movement; and balancing the budget.
Yadav also informed that the PM might induct some state ministers tomorrow. … [read more]

50 years on‚ conspiracy theories abound

Sep 17, 2011 – STOCKHOLM: Fifty years after the plane crash that killed UN chief Dag Hammarskjoeld, there is a chorus of demands for a new probe into his death that many claim was the work of mercenaries.
Hammarskjoeld was killed on the night of September 17-18, 1961, when his DC-6 came down near Ndola airport in the British colony Northern Rhodesia (modern-day Zambia) as he flew in to peace talks to end fighting in the Katanga province in Congo.
The UN inquiry had blamed pilot error. But reports from witnesses and other diplomats have led to widespread accusations of a cover-up and suspicion that Hammarskjoeld paid the price for supporting efforts of the Congolese government to crush an uprising in Katanga being funded by Western mining companies.
Goran Bjoerkdahl, a Swedish aid worker who has interviewed eyewitnesses, recently proclaimed that there could be “no doubt Dag Hammarskjoeld”s plane was brought down”. “My own conclusion, after adding the new witnesses” statements and the archive information to previously published documents, is that Hammarskjoeld”s DC-6 was brought down and that the motive was to maintain the west”s control over Katanga minerals,” he wrote in Britain”s Guardian newspaper last month.
A new book by Susan Williams titled Who Killed Hammarskjoeld? also argues that the plane was brought down, prompting the diplomat”s nephew Knut Hammarskjoeld to recently call for a new inquiry.
Others who believe that the Swedish authorities have been too ready to accept the official version of events include Rolf Rembe who is the Swedish author of a book on Hammarskjoeld”s career and legacy. “What is important is to require all relevant documents,” Rembe told Sweden”s Svenska Dagbladet daily. In 2007, retired French diplomat Claude de Kemoularia added fresh fuel to the conspiracy theory when he recounted a meeting with a group of mercenaires and a Belgian pilot in Paris in 1967 who claimed to have brought down the plane.
He then made contact with the Swedish authorities in the hope that they would open a new inquiry but his efforts were in vain. The foreign ministry later dismissed his version of events as “extremely unlikely”. … [read more]

Seven perish in Rolpa landslide

Sep 17, 2011 – RUINIBANG: At least seven persons, including three of a family, were killed and 18 others were injured when a landslide swept away eight houses in the bazaar area of Rolpa today morning.
Mudslide at Ruinibang of Mijhing bazaar, which was triggered by incessant rains overnight, razed eight houses. The incident has left locals petrified as the mudslide threat looms large with more than 150 houses in the area still at risk.
Eight other small huts with corrugated iron roofs have also been damaged in the
incident, which took place at around 3am.
According to District Police Office, Rolpa, three members of a Pariyar family from Gumchal-3 – Kali Pariyar (26), her five-year-old son Mintu and three-year-old daughter Nisha – were killed in the incident. The other victims are -Nal Bahadur Budhathoki (75) of Seram-7, Juntara Pun (55) of Arghakhanchi, Dipak Pariyar and Prem Pariyar of Kapilvastu.
Few of the houses
damaged are learnt to have been used by lodges.
Some of the travellers who were inside the lodges sustained injuries in the incident.
Police personnel from Sulichour-based Area Police Office, army personnel from Devidutta Battalion and locals rescued the injured from the debris.
Police rescued Kali Pariyar”s other son Resham (9) from the debris. Her husband Tul Bahadur was able to run to safety before the incident.
Tul Bahadur”s brothers-in-law Prem and Dipak, however, were not so fortunate and were killed during the mudslide.
The injured have been taken to Sulichour Primary Health Centre and have returned home after treatment.
Acting Chief District Officer of Rolpa Dhan Bahadur KC, chief of local military battalion Surat Raut and representatives from several local organisations visited the disaster-hit area today.
KC handed over Rs 25,000 to each of the bereaved families. Nepal Red Cross Society (Rolpa) distributed clothes, foodstuff and tents to the 12 families who lost their homes in the landslide. … [read more]

Secy swap to boost efficiency: Gachhadar

Sep 17, 2011 – BIRATNAGAR: Minister for Home Affairs Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar today defended the government decision to swap secretaries between the ministry and the Office of the Prime Minister.
The step was taken to discourage corruption at the Ministry of Home Affairs and improve security situation in the country, DPM Gachhadar told reporters at Biratnagar airport today.
The Cabinet on Friday had transferred Lilamani Paudel to the Office of Prime Minister from MoHA and Sushil Jung Rana from the Office of the Prime Minister to MoHA despite Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai”s pledge not to transfer senior government officials before he completed at least one month in office.
An “experienced” and “impartial” bureaucrat like Rana will be able to improve the efficiency of the home ministry, remarked Gachhadar, adding that this was the only reason for the transfer. “I (as the home minister) will not interfere in activities of security agencies,” he pledged. “I will do my utmost to boost the morale of all the security agencies.”
“Fighting corruption and getting rid of political interference in the ministry”s affairs are my priorities,” added Gachhadar. The home minister said his ministry has already announced its immediate course of action and will unveil a long-term plan within a month.
He also promised to crackdown on smugglers.
“We are preparing to transfer SSPs and Inspectors who have been stationed at the same place for a long time,” he informed, adding that the ministry was preparing new guidelines for transfers.
In a different context, Gachhadar said the Madhesi Morcha would stand by the government to complete the peace and constitution-drafting processes.
“The government”s main objective is to conclude the peace and statute-drafting processes. Madhesi Morcha will help the government in its efforts.” … [read more]

Security‚ administration chiefs told to roll up sleeves

Sep 17, 2011 – ITAHARI: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar today directed security and the administration heads of the eastern region to do their best to maintain peace and security in the region.
“You must do something to give the general public a sense of security and relief before Dashain,” Gachhadar told the chiefs at a programme in Tunamuna of Sunsari.
Gachhadar also expressed his commitment to bring a substantial change in the country”s security situation soon. “The Ministry for Home Affairs will introduce short-term, mid-term and long-term security plans in the near future,” said Gachhadar.
Stating that security situation in the eastern hills and the Tarai has exacerbated in the name of federalism and the likes, he urged all the armed outfits in the regions to come to table for talks. “The government is ready to address your demands in the upcoming constitution,” said the DPM.
On recent coalition between the Madhesi-based parties and the Maoists, Gachhadar argued that it has no other ulterior motive except accomplishing the peace and constitution-drafting processes.
He also called on all the political parties to join the government to give it a shape of a consensus government.
The DPM urged the CPN-UML and NC top brass to stop criticising the ruling parties when they are outside the government. He also accused the big parties of being reluctant to see respectable position of Dalits, indigenous people and Madhesis in New Nepal. … [read more]

Quit playing ‘cheap publicity games’‚ Oli tells Bhattarai

Sep 17, 2011 – DHULIKHEL: Standing committee member of CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli has accused Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai of trying to win cheap publicity even as tasks of paramount importance related to peace and the constitution are there to be accomplished.
Inaugurating the seventh convention of the CPN-UML Banepa Town Committee here today, Oli accused Prime Minister Bhattarai of putting peace and constitution related issues on the back burner.
“People want nothing but peace and the constitution, but the prime minister is paying too little heed to people”s aspirations,” said Oli.
On a different context, he looked askance at the UCPN-Maoist and held that the deal it struck with the Madhes-based parties for conscription of 10,000 youth from the Tarai was just a bargain chip. “Maoist modus operandi of making big promises regarding the peace and consensus and doing nothing has led the country to a stalemate,” remarked the UML leader. “It is not important whether the prime minister rides a cheap vehicle, motorbike or bicycle or he walks on foot. The most prominent question is whether he can make any headway to complete the peace and constitution-drafting processes.”
On Prime Minister Bhattarai”s address to the Parliament yesterday, Oli challenged the premier to draft the constitution by ignoring UML and the Nepali Congress. “The Maoists cannot accomplish the twin tasks of concluding peace and constitution-drafting processes alone by sidelining the democratic forces,” said Oli. … [read more]

More News from – The Himalayan Times

eKantipur News

EPF to invest big in infra

Sep 18, 2011 – Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), one of the cash-rich government-owned institutions, is foraying into the infrastructure sector in a big way. … [read more]

PEs under MoF to get

Sep 18, 2011 – From now on, chiefs of all six public enterprises (PEs) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) will be appointed through free competition. … [read more]

Man shows heart of gold, donates Rs 40m

Sep 18, 2011 – In these days of cold affection, a large-hearted man has warmed the cockles of society’s heart. This man from Lalitpur did what even millionaires fear to do. … [read more]

Home minister vows to curb corruption

Sep 18, 2011 – Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar has said that he will make all the security agencies … [read more]

‘Four-point pact with Morcha unacceptable’

Sep 18, 2011 – UCPN (Maoist) Chief Whip Dev Prasad Gurung came down heavily on the four-point deal signed between his party and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha … [read more]

Seven die in Rolpa landslide

Sep 18, 2011 – Seven persons, including three of a family, were buried alive in a landslide at Ruinibang in Mijhing VDC of Rolpa district on Saturday morning. … [read more]

Hello darkness, my old friend

Sep 18, 2011 – Hello darkness, my old friend”, the first line from the song “The Sound of Silence” … [read more]

Of will and force

Sep 18, 2011 – Migrants leave when survival becomes a challenge, and Nepal is no exception … [read more]

Whys and wherefores of crime

Sep 18, 2011 – The level of crime in a society depends on the status of human rights and the rule of law … [read more]

Our dear constitution

Sep 18, 2011 – The real cost of constitution making in Nepal is not the time and money that must be spent, but what has been sacrificed for it … [read more]

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Nepali Times

PM addresses the parliament

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements and urged the … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 15, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers for the third time on Thursday, taking its strength to … [read more]

CIAA annual report released

Sep 15, 2011 – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) released its annual report for the fiscal year 2010/11 on … [read more]

Former NAC chaiman remanded to custody

Sep 14, 2011 – The District Court, Kathmandu, has remanded former chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Ramagya Prasad Chaturvedi to police custody, enforcing the Supreme Court … [read more]

Maoists meet NC

Sep 14, 2011 – The talks held between the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress today ended inconclusively. During the talks, the Maoist side proposed that the number of combatants to be integrated and the rehabilitation package should be decided first to be … [read more]

Tourist arrival at ACAP record high

Sep 14, 2011 – The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) recorded the highest number of tourists visiting the ACAP this … [read more]

UML proposal approved

Sep 14, 2011 – The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting on Wednesday unanimously approved the special proposal tabled by the Party Chairman Jhalanath … [read more]

Micro-hydro project in Arghakhachi

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Do people really matter?

Sep 10, 2011 – Less than two weeks in the government, the Baburam government has come out with an ambitious relief program on Friday. … [read more]

Stolen treasure found

Sep 10, 2011 – The famous bronze Laxmi Narayan figure that was the centerpiece of the Sundari Chok of Patan Durbar Square has been retrieved by police on Friday … [read more]

Obstinate politicos, carefree nation

Sep 5, 2011 – The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 4, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers on Sunday, adding 13 more members to make it a 15-member … [read more]

Naya Patrika office vandalised

Sep 4, 2011 – An unknown gang vandalised the office of the Naya Patrika, a daily paper based at Kamal Pokhari on … [read more]

Maoists pick six ministries

Sep 4, 2011 – The UCPN (Maoist) finalised the name of six ministers to join the government from the party’s … [read more]

Keys handed over

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The Himalayan Times

Villas-Boas ‘won’t play mind games’ with Ferguson

Sep 17, 2011 – Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas insists he has no intention of playing mind games with Sir Alex Ferguson and the rest of the Premier League\’s top bosses.
Villas-Boas will go head to head with Ferguson for the first time on Sunday when Chelsea visit Old Trafford for the kind of high stakes fixture that often triggered verbal sparring between managers when his mentor Jose Mourinho was in charge of the Blues.
Mourinho relished the opportunity to wind up rival bosses like Rafael Benitez and Arsene Wenger and occasionally took a swipe at Ferguson, although their relationship was generally cordial.
Whereas Mourinho felt the match began with his press conferences, with his waspish comments aimed at taking the attention off his players while also irritating opponents, Villas-Boas prefers to keep the peace whenever possible.
“I don\’t see any reason to play mind games,” he said. “If you react to things people say it might look as if you are vulnerable to pressure.
“That is why I took care in reading Ferguson\’s full press conference before this match.
“I knew what he said before I came here (to speak to the press) and he didn\’t say anything disrespectful.”
Villas-Boas doesn\’t believe Mourinho\’s mind games played much part in Chelsea\’s success when the pair were together in west London, with Villas-Boas working as the club\’s opposition scout.
“During my time with Mourinho at Chelsea we won two Premier Leagues, but in the end what was the importance of all the mind games? I don\’t think it had any effect on the players,” he said.
“Last year I had my disagreements with the Benfica manager, which is normal as they were threating for the title, but I don\’t think it made much difference to the result of the title race.”
Former Porto coach Villas-Boas is the new kid on the block in the Premier League but he knows plenty about Ferguson\’s formidable reputation and is happy to show respect to the Godfather of English football.
The 33-year-old can identify with Ferguson\’s unquenchable thirst for success and the passion that he still shows even after 25 years with United, although he doesn\’t expect to still be managing at 69 like the Scot.
“We managers carry a tremendous amount of passion for the game which is very important. It is a different kind of passion than the players,” he said.
“We have the passion to study opponents and to absorb as many games as possible. It is very driven.
“It is incredible that Sir Alex has done it with such success. As a manager his CV speaks for himself.
“I lost count of the amount of titles he has. You have to pay respect to a person who have achieved so much.
“I am grateful and honoured to be able to play a game of such importance against a person who has won so many titles.
“I don\’t think I will go on as long as him. It is my idea to have a shorter career, 12 to 15 years maybe.”
Villas-Boas has met Ferguson on a couple of occasions at coaching seminars and admits to being slightly star-struck when the United chief introduced himself.
“I was just standing there and he came out of the blue. We said hello and spoke about something about the weekend\’s games. Then we talked at the meeting about Stoke\’s tactics!,” he said.
“I don\’t know if he is the best ever. There are a couple threatening to be the best at the moment.
“Maybe it is between Ferguson, Mourinho and (Barcelona boss Pep) Guardiola. It is good to live with these examples.”
… [read more]

Maoist deviated from CPA‚ says Paudel

Sep 17, 2011 – BHAKTAPUR: Vice president of the Nepali Congress, Ram Chandra Paduel, has accused the Maoist party of deviating from the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).
Speaking at a programme in Bhaktapur on Saturday, Paudel said the tasks of peace process and constitution writing were not completed after the Maoist party deviated from the CPA.
Paudel reiterated that the peace process will not be completed without army integration and claimed that the tasks of peace process and constitution writing would have been completed if all the past agreements were implemented.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress general secretary Prakash Man Singh said that the NC has serious objection to the PM”s address to the Legislature-Parliament on Friday.
Speaking at a programme on the occasion of the 14th Ganesh Man Memorial Day today in local Bauddha, he questioned, “How Nepali Congress was irresponsible to conclude the peace process?”
He challenged the PM to deposit the money looted by the Maoist cadres during the insurgency and bring under the state coffer if the PM were to maintain austerity in the country.
During the programme NC central leaders Nabindra Raj Joshi and Ambika Basnet, journalist Purushottam Dahal, lawmaker Chakra Bahadur Thakuri and other speakers hailed the sacrifice made by the late Ganesh Man.

… [read more]

India’s Modi fasts‚ seeks to end riot controversy

Sep 17, 2011 – AHMEDBAD: Controversial Indian Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi began a fast Saturday to promote “goodwill” in what was seen as a bid to project himself as a potential candidate for premier.
“My mission is to spread peace, goodwill and brotherhood,” Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi said at the start of his three-day fast attended by fellow top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Ahmedabad, Gujarat\’s main city.
Modi, arguably India\’s most polarising political figure, is seeking to put behind him allegations of complicity in deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002 in a makeover seen by commentators as grooming him to be the next prime minister.
The silver-haired leader, 61, conducting what television stations dubbed a “fast versus past,” told the crowd he was seeking to “promote communal harmony.”
In a full-page letter published in Saturday\’s newspapers, he said “no state, society or individual can claim to be perfect” and that he was “grateful to all those who pointed out my genuine mistakes.”
He made no apologies for what human rights groups have condemned as his lax response to the massacre of as many as 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, during communal riots which swept the western state in 2002.
At the same time, he told the audience which included political and religious leaders and some Muslim traders, “I feel the pain of all the families who lost their near and dear ones.”
Modi, who has always denied any wrongdoing over the riots, got a major lift earlier this week when the Supreme Court refrained from passing any order on a petition seeking his prosecution over the riots.
During the last decade, Modi has become a torchbearer of corporate good governance with his state posting annual growth of more than 11 percent in recent years and attracted major international investors.
His staunch anti-corruption reputation has made him increasingly popular among many Indians as the Congress party-led national government is mired in multi-billion-dollar graft scandals.
He consistently figures as India\’s most popular chief minister in opinion polls.
“Modi is on a fast to Racecourse Road,” said prominent Indian media commentator Suhel Seth, referring to the prime minister\’s official residence in New Delhi.
… [read more]

Triyuga Campus professor Rawat attacked

Sep 17, 2011 – UDAYAPUR: A masked gang thrashed Professor Bhola Rawat in Triyuga Janata Multiple Campus, Udayapur. Rawat, a Professor of Mahendra Morang Campus, Biratnagar, had gone there to invigilate the Master\’s Level examination in the college. Rawat has sustained deep injuries in his head and has received 15 stitches.
Rawat is undergoing treatment at Nobel Hospital, Biratnagar. Locals and police rescued Rawat after the incident took place Friday evening. The masked group entered the campus premises and attacked him with iron rod, said police.
… [read more]

1 held with 50 kg of marijuana

Sep 17, 2011 – PARSA: Police arrested a person from Surjaha VDC of Parsa district with 50 kg of marijuana last night. Nandalal Yadav of Surjaha VDC-6 was arrested by a team of police deployed from Katti security Base Camp. Police team had raided the house of Yadav based on tip off, sub-inspector of Nepal Police, Ramesh Timilsina said. … [read more]

No more slip-up‚ warns Arsenal manager‚ ahead of Blackburn game

Sep 17, 2011 – LONDON:Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal\’s dismal start to the season means his side have no margin for error when they face Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday.
Wenger\’s side recovered from the 8-2 mauling they received at the hands of Manchester United by claiming their first league win of the season against Swansea.
That narrow 1-0 victory result prompted relief and was followed by a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund, ensuring Arsenal?s Champions League campaign got off on a positive note.
But a solitary win in four league games is hardly the mark of a side with title ambitions and Wenger admits it will take a more consistent run of results to change the growing view that Arsenal are losing ground on the two Manchester clubs, United and City, and Chelsea.
“We feel we have turned the corner, but we will be judged by the consistency of our results,” he said.
“Inside the club, we feel we are on the right track, the spirit in the team is good, strong and together.
“We want to change the sceptisicm around us, but that will only be if we are consistent with our results.
“Let\’s get result after result, stick together and not talk too much.
“We must win. We live in an environment that questions us when we don?t win. We do not criticise that and have to live with that. We have to show performances, consistency and attitude quality.”
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey is doubtful while Thomas Vermaelen, Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby are still several weeks away from a return.
Steve Kean, meanwhile, insists he is not feeling the pressure amid calls from supporters to remove him from his manager\’s post at Blackburn.
Rovers are stranded bottom of the Premier League with just one point from four games, prompting moves by some fans to oust him.
They have launched an on-line petition and 1,000 supporters plan to march to Ewood Park as they demand that Indian-based owners Venky\’s act.
Venky\’s chiefs, who will be at Ewood Park on Saturday, have since come out and urged the disgruntled faithful to give their backing to the Lancashire club.
And Kean says everyone should be united, and said: “I understand their frustration as I\’ve been frustrated myself and the players too.
“We feel that we have played well enough to have more points so we all share that frustration.
“What we need is for everyone to stick with us and give us their backing. There have been a couple of frustrating results, although the performances have been good in parts and we\’ve just got to put it together for 90 minutes.
“The owners are frustrated as well. We are all anxious and anticipating the points to go with our performances.
“It\’s good that the owners have come out and backed the club and asked the fans to support the team.”
Blackburn got off the mark for the campaign, after three straight league defeats, with a 1-1 draw with Fulham last time out.
And defender Chris Samba believes Blackburn can use that result as a springboard to secure their first league win of the season against Arsenal.
“I think it was a good point at Fulham and that was very important,” said Samba.
“It can be a turning point. Arsenal is a good game, but if we work hard I think we can win the game.”
“We have many good players and a good team so think we can win. I think the team can get confidence from the Fulham game and kick on from this.”
Kean will be without Ryan Nelsen while David Dunn and Morten Gamst Pedersen face late fitness tests. Junior Hoilett, who received a sickening bang to the head in a collision with Mark Schwarzer at Craven Cottage, has recovered from concussion.
… [read more]

Ton-up Hussey leads Aussies to 316 in Colombo

Sep 17, 2011 – COLOMBO:Michael Hussey continued his prolific form on Australia\’s Sri Lanka tour with another century to lift the visitors to a first innings total of 316 in the third and final Test.
Australia, who resumed their first innings at their overnight score of 235-5, on Saturday suffered a lower order collapse to be bowled out 10 minutes before lunch on the second day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Sri Lanka, seeking a series-levelling win, were nine for no loss after three overs at lunch, with Tharanga Paranavitana on eight and Lahiri Thirimanne on one.
Left-handed Hussey followed a match-winning 95 in the first Test in Galle and 142 in the drawn second game at Pallekele with a fluent 118 studded with 12 boundaries and two sixes.
The 36-year-old West Australian, playing his 62nd Test, passed 5,000 Test runs on way to his 15th century — the fourth against Sri Lanka.
Hussey was last man out, bowled by debutant seamer Shaminda Eranga, who finished with four for 65 after taking a wicket with his first delivery in Test cricket on Friday.
Left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara claimed three for 75, while new-ball partner Suranga Lakmal took 2-60.
Brad Haddin put on 75 for the sixth wicket with Hussey before he was the first batsman to be removed in the morning session, caught behind off Eranga.
Hussey reached the 5,000-run mark with two consecutive boundaries off Welegedara that took his score to 99.
Hussey then watched from the other end as Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle were dismissed off successive balls by Welegedera, but Trent Copeland denied the seamer a hat-trick.
Hussey reached his century with a flick off Rangana Herath for a single, earning himself warm applause from his team-mates in the dressing room and 2,000 fans at the ground.
Welegedara picked up his third wicket when he had Copeland caught at second slip by Mahela Jayawardene as the Aussies slipped from 293-6 to 295-9.
Hussey scored 18 in a last-wicket stand of 21 with Nathan Lyon, including a reverse sweep off Herath to the third man fence after Sri Lanka had placed seven fielders on the leg-side.
Australia had been reduced to 22-2 in the ninth over on Friday after being sent in to bat by Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan.
… [read more]

Cycle rally held to mark World Environment Day

Sep 17, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Environment Minister Hemraj Tatendra inaugurated the cycle rally organised to mark the World Environment Day in Basantapur on Saturday.
As many as 50 cyclists including widely acclaimed cyclist Pushkar Shah are attending the rally jointly organised by World Tour Campaign Coordination Committee and Tourism Journalists” Association Nepal with the objective of creating massive public awareness towards protecting environment and promoting tourism.
Also present in the rally are Rajendra Sapkota and Rupak Khadka, who have recently accomplished the SAARC cycle tour.
The cycle rally will be concluded with cultural programme after reaching Bhaktapur.
On the occasion, the Minister said the government will move ahead in coordination with social organizations for the protection of environment, which has surfaced as a key challenge of the contemporary society.
Programme Coordinator Devi Panta pledged to give continuity to such campaign for the protection of environment and national heritages.
… [read more]

1 killed‚ 3 injured in Jhapa tractor mishap

Sep 17, 2011 – BHADRAPUR: A woman died and three others were injured when a tractor overturned along the Mechi highway on Friday afternoon.
Bahumaya (59) of Nangkholyang-6 of Taplejung district died on the spot, according to Zonal Police Office, Bhadrapur.
Seriously injured, Narmaya Rai (35) and Rajkumar Rai (45) of Nangkholyang-6, are undergoing treatment in Fidim hospital in Panchthar.
The accident took place when a tractor (Ko 1 Ta 3731) en route to Taplejung headquarters from Panchthar overturned in Thechambu-5 of Taplejung.
Police have arrested the tractor driver for further investigation, said police office.
… [read more]

Adulterated foodstuffs destroyed in Dhankuta

Sep 17, 2011 – DHANKUTA: A Market Inspection Team deputed under the leadership of District Administration Office (DAO) seized and destroyed a huge quantity of date-expired and adulterated foodstuffs kept for sale in around three dozens of groceries.
The team while raiding the shops of Sidhuwa bazaar found the trend of selling human and livestock medications in Mahendra Clinic. Also found was the sale of date-expired medicines of epidemic diseases, the team informed.
Likewise, inedible substances were detected in the alcohol of Umanga Brand reading Golden Global Liquors Pvt. Ltd seized from a dozen groceries of the market while the liquors of Blast and Night Rovers brand are also found with no tag of manufacturing company, address and date.
Likewise, DAO started investigating into the cases of adulteration and substandard foods after finding the packets of ginger powder tagging BKM Gond Biratnagar-13 without company name, manufacturing date, price and weight.
The inspection team also destroyed a huge quantity of date-expired noodles, spices, biscuits and other fast food items.
… [read more]

Child protection committee formed in Mahottari

Sep 17, 2011 – GAUSHALA: Sugama Child Protection Committee has been formed in Mahottari for the children who have been rendered helpless and orphaned.
The committee has been formed on the presence of local dignitaries including intellectuals, civil society leaders, VDC secretary, child rights activists, human rights defenders and different walks of life of Suga village, informed journalist Nagendra Karna.
The committee will collect data of the children deprived of their rights and work to enhance their access to justice and entitlements, he further said.
Ram Chandra Paswan is the chair of the nine-member committee
… [read more]

Audio-Visual teaching learning in Palpa

Sep 17, 2011 – TANSEN: Teaching-learning through audio-visual aids has been initiated at Bhairab Janata Higher Secondary School, Bhairabsthan for the first time.
The curricular activities through the use of audio-visual aids has been started to make child learning effective and easier.
Teaching and learning process will be result-oriented since students comprehend the subject matters easily while delivering classes through the use of CD of the text as per their wish, informed school teacher Sita Gautam.
Modern teaching skills and technology has been used to enhance children”s knowledge and perception, said Chairperson of School Management Committee, Gopal Pokharel.
The arrangement has been made with the financial assistance worth Rs 35,000 from the school management committee.
… [read more]

Somalia has world’s highest infant mortality rate

Sep 17, 2011 – NAIROBI:The U.N. says Somali children are more likely to die before they turn 5 than those in any other country in the world.
Somalia\’s child mortality rate in 2010 stood at 180 deaths per 1,000 live births. That now ranks as the worst in the world. Analysts also say even more children are dying now because of widespread famine and disease.
Friday\’s press release says less than a third of 1-year-olds are immunized against deadly diseases, and more than 70 percent of the population doesn\’t have clean water.
The U.N. has declared six areas in south-central Somalia famine zones. It also says cases of measles, pneumonia, and diarrhea are increasing and set to spike during rainy season in October. … [read more]

UN approves Libya seat for former rebels

Sep 17, 2011 – UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations gave strong backing to Libya\’s former rebels Friday, handing their National Transitional Council the country\’s U.N. seat and then lifting and modifying some sanctions imposed on Moammar Gadhafi\’s regime.
The General Assembly\’s vote to accept the credentials of the National Transitional Council, which led the rebellion that ousted Gadhafi, gave its representative the right to speak at the United Nations. Libya\’s former deputy ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi, who early on denounced Gadhafi and backed the rebels, addressed the Security Council hours later.
“Today is undoubtedly a decisive, historic day in the life of the Libyan people,” Dabbashi said. “It is an indication that dictatorship has fallen, a period of terror, of denial of freedom, and of violation of human rights has now come to an end for the Libyan people.”
“The fact that the National Transitional Council today takes Libya\’s seat at these United Nations indicates that a new page has been opened in history of the Libyan people – a page that has been marked by the blood of Libya\’s sons,” he said.
Dabbashi spoke after the Security Council unanimously approved a resolution establishing a new U.N. mission in Libya in response to a request from the NTC for help in establishing the new government.
The resolution also unfreezes assets of two Libyan oil companies, lifts a ban on flights by Libyan aircraft and modifies an arms embargo to allow Libyan authorities now controlling the country to buy arms “intended solely for security or disarmament assistance.”
Under the resolution, the no-fly zone imposed in March after Gadhafi launched his crackdown on regime opponents will remain in place but be kept under review.
The resolution lifts the asset freeze on the Libyan National Oil Corporation and Zueitina Oil Company and modifies the asset freeze on the Central Bank of Libya, the Libyan Foreign Bank, the Libyan Investment Authority and the Libyan Africa Investment Portfolio. But the Security Council retained the asset freeze and travel ban against Gadhafi and key family members and regime supporters.
The resolution establishes a United Nations Support Mission in Libya for an initial period of three months with a mandate to assist the new government in restoring security and the rule of law, promoting national reconciliation and embarking on the process of writing a constitution and preparing for elections. The NTC did not request any U.N. peacekeeping troops.
The NTC easily won support in the General Assembly earlier Friday to take the Libyan seat held by Gadhafi\’s government for the past 42 years.
In addition to allowing Dabbashi speak in the Security Council soon after, the vote means that a senior council official will be able to join world leaders and speak for Libya at next week\’s ministerial session of the General Assembly.
“This has been an historic day for Libya and a very good day for the United Nations,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said.
“We all stand witness to the birth of a new Libya,” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said.
The resolution giving the NTC Libya\’s U.N. seat was approved by a vote of 114-17 with 15 abstentions, revealing divisions in Africa and Latin America over who should represent Libya.
Ahmed Omar Bani, a military spokesman for Libya\’s transitional government, said the U.N. decision proved that Gadhafi\’s regime was over.
“We are so proud because … that means we are the right people who have the right to lead this country,” Bani told The Associated Press.
The General Assembly\’s credentials committee had unanimously recommended that the former rebels be seated. Its chairman, Panama\’s U.N. Ambassador Pablo Antonio Thalassinos, said Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, who heads the NTC, had sent a letter seeking to take over Libya\’s seat.
But the committee\’s recommendation faced opposition from a left-leaning Latin America trade group, ALBA, that includes Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba among others.
Venezuela\’s U.N. Ambassador Jorge Valero, speaking on behalf of the group, accused NATO forces of carrying out “criminal air raids … in order to install a puppet government” and said seating the council “would represent an abominable precedent.”
The Southern African Development Community regional bloc also opposed giving the NTC credentials immediately, on the grounds that rebels did not yet constitute a government, but it failed to win support to defer the vote.
Egypt\’s U.N. Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz urged the General Assembly to seat the NTC, saying close to 90 U.N. member states have recognized the NTC as the only representative of the Libyan people. As Libya\’s neighbor, he said, Egypt “is the best witness of the most horrifying times that the people of Libya have lived as a result of an oppressive regime that ruled Libya for more than 40 years.” … [read more]

England beat India to seal 3-0 series win

Sep 17, 2011 – CARDIFF: England defeated India by six wickets in a rain-affected match here Friday to complete a 3-0 one-day series victory over the reigning world champions.
India looked to have posted a formidable total after piling up 304-6 off their 50 overs, with Virat Kohli lashing a superb century and veteran Rahul Dravid contributing 69 in his farewell one-dayer.
However sporadic rain showers delayed the start of the England run chase at Sophia Gardens, and when play finally resumed England had been set a revised Duckworth-Lewis target of 270 to win in 40 overs.
England captain Alastair Cook and number three Jonathan Trott both contributed half centuries before debutant Jonny Bairstow slashed an unbeaten 41 with Ravi Bopara 36 not out to steer the hosts to victory. … [read more]

Paul McCartney‚ Nancy Shevell to wed in London

Sep 17, 2011 – LONDON:Paul McCartney is set to tie the knot at the venue where he first married more than 40 years ago.
Officials said Friday that the former Beatle and fiancee Nancy Shevell have posted a notice of intention to marry at London\’s Marylebone Town Hall.
Westminster Council, which oversees the venue, said the notice was posted Wednesday, meaning the couple could marry anytime after September 30. They have a year to hold the ceremony.
The document lists the musician under his full name, James Paul McCartney, and describes him as a “business executive.” It gives the couple\’s address as McCartney\’s London home.
Alison Cathcart, Westminster Council\’s superintendent registrar, said she would be officiating and was “delighted that Paul and Nancy have chosen Marylebone Town Hall for their special day.”
“Lots of couples get married here because of the venue\’s reputation as a rock \’n\’ roll place to tie the knot and this ceremony will certainly continue that legacy,” she said.
The century-old town hall is a modest venue, but its central London location means it has seen many celebrity weddings, including those of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Oasis singer Liam Gallagher.
Couples can choose among the Yellow Room, which holds 20 people, the larger Blue Room, the Art Deco-influenced Purple Room and the wood-panelled Reception Room, which seats 100 guests.
McCartney, 69, married his first wife Linda at the venue in 1969. She died of cancer in 1998, and he later married Heather Mills. They divorced in 2008.
The musician and Shevell have been dating for four years and announced their engagement in May.
It is the second marriage for 51-year-old Shevell. She was married for more than 20 years to attorney Bruce Blakeman and serves on the board of New York\’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
She also is a vice president of a New Jersey-based trucking company owned by her father.
McCartney\’s spokesman, Stuart Bell, declined to comment on wedding plans. … [read more]

Palestinians to seek full U.N. membership: Abbas

Sep 16, 2011 – RAMALLAH: President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday he would demand full membership of the United Nations for a Palestinian state when he goes to the U.N. General Assembly next week, setting up a diplomatic clash with Israel and the United States.
“We are going to the United Nations to request our legitimate right, obtaining full membership for Palestine in this organization,” Abbas said in a televised speech.
“We are going to the Security Council,” he added, to rapturous applause from his audience of Palestinian leaders in Ramallah, signaling his determination to press ahead despite efforts by U.S. and European officials to dissuade him.
Both Israel and its main ally, the United States, firmly oppose the initiative, arguing that a Palestinian state can only be created through direct negotiations.
The Palestinians say almost 20 years of on-off direct talks on statehood envisaged by interim peace accords have hit a dead end for reasons including Israel\’s refusal to stop expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands it took in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and which Palestinians want, along with the Gaza Strip, for an independent state.
The last round of the U.S.-backed talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu collapsed nearly a year ago when the Jewish state declined to extend a partial moratorium on West Bank settlement building.
A full halt to such construction on territory the Palestinians say they need for a viable state is one condition they have set for a resumption of negotiations. Israel withdrew settlers from tiny, coastal Gaza in 2005.
Abbas said the U.N. step would not “end the occupation,” but would strengthen the Palestinians\’ hand.
Washington has already said it will veto any statehood resolution in the Security Council and some U.S. politicians have said they will try to cut American aid to the Palestinians, totaling some $500 million a year, if they refuse to back down.
A statement from Netanyahu\’s office issued after the speech said the Palestinians were “systematically” avoiding direct talks with Israel.
Abbas said recognition as a state would allow a return to peace talks, but on a stronger footing. “Negotiations, no matter how difficult, will be between one state and another.”
A flurry of diplomacy led predominantly by the European Union has sought to avert the U.N. showdown by seeking a deal that would bring about a return to talks within weeks, diplomats say. However, the mediation is struggling in the face of long-standing disagreements over the terms of reference.
HAMAS SAYS ANY RESULT “COSMETIC”
Failing that, the EU has also been trying to avoid a Security Council confrontation by persuading the Palestinians to accept a diluted upgrade to their status at the United Nations, where they are currently recognized as an “entity.”
If Washington does veto the resolution, as expected, the Palestinians could then go to the full U.N. General Assembly. It does not have the power to grant them full membership, but could recognize Palestine as a non-member state.
Such a move would give the Palestinians possible access to other international bodies, including the International Criminal Court, from where it could seek to sue Israel over its longtime occupation of the West Bank.
Abbas said there was no decision on alternative options the Palestinians could pursue in the event of failure.
“If we succeed, and this is what we are working toward, then we must know that the day following the recognition of the state, the occupation will not end,” Abbas said.
“But we will have obtained the world\’s recognition that our state is occupied and that our land is occupied and not disputed territory, as the Israeli government claims,” he said.
Abbas\’ Islamist rivals in the Hamas movement, which governs Gaza, dismissed the plan. A spokesman said any result would be “cosmetic, especially when Mahmoud Abbas said his aim is to return to the negotiations with the occupation after all.”
The Arab League on Tuesday threw its support behind Abbas\’s initiative. Arab foreign ministers, who began efforts in July to organize backing for the Palestinian bid, decided to set up a team comprising the League head and six League members to further pursue the controversial statehood application.
Long criticized at home for appearing weak in the face foreign pressure, Abbas signaled no retreat from his plan.
“You certainly don\’t believe me,” he joked during the speech, adding that he would present the application after delivering his speech to the General Assembly on September 23 — when Netanyahu is also addressing the gathering
He also stressed that any popular protests in support of his initiative should be peaceful. Israel fears that the U.N. showdown could spark violence across the West Bank and is putting its forces on high alert in the area.
A French government official warned of a race against time.
“What (Europeans) would like is the relaunch of peace talks. Our feeling is that time is running out for peace and even more so with the Arab Spring,” he said, alluding to popular revolutions in several Arab countries this year.
“These states will be democratic countries that will have to consider public opinion even more … Today we still have a window of opportunity for peace but the feeling is that if these renewed peace talks don\’t happen then the Palestinian territories, which are fairly calm (now), could explode.” … [read more]

Gaddafi loyalists put Libyan forces to flight

Sep 16, 2011 – BANI WALID/SIRTE: Diehard loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi fired barrages of rockets and mortars to repel an assault by Libyan interim government forces on one of their last bastions on Friday and also held off an advance on another.
Forced to retreat from Bani Walid by a heavily armed and well dug-in force estimated at several hundred, columns of fighters in pick-up trucks raced back out of the interior desert town after a day that began with talk of ending the siege and of capturing senior figures from the old ruling elite.
Separately, at Gaddafi\’s home town of Sirte on the coast, the forces of the National Transitional Council (NTC) closed in on pockets of resistance scattered across the city but there was no sign of a rapid end to a siege which has last for weeks.
Nearly four weeks after the rebel coalition overran Gaddafi\’s capital Tripoli, the reverse at Bani Walid was a blow to the new leadership, which has said a timetable for drawing up a democratic constitution and holding elections will not start until all of Libya\’s vast territory is “liberated.”
“We have received orders to retreat. We have been hit by many rockets. We will come back later,” Assad al-Hamuri, one of the fighters pulling out of Bani Walid, said amid a frantic withdrawal, marked by shouting, anger and disappointment.
“We need to reorganize troops and stock up on ammunition,” said another fighter, Saraj Abdelrazaq, as fighting followed a rhythm of ebb and flow familiar since the uprising against 42 years of maverick personal rule by Gaddafi began in February.
“We are waiting for orders to go back in again.”
Despite the frustrations of trying to capture remaining territory, as well as Gaddafi himself and several of his sons,
Libya\’s new leaders are getting on with the business of government, trying to impose order on a host of irregular armed forces and restart the oil-based economy.
Their latest foreign visitor was Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who hailed the fate of Gaddafi as an example to Turkey\’s neighbor Syria. He also called on the people of Sirte to give up the fight and make peace.
HEAVY FIRE
At Bani Walid, a Reuters correspondent watched anti-Gaddafi fighters move forward under mortar, rocket and sniper fire, edging from house to house and sheltering behind walls from shrapnel and bullets. The central market and a faux-ancient castle built for Gaddafi on a hilltop were heavily defended.
Many of the town\’s 100,000 residents fled in recent days.
It was also unclear how many civilians remain in Sirte, a sprawling city of a similar size, which Gaddafi created out of his native village. NTC fighters, who brought up scores of machinegun-mounted pickup trucks and a handful of tanks, spoke of scattered clusters of heavily armed opponents dug in there.
Contact has not been possible with Gaddafi loyalists inside the two towns, as well as at Sabha, deep in Libya\’s southern desert where several senior Gaddafi aides have been lately.
Details of developments around Sabha are scant, but a British military spokesman said that British jets had fired about two dozen Brimstone missiles to destroy a group of Libyan armored vehicles near the desert town on Thursday.
TURKISH VISIT
Erdogan, visiting a day after the French and British leaders credited by the NTC with rallying support for them abroad, displayed Turkey\’s Muslim credentials by joining NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil for Friday prayers at Tripoli\’s newly renamed Martyrs\’ Square, once a showcase for Gaddafi.
While some in Tripoli recalled Ankara\’s initial hesitation to join its NATO allies against Gaddafi, many see in Muslim, democratic Turkey — the colonial power in Libya until a century ago — a model for their country to follow.
“Maybe it\’s in his own interests,” said 84-year-old Mawloud Mohammed Zgalli said as he waited for Erdogan to speak. “He\’s a decent man, but he helped the Muslims. You have to thank him.”
Erdogan addressed people in beleaguered Sirte, where supplies have been cut off: “From here I call out to Sirte,” he said. “Come, right now … embrace your brothers in Tripoli. Spilling blood does not suit us. Let us come together.”
COMPLEX LOYALTIES
Gaddafi, 69, remains at large and commands loyalty from at least hundreds of armed men, concentrated in areas from Sirte through Bani Walid and Sabha, creating a corridor in the vast empty spaces of the desert through which members of Gaddafi\’s family and senior aides have reached Algeria and Niger.
Niger\’s justice minister said on Friday it would not send one of Gaddafi\’s sons, Saadi, back to Libya. “You have to understand that Niger, concerning its international obligations, cannot hand over someone to a place or country where the person has no chance of getting a fair trial and risks the death penalty,” Marou Amadou told a news conference.
“If that person was, however, wanted by an independent tribunal or a state that has universal competence to try them, then Niger will do its duty,” he said.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam for alleged war crimes, but not for Saadi, who is known abroad chiefly for his obsession with soccer.
In Bani Walid, traditional stronghold of Libya\’s biggest tribal grouping, a complex mix of loyalties is a proving ground for the ability of the new leadership in Tripoli to hold together a nation whose historic divisions Gaddafi exploited during his four decades of idiosyncratic and often bloody rule.
NTC fighters said they had arrested several suspected Gaddafi loyalists. But one such man, sitting on the back of a pickup truck in handcuffs, protested his innocence.
“I\’m not with the militia, I\’m innocent. I\’m free to support whoever I want,” said the man, clutching a green medallion — a symbol of Gaddafi support.
At Sirte\’s outskirts, NTC fighters massed around a breeze-block mosque while others drove toward the center accompanied by two tanks. Mohammed, a 23-year-old fighter from the city of Misrata, said the resistance was coming from pockets of Gaddafi supporters dotted around a city which Gaddafi developed from a village into a would-be “capital of Africa.”
“Gaddafi has been gathering heavy weapons for 42 years … We are regrouping, pulling back, hitting them with heavy weapons and then advancing again.”
Gaddafi\’s spokesman said he had thousands of supporters.
“We are telling you that as of tomorrow there will be atrocious attacks by NATO and their agents on the ground on the resisting towns of Sirte, Bani Walid and Sabha,” Moussa Ibrahim told Syrian-based Arrai television late on Thursday.
The television said 16 people had been killed in Sirte, including women and children, as a result of NATO bombing, and that Gaddafi forces had destroyed a NATO warship and vehicles.
A NATO spokesman dismissed those claims and said its air forces struck military targets, including a tank and several missile systems, but was unaware of any civilian casualties.
“It is clear,” he said, “that Gaddafi forces are once again trying to spread rumors, claiming unsubstantiated victories and attempting to terrorize the local population.” … [read more]

Finnish police arrest 2 on terror suspicions

Sep 16, 2011 – HELSINKI: Authorities in Finland have arrested two people on suspicion of financing terrorism and terror recruitment, police said Friday. The detentions were the first known terror-linked arrests in the Nordic country.
The two suspects were arrested Sept. 7 and are in jail, the National Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. Security officials carried out “a lengthy investigation” prior to the arrests, the statement said.
It did not specify where the suspects were picked up, but said that afterward officers uncovered evidence in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Bureau spokeswoman Tuula Kyren confirmed the information, but declined further comment. She said officials would reveal more in a press conference Saturday. Finnish security police did not immediately return calls on Friday evening.
Although Finland has been spared, neighboring Scandinavian countries have seen several terrorist attacks in recent years.
On July 22, a Norwegian right-wing extremist killed 69 people in a shooting spree at a youth camp after he exploded a car bomb outside government offices in Oslo, killing eight people.
Last month, officials in Denmark filed preliminary charges of attempted terrorism against five men after they allegedly tried to burn down two police buildings and a bank in Copenhagen. In May, a Chechen-born man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for preparing a letter bomb that exploded in a Copenhagen hotel in 2010.
And last year, a suicide bomber targeting Christmas shoppers killed himself and injured two people in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
Danish authorities have said that they have also foiled a series of terror plots linked to the 2005 newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered fiery protests in Muslim countries. … [read more]

The Trip: A comic‚ deep meditation on life

Sep 16, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Roger Ebert”s late friend and also movie critic Gene Siskel used to say after a particularly good movie: “I wish I”d seen a documentary about the same actors having lunch.” A whimsical new movie named The Trip puts his theory to the test. We”ve seen Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon co-starring in Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005), and now here they are having lunch.
The pretence is that the Observer newspaper has assigned Coogan to do an article about dining in the north of England. His qualifications seem to be that he was born in Manchester, and he eats. When his girlfriend begs off the tour, he recruits his old friend Brydon to drive along, magnanimously offering to give him 45 per cent of the fee. Brydon bids farewell to his wife and child, and the two set off in Coogan”s Land Rover under grey winter skies.
The film, directed by Michael Winterbottom, consists of (1) Coogan and Brydon talking in the car; (2) Coogan and Brydon talking at breakfast, lunch, dinner; (3) Coogan”s luck at seducing hotel staff members; (4) Coogan standing alone in chilly but lovely landscapes trying to find a signal for his cell phone; (5) food being prepared and served, and (6) shots of the car on motorways and country lanes.
This is a great deal more entertaining than it sounds, in large part because the two actors are gifted mimics – Brydon the better one, although Coogan doesn”t think so. They get into a sort of competition that allows them to compete with their versions of such as Michael Caine, Ian McKellen, Sean Connery, Woody Allen and others. Brydon does a virtuoso impression of Caine”s voice evolving from his early days in The Ipcress File through decades of whiskey and cigars into its present richness.
There”s an undercurrent of rivalry throughout, based on what Coogan sees as his greater fame, success and talent. What especially bugs him is that he”s seen as a comic actor and denied a shot at the heavy duty A-list material he feels he deserves. He also sees himself as more handsome, fitter and successful than Brydon, and from the way he considers his hair in a mirror you”d think he wanted it to look that way.
Curiously, they give only perfunctory attention to the many meals they eat, although Winterbottom faithfully goes into the kitchens to show each one being prepared. Scallops are featured in at least half the meals. One breakfast centers on black pudding, which I believe is best eaten with the eyes closed.
Along the way, they visit Lake District sites associated with Wordsworth and Coleridge, quote copiously, and speculate on Coleridge”s use of opium. Coogan”s reaction shot is priceless when one woman recognizes Brydon but not him. There”s an undercurrent: Brydon has a family to return to in a cozy home; Coogan has a son he”s distant from and a barren, modern apartment.
The movie is a rumination on friendship, loneliness, aspiration and the gravity that knowledge and maturity brings and what it doesn”t.
Says Scott Weinberg, “Coogan and Brydon make for an endlessly watchable duo who banter brilliantly. Coogan is a stunningly quick wit, Brydon is an endearingly funny master of impersonations and their non-stop chat sessions are both intelligent and rather bizarre. Much of the fun comes from seeing two professional comics try to one-up (or crack up) the other, and this allows much of The Trip to feel like a comfy session of eavesdropping. One imagines that a real dinner between Coogan and Brydon would feel a lot like this movie.” … [read more]

More News from – The Himalayan Times

eKantipur News

Maoists deviated from CPA, says Poudel

Sep 17, 2011 – Nepali Congress (NC) Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poduel accused the UCPN (Maoist) of deviating from the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA). … [read more]

Nepal’s hosts its first literary fair in Kathmandu

Sep 17, 2011 – The Nepalese capital of Kathmandu is hosting its first ever literary festival with 60 Nepali and international writers taking part. … [read more]

Nasa’s Kepler telescope finds planet orbiting two suns

Sep 17, 2011 – A planet orbiting two suns – the first confirmed alien world of its kind – has been found by Nasa’s Kepler telescope, the US space agency announced. … [read more]

Eyelid marks warn of heart attack

Sep 17, 2011 – Yellow markings on the eyelids are a sign of increased risk of heart attack and other illnesses, say researchers in Denmark. … [read more]

India’s Modi fasts, seeks to end riot controversy

Sep 17, 2011 – Controversial Indian Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi began a fast Saturday. … [read more]

Nepal in ‘last chance’ for peace: PM

Sep 17, 2011 – Nepal’s new prime minister used his first public address on Friday to warn that the nation is being given its “last chance” to unite in peace. … [read more]

Palestinian leader wants full UN membership

Sep 17, 2011 – The Palestinian president said Friday that he will ask the U.N. Security Council next week to endorse his statehood bid. … [read more]

Gachhadar vows not to interfere in Home Ministry

Sep 17, 2011 – DPM and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar has remarked that he would make all the Home Ministry free from political intervention and corruption. … [read more]

Poudel rules out constitution before integration

Sep 17, 2011 – Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel ruled out the possibility of drafting the new constitution before the integration of Maoist combatants. … [read more]

Saudi crash out as Nepal end goal drought

Sep 17, 2011 – Nepal held Saudi Arabia to 1-1 draw after skipper Heman Gurung ended Nepal’s goal drought at the AFC U-16 Group D Qualifier. … [read more]

Student union padlocks nursing colleges

Sep 17, 2011 – Activists of the All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU) padlocked all nursing colleges in Rupandehi on Friday. … [read more]

Beneath Everest listed for Milano film festival

Sep 17, 2011 – The documentary ‘Beneath Everest-Nepal Reborn’, directed by Tulsi Bhandari has been selected for the Milano Film Festival to be held on September 9 -11 in Milan … [read more]

Cabinet approves govt’s austerity plans

Sep 17, 2011 – The Cabinet approved the 102-point “Directive for austerity measures in government expenditure-2011” as part of the government plan to minimise expenditure. … [read more]

PM Bhattarai meets Prez Yadav

Sep 17, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and President Dr Ram Baran Yadav held discussions on the current political situation at the latter’s office in Sheetal Niwas. … [read more]

3 dead, 56 injured in horrific Reno air show crash

Sep 17, 2011 – A World War II-era fighter plane flown by a veteran Hollywood stunt pilot plunged Friday into the edge of the grandstands during a popular air race, killing thr … [read more]

Seven dead in Rolpa landslide

Sep 17, 2011 – At least seven people were killed when their houses were hit by landslides in Ruinibang bazaar in Rolpa district in the wee hours of Saturday morning. … [read more]

Maithili Literature: glimpse of a journey

Sep 17, 2011 – Certain salient facts make one realise the weight and significance of the heritage of Maithili literature. … [read more]

The Language Divide

Sep 17, 2011 – With over a hundred distinct languages spoken within its borders, Nepal is a linguistically rich and diverse country. … [read more]

Outcastes in literature

Sep 17, 2011 – Movements for the assertion of Dalit rights and identity are no new phenomenon to Nepali politics. … [read more]

TIME’S a goon

Sep 17, 2011 – The Pulitzer Prize-winning new novel by Jennifer Egan, A Visit From the Goon Squad, boasts many interesting elements, but it is the character of Sasha … [read more]

More News from – eKantipur News

Nepali Times

PM addresses the parliament

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reiterated his commitment to implement the past agreements and urged the … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 15, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers for the third time on Thursday, taking its strength to … [read more]

CIAA annual report released

Sep 15, 2011 – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) released its annual report for the fiscal year 2010/11 on … [read more]

Former NAC chaiman remanded to custody

Sep 14, 2011 – The District Court, Kathmandu, has remanded former chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Ramagya Prasad Chaturvedi to police custody, enforcing the Supreme Court … [read more]

Maoists meet NC

Sep 14, 2011 – The talks held between the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress today ended inconclusively. During the talks, the Maoist side proposed that the number of combatants to be integrated and the rehabilitation package should be decided first to be … [read more]

Tourist arrival at ACAP record high

Sep 14, 2011 – The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) recorded the highest number of tourists visiting the ACAP this … [read more]

UML proposal approved

Sep 14, 2011 – The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting on Wednesday unanimously approved the special proposal tabled by the Party Chairman Jhalanath … [read more]

Micro-hydro project in Arghakhachi

Sep 12, 2011 – Over 120 families of Subarnakhal VDC have benefitted from … [read more]

Do people really matter?

Sep 10, 2011 – Less than two weeks in the government, the Baburam government has come out with an ambitious relief program on Friday. … [read more]

Stolen treasure found

Sep 10, 2011 – The famous bronze Laxmi Narayan figure that was the centerpiece of the Sundari Chok of Patan Durbar Square has been retrieved by police on Friday … [read more]

Obstinate politicos, carefree nation

Sep 5, 2011 – The row over the keys handover to the special committee does not seem to die down. … [read more]

Cabinet expanded

Sep 4, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai expanded the Council of Ministers on Sunday, adding 13 more members to make it a 15-member … [read more]

Naya Patrika office vandalised

Sep 4, 2011 – An unknown gang vandalised the office of the Naya Patrika, a daily paper based at Kamal Pokhari on … [read more]

Maoists pick six ministries

Sep 4, 2011 – The UCPN (Maoist) finalised the name of six ministers to join the government from the party’s … [read more]

Keys handed over

Sep 2, 2011 – The UCPN (Maoist) has kick-started the arms handover process from Thursday evening. … [read more]

More News from – Nepali Times

Google News – Nepal

– Nepal hosts literary festival for first time – Zee News. more >>
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Yahoo News – Nepal

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Bing News – Nepal

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The Himalayan Times

Press Union rips apart PM statement on media

Sep 16, 2011 – KATHMANDU: The Nepal Press Union has expressed its dissatisfaction on the view of Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai on the media while addressing the House on Friday.
PM Bhattarai has said that the media has to give a deposit amount to ensure the investment and future security while operating as an industry.
Issuing a press release, the Union”s general secretary Shiva Lamsal said that the PM”s comments in the Legislature-Parliament went against the independent media and right to information of the people.
“The Prime Minister”s statement in the House on Friday is intended to curtail the press freedom and freedom of rights which are the historical achievements of the 1990 movement,” reads the statement, adding “It is against the development of the media. This is a blatant move against the implementation of the act of minimum wages for the journalists and a failure to monitor the media effectively.”
The Union urged to ensure the freedom of rights and right to information of the people and implement the Minimum Wages Act for the Journalists to preserve the rights of journalists at the earliest.
… [read more]

Activists: Syrian troops kill 15 in raids‚ rallies

Sep 16, 2011 – BEIRUT: Activists say the Syrian regime has killed 15 people during the latest raids and opposition protests across the nation.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says two protesters were killed in the central city of Homs when security forces started shooting at demonstrators who streamed into the streets after Friday prayers.
The group also says raids earlier on Friday killed five in the central province of Hama and eight people in the northwestern region of Jabal al-Zawiya.
The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, also put the day\’s death toll at 15.
The popular uprising started in Syria in mid-March and President Bashar Assad has reacted with deadly force.
The U.N. estimates some 2,600 people have been killed.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP\’s earlier story is below.
BEIRUT (AP) – Syrian security forces opened fire at protesters who streamed into the streets after Friday prayers, hours after troops killed at least four people in raids in the central province of Hama, activists said.
The activists said there was no immediate word on casualties regarding the shooting at protesters after the prayers. The Syrian opposition called for protests Friday, labeling it, “we will continue until we bring down the regime.”
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said intense shooting was heard around the Rawda mosque in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour. It added that forces opened fire at protesters outside a mosque in the Damascus suburb of Daraya.
Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said thousands poured into the streets of predominantly Kurdish northeastern towns such as Qamishli, Amouda, and Derbasiyeh.
The observatory said that raids earlier Friday in the central province of Hama left at least four people dead and 11 wounded.
State-run TV said a policeman was killed and four wounded Friday when they came under fire in the village of Busra Hariri in the southern province of Daraa, where the protests sparked six months ago.
A popular uprising began in Syria in mid-March, amid a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that have already toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. President Bashar Assad has reacted with deadly force that the U.N. estimates has left some 2,600 people dead.
Syria has disputed accounts of civilian deaths and says the regime is fighting terrorists and thugs – not true reform seekers. A senior Assad adviser, Buthaina Shaaban, said Monday that the toll was really 1,400 – evenly split between security forces and the opposition. … [read more]

CC sets ball rolling on constitutional body appointments

Sep 16, 2011 – KATHMANDU: A meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) decided on Friday to appoint heads and members for the vacant posts at the various constitutional bodies via a free competition.
The first meeting held at Singha Durbar today after the appointment of Dr. Baburam Bhattarai as the PM, endorsed the working procedure (Terms of Reference) to this effect.
As per the procedure, applications will be called through the public notices to submit their forms by the interested candidates within 15 days and the government will have to select and appoint eligible candidates for the posts.
Earlier, several rounds of CC meetings held during the tenure of the previous government had failed to take decision to this effect at the various constitutional bodies including the Election Commission and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) due to differences among the major three parties.
Many posts in the constitutional bodies, including that of chief commissioner in the CIAA and Commissioner, and members in the Public Service Commission and the post of Auditor General are vacant for the last three years.
… [read more]

Dahal confident on consensus for peace‚ statute

Sep 16, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that he will continue his maximum efforts to conclude the peace process and draft the new constitution though consensus was not forged with the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML.
Speaking at an interaction organised by ABC Television here in the capital today, the former prime minister however said, “I am confident that the peace process and constitution writing will be completed through consensus.”
Stating the Maoist party was considering the opinions of all parties regarding the peace process and constitution, Dahal reiterated that his party was ready to demonstrate maximum flexibility to take all parties into confidence. He said he was very excited after holding discussions with the NC leaders in the recent days and assured that there will be progress in peace process within some days.
Tangible changes can happen in next two and half months if the political parties were honest but the Maoist party itself will work for peace to fulfill the wishes of people if other political parties were not responsible, Dahal added. “Maoist party is ready to sacrifice if other political parties were honest.”
He however said people”s verdict was acceptable to the Maoist party if obstacles were created despite the Maoist party”s honesty to complete the peace process and draft the constitution in the stipulated timeframe.
Dahal said, “No one has rights to make negative comments on government”s effort as the government is effortful to complete the peace process.”
… [read more]

World stocks buoyed by central banks action

Sep 16, 2011 – LONDON: Global stocks remained buoyed by the decision of five top central banks to provide unlimited amounts of dollar loans to the banking sector, easing one of the concerns driving the recent turbulence in financial markets of late.
Coming on top of mounting hopes that Greece will not be defaulting on its debts anytime soon, the news helped ease concerns over the impact of Europe\’s debt crisis on banking stocks.
“This move doesn\’t necessarily make money cheaper or increase the amount of money in the system, but it does help solve the growing problem of a global financial system that was becoming regionalized,” said Kit Juckes, an analyst at Societe Generale.
Following big gains Thursday, European stock markets remained relatively well-supported, though France\’s CAC-40 was a tad lower as its banks retreated slightly from their big gains in the previous session. Concerns over their ability to get their hands on dollars had been growing in recent days, adding to market fears over the escalating debt crisis.
The CAC-40 was 0.4 percent lower at 3,032 while Germany\’s DAX rose 0.7 percent 5,544. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.1 percent higher at 5,341.
Asian shares had earlier rallied hard as they followed the advances posted in Europe and the U.S. on Thursday. Japan\’s Nikkei 225 stock average did particularly well, ending 2.3 percent higher at 8,864.16. That was the highest close for the benchmark since Sept. 2 and the biggest percentage and point gains for a day in around six months, according to Kyodo news agency.
Though the move has doused down one of the worries afflicting markets over the past few weeks, investors remained cautious about Europe\’s ability to deal with Greece, in particular.
“If anyone thinks it has eased the problems in the eurozone they could well be disappointed given it deals with the symptoms but not the underlying problems,” said Michael Hewson, market analyst at CMC Markets.
Greece\’s debts stand at about 150 percent of GDP and the markets are increasingly of the view that with the Greek economy shrinking, the banks will have to accept they\’re not going to be paid back all that they are owed. As a result, the main market debate is what sort of writedown – the so-called haircut – financial institutions who lent Greece the money will have to accept.
The focus is now shifting to talks in Poland between U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and his European counterparts, which run through Saturday, about coordinating efforts to prevent Europe\’s debt crisis from derailing a global recovery.
“EU finance ministers meeting in Poland today will hopefully finally shed some light on the question on everybody\’s lips – how is Europe going to deal with Greece,” said Simon Furlong, a trader at Spreadex.
In the currency markets, the euro lost some ground after big gains the day before. It was trading 0.6 percent lower at $1.3790.
Oil prices also remained relatively well-supported alongside stock markets – benchmark oil for October delivery was up 31 cents at $89.71 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. … [read more]

Independent poll candidates on the rise in China

Sep 16, 2011 – BEIJING: Increasing numbers of Chinese are seeking to run as independent candidates in upcoming local elections, but face daunting obstacles as the ruling Communist Party tries to tamp down any threat to its monopoly on power.
More Chinese independents then ever are believed to be running for local legislative councils, numbering in the hundreds by one estimate. There\’s Cao Tian, a property developer, who\’s shooting for the mayorship of the massive central metropolis of Zhengzhou, and Liu Ping, a civil rights activist seeking a district seat in the Jiangxi province city of Xinyu.
The surge in the number of independent candidates represents a desire for peaceful transition away from authoritarianism and toward greater government accountability, said Edward Friedman, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
That could put the candidates on a collision course with the party, whose core interest is to “prevent anything from ending the authoritarian power system,” he said.
While most candidates are staying away from politically charged issues like democracy, they say they want to exercise a right given to Chinese in the constitution but rarely allowed by the authoritarian government.
“It is the right of every Chinese citizen to take part in the election of the People\’s Congress, and it is the duty of every citizen to pay interest in the political affairs of his country,” Xu Yan, a former ad man said in a telephone interview from his home in the eastern city of Hangzhou.
Chinese officials have long pointed to non-party-affiliated candidates, as well as those from the eight other government-approved political parties, as proof the country is a democracy. But unlike those candidates, the rising crop of independents have few ties to the establishment.
Party officials and police have responded predictably, threatening the candidates, their businesses and families or disqualifying them on technicalities. Cao, the property developer, has disappeared, reportedly under investigation by police for his business dealings, although no changes have been brought.
But the willingness of Chinese to run despite the odds emphasizes that as China grows more prosperous the pressure from society for political change is rising. The Internet, especially popular Twitter-like services, is giving independents a platform they never had before.
“It\’s an outcome of the growing contradictions between the people and government. It\’s a yearning for democracy, but also a yearning for improvements in quality of life,” said Li Fan, who runs a private think-tank in Beijing that promotes political reform.
While the establishment has been silent on the phenomenon, the candidacies come against a background of vague calls from Premier Wen Jiabao for some degree of political reform to shore up the achievements of 30 years of economic liberalization.
In remarks to a meeting of the Swiss-based World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Wen said it was crucial that the party adhere to laws and the constitution and address issues of over-concentration and abuse of power.
“To achieve this, we must reform the leadership system of the party and the state,” Wen said, without giving details.
Tens of thousands of seats are to be filled in the elections for People\’s Congresses across the country, with voting having begun over the summer and finishing in the middle of 2012. Terms to the congresses – whose members are overwhelmingly chosen from Party stalwarts – last for three years.
Technically, all citizens 18 years of age and over are allowed to run for election to congresses at the township and urban district level as long as they collect 10 or more endorsements. In most cases, party higher-ups have final approval on the candidate lists, screening out anyone deemed threatening.
Yet, meeting those requirements is no guarantee of appearing on the ballot given the propensity of party officials to throw up arbitrary hurdles or simply leave candidates off the ballot with no explanation.
Yu Nan, a candidate in the western city of Lanzhou, is suing the city People\’s Congress after his eligibility was revoked, even though he was listed on the ballot and met arbitrary rules to submit original identity documents from his 17 endorsees.
When rules can\’t be gamed, pressure and intimidation have appeared to successfully deter the independents.
“After the police found out I was running, they came for a talk,” said Xie Runliang, a self-described poet, from the eastern city of Yixing. The 41-year-old declined to elaborate on the threats except to say: “I feared the impact on my life so I quit.”
Xie, from Yixing, said the lack of clarity and comprehensiveness in the law had further induced him to drop his campaign.
While the intimidation has prompted some to drop their campaigns and shun the media, others aren\’t ready to buckle under.
For Hangzhou\’s Xu, one of the best known of the current crop of independents, running meant giving up his job following threats directed at both his family and his workplace in the city\’s Xiacheng district.
Undeterred, he continues to update his microblog with new messages and pledges to communicate directly with constituents and pursue their concerns no matter how mundane.
“I phone and email them and set a time, and then I go and visit them to talk to them face to face. I want them to know about me, and I want to know about their needs and demands too,” Xu said.
In Xinyu, Liu Ping says she plans to sue the city People\’s Congress over what she called a “fake election.” She said her lawyer has advised her against further comment to the media. … [read more]

Denmark swings left‚ new government talks begin

Sep 16, 2011 – COPENHAGEN: Denmark\’s prime minister-designate is starting talks to form a new government after ousting a right-wing coalition in a parliamentary election.
Social Democratic leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is set to become Denmark\’s first female prime minister after her alliance of left-wing and center parties secured a 92-seat majority in the 179-seat Folketing.
Outgoing Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen conceded defeat late Thursday and was to hand in his resignation Friday to Queen Margrethe, Denmark\’s figurehead monarch.
The outcome ended 10 years of center-right government and cut the influence of an anti-immigration party that used its kingmaker role to tighten Denmark\’s borders and stem the flow of asylum-seekers. … [read more]

Dravid praised by greats ahead of ODI retirement

Sep 16, 2011 – NEW DELHI: Indian cricket greats, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have richly praised Rahul Dravid as he prepares to play the final one-day game of his illustrious career.
Tendulkar called Dravid the “unsung hero of the Indian team” and said his value was reflected by the sheer amount of runs he has scored.
The 38-year-old Dravid, who has amassed 10,820 runs in 343 one-dayers, will play his last game on Friday in Cardiff against England. He announced his retirement before the start of the series after having been overlooked for limited-overs games for most of the past two years.
Former captains Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble also praised Dravid\’s contribution in one-dayers.
“He has had a fabulous career as a one-day player and has contributed so much to Indian cricket,” Tendulkar said in an interview published in Friday\’s The Indian Express. “I have no doubt that he is and will continue to be a role model for all of us.”
Tendulkar said Dravid\’s natural game was not suited for the quick scoring of one-dayers, but had worked hard to improve and excelled in his “finishing role.”
“He may not give you a quick start, but he will surely make his innings count in terms of time spent at the crease. You need such players in the team, and he was the best man for the job,” he added.
Tendulkar also praised Dravid for adjusting according to the team\’s needs and helping the team gain depth in batting by agreeing to keep wickets.
“He is the perfect team man; when he was asked to keep wickets we all knew that he will do well because he was initially a wicketkeeper. It later helped him, and came as a big help to all of us in the Indian team during the 2003 World Cup.”
Ganguly said Indian cricket should be “thankful to Rahul” for being flexible.
“Rahul has a had a checkered one-day career and it took a new turn once he decided to keep wickets in 2002,” Ganguly wrote in his column in Hindustan Times. “His decision was absolutely for the team as it helped reorganize the middle-order and add more depth to it.”
Kumble, who was Dravid\’s senior while playing for Karnataka in domestic cricket, called him an “exceptional team player” who was unfazed by criticism.
“I consider it a privilege to have played alongside him through most of my career,” he wrote in Hindustan Times. “His contribution as a team player and mentor can\’t be quantified, and that will certainly be missed going forward.”
Dravid, who played his solitary Twenty20 international during the ongoing tour of England, will continue to play in test cricket.
He has scored 12,775 runs in tests, which is the second highest aggregate in history behind Tendulkar (14,965). He has slammed 35 centuries and is fourth on the list of century-makers behind Tendulkar (51), South African allrounder Jacques Kallis (40) and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting (39). … [read more]

Federer beats Hewitt‚ Swiss level Aussies 1-1

Sep 16, 2011 – SYDNEY: Roger Federer recovered from a sluggish start to beat Lleyton Hewitt 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-3 on Friday, moving Switzerland level with Australia at 1-1 after the opening day of their Davis Cup World Group playoff.
Federer, who only arrived in Australia on Wednesday after a grueling U.S. Open semifinal loss, began slowly on the grass court at Royal Sydney Golf Club and was at risk of a two-set deficit, before taking the tiebreak then breaking Hewitt in the first game of the third set.
The 16-time Grand Slam winner now holds an 18-8 record over former No. 1 Hewitt, who had won their previous match in the final at Halle, Germany last year.
Bernard Tomic earlier beat Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to give Australia a 1-0 lead.
Hewitt claimed the opening set against Federer with two blistering cross court forehands and looked on track for a second-straight win over the world No. 3 when he went up a break in the second set, before Federer found form.
The Australian had his share of break point opportunities in the fourth set, but Federer was able to convert his in the fifth game, and went on to take the match in 2 hours, 50 minutes.
No. 59-ranked Tomic started slowly and appeared to experience difficulty coming to grips with the uneven bounce of the grass court before beating Wawrinka.
Tomic converted 81 percent of his first serves and won all of his second-serve points, while No. 28-ranked Wawrinka, who is recovering from a foot injury sustained at the U.S. Open, made 14 unforced errors.
After serving his way out of trouble to move to 5-4 in the second set, Tomic broke serve to level the match at a set apiece.
The seesawing third set featured three breaks of serve before Tomic held firm to take a set advantage. He held off a break point in the fourth game of the fourth set before breaking Wawrinka in the fifth and ninth games, then finished the match with a backhand down the line.
In Saturday\’s doubles, Hewitt and big-serving Chris Guccione will play Federer and Wawrinka, who won gold together in the doubles at the 2008 Olympics.
The winner of the playoff takes a place in the Davis Cup World Group for next year, while the loser returns to play zonal qualifiers. … [read more]

Aussies suffer as Eranga strikes in first ball

Sep 16, 2011 – COLOMBO: Seamer Shaminda Eranga grabbed a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket as Australia were dealt early blows by Sri Lanka in the third and final match in Colombo on Friday.
Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan\’s decision to send Australia in to bat on a moisture-laden wicket paid off as the tourists slumped to 22-2 by the ninth over.
Shaun Marsh (26 not out) and Ricky Ponting (25 not out) repaired the early damage by adding 41 for the unbroken third wicket as the tourists moved to 63-2 by lunch at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Australia lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Galle by 125 runs.
Eranga, 25, one of the three changes in the Sri Lankan side, struck as soon as he replaced Chanaka Welegedara for the eighth over.
Shane Watson, who made eight, chased a ball outside the off-stump and drove straight into the safe hands of Dilshan at point.
Watson\’s unexpected dismissal came after his opening partner, Phil Hughes, had fallen for a second-ball duck, bowled by Suranga Lakmal.
Marsh, fresh from his 141 on debut in the drawn second Test in Pallekele, began solidly as he drove Welegedara through the covers and then cut Lakmal for another boundary.
Ponting, returning to the side after missing the Pallekele game due to the birth of his second child, survived two confident appeals for catches behind the stump before he had reached double figures.
Television replays confirmed there were no edges off the bat and Ponting grew in confidence to take successive boundaries off Welegedara through the cover region.
Australia made two changes from the side that played the last game, dropping injured fast bowler Ryan Harris and middle-order batsman Usman Khawaja to play Ponting and seamer Peter Siddle.
Sri Lanka, looking for a series-levelling win in Kumar Sangakkara\’s 100th Test appearance, axed senior batsman Thilan Samaraweera, off-spinner Suraj Randiv and leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna.
They were replaced by batsman Lahiru Thirumanne, Eranga and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.
… [read more]

Bahrain Air to resume flights to Kathmandu

Sep 16, 2011 – KATHMANDU: Bahrain Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain”s second national carrier is resuming its daily flights to the Nepal”s capital Kathmandu from September 21, 2011.
Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the Bahrain Air Company B.S.C. (C) said that the service has been resumed with two classes of service, Business Premium Class and Economy Class. The services also include complimentary meals and extra baggage allowances in catering to the expatriate work force form Nepal to the GCC and Levant region.
Rubesh Mohammed, Country Manager of Bahrain Air, stated that the long term vision of the service was to promote Nepal as an adventure tourist destination from the Middle East to its resident western expatriates and local Arab populations, reads the statement. “These flights will strengthen our hub in Bahrain and will increase feeder traffic to and from the GCC and Levant,” he added.
The Bahrain Air Flights are scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu at 8 am and depart at 8.45 am everyday.

… [read more]

Woman held with hashish‚ sent to custody

Sep 16, 2011 – PARSA: The District Court, Parsa on Thursday issued verdict to send a woman arrested with hashish to judicial custody.
The District Court remanded Munni Khatun Ansari, 40, of Murli VDC of Parsa district to custody in Birgunj jail.
Munni was nabbed in possession with 10-kgs of hashish from a bus (Na 4 Kha 5894) on the way to Birgunj from Pokhariya on July 23.
According to Spokesperson of District Police Office Parsa DSP Rabindra KC, the Court issued order to put Munni under bar till the next verdict.
Meanwhile, the District Administration Office, Parsa released two persons on bail of Rs. 3000 each.
Imam Shekha of Chhapakaiya and Sadam Ansari of Vishwa of Birgunj were arrested on August 21 on the charge of stealing truck battery.
… [read more]

NEA’s campaign against electricity leakage in Lahan

Sep 16, 2011 – LAHAN: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Lahan branch is continually conducting campaign against power leakage.
Under the leakage prevention campaign initiated from last Wednesday, the NEA branch took control those involved and the accessories used in hooking electricity in the villages along the East-West Highway and postal roads of the district.
According to NEA Branch Engineer Lalit Narayan Chaudhary, some 31 locals consuming electricity through hooking were arrested and slapped fine worth Rs. 203,000 as of today from Wednesday.
The joint squad of Armed Police, Civil Police and NEA employees also seized 68 water-lifting pumps and a freeze during the campaign, informed Engineer Chaudhary.
… [read more]

Egypt PM says peace deal with Israel not sacred

Sep 16, 2011 – CAIRO: Egypt\’s Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said a peace deal with Israel was not “sacred” and could be changed for the benefit of peace or the region.
His comments, made in an interview with a Turkish television channel and broadcast on state television, were the strongest yet by the new government which took over after president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February.
“The Camp David agreement is not a sacred thing and is always open to discussion with what would benefit the region and the case of fair peace … and we could make a change if needed,” he said in the interview.
Politics professor Mustapha al-Sayyid said Sharaf\’s comments appeared to be aimed more at boosting Egyptian security on the border with Israel, which under the 1979 treaty is subject to limitations, rather than abrogating it altogether.
“It has been well demonstrated that the size of Egyptian forces in this area is not sufficient to meet threats to security. The number of troops should be increased and equipment improved,” he said.
“I don\’t think any Egyptian political forces are calling for abrogation of the treaty or even ending diplomatic relations.”
Tensions between Egypt and Israel, which have been rising since Mubarak was overthrown, flared after a cross-border attack last month.
Cairo accused Israeli forces of shooting dead five Egyptian security guards during gun battles with Palestinian militants who Israel says had earlier ambushed and killed eight Israelis.
Egyptian protesters stormed the Israeli embassy last Friday in anger at Israel for the border killings.
Asked about Sharaf\’s comments, an Israeli spokesman said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently voiced his commitment to the treaty on at least two occasions.
“In both places he stressed the importance of maintaining the peace treaty with Egypt, and that the peace treaty is an anchor for regional stability,” spokesman Mark Regev said.
The army-backed government that Sharaf leads has struggled to contain public anger toward Israel after the border killings.
Egypt threatened to withdraw its ambassador but did not, infuriating many Egyptians who wanted a tougher response. Israeli flew its ambassador out after the Israeli embassy was stormed.
Both countries have said they want to return to normal diplomatic activities. Egypt has vowed to protect the embassy, a move demanded by Israel and the United States.
Many Egyptians have said Cairo should have taken a more assertive line like Turkey, which expelled the Israeli ambassador after Israel refused to apologize for the death of nine Turks in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan visited Egypt this week and received a rapturous welcome from the public.
An Egyptian security official said last month that Egypt and Israel agreed to increase the number of Egyptian troops along the border in the Sinai peninsula.
Egypt has received billions of dollars of U.S. military and other aid since 1979 and has to balance public calls for a tougher line against Israel with a need to keep on good terms with the United States.
“I think what is happening is that both Egypt and Israel are committed to regional peace. They are anxious to move past the incidents of the past weekend and restore the relationship,” U.S. Ambassador to Cairo Anne Patterson told a business forum on Thursday. … [read more]

Malaysia to abolish two unpopular security laws

Sep 16, 2011 – KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian leader Najib Razak is gearing up for early general elections with bold reforms to scrap two unpopular security laws and ease other civil rights, but critics warn the moves could be merely cosmetic.
The surprising policy changes announced late Thursday were the most significant reforms since the prime minister took office in April 2009 and are seen as an attempt to bolster support for his ruling coalition ahead of national polls widely expected next year.
“Many people will see the prime minister\’s announcement as a preparation for early general elections. It is part of his overall election strategy to regain support among the urban population,” said James Chin, political science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia.
Najib\’s National Front coalition saw a further slide in popularity after authorities arrested more than 1,600 demonstrators and used tear gas and water cannons against at least 20,000 people who marched for electoral reforms last month in Kuala Lumpur.
The coalition, in power since independence from British rule in 1957, suffered its worst electoral performance in 2008, when opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim\’s alliance won more than one-third of Parliament\’s seats amid public allegations of government corruption and racial discrimination.
Najib said heading toward a more open democracy was risky but crucial for his government\’s survival.
“There may be short-term pain for me politically, but in the long-term the changes I am announcing tonight will ensure a brighter, more prosperous future for all Malaysians,” Najib said Thursday in a nationally televised speech.
Najib said the colonial-era Internal Security Act and the Emergency Ordinance, which allow indefinite detention without trial, would be abolished and replaced with new anti-terrorism laws that would ensure the fundamental rights of suspects are protected. He pledged that no individuals would be detained for their political ideologies.
Some 37 people are still held under the ISA and another 6,000 under the Emergency Ordinance.
Najib said police laws would also be amended to allow freedom of assembly according to international norms.
The government will also do away with the need for annual printing and publishing licenses, giving more freedom to media groups, he said.
Critics who have long accused the government of using the laws to stifle dissent cautiously welcomed the announcement.
Amnesty International called it a “significant step forward for human rights in Malaysia.”
Its Asia-Pacific director, Sam Zarifi, said the government must ensure that new security laws comply with international human rights standards. He also called for the removal of all barriers to free speech and peaceful assembly.
Chin, the lecturer, said the changes appeared cosmetic. He said the new security laws would still allow detention without trial, although limited, and while newspapers would no longer need to renew their licenses annually, the home minister could still cancel their permit at anytime.
The government still has other oppressive laws such as the Sedition Act that could put a stranglehold on freedom, he said.
Opposition lawmakers were skeptical that Najib\’s announcement would change anything.
“We shouldn\’t count the chickens yet,” said opposition lawmaker Tony Pua. “We have yet to see the fine print. We\’ve seen sufficient U-turns when Najib comes under pressure from right-wing groups, and we won\’t be surprised if the same happens again.” … [read more]

Nepalese robbed of with cash‚ valuables

Sep 16, 2011 – KANCHANPUR: A Nepali fellow worker was inhumanely robbed while he was returning home from Laddak of India for the upcoming Dashain festival.
A group of robbers looted 40,000 Indian Currency along with a bag and watch from Sun Bahadur Budha Magar of Daraling VDC of Baglung district.
The robbers could do this by keeping him under the influence of intoxicated substances.
Some Nepali returnees from India found Budha Magar on unconscious condition at Banabasa nearby western bordering area on Thursday morning and handed him over to Immigrant Information Centre of INF Mugu Programme at Gaddachauki.
According to local facilitator of the Centre Janak Raj Rai, the Centre sent him to his home on Thursday afternoon after he regained consciousness.
… [read more]

Torrential rain disrupts transport in Kanchanpur

Sep 16, 2011 – BELAURI: Locals are bearing the brunt of disruption of Daiji-Beldandi road section caused by incessant rain.

Vehicular movement along the road has been completely halted due to torrential rain since Tuesday. It has caused inconvenience to people in the southern belt.
Locals of Beldanda, Rautelibichuwa, Rampurbilaspur and Sripur VDCs have also faced difficulty in their movements due to the road obstruction.
Of the 30-kilometre distance from headquarters Mahendranagar to Beldandi, there is 22-km concrete road. People of the region have been hit hard every year when the concrete road got crumbled with the heavy rain in the season.
Mostly hit hard are the patients for not getting treatment due to worse condition of road. Even patients are not being able to go to district hospital for further treatment.

… [read more]

Saif Ali Khan‚ Kareena Kapoor’s Delhi visit

Sep 16, 2011 – MUMBAI: Saif Ali Khan made his third Delhi trip in two weeks on Wednesday, to visit ailing dad Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who is in hospital due to breathing problems.
But this time, he was accompanied by girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, who took time off her busy schedule owing to “Ra.One”\’s promotions. After landing at about 4.30pm, the couple went straight to the hospital from the airport, where they stayed till about 8 in the evening. They took a Thursday morning flight back to Mumbai. … [read more]

Dr. Oz accused of fear-mongering on apple juice

Sep 16, 2011 – Arsenic in apple juice! Fed to babies! And it probably came from China! Television\’s Dr. Mehmet Oz is under fire from the FDA and others for sounding what they say is a false alarm about the dangers of apple juice.
Oz, one of TV\’s most popular medical experts, said on his Fox show Wednesday that testing by a New Jersey lab had found what he suggested were troubling levels of arsenic in many brands of juice.
The Food and Drug Administration said its own tests show no such thing, even on one of the same juice batches Oz cited.
“There is no evidence of any public health risk from drinking these juices. And FDA has been testing them for years,” the agency said in a statement.
The flap escalated Thursday, when Oz\’s former medical school classmate Dr. Richard Besser lambasted him on ABC\’s “Good Morning America” show for what Besser called an “extremely irresponsible” report that was akin to “yelling \’Fire!\’ in a movie theater.”
Besser was acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before joining ABC news as health and medical editor several years ago.
Arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food and soil in two forms – organic and inorganic. According to the FDA, organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless. Inorganic arsenic – the type found in pesticides – can be toxic and may pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels or over a long period.
“The Dr. Oz Show” did not break down the type when it tested several dozen juice samples for total arsenic. As a result, the FDA said the results are misleading.
Furthermore, the agency\’s own tests found far lower total arsenic levels from one of the same juice batches the Oz show tested – 2 to 6 parts per billion of arsenic versus the 36 that Oz\’s show had claimed.
Tests of the same batch conducted by two different food testing labs for the juice\’s maker, Nestle USA, which sells Juicy Juice under the Gerber brand, also found levels consistent with the FDA results.
In a letter published on the Oz show\’s website, Nestle said it told the program\’s producer in advance that the method the show\’s lab used was intended for testing waste water, not fruit juice, and “therefore their results would be unreliable at best.”
The FDA also sent a letter in advance to the show and threatened to post its findings and the letters online if the program proceeded.
Oz went ahead.
“American apple juice is made from apple concentrate, 60 percent of which is imported from China,” the website version of his report says. “Other countries may use pesticides that contain arsenic, a heavy metal known to cause cancer.”
The show tested three dozen samples from five brands, and Oz claimed that 10 had more arsenic than the limit allowed in drinking water – 10 parts per billion.
However, the FDA said the arsenic in water tends to be inorganic, justifying the strict limit. In contrast, organic arsenic is the form usually found in food and juices. Tests over the last 20 years show apple juice typically has fewer than 10 parts per billion total arsenic.
The mercurial Oz is a heart surgeon at Columbia University and heads an alternative medicine program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was a regular on Oprah Winfrey\’s show for many years before getting his own program two years ago.
This is the first week of a new TV season, the first in two decades without Winfrey dominating the talk show scene.
Tim Sullivan, a spokesman for Oz\’s show, said in an interview: “We don\’t think the show is irresponsible. We think the public has a right to know what\’s in their foods.”
Sullivan said Oz does not agree that organic arsenic is as safe as authorities believe. The show will do further tests to distinguish organic from inorganic arsenic in juice samples, he said.
“The position of the show is that the total arsenic needs to be lower,” he said. “We did the tests. We stand by the results and we think the standards should be different.”
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, even Oz said he wouldn\’t hesitate to keep giving his four children apple juice.
“There\’s no question in my mind folks can continue drinking apple juice. … There have been no cases at all of kids being harmed by elevated levels of arsenic, and the kinds of numbers we are talking about are not high enough to cause acute injury,” he said.
He said he was concerned instead about the possible ill effects from drinking apple juice for many years.
An independent lab agreed with the FDA\’s contention that the form of arsenic matters.
Oz\’s testing “certainly begs the question how much of that is inorganic,” the type of arsenic that is of prime concern, said Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com. The company tests dietary supplements and publishes ratings for subscribers, much as Consumer Reports does with household goods.
However, Cooperman and others have long called on the FDA to strengthen regulation of contaminants. … [read more]

37 students stabbed with needle in Puerto Rico

Sep 16, 2011 – SAN JUAN: A 14-year-old girl went on a playground rampage with a hypodermic needle, stabbing 37 classmates, Puerto Rican officials said Thursday.
“She would stab one, run, stab another, run, like it was some sort of joke,” Education Secretary Jesus Rivera Sanchez said about Tuesday\’s lunchtime attack on 12- to 14-year-olds at the Jose de Choudens middle school in the southern coastal town of Arroyo.
Health Department spokeswoman Margarita Casalduc said it was unclear if the syringe contained anything and further tests were needed to determine if it was contaminated. But the victims, accompanied by their shaken parents, gathered at a convention center to be tested for HIV and hepatitis C and to be given preventive medications.
Sanchez said counselors also were helping the victims and their parents.
Social workers were interviewing the alleged attacker to try to determine a motive, Justice Department spokesman Fidel Rodriguez said. He said no charges had yet been filed, but officials said she had been suspended from school.
Rivera said the girl first told investigators she found the syringe, but later said she stole an unused one while visiting a relative at a hospital and had planned to pierce her ear with it. He said it was not clear why she decided to attack her classmates.
A woman who answered the phone at the school said the director, Gloria Ramos, was not available for comment. … [read more]

More News from – The Himalayan Times

eKantipur News

NAC GM Limbu barred from office

Sep 16, 2011 – Nepal Airlines Corporation General Manager (GM) KB Limbu on Friday claimed that Chairman Manrup Shahi captured his office and stopped him from carrying out. … [read more]

UML dubs Bhattarai-led govt as ‘opportunist coalition’

Sep 16, 2011 – The 11th Central Committee (CC) meeting of the CPN-UML endorsed a five-point political proposal on peace, constitution and government. … [read more]

PM reluctant to appoint state ministers

Sep 16, 2011 – Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has reportedly taken initiatives not to include state ministers in the present coalition government. … [read more]

ToR to fill vacant posts in constitutional bodies endorsed

Sep 16, 2011 – The Constitutional Council (CC) has endorsed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for appointing members and heads in the constitutional bodies through open competition … [read more]

UML forms panel to look into jouno Dhakal attack

Sep 16, 2011 – The CPN-UML has formed a four-member probe committee to look into the attack on Journalist Khila Nath Dhakal. … [read more]

Breast cancer: Detected cases of "silent killer" on the rise

Sep 16, 2011 – Diagnosed cases of breast cancer rose by 260 percent and those of cervical cancer by 20 percent from 1980 to 2010. … [read more]

Raw Video: Soyuz lands safely in Kazakhstan

Sep 16, 2011 – A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three returning astronauts from the International Space Station has touched down safely in the central steppes of Kazakhstan. … [read more]

Oyuz lands safely in Kazakhstan, rattles nerves

Sep 16, 2011 – A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three returning astronauts from the International Space Station touched down safely Friday. … [read more]

Maoist Secy warns of party-split if no apology

Sep 16, 2011 – UCPN (Maoist) secretary CP Gajurel has warned that the party would split if the establishment faction does not apologise over the key handover scandal. … [read more]

‘Gucci Helle’: Denmark’s next prime minister

Sep 16, 2011 – When Helle Thorning-Schmidt took control of the Social Democratic Party in 2005, some called her “Gucci Helle,” mocking her taste for designer clothes. … [read more]

British clubs struggle on Europa League group opening night

Sep 16, 2011 – A young Tottenham side held PAOK Salonika to a scoreless draw on Thursday … [read more]

Dahal positive on consensus among parties

Sep 16, 2011 – UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal Friday said that he was hopeful on forging a consensus among te political parties. … [read more]

Senior al Qaeda militant killed in U.S. drone strike

Sep 16, 2011 – Al Qaeda’s chief of operations in Pakistan has been killed in a CIA drone strike, two U.S. officials said Thursday. … [