Nepal stages annual elephant beauty pageant

  Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal staged its annual elephant beauty pageant Wednesday, with the creatures parading along a catwalk before a panel of judges in the south-west of the country.

   The beauty pageant for the pachyderms was held in Chitwan district’s Sauraha, as a part of a local festival for tourists.

   Keepers spent nearly three hours bathing the elephants, oiling their bodies and painting their toenails and backs in colourful patterns. They were then covered with colourful silk cloths.

   True to her name, 15-year old Beauty Kali won the title of the Elephant Beauty Queen. The elephants were judged on the basis of their decoration, discipline and hygiene.

   The Nepal Tourism Board, which organised the event, said it was a way of encouraging elephant keepers to pay better attention to the pachyderms. Animal rights activists have been very critical of the way the some elephants are kept in Nepal.

   Government figures say there are 170 wild elephants in Nepal and about the same number who are domesticated. Elephants are used by resorts in the Chitwan district for jungle safaris, and as jungle patrollers by the government.
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Nepal's annual elephant festival opens

   Kathmandu (dpa) – A three-day international elephant festival began Monday in Nepal in Suraha, in the south-western district of Chitwan.

   The first event was an elephant race, where the animals thundered down a 200-metre track in the Baghmara forest. Twelve of the 20 participating elephants qualified for the semifinal.

   The eighth annual festival, which was held 154 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu, was organized by the regional hotel association of Chitwan and the government to promote tourism and the Chitwan National Park.

   On Monday, the first round of a football match for baby elephants was also held.

   Elephants were to participate in a "beauty pageant" on Tuesday. Other events were to include a bullock cart race and horse cart race.
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More than 20 die in Nepal cold spell

   Kathmandu (dpa)- More than 22 people have died during a cold wave in southern Nepal, local media reported Tuesday.

   In Mohattari district, 14 had died since Sunday, according to Avenues Television. Two hundred schools were closed in the district and the local hospital was packed with pneumonia patients.

   Eight people had died in other districts of the Tarai region.

   The Nepal Electricity Authority also declared 10 hours of power cuts per day, starting Tuesday. The state owned-utility blamed receding water levels in reservoirs that drive hydropower plants.
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General strike in Nepal after death of inmate

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal's Congress party enforced a general strike Monday to demand "martyrdom" for one of its members, who died after being beaten in jail.

   Schools, transportation, industries and markets were shut nationwide.

   Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsingh KC promised that the strike would be peaceful.

   "No terror and violence, no tyre burning, no vandalism and no disruption to ambulances, diplomats and press and tourists vehicles," he said.

   But demonstrators vandalized and torched vehicles in several areas.

   Nepali Congress, the country's second-largest party, called the strike after the government refused to withdraw the murder charges against student leader Shiva Poudel. It said he had been falsely indicted, and demanded the government declare him a martyr.

   Poudel was beaten by inmates in Bharatpur prison in south-western Nepal on December 6 and died in hospital Saturday.
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Bus plunges in to river in Nepal: 20 confirmed dead

   Kathmandu (dpa) - At least 20 people were confirmed dead and six injured after a passenger bus plunged 400 metres into a river in Western Nepal late Saturday.

   According to Bishnu Karki, the police chief of Baitadi district where the incident took place, the bus carrying 45 passengers veered off the road and plunged into the Kajari river.

   "Since it's dark our rescue operations have been hampered," said Karki. "Only the bus driver has been identified so far and the whereabouts of 19 passengers is still unknown.

   Police said a three-year-old child had been found alive.
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Author: Biswas Baral

Nationwide strike hits Nepal after detained party member dies

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The Nepali Congress party called a strike on Saturday to protest the death of one of its members, after he was beaten up in jail while on remand accused of murder.

   Schools were closed and transport obstructed. Hundreds of passengers, including tourists, were stranded in different part of the country, due to the sudden call for a shut down.

   Shiva Poudel was attacked by fellow inmates in Bharatpur prison in south-western Nepal on December 6 and died in hospital on Saturday.

   The Nepali Congress party demanded an investigation into the case.

   The party had demanded the government drop the murder case against Poudel, saying he had been falsely indicted.

   Party members demonstrated in the capital Kathmandu and other  parts of the country, chanting slogans against the government and burning tyres.

   They said the government had failed to ensure security for its citizens and demanded the prime minister and the home minister step down.
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Former Thai premier Thaksin on Nepal visit

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Nepal late on Friday on a personal visit.

   Shinawatra flew to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on a chartered plane from Myanmar, where he has been living in exile.

   He flew directly to the city of Bhairawa, to visit the birth place of Buddha in Lumbini, a pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide.

   He is scheduled to fly back to Myanmar on Saturday.

   Shinawatra served as prime minister from 2001-06, when he was ousted in a military coup.
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Infanticide cases rise in Nepalese capital

   Kathmandu (dpa)- The Nepalese capital has suffered a sharp rise in infanticide cases, mostly due to unwanted pregnancies, police said Friday.

   Over the past 15 months, 27 cases of infanticide were recorded, up from 17 cases in the preceding 15 months.

   "Most of these cases are related to unwanted pregnancy," said Dhiraj Pratap Singh, deputy superintendent of police.

   He cited poverty and lack of education and awareness as the main causes of infanticide, but said cultural causes also run deep.

   "Various reasons (for pregnancy) are not accepted by society, such as adultery while the husband is away, and even incest," he said.

   Selective-sex infanticide also played a role, he said. "Most of the babies killed are female," he said, or 16 of the latest 27 cases. Police said the babies were mostly found on garbage piles by roadsides or on river banks, after being killed or simply abandoned. Many more cases probably went unrecorded, they said.

   Some of the abandoned babies were rescued and moved into health care centers by the police. No arrests had been made in relation to the cases, Singh said.

   Several charities are working to raise awareness of contraceptives in Nepal. The Women's Cell of the country's police is also working on sex education programs aimed at women.
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Chinese prime minister postpones Nepal visit

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has postponed a visit to Nepal next week, Nepalese government officials said on Tuesday, giving no further details.

   Officials at the Foreign Ministry said the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu had informed them of the decision. The embassy said the situation was not favourable for a visit.

   Nepal beefed up security in the capital ahead of the three-day visit due to start December 20, fearing demonstrations by Tibetan exiles. Nepal is home to 20,000 Tibetan refugees.

   Nepalese Minister for Planning Hridayesh Tripathi said the government was working to reschedule the visit.

   The first high-level Chinese visit to Nepal in ten years was expected to focus on investment deals.
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Lower caste man beaten to death in Nepal for touching stove

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A man reportedly belonging to a low-caste group was beaten to death in Nepal by high caste men for touching their stove, media reports said Monday.


   Manbir Sunar, 30, a Dalit, or low caste member, from Jibutha village in the far-western region, was killed by two men on Saturday after he touched their restaurant's stove while lighting a cigarette, according to Avenues Television. 


   Officers said they had arrested two men and were investigating. 


   Nepali society, which is 80 per cent Hindu, still practises a caste-based social system, although laws ban caste discrimination.


   "We're living in the 21st century where we're very politically conscious about even the terms we use to denote things," Prakash Chandra Pariyar, a Dalits' rights activist and himself a member of the group, told dpa.


   "Nothing can be a more barbaric than killing a man for simply touching a stove."


   The caste system came to Nepal around 500 BC as Indian Hindus migrated. It divides Hindu Nepali society into four sections, placing the Dalits, or untouchables, at the bottom and the Brahmins, or priests, at the top.


   In April, the parliament endorsed a bill against caste discrimination, which laid out punishments for any infringements.


   "But incidents like these are an example of oppression and show that the state is still weak in implementing the laws," Pariyar said. 
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Nepalese premier denies corruption allegation against his party

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday denied embezzlement allegations against his party, but stopped short of saying what had happened to allegedly missing funds from government stipends to former rebels.

   Bhattarai denied the allegations during an interview with the BBC World Trust Sajha Sawal programme, aired on local Kantipur Television, and said there were more important issues at hand.

   Last week, parliament demanded the government provide information on the money, after an inquiry by the opposition Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist groups accused the leaders of Bhattarai's ruling Maoist party of embezzling the payments.

   The government payouts provide some monthly income to former rebels. The agreement was part of the 2006 peace deal that ended Nepal's decade-long civil war.

   Lawmakers accused Maoist leaders of retaining 'deposits' of 1,000 rupees (12 dollars) from the payments, every month. The deposits have been taken each month from each of the 19,535 combatants housed at camps across the country since November 2006, according to local media reports.
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Nepal Maoists accused of pocketing money of their former rebels

Dec 9, 2011, 10:19 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepal's parliament demanded the government provide information on money disbursed to former Maoist rebels after Maoist political leaders were accused of pocketing some of it, media reports said Friday.

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee ordered the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction Thursday to provide the information in a week.

The opposition parties Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist accused the leaders of the ruling Maoist party of embezzling payments the government provides monthly to former rebels as part of the 2006 peace deal that ended Nepal's decade-long civil war.

Lawmakers accused Maoist leaders of retaining 'deposits' of 1,000 rupees (12 dollars) from the payments. The deposits have been taken each month from each of the 19,535 combatants housed at camps across the country since November 2006, the Republica newspaper reported.

A recent government survey of the combatants found about 3,000 who were registered as former rebels were missing from the camps, which raised further questions about what Maoist leaders had done with money paid to them.

'If anyone misuses public funds meant for the Maoist combatants, it is a breach on the peace process,' Nepali Congress lawmaker Ram Sharan Mahat said.

Nepal Buddhists demonstrate against Maoist leader

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Hundreds of Buddhists staged a protest in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, Wednesday, to protest against Maoist Chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s connection to a development project in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.

   Lhakpa Sherpa of the Buddhism Preservation Stakeholders Committee said politicians were breaching the sanctity of a religious place like Lumbini by transforming it into a tourism destination.

   The committee was formed by the government to develop Lumbini, 240 kilometres southwewest of Kathmandu, as a world Buddhist tourism destination.

   Demonstrators held placards demanding Dahal be removed from the position of director of the Lumbini Development Committee. They have demanded a follower of Buddhism should be appointed to the post.

   Dahal, who is coordinator of the development committee, lead the decade-long Maoist insurgency in Nepal, which ended in 2006 after the signing of a peace deal with the government. 16,000 people were killed in the conflict.
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Nepal court rejects review petition from international serial killer=

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal’s highest court rejected a review petition filed by international serial killer Charles Gurumukh Sobhraj, Tuesday, local media reported.

   Sobhraj, 67, who is also known as the "bikini killer", was arrested in Nepal in 2003 and has been serving a life sentence since.

   A French national of Indian and Vietnamese parentage, Sobhraj had asked that the life sentence verdict be reviewed. That verdict was handed down after he was convicted in the murder of a US citizen, Connie Joe Bronzich, in 1975.

   “There is no need to go against the decision of the registrar who had rejected the review petition,” the Himalayan Times news portal quoted Justice Bharat Raj Upreti as saying.

   Last year, Sobhraj filed an appeal against the conviction, but lost.

   Sobhraj, who has also served 21 years in Indian prison on charges of culpable homicide, has continued to claim his innocence and says 2003 was the first time he traveled to Nepal.

   Media reports said he had been a con man and was related to a series of killings of women clad in bikinis in the tourist town of Pataya in Thailand in the 1970s.

   His lawyer was planning to seek clemency for Sobhraj from  President Ram Baran Yadav, the Himalayan Times reported.

   "Sobhraj has spent eight years in jail. He also deserves recommendation for clemency," the lawyer said.    
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Nepali premier's star fades after 100 days in office

Dec 6, 2011, 10:13 GMT

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa =

Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal's prime minister Baburam Bhattarai found his star fading as he reached 100 days in office Tuesday, with criticism from several sides replacing the initial adulation.

'Government fails to provide good governance and relief in first 100 days,' said Kantipur Television, while the Rajdhani daily wrote, 'Peace and constitution issues conceal government weaknesses.'

The country's second Maoist prime minister is its fourth in the five years since the 10-year civil war with Maoist rebels ended in 2006, leaving around 16,000 dead.

But since his election to office by parliament in August, he appears to have made little more headway with the peace process than his predecessors.

Despite their comfortable win in the 2008 general elections, the Maoists have been unable to forge a consensus in parliament over contentious issues including the wording of the new constitution, and what to do with the around 19,000 former Maoist combatants.

Things started out well for Bhattarai, as his demonstrative austerity measures earned him public acclaim and distinguished him from his predecessor.

The public cheered as he rode past in his modest Nepal-made Mustang Max car, or stepped off the budget flights he took for trips abroad.

'He raised the hopes of the people and won their affection,' said Gunaraj Luitel, political commentator and editor of the Annapurna Post daily.

'He became a symbol of a prime minister who wanted to be different with the austerity measures he introduced.'

There were also early political successes. He facilitated the handover of rebel arms, and negotiated for 6,500 of the former combatants to be integrated into the military.

Parliament had been at loggerheads over both issues for months.

But his compromises started to lose him the favour of his party, who felt that he was too quick to sell out.

On returning from an India trip in October, he was greeted by a delegation of party members bearing black flags in symbol of mourning after he signed an investment treaty with New Delhi.

The deal invited Indian interference in Nepal, party dissidents said, demanding Bhattarai step down.

The faction calling for his resignation, led by Mohan Vaidhya, also opposed the terms of the arms handover and the combatant reintegration agreement.

Bhattarai's appeal has also started to wane among the public, which is questioning some of his austerity measures.

When in November the prime minister expanded his cabinet to 49 members, the biggest in Nepal's history, observers pointed out the inconsistency with his ideal of a lean, efficient government.

'Although he facilitated the peace process, he shouldn't have formed a jumbo cabinet,' Luitel said.

But the darkest stain on his image was his attempt to shield two Maoist lawmakers convicted of murder. He has denied all wrongdoing, but the affair has added a moral dimension to the political criticism of his leadership.

Outside the corridors of parliament, the public is also growing disenchanted, in particular with the delays to the constitution.

The deadline has been extended twice since he took office, and the Constituent Assembly is now due to finish its draft by April.

The text will need to include provisions on the as-yet-unresolved issues of electoral reform, state restructuring and governance systems.

Deadlines to complete the integration of the former rebel fighters also seem unlikely to be met, given the ongoing disagreements within the Maoists and between the parties.

'If he focuses on peace and constitution and on public interest, he has the opportunity to be the best prime minister in Nepal,' Luitel said.

Others do not share his optimism.

'His intentions are good but there are limitations,' said Ajit Baral, a writer and columnist. 'He has to satisfy expectations from all quarters, so he probably can't perform to his best.'

Youth sex conference breaks taboos in Nepal

   Kathmandu (dpa)- A youth gatheringe in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu broke taboos Sunday by openly discussing sex and HIV - topics normally off limits in the country.

   The gathering was organized by two youth groups to raise awareness on HIV-AIDS, and to encourage young people to discuss sex as a physical need, instead of an unmentionable topic.

   “Although sex is a taboo in our society, our religious practices and culture is rife with sexual innuendos,” said sexologist Dr. Rajendra Bhadra.

   “Sexuality is the essence of youth, emotions, expressions,” said Sagar Budathoki, a short film maker. “Infatuations, crushes are more common when you are young.”

   “We want to encourage young people to talk about sex to address these and important messages about protecting themselves against HIV-AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.”

   “I would never dare discuss sex with my parents,” said Rojita Tamrakar, a restaurant owner. “But such programs are necessary as we need to talk about these issues so that we can understand ourselves better.”

   The participants at the program discussed the sexual connotations in the Hinduism and Buddhism practiced by Nepalis. Hindu Nepalis worship the Shiva Linga, which represents the state of union between man and woman.

   According to figures released by the government on Friday, the number of people infected by HIV/AIDS in Nepal has decreased by 14,000 in the past four years.

   The government said the use of contraceptives and awareness programs had played a role in bringing down the number of the infected.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

Nepal postpones deadline for new constitution for last time

   Kathmandu (dpa) – Nepal's parliament Tuesday extended the term of the country's Constituent Assembly by a further six months amid persistent disagreements on the content of a new constitution.

   The parliament endorsed the extension bill with an overwhelming majority of 505 votes in favour and 3 against.

   It was the fourth time that the assembly's mandate was extended since its first deadline expired in April 2010. The latest deadline had been set for Wednesday.

   Drafting a new constitution has been repeatedly delayed as politicians squabble over the system of governance, the division of provinces and the electoral system.

   The 601-member Constituent Assembly was first elected in 2008 and was originally given a two-year mandate to write a charter.

   The Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that its mandate could only be extended one last time, meaning lawmakers now have until May 26 to reach a comprehensive deal.
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Homosexuality reaches the big screen in Nepal

By Pratibha Tuladhar =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - When the curtain fell on the Cine Symposium film festival, the Kathmandu audience had received its first look at a film about the love between two women.

   Sharir, or Body, directed and written by Abhinash Bikram Shah, tells the story of Suman and Chahana, who are separated when the latter is raped and murdered on the streets of Kathmandu.

   The story focuses on Suman's suffering after losing her partner, as the film takes the audience through their love in flashbacks.

   "You could call it the first Nepali film based on a lesbian theme," Shah said. "But when I writing the script, I was telling a love story.

   "I decided to make it a story about two women because it was a subject not explored by others and I wanted to explore something new."

   The country is slowly becoming more accepting of homosexuals since the highest court directed the government to ensure their rights three years ago.

   However, the majority Hindu population is still conservative about issues like homosexuality and transgender people, which have long been hushed topics in the country.

   "When I was working on the film, I was scared that people would not relate to it," Shah said. "But the audience liked it, and I think it is because it is a portrayal of contemporary Nepal."

   The audience of mostly young people watched the intimate scenes between Suman and Chahana in silence. Suman drowns her sorrows in alcohol and tobacco after her lover's death, driven toward self-destruction.

   "You love a person, a book, a dog and it hurts when you lose what you love," said Pooja Gurung, who plays Suman. "The love is the same regardless of whom it is directed at and that's what the film shows."

   Members of the Blue Diamond Society, a group for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT), made up much of the audience Tuesday.

   "Nepal is undergoing social change regarding the rights of LGBT people," said Sunil Babu Pant, president of the society and the country's first openly gay lawmaker. "The film is a reflection of it as there's growing awareness about people's sexual orientation."

   Pant has been calling for many of the LGBT community's demands to be enshrined in the country's new constitution, including the right to gay marriage.

   The film Sharir was well received, but is likely to reach only a niche audience.

   In January 2012, Nepal is set to screen its first widely released gay feature film, Snow Flowers, also based on the love between two women at odds with society's values.

   According to Pant, the films mark a change for lesbian, gay and transgender characters, who only had comic roles in the past.

   "Now they have substantial, weighty films devoted to this subject. It is very encouraging for us."

   And Shah says that's exactly what he has tried to achieve: to show the characters as human and not portray them as "something loud."

   But filmmakers have only begun testing the waters, and do not know what the reaction will be among a wider audience.

   "We're just beginning to be aware of homosexuality," said Saran Tandukar, a student of fine arts, as he emerged from the theatre. "For the older generation, a film like this might be shocking.

   "But our generation accepts this as reality."
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British woman beats own world record running down Mt Everest

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A British woman completed a run from Mt Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu in 23 hours and 25 minutes, bettering her own world record by more than two days, local media reported Saturday.

   Elizabeth Hawker, 35, completed the run Friday, stopping for only eight hours at a mountain village to shelter from rain and nurse a chest infection.

   “The first night, I had planned to run straight through,” the Republica daily quoted Hawker saying. “But it started raining, and was very cold.

   “I had to take shelter for eight hours in Bupsa village to keep from getting soaked and getting sick.” She said she did not sleep.

   In 2007, Hawker completed the distance in three days, two hours and 39 minutes.

   The endurance runner had come to Nepal to run the 1,600-kilometer Great Himalaya Trail across the foothills.

   But after losing her equipment, she changed plans and joined a 200-kilometre, nine-day Everest Sky Race, from Dolakha to Ama Dablam base camp.

   Immediately after that race, she decided to run from Everest Base Camp to Nepal's capital.

   Mt Everest, the world’s tallest mountain at 8,848 metres, attracts hundreds of trekkers from around the world each year.
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Nepal begins process of integrating Maoist former rebels

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal began integrating former rebels into the national army Saturday, five years after the Maoist insurgency ended with a peace agreement.

   The integration is aimed at bolstering a precarious peace process after a decade-long war that killed 16,000 people.

   Following the peace deal, 19,000 rebels were confined to seven camps across the country, waiting for a decision on their destiny.

   The government is now offers former combatants the choice of  joining the army or reintegrating into civil society.

   The Army Integration Special Committee is scheduled to complete the verification process by November 28.

   “All the preparations are complete and we are set to begin regrouping on Saturday morning,” coordinator Balananda Sharma said before leading a team to the Shaktikhor cantonment in Chitwan, the biggest of the seven camps which shelters 3,950 combatants.

   One-third of the former insurgent forces will be allowed to join the army in non-combat roles. The rest will be offered compensation of 500,000 to 900,000 rupees (6,666 to 12,000 dollars), depending on their rank as combatants.

   The peace process has been stalled for years due to differences between the political parties. The Maoists initially wanted their entire force to be integrated into the national army, but political opponents refused.

   On November 1, the parties reached a deal to allow 6,500 of the 19,000 would be integrated in the army. The agreement assigns them to military units responsible for development, forest security, industry and disaster management.

   “We are fully extending our support to the surveying team,” the Kathmandu Post quoted a Maoist commander named Suk Bahadur Roka as saying. “We will do all we can to take this process to completion.”

   The former rebels were supervised by the United Nations until January 2011, after which they were brought under the supervision of the government.
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Nepalese court convicts 19 over aphrodisiac fungus murders

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A court in central Nepal convicted 19 people for  the murder of seven collectors of an aphrodisiac fungus, local media reported Wednesday.

   The court in the remote district of Manang on Monday sentenced six people to 20 years in jail for killing the victims from Gorkha who had tried to collect the caterpillar fungus in their area, according to the Nagarik newspaper.

   The local residents pursued the collectors, lynched them and threw them off a cliff on June 10, 2009.

   The fungus is prized for its allegedly aphrodisiac properties in some countries and is a major source of income for Nepal’s Himalayan communities. It is exported to places like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand, where it is widely used in oriental medicine.

   Thirteen defendants were given jail terms of two years.

   The court found 21 others not guilty, including an 11-year-old boy. District police had arrested 100 people from Naar village in Manang following the murders.
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Foreign remittances lift Nepalis out of poverty

Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa

   Kathmandu (dpa) - On a foggy November morning, Sobha Chaudhary sits on a pavement outside the Foreign Ministry in Kathmandu with just a frayed shawl over her shoulders against the cold.

   She is waiting for a passport, which would then allow her to apply for a job in Kuwait.

   Chaudhary, 20, comes from a poor farmer's family in the south-eastern plains of Jhapa, and wouldn't be able to find Kuwait on a map. But she knows she can make enough money there to pay off her family's debts if she can get a job as a housemaid.

   "My village sisters work in Kuwait and they have been able to send money home," says Chaudhary, referring to other women who grew up in the same community. "I hope to do the same."

   Sobha Chaudhary is among the hundreds of aspiring migrant workers lining up outside the Foreign Ministry or employment agencies in the capital every day, in search of a better future.

   Remittances already make up an increasing proportion of the country's gross domestic product, and are a significant contributor to the country's declining poverty levels, according to economists and development experts.

   "More than 50 per cent of Nepalis are receiving remittances, which has given them better living standards," said Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, former vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission.

   Just over 25 per cent of Nepalis live below the poverty line, a government study published in October said, 5.7 percentage points lower than the previous survey found in 2004.

   The progress is particularly positive given the past five years of political instability, and the decade of civil war before that.

   The extra wealth is translating into other improvements, observers say.

   "Food consumption patterns have drastically changed in the last 15 years," said Anil Sharma, an expert with the Central Bureau for Statistics. "Nepalis are eating more protein-rich food items like meat, eggs, fish and milk."

   Despite the rising income levels, many Nepalis continue to be driven abroad by the shortage of career opportunities, and the promise of a better lifestyle elsewhere, even those with jobs at home.

   Rajendra Nagarkoti, 25, left his job as a teacher in Kathmandu two years ago to become a waiter in Saudi Arabia.

   "His monthly salary as a teacher was 4,000 rupees (53 US dollars), and that was barely enough to support the family," his mother Sanu Nagarkoti said.

   "But since he went to Saudi, he's sent home 100,000 rupees a year."

   Nagarkoti has not only been able to repay bank loans, but put some money aside, his mother said.

   The percentage of households who depend on family members working abroad has increased by 33 per cent since 1995, according to the government.

   Migrant workers sent home 259 billion rupees in 2010, up from 13 billion rupees 15 years ago, government figures released in October said.

   This "substantial remittance inflow from migrant workers" has been a major reason for progress in national health and education statistics in the last 30 years, according to the Human Development Report 2011 published by the United Nations Development Programme.

   Between 1980 and 2010, the country's Human Development Index score more than doubled, the report said.

   However, a remittance-based economy is not sustainable in the long run, according to experts.

   "What if migrant workers start to return home?" National Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Pitambar Sharma asked, at the press conference to launch the government report last month.

   "Migration has been the safety net for Nepal in last 15 years but it is not a development solution," said UN resident and humanitarian coordinator Robert Piper.

   "Migration has a lot of negative consequences on agriculture and families and has especially devastating impact on women."

   But so far, the allure of working abroad does not seem to be fading, despite the frequent headlines depicting the hardship, abuse and injustice suffered by migrant Nepalis in their host countries.

   "I've heard it's not easy," Chaudhary said. "But we're poor and it's the only way I can help my family pay off our debts."
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Nepal premier under fire for defending lawmaker convicted of murder

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was criticized Sunday for trying to defend a lawmaker from his party who was convicted of murder by the Supreme Court.

   The cabinet on Thursday forwarded a written request to President Ram Baran Yadav to pardon lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel, who was convicted by the Supreme Court in 2010.

   Dhungel was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in a murder in 1998, when the country was mired in civil war.

   The Supreme Court on Sunday issued a stay order to the government, asking it not to act on the decision to grant amnesty to the Maoist lawmaker. The next hearing was set for November 21.

   According to the interim constitution, the president has the power to grant amnesty in "special cases." The cabinet reasoned that the murder took place during the Maoist insurgency, and said the case was "political" in nature. 

   Bhattarai was earlier criticized by the United Nations, and on Sunday, student unions affiliated to the main opposition parties demonstrated in the capital Kathmandu, asking him to revoke his decision.

   He was also criticized for expanding the cabinet on Sunday - for the second time in a week. At 49 members, it is the biggest cabinet in the country's history. 

   Opposition parties and political analysts said the jumbo cabinet increases the economic burden on the government and is in sharp contrast to the austerity measures Bhattarai introduced when he took office. 

   The Maoists joined mainstream politics after the 2008 elections, after waging a decade-long insurgency that ended in 2006 with the signing of a peace deal with the government.

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UN concerned at Nepal attempt to pardon murder-convicted lawmaker

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The United Nations expressed concern Thursday over a Nepalese government decision to request pardon for a lawmaker convicted of murder by the country's highest court.

   On Thursday, the cabinet forwarded a written request to President Ram Baran Yadav to pardon lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel, who was convicted on murder charges by the Supreme Court in 2010.

   The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in Nepal expressed concern over several recent decisions by the Maoist government to appoint, promote or pardon public officials implicated in serious crimes and human rights abuses.

   The government has appointed several members charged with murder or abduction as ministers and government officials, drawing fierce criticism from many sides.

   The OHCHR said such decisions undermined efforts to address impunity in the country, while also tainting progress made by the government on the peace process ending a Maoist insurgency.

   "Such decisions will establish a trend to entrench impunity and send the wrong message at the wrong time," said Jyoti Sanghera, head of OHCHR in Nepal.

   "The government should respect Nepal's judiciary and the rule of law," Sanghera added.

   The Maoist government decision to request clemency for Dhungel has also drawn flak from the opposition and fringe parties in parliament. Human rights activists took to the streets in protest on Wednesday.

   Dhungel, who was already a lawmaker in 2010, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in a murder in 1998, when the country was mired in civil war.

   The Maoists joined mainstream politics through the 2008 elections, after waging a decade-long insurgency, which ended in 2006 with the signing of a peace-deal with the government.
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Eighteen killed in Nepal tractor accident

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Eighteen people were killed in eastern Nepal when a tractor pulling a trailer of passengers plunged into a canal, police said.

   The tractor carrying Hindu pilgrims from Dhanusha district was headed to a religious fair when it fell into a canal in Bharaul, Sunsari district.

   Police said the accident could have been caused by overcrowding, as nearly 50 people were travelling on the flatbed trailer behind the small tractor.

   The victims were 16 women and two men. Twenty-four people were pulled alive from the canal, and had been hospitalised, police said, adding that local residents were helping them look for more survivors.

   The Baraha Kshestra Haribodhan Ekadashi fair for Hindus draws hundreds of pilgrims every year.
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Nepal wins US government grant to fight flooding, climate change

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A United States development agency said Tuesday that it had awarded a 30-million-dollar grant to Nepal to fight climate change.

   The grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is to fund a five-year programme of restoring forests and other natural ecosystems.

   The programme was dubbed Hariyo Ban - or green forest in Nepali.

   A key Hariyo Ban investment is a carbon sequestration project, USAID said in a press release.

   The grant will cover the east-west Terai region and the Chitwan-Annapurna region.

   "The government of Nepal welcomes the efforts being made by Hariyo Ban," said Deependra Bahadur Kshetry, vice chairman of the country's national planning commission, during a launch event.

   Nepal faces numerous environmental threats. Most perilous is the Himalayan glacier retreat. Melting glaciers and lake outbursts have also flooded communities downstream.

   Nearly 1.9 million Nepalese are effected by such floods and by other climate change incidents.

   In the coming years, 10 million more people could see their livelihoods impacted by climate change.

   The USAID program has local and international partners, such as the World Wildlife Fund.
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Nepal premier expands cabinet for fifth time in three months

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal's prime minister expanded his cabinet for the fifth time in three months on Tuesday, inducting seven more ministers.

   Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai appointed six ministers from the Maoist party, of which he is a member, and one from the Sadbhavna-Anandidevi party.

   This has taken the total number of members to 22.

   The new ministers were sworn in by President Ram Baran Yadav at the presidential palace.

   The expansion of the cabinet came just weeks ahead of the late November deadline to draft a constitution.

   The expansion is also being seen as a move by Bhattarai to strengthen his position in the Maoist central committee, as those inducted belong to the establishment faction, and not to the dissident Vaidhya faction of hardline Maoists.

   Over a dozen state ministers, junior ministers who also sit in the cabinet, were set to be sworn in late Tuesday.

   The full shape of the cabinet has been delayed as the Vaidhya faction refused to join, accusing the prime minister of denying them important ministries.

   The faction has been at loggerheads with the establishment faction over the handover of Maoist arms to the government and the recent deal over the integration of 6,500 Maoist combatants into the national army.

   The Vaidhya faction has demanded that all 19,000 former Maoist combatants be integrated to the normal army en masse. A current deal would see just 6,500 of them posted to non-central units such as forestry management or disaster response.

   The Maoists appeared the strongest party until the recent rift, which has provoked speculation that the party may split, and increased fears of another "revolution" as threatened by the Vaidhya faction.

   Other parties have accused the Maoists of holding up the peace process and the writing of a constitution writing with their bickering.

   The Maoists joined mainstream politics after a decade-long insurgency that ended with the signing of a peace deal in 2006.
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Stranded tourists fly out of Everest region as weather improves

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Hundreds of tourists stranded in the Mount Everest region for a week began flying to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Monday as improved weather allowed the resumption of air traffic.

   Civil aviation authorities said 650 tourists had been flown out  and they hoped to transport a total of 1,000 by the end of the day. More than 1,500 tourists were still waiting to fly to Kathmandu.

   On Sunday, more than 3,000 tourists were stranded in the region after poor visibility caused by dense fog and persistent rain disrupted flights.

   The bad weather had affected flights to Lukla Airport, the gateway to the Mount Everest region. The airport, situated at an altitude of 2,800 metres, suffers frequent delays due to bad weather.

   After several days of waiting for flights to operate, hundreds of tourists had chosen to walk to the nearest highway in Jiri, a four-day trek from Lukla.

   Some tourists missed their international flights due to the delays.
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Six killed, 12 injured in Nepal road accident

  Kathmandu (dpa) - Six people were killed when a passenger bus collided with a van in Nepal Monday, police said.

   Six of the 12 injured victims were in critical condition.

   The accident occurred in the eastern district of Sunsari, along the East-West highway.
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Tourists stranded by dense fog in Nepalese mountains

   Kathmandu (dpa)- More than 2,500 tourists were still awaiting rescue in the Everest region Sunday, as bad weather and dense fog disrupted flights in different parts of Nepal.

   Civil aviation authorities said 170 tourists had been rescued from the Solukhubu district, home to Mount Everest, using private  helicopters.

   No flights have operated to or from the Phaplu and Lukla airports in the Everest region for a week, leaving hundreds stranded because if bad weather, officials said.

   Some tourists were living in tents after all the hotels in Lukla were full. The Solukhumbu district was also facing food shortages.

   Fights to and from the tourist destination of Pokhara have also been grounded for past three days due to bad weather. Flights to the mountainous district of Mustang have been halted for four days.
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Tourists stranded in Everest region as bad weather grounds flights

   Kathmandu (dpa) - More than a thousand tourists were left stranded in the Everest region after flights were cancelled for several days due to bad weather, local media reported Thursday.

   Lukla and Phaplu airports in the Solukhumbu region had been closed for the past four days, as flights were grounded due to poor visibility.

   Some of the tourists missed their international flights due to the delays, while other said they had started running out of cash as they were stranded in the remote region, Kantipur Television reported.

   Hotels in the region are packed, leading to accommodation problems for tourists.

   Flights to the Everest region are often disrupted because of the difficult terrain. Nepal's skies are infamous for accidents due to low visibility, and flights are often cancelled to avoid flying in bad weather.
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Two New Zealanders killed in Nepal bike accident

  Kathmandu(dpa)- Two New Zealanders died in a motor cycle accident in Nepal late Thursday, police said.

   The deceased were identified as Christopher Mark and Caro Louis.

   Police said the accident was caused by speeding.

   The incident took place in Rani Bhanjyang in the district of Makwanpur, 75 kilometres south-west of the capital Kathmandu.
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Nepal to hold first snow leopard census

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal has launched the first census of its snow leopards, local media reported, in a bid to raise awareness of the endangered species.

   Closed circuit television cameras have been installed around the northern district of Mustang, at an altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 metres, and are planned to count the district's leopards within two months.

   “The census aims to find the exact population of snow leopards and conserve them,” Som Ale, one of the conservationists involved in the project, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.

   “We believe it will help bring awareness about conservation of leopards among people.”

   The project is being carried out jointly by the National Trust for Nature Conservation, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project and other partners.

   Nepal's snow leopards live in the Mugu, Mustang, Dolpa and Humla districts in the northern belt, at an altitude of around 5,000 metres.

   Conservationists say their number is rapidly declining and put the current figure at 300 to 500.

   “Major threats for snow leopards come from the human and wildlife conflict,” World Wide Fund for Nature official Kamal Thapa told dpa.

   “Villagers kill the animals for attacking their livestock.”

   The conservationist group is running insurance programmes to discourage people from attacking the endangered species to defend their cattle.
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Nepal deal to integrate former rebels "humiliating," hardliners say

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Hardliners in Nepal's Maoist party said Wednesday that a deal to integrate former rebel combatants into the military did not give the fighters the respect they deserved.

   The agreement, signed between the country's main parties on Tuesday, assigns the former Maoist rebels to military units responsible for development, forest security, industry and disaster management.

   The general secretary of the Maoist party, Ram Bahadur Thapa, said at a press conference that such tasks were "humilitating" for the former rebel troops.

   The reintegration deal was inked Tuesday by party chairman Pshpa Kamal Dahal, who heads the establishment movement within the Maoists, together with the leaders of the other parties.

   It provides for 6,500 of the 19,000 former Maoist rebels to be moved into their new roles under a newly-formed directorate.

   Mohan Vaidhya, one of the three vice chairmen of the Maoists, also objected to the move. “The People Liberation Army [Maoist troops] had an important role in establishing democracy,” he said, and should be integrated en masse into the existing military establishment.

   The other political parties have repeatedly said it was not safe to incorporate a politically indoctrinated army into the normal army ranks.

   The hardline Maoists have also called for all former rebel fighters to keep their previous rank in the army.

   The Maoists joined mainstream politics after their decade-long insurgency ended with the signing of a peace deal in 2006.

   Their fighters have been held in detention camps around the country ever since.

   The Maoist hardliners on Wednesday warned of another "revolution" if their demands were not heeded. The party was to organize torch rallies across the country late Wednesday to demonstrate against the deal.
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Nepal police detain dozens of Tibetan refugees at prayer service

November 1, 2011
   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal police detained more than 60 Tibetan refugees early Tuesday as they were praying for the monks who immolated themselves recently in Tibet, a refugee official said.

   Police said they arrested those who were chanting slogans for a free Tibet at the service organized by the Tibetan refugee camp in the central city of Jawlakhel.

   “It was a peaceful non-violent mass gathering, where we were praying to show solidarity,” Tsewang Dolma, head of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, said.

   “Police arrested 60 refugees, including two monks,” said Dolma, who was also being held at the Jawlakhel Police station.

   The refugees had gathered at the camp for a 24-hour fast and prayer. Around 300 people continued praying after the arrests.

   Nepal officially follows the one-China policy, and has come under increasing pressure from Beijing to clamp down on anti-China or pro-Tibet activities.

   Nepal is home to 20,000 recorded Tibetan refugees, and many more undocumented migrants from the region.
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Nepal reaches deal on integrating former Maoist rebels into army =

November 1, 2011

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal's four main political parties agreed on Tuesday to integrate 6,500 former Maoist fighters into the national army, a moved aimed at bolstering a precarious peace process that started in 2006 after a decade-long insurgency.

   Under the deal, the government will pay former Maoist fighters between 400,000 rupees (5,333 dollars) to 800,000 rupees in rehabilitation money depending on their rank in the former rebel force.
 
   A decade-long Maoist insurgency ended in Nepal in 2006, after the Maoists signed a peace deal with the government. The Maoists joined a coalition government in March.

   Since the war eneded, some 19,000 Maoist fighters have been living in seven different encampments scattered across the country.

   “Regrouping will begin in the next seven days,” Bhim Rawal, head of the Communist Party of Nepal, told a press conference.
 
   However, some hardline Maoists said they were opposed the deal and vowed to stage protests.
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Dogs, cattle, crows have their day as Nepal observes Tihar

By Pratibha Tuladhar Oct 26, 2011, 9:37 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepalese rubbed vermillion on the foreheads of cows Wednesday and placed garlands of marigolds around their necks as part of the five-day Tihar festival, which shows reverence for animals.

Tihar - which comes weeks after Dashain, another festival often criticized for its tradition of animal sacrifices - also gives dogs and crows their day.

The festival began Tuesday with the worshipping of crows and dogs, which are considered the messengers of Yamaraj, the god of death, by Hindus.

'We believe that by offering food to crows, we can thwart tragedies because the bird symbolizes grief,' said Anjali Balami, who was busy selling marigold garlands that people also use to decorate their homes during Tihar.

'Dogs accompany their masters to heaven, so we worship dogs,' Balami said.

People left sweetmeats for crows on the rooftops of their homes and placed garlands on dogs, decorated them with red and fed them treats Tuesday.

Cows were worshipped Wednesday in a similar fashion as a symbol of sustenance for the milk they provide while the animal also represents Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Tihar falls every year in the month of October, marked by the waning moon. The festival also has days devoted to bulls and brothers. Homes are decorated with flowers and lit by candles and oil lamps during the festival.

'Bulls represent the Govardhan mountain, which sheltered the people of Mathura in the Hindu epic of Mahabharata,' Ajay Shrestha said while doing a brisk business selling clothes for the festival. 'In that sense, we worship bulls as the protectors.'

Also known as the festival of flowers and lights, Tihar is closely connected to braving death and the celebration of life as the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley also marks its New Year.

Markets are brightly lit with electric lights and lined with colourful streamers. Coloured powder, candles, fruits, and garlands of marigold, globe amaranth and chrysanthemum are for sale everywhere.

For some, the festival is a time for Deusi-bhailo, a tradition of singing festive songs door-to-door and receiving gifts of money and sweets in return.

'Playing the Deusi is the highlight of Tihar, so we choreographed it together,' said Prakriti Thapaliya, who led a group of her teenage friends dressed in traditional Nepalese attire.

Sanjeeb Gautam, who runs a gift shop, said he sold 5,000 garlands in two days as he beamed over the profit he makes during Tihar.

'Tihar has been passed down to us from our forefathers, and even though the festival feels quite different from how it did during my childhood, it's still a great time to have fun,' Gautam said.

Leopard eats three year old in Nepal

   Kathmandu (dpa)- A three-year-old boy was eaten by a leopard in Nepal's Kavre district, some 35 kilometres from the capital, police confirmed Tuesday.

   Police said the leopard had taken away the boy from a cowshed, where he was with his mother. The remains of the boy, Sunil Lama, was found in the nearby Bela forest.

   According to locals, the same leopard ate a 7-year-old girl four months ago.
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Nepal premier under fire for signing investment deal with India

Kathmandu - Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was Monday criticized in parliament, by the opposition and lawmakers from his own party, for an investment treaty he signed with India.

Ram Sharan Mahat of the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, said the treaty had nothing new to offer Nepal. Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxists Leninists lawmaker Pradip Gyawali said the treaty was not a priority for Nepal and that political stability was needed to attract foreign investment.

India on Friday extended a 250-million-dollar credit line for infrastructure projects in Nepal, during a visit by Bhattarai.

The agreement was signed between the Nepal government and the Export-Import Bank of India, and the funds would be used to finance projects such as highways, airports, bridges, irrigation, roads, railways and hydropower.

Bhattarai's visit was seen as an opportunity to mend strained ties between his ruling Maoist party and New Delhi. It also came at a crucial time in the country's politics, as efforts are underway to integrate and rehabilitate former Maoist rebels, ahead of a November 30 deadline for framing a constitution.

But on Monday, Maoist lawmaker Ekraj Bhandari said the agreement was against the national interest.

Bhattarai said it would help bring in Indian investments as well as improve bilateral ties. 'Foreign investment is a compulsion for us, as we have limited resources,' he said.

On his return to Kathmandu on Sunday, Bhattarai said: 'The visit was focused on clearing existing misunderstandings and forging confidence and cooperation between the two countries.

Black flags welcome Nepalese Premier's homecoming from India

   Kathmandu (dpa) - An investment treaty signed between India and Nepal - and the Nepalese prime minister who signed it - received a chilly reception upon returning to Kathmandu Sunday.

   Members of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's Unified Maoist party greeted him with black flags, saying the deal invited Indian interference in Nepal and demanded he step down.

   It was yet another sign of stress in efforts to integrate and rehabilitate former Maoist rebels ahead of a November 30 deadline for framing a constitution. The protests Sunday were organized by a hardline faction of the Unified Maoists.

   During his visit, Bhattarai also signed 250-million-dollar credit line for infrastructure projects in Nepal.

   Speaking to the press at the airport, Bhattarai said the treaty was a milestone in India-Nepal relations and requested that his intentions not be doubted.

   "The visit was focused on clearing existing misunderstandings and forging confidence and cooperation between the two countries," said Bhattarai upon his return.

   India is fighting a Maoist insurgency and has been cool towards the Nepalese Maoists, who have close ties to China. The Maoists have in turn resented the huge political influence India has historically exerted over its northern neighbour.

   The decade-long war between Maoist rebels and the Nepalese government ended in 2006 with a peace agreement that saw the Maoists join mainstream politics.
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Nepal to count tigers using DNA

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Scientists in Nepal have launched a new program that will enable them to keep count of the tigers by tracing their DNA in the faeces, reports said Saturday.

   The droppings will be collected from forests to analyze genetic and other vital details. Researchers said it would be more accurate than the method of using cameras and counting footprints.

   “This system enables us to find out the whereabouts of the tiger, its gender and its area of origin," project chief Divesh Karmacharya was quoted by the Nagarik newsportal as saying.

   National Conservation Department, Chitwan National Park and Nepal Tiger Genetics Project are working jointly with funding by the United States Agency for International Development.

   “This system is being introduced with the objective of doubling Tiger count in Nepal by 2022,” the agency said.

   It will be the first testing of tiger DNA in Nepal. The country has used the system to research the status of snow leopards.

   “This system is not as expensive as those that were used in the past,” said ecologist Maheshwar Dhakal. “It will help maintain a good archive of the wildlife in Nepal and to form strategies for preservation of tigers, elephants, rhinos and other animals.”

   The initial tests will be conducted in the forests of Nepal’s southern plains, in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shuklaphata.

   The World Wildlife Fund said there are only 121 adult tigers in Nepal. It said the global population has collapsed by 95 per cent, from 100,000 in 1900 to only around 3,200 tigers currently.

   Political instability in Nepal over the past decade created a conducive environment for poachers. The skin, meat and bones of tiger are used as valuable ingredients as traditional medicine in some East Asian countries, including China.
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Three South Korean climbers missing on Nepal's mountains

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Three South Korean climbers have gone missing on Nepal's Mount Annapurna, local media reported Thursday.

   Park Young-Seok - who has climbed the world's 14 highest peaks - was among the mountaineers who went missing on Tuesday, reported online news portal Republic, quoting the Mountaineering Divison.

   The climbers were attempting Mt.Annapurna, which is 8,091 meters above sea level, when they disappeared.

   "The three went out of contact Tuesday while climbing from Camp I to Camp II," said Mountaineering Division official Dipendra Poudel.

   Ne-Ko Treks, who organized the Annapurna South Face Expedition, said the three had last contacted the base camp late Tuesday to inform them that they were retreating from 6,300 meters, as bad weather endangered the further ascent.

   A rescue team was sent Thursday to search for them, media reported.
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Nepalese premier seeks to mend ties amid Maoist-India tensions

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai left Nepal Thursday for a four-day visit to India in what was seen as an opportunity to mend strained ties between his ruling Maoist party and New Delhi.

   Bhattarai, who was leading a 37-member delegation, told the media before his departure he was on a "goodwill visit," "directed towards building a better understanding between the two countries and two peoples."

   India is fighting a Maoist insurgency and has been cool toward the Nepalese Maoists and their close ties with its rival China.

   Bhattarai, a graduate from India's Jawarharlal Nehru University, took office two months ago and chose India as the destination for his first trip abroad.

   "This meeting will be crucial for Nepal and India as Bhattarai himself represents the Maoists, who have been critical of India's role in Nepal," former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told the media days ahead of the visit.

   India provides Nepal's energy, is its largest trading partner and has historically exerted enormous political influence over its northern neighbour.

   Bhattarai said he would focus on clearing up existing misunderstandings and creating an atmosphere of cooperation during his visit.

   It was expected to focus on economic cooperation between the two nations. Bhattarai is to seek low-interest loans worth 78 billion rupees (1 billion dollars) from India to fund infrastructure projects, the construction of special economic zones and energy imports.
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Nepal premier to seek 1-billion-dollar loan from India

  Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal’s prime minister, Baburam Bhattarai, is to seek soft loans worth 78 billion rupees (1 billion dollars) during a visit to India on Thursday, the government said Wednesday.

   Bhattarai told local media that he would seek to boost economic ties with the southern neighbour during the visit.

   Discussions on the agenda are to centre on financial assistance in building the "Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Road," which will connect the capital with the southern region.

   “The program has been included in the agenda of the prime minister’s visit,” Nepalese Finance Minister Barshaman Pun was quoted as saying.

   The money would also be used for infrastructure, constructing special economic zones and importing 200 megawatts of electricity.

   Prime Minister Bhattarai was due to be accompanied in his visit to New Delhi by a 37-strong delegation, which includes Maoist leader Hishila Yami and six ministers.
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Nepal to put Mount Everest experience online

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal is preparing to launch a website allowing users to make a virtual tour of the country's popular tourist spots, including the world's highest mountain, officials said Wednesday.

   The site will contain computer-generated graphics of monuments and places of interest, allowing the web visitor to guide the viewpoint through a virtual tour, the Nepal Tourism Board said.

   The "Journey to Everest" programme was developed by 3rd Planet Pte Ltd, based in Singapore.

   "We be launching towards end 2011," 3rd Planet chief Terence Mak said.

   The interactive site will also allow the user to call up information about a location's history, tourist facilities or weather.

   "3rd Planet has an amazing technology that enables us to showcase our country in a totally new dimension," said Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive of the Nepal Tourism Board.
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ROUNDUP: Six die in Nepal plane crash

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Six people were killed in Nepal late Tuesday when a Nepal Army islander airplane crashed in the western mountains, local media reported.

   The RAN49BN2T aircraft went missing in the forest of Dhorpatan in Baglung district in western Nepal, killing all on board, the Himalayan Times news portal wrote.

   The aircraft had airlifted a patient, a Nepalese army soldier, from Nepalganj in the south-west and was heading for the capital Kathmandu.

   On board were the patient, his brother, a Nepalese Army doctor, nurse and two crew members.

   Local TV stations said the villagers in Dhorpatan had heard a loud bang and witnessed flames on the hills. Police and army rescue teams were deployed to the accident site, which is 35 miles away from the nearest motorable road.

   This is the fifth crash in four months in Nepal, where aviation safety is problematic because of its difficult terrain. In September, 19 people died when a domestic plane crashed near the capital, Kathmandu.
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Nepal prepares to buy more time to write a constitution

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal is preparing to allow a further six months to write its new constitution, media reported Tuesday.

   Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said a joint draft of the constitution would be prepared by the end of November, then finalized during an extended six-month period, Kantipur Television reported.

   His statement came amid speculation over the timing of the new charter, integrating the country's former Maoist combatants.

   The government has faced criticism for political infighting and tolerating impunity among legislators, instead of focusing on writing the constitution and completing the peace process.

   The new constitution is part of Nepal's peace process, ending a decade of civil war between the Maoists and the former government in 2006 and bringing the rebels from the battlefield into politics.

   Political factions remain deadlocked over several issues, including the fate of former guerrillas. Since the end of the conflict, 19,000 Maoist combatants have been confined to seven camps across Nepal.

   The 601-member Constituent Assembly was elected in 2008 and given a two-year mandate to write a charter. Its term was extended for a third time on August 31, and a new deadline was set for November 30.
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ROUNDUP: Nepal Maoist minister accused of murder resigns

Eds: Releads with resignation =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepalese government minister accused of murder stepped down late Sunday after receiving a direct order to do so from the Maoist Party, of which he is a member.

   Land Reform Minister Prabhu Sah handed his resignation to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.

   Nepal's Maoists on Sunday decided to ask Sah to resign from the council of ministers, following pressure from the opposition.

   The opposition parties, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninists obstructed parliamentary proceedings Sunday, demanding the government sack the minister.

   Sah has been accused by police of involvement in the killing of Hindu youth leader Kashi Tiwari. Tiwari was shot dead in June 2010 in the southern city of Birganj days after he launched a protest against the Maoists. Tiwari's wife has accused Sah of offering her blood money to drop murder charges against him.

   Maoist Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal met early Sunday and decided to ask Sah to resign.

   Last week all charges against Sah were dropped, following protests from his party, which alleged the accusations were baseless and politically motivated.

   Critics have accused the new Maoist-led coalition government of undermining the rule of law by withdrawing cases against those accused of committing serious crimes during the country's 10-year armed conflict, which ended in 2006.

   This month, the government pardoned a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder.
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Nepal's Maoists decide to ask minister accused of murder to resign

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal's Maoists on Sunday decided to ask a minister accused of murder to resign from the council of ministers, following pressure from the opposition.

   Land Reform Minister Prabhu Sah, a member of the Maoist party, has been accused by police of involvement in the killing of Hindu youth leader Kashi Tiwari.

   Tiwari was shot dead in June 2010 in the southern city of Birganj days after he launched a protest against the Maoists. Tiwari’s wife has accused Sah of offering her blood money to drop murder charges against him.

   Maoist Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal met early Sunday and decided to ask Sah to resign.

   On Wednesday, all charges against him were dropped, following protests from his party, which alleged the accusations were baseless and politically motivated.

   The opposition parties, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist obstructed parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, demanding the government sack the minister.

   “The Maoists have decided to make Sah resign, which we appreciate,” Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak said on the decision. “But the Prime Minister needs to inform the parliament about where the case against him stands now.”

   Parliament was due to meet later Sunday and Sah's resignation was expected.

   Critics have accused the new Maoist-led coalition government of undermining the rule of law by withdrawing cases against those accused of committing serious crimes during the country's 10-year armed conflict, which ended in 2006.

   This month, the government pardoned a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder.
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Three dead, four missing in Nepal landslide

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Three people, including a child, were killed early Sunday in a landslide in south-east Nepal, local media reported.

   Locals were digging clay from the banks of the Bairahawa River to paint houses for the upcoming festival of Tihar, when the landslide occurred.

   Four people were missing after the incident in Siraha district’s Badhadamal village, according to Avenues Television.

   Police and army teams, with the help of local residents, rescued three people who were seriously injured.

   Police said that hopes of rescuing those buried alive were slim, as several hours had passed since the incident.
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Nepal villagers resort to camomile to ward off wild animals

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Villagers in the western Nepalese district of Bardiya have resorted to the use of camomile flowers to keep away wild animals, media reported Friday.

   The villagers - threatened by wild rhinoceros and elephants who destroyed their crops and charged at locals - resorted to the simple, non-violent measure after discovering that mint and camomile plants repelled the animals, wrote online news portal Republica.

   "Our primary goal was to reduce the conflict between the wild animals and the villagers," Republica quoted Mangal Man Tharu, Chairperson of Shiva Community Forest.

   Farmers have planted the herbs along the edge of their farmland and community forests in the area, saving them the trouble of sitting around in tall bamboo towers, to keep vigil over the wild animals.

   "Every year, three to four people would be killed or severely hurt due to animal attacks, and huge parts of our plantations would be destroyed," said Tharu.

   "But since we started planting mint and camomile, such damages have been reduced to a great extent."

   Besides providing security, the plants are also highly prized cash crops.

   According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), mint and camomile harvests fetch three- to eightfold higher returns than their previous earnings from rice plantations, thus raising their living standards.

   WWF said the initiative was also an important contribution to wildlife conservation.

   The project has been nominated for the World Challenge 2011, which recognizes projects bringing social and environmental benefits through enterprise and innovation.

   The award, run by BBC World News and Newsweek magazine, selects 12 projects globally, of which the best one wins a 20,000-dollar prize.
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47 killed in Nepal bus accident

   Kathmandu (dpa) - At least 47 people were killed when a bus plunged into a river in Nepal Thursday, police said.

   The bus was carrying over 60 passengers home after the annual Dashain festival celebrations. It was travelling to the capital Kathmandu.

   Police said the bus was carrying more than its capacity.

   It swerved off the road and plunged 300 metres into the Sunkoshi River, in Sindhuli district, some 240 kilometres east of the capital.

   Police said 11 people who were travelling on the roof had jumped to safety but many were missing. Precisely how many was not known, as there was no record of the number of passengers.

   Rescue operations were being carried out by police with the help of inhabitants of nearby villages.

   Many overcrowded buses have taken to the roads of Nepal in the last two weeks as people travel home or to visit relatives during the festive season of Dashain, the country's largest public holiday, commemorating the victory of the gods over demons.

   Road accidents that claim hundreds of lives in Nepal every year are blamed on poor road conditions, reckless driving and the use of old vehicles.
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Murder charges against Maoist minister dropped =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A Maoist government minister accused of murder had all charges against him dropped on Wednesday, following protests from his party, which alleged the charges were baseless and politically motivated, local media reported.

   A district court dropped all charges against Minister for Land Reform Prabhu Sah for lack of evidence, Kantipur Television reported.

   The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Maoists had earlier requested the government to revoke murder charges against Sah, who is a party central committee member.

   On Tuesday, Maoist party cadres demonstrated in various parts of the country in support of demands that Sah be acquitted.

   Police had accused Sah of involvement in the killing of Hindu youth leader Kashi Tiwari. Tiwari was shot dead in June 2010 in Nepal's southern city of Birganj days after he launched a protest against the Maoists.

   The court has filed charges against four others, including Sah's personal secretary, Shiyaram Kushawaha.

   Another accused in the case, Aman Kushawaha, has confessed that he pulled the trigger on Sah's orders, an allegation denied by Sah.

   Earlier this month, the government pardoned a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder.

   Critics have accused the new Maoist-led coalition government of undermining the rule of law by withdrawing cases against those accused of committing serious crimes during the country's 10-year armed conflict, which ended in 2006.
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Nepali government set to pardon lawmaker involved in murder

October 2, 2011

  Kathmandu (dpa) - The Nepali government was Sunday set to pardon a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder, local media reported.

   The move comes amid growing concerns that the new Maoist-led coalition government may undermine the rule of law by withdrawing court cases filed against those accused of committing serious crimes
during the country's ten-year-long armed conflict, which ended in 2006.

   The cabinet on Sunday forwarded an amnesty proposal for United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel to the president.

   Since the president's role is mainly ceremonial, he can only turn down a government decision in unusual circumstances.

   Dhungel was in 2010 sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court for his involvement in a murder in 1998, when the country was mired in civil war.

   Despite the court decision, Dhungel has been free to move about the country and has also attended parliamentary proceedings.

   Rights activists have condemned a four-point agreement between the UCPN-M and a crucial faction of parties from the Tarai belt, the country's bread basket, which led to the formation of a coalition government a month ago.

   According to a provision in the four-point deal, the government will grant amnesty to those charged with crimes committed during the Maoist insurgency and the 2007 revolt in the Tarai belt.

   UCPN-M insists Dhungel's case is of a political nature and he cannot be tried by regular courts. The party has said that only a yet-to-be-formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission can look into
criminal cases from the conflict period.
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Author: Biswas Baral

More than half of all homes in Nepal have no toilet, figures show

 Oct 7, 2011, 14:13 GMT

Kathmandu- Some 57 per cent houses in Nepal do not have toilets according to government figures released Friday.

According to the Department of Environmental Sanitation and Natural Disaster Management, a recent study shows that only 43 per cent households have sanitation facilities.

Those without toilets relieve themselves into streams, rivers, forests and open fields.

The figures come in the wake of a government plan to provide people with basic toilet facilities by 2017.

The government currently operates sanitation programs in over 200 villages and four municipalities across the country, under which two districts have been declared 'open-defecation-free' zones.

Every year, scores die and hundreds suffer from diarrhea and cholera due to contaminated water in Nepal.