Does your newspaper lock it's Twitter account?

Twitter.com is a micro-blogging platform where people can share their 140 character long messages. Politicians, celebrities, and businesses use Twitter to update their followers about the latest happenings. Newspapers usually post the headlines and links to the articles. General users use it as a tool to keep themselves updated on the topics of their interest. In addition to following, they also use it as a chat and discussion forum.

What surprised me most of Kantipur is their "official" Twitter page. What was the need to lock it?

I can understand general peo
ple locking their Twitter account. They want to make a close circle and don’t want their posts to be shared out of their community. But, what is the secret within Kantipur community? I thought newspapers are transparent and they write for the mass. May be, Kantipur’s journalism is different.

Shall I send the "follow request" ?

It is worth noting that, in the last few weeks, Kantipur started to publish random and personal twitter posts in its Friday special section. They even tried to act as "moral police" and called one of the Twitter user’s boss to complain about the twits he was posting.

Anuja Baniya story was fake, Prez directed for inquiry

Anuja Baniya was praised everywhere for the news about her returned a bag containing Rs. 9.1 million and a diamond necklace to the owner on April 9. This news was initiated by Kantipur and was covered in a number of newspapers. Even the President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav called Baniya to appreciate her deed.

But on Friday, a question aroused on the veracity of the story when Baniya requested Kathmandu Police to find out number of Poudel and then, Poudel. Baniya says the number was deleted from her mobile.

The photo on the newspaper itself was a fake. Anuja is the one on the left whereas the photo on the right is that of her friend Mamata Adhikari

Kumar Baniya, cousin of Anuja, said he cannot believe Anuja has found money and returned it.

The President´s Office has asked Morang Chief District Officer to cross-check to find out the truth behind the incident,” the source added.

The source said Morang´s CDO has transferred the responsibility to Sunsari´s CDO Ram Prasad Thapaliya saying the matter did not fall under his jurisdiction.

Baniya claimed that she indeed found the bag and returned it to its owner. She has appealed Poudel to come in front of public.

Poudel is said to have withdrawn the sum from IME, Itahari, and traveled to Dharan to purchase land for his daughter. However, IME Itahari´s manager Darshan Shrestha, said the branch has not released such sum since April 2.

UPDA
TE: Kantipur has told that the news was incorrect and has apologized for the mistake

Sai Baba breathed his last breath

The Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba has passed away.

After complications related to heart and respiration, Sai Baba was hospitalized on March 28. He didn’t recover and passed away on Sunday morning at 6:25 am.

Sathya Sai Central Trust, in a media conference held at 11:00 am, has announced that the body will be kept in display in Sai Kulwant Hall on Monday and Tuesday, before performing the final rituals.

The 85-year-old spiritual leader was considered an incarnation of God by many of his followers. Before the final announcement a minister Geeta Reddy and other senior government officials held a conference. The state government has deployed more than 6,000 police
to the town for security of the general people and VIPs.

Honesty still survives, honest woman did not take anything in return

In this selfish world, still there live good people, honest people. This has been proved by recent incident when twenty year old Anuja Baniya returned a bag containing Rs. 9.1 million and a diamond necklace to the owner.

On April 9, Purushottam Poudel of Sitapaila, Kathmandu was heading to his daughter’s house at Dharan-9 and absentmindedly left the bag when he got off the vehicle. He had received the cash from a IME Itahari branch that he had transferred from the Capital. Poudel was thinking to take the money to his daughter, Sudha Pokharel for the purpose of purchasing a house.

But Poudel became hopeless when he came to know about it and returned to Kathmandu without informing the police. Fortunately, the bag was found by honest Anuja Baniya while travelling in Dharan. Baniya, a permanent resident of Jhulke of Bhojpur, has been staying in Dharan of Sunsari, with her uncle and aunt. She is an ordinary woman with just normal education.

When nobody claimed the bag, Baniya took it to her residence thinking to return it to the rightful owner with the help of documents that the bag possibly contained. She was dumbstruck when she opened the bag and found Rs. 9.1 million cash and a diamond necklace.

Baniya found the owner’s telephone number from the documents inside the bag and informed Poudel at his residence of finding the bag by telephone. Then Poudel came to Dharan on April 12 and received the money after three days.

According to Anita Karki, a relative of Poudel, he offered Rs. 200,000 to Baniya as a cash reward but she refused it. Poudel later tried to gift her, the diamond necklace but she refused it too.

Baniya spent some time with Poudel family after handing over the cash and valuables, but she refused to give her address and contact number. “People may not believe it. But it’s a true story of this remarkable women’s honesty,” said elated Pokharel, 65.

Wanted – an advertisement in Newari ascent

A typical Newari ascent, usually heard when people in Newar communities speak in Nepali is expressed in this hand-written sign board:

Photo credits – Sailesh Sharma (via Twitter)

Looking back to 2067 in Nepali movies industry

In the new year, 2068, let’s look at some of the major events of 2067:

Deaths:

• Fight director Gopal Bhutani
• actress Shanti Maskey
• writer Diamond Shumser Rana
• singer Kumar Kanchha
• director Rajudhoj Rana
• production controller Raju Chhetri and Yam Tiwari

(Condolence to Mira Acharya, wife of comedian Hari Bansha Acharya – she died today, initial days of 2068)

New Relationships:

The most popular marriage this year was that of Manisha Koirala with businessman Samrat Dahal. Choreographer Dinesh Adhikari also got married last year. A new movie producer J B Ghising also got married with singer Lata Yonjan. Singer/actor Prashant Tamang also got married this year.

It is a different story of the marriage between Nikhil Upreti and Sanchita Luitel while Nikhil hasn’t divorced with his other wife, Kopila Upreti.

Problems in Relationships:
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Nepali Movie – Timro Mayama

Nepali movie – Timor Mayama …
Starring – Uttam Pradhan, Usha Paudel, Tika Pahadi , Diwash Basnet, Smriti Swarnakaar etc.
Written/Direction - Rajesh Bishowkarma

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Mira Acharya, Hari Bamsha Acharya's wife died

Mira Acharya, a radio anchor of Radio Nepal and wife of renowned comedian Hari Bansha Acharya has died at the age of 46.

After a heart attack on Sunday (April 17) Mira was admitted to the hospital for treatment. She didn’t recovered and was put in a ventilator on Monday. Hari Bamsha wanted her to die after their son Trilok returned from US on Wednesday morning.

Mira and Hari Bamsha have two sons Trilok Achary and Mohit Bamsha Acharya. Mohit is going to act in leading role in his debut movie "Maya ko Bari".

Our heartfelt condolence to the the family of Hari Bansha Acharya and wish the soul of Mira rest
in peace.

Click on the following text to go to a Facebook page with the video, to hear the voice of Mira Acharya:

Photo of last good-bye of Mira Acharya (photo credit Nagariknews)

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When journalists threaten like criminals and people start to run away in fear …

UPDATE: The threat materialized on the Friday’s edition of Kantipur. Although the photo of the Twitter user is not used, they have published the name and designation of another Twitter user. They even went ahead to complain the boss of the KETO (means – “little boy” in Nepali).

Original post:

The journalists of one of the leading publication in Nepal, Kantipur were threatening one of the Twitter users – telling:

“We are going to publish your name/photo in story along w/ur death-threat..” (Let’s make a deal otherwise) “.. respond to our question…”.

And the “death threat” reads – “if *** were in front of me he would have been the second one to die.” (Attached below)

Does a death threat starts with an “IF” ?

Now, we need to understand the pretext before jumping into conclusion. Why Prabhat had to be so angry in the first place. He wrote an article in aakarpost saying (translation):

I had always asked them not to publish my Twitter post. They acted as if their 1 million readers won’t buy their newspaper if my Tweet are not published. Then, when I asked the reason for such an action, they ignored me. When I got angry they came back to threaten me.

The issue of people being unhappy of the publication of Twitter post was being debated for some time. It was everybody’s relief that, the week before they even told that – only Twitter posts mentioning @HelloShukrabar will be publish (see the unhonored announcement below).

In sharp contrast to their own announcement, the publication came as a surprise with purely personal and useless collection of twitter post (a copy at the end). The result:

• @nepaldiary – got fired due to the publication of his post in Kantipur daily. Please refer his comment in this post.
• @PR4BH4T – was threatened and forced to quit Twitter (link posted above)
• @webg0ru – got fed up and left Twitter based on the behavior of the journalists
• @nepaleeidiot – left Twitter feeling awkward
• @schwafnil – left Twitter, saying “I don’t hold the responsibility of clarifying anyone of my thoughts or motives behind publishing a certain tweet.”

In response to the job loss of @nepaldiary, because of the Twitter post published in Kantipur, the journalists have quoted a proverb sounding like “you got what you deserve.”

@nepaleeidiot’s response before leaving Twitter:

After all these events, our journalists are feeling the proudness of winning the debate – teaching the “incompetents” the lesson.

#tweetdebate is also to be blamed

I think, it was a mistake to choose the title of the debate – “Sneaking Journalism”. That title itself gave negative message to the journalist and they started taking the “defensive stance”. The logic couldn’t penetrate the defensive shield and hence the debate turned out to be one-sided.

Background

The Twitter section in Friday edition of Kantipur daily when Bryan Adams performed the concert in Kathmandu. The Twitter post was really nice and to the point. It was nice to read and feel good about it. But, what followed was the disaster. Here is the recent publication that was the cause of all this out roar:

This is the third post I have written about publication of Twitter in a National Daily (hoping this to be the last). Previous posts were:

• An incompetent talks Twitter, Kantipur, ethics and the law
• Taking Twitter of granted

The disclaimer: This is my personal view and I don’t necessarily endorse all the views of the linked articles. I don’t know anybody involved, in person, and I don’t have anything against the journalist or the Twitter posters.

Two CA members arrested over misuse of red passport

The Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), on Tuesday, arrested Constituent Assembly members, Gayatri Sah and Bishwonath Prasad Yadav for their alleged involvement in the misuse of diplomatic passports (red passports). Madhesi Janadhikar Forum lawmaker BP Yadav and Nepali Janata Dal lawmaker Gayatri Shah have been arrested while they were exiting from the Constituent Assembly Hall premises at New Baneshwore after the House was put off on Tuesday afternoon. In the press conference at the police headquarters in Naxal, CIB Chief DIG Rajendra Singh said that the House Speaker, Subash Chandra Nembang was informed before taking them into custody. The lawmakers have been held at Metropolitan Police Circle in Katmandu. The investigation was carried out by the anti-graft body Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authorit
y after two persons were caught in Abu Dhabi, UAE while trying to board a flight to Australia, using others (lawmakers) passports.

How polluted is Kathmandu – before and after rain

Everybody knows the Kathmandu air is full of dust and smoke. Ankur Sharma has taken a photo before and after rain and superimposed to give a clear picture on how polluted Kathmandu is.

It is not only the dust and smoke, the sunlight is also rendered dim by cloud on the sky. So, the above photo might be slightly an exaggeration of actual level of pollution.

82-year-old to conquer Mt. Everest; good luck Shailendra K Upadhyaya

It was 2years ago, I wrote about the former Foreign Minister, Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay, who announced about his intention to scale Mt. Everest.

Shailendra climbed a 6,160m high Island peak and 6,467m tall Mera Peak successfully in the last few years as a preparation of his ultimate feat to climb Mt. Everest.

Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya, served as the foreign minister and permanent UN representative in the 1970s and 1980s.

The diplomat grandfather says:

I am confident of my success as I believe that the most important part of success of any mission is confidence in oneself, selfless c
ommitment to serve humanity and, of course,will to achieve success.

Upadhyaya is planning to start his ascent from the Everest base camp on April 28, 2011. The expedition is organized by the Senior Citizen Mount Everest Expedition. If Upadhyaya could reach the top, he will dethrone another record holder Nepali senior, Min Bahadur Sherchan who climbed the peak at the age of 76 in 2008. After much struggle, he was finally entered as the oldest climber of Mt. Everest in the Guinness Book of Records in 2010.

Bhuwan KC to marry third time, with Sharmila Dangol

After a few months of formal announcement of the separation with previous wife Sushimita KC, Bhuwan KC is told to be marrying with his new girlfriend, Sharmila Dangol.

Last time, in a program organized by an actress, Rejina Upreti, Bhuwan KC arrived with his new girlfriend. Although he didn’t revealed his girlfriend’s name at that time, he didn’t fail to announce about his new love affair.

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Documentary – Life for a Child

A documentary – Life for a Child
Directed by - Edward Lachman (Academy Award-nominee)
The documentary film follows the journeys of children with type 1 diabetes.

The documentary was produced by the International Diabetes Federation (idf.org) and Eli Lilly and Company to raise awareness of the impact of diabetes and increase support for the IDF Life for a Child Program. lifeforachild.org

Part 1
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CIAA officials, themselves, under the investigation for authority abuse

Former commissioners of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), officials of the anti graft body including Acting Chief Bhagwati Kumar Kafle have been dragged into the investigation for their alleged involvement in a land registration controversy. Last year, the CIAA has issued directives to the local land revenue office to register 2.3 ropanies of land belonging to the UN Park in an individual’s name. Kafle and CIAA officials are summoned by the State Affairs Committee on Tuesday to seek clarification for this directive after getting direction from the Supreme Court for investigating the CIAA’s decision and take action against the two former commissioners. On March 30, the court concluded that then Acting Chief Commissioner Lalit Bahadur Limbu and Commissioner Bed Prasad Siwakoti abused their authority in a subjudice case on Jan 1 last year. Sources said, the decision of transferring the 2.3 ropanies land to Purna Bahadur Tandukar was made in a single
day, and the Supreme Court’s verdict considered it as “gross negligence” and “wrong intention.” A new case over the UN park land is in the offing at the Supreme Court. “The documents are showing the involvement of CIAA Secretary Kafle in this controversial case,” a source at the House Committee said. As officials of CIAA, themselves, are found to be involved in this scam, the State Affairs Committee is likely to form a separate subcommittee for the investigation. The officials may be suspended too for the investigation.