PM assures to revise information classification and restriction
Feb 1, 2012 @ 12:10
Following intense pressure from journalists, the government has decided to revise its information classification directive that was issued restricting an individual, the media or any organization from gaining 140 types of information, including those on big development projects, parliamentary decisions and major decisions of the government.
Two weeks ago, the government issued such directive and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has said it has been issued for national security.
On Tuesday in a meeting with the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), PM Bhattarai assured media persons that the directive would be revised taking suggestions from senior journalists, legal experts, and RTI activists and till then, the directive will be kept on hold. On the same day, the Supreme Court (SC) has also issued a stay order on the government’s directive to restrict information of public importance as per law concerning Right to Information.
A single bench of Justice Baidya Nath Upadhyay issued the order after a hearing on a writ filed by the Democratic Lawyers’ Association. The SC has summoned both the parties to appear in the court on February 5 to discuss whether or not to continue with the stay order.
Clash in Lazimpat area when bulldoze for Road expansion
Feb 4, 2012 @ 18:48
UPDATE: Feb 05, Sunday morning, the locals of Lazimpat in the Capital demonstrated against forceful demolition of personal property. Due to it, the transportation has come to a grinding halt.  They have launched motorcycle rally and chanted anti-government slogans.
Kathmandu, Feb 04 2012
A minor clash took place in Lazimpat area, Kathmandu on Saturday morning between the locals and police when Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) in collaboration with Kathmandu Valley Town Development Implementation Committee bulldozed the wall of Standard Chartered Bank.
Under the presence of tight security, some houses including the wall of Standard Chartered Bank and adjoining wall of Ambassador Hotel constructed illegally on both sides of the road were bulldozed though the locals had been obstructing road expansion work of the government since one month.
But, according to the locals, the structures are being constructed after taking permission from the municipality.
The government has been intensely expanding road in Kathmandu and Lalitpur based on the criteria set by the Municipality Development Act in 2033 BS. (Photo Credit: Kantipur)
Writing with both hands, legs, mouth and elbows, attempting Guinness records
Feb 5, 2012 @ 12:00
24 years old Manoj Chand of Chaukham village, Baitadi District is making preparations to have his name included in the Guinness Book of World Records, according to RSS.
Manoj can write with both his hands and legs simultaneously and that also normal and reverse handwriting. He can also write using his mouth and elbows. In six seconds, Manoj can write the alphabets from A to Z.
An MBS first year student, Manoj is on a national campaign to enlist his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Manoj said he learnt this skill through constant practice over the past three years.
Kantipur plagiarism scandal
Feb 7, 2012 @ 12:20
More details in Nepali – यस पà¥à¤°à¤•à¤¾à¤°à¤•à¥‹ चोरीलाइ ‘पà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¬à¤¿à¤§à¤¿à¤• तà¥à¤°à¥à¤Ÿà¥€’ à¤à¤¨à¤¿à¤¨à¥à¤›
Kantipur, a leading Nepali National daily has been hit by a plagiarism scandal after question arise on the originality of Articles claimed to be written by one of its young journalist, Aashis Luitel. More than half a dozen articles related to technology sector that were originally published in the New York Times, are found to have published without giving credit to the original source.
According to Nepalnews report, Luitel’s brash plagiarism was exposed by some regular readers of Friday supplement published by Kantipur, in their blogs and twitter posts.
According to a twitter post by Kantipur Daily’s Editor Sudhir Sharma, Aashis Luintel, the coordinator and technology writer of ‘Hello Sukrabar’, has been removed from his responsibilities.
After the expose of plagiarism, Luitel also wrote in twitter as below:
But it has not mentioned there what mistakes he has done.
Telephone service interrupted due to lizard
Feb 10, 2012 @ 18:04
It is hard to believe that a lizard can interrupt the telephone service. But it has happened in Kapilvastu according to RSS reports.
In the past six days, more than one thousand of telephone lines of Nepal Telecom Jitpur Sub-division have been completely disrupted.
At the beginning, the Telecom Kapilvastu cited technical glitch in system as a cause behind the disruption but now it has come to public notice that the main cause was a dead lizard.
Telecom Kapilvastu Taulihawa Chief Rakesh Kumar Gupta informed a dead lizard that was found in the system software has caused short circuit of the system.
Jitpur Sub Division Chief Homnath Bhusal said the problem will be resolved from Telecom Regional Office Bhairahawa.
Nepal’s hat trick win in ACC U-19 Women’s Championship
Feb 10, 2012 @ 18:47
Nepal won third consecutive title in the ACC U-19 Women’s Championship on Friday by defeating Thailand by six wickets in the final match played at Hubara Cricket Ground in Kuwait.
Captain Rubina Chhettri and Mamata Choudhary contributed 56 runs in partnership. Chhetri was exceptional with the ball and grabbed three wickets.
Chhettri was declared player of the match and also player-of-the-tournament award for her all-round performance in the championship.
Match Summary:
Thailand: 74/10 (22.4 Overs)
Nepal: 75/4 (21 Overs)
Apology published in Kantipur for plagiarism
Feb 11, 2012 @ 15:12
Plagiarism has been found during investigation and Kantipur has published apology in its Friday supplement ‘Hello Shukrabar’ on Friday.
In Editorial note, it has apologized to all readers, New York Times and The Telegraph and informed that coordinator Aashis Luitel has been removed from the responsibility of Hello Shukrabar.
Luitel has also apologized for the mistake and requested readers to pardon him once. He also promised not to repeat the mistake again.
PLA Combatants protest against cheque seized by the commanders
Feb 13, 2012 @ 05:35
The combatants from People’s Liberation Army (PLA) First Division in Chulachuli, Ilam have disrupted vehicular movement in Mechi zone from 12 am to 2 pm on Sunday afternoon as a protest against the seizure of their voluntary retirement paychecks by the commanders.
PLA combatants staged demonstration in the eastern region and warned the government to come up with stringent protests if the government did not address their demands within five days that is by February 17.
Their five-point demand includes return of seized cheques and identity cards, relief package for the combatants who joined the Young Communist League (YCL) before the PLA verification by UNMIN in 2007.
The agitating Maoist combatants have not only demanded to the government but also to their party to unveil the details of the PLA fund including income and expenditure.
Earlier news has came in various media that complaints have been received by the Special Committee Secretariat that Maoist commanders are trying to force the PLA combatants to provide a certain percent of their voluntary retirement package.
Five convicted in Sudan scam; 31 police officers got clean-chit
Feb 13, 2012 @ 15:27
Special Court (SC) has convicted three former Inspector General of Police (IGP) and two suppliers on Sudan scam and provided clean chit to 31 police officers. This may be the first ever case of embezzlement of millions rupees in Nepal.
Announcing the verdict on Tuesday, a bench of SC chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki and judges Om Prakash Mishra and Kedar Prasad Chalise slapped a two-year jail term to former IGPs– Om Bikram Rana, Hem Bahadur Gurung and Ramesh Chandra Thakuri–each along with Rs 170,680,000, Rs 64,870,000 and Rs 48,544,000 as fine respectively.The court also slapped a two-year jail term to Michael Rider, director of Assured Risks, the firm that supplied the faulty Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Nepal Police’s Sudan mission and Shambhu Bharati, local agent of the company. The court also pronounced Rs 280 million fine to Rider and Rs 140 million to Bharati.
Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a corruption case in June last year against 34 top police officers and two suppliers on the charge of misappropriating millions of rupees during the purchase of APCs for Nepali peace keeping mission deployed in Darfur, Sudan.
Campaign started against School bus for overload
Feb 14, 2012 @ 12:02
The metropolitan traffic police division (MTPD) has started a campaign against school vehicles for carrying students beyond their capacity. On the first day of the campaign Monday morning, the MTPD reprimanded 212 overloaded school vehicles.
According to Kantipur news report, 46 students found in a micro-bus of KMC School having capacity of 17, 30 students found in similar vehicle of EPS School, 40 students found in 30 seats bus of Namo Buddha Dhyan Kendra, 35 students found in 25 seats and 45 found in 30 seats vehicle of Manju-shree School, and 13 found on eight seats vehicle of Achme Engineering College.
SP Yogeshwor Romkhami said, the MTPD has asked school owners and guardians to join hands in ensuring child rights. He added buses flouting the ‘mobile code’ may be fined between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in future. The fine increases for regular offenders.
According to metropolitan traffic division chief and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Ganesh Raj, MTPD has started the campaign to take action against school vehicles carrying students overload even after charging very high transport costs to parents.
SC stays Home Minister’s circular on citizenship by descent
Feb 16, 2012 @ 18:20
The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a stay order on the government’s decision of providing ‘citizenship by descent’ to those children who were born before their parents acquired Nepali citizenships. A joint bench of justices Bharat Raj Upreti and Bharat Raj Karki issued such order.
The advocates duo Bal Krishna Neupane and Prabinata Wosti have filed writ petition on February 12 claiming that Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar’s circular to issue the Nepali citizenship certificates by descent to the children of those citizens who acquired the Nepali citizenship in 2063- 064 BS, was against the law.
The circular was issued by the Home Ministry on January 8 to all the 75 District Administration Offices.
The advocates’ duo argued that there was no provision of distributing citizenships by descent to the children of such parents.
In 2006 on the basis of birth certificates, the government had granted citizenship to around 200,000 people who were born in Nepal before 1990.
Father kills his own three daughters
Feb 17, 2012 @ 18:19
Police arrested Bhakta Bahadur Rumba, 35, of Bakhrekhola, Faparbari-5 of Makwanpur on charge of killing his three daughters on Thursday night.
According to police, mentally unstable Rumba killed 12 years Laxmi Maya, 10 years Sunita Maya and 9 years Anita Maya by attacking with stones at 2:40 am at night.
The incident took place when Rumba’s wife was out of home to attend a marriage ceremony of one of her relatives.
Father murders child born from relation with daughter
Feb 18, 2012 @ 17:57
Police detained Amrit Chand, 59, and his daughter Nanda Kala, 21, on charge of killing a newborn child born from their illegal relationship, in Bhurunge of Jajarkot district.
Both confessed of killing the newborn child. According to news report in kantipur, Chand, along with his daughter, had murdered the child immediately after birth and buried nearby his home.
According to police, they have been held for further investigation.
Democracy Day: no celebration from Govt; besets opposition
Feb 19, 2012 @ 18:27
Today on the occasion of the 62nd Democracy Day, Tundikhel remains cold and bizarre. Though the government has given a public holiday on the occasion, the government did not organize any official programmes.
NC vice president Ram Chandra Paudel said the incumbent Maoist-led government is trying to wipe out the history of democracy by paying no heed in celebrating the National Democratic Day and added such act is condemnable.
Similarly, CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said his party would ask Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai for clarification for not celebrating the democracy day.
One died as locals scuffle with police in Chitwan on the eve of Shivaratri
Feb 20, 2012 @ 10:01
18-year-old Rabin Gurung of Simbhanjgyang died in a scuffle between locals and police on Sunday night in Bhaludhunga, Muglin.
The scuffle happened when police tried to stop locals from collecting money for the Mahashivaratri by obstructing traffic movement.
According to the police, Gurung sustained serious head injury while falling down on the road during the scuffle and breathed his last while receiving medical care at the Bharatpur Hospital yesterday.
However, the locals have claimed that Gurung lost his life due to police beating. Gurung was beaten badly by the police personnel deployed in Mugling for security in the highway after they found him obstructing the vehicular movement in Mugling-Narayanghat road section, by hanging a rope across the road.
Irate locals have obstructed the roads yesterday night too and have called Chitwan bandh today demanding action against the police after the meeting between the locals and the police has failed to resolve the matter.
The Mungling locals are also demanding proper compensation for the kin of the deceased.
Fire gut house in Busy Ason
Feb 21, 2012 @ 18:13
The fire that occurred due to an electric short-circuits completely destroyed one house and damaged other two at Balkumari, Ason in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
The fire caught the house owned by Tulshi Maiya Joshi at around 7.00 am and according to police, it took about six hours to bring the fire under control by teams of Nepal Army, Nepal police and locals.
Police Inspector Hem Kumar Shrestha said the fire brigade trucks and tankers could not reach the site due to narrow street. So, five fire brigade vehicles and 20 tankers were parked at a distance to put off the fire by water. (Photo Credit: NepalNews)
SC holds Minister Gupta guilty in corruption case and slaps jail term and fine
Feb 21, 2012 @ 18:32
The Supreme Court on Tuesday hold Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Gupta guilty of amassing property by misusing the power during his various stints as minister and slapped one and half year jail term and Rs. 8.4 million fine. The court also ordered confiscation of same amount of his property.
A joint bench of SC justices Tarkaraj Bhatta and Sushila Karki announced the verdict on the case that was under consideration at the SC since November 8, 2007.
Gupta surrendered before the court following his conviction in corruption. So, as per the the law, Gupta will get a 20 percent discount in the fine and another 20 percent in the jail term.
The SC also recommended the Judicial Council to take action against Special Court judges Bhupadhowj Adhikari, Komal Nath Sharma and Cholendra Shumsher Janga Bahadur Rana, who had “illegally” acquitted Gupta of all corruption charges on June 7, 2007, citing insufficient evidence to prove him guilty.
Gupta was accused of amassing property worth Rs 20.8 million through illegal means during his multiple ministerial stints and dragged into the court in 2003.
Gupta was sent to Dillibazaar prison.
Action taken against Pedestrians for not using Overhead Bridges
Feb 23, 2012 @ 18:04
Those, who cross the roads without using overhead bridges, though the bridge is nearby, will be fined Rs 50 and will be under detention of the Traffic Police for an hour. Earlier, such pedestrians were fined Rs 25.
KMTPD has deployed police personnel to monitor and take action at various places like Sundhara, Bhotahiti and Ratnapark’s Ranedwip overhead bridge from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
According to the traffic police, this action has been taken to control road accidents as some pedestrians did not use the bridge though they were urged to do so. Further, the traffic police informed that as an effort, an awareness campaign has been launched to control the increased road accidents caused by random crossing of roads and to ease the traffic congestion caused by the Pedestrians.
Recently, the traffic police have already launched an anti-drink driving campaign for controlling accidents at night. (Photo Credit: Image Channel)
About 145 lawyers arrested from Singhadurbar
Feb 24, 2012 @ 12:11
About 150 lawyers staging a protest against delay in promulgation of the new constitution were arrested from outside the Supreme Court premises in Singha Durbar in Kathmandu on Friday afternoon.
The protest rally, organized by the Nepal Bar Association, was planned to take out from NBA building, next to the SC, to Ratnapark but was interfered by the security personnel when trying to enter the prohibitory zone.
They chanted sarcastic slogans like “Don’t make constitution” and “Extend the Constituent Assembly term only.” Some lawyers have been injured during the incident, according to NBA General Secretary Bijaya Mishra, who also has been detained.
Dhiraj Pratap Singh, spokesperson of Metropolitan Police Range said, the detained lawyers have been kept at Singhadurbar and Baneshwor police posts and will be released by today evening.
NBA Chairman Prem Bahadur Khadka, General Secretary Mishra, former Vice Chairman Sher Bahadur K.C. and former General Secretary Madhav Banskota are also detained.
Powerful Bomb Blast outside NOC office
Posted on – Feb 27, 2012 @ 14:45
Monday afternoon, powerful bomb blast at Babarmahal, Kathmandu outside Nepal Oil Corporation’s (NOC) head office, killing three persons and injuring seven persons.
Two persons died on the spot while the other victim breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital. Police identified two of the deceased as Krishna Bahadur Tamang and Bishnu Pulami. Other injured have been admitted to various hospitals.
Samyukta Jatiya Mukti Morcha-Bishwokranti (SJMM), a little known underground outfit, has claimed responsibility for the explosion. Recently, the group had also carried out an explosion at the mobile phone tower in Dhadhing.
According to media news, spokesperson of the group who identified himself as Bishwo Kranti in a telephone call to Sagarmatha Television said the blast was carried out in protest against the recent price hikes. NOC hiked the prices of petroleum products three days ago effective from Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry informed at a press meet that a probe panel has been formed to investigate the explosion headed by DIG Upendra Kanta Aryal, the chief of Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau with members-Senior Superintendent Devendra Sudedi, Senior Superintendent Kedar Man Singh Bhandari and Superintendent Subodh Ghimire.
Chief at Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Office, AIG Kuber Singh Rana informed that the powerful explosion was carried out by using an electronic device and police have suspected that remote control might have used for the blast. (Photo Credit: The Himalayan Times and AFP)