Prachanda and Paras on common platform

A report published by the website of the Times of India on Wednesday, indicated that Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, chairman of Nepal’s Maoist party and Paras Bir Bikram Shah, the former crown prince, are sharing a common platform. Both, who were sworn enemies during the “People’s War” that sought to abolish monarchy in Nepal, are co-chairs of the Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation, a little-known organisation from Beijing that hit the headlines worldwide this month after coming up with a $3 billion grandiose plan to develop Lumbini, the Buddha’s birthplace, into a Buddhist “Mecca”.

The website has asked what common does Prachanda has with Paras. The party leading by Prachanda has fought a 10-year war ending in the death of over 17,000 people and the Paras is known for for letting fly with his gun and fists first and asking questions later? And the unexpected answer, according to the website, is: the Buddha, the apostle of peace and the Middle Path.

The website citing to the China Daily, further, listed out the joint chairmen as: Steven Clark Rockefeller Jr, a fifth-generation member of the Rockefeller family; Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress, Leon H Charney, a real estate tycoon and former US presidential adviser; Prachanda and Paras.
The ways of the Foundation have been mysterious. According to a local media report and the Chinese web site, Paras left Nepal in a huff for Singapore in 2008 and in March, Prachanda went on a clandestine visit to Singapore, ostensibly to attend a programme hosted by the Foundation. The visit led to speculation that he had gone there to meet Chinese authorities over the fluid political situation in Nepal. The previous year, Prachanda had gone to Malaysia on the invitation of the same organisation.

The Foundation has claimed to build hotels, railway tracks, a Buddhist university and an international airport at Lumbini, but, the Nepal government no inklings about this.  According to the Times of India, the Chinese appearance in the Buddha’s birthplace comes during India improving the Indian cities associated with the Buddha that is trying to mislead the world into believing that the Buddha was born in Nepal.

Kenjo – endangered herb found in Nepal hills

Kenjo is one of the many plants found in high hills. The plant used as a traditional medicine ingredient, is found in high hills of Taplejung.

Photo credits – Rabin Bhattarai, Taplejung (from Facebook)

Murder 2 – poster plagiarism – can also happen in Bollywood

I thought, it can only happen in Nepali movies, – a low grade trick to copy the idea from other movies’ posters to design their posters. But, I am proved wrong!

Big banner Bollywood movie Murder 2 did the same – not in one but two of its posters. The sequel to the 2004 superhit film Murder, Murder 2 is told to be a Bollywood erotic thriller film.

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Three arrested while selling statue of Budhha

Chitwan police arrested three people while trying to sell a statue of Buddha at NRs. 1 crore in Bharatpur on Tuesday.

Bom Bahadur Bumbu (40) of Palpa- 3, Bishnu Pariyar (26) and Aite Ram Sunar (29) of Mukundapur, Nawalparasi were arrested near Maya Devi Kanya College. However, their accomplice Chun Bahadur Ale of Butwal, managed to escape. About 10 inch statue weighs approximately 9.5 kg.

A saw and pliers were also seized along with the statue.  During the arrestee making public, SP at the Chitwan District Police Office (DPO) Rabindra Prasad Sharma said, “We are investigating where the statue came from and if it is actually made of gold.” He further added that he is handing over the statue to the archeological department for its identification.

20 ministries received NEA’s warning to cut their electricity

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the government power monopolist, has warned to cut off electricity supply to 20 ministries and some constitutional bodies if the electricity bill is not paid within 15 days. On Monday, NEA issued a public notice and has urged the ministries to pay the bills within 15 days.

According to the statement, the total bill amount of the ministries and the constitutional bodies, which has not been paid yet, has reached to Rs. 662.4 million. Since a long time, most of the ministries have not paid the electricity bill, according to NEA.

The highest defaulters are the home ministry (Rs 175 million), the peace ministry (Rs 136 million) and the health ministry (Rs 152 million). But there is no energy ministry, NEA’s line ministry in the list of defaulters in the statement.

Over 50 thousand youth trying for employment in Korea

For employment in Korea and better earning, 50 thousand 43 youths took the Korean Language Proficiency Test (KLPT) on Friday and Saturday. Total candidates, who had filled the form for the KLPT test, were 57 thousand 457. But seven thousand 414 candidates remained absent.

Out of the exam attendees, 7,100 will be selected and will fly to Korea starting January 2012. Director General of the Korean Department of Human Resources had come to Nepal leading 58-member team to administer the exams. The exam was taken from 20 exam centres in Kathmandu valley.

Best wishes of Rekha, Rejina and Richa to Pregnant actresses Sanchita and Arunima

In Nepal, pregnant women are fed beaten rice and yogurt (Dahi Chiura) to wish for the health of the mother and the unborn child. Three of the Nepali actresses, Rekha Thapa, Rejina Upreti, and Richa Ghimire gathered in an event organized at Arunima Lamsal‘s home in Kapan Kathmandu. They also invited another pregnant actress Sanchita Luitel in the ceremony.

What makes this event special is that, these five actresses, who are considered to be rivals in Nepali movie industry, have tried to prove everybody wrong by gathering in a place to celebrate the happiness of two of their colleagues. 

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Rajesh Hamal and Karishma Manandhar in roles to suit their age

It seems, mahanayak Rajesh Hamal and Karishma Manandhar have finally realized their actual age and have accepted that they are old enough to act in a parent’s role of lead character.

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CA member Lingden’s daughter arrested, more ten days added

Ten days have been added for investigating the case of arrest of Maoist CA member Bishowdeep Lingden’s daughter Sadhna Limbu with a loaded pistol.  On Thursday, security personnel arrested the 13 year old Sadhna with a pistol and seven rounds of bullets during routine security check in Tribhuvan International Airport.  She was set to board a Buddha Air flight for Bhadrapur.

During preliminary interrogation, Sadhna denied of having knowledge of weapon and bullets in her handbag, the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Chief Kedar Rizal said.

District Administration Office Kathmandu provided more 10 days to Kathmandu Police force for investigation on Friday. Police informed further investigation is going on.

Arsenal, Tottenham Interested on Nepalese teenager football star Rohit Chand

If reports in the media are to be believed, Rohit Chand, the 18-year-old Nepali football star, is sought after by two top English Premier League clubs, Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur.

According to a report published in the Talksport.co.uk, UK’s leading football news portal, Rohit Chand, who plays for Indian First Division side Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) SC,  is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Asian football and is desperate to make the big time in European football.

Nepal National Coach, Graham Robert, Former Spurs skipper is said to have confirmed to GoalNepal that the report on British Media about Nepal teenager star defender, Rohit Chand linking to Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur was true. Both International scouts are coming to Amman, Jordan to judge the boy while playing against Jordan on July 23, in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers match.

Coach Graham Roberts said, “Rohit is by far the best centre-half I have ever coached. He is an extreme talent who will play at the highest level”.

After joining ANFA Academy at the age of 12 years, Chand started his professional football career from Nepal top division club Machhindra Football Club before moving to HAL. (Photo Credit: Talksport.co.uk)

Changunarayan temple‚ Halchhap village at risk with unapproved divert of the rivulet

Manohari rivulet is sweeping away land of Changu VDC- 2 and 3 of Bhaktapur keeping human settlement there at risk. The risk has been triggered with the incessant rain when a company namely Green City diverted the course of Manohari rivulet without taking prior approval from the concerned authority.

The problem surfaced when the company diverted the rivulet flow to Bhaktapur citing it is undertaken as per the survey carried out in 2021 BS. The rivulet is flowing along the border of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

Residents of Halchhap located in the north-south from Changunarayan temple – listed as in the world heritage site – are also afraid of life-threatening disasters in the settlement due to the flood taking place in the rivulet and landslides.

Ripu Sudan Thapa of Danchhi said to RSS, paddy and maize cultivated in more than hundred ropanies of land have been swept away by the swollen rivulet. He demanded the guilty should be brought to book after probing into the incident as the losses have been incurred due to the vested interests of people.

Jivan Singh Bhandari, who bought the land of more than 500 ropanis, has also taken help of Maoist Incharge of Danchhi VDC, Chiranjibi Shrestha for diverting the rivulet by making him coordinator of the committee when Bhandari felt that he cannot diverted it, as quoted in Kantipur as saying of Ripu Sudan Thapa. Further it writes, local Rameshwor Shrestha has blamed Chiranjibi that he has accepted of taking Rs four lakhs for diverting the rivulet.

Locals have demanded the concerned authority to take action against those involved in changing the course of rivulet in an unscientific manner, return the rivulet to its previous course and provide with compensation to the victims.

Former IGP Thukuri also remain in judicial custody for 1 day, next is suspended DSP Adhikari

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ramesh Chand Thakuri was released from judicial custody after Civil Bank assured the bank guarantee on Thakur’s behalf on Wednesday. IGP Thakuri is the fifth police officer to be sent in judicial custody. The Special Court on Tuesday sent former IGP Thakuri to the Dilli Bazaar jail after he failed to post a bail of Rs. 70 million for his involvement in the multi-million dollar Sudan scam.

During preliminary study of documents and hearings of Thakuri, the special court has found his direct involvement in the scam.

Thakuri was suspended on the second week of June when the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) complained that the investigation could not be processed until Thakuri is in the post of police chief.

Likewise, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hem Bahadur Gurung, who has been sent to Dillibazaar Jail on July 14, Thursday, was also released after Global Bank assured the bail guarantee on Gurung’s behalf, according to the Special Court Registrar Dhir Bahadur Chand.

The Special Court had demanded Rs. Rs. 50 million bail from Gurung for his alleged involvement in irregularities while purchaing the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) for the Nepali peace keeping mission in Darfur, Sudan.

Meanwhile, suspended DSP Prakash Adhikari becomes the sixth police officer to be sent to judicial custody by the Special Court after he failed to post a bail of Rs. 1.5 million as demanded by the court.