Saturday, December 27, 2014

Nagarkoti grabs maiden title

POKHARA, DEC 27 - Bhuwan Nagarkoti clinched his maiden tour title with two-stroke victory over Surya Prasad Sharma in the final round of the Surya Nepal Western Open here at the par-70 Himalayan Golf Course in Pokhara on Friday.
The Gokarna Golf Club pro Nagarkoti, who never relinquished the lead from the opening round,shot two-under 68 for a three -day total of four-under 206 to win the fourth event held under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2014-15. With the maiden trophy, Bhuwan, previously known to the local golf ing circuit as Umesh, received a top prize of Rs 95,000.
The Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC) pro Sharma also carded a 68 but finished second at two-under 208. Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Club pro Dhana Thapa also carded 68 to finish third at two-over 212. Surya received Rs 60,000 and Dhana got Rs 44,000.
For the first time in three rounds, four golf ers were able to produce under-par card in the treacherous and demanding course with Nepal No 1 and the defending champion Shivaram Shrestha the best of the lot scoring four-under 66. Despite the excellent card, it was only enough for the top Nepali golf er to finish fourth at three-over 213.
Sanjay Lama of the Army Club ended up in fifth place at 219, while Jayaram Shrestha finished sixth at 220. Sanjeev Bahadur Nepali was seventh at 224, while Bhu Bahadur Gurung (225) and Rame Magar (227) claimed the eighth and ninth places respectively. Ramesh Nagarkoti and Dinesh Prajapati finished tied for 10th at 228.
Nagarkoti opened the final round two strokes ahead of Sharma but that lead was gone by the first nine holes. Nagarkoti shot even-par 35 on the front nine while Sharma caught up with the leader carding two-under 33. But in a reversal of fortunes, Nagarkoti shot two-under 33 and Sharma even-par 35. Nagarkoti parred all the first nine holes before playing two under in the back nine that included four birdies and two bogeys. Sharma, in the meantime, sank two birdies on the front nine before earning yet another shot at No 10. But his chances were reduced when he double bogeyed on the 11th and 13th. By the time he sank two more birdies on the 15th and 16th, Nagarkoti had the title within his grasp.
Arun Tamang shot seven-over 77 to win the Amateur title with a total score of 231. Kamal Thapa (79) was a distant second at 238. Dal Lama was third at 242. In all, 29 pros took part in the tournament organised by Nepal Professional Golfers Association. The tournament will conclude on Saturday with a Pro-Am tournament.

Nepali spinners world class: Raju

KATHMANDU, DEC 26 - Former Indian national team spinner Venkatapathy Raju has termed Nepali spinners as ‘world class’ bowlers as the ACC Development Officer arrived here on Thursday.
Raju is here to hone the skills of Nepali spinnersfor the upcoming ICC World Cricket League Division 2 tournament to be held in Namibia from January 17-24.
Along with Raju, former Sri Lankan fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake–also an ACC Development Officer–will assist Nepali cricketers for the all-important Division 2 tournament.
Raju said he is quite familiar with Nepali bowling and would like to see more of them during his week-long stay in Nepal. “I have seen Nepali cricketers bowl in Sri Lanka during their preparation camp for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers. There are world class spinners ,” said Raju who played for India in the 1992 and 1996 World Cups.
Raju and Ratnayake are here as a part of the ACC High Performance Programme. “Me and Rumesh will now remain here for few days and assist the Nepali cricketers to shape themselves up for the Division 2 tournament. We want Nepal to climb above the Division 2 and qualify for future ICC tournaments,” added Raju. The Division 2 tournament will send the top two teams into the ICC World Cricket League Championship and ICC Intercontinental Cup.
Raju is the first renowned Indian international to give specialized coaching to Nepali cricketers although a lot of prominent Indian players have come to Nepal. Once a leading spinner of India during the 1990s, Raju played 28 Tests for India picking up 93 wickets with his best figures of 6-12 coming against Sri Lanka. He has 63 wickets under his belt from 53 one-day internationals for India.

Nagarkoti grabs maiden title

POKHARA, DEC 26 - Bhuwan Nagarkoti extended his overnight one-stroke lead to two in the second round of the Surya Nepal Western Open golf tournament at the par-70 Himalayan Golf Course here on Thursday.
Nagarkoti was only one of the two pros to return with an under-par card on the second day at the punishing course. The Gokarna Golf Club pro Nagarkoti carded two-under 68 today for a two-day score of two-under 138. Two strokes adrift at even-par 140 was the Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC) pro Surya Prasad Sharma. Sharma shot one-under 69 during the fourth event held under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2014-15.
Nagarkoti carded even-par 35 on the first nine that included birdies on the third and seventh against bogeys on fourth and ninth holes. On the back nine, he sank four birdies--on the 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th--against two bogeys on the 13th and 17th holes which ensured his lead on top of the standings.
Sharma shot two-under 33 in the first half but his one-over 36 in the latter half cost him the lead. Sharma dropped a shot on the second hole before sinking birdies on the 5th, 6th and 8th for the two-under first nine score. But he lost momentum in the back nine dropping a shot each on the 13th and 15th holes. His birdies on the final hole helped him close in on Nagarkoti to within two strokes going into the final round.
Dhana Thapa of the Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Club was in the third at four-over 144 after a second round card of even-par 70. Shrestha brothers--Jayaram and Shivaram--shared fourth position at seven-over 147. Nepal No 1 and defending champion Shivaram carded even-par 70, while Jayaram played three-over 73. Nepal No 2 Rabi Khadka (74) and Sanjeev Bahadur Nepali (75) shared sixth position at 148 whereas Bhu Bahadur Gurung (71) and Sanjay Lama (78) were tied for eighth at nine-over 149. Ramesh Adhikari and Ramesh Nagarkoti were in a tie for the 10th place at 152.
Other pros making the cut for the money-making third and final round were Dinesh Prajapati, Rame Magar, Bikash Adhikari, Bal Bahadur Rai (Mani), Tham Bahadur Rai, Deepak Magar, Pashupati Sharma, Sachin Prasad Bhattarai, Rajendra Kumar Pradhan and Sabin Sapkota. The cut was applied at 24-0ver 164.
Arun Tamang leads the Amateur category after a two-round score of 154. Tamang carded three-over 73 on Thursday for a one-stroke lead ahead over Dal Lama, who also carded 73. Tanka Bahadur Karki was three shots behind Tamang at 157 after shooting nine-over 79. Other amateurs to survive the pro cut include overnight leader Sukra Bahadur Rai, Rajendra Shrestha, Sonam Bhujel, Kamal Thapa and Raju Rai.
In all, 21 professional and nine amateur golf ers made the cut for final round. Top three golfers will earn Rs 95,000, Rs 60,000, Rs 44,000 respectively.

Govt honours Div 3 champions

KATHMANDU, DEC 25 - The government on Wednesday honoured the national cricket team members who were part of the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 campaign with Rs 100,000 each.
Nepal had defended the Division 3 title on October 30 defeating Uganda by 62 runs in the final at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nepal had also defeated Uganda in the final of the Division 3 in Bermuda last year.
Skipper Paras Khadka, vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Vesawkar, Subash Khakurel, Basanta Regmi, Shakti Gauchan, Naresh Budhayer, Aarif Sheikh, Bhuwan Karki, Sagar Pun, Sompal Kami, Amrit Bhattarai, Binod Bhandari, Mehboob Alam were the part of the team that won the Division 3 tournament–Nepal’s fourth ICC title.
Coach Pubudu Dassanayake, technical analyst Raman Shiwakoti, team physiotherapist Dinesh Bhatta were also given cash rewards. Youth and Sports Minister Purushottam Paudel, Secretary Dipendra Nath Sharma, Joint secretary Chudamani Poudel, the government-formed ad-hoc committee of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Binay Raj Pandey and General Secretary Ramesh Silwal honoured the players and officials.
The government, however, missed to fete assistant coach Jagat Tamatta but joint secretary Poudel said it was a technical glitch. Poudel said the list of the 18 players and officials were sent without enlisting Tamatta by the suspended CAN. “He will soon be honoured,” said Poudel.
Division 3 team manager Deepak Saud–a member of the suspended committee of the CAN–was not honoured. The government had previously honoured the cricketers with Rs 350,000 when Nepal last won the Division 3 title in Bermuda.
Meanwhile, Minister Poudel informed that the government will reward the cricketers with one million rupees each if they win the Division 2 title in Namibia. Nepal are participating in Division 2 which will begin from January 17 to 24. Poudel informed that the decision to honour with one million rupees each has already been made in the recent Cabinet meeting. The government has honoured Nepali cricketers with one million rupees each when they qualified for their maiden ICC World Twenty20 in November last year. The award so far is the highest that the cricketers have received so far in terms of cash.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Dahal on weeklong Rolpa ‘revenge’ tour

KATHMANDU, NOV 11 - After the ruling parties snubbed the meeting of the Political Committee that he had called, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal embarked on a weeklong visit of Rolpa on Monday, pushing the stalled constitution drafting process to the brink by crippling cross-party negotiations.
Maoist leaders read the move as Dahal’s tit-for-tat response to ruling parties and a hint of the slim chances of agreement on the contentious issues of constitution-writing. According to Dahal’s secretariat, he will spend one week in mid-western districts, a heartland of the Maoist insurgency that lasted over a decade.
If there had been a positive gesture from the ruling parties, he could have cancelled the visit but there are no signs of rapprochement, Maoist leaders said. Two days ago, Dahal, as the Political Committee (PC) chairman, called its meeting, promising “closed and focussed talks” on the outstanding issues. The ruling Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML refused to attend the meet saying that the body is not mandated to discuss issues of constitution writing.
Feeling “insulted”, Dahal decided to move out instead. Leaders close to him say Dahal will not attend the PC meeting and cross-party dialogue as the ruling parties “did not recognise” the committee formed to facilitate the remaining tasks of the peace process.
“The [Maoist] chairman is of the view that there is no meaning of talks as the ruling parties refused to attend the PC meeting,” said Dahal’s press assistant Shiva Khakurel. He claimed that Dahal notified the top leaders of other parties about his visit.
Dahal has often said it is impossible to reach consensus at the crowded PDCC. He suggests discussing the disputes at the Political Committee in an arrangement whereby an informal agreement reached at the PC could be formalised by the PDCC later.
Ruling party leaders said Dahal’s visit is a mark of his lack of commitment to promulgate a new constitution by January 22. “He wants to prolong the process by rendering the PDCC ineffective,” said UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali. “He fears that the PDCC can forward our proposal [to the CA] any time. He does not even fully trust Baburam Bhattarai [PDCC chairman].” The PDCC is set to resume its business on Tuesday but there has been no agreement on the approach to the disputed issues. After pressure, Bhattarai has called a meeting of the PDCC to discuss the proposal tabled by the NC and the UML together with some fringe parties.
Leaders charge that the PDCC will merely be a platform for parties to express views and it will not produce any positive results. Bhattarai announced the meeting after consultation with PM Sushil Koirala, Maoist Chairman Dahal and UML Chairman KP Oli. “We won’t let the NC and the UML send their proposal to the CA at any cost,” said Maoist leader Shakti Basnet.
Despite gaping differences, some leaders are working to find common ground on the contentious issues. UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, UCPN (M) Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula are working to explore a compromise.

BRB becomes Twitter celebrity

KATHMANDU, NOV 11 - Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s followers on Twitter have crossed the 100,000 mark, making him the most popular Twitter celebrity in Nepal.
The New York-based Nepali fashion designer Prabal Gurung has more than 165,000 followers. Gurung has 13,900 tweets while Bhattarai has close to 900.
Bhattarai’s fame is remarkable considering the period he has been on Twitter and the number of tweets.
The UCPN (Maoist) leader joined Twitter in January 2013 with the handle @brb_laaldhwoj. Gurung joined the social media in May, 2009.
Bhattarai has acknowledged his followers: “I thank all fellow 100,000 tweeple. Let us continue to use the social network for healthy debate,” he tweeted in Nepali on Monday morning.
His tweets range from political commentaries to congratulatory notes to the national cricket team.
According to Twitonomy, a Twitter analytical site, the most retweeted tweet of his was the praise for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modi has won d heart&mind of Nepalese people with his magical address 2 d legislature-parliament of Nepal.” The August 3 post was retweeted 667 times.
His tweets also include political promise: “@OmBhaktaUprety1...Give me single party majority govt. for 5 yrs like in Bihar. If i don’t show results, you can shoot me, young friends.”
Other popular public figures on twitter are Nepali Congress Leader Gagan Thapa, with over 71,000 followers, and Chief CIAA Commissioner Lok Man Singh Karki, who joined Twitter in May last year and has more than 44,000 followers.
Journalists are also popular on the site. Rabindra Mishra has 66,000 followers, Narayan Shrestha has 59,000, Narayan Wagle 55,000 and Sudheer Sharma has 33,000 followers.
There are a total of 64.5 million registered Twitter users worldwide with 135,000 new users signing up every day. The average number of tweets per day is around 58 million, according to Twitter.
While there is no exact number of Twitter users in Nepal, it is estimated around 3 million. Twitter was launched to public on July 15, 2006.
According to a survey conducted in 2013 among Twitter users in Nepal, 84 percent believe celebrities and politicians can benefit on the platform. In the study carried out by the Centre for Media Research Nepal, over 1008 Twitter responses were received, of which only 625 complete responses were considered for analysis.
With over 59 million followers, American Popstar Katy Perry tops the chart, followed by Canadian popstar Justin Bieber, who has over 56 million fans. US President Barack Obama comes third with 49.4 million followers.

Govt weighs options on Modi’s public address request

KATHMANDU, NOV 11 - The government is exploring options over allowing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver public speech in Janakpur and Lumbini.
The government and its agencies found themselves in a tight spot after Modi expressed his desire to address the public in two revered religious sites for the Hindus and Buddhists. Besides security issues, there were concerns over the kind of public platform to be accorded to Modi in Janakpur and Lumbini, said multiple sources. Although the Indian premier is said to have been given a go-ahead at the highest political level, the authorities are keen to keep the functions away from  controversies. After weighing several options, the government has prepared a template of the public function in consultation with the Indian side to avoid embarrassment.
The Foreign Ministry is closely coordinating with other concerned government agencies to honour Modi’s request, but they are yet to come up with a concrete template for the public meeting, conceded Khaganath Adhikari, Foreign Ministry spokesperson. “The best option to have crossed our minds so far is to organise these programmes under the local Nepali banner, where senior Cabinet ministers can address them ahead of Modi. Some local leaders can also deliver make speech,” said another ministry official involved in consultations.
According to the official, the Indian side had assured them that Modi’s speech would not have anything beyond  completely make a speech like in India or his political constituencies so that we should not remain that level of cautious in this respect, said the official adding that Nepali side sees this opportunity to strengthening the bilateral ties.
Should Modi’s Lumbini and Janakpur plans materialise, it would be the first public address in Nepal by any visiting foreign dignitary. In August, Modi became the first visiting head of government to address Parliament.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay are also scheduled to visit Lumbini on the margins of the 18th Saarc Summit.
Janakpur preparations into high gear
Authorities of both Nepal and India have stepped up preparations for a scheduled Janakpur visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month.
The 22 km road linking Vittamod in India to Janakpur in Nepal, which the Indian premier is said to be using during his visit, is being repaired.
Representatives of security agencies and officials from the two sides have started taking stock of development and security situation in Janakpur. That was preceded by the inspection visit by Home Secretary Surya Prasad Silwal, IGP Upendra Kanta Aryal and Jit Bahadur KC, chief investigation director of the National Investigation Department.
Likewise, Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae also visited Janakpur earlier to take stock of security situation of the town.
A helipad is being built on the premises of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial College at Sursand town of Sitamarhi district in the Indian state of Bihar for the visit. The Indian PM is scheduled to arrive in the Indian town on a helicopter and travel overland to Janakpur.
Army to coordinate Saarc security
The Nepal Army will be coordinating the overall security during the 18th Saarc Summit taking place on November 26 and 27.
The NA troops started patrolling the areas inside Ring Road on Saturday, said the Army spokesperson Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel.
Under the government plan, the NA will provide security to the heads of state and government from the Saarc region with assistance from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department.
Pokhrel said preparations are under way to finalise the integrated security action plan for the summit.
The government has  formed a committee consisting of officials from the security agencies and concerned ministries under Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam. The committee has formed various sub-committees, each commissioned to look after different aspects of the security plan including the transport services arrangements for the VVIPs, traffic management, threat assessment and medical service.

Members of various sub-committees have already completed observations of the Tribhuvan International Airport, hotel and retreat sites and are coordinating with the concerned authorities for security arrangements, the NA said.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Iraqi army launches offensive on Islamic State in three cities

BAGHDAD, SEP 18 - Iraq i forces launched an intense military operation against Islamic State insurgents in three cities in centralIraq on Wednesday, fighting to regain control of lost ground, security sources said.
The offensives in Ramadi, Falluja and Haditha in the western province of Anbar started before dawn, security sources in the three cities said.
Sunni tribes revolted in these areas in late 2013 when Iraq 's former prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, moved his forces into the cities to suppress a year-long anti-government protest movement.
Islamic State insurgents then entered the cities and became the dominate force over the course of several months' fighting against the Shi'ite-led government.
Maliki's successor, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, promised last week to end strikes on cities, in order to reduce civilian casualties. Wednesday's attacks were on outlying suburbs of the three cities.
Security sources said the Iraq i Army's 8th division hit areas in western Ramadi with mortars, artillery and rocket fire. Government-aligned Sunni tribal fighters also clashed with Islamic State in Ramadi, leaving eight people dead, a hospital source in Ramadi said.
A suicide car bomb blast destroyed a bridge in Ramadi on Wednesday, killing nine people and cutting off a vital route out of the city to the west, security sources said.
In Falluja, heavy shelling and Iraq i air force strikes hit the al-Sujur district on the edge of the city, killing 12 civilians, medics in Falluja said.
Islamic State insurgents attempted to take control of Barwana, a residential area 5 km (3 miles) south of Haditha on Wednesday, a security source said, leading to clashes with pro-Baghdad forces. Unlike Falluja and Ramadi, the Iraq i army still controls much of Haditha.

Media seeks to strengthen democracy through information

SEP 15 -
Earlier this year, in June, Law Minister Narahari Acharya presented a draft bill on contempt of court to the Legislature-Parliament. Following this, there were protests from the Nepal Bar Association and the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) on grounds that the bill sought to restrain freedom of expression and stifle criticism of the judiciary. Currently, the Parliament is set to conduct public hearings on the bill. In this context, Shiva Gaunle , former chairperson of the FNJ, spoke to the Post about freedom of expression, the contempt of court bill and its implications for the Nepali media.
Broadly speaking, what has been the freedom of expression landscape post restoration of democracy in 1990?
The 1990 constitution envisioned liberal, democratic governance, which was not possible without ensuring press freedom and freedom of expression. The constitution guaranteed those rights for the first time and whatever opportunities the Nepali press has got to create an informed society and wherever it stands now is due to that constitutional provision. But the Nepali media’s progress to its current state is really interesting, as it had to struggle with forces that called themselves democratic. From 1996 to 2006, journalists worked to keep society informed, even in the absence of any form of life insurance. But even after 2006, the media has continued to face obstructions from the very forces that are expected to protect it in one way or the other.
In the recent times, the government has come down heavily on dissenting voices. For instance, it jailed people for Facebook comments and now, this new contempt of court bill. Isn’t this unbecoming of democratic practice?
In Nepal, all politicians say that they support freedom of expression but they do not have answers as to why it is important. Moreover, after the end of the decade-long conflict, there should have been no difference in the goals of  political forces commited to the Interim Constitution and the press. The press seeks to strengthen democracy by creating an informed society and lending a voice to diverse opinions. The democracy we know of also seeks to do the same. But the irony is that those who call themselves democratic are the ones that are extremely rigid in their dealings with issues of freedom of expression. For formal purposes, they speak of their commitment to the issue. But in practice, that commitment extends only until the press does not criticise them. Once criticised, these forces begin to threaten and exert undue pressure on the press.
Talking of such pressure, what do you have to say of the contempt of court bill which is currently in Parliament?
That the government is currently working on bringing a contempt of court bill is not a bad thing in itself. But certain points in the bill are highly problematic and unacceptable to the media.
In particular, it is the duty of the media to watch over any activity within the Supreme Court that might compromise the ability of a ‘strong and capable judiciary’ to give justice to the people, and make it public. But this bill seeks to stop such information from reaching the masses. Second, the constitution speaks of a ‘capable’ and ‘improved’ judiciary. For that to happen, people need to know whether the judiciary is functioning well or not.  The bill tries to muzzle any criticism of the court, similar to the Panchayat days when the media could not talk of the palace, the courts and the Army.
On its part, the Nepali press cannot even think of being disrespectful to the judiciary. It knows very well that the freedom of the press cannot be strengthened without a strong judiciary. When the state tries to interfere in the matters of the media, then the press goes to the courts for protection. For instance, it was due to the verdict of former Supreme Court justice Laxman Prasad Aryal that Nepali FM stations were permitted to read the news.
So how would you define contempt?
Contempt refers to interference in the judiciary when it is in the process of deciding on a case and during implementation of its decisions. In case of the media, if it intentionally disrespects the judiciary and repeatedly publishes or broadcasts falsified news, this is considered contempt of court.
Suppose the media repeatedly proclaims that the judiciary never provides a fair judgment and that no one should go there. Then, there can be a trial on why such things were written. But if the press writes something providing the context, facts, background, and with a good intention to improve the judiciary and help people get justice, then it cannot be contempt. Sometimes, the media can make mistakes even in news published with good intentions. Even such instances cannot be considered contempt of court as the media should be given a chance to correct its mistake. This is good practice across the world.
So why do you think the definition of contempt in the bill was expanded to curtail the media? 
It is because in Nepal those who call themselves democratic do not want to learn democratic practices or foster a democratic culture.
But do we see such a democratic culture in media houses too?
The media in Nepal has its share of problems. To start with, it has yet to be institutionalised and has a fairly short professional history. Also, there have not been adequate discussions on the investment coming into the media, the human resources it has and its accountability. To a large extent, the Nepali media is running on an ad hoc basis. Even today, many journalists are paid far less than the minimum wage. On the other hand, investment in the media is still not adequate. It is difficult to name more than a dozen media houses that regularly pay their staff. There is also the question of the quality of human resources in the media. The principle of economics holds in the case of Nepali journalism. You cannot provide a good, quality product by using the cheapest raw materials available in the market. Apart from this, the Nepali press is just a replica of Nepali society, with great disparities in the educational and critical abilities of individuals.
Yet, there are people who say that the media should lead the way towards a functioning democracy and lament that it has not been able to do so. I agree with that view. But given the short history of the Nepali media, it is only natural for that to happen. 
Lastly, if the bill passes in its current form, what will its implications be?
The bill does not question the facts presented in the news. Instead, it questions any news on the judiciary.  If this bill passes, editors will be continuously dragged to the courts.  The bill, however, will help draw a clear line between press freedom and contempt of court.  It should be taken as an opportunity to define contempt of court without restricting the role of the media in informing the people and make those holding public posts accountable.

Scots start voting in independence referendum

EDINBURGH, SEP 18 - People in Scotland began voting on Thursday in a referendum on whether the country should become independent or stay part of the United Kingdom.
After an intense final day of campaigning, voters turned up at polling stations in schools and halls as soon they opened at 0600 GMT on a day that will decide the fate of a 307-year-old union.
The first to cast a ballot in Edinburgh's Waverley Court was a businessman who gave his name as Ron.
"This is a historic day for Scotland. I've waited all my life for this. It's time to break with England. 'Yes' to independence," he said after casting his ballot.
As he spoke, a couple of workers hurrying by shouted "Vote No.!"Four opinion polls on the eve of the vote showed support for independence at 48 percent compared with 52 percent for the union but a fifth showed it even closer on 49 to 51 percent.
The surveys also showed as many as 600,000 voters out of 4.3 million remained undecided with just hours to go before the polling stations opened.
Electoral officials said the result of the vote is expected by breakfast time on Friday morning.

Friday, September 12, 2014

14 injured in Chitwan bus accident

RATNANAGAR: As many as fourteen persons were injured in a bus accident in Bhateri jungle of Ramnagar, Chitwan, in the wee hours of Saturday. 

Of the injured, condition of a passenger is critical.

According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, the incident occurred when the bus (Na 4 Kha 6223) heading towards Sarlahi from Pokhara turned turtle in the jungle along the Mugling-Narayaghat road section.

Police said that the incident took place at around 2:00 am. 

The injured passengers are receiving treatment in the Bharatipur Hospital in Chitwan. 

Federer and Wawrinka puts Swiss in control of Davis Cup semi

REUTERS
GENEVA: Roger Federer overcame some tough early resistance from Simone Bolelli and Stanislas Wawrinka eased past Fabio Fognini as Switzerland raced 2-0 ahead in their Davis Cup semi-final against Italy in Geneva on Friday.

Federer, bidding to add to his substantial collection of honours by steering the Alpine nation to a first Davis Cup triumph, delighted a capacity crowd in the Palexpo Arena with a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4 victory.

"Margins were small in the first set," Federer said. "In the second set I was finally able to get the break and that broke the deadlock for me a little bit. I was able to play with the lead which is always easier.

"It was quite frustrating at times when the court is pretty quick. We didn't think it was going to be this fast but when you do serve well you really do feel the benefit."

Seventy-sixth ranked Bolelli, who was surprisingly selected for singles duty ahead of Andreas Seppi by virtue of having fewer previous defeats against the 17-times grand slam champion, stuck to his task impressively on the blue indoor court.

He saved two set points in the opening tiebreak but fired a backhand wide on Federer's third, to the relief of his 33-year-old opponent who was far from his fluent best.

World number three Federer finally secured the first service break of the match in the seventh game of the second set and cruised on to the 36th singles victory of his Davis Cup career.

DOMINANT WAWRINKA

Australian Open champion Wawrinka made light work of world number 17 Fognini and despatched the Italian 6-2 6-3 6-2 in one hour 30 minutes.

After struggling to rediscover the early-season form that won him the Australian Open title, Wawrinka has spoken of his desire to win the Davis Cup and he showed his intent by firing 16 aces and 37 winners past Fognini.

The fiery Swiss snatched an early break in the opening set before racing into a 4-1 lead as Fognini had no answer to the world number four's clean hitting.

More crisp and punchy strokes followed over the next two sets as Wawrinka ensured Switzerland took a 2-0 lead into Saturday's doubles.

Switzerland have reached the final once, losing to the U.S. in 1992, while Italy got there in 1998, going down to Sweden

NRB seeks MoF's permission to release units to those who had paid advance

KATHMANDU: Ownership of condominium units at Grand Apartment may be soon transferred to their buyers, as the government has initiated the process to release the asset which was frozen following violation of banking rules by project developers.

Grand Apartment, a project being built by Sudhir Basnet-promoted Oriental Builders and Developers at Dhumbarahi, comprises 39 condominium units, of which ownership of three units has already been transferred.

But before ownership of the rest of the 36 units could be transferred to buyers, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) froze all the assets of the project developer, including that of Basnet and his family members, citing they had obtained loans from Kuber Merchant Finance by violating banking rules.

NRB has now sought the Ministry of Finance (MoF)’s permission to release 36 condo units at Grand Apartment, including the basement, as those who paid advance fees to book the property have been left high and dry.

High-ranking MoF officials told The Himalayan Times that they were positive about the request and may allow NRB to release that particular asset soon. 

NRB had asked the MoF to release the asset based on a request made by Citizens Bank International, which has partially financed the Grand Apartment project by securing the same property as collateral. Citizens Bank needs to recover Rs 115.90 million, including Rs 75.30 million in interest, from the project developer.

Citizens Bank has said ownership of apartment units would be transferred if buyers agree to deposit Rs 40 million. 

Buyers have agreed to this demand and a tripartite agreement has also been signed between the bank, buyers and the project developer, an MoF source said.

“We hope those who booked units at the apartment will get some respite once the ownership is transferred,” the MoF source said.

This is not the first time Oriental Builders and Developers, the builder of Grand Apartment, has failed to hand over apartment and housing units to buyers.

Earlier, a high-level government commission had found that Oriental Builders had not handed over ownerships of different apartment and housing units despite obtaining Rs 1.36 billion in advance booking fees from buyers. 

One potential buyer, Tara Devi Dhakal of Damak, Jhapa, had told the commission that she was yet to receive apartments from Oriental Builders even after making payment of Rs 190 million.

Oriental Builders had started duping home buyers by not transferring ownerships of apartment and housing units after Oriental Cooperatives, which is promoted by the same group, collapsed due to haphazard lending practices and heavy exposure to the real estate market. Oriental Cooperatives owes Rs 5.5 billion to its depositors.

Other cooperatives, like Oriental, that were heavily exposed to the real estate sector a couple of years ago have also suffered huge losses.

Guna Developers, which is promoted by Guna Multipurpose Cooperative, for instance, has not paid back Rs 19.90 million raised from home buyers in advance booking fee, the commission report said.

Sahayata Cooperative, Society Savings and Credit Cooperative and Hero Bahuuddeshiya Savings and Credit Cooperative also collectively owe around Rs 19.40 million to home buyers.

Development so far

• NRB asks MoF to release the asset based on a request made by Citizens Bank International, which has partially financed the Grand Apartment project by securing the same property as collateral

• Citizens Bank needs to recover Rs 115.90 million, including Rs 75.30 million in interest, from project developer

• Citizens Bank says ownership of apartment units would be transferred if buyers agree to deposit Rs 40 million

• Buyers agree to this demand and a tripartite agreement has also been signed between the bank, buyers and project developer 

• High-ranking MoF officials say they are positive about the request and may allow NRB to release that particular asset soon -

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Javier Hernandez promises to give his all at Real Madrid

Madrid: Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez is delighted to be able to continue his career at what he considers to be the best club in the world.
Hernandez's situation changed from being a likely substitute at Manchester United for the coming season when he was loaned to Real Madrid at the end of the transfer window.
Hernandez is likely to be a backup for Karim Benzema, who is first choice striker, and speaking on Spanish TV early Wednesday morning, he was delighted with the chance.
Javier Hernandez promises to give his all at Real Madrid

Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez is delighted to be able to continue his career at what he considers to be the best club in the world. (Getty Images)

"It's no pressure to be compared with Benzema and I know people will try to draw us as rivals, but that happened with Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie at Manchester United. There is no pressure as I have always been competitive," said Hernandez.
"There is no excuse in a club such as Real Madrid as your performances put you in your place. If you have big dreams you have to work hard to be at the level at the club. You can't just show you are a professional, you have to do it and show it to not disappoint those who show confidence in you," he added, saying that "playing for Real Madrid is the first miracle that has come true in my life."
Hernandez insisted that he backed Cristiano Ronaldo in the debate over whether the Portuguese striker is the best player in the world ahead of Lionel Messi and said he was an admirer of Fernando Torres and former Madrid striker, Raul Gonzalez.
Finally he gave a vote of confidence to under-fire Real Madrid goalkeeper, Iker Casillas.
"He has done everything as a keeper and he is mentally very strong," he concluded.

Actor Richard Kiel, famous for his role as the Bond villain Jaws, dies at age 74

Los Angeles: Actor Richard Kiel, best known for playing metal-mouthed James Bond villain Jaws, died on Wednesday at a hospital in Fresno, California. He was 74.
Kiel died at Saint Agnes Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Kelley Sanchez said. She did not reveal any further details on the cause of his death, citing patient confidentiality.
Standing 7 feet 2 inches (2.2 meters) tall, Kiel's imposing height made him one of the most recognizable villains in the James Bond film franchise, playing Jaws in 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me" and 1979's "Moonraker" opposite Roger Moore's Bond.
Actor Richard Kiel, famous for his role as the Bond villain Jaws, dies at age 74

Standing 7 feet 2 inches tall, Kiel's imposing height made him one of the most recognisable villains in the James Bond film franchise

"He was a very loyal friend and client for over 35 years, a terrific husband and father, and was not only a giant actor but a giant man," said Steve Stevens, Kiel's agent.
Stevens said Kiel had taken a step back from acting after he was involved in a truck accident several years ago and was faced with walking difficulties. He remained active on the autograph circuit for avid Bond fans.
Kiel's television credits include roles in 1964's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," 1965's "The Wild Wild West" and 1975's "Barbary Coast." The Detroit native more recently appeared in 1996's "Happy Gilmore" opposite Adam Sandler, and voiced the villain Vlad in 2010's animated princess tale "Tangled."

J&K floods: Stone pelting incidents won't deter us, we'll rescue everyone stranded, says IAF

Srinagar: The Indian Army and the Air Force have been engaged in rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir day and night. Even as there have been incidents of some soldiers being attacked during these rescue operations, they say that such incidents do not deter them from rescuing each and every person.
Speaking to CNN-IBN, Air Commodore Balachandran said that he understands that people are frustrated over the rescue and relief operations. "We have had instances of stone pelting. They are because of the desperation and expectations of the people. But these instances like stone pelting do not stop us form doing our job," he said.

ALSO SEE J&K floods: Wing Commander Abhijit Bali swam 20 km to rescue his family, neighbours

He appealed to the people to stay calm and not panic, adding that the Army and the Air Force will bring each and every person stranded due to floods to a safer place. "The situation is improving every day. Please don't panic. We have been successful in rescuing thousands to safer place," Captain Balachandran said.
An NDRF trooper had received severe injuries on his hand when the locals attacked him in Srinagar on Wednesday. The locals apparently wanted the NDRF men to concentrate on a particular area and when the force personnel decided to go to a different marooned area, the locals attacked them.
The Army, Air Force and NDRF are leading the relief and rescue operations while some of their own remain stranded. One of the heroic tales is of Wing Commander Abhijit Bali, whose family was also the victim of the floods in which over 200 people have lost their lives. Bali came back to Srinagar to rescue his family and after that he walked and swam 20 kilometre back to the base. He not only rescued his family but a few of his neighbours too.
The Air Force is also engaged in sorties air dropping supplies to those stranded on rooftops. 140 tonnes of food supplies have been received overnight.
Army Chief General Dalbir Singh also visited Srinagar on Wednesday. The Army has set up 18 relief camps across the flood zone. The Army also rescued a 28-member Pakistani golf team and the Ambassador of Nepal from Srinagar.

34 Nepalis held in Costa Rica

KATHMANDU, SEP 11 - Thirty-four Nepalis have been detained in Costa Rica on suspicion of the illegal entry into the country, local English newspaper Tico Times reported on its website.
The Costa Rican National Police on Monday detained 27 Nepali migrant in the Paso Canoas community, along country’s border with Panama. Seven more Nepalis were arrested during a routine patrol near the central Pacific beach town of Jacó last Friday.
The human smugglers were using Costa Rica as a transit point north from Panama to Nicaragua to take the migrants to the United States, the newspaper has quoted Costa Rican Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa as saying. “We have reports that these migrants usually arrive by sea to Ecuador and then continue their trips by land, mainly to the United States. We are tenaciously working to determine who is responsible for these local [smuggling] operations,” Gamboa said.
The Nepali men were taken to a local health clinic for evaluation and then handed over to the immigration authorities, the Public Security Ministry said in a statement.
“Investigation is underway as to how they entered the country. It is presumed that they crossed the southern border with the help of coyotes. Once in Costa Rica, a car picked them up and dropped off to the other side of the country,” it added.
The ministry said that police had also detained the driver as a suspect in the smuggling of immigrants.
“All undocumented immigrants were taken to immigration offices for interrogation to determine their immigration status.”
The Foreign Ministry in Nepal said it has not received any formal information about the arrest, but added that it could start a diplomatic process for their repatriation.
Officials at the Department of Foreign Employment said that many gullible workers are paying millions of rupees to unscrupulous agents to go to the United States and European countries despite plenty of risks involved in the process.
“We are not in a position to do anything as these people readily trust smugglers despite their knowledge of the risks involved,” said Badri Karki, DoFE spokesperson.