Three state govt agencies in Province 4 to start work today

Feb 1, 2018-The Chief Minister’s Office, the Office of Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law in Province 4 are planning to start their operations from Thursday.

All preparations have been completed so that these three agencies can start their daily work from their offices based on the premises of the Skill Development Training Centre in Pardi, Pokhara, Chief Secretary Laxman Aryal said on Wednesday.

The office of the Ministry of Financial Affairs and Planning will aslo be situated inside the centre complex. Aryal said it would take some time for the Ministry of Financial Affairs to start its works because its building is not ready yet.

The buildings for other ministries of Province 4 have also been decided, and they are currently undergoing renovation.

The Ministry of Social Development will be based on the building of the Western Regional Education Directorate, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development on the building of the Urban Development and Building Construction Division Office, the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperative on the building of the Division Office of Cooperative Training, and the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment on a new building of Kaski District Forest Office.

Secretariat employees yet to report

The majority of the employees assigned to Provincial Assembly (PA) Secretariat have not reached Pokhara, the temporary capital of Province 4. The government has deployed 27 employees to the secretariat. Only four of them have reported to work so far, said Under Secretary Gopal Sigdel, who is involved in a team that is making preparations to conduct the first PA meeting scheduled on February 5. Sigdel said despite human resources crunch, the team was working hard to make sure the historic assembly is held in a successful manner.


Published: 01-02-2018 08:30

source:

25 percent children malnourished in Banke village

Feb 1, 2018-Around 25 percent of children in Holiya area of Daduwa Rural Municipality, Banke are found suffering from malnutrition, according to the District Public Health Office (DPHO) data.

During a recent health check-up, officials have found 10 percent of the malnutrition cases are of severe nature and 15 percent moderate. “It’s a serious condition. According to the World Health Organization, this type of condition is considered as ‘emergency condition’,” said DPHO chief Khim Bahadur Khadka.

Having found the situation critical in Holiya of Daduwa Rural Municipality, the DPHO is now planning to conduct health check-up campaigns in all of the municipalities and rural municipalities in the district. As per the record of the DPHO, around 5 percent of children below two years were found suffering from severe malnutrition in the district in the past.

Banke has an estimated 55,000 children below five. Health workers said that children from mostly the Madhesi, Dalit and landless communities are found malnourished. “We are trying to minimise the rate of severe malnutrition. All health workers, including 789 women health volunteers, are receiving training to cure malnutrition affected children,” said DPHO chief Khadka.

The women health volunteers will identify the malnourished children and take them to the health centres for treatment, said Khadka. The DPHO is planning to establish 14 Nutrition Rehabilitation Homes (NRH) to cure malnourished children in eight local units.

The malnourished children are being taken to the Nepalgunj-based NRH and other government hospitals if they could not be treated at the local health posts.


Published: 01-02-2018 08:30



source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Rukumkot protest sees no sign of abatement

Feb 1, 2018-An indefinite shutdown enforced by the residents of Rukumkot in Rukum (East) to protest the government’s decision to shift the district headquarters to Golkhara has shown no sign of abatement, with protesters continuing to descend upon the streets and town centre for the past six days demanding that the government withdraw its move.   

Nanda Lal Sharma, coordinator of the protest committee, on Wednesday reiterated that Rukumkot will remain shut until the government has reinstated the town as the district headquarters of Rukum (East).

Rukumkot was previously designated the temporary district headquarters of Rukum (East). When the Cabinet meeting decided to shift the district headquarters to Golkhara on January 25, protest broke out in Rukumkot and it has continued ever since.

Schools, marketplace, transport service and government offices are shut. Rallies and demonstrations are being organised every day.

A rally was staged on Wednesday where protesters beat plates with spoons. They moved around the town before holding a mass assembly at Chhipridaha.

The protesters also burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, claiming that his government had no right to change the district headquarters when the local units and the District Coordination Committee had already agreed to make Rukumkot the headquarters of Rukum (East).

Chief District Officer Bhupendra Sapkota said continuous banda in Rukumkot and its adjoining areas has caused a hardship for many people.

As the government offices are also shut, he said, many service-seekers have been deprived of essential government services.


Published: 01-02-2018 08:39


source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Hyponatraemia inquiry: Children's hospital deaths were avoidable

An inquiry into the deaths of five children in Northern Ireland's hospitals has found that four of them were avoidable. The findings followed a 14-year inquiry into hyponatraemia-related deaths.

Who were the children? Timeline of hyponatraemia inquiry Hyponatraemia is a medical condition that occurs when there is a shortage of sodium in the bloodstream. The damning report was heavily critical of the "self-regulating and unmonitored" health service.

The Belfast, Southern and Western health trusts said they "unreservedly apologise" to the five families. Media captionMr Justice O'Hara calls on medical professionals to put the public interest first.
Mr Justice O'Hara was scathing of how the families were treated in the aftermath of the deaths and also of the evidence given to the inquiry by medical professionals.

He said that "doctors and managers cannot be relied on to do the right thing at the right time" and that they had to put the public interest before their own reputation. He also said that some witnesses to the inquiry "had to have the truth dragged out of them".
Media captionJennifer Roberts speaks about the death of her daughter, Claire
The inquiry was set up in 2004 to investigate the deaths of Adam Strain, Claire Roberts, Raychel Ferguson, Lucy Crawford and Conor Mitchell. The chairman said that the deaths of Adam Strain, Claire Roberts and Raychel Ferguson were the result of "negligent care". Image caption The inquiry's report has made 96 recommendations In his report, Mr Justice O'Hara found that:

while investigating the death of Adam Strain, the inquiry had been met with "defensiveness and deceit" and that "information was withheld" about what happened to Adam in the operating theatre
there "was a cover up" in the death of Claire Roberts, whose death was not referred to the coroner immediately to "avoid scrutiny"
poor care was "deliberately concealed" in the death of Lucy Crawford
there was a "reluctance among clinicians to openly acknowledge failings" in the death of Raychel Ferguson in the death of Conor Mitchell, there was a "potentially dangerous variation in care and treatment afforded to young people at Craigavon Hospital"
In total, the inquiry made 96 recommendations including the establishment of a duty of candour on medical professionals "to tell patients and their families about major failures in care and to give a full and honest explanation".


Media captionThe chair of the hyponatraemia inquiry believes evidence was withheld about Adam Strain's death Mr Justice O'Hara added that the "reticence of some clinicians and healthcare professionals to concede error or identify underperformance or colleagues was frustrating and depressing".

Marie Ferguson, the mother of Raychel, said that the inquiry was "confirmation of what we knew happened".

Image caption Marie Ferguson, the mother of Raychel, during the delivery of Mr Justice O'Hara's findings "She went into hospital as a young, healthy girl and was neglected by the nurses, neglected by the doctors and, ultimately, died because of the negligence of those we consider health professionals."

Mrs Ferguson added that she had been devoted to finding the truth and "what I experienced during this journey is inexcusable".

"The trust and their lawyers abused their position by trying to cover up the truth. They robbed me of the most precious wee girl," she said.

"For hospital medical staff to make a mistake is forgivable, however, to orchestrate a cover-up and to deliberately mislead is totally unforgivable." The family of Conor Mitchell said medical staff had "failed Conor so badly".

"The reticence with which the investigation has been handled by the trust and their advisers and the grudging way in which the limited acceptance of failings and minimal apology given were extracted, indicates a reluctance on their part to undertake the learning and the change in attitude needed to reduce the trauma caused in cases such as these," they said.

source: www.bbc.com

US citizen accused of 'insulting' Vietnamese national hero

A US man with a large online following in Vietnam has caused widespread anger, and faces possible criminal charges, over a Facebook post thought to have insulted a military hero.

Daniel Hauer lives in Vietnam, is married to a local woman and speaks fluent Vietnamese. He has a wide local following on Facebook and Youtube for his English language teaching videos and his observations about Vietnamese and Western culture.

But a joke about General Vo Nguyen Giap triggered widespread condemnation on social media. Hundreds of people are calling for him to stop teaching and leave the country. He has since posted an apology video, was summoned by the authorities and is now facing a fine or a warning.

Communist Vietnam has a high rate of social media usage, but exercises strict control over the internet, filtering out content deemed undermining of the government of its values. Tight control Its censorship rules have often been used to silence government critics and several dissident bloggers have been jailed.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES Image caption Blogger Nguyen Van Hoa was sentenced to seven years in prison In 2017, popular environmental blogger Mother Mushroom received a 10-year prison sentence accused of distributing propaganda against the state.

The same year, 22-year old blogger Nguyen Van Hoa was sentenced to seven years for writing about a toxic spill from a factory poisoning millions of fish.

In 2015, activist lawyer Nguyen Van Dai was arrested without trial after already having served a lengthy sentence previously.

Three activists Vu Quang Thuan, Nguyen Van Dien, and Tran Hoang Phuc have been held since last year and are hearing charges for conducting propaganda against the state this Wednesday, according to Human Rights Watch. Mr Hauer's controversial comment was trivial, in comparison. It came last week, when the country was swept up in a wave of patriotism after its under-23s football team made it all the way to the finals of the Asian Cup, Vietnam's biggest ever football success.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES Image caption There were huge celebrations to mark Vietnam's biggest ever football achievement
A Facebook commentator had said he would get a tattoo of the Vietnamese flag, should the country win. In a hyperbolic joke, the English teacher said that was nothing - after a Vietnamese athlete recently won a gold medal, he said, he'd got a penis piercing making his testicles resemble Gen Giap.

General Vo Nguyen Giap is revered for leading successful military campaigns against both the French and the US. He passed away in 2013, receiving a grand funeral. Fury and condemnatio Mr Hauer's flippant remark first caused widespread protests online and eventually made it into the news on national state television.

Many online commentators were not holding back with furious condemnation, asking for him to be deported, leave the country and accusing him of gross cultural insensitivity.

Yet there are also other comments pointing out that a sincere apology would be enough to eventually set things straight again while some even sympathise with him.

source:www.bbc.com

Larry Nassar case: USA Gymnastics doctor 'abused 265 girls'

The number of known sexual abuse victims of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has grown to 265, a Michigan judge has said.

At least 65 victims are set to confront Nassar, 54, in court this week in the last of three sentencing hearings, prosecutors say. He was sentenced last week to 40 to 175 years in prison after nearly 160 women testified that he had molested them His victims included Olympic gold medal winners Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber. Nassar is already serving 60 years in prison for possession of child sex abuse images.

Media captionWhat it was like to testify against Larry Nassar
In the current hearing, the court is sitting to sentence him for molesting patients in the back room of Twistars gymnastics club in Dimondale, Michigan. The former Michigan State University (MSU) physician pleaded guilty in November to three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against girls for whom he was supposed to be providing medical care. At least one of the sexual assaults included a victim younger than 13. Two of the victims were abused at 15 or 16 years old. On Wednesday Judge Janice Cunningham told the small court in Charlotte, Michigan: "We have over 265 identified victims and an infinite number of victims in the state, in the country, and all over the

world. Image copyrightAFP
Image caption Jessica Thomashow said: "He first molested me when I was nine... before I had braces" "As a result, by allowing live streaming and tweeting, all individuals are able to participate in this process." The first to speak was 17-year-old Jessica Thomashow, who told the court:"He first molested me when I was nine (...) before I had braces, and when I still played with my American Girl dolls.
"Larry Nassar preyed on us for his own pleasure, leaving in his wake traumatised and broken girls." She described him as "evil" and "a criminal of the worst kind".Media captionFrom the courtroom: Rachael Denhollander's powerful testimony
Ms Thomashow's older sister was also abused by the doctor while studying at MSU.

In this final sentencing, a minimum of 25 to 40 years is expected to be added to Nassar's prison sentence. The 156 women who confronted a predator
The hearing is scheduled to last three days as women line up to deliver victim-impact testimony.

USA Gymnastics says every director of its board has now resigned in the wake of the scandal. The US Olympic Committee demanded the board step down by Wednesday or face losing its governing authority. "We are in the process of moving forward with forming an interim board of directors during the month of February," said a statement by USA Gymnastics.

About 140 victims are suing Nassar, USA Gymnastics and MSU, seeking monetary damages from institutions they accuse of ignoring the allegations. Michigan's attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into MSU. The college's president and top sports official resigned last week following Nassar's sentencing.

Protests erupted among students and faculty after MSU's board unanimously appointed former governor John Engler to serve as interim president. Several students and faculty members said they were blindsided by the choice and were not asked for input.

source: www.bbc.com

FBI has 'grave concerns' about controversial Republican memo

The FBI has publicly challenged a push by Republican lawmakers to release a controversial memo which purports to show anti-Trump bias at the agency.

"We have grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy," the FBI said in a statement.

A top Trump aide said on Wednesday they would release the top secret document "pretty quick", despite the objections.

Democrats claim the memo is an attempt to discredit the FBI-led Russia probe.

"It will be released here pretty quick, I think, and the whole world can see it," White House chief of staff John Kelly said during an interview with Fox News Radio on Wednesday morning.

Hours later, the FBI issued a rare statement saying that it had had "limited opportunity" to review the document before the House Intelligence committee voted to release it on Monday.

"We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) process," the FBI statement added.

What is the memo?
The four-page memo, which was compiled by staffers for the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, claims that the Department of Justice abused the surveillance programme known as FISA to unfairly target a member of the Trump campaign.

According to lawmakers who have reviewed it, the document purports to show that the agency obtained a warrant to spy on a Trump campaign aide after submitting as evidence the unproven "Russian dossier".

That dossier was compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele with money financed in part from the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
FBI Director Christopher Wray was reportedly concerned about the memo
The committee voted to release the memo earlier this week, and Mr Trump has until the weekend to decide whether to de-classify the information for public release.

The 'secret memo' intriguing Washington
Why attacks on Mueller are mounting
Mr Trump was heard following his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night telling a Republican lawmaker that he is "100%" for releasing the document, but on Wednesday White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told CNN "there's always a chance" that it will not be released.

But Mr Kelly was less equivocal, telling Fox News on Wednesday morning that Mr Trump "wants everything out so the American people can make up their own minds and if there's people to be held accountable, then so be it".

Why is it controversial?
Before the FBI statement on Wednesday, the Department of Justice had already said it would be "extraordinary reckless" to release the document.

Democrats, whose efforts to release a competing memo were blocked by the committee, claim that Mr Nunes cherry-picked highly classified information that they say could jeopardise national security. They argue the memo is an effort to embarrass the FBI and discredit the investigation, led by special counsel Robert Mueller, into alleged Russian meddling and possible obstruction of justice by members of the Trump administration.

But Trump officials say the memo proves his claim that he has been treated unfairly by the FBI. FBI deputy quits 'ahead of agency review' After firing FBI director James Comey, Mr Trump reportedly asked his temporary replacement Andrew McCabe how he had voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Mr McCabe, who briefly served as acting agency director, resigned amid public accusations of Democratic bias from Mr Trump. He was planning to retire in March. What is the latest reaction? Chairman Nunes, who served on the Trump team during his White House transition, said on Wednesday it was "no surprise" that the FBI has objected to the memo's release.

"Having stonewalled Congress' demands for information for nearly a year, it's no surprise to see the FBI and DoJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies," he said.

A top Democrat on the House committee, Adam Schiff, said that releasing the memo "increases the risk of a constitutional crisis by setting the stage for subsequent actions by the White House to fire [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller or, as now seems more likely, Deputy Attorney General Rod J Rosenstein".

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who serves on the Senate Intelligence committee, said that the Republicans are clearly trying to "undermine the special counsel's investigation".

"There's no excuse for playing politics with highly classified information

source:www.bbc.com

CAN gets final ICC ultimatum

Jan 31, 2018-Stakeholders of Nepali cricket on Tuesday said they would do all they can to lift the suspension of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) after the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a final ultimatum to the cricket governing body to move ahead as agreed upon previously.

An ICC delegation headed by its Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja met with Nepali stakeholders on Sunday and Monday to take stock of progress aimed at enabling the reinstatement of CAN, whose international membership is currently under suspension since April 25, 2016. To resolve the issue, ICC had formed an Advisory Group which reviewed CAN constitution and proposed amendments.

CAN did pass a new constitution through its Special General Meeting on August 22 but with significant changes that were against the agreement. ICC had repeatedly raised concerns over the adoption of a separate constitution and also termed its schedule election ‘inappropriate’.

Despite ICC having reservations in CAN’s approval of a disputed constitution, the Nepali cricket governing body had said it would hold its general election by December 24. In the process it has also conducted elections in its member districts. But in its latest visit to Nepal, ICC asked CAN to pass the amendment as proposed by Advisory Group and conduct re-elections in districts or else face expulsion.

CAN General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel said his side would be flexible if needed. “If the ICC ensures that the suspension of CAN is lifted then we are ready to show any kind of flexibility,” Pyakurel said during a press conference at the National Sports Council (NSC) on Tuesday in presence of Member Secretary Keshav Bista and Advisory Group joint coordinator Binay Raj Pandey.

Pyakurel also said that the ongoing court case against the ad-hoc committee formed by NSC will not be an issue if everyone agrees to move ahead with consensus. The sports governing body of Nepal had formed the ad-hoc committee on January 8, 2016 after the 2015 CAN elections ran into controversy as it was held without the consent from its former president Tanka Aangbuhang and the country’s supreme sports governing body.

NSC member secretary Bista said his office would play role of a guardian to help CAN get back its ICC membership. “NSC will oversee this process as a guardian and show flexibility as much as we can. We believe that the Advisory Group and CAN would come to agreement,” said Bista.

Advisory Group Joint Coordinator Binaya Raj Pandey said it would be a last chance for everyone to prevent CAN from ICC expulsion. “Nepali cricket has suffered a lot since the suspension. We now have to sort out all differences and end this state of standstill before the elective general assembly of the ICC in June. If we still don’t manage to settle the issues, the ICC will surely expel us,” the former CAN president said.

According to Pandey, ICC will send a roadmap to all the concerned stakeholders within a few days. CAN has been asked to work according to that roadmap under the supervision of the NSC.


Published: 31-01-2018 11:57


source:

Shantinagar in quarter-finals

Jan 31, 2018-Shantinagar Youth Club entered the quarter-finals of the Khukuri Challenger Twenty20 cricket tournament with a six-run victory over Kathmandu Cricket Training Centre (KCTC) on Tuesday. In the Group ‘A’ match at the Mulpani Cricket Ground, Shantinagar made 159-6 in 20 overs on the back of a half century from man-of-the-match Amit Shrestha. They then restricted KCTC to 153-6. In another Group ‘A’ game, RCA Pyuthan Challengers routed Malpokhari Cricket Club by 117 runs to remain in pole position to grab the second spot from the pool.

Unbeaten Shantinagar finished as group winners with 10 points from four games that included a rain washout. Challengers are second with seven points from four games and are ahead of KCTC by three points. KCTC play fourth-placed Ultimate Indoor cricket in their final group game and will need a big margin victory to topple Challengers. Shrestha rescued his side from 89-5 adding 57 runs for the sixth wicket with Kushal Bhurtel. Shrestha made 51 off 52 and Bhurtel struck a 16-ball 25 with both batsmen hitting five boundaries each. Nandan Yadav and Adil Khan took two wickets each for KCTC. Opener Sudhir Chaudhary made some quick runs scoring 27 off 16 giving KCTC a desired start but they were soon reduced to 50-3. Bibek Rana Magar and Khan brought KCTC back in the game with a 71-run stand. However, Mukund Yadav got rid of both the batsmen in the space of six runs as KCTC pegged back. Sanjay Basnet produced some late fireworks smashing three sixes in his 12-ball 25 not out but Shantinagar held their nerves. Rana Magar made 41 off 34 with four boundaries and a six, while Khan struck 39 off 29 with three hits over the fence and one boundary. Sunil Dhamala also took two wickets for Shantinagar. Earlier in the day, Challengers’ top three batsmen ran riot against Malpokhari bowling attack posting a tournament-high 193-3. Rajbir Singh alone smashed seven sixes and as many boundaries in a 58-ball 93 not out. Man-of-the-match Singh then returned to take 4-15 as Malpokhari were 76 all out in 16.4 overs. Yagyaman Kumal polished off the tail picking up three wickets. Gaurav Katwal (24 not out) was the only Malpokhari batsman to stage some fight.

After Shubhendu Pandey was out hitting a 20-ball 45 with seven boundaries and two sixes, Singh punished Malpokhari bowlers sharing 98 runs for the second wicket with Prem Tamang (39).


Published: 31-01-2018 11:57

source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Pvt med colleges demand extra Rs1 million from MBBS students

Jan 31, 2018-Violating the fee structure set by the government, private medical colleges affiliated to  the Institute of Medicine (IoM) under the Tribhuvan University have demanded an additional Rs1 million from students who have enrolled in the MBBS programme. The colleges have asked even students, who had secured government scholarships, to deposit an additional Rs500,000.

The government has set the fees at Rs3.8 million for the medical colleges inside Kathmandu Valley and Rs4.2 million for the colleges outside the Valley. Of the seven private medical colleges affiliated to the TU, one is in the Capital while the rest are based outside Kathmandu. Gandaki Medical Colleges, Kaski has demanded an additional Rs1.1 million from students, while Chitwan Medical College, Chitwan is asking for Rs1 million more, students complained. The Post has obtained a copy of a voucher of these medical colleges. In one of the payment slips, a student has deposited Rs468,200 in National Medical College, Birjung. Similarly, another student had deposited Rs374,000 in Gandaki Medical College. All of these colleges are said to have asked the students to deposit over Rs600,000 in multiple instalments over the next two years. The students are charged under various headings such as IoM charge, TU exam fees, library fee, lab charge, hospital fee, mess fee and affiliation charges.

A student who has enrolled into Gandaki said that the college had asked the students to stay mum about the extra charges. “You will be studying in our college for the next five years. It’d be better if you keep quiet on the issue. Practical marks are in our hands,” the student quoting a college administrator as telling him over the phone. Recently, students resorted to a protest after a majority of the medical schools affiliated to the TU began taking extra charges. The students pursuing an MBBS degree in different private medical colleges took out a rally on Monday in protest of exorbitant fees they are charging under various headings. The IoM has already clarified that the private medical colleges do not have the right to charge additional fees to students. The fees the colleges claim to be charging for are already included in the fee ceiling set by the government, the IoM said. “It is illegal to charge additional money against the students,” said IoM Dean Dr Jagdish Agrawal. “We have already forwarded the complaints to the TU Central Office that takes action for any defiance of its rule and directives.”

Meanwhile, Dr Govinda KC, an activist who has staged multiple hunger strikes demanding reforms in medical education, has demanded stern action against the medical schools who are charging additional amount from the students. Dr KC said he would be forced to launch another protest if the government turns a deaf ear to the issue.


Published: 31-01-2018 08:16


source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.c

Prakash Sardar shortest person in Nepal

Jan 31, 2018-Twenty one years old Prakash Sardar of Baijnathpur Nahartol, Biratnagar Metropolitan City- 19 has been identified as the shortest person in the country. He is 31 inches tall and weighs 13 kilogrammes.

Family members of Prakash made this claim based on the results derived from a Google search. They said that when searching on the Google search engine regarding the height of shortest persons in Nepal, Prakash was found to be the shortest. The mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan City, Bhim Parajuli met Sardar at his house on Tuesday and said that the metropolis would provide monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to Prakash and persons of his ilk, from its internal sources.

As of Monday, 19-year-old Malati Rishidev of Sundar Haraincha Municipality in Morang district was claimed to be probably the shortest person in the country. Rishidev is 32 inches tall and weighs 14 kilogrammes. RSS


Published: 31-01-2018 13:18

source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Dr KC's advocate claims receiving death threat from CJ Parajuli

Jan 31, 2018-Senior advocate Dr Surendra Bhandari has lodged a report at District Administration Office Kathmandu demanding security saying that he received death threat from Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli.

In his report, Bhandari, who defended Dr Govinda KC in a contempt of court case against him, stated Chief Justice Parajuli issued threat to him first on January 10 after the conclusion of hearing on the contempt of court case. He claimed Parajuli again threatened him last Thursday following a write-up by Bhandari in a national newspaper about Parajuli. Bhandari said unidentified persons also came to his office and threatened him. He has demanded security from the administration citing threat to his life by Chief Justice Parajuli.
The Supreme Court has given no remarks about Parajuli threatening Bhandari. Parajuli's secretariat has also given no statements saying Parajuli was busy in meeting of the Judicial Service Commission.


Published: 31-01-2018 13:45

source:

17 rhinos die due to natural causes in CNP in past 6-month

Jan 31, 2018-Although the country is celebrating no rhino poaching year for the past three consecutive years, 17 rhinos have died in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) in the past six months, officials said

The officials however blamed various other causes like natural death, rhino-fighting and delivery complications in the death of rhinos. The figure is down as compared to the 25 deaths of rhinos in the CNP in the last fiscal year due to various reasons except poaching. Of them, four rhinos including two babies died after being swept away in a flooding, while a baby rhino was devoured by a tiger, said information officer at the CNP Nurendra Aryal.

Although the average life-expectance of a rhino is 50 years, it grows weaker mentally and physically above 30. Most of the deceased rhinos belonged to a 30- to 35 age group. According to the 2015 census, the CNP and a forest area in the area had a total of 605 rhinos. RSS


Published: 31-01-2018 13:55

source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

PM Deuba directs party leaders, cadres to move ahead together

Jan 31, 2018-Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has directed the party leaders and cadres to move ahead together.

During a meeting with the office bearers of NC District working Committee, Dhankuta, held in Dhankuta on Wednesday, PM Deuba said that all leaders and cadres should help make the party strong at a time when it has become weak.

Office bearers and members of NC, Dhankuta, had tendered resignation from their posts after being unsatisfied from the government's decision of not declaring Dhankuta as the temporary capital of province 1.

He also urged them to withdraw their resignation to carry out activities in favour of the party and Dhankuta.

PM Deuba also said that he felt sad when declaring other place as the temporary capital of province 1 instead of Dhankuta to forge political consensus, said Secretary of NC, Dhankuta, Bijay Santoshi Rai quoting PM Deuba.

On the occasion, NC, Dhankuta, President Agni Prasad Poudel, outgoing President Manohar Narayan Shrestha, among others stressed that the NC should take initiative to make Dhankuta as the permanent capital.




Published: 31-01-2018 17:20


source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Ganga Maya Adhikari begins yet another fast-unto-death

Jan 30, 2018-Ganga Maya Adhikari, who has been seeking justice for the murder of her son Krishna Prasad Adhikari for the past 13 years, has started yet another fast-unto-death from Tuesday.

Adhikari, 61, a permanent residence of Phujel, Gorkha, announced from the bed of Bir Hospital that she has started her fast-unto-death. “I will not eat anything until I get justice,” she said, adding, “I don’t care for my life, I will not break fast-unto-death until my demands are addressed.” Krishna Prasad was murdered during the Maoist insurgency in the country on June 6, 2004. Adhikari and her husband, Nanda Prasad, had first begun their hunger strike in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar in January 2013. They started their second hunger strike the following month and ended it on the 47th day following an agreement with the government, which assured action against some suspects, including Parshuram Paudel. But, they were later released.

Nanda Prasad died after 329 days of the hunger strike on September 22, 2014 at the Hospital. Even after losing her husband, Ganga Maya had continued her hunger strike for a total of 360 days until the government signed a five-point deal with her in October 2015. “The government should have let me die with my husband but I was feed forcibly,” Ganga Maya said. “Many people had sympathised with me and said I will get justice one day.  Now, I have not seen any hope to get the justice. Therefore, I am using the last option.”


Published: 30-01-2018 19:38

source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

NC leaders offer shoe shine services for political cleansing

Jan 30, 2018-It was indeed a bizarre sight to see some Nepali Congress (NC) leaders sitting in row holding boot polish and brush in their hands at Naya Baneshwor Chok, Kathmandu on Tuesday morning. The NC leaders were offering shoe shine services to the passers-by.
The programme was organised as part of ‘political cleansing’ campaign organised by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Memorial Foundation, a veteran NC leader and former prime minister, to mark the Martyrs’ Day. NC leaders Dhanraj Gurung, Chandra Bhandari, Binod Bhattarai and Panchkhal Municipality Mayor Mahesh Kharel, among others, were seen shining the shoes of pedestrians. Apart from the NC leaders, some human rights activists, political figures, and members of general public, assembled in this somewhat odd programme. They were urging the people to take the shoe-shining as a symbolic move to cleanse malpractices and anomalies prevalent in Nepali politics. “This is a symbolic step initiated to pass on the values and principles of saintly leaders like Kishunji [Krishna Prasad Bhattarai],” said NC leader Binod Bhattarai, “This programme is the beginning of political purging from ourselves.” Bhattarai said the current leaders of Nepal should learn from the lifestyle of Krishna Prasad who polished his own shoes. Former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana praised Krishna Prasad Bhattarai for his leadership skill who didn’t give room even to his critics for pointing fingers at his works despite holding the post of prime minister for several times. He said current leaders should follow the ideology of Bhattarai.

“We have got new structure and public representatives now. They should all vow to work with the ethical standard upheld by Kishunji,” said Dhungana. More than two dozen people, who sat at Chhakubakku Park in Baneshwor, rose around Rs 30,000. Mahesh Kharel, whose brainchild the concept was, said that the fund will be spent for public service and promoting Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s ideologies.


source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Parties hinder works to set up state offices

Jan 31, 2018-Works to set up provincial government offices for Province 7 have been delayed due to hindrances caused by the political parties, demanding that the builders close to them should be awarded the contract. The government has picked Dhangadhi of Kailali district as the temporary capital of Province 7.

Rabindra Bohara, chief of the Urban Development and Building Construction Division Office, said they have hardly got anything done because the party leaders are exerting pressure to award the contract to the people of their choices. The office has already decided the buildings to set up provincial government offices, state parliament and state minister residences, but they need to be refurbished to suit their assigned purposes. “There was already a delay in infrastructure planning because the central government did not send the plan and requirements in time. Now when we are finally ready to start, the parties are creating obstructions,” said Bohara. The office has until February 3 to construct the infrastructure. To get the job done in time, the office is planning to invite a tender notice on Wednesday. According to Bohara, their target is to at least get the venues for Provincial Assembly Hall, the Province Secretariat and the Speaker’s Office ready on the given time. Chief District Officer of Kailali Govinda Rijal said there are concerns that the delay in setting up of offices could hit the provincial government formation. But despite the delays and concerns, he said, the concerned authorities are ready to pull out all the stops to ensure the government formation is not affected.    “The venues will be ready before the formation of provincial government,” he said. ‘Province 1 will require more than 50 vehicles for its top brass’

BIRATNAGAR: Province 1 will need more than 50 vehicles for its top officials, according to Morang Chief District Officer Ram Prasad Acharya. While the government has yet to allocate the budget to buy vehicles for  VIP transportation service, some officials have taken the liberty to use the vehicles owned by some government offices. Acharya said the state governor, Govinda Bahadur Tumbahang, is using the vehicle of the District Education Office for the time being.


Published: 31-01-2018 08:17


source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/

Scrutiny over wood and coal fires in UK homes

Burning wood and coal in people's homes will come under scrutiny as part of a government drive to improve air pollution. Ministers are calling for evidence to help improve air quality in cities.
They want people to ensure that wood is dry before burning, and that solid fuels are as clean as possible. But the UK is being given a final warning by the European Commission today for breaching laws on NOx emissions. The government is being told it will face court action in Europe unless its planned Clean Air Strategy does what it's supposed to.While environmentalists may wonder whether today's announcement on homes fires is a smokescreen, the government insists it's not.It says the domestic burning of house coal, smokeless solid fuels and wet wood is the single largest primary contributor of harmful sooty particles. Householders and businesses are being asked for their views on proposals to cut emissions. The government says drying wood can reduce particles by half and produce more heat from less fuel. A spokesman said it is considering a range of options to tackle particle emissions, including:

Encouraging consumers to switch from house coal by only allowing the sale of low sulphur smokeless alternatives; The introduction of sulphur limits for all smokeless solid fuels; And new powers for local authorities to take action for persistent smoke offences where local air quality is harmed. Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: "We all have a role to play in improving the air we breathe. Many of us enjoy a cosy fire, but burning dirtier fuel has a real impact on the quality of air for our family and friends. "Pollution is about more than just transport. If we make the switch to burning cleaner domestic fuel, we can continue to enjoy burning wood and smokeless coal in stoves and fires in our homes." She says they're not considering banning domestic burning. Prof Frank Kelly from Kings College London told BBC News: "If the particulates data are correct then yes it's a good thing as it's important that all sources of pollution are tackled in order to improve air quality to reach WHO guideline values." Some academics said the homes fires consultation was a diversion from other government failings on pollution. Rosie Rogers from Greenpeace said: "It's not a good look when a government that promised environmental leadership has to be chivvied by Brussels into doing something about illegal air pollution."

"Michael Gove promised to make cleaning up our cities' air a top priority but has little to show for it as yet." The government said it would solve air pollution overall in its Clean Air Strategy, expected after Easter. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wants to ban wood burning in the capital - but there will no enforcement powers to enter homes to see whether people are burning wood or not.

Glee actor Mark Salling, 35, found dead

US actor Mark Salling, known for his role in the TV series Glee, has been found dead near his Los Angeles home, his lawyer confirmed to the BBC.

US media reports suggest he may have taken his own life.The 35-year-old was expected to get between four and seven years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sex abuse images. His sentencing was due on 7 March.nSalling played footballer Noah "Puck" Puckerman on Glee from 2009 to 2015. He entered into a plea deal last October, avoiding a lengthier prison sentence of up to 20 years.mHe was arrested in 2015 after a tip-off that he was in possession of images of children being sexually abused. Investigators ultimately found thousands of abuse images on his laptop and hard drive.

Salling's lawyer, Michael J Proctor, said in a statement: "I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgement. "He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected."

source: www.bbc.com

The killer whale that can say 'hello' and 'bye bye'

A killer whale that can mimic words such as "hello" and "bye bye" is thought to be the first of its kind to copy human speech. The female learned to "speak" a handful of human words by copying a trainer at a marine park in France. The animal's repertoire includes the name "Amy" and "one, two, three". It can also blow raspberries.

Whales are among the few animals other than humans that can learn to produce a novel sound just by hearing it. "In mammals it is very rare," said Dr Josep Call of the University of St Andrews, a co-researcher on the study. "Humans obviously are good at it... Interestingly, the mammals that can do best are marine mammals." The researchers set out to find out whether killer whales could learn new vocalisations by imitating others. They studied a female named Wikie at Marineland Aquarium in Antibes, France. She was taught to speak human words through her blowhole and can be heard in recordings mimicking words such as hello and Amy, and counting one, two, three, using squawks, shrill whistles or raspberries. Killer whale 'dialects' Killer whales are known to live in groups with unique vocal "dialects". They may copy other members of their kind in the wild, although this needs to be tested "The killer whale that we studied in captivity was capable of learning vocalisations of other killer whales and also human vocalisations by imitating them," said Dr Call.

"Therefore this result suggests this is also a plausible explanation for how killer whales in the wild learn the vocalisations of other killer whales and how they develop their dialects."

source: www.bbc.com

Yemeni separatists have taken almost full control of the southern port city of Aden after days of fighting with government forces, residents say.

PM Ahmed bin Daghar and members of his cabinet are believed to be holed up inside the presidential palace in Aden. There are reports of talks between the southern separatists and government forces, who were previously allies. The fighting opens up a new front in Yemen, splitting the alliance against Houthi rebels in the north.
Yemen's future looks grim after Saleh's killing Yemen conflict: Who is fighting whom? Yemen's internationally-recognised government relocated to Aden in 2015, when President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and his cabinet were forced to flee the capital, Sanaa, following an offensive by the Houthis. A assault on Sanaa prompted a Saudi-led multinational coalition to launch a military campaign to defeat the rebels. Since then, more than 9,245 people have been killed and 3 million displaced, according to the UN. Why are the separatists and government fighting? Supporters of two sides have fought alongside each other over the past three years but it has always seemed an uneasy alliance. Before the conflict, separatist sentiment had been running high in the south, which was an independent state before unification with the North in 1990.

Image copyrightREUTERSImage caption Yemen's internationally-recognised government has been based in Aden since 2015 Although the separatists were suspicious of Mr Hadi - who is a southerner but supports continued unity with the north - they joined forces to prevent the Houthis capturing Aden and drive them out of most of the south. However, tensions between the two sides remained. The situation was made more complex by divisions within the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi Arabia backs Mr Hadi, who is based in Riyadh, while the United Arab Emirates - a key partner in the coalition - is closely aligned with the separatists. How did the clashes in Aden start? They erupted on Sunday after the expiry of a deadline set by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) for a cabinet reshuffle, including the removal of Mr Bin Daghar. The council accused the government of "rampant corruption" resulting in a "deteriorating economic, security and social situation never before witnessed in the history of the south".

Image copyrightAFP Image caption Separatist fighters were patrolling the streets of central Aden on Tuesday The fighting, which has involved tanks and heavy artillery, began in the eastern Khor Maksar district, where the airport located. It quickly spread to the southern Crater district, near presidential palace, and the hills overlooking the sea port. As the separatists took control of official facilities and military bases, the prime minister denounced what he called a "coup". President Hadi, who is based in Riyadh, ordered his forces to secure Aden.

source: www.bbc.com

Trump to hail 'new American moment'

A bullish US President Donald Trump will proclaim a "new American moment" as he delivers his maiden State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. In a primetime address to Congress, he will tell lawmakers: "There has never been a better time to start living the American dream." The Republican leader will say he is "extending an open hand" to Democrats to set aside bitter political division.

The American economy is booming but Mr Trump's approval rating is languishing. All the reaction to Trump's speech In an upbeat message a world away from the apocalyptic tone he struck in his "American carnage" inaugural address of just a year ago, Mr Trump will say his administration is "building a safe, strong and proud America". As many as 40 million television viewers are expected to tune in as he implores the nation to come together as "one team, one people and one American family", according to excerpts released by the White House. On foreign policy, Mr Trump will note that nearly all the territory in Syria and Iraq once controlled by the Islamic State group has been retaken. But warning against complacency, he will vow: "We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated." What about the Democrats' response? Massachusetts congressman Joseph Kennedy III, a great-nephew of President John K Kennedy, will deliver the Democrats' response to Mr Trump's speech. He will attempt to seize Mr Trump's political mantle by purporting to speak for "Americans who feel forgotten and forsaken".

Bewailing a "fractured country" and depicting Mr Trump's presidency as "chaos", Mr Kennedy, 37, will say: "Many have spent the past year anxious, angry, afraid." "Bullies may land a punch," he will say. "They might leave a mark. "But they have never, not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defence of their future."

Oli ‘eager to work with Indian government’

Jan 30, 2018-In a bid to reach out to the Indian establishment ahead of government formation, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, who is widely seen as the new prime minister, has written to Indian PM Narendra Modi saying that he was eager to work with the Indian government.

Oli, who skipped the Republic Day function organised inside the Indian Embassy on January 26, wrote a letter to Modi to congratulate the Indian people on their day. Oli, however, attended a cultural event organised by the embassy at the Army Officers’ Club next evening. “As one of the recently elected people’s representatives and leader of the largest party in the federal parliament, I’m eager to work together with Excellency and your government for the betterment of our two countries,” Oli said in the letter dispatched to Modi. “On this happy occasion, I take an opportunity to extend my best wishes for every success and I expect closer cooperation between our two countries and people,” he wrote. The correspondence clearly shows that Oli wants to renew his relations with India on a new basis as some UML leaders have publicly said that a “thaw in relations between Oli and the Indian establishment” is near. Relations between Oli and the Indian establishment are often described as “patchy” and “acrimonious” where Oli has been a vocal critic of New Delhi’s policy on Nepal particularly after his government was toppled in July 2016. Oli opposed the Indian blockade of Nepal in September 2015 and won the recent elections on the plank of ‘nationalism’ with a promise to maintain “balanced” relations between immediate neighbours India and China. “Our leadership has been writing to the heads of state and governments of major powers through their respective diplomatic missions during such important occasions,” said UML leader Rajan Bhattarai. “In this context, our chairman wrote to Modi congratulating him on India’s Republic Day.”

“We are clear that the status and course of Nepal-India relations should be changed,” said Bhattarai, who is also a member of the Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group formed to review and suggest changes on bilateral relations and treaties. “It should move ahead with new vigour, energy and direction.” “I’m delighted to note that we are learning by your experience and are in a process to implement our constitution. As the first step towards this direction, we have nearly completed elections of all three levels,” Oli said in the letter. Foreign policy not to be based on old practices Kathmandu: CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, who is tipped to be the new prime minister, has hinted at changing Nepal’s relations with immediate neighbours India and China on the basis of necessity and new principles instead of the past practices. Speaking at a programme organised to felicitate the newly elected Nepal Chamber of Commerce working committee at the party’s central office in Dhumbarahi on Monday, Oli said there should be a departure from colonial-era foreign relations practices in today’s world with respect for sovereignty of independent states, the Rastriya Samachar Samiti reported.

Calling on the Nepalis to feel proud of their independence and sovereignty, Oli stressed that the modern era is of co-existence among all states, big or small in size, as per the United Nations charter.


Published: 30-01-2018 08:14

source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Elephant behind six deaths gets radio collar

Jan 30, 2018-The Bardiya National Park (BNP) has installed a radio collar to a marauding wild elephant in a bid to track its movement and prevent it from entering the human settlements.    The BNP team on Sunday fixed the GPS-equipped collar on the wild tusker named Jangali that killed six persons in Bardiya last year.

“The constant emission of radio signals from the device will enable us to track the animal’s movement. It helps to chase away the tusker immediately after it strays out of the park forest,” said acting Chief Conservation Officer Ashok Kumar Bhandari. The BNP team darted the elephant as it entered Dakela village in the buffer zone of the BNP. Rangers from the BNP, officials from the National Trust of Nature Conservation and Nepal Army were involved in installing the radio collar. The pachyderm was later released in the BNP forest. The BNP administration are planning to install the radio collar on another wild elephant believed to have entered the human settlements. The wild elephants from the BNP and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary of India had entered the settlements in Thakurbaba and Barbardiya municipalities and wreaked havoc a month ago. They destroyed more than two dozen houses and damaged wheat planted in hectares of land in the area. Local people complain that the authorities concerned paid no heed to their repeated requests for stopping the recurring menace of wild animals. They have been demanding that an electric fence be installed to prevent the wild elephants from entering the settlements.

As per the data available at the BNP, 36 people were killed by wild elephants in Bardiya district in the past 18 years.


Published: 30-01-2018 08:36


source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

Govt offices cannot find new buildings as shifting day nears

Jan 30, 2018-Several government offices in Butwal are struggling to find new office buildings with their old addresses being taken up by provincial government agencies.

After Butwal, the district headquarters of Rupandehi, was designated the temporary capital of Province 5, the buildings hitherto used by Revenue Investigation Department, Educational Training Centre, Women and Children Office, Office of Food Technology and Quality Control, and Department of Transport Management are going to be replaced by provincial government offices. Moving out, however, has proven to be a headache for the sitting tenants. Narendra Pandey, the chief of Revenue Investigation Department, said they have been looking for a suitable building for the past one week, but to no avail. “It is hard to find a proper building in Butwal. Our daily operations have been affected because most of the time our minds are occupied about finding a new place,” he said. The office building of the department has been proposed as the official residence of chief minister. The concerned offices have already been instructed to vacate the buildings. The moving day approaches near and they are still undecided where to set up their operations.

“Finding a suitable building alone will not do. We also have to make sure that they are conveniently located for service seekers,” said Rumlal Puri of the District Labour Office. Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Mainali said they have been on location scouting for weeks on end without much luck so far.


Published: 30-01-2018 08:36

source: kathmandupost.ekantipur.co

India digs trench along no man’s land in Banke

Jan 30, 2018-India has dug a trench along the no man’s land just off the border in Janaki Rural Municipality and Khajura Rural Municipality of Banke district.

According to local residents, the trench is being dug for the purpose of controlling contraband trafficking and illegal logging.  Authorities on Nepal’s side  were not notified about this undertaking. Chief District Officer Ramesh KC said they were unaware about the Indian authorities digging the trench along the no man’s land. “We have informed the central government. The issue must be settled at the government level,” he said. The residents of Saigaun village in Janaki Rural Municipality and Radahpur village in Khajura Rural Municipality have urged the government to take up the issue with the Indian government at the earliest. “The soil dug out for the trench have been deposited near the border. If they are not removed immediately, our homes could get inundated during monsoon,” said Tofiq Ahmed Sain, a Saigaun resident.  Villagers claim that the district administration has failed to act despite several international boundary violations committed by India.

Before this, they said, India had constructed a road by encroaching upon the Nepali territory near Narainapura that caused a mass displacement of families living in Matehiya, Sonbarsha and Gangapur villages of Rapti Sonari Municipality. The Indian authorities have also built a 22.5 km embankment by allegedly breaching the international boundary near Holiya area in Banke.


Published: 30-01-2018 08:38

source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

20 more Nepali workers rescued from Kuwait

Jan 30, 2018-The Nepali Embassy in Kuwait has repatriated 20 more workers stranded in the Gulf country due to the blatant labour and human rights violations by their employer Kharafi National Company. The embassy said a group of 20 Nepalis was sent back home on Saturday night after rescuing them from their deplorable condition.

The embassy did the latest rescue operation in coordination with the company and the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB). The embassy paid for the air-tickets of these 20 Nepalis with the money sent by the board. However, the embassy did not have to pay fines for these rescued workers as they still had valid residency permits. According to unofficial estimates, Kharafi National left nearly 300 Nepali workers to fend for themselves. From these, 94 workers approached the embassy for help after their company stopped giving them work and wages.  With this latest rescue act, the number of rescued Nepalis, working on different sites of Kharafi National Company has reached 61. Hundreds of workers from Nepal have struggled to live in Kuwait because their employer did not pay wages for months and did not renew their resident permits which made their status illegal.

Earlier, the embassy had rescued 17 Nepali workers whose residence permits had become invalid. Of the 17 workers supported by the Kuwaiti government, a group of 15 Nepalis was sent back on January 18. Two other Nepalis returned home after Nepali welfare clubs in Kuwait paid their airfare and penalty for overstaying without valid visa. Last December, the first batch of 21 Nepalis was rescued jointly by the embassy and the recruiting agency. The SOS Manpower Pvt Ltd, which had supplied workers to the company, paid for the whole rescue operation. “Efforts for resolving problems of other stranded Nepali workers and sending them back to Nepal are still on,” the embassy said in a press statement. According to the press note, the embassy will issue Travel Document to those workers without valid passport if they visit the embassy with required documents.

“Run Away Cases, or those Nepalis who don’t report to their company or domestic employers, can visit the embassy with original or even duplicate copies of identity documents like passports or citizenship cards, for starting the process to return to Nepal. Those with no documents will also be helped to return to Nepal,” the embassy statement added.


Published: 30-01-2018 08:09

source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

BBC proposes £320,000 news presenter pay cap

The BBC is proposing a pay cap of £320,000 for its news presenters following an outcry about the size of the salaries of its highest paid stars. The change will only affect a handful of people but forms part of a wider restructuring of pay of on-air staff. Some presenters have already agreed to a pay cut amid criticism of disparities between male and female colleagues. Meanwhile, women at the BBC have told MPs they faced "veiled threats" when they raised the subject of equal pay.
More than 150 women put forward written evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which includes claims of unequal pay. BBC director general Tony Hall and Carrie Gracie will be questioned on Wednesday by the committee. Gracie quit as the BBC's China editor over "pay discrimination" this month. A separate independent review, to be published by auditors PwC on Tuesday, will look at the pay and diversity of presenters, correspondents and on-air talent. BBC media editor Amol Rajan says the proposed £320,000 cap has not yet been fully agreed or signed off and will apply only to on-air staff working full time. It will affect presenters, editors and correspondents, who will be given time to respond to the proposals. However, it is not clear whether on air-staff will be able to earn more from other BBC work, for instance on entertainment programmes. 'No confidence' The National Union of Journalists and the BBC Women group have criticised the BBC's record on equal pay ahead of the MPs' inquiry into the issue. BBC Women, a group that represents female BBC journalists and producers, said it had "no confidence in the on-air review" because it had not been consulted and felt it had "been excluded from the process".

Image copyrightPA/BBCImage caption The salaries of Chris Evans and Claudia Winkleman were among those revealed last summer "We believe there is a wider culture of gender discrimination, which can be seen in patterns of promotion, especially after women take maternity leave." They added: "While individual BBC managers have been supportive there is still a bunker mentality in some quarters and women have experienced veiled threats made against them when they raised the subject of equal pay." The group included several individual testimonies in its evidence to MPs, including one from former BBC Scotland health correspondent, Eleanor Bradford.

How the BBC gender pay story unfolded Chris Evans tops list of best-paid stars Bradford said she discovered she "was one of the lowest-paid correspondents at BBC Scotland, despite regularly appearing on UK-wide news and delivering exclusive stories". She said she regularly asked for a pay rise and eventually was given a £5,000 increase but it was not backdated and she remained around £10,000 below some male colleagues doing exactly the same job. She subsequently left the BBC. Thirteen further cases have been put forward anonymously. They include: A TV news presenter who said she "had been sitting next to a man doing an identical job who was being paid tens of thousands of pounds more... I am told that we are now being paid at the same rate per day, but there is no transparency" A BBC reporter who found her full time equivalent salary for making identical programmes was about half her male counterpart A sports broadcaster who has worked for the BBC for almost 30 years, both as staff and freelance, who found her £500 pay on a flagship radio programmes was less than half of the male presenter
A regional news presenter who after becoming aware that her male colleague's salary was a third more than the figure she had been offered was given a 5% increase
An award-winning broadcaster on a flagship arts programme said she found her male colleague was being paid 50% more per show. "When I asked for (the) pay gap to be corrected the line manager told me 'the BBC doesn't do equal pay', and that in raising the issue I was being 'aggressive'. I refused to back down and eventually was given the same rate as my male colleague and it was backdated".

source: www.bbc.com

What really happened after these photos were taken

Photojournalist Eddie Adams captured one of the most famous images of the Vietnam War - the very instant of an execution during the chaos of the Tet Offensive. It would bring him a lifetime of glory, but as James Jeffrey writes, also of sorrow.

Warning: This story includes Adams' photo of the moment of the shooting, and graphic descriptions of it. The snub-nosed pistol is already recoiling in the man's outstretched arm as the prisoner's face contorts from the force of a bullet entering his skull. To the left of the frame, a watching soldier seems to be grimacing in shock. It's hard to not feel the same repulsion, and guilt, with the knowledge one is looking at the precise moment of death. Ballistic experts say the picture - which became known as Saigon Execution - shows the microsecond the bullet entered the man's head. Eddie Adams's photo of Brigadier General Nguyen Ngoc Loan shooting a Viet Cong prisoner is considered one of the most influential images of the Vietnam War. At the time, the image was reprinted around the world and came to symbolise for many the brutality and anarchy of the war. It also galvanised growing sentiment in America about the futility of the fight - that the war was unwinnable. Image copyrightAP/BRISCOE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTORY "There's something in the nature of a still image that deeply affects the viewer and stays with them," says Ben Wright, associate director for communications at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. The centre, based at the University of Texas at Austin, houses Adams's archive of photos, documents and correspondence. "The film footage of the shooting, while ghastly, doesn't evoke the same feelings of urgency and stark tragedy."

But the photo did not - could not - fully explain the circumstances on the streets of Saigon on 1 February 1968, two days after the forces of the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong launched the Tet Offensive. Dozens of South Vietnamese cities were caught by surprise. Heavy street fighting had pitched Saigon into chaos when South Vietnamese military caught a suspected Viet Cong squad leader, Nguyen Van Lem, at the site of a mass grave of more than 30 civilians. Adams began taking photos as Lem was frogmarched through the streets to Loan's jeep. Loan stood beside Lem before pointing his pistol at the prisoner's head. "I thought he was going to threaten or terrorise the guy," Adams recalled afterwards, "so I just naturally raised my camera and took the picture." Lem was believed to have murdered the wife and six children of one of Loan's colleagues. The general fired his pistol. "If you hesitate, if you didn't do your duty, the men won't follow you," the general said about the suddenness of his actions. Image copyrightAP/BRISCOE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTORY Loan played a crucial role during the first 72 hours of the Tet Offensive, galvanising troops to prevent the fall of Saigon, according to Colonel Tullius Acampora, who worked for two years as the US Army's liaison officer to Loan. Adams said his immediate impression was that Loan was a "cold, callous killer". But after travelling with him around the country he revised his assessment. "He is a product of modern Vietnam and his time," Adams said in a dispatch from Vietnam.

By May the following year, the photo had won Adams a Pulitzer Prize for spot news photography. But despite this crowning journalistic achievement and letters of congratulation from fellow Pulitzer winners, President Richard Nixon and even school children across America, the photo would come to haunt Adams. "I was getting money for showing one man killing another," Adams said at a later awards ceremony. "Two lives were destroyed, and I was getting paid for it. I was a hero."

source: www.bbc.com

North Korea cancels joint cultural performance with South

North Korea has abruptly cancelled a cultural event scheduled to be held jointly with the South, Seoul has said.Set for 4 February at Mount Kumgang in the North, it had been part of a series of events ahead of the South's hosting of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

The events, and other links during the Games, were seen as a thawing of ties. A telegram from the North reportedly blamed "biased" and "insulting" media coverage in the South. South Korea said the decision was "regrettable". It said the North should uphold all the agreements that had been made. Art performances and a taekwondo demonstration were among other events agreed with the North. The South's unification ministry, quoted by the Yonhap news agency, said the North was also angry at media reports about a possible military parade it might hold on 8 February, a day before the opening of the Games. There have been concerns that the links between the Koreas could breach international sanctions in place against the North over its nuclear programme. The South had earlier said it would not pay airport fees to fly its skiers to Mount Kumgang as this would violate the sanctions. The two Koreas held rare high-level talks last month, leading to a rapprochement over the Olympics. It was agreed the nations would march under a unified flag, and that there would be a combined women's ice hockey team, although it was reported on Monday the nations' players were suffering linguistic problems over differences in hockey terminology. There will be 10 other Northern athletes at the Games, taking place between 9 and 25 February, in sports including cross-country skiing and figure skating. The North is also sending hundreds of delegates, cheerleaders and performers.

The talks which resulted in the agreement came after tensions on the Korean peninsula reached their highest point in decades. North Korea has made rapid advances in its nuclear and conventional weapons programmes in recent years. Its latest ballistic missile test, on 28 November, sparked a series of fresh sanctions from the UN targeting petrol shipments and travel. Soon after, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he was "open to dialogue"

source: www.bbc.co

India estimates 21 million of its girls are 'unwanted'

The desire among parents in India to have sons instead of daughters has created 21 million "unwanted" girls, a government report estimates.

The finance ministry report found many couples kept on having children until they had a boy. Authors called this a "subtler form" of son preference than sex-selective abortions but warned it might lead to fewer resources for girls. Son preference was "a matter for Indian society to reflect upon", they said. The authors also found that 63 million women were "missing" from India's population because the preference for sons led to to sex-selective abortions and more care was given to boys. Tests to determine a foetus's sex are illegal in India, but they still take place and can lead to sex-selective abortions. Where are India's millions of missing girls? Some cultural reasons for son preference were listed, including: Property passing on to sons, not daughters Families of girls having to pay dowries to see their daughters married Women moving to their husband's house after getting marrie The cultural preference for male children has even led one newspaper to list scientifically unfounded tips for conceiving boys, including facing west while sleeping, and having sex on certain days of the week.

The states most affected by son preference were Punjab and Haryana, while the least-affected was Meghalaya. In Punjab and Haryana states there were 1,200 boys under the age of seven for every 1,000 girls of the same age, the authors of the Economic Survey found.

source: www.bbc.com

Dharan send Army packing

Jan 29, 2018-Tribhuvan Army Club crashed out of the quarter-finals of the 16th Aaha-Rara Gold Cup football tournament after losing to Dharan Football Club 5-4 in tiebreaker in Pokhara on Sunday.  The match was decided from the spot after the regular 90 minutes ended up in a 1-1 stalemate and the extra 20-minute remained goalless. Captain Bharat Khawas gave an early lead to the departmental giants who were chasing their fourth title of the season. Nishan Limbu stored parity for Dharan in the second half.

It was the third meeting between the two sides and both the teams have won one match each in their previous meetings. Dharan had defeated the departmental giants 2-0 in the second edition before the Armymen had their revenge in the 12th winning 2-1.  Dharan tested Army custodian Bikesh Kuthu in the 16th minute. Sajan Rai tactfully cut through two TAC defenders and slammed at the near post before Kuthu punched it to safety. Two minutes later Nepali international Khawas gave lead to Army after he fired George Prince Karki’s pass close from the goalline. Dharan hit back the equaliser in the 68th minute after Limbu tapped a ball from the crowded six-yard box after Army players failed to make the clearance.  Following the equaliser, Dharan opted to go defensive to push the match to tie-breaker. Khawas could have sealed the victory for TAC in the 78th minute but he shot straight to Dharan goalkeeper after he was set inside the box by Shrestha. Luck continued to desert the Armymen as Shrestha hit the woodworks.  In the tiebreaker, Nepali international Karki hit the woodwork in second attempt for Army while Dharan converted all five shots from the spot. Bishnu Sunwar, Nishan Limbu, Buddhiman Rai, Roman Limbu and Suraj BK were all successful for Dharan in the penalty. Army’s Shrestha, Deepak Gurung, Deep Lama and Bivek Basnet were on target from the spot. Scorer Limbu of Dharan was declared man-of-the-match.

TAC coach Nabin Neupane said that his team was exhausted playing one after another match. “The boys took the match lightly after taking first half lead. Dharan played team game but my boys played individually and the opponents took advantage of it,” he added. In the third quarter-final on Monday, Nepal Armed Police Force Club will take on Three Star Club who are fresh from winning the Itahari Gold Cup on Saturday.


Published: 29-01-2018 09:18


source:kathmandupost.ekantipur.com