Fuel-starved Nepal signs agreement with China for oil, ending India’s monopoly

FILE- In this Sept. 24, 2015 file photo, Nepalese oil tankers and commercial trucks stand stranded near a gate that marks the Nepalese border with India, in Birgunj, Nepal. Fuel-starved Nepal has signed an agreement with China to provide gasoline, diesel and cooking gas, after India restricted its supplies as a result of ongoing political protests in the Himalayan nation, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Ram Sarraf, file) – See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/fuel-starved-nepal-signs-agreement-with-china-for-oil-ending-india-s-monopoly-1.2098752#sthash.zfwekOC8.dpuf

By Binaj Gurubacharya / The Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal – Fuel-starved Nepal has signed an agreement with China to import gasoline, diesel and cooking gas, effectively ending a monopoly on supply from India, which has restricted fuel convoys as a result of political protests in the Himalayan nation.

The decision to import Chinese oil amid severe shortages has brought China a step closer to Nepal, which traditionally is more influenced by India in the south. The two Asian giants have been jostling for influence in landlocked Nepal.

Nepal sent a team of officials this week to Beijing, where they signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday with China National United Oil Corp., said Nepal Oil Corp. official Deepak Baral.

Details on how much fuel Nepal will receive, prices and other arrangements still need to be worked out, Baral said, but he confirmed the supply would be on a regular basis.

It would be the first time for Nepal to import Chinese fuel. It has so far relied exclusively on India for its energy needs.

Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup declined comment on Nepal’s agreement with China.

Read more » Time Colonist
Learn more » http://www.timescolonist.com/fuel-starved-nepal-signs-agreement-with-china-for-oil-ending-india-s-monopoly-1.2098752
– See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/fuel-starved-nepal-signs-agreement-with-china-for-oil-ending-india-s-monopoly-1.2098752#sthash.zfwekOC8.dpuf

Nepal’s parliament has elected a Communist leader

Nepal’s parliament elects Bidhya Devi Bhandari as nation’s first female President

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s parliament has elected a Communist leader who has long campaigned for women’s rights as the Himalayan nation’s first female President.

Parliament speaker Onsari Gharti announced that Bidhya Devi Bhandari of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist received 327 votes against her opponent’s 214 in parliament on Wednesday.

Read more » Times of India
See more » http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Nepals-parliament-elects-Bidhya-Devi-Bhandari-as-nations-first-female-President/articleshow/49568264.cms

Nepal to stay secular, proposal for a Hindu nation rejected

By PTI

KATHMANDU: A proposal to declare Nepal a Hindu state was overwhelmingly rejected by the constituent assembly on Monday which reaffirmed that the Hindu-majority nation will remain secular.

The proposal made by pro-Hindu National Democratic Party Nepal to amend the constitution to make Nepal a Hindu state was rejected by more than two-thirds of lawmakers who declared that the country should remain secular as the constituent assembly resumed voting on individual articles of the draft constitution.

After assembly chairman Subas Chandra Nembang announced that the proposal has been rejected, Kamal Thapa, leader of the National Democratic Party Nepal, demanded split voting.

Thapa’s proposal for a vote received the support of only 21 lawmakers in the 601-seat constituent assembly. As the CA rules requires 61 members to begin the split voting, the voting was not done.

The erstwhile Hindu state, Nepal was declared a secular state in 2007 after the success of the people’s movement of 2006 that saw the abolition of monarchy.

Courtesy: THE TIMES OF INDIA
Read more » http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Nepal-to-stay-secular-proposal-for-a-Hindu-nation-rejected/articleshow/48959256.cms

Pakistan born in Nepal

BY DAWN.COM

ISLAMABAD: A baby born in a Pakistan Army field hospital in Nepal has been named ‘Pakistan’, said an Inter-Services Public Relations official on Monday.

This is the second infant to have been born at the field hospital, which was set up by the Pakistan Army as part of relief efforts in earthquake-struck Nepal.

Last week, the Foreign Office said the first baby born at a Pakistan Army field hospital had been named ‘Lahore’.

Explore: Nepal: Picking up the pieces

Nepal Army Chief General Gaurav SJB Rana expressed his gratitude over the support extended by Pakistan through the Pakistan Army, during a visit to a Bhaktapur field hospital on May 3.

He had said Pakistan would be remembered by the people of Kathmandu because they provided medical care and supplies to affectees of the earthquake around the clock.

Nepal fell victim to its deadliest quake in nearly 80 years on April 25. The 7.9 magnitude earthquake has claimed over 6,621 lives. Thousands are missing, while 14,023 have been injured. A week on, chances of rescuing survivors have drastically decreased.

News courtesy: DAWN
Read more » http://www.dawn.com/news/1179934/pakistan-born-in-nepal

Nawaz Sharif calls PM Narendra Modi, appreciates India’s rescue efforts in Nepal

NEW DELHI: Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on Thursday called up PM Narendra Modi and expressed his condolences on loss of lives in India due to earthquake.

“Got a call from PM Nawaz Sharif. He expressed condolences on the loss of lives in various parts of India due to the earthquake,” PM Modi said in a tweet on Thursday.

The PM added that Sharif appreciated India’s efforts in the rescue operations in Nepal.

“I thank him for his kind words,” Modi said.

Modi said that he suggested to Sharif that “SAARC nations should conduct regular joint exercises on disaster relief and rescue”.

“SAARC nations can come together and hold annual exercises of rescue teams, doctors etc on how we can minimise damage during natural disasters,” he added.

News courtesy: The Times of India
Read more » http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nawaz-Sharif-calls-PM-Narendra-Modi-appreciates-Indias-rescue-efforts-in-Nepal/articleshow/47105811.cms

– – – – – –

Got a call from PM Nawaz Sharif. He expressed condolences on the loss of lives in various parts of India due to the Earthquake.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2015

I suggested to PM Sharif that SAARC nations should conduct regular joint exercises on disaster relief & rescue.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2015

SAARC Nations can come together & hold annual exercises of rescue teams, doctors etc on how we can minimise damage during natural disasters.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2015

More details » BBC urdu
Read more » http://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/2015/04/150430_nawaz_calls_modi_rwa

PM Sharif appreciated this idea & told me that we should take up such an initiative.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2015

Pakistan sends relief goods for quake victims in Nepal

BY DAWN.COM | IRFAN HAIDER

KATHMANDU: Four Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft carrying rescue and relief assistance, including a 30-bed mobile hospital, for Nepal left for the earthquake-devastated country Nepal on Sunday.

Two C-130 aircrafts have landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and two more are expected to reach Kathmandu on April 27.

In line with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s directive, the two C-130s which reached Kathmandu today are carrying a medical team of doctors and paramedics, a 30-bed hospital, medicines, tents, water, dry food, and a search and rescue team with equipment

The relief team and equipment have been put together with the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan Army, PAF, National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan, the embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu, the embassy of Nepal in Islamabad, and the Nepalese authorities.

The Pakistani ambassador and other embassy officials were present at the airport to facilitate and extend logistical support to Pakistan relief assistance team.

Courtesy: DAWN
Read more » http://www.dawn.com/news/1178334/pakistan-sends-relief-goods-for-quake-victims-in-nepal

Devastation in Nepal after huge earthquake

A huge earthquake has shattered Nepal on Saturday, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

People covered in debris are being dragged from under crumpled buildings, and ancient temples have morphed into piles of rubble. As night fell the death toll has already hit 700 people, with the magnitude 7.8 quake also causing deaths in neighboring countries.

SEE ALSO: Hundreds dead after Nepal rocked by massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake

Strangers in the poor nation came together to search for survivors in the destruction, as they braced for news of a possible death toll in the thousands.

Read more » Mashable
See more » http://mashable.com/2015/04/25/nepal-earthquake-photos/#:eyJzIjoidCIsImkiOiJfbG5ieHk4am80cmV4ZmJzbSJ9

FREE INTERNET IN NEPAL

by Som Sharma

Do you want to use internet for free? Of course yes! But none of the companies gives the facility to use free internet. But, here I am giving you the most useful tips to use free internet on your computer. If you own a Nepal Telecom’s prepaid SIM card then you can use internet for free. Surprised….???

Read more » http://italert20.blogspot.ca/2011/12/free-internet-in-nepal.html

Healthcare Reform: What Would Jesus Do?

By Lou Kavar

“There was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5: 25-26).

Their web site describes their mission. They “provide free medical care to people in remote areas around the world…” They’ve sponsored expeditions with doctors, dentists, nurses and other health care professionals to provide care in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, East Africa, India, Nepal and many other countries – serving those with no other option for health care. In Guyana, they have established a permanent base of operations. Remote Area Medical has pioneered no cost medical care, touching the lives of people who have no hope for other treatment.

While it is understandable that Remote Area Medical provides free health care to people in under-developed, impoverished countries, Americans should be scandalized to know that Remote Area Medical has a year round schedule to provide care to people in the United States. Yes, in the richest country in the world, in the country which brags of having the “best” healthcare in the world, American citizens line up and wait for free medical care because they have no other option.

From August 11 to 18, 2009, Remote Area Medical held clinic hours in the “remote” area of Los Angeles County. People slept in the streets overnight, lining up for health care services which they longed to receive for years. Various newspaper and TV reports recounted stories of people waiting in line to receive treatment from chronic and severe conditions. One woman stated that if her child did not receive eye glasses from Remote Area Medical, the child would have had none.

While people waited in the streets of Inglewood, Calif. for medical care, vocal, angry, and hate-filled debates ensued in other parts of the United States over health care reform. A public health care option for those in need was labeled as socialism, communism, and Nazism – often by the same commentators.

“She came up behind Jesus and touched his cloak, saying to herself, ‘If I only touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease” (Mark 5:2-29).

Like the woman two millennia ago, people are pushing through crowds hoping to find help and healing for serious medical conditions. While Jesus was a willing conduit for this woman’s healing, many of the followers of Jesus today actively work to block access of those in need to health care. What’s even more scandalous is that many of these same people insist that America was founded as a “Christian nation” yet they vigorously oppose helping those in need through a public option for health care.

Vanishing Sindhis!

by Khalid Hashmani, McLean

I share the following appeal from Mr. Mekan Vandiyar on “Vanishing Sindhis!”. Please share your comments and suggestions to mekan39@yahoo.com

My own comment is that Sindhis in Sindh, Sindhis in India and Sindhis living elsewhere should not be disheartened as there are encouraging signs that Sindhis all over the world can even say today “here is a Sindhi girl / boy from the Globe”. I do not have much insight into the notion that Sindhis in India can win a separate province, however, I feel that the harsh barriers that have kept Sindhis in India and Sindhis in Sindh, Pakistan away from each other will soon vanish and all Sindhis will also be be able to say “”here is a Sindhi girl / boy who loves Sindh as much as their new homeland“.

A recent announcement by the Indian and Pakistani government that they are normalizing business and economic relations and giving each other the “most favorite trading partner” status is one of those signs. The Sindhis from all over the world should not only encourage but also organize and participate in events that welcome every Sindhi regardless of where they live now. For example, the Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) whose members predominantly consist of those who migrated from Sindh (Pakistan) into the USA has been in the forefront of inviting prominent educationalists, political leaders, and writers who now live in India. It is time that all other Sindhi associations also follow this practice to bridge the gaps that may exist between various Sindhi communities.

Lastly, I assure Mr. Vandiyar that Sindhis in Sindh are more than ever determined to protect and advance Sindhi language, Sindhi heritage, Sindh culture of peace, and Sindhi identity. They are and will continue provide all their support to Sindhis in India or elsewhere in the world in their efforts to protect their and advance their Sindhi language, Sindhi heritage, Sindh culture, and Sindhi identity.

Fanatics kill 8 in attack on UN workers in Afghanistan; two beheaded as mob chants “Islam is religion of peace”

Seven killed in worst-ever attack on UN workers in Afghanistan

Seven United Nations workers have been executed in the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, two of them by beheading, by demonstrators protesting the burning of a Koran at a church in Florida.

By Dean Nelson, New Delhi and Farhad Peikar in Kabul

The victims of the worst-ever attack on UN personnel in Afghanistan included five guards from Nepal, and civilian staff from Norway, Sweden and Romania. Four local residents were also killed.

UN officials told The Daily Telegraph the final toll could rise as high as 20, and there were unconfirmed reports that the head of the United Nations Military Assistance Mission (Unama) in Mazar-e-Sharif had also been seriously injured …

Read more : The Telegraph.co.uk

Raymond Davis: fact & fiction – Najam Sethi’s Editorial

The case of Raymond Davis has outraged the imagination and sentiment of Pakistanis mainly because of a distortion of key facts by powerful sections of the Pakistani media. It has also become a vicious ping pong game between the PPP and PMLN governments, with both trying to score nationalist points regardless of the consequences for political stability and national security. Ominously, though, it has soured a troubled relationship between Pakistan and the US who claim to be “strategic partners” in the region. Let’s sift fact from fiction.

Fiction: Mr Davis “murdered” two Pakistanis. He shot them in the back, suggesting he was not threatened by them. They were not robbers. Their handguns were licensed. Fact: Two men on a motorbike, armed with unlicensed pistols, held up Mr Davis’ car. He expertly shot them through the windscreen, stepped out and took pictures of the gunmen with weapons as evidence of self-defense. Later, an autopsy report showed that four out of seven bullets had hit the gunmen in the front, confirming the threat to him. The criminals had earlier robbed two passersby of their cell phones and money.

Fiction: Mr Davis is not a diplomat because he doesn’t have a diplomatic visa or status registered with the Foreign Office. Hence he cannot claim diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Conventions. Fact: Mr Davis has a Diplomatic Passport. His visa application by the US State Department to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC of 11 September 2009 lists him as a Diplomat who is on “Official Business”. The US government has claimed diplomatic immunity for him. This is the norm. For example, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Spain in 1975, Haroon ur Rashid Abbasi, was granted immunity following discovery of heroin from his suitcase. Col Mohammad Hamid Pakistan’s military attaché in London in 2000, was caught having sex with a prostitute in his car in a public place. He invoked diplomatic immunity and avoided arrest. Mohammad Arshad Cheema, Pakistan’s First Secretary in Nepal, also invoked diplomatic immunity after 16kg of high inte4nsity RDX explosives were recovered from his house and he was suspected of being involved in the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814. And so on. …

Read more : Wichaar

Nepal’s Maoist Leader Declares India As “Arch Enemy”

Nepal’s Maoist chief Prachanda urges war on India

KATHMADU: Amidst the Indian government’s growing concern about the crisis in Nepal and a renewed war on its own Maoist guerrillas, Nepal’s Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has identified India as the arch enemy and urged the party to brace for a war with the southern neighbour, reports said Wednesday.

The 55-year-old former prime minister, who blames New Delhi for the fall of his short-lived government last year and his failure to win the subsequent prime ministerial election, has begun predicting military intervention in Nepal by India and has advocated a “people’s revolt” at a key meet of the party that will formulate the former guerrillas’ future strategy. …

Read more : NewsOfWorld

Dalit women face multiple forms of discrimination in South Asia

– Kalavanti Raja is the first Dalit woman in Pakistan to receive a master’s degree.

Kalavanti Raja of Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network described the plight of Pakistani Dalit women, whose caste (“untouchable”), religion (Hindu) and gender make them most vulnerable to all kinds of injustices in a Muslim society. They are frequent victims of brutality and sexual violence but no cases are filed against the perpetrators because all law enforcing agencies in Pakistan are controlled by “feudal lords who kill their own women in the name of honor”.

Indo-Pak : Violent neighbourhood

Editorial- Violent neighbourhood

– Sabrang

Hinduism is said to be a non-violent religion, Buddhism is supposed to be synonymous with ahinsa and Islam, they say, means peace. Yet the followers of these faiths inhabiting the countries of South Asia have been perpetrators and victims of violence as perhaps no other region of the world in the last two decades.

In the early ’80s we thought that, like others in the world, it was time we too came together as good neighbours and worked out a pact of mutual cooperation and collective welfare. Thus in 1983 the Declaration on South Asian Regional Cooperation was adopted by the foreign ministers of seven countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – in New Delhi. Two years later the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was formally established. On India’s initiative, Afghanistan was welcomed to the SAARC club in 2005 as its eighth member.

The objectives of SAARC as defined in its Charter are noble:

Sex video shows changing face of Nepal society

KATHMANDU – From being a much-sought-after model and the highest paid music video star, 22-year-old Napali beauty Namrata Shrestha efforlessly sashayed into Nepal’s film industry last year with the hit husical of the year Sano Sansar (Small world). With her fan clubs growing and mounting tributes to both her ethereal beauty and talent, she was poised to become a newsmaker this month with her view release Mero euta sathi choo (I have a friend). Instead, she has hit the headlines for a steamy sex video that is being widely circulated by web sites and mobile phone users showing her in unabashed poses with a Nepali DJ, Tantric, whose real name is Kicha Man Chitrakar.

Last weekend a Nepali tabloid made the sex video, shot with a mobile phone camera, on its cover story. It has complete graphic description as well as photos of the pair. Namrata reportedly says it’ her personal matter. The report carried nearly 11-minute long sex video. Shrestha said: “Yeas, I recorded it for my personal viewing. If you have a copy, I’d suggest you enjoy it without bothering me.” The sex video and Nepali society’s reaction to it shows the changing face of the new republic that has witnessed amazing socio-political transformations in the last four years…

Courtesy: – South Asian Focus, Entertainment section, page 17, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009