A day after the horrific incident of a plane crash in Kathmandu, Nepal, India&#39;s budget carrier IndiGo cancelled as many as 47 flights today. The move came after the private airline was slapped with a notice by the national aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that grounded its eight A320Neo planes with faulty Pratt &amp; Whitney engines. According to reports, GoAir&#39;s three such aircraft have also been grounded.

IndiGo made an official announcement on its website stating that as many as 47 flights have been cancelled from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Patna, Srinagar, Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, Srinagar and Guwahati, among others.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiGo</a> has cancelled certain flights due to the grounding of aircraft further to the DGCA directions which have been issued in the interest of safety. A320neos aircraft fitted with PW1100 engines were grounded with immediate effect by DGCA yesterday.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/973438347539632129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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IndiGo&#39;s flight bound for Lucknow returned to Ahmedabad within 40 minutes of its take off due to a mid-air engine failure yesterday.&nbsp;

DGCA&#39;s director, in an order that was issued yesterday, cited safety measures for airlines. The order grounded A320 Neos Airbus fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 with immediate effect.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nepal-plane-crash-bombardier-q400-has-history-of-landing-gear-troubles-35517">Nepal crash: Bombardier Q400 plane has had </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nepal-plane-crash-bombardier-q400-has-history-of-landing-gear-troubles-35517">history</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nepal-plane-crash-bombardier-q400-has-history-of-landing-gear-troubles-35517">&nbsp;of landing gear troubles</a>

Three other IndiGo A320Neo planes have been on the ground since February following similar engine problems.

In an official release. IndiGo announced complying with DGCA&#39;s directive and apologised for the inconvenience caused to its passengers.&nbsp;

&quot;While we understand that this may cause inconvenience to some of our passengers, given that we have multiple flights to the same destination, we are proactively re-accommodating all our affected passengers on other flights.&quot; 
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IndiGo passengers have the option to either choose another flight at no additional cost or cancel their booking and get a full refund without any cancellation charges.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Indian airlines like IndiGo and GoAir cancelled over dozens of flights yesterday after a plane crashed at Kathmandu&#39;s Tribhuvan International Airport; at least <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/plane-crashes-at-kathmandu-airport-several-feared-dead-35505">49 passengers onboard are reported dead</a>&nbsp;with 22 injured.&nbsp;

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IndiGo operates about 1,000 flights daily and carries about 40 per cent domestic flyers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian airlines like IndiGo and GoAir cancelled over dozens of flights yesterday after a plane crashed at Kathmandu airport

A day after the horrific incident of a plane crash in Kathmandu, Nepal, India's budget carrier IndiGo cancelled as many as 47 flights today. The move came after the private airline was slapped with a notice by the national aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that grounded its eight A320Neo planes with faulty Pratt & Whitney engines. According to reports, GoAir's three such aircraft have also been grounded. IndiGo made an official announcement on its website stating that as many as 47 flights have been cancelled from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Patna, Srinagar, Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, Srinagar and Guwahati, among others. #IndiGo has cancelled certain flights due to the grounding of aircraft further to the DGCA directions which have been issued in the interest of safety. A320neos aircraft fitted with PW1100 engines were grounded with immediate effect by DGCA yesterday. — ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2018 × IndiGo's flight bound for Lucknow returned to Ahmedabad within 40 minutes of its take off due to a mid-air engine failure yesterday. DGCA's director, in an order that was issued yesterday, cited safety measures for airlines. The order grounded A320 Neos Airbus fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 with immediate effect. Also read: Nepal crash: Bombardier Q400 plane has had history of landing gear troubles Three other IndiGo A320Neo planes have been on the ground since February following similar engine problems. In an official release. IndiGo announced complying with DGCA's directive and apologised for the inconvenience caused to its passengers. "While we understand that this may cause inconvenience to some of our passengers, given that we have multiple flights to the same destination, we are proactively re-accommodating all our affected passengers on other flights." IndiGo passengers have the option to either choose another flight at no additional cost or cancel their booking and get a full refund without any cancellation charges. Indian airlines like IndiGo and GoAir cancelled over dozens of flights yesterday after a plane crashed at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport; at least 49 passengers onboard are reported dead with 22 injured. IndiGo operates about 1,000 flights daily and carries about 40 per cent domestic flyers. (With inputs from agencies)

Nepal plane crash aftermath: After DGCA cracks whip, IndiGo cancels 47 flights across India

The death toll in the US-Bangla Airlines plane crash in Nepal climbed to 51 after two more people succumbed to injuries in the hospital here on Tuesday as the Nepali government formed a probe panel to investigate the aviation disaster.

The Nepali Home Ministry said in a press release that 22 Nepalis, 28 Bangladeshis and a Chinese passenger lost their lives in Monday`s accident &mdash; the worst in the Himalayan nation since a 1992 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash that claimed 167 lives.

Earlier today, hospital authorities confirmed the death of pilot Captain Abid Sultan. His co-pilot First Officer Prithula Rashid died yesterday, the report said.

Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi delegation today joined a six-member Nepali committee to probe the crash-landing. The Bangla delegation includes Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism A K M Shahjahan Kamal, Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and senior aviation officials, the report said.

The Bangladeshi airline and airport authorities in Kathmandu have blamed each other for the tragedy after it emerged that there was confusion over landing instructions. 
The last four minutes of the conversation between the pilot and Air Traffic Control at the airport indicates a possible confusion in the mind of the pilot about Runway 02 (the southern end) and Runway 20 (the northern end), a Nepalese newspaper reported.

The Nepali pilots of other aircraft are heard warning the ATC that the US-Bangla pilot seems disoriented, according to the Nepali Times.

At the very outset of the tape, the control tower was heard warning the pilot, &quot;I say again, do not proceed towards Runway 20.&quot; And later, he is warned to remain on hold and not to land because there is another aircraft on approach.

After the plane apparently takes a right orbit, the ATC asks the pilot whether he wants to land on Runway 02 or 20.

The latter responds and says &quot;We would like to land on 20&quot;; he is cleared to land on that end of the runway, the report said.

The pilot was then asked if he has the runway in sight, to which he replies, &#39;Negative&#39;, it said.

He was asked to turn right, but immediately after that, the Flight 211 pilot says &quot;Affirmative&quot;, that the runway is in sight.

The pilot then says, &quot;Cleared to land Runaway 02&quot;, even though he had sought permission for 20. However, ATC too now clears him to land on Runway 02.

Meanwhile, speaking to the Army 53 aircraft which is on hold about 10 kilometres away, the ATC says the Bangladesh aircraft is &quot;on final for 20&quot;.

The last recorded words of the pilot are: &quot;[Unintelligible] said sir, are we cleared to land?&quot; After some silence, the clearly alarmed ATC controller shouts, &quot;I say again, turn?!&quot;.

There is silence for a while, then a &#39;Fire One&#39; calls the tower, indicating that a crash has occurred and the airport fire tender has been activated.

There were 33 Nepalese nationals on board flight UBG 211, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400. Others include 32 Bangladeshis, one Chinese and one Maldivian.

Bombardier is a twin-engine, medium-range and turboprop aircraft.

Canadian plane maker Bombardier said it was sending an air safety investigator to the site, as well as a field service representative.

The Dhaka-based US-Bangla Airlines is a private carrier that launched in July 2014 with the motto &quot;Fly Fast Fly Safe&quot;. The airline is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a US Bangladeshi joint venture company.

Nepal has witnessed a number of accidents involving aircraft in recent years.

Yesterday&#39;s accident is deadliest since September 1992 when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane was killed when it crashed near the Kathmandu airport.

In February 2016, Tara Air&#39;s Twin Otter 400 crashed in Rupse of Myagdi, killing 23 people.

The Bangladeshi airline and airport authorities in Kathmandu have blamed each other for the tragedy after it emerged that there was confusion over landing instructions

The death toll in the US-Bangla Airlines plane crash in Nepal climbed to 51 after two more people succumbed to injuries in the hospital here on Tuesday as the Nepali government formed a probe panel to investigate the aviation disaster. The Nepali Home Ministry said in a press release that 22 Nepalis, 28 Bangladeshis and a Chinese passenger lost their lives in Monday`s accident — the worst in the Himalayan nation since a 1992 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash that claimed 167 lives. Earlier today, hospital authorities confirmed the death of pilot Captain Abid Sultan. His co-pilot First Officer Prithula Rashid died yesterday, the report said. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi delegation today joined a six-member Nepali committee to probe the crash-landing. The Bangla delegation includes Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism A K M Shahjahan Kamal, Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and senior aviation officials, the report said. The Bangladeshi airline and airport authorities in Kathmandu have blamed each other for the tragedy after it emerged that there was confusion over landing instructions. The last four minutes of the conversation between the pilot and Air Traffic Control at the airport indicates a possible confusion in the mind of the pilot about Runway 02 (the southern end) and Runway 20 (the northern end), a Nepalese newspaper reported. The Nepali pilots of other aircraft are heard warning the ATC that the US-Bangla pilot seems disoriented, according to the Nepali Times. At the very outset of the tape, the control tower was heard warning the pilot, "I say again, do not proceed towards Runway 20." And later, he is warned to remain on hold and not to land because there is another aircraft on approach. After the plane apparently takes a right orbit, the ATC asks the pilot whether he wants to land on Runway 02 or 20. The latter responds and says "We would like to land on 20"; he is cleared to land on that end of the runway, the report said. The pilot was then asked if he has the runway in sight, to which he replies, 'Negative', it said. He was asked to turn right, but immediately after that, the Flight 211 pilot says "Affirmative", that the runway is in sight. The pilot then says, "Cleared to land Runaway 02", even though he had sought permission for 20. However, ATC too now clears him to land on Runway 02. Meanwhile, speaking to the Army 53 aircraft which is on hold about 10 kilometres away, the ATC says the Bangladesh aircraft is "on final for 20". The last recorded words of the pilot are: "[Unintelligible] said sir, are we cleared to land?" After some silence, the clearly alarmed ATC controller shouts, "I say again, turn?!". There is silence for a while, then a 'Fire One' calls the tower, indicating that a crash has occurred and the airport fire tender has been activated. There were 33 Nepalese nationals on board flight UBG 211, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400. Others include 32 Bangladeshis, one Chinese and one Maldivian. Bombardier is a twin-engine, medium-range and turboprop aircraft. Canadian plane maker Bombardier said it was sending an air safety investigator to the site, as well as a field service representative. The Dhaka-based US-Bangla Airlines is a private carrier that launched in July 2014 with the motto "Fly Fast Fly Safe". The airline is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a US Bangladeshi joint venture company. Nepal has witnessed a number of accidents involving aircraft in recent years. Yesterday's accident is deadliest since September 1992 when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane was killed when it crashed near the Kathmandu airport. In February 2016, Tara Air's Twin Otter 400 crashed in Rupse of Myagdi, killing 23 people.

Death toll in Nepal crash rises to 51, Bangladeshi experts join probe

Nepal, which grappled with the horrific incident of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/plane-crashes-at-kathmandu-airport-several-feared-dead-35505">plane crash at the Kathmandu airport</a> yesterday, has gone to Presidential polls today.&nbsp;

The president and the vice president are elected through voting by the Electoral College (EC). The EC is made up of leaders from the Federal Parliament as well as the Provincial Assemblies.&nbsp;

The elections usually take place a month after the formation of the Federal Parliament.&nbsp;

Nepal carried out two-phased Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections last year in November and December.&nbsp;

The presidential election comes over a couple of months after the Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections were held.&nbsp;

Separate polls will be held after a week to elect the new vice president.&nbsp;

Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun were elected in October 2015.

The elections usually take place a month after the formation of the Federal Parliament

Nepal, which grappled with the horrific incident of a plane crash at the Kathmandu airport yesterday, has gone to Presidential polls today. The president and the vice president are elected through voting by the Electoral College (EC). The EC is made up of leaders from the Federal Parliament as well as the Provincial Assemblies. The elections usually take place a month after the formation of the Federal Parliament. Nepal carried out two-phased Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections last year in November and December. The presidential election comes over a couple of months after the Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections were held. Separate polls will be held after a week to elect the new vice president. Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun were elected in October 2015.

Nepal: Voting for Presidential election begins

Basanta Bohora, a Nepalese and one of the few passengers to escape with injuries in the deadly plane crash in Kathmandu said he is lucky to be alive.

At least 50 people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane crashed and burst into flames while landing at Kathmandu airport.

Officials said there were 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines plane coming from Dhaka.

Bohora, an employee of Raswita International Travels and Tours, recalled that the take-off was normal from Dhaka but when the plane approached the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for landing in Kathmandu, the aircraft began to behave strangely.

&quot;There were 16 Nepalese from various travel agencies onboard the airplane,&quot; he was quoted as saying by Kathmandu Post.

All the 16 had gone to Bangladesh for training, he said.

&quot;All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang afterwards,&quot; he said.

&quot;I was seated near the window and was able to break out of the window,&quot; he said.

&quot;I have received injuries to my head and legs but I am fortunate that I survived the ordeal,&quot; he said.

He is currently receiving treatment at Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital.

&quot;I have no recollection after I got out of the plane, someone took me to Sinamangal hospital and from there my friends brought me to Norvic,&quot; he said.

'All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang afterwards,' he said

Basanta Bohora, a Nepalese and one of the few passengers to escape with injuries in the deadly plane crash in Kathmandu said he is lucky to be alive. At least 50 people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane crashed and burst into flames while landing at Kathmandu airport. Officials said there were 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines plane coming from Dhaka. Bohora, an employee of Raswita International Travels and Tours, recalled that the take-off was normal from Dhaka but when the plane approached the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for landing in Kathmandu, the aircraft began to behave strangely. "There were 16 Nepalese from various travel agencies onboard the airplane," he was quoted as saying by Kathmandu Post. All the 16 had gone to Bangladesh for training, he said. "All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang afterwards," he said. "I was seated near the window and was able to break out of the window," he said. "I have received injuries to my head and legs but I am fortunate that I survived the ordeal," he said. He is currently receiving treatment at Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital. "I have no recollection after I got out of the plane, someone took me to Sinamangal hospital and from there my friends brought me to Norvic," he said.

Lucky to be alive: Nepal plane crash survivor

At least 49 people are dead and 22 injured after a plane crashed Monday afternoon at Kathmandu&#39;s Tribhuvan International Airport, reports said.

A police official added that 10 passengers were still unaccounted for.&nbsp;

There were a total of 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines plane.&nbsp;

The plane (call sign S2-AGU) had been flying in from Dhaka, Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Reuters reported a Kathmandu Airport official as saying the passenger plane &quot;became unstable&quot;&nbsp;while descending and crashed.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-plane-crash-rescue-workers-pull-bodies-out-of-wreckage-35513" target="_blank">Rescue workers pull bodies out of the </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-plane-crash-rescue-workers-pull-bodies-out-of-wreckage-35513" target="_blank">wreckage</a>

Images posted on social media showed smoke rising from the airport.&nbsp;

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Gutted but lucky to be alive - this airplane missed the Kathmandu domestic airport area(where I was waiting for my helicopter to fly to Lukla) by a few kilometers. 
I climbed to the domestic airport rooftop to see what happened. Found this - 
 
P.S. hoping there are no casualties <a href="https://t.co/6elGCeFeOJ">pic.twitter.com/6elGCeFeOJ</a>
&mdash; Obi [WAN] (@_obi_wan_kenobi) <a href="https://twitter.com/_obi_wan_kenobi/status/973126995147096064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Eight bodies recovered so far from plane crash in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nepal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nepal</a>; more deaths feared, reports Reuters <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kathmandu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kathmandu</a> <a href="https://t.co/Nz9odSOIT8">pic.twitter.com/Nz9odSOIT8</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/973145533412970497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Photos from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TIA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TIA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kathmandu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kathmandu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nepal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nepal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USBangla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USBangla</a> (Pic- <a href="https://twitter.com/IsarojB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IsarojB</a> ) <a href="https://t.co/FAoWCxIttq">pic.twitter.com/FAoWCxIttq</a>
&mdash; Narayan Amrit (@amritna) <a href="https://twitter.com/amritna/status/973126452429418497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Plane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/crash?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#crash</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TIA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TIA</a> airport <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kathmandu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kathmandu</a> Apparently a US Bangla plane from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhaka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhaka</a> crashed. <a href="https://t.co/2fN8XoXxrD">pic.twitter.com/2fN8XoXxrD</a>
&mdash; prazeet (@pzstha) <a href="https://twitter.com/pzstha/status/973117755611328512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile in airport. Must be a plane. ☹️ <a href="https://t.co/zD0J4DBxwE">pic.twitter.com/zD0J4DBxwE</a>
&mdash; Rushu (@roohsaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/roohsaa/status/973116670154702849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Breaking: Plane crashed when they were landed in Kathmandu airport. <a href="https://t.co/Gk8tNYdPv7">pic.twitter.com/Gk8tNYdPv7</a>
&mdash; Dil Nisani Magar (@dil_nisani) <a href="https://twitter.com/dil_nisani/status/973117939246247936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Other reports quoted TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur as saying the plane caught fire after it careened off the runway while landing and crashed into a football ground near the airport.&nbsp;

TIA and Nepal Army teams have been rushed into rescue operations.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The US-Bangla Airlines plane was flying in from Dhaka, Bangladesh

At least 49 people are dead and 22 injured after a plane crashed Monday afternoon at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, reports said. A police official added that 10 passengers were still unaccounted for. There were a total of 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines plane. The plane (call sign S2-AGU) had been flying in from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters reported a Kathmandu Airport official as saying the passenger plane "became unstable" while descending and crashed. Also read: Rescue workers pull bodies out of the wreckage Images posted on social media showed smoke rising from the airport. Gutted but lucky to be alive - this airplane missed the Kathmandu domestic airport area(where I was waiting for my helicopter to fly to Lukla) by a few kilometers. I climbed to the domestic airport rooftop to see what happened. Found this - P.S. hoping there are no casualties pic.twitter.com/6elGCeFeOJ — Obi [WAN] (@_obi_wan_kenobi) March 12, 2018 × Eight bodies recovered so far from plane crash in #Nepal; more deaths feared, reports Reuters #Kathmandu pic.twitter.com/Nz9odSOIT8 — ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018 × Photos from the #TIA #Kathmandu #Nepal #USBangla (Pic- @IsarojB ) pic.twitter.com/FAoWCxIttq — Narayan Amrit (@amritna) March 12, 2018 × Plane #crash at #TIA airport #Kathmandu Apparently a US Bangla plane from #Dhaka crashed. pic.twitter.com/2fN8XoXxrD — prazeet (@pzstha) March 12, 2018 × Meanwhile in airport. Must be a plane. ☹️ pic.twitter.com/zD0J4DBxwE — Rushu (@roohsaa) March 12, 2018 × Breaking: Plane crashed when they were landed in Kathmandu airport. pic.twitter.com/Gk8tNYdPv7 — Dil Nisani Magar (@dil_nisani) March 12, 2018 × Other reports quoted TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur as saying the plane caught fire after it careened off the runway while landing and crashed into a football ground near the airport. TIA and Nepal Army teams have been rushed into rescue operations.

49 passengers dead after plane crashes at Kathmandu Airport

In a reconstruction bid for earthquake-ravaged Nepal, the Government of India has sealed an agreement with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50, 000 homes for quake victims.

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The agreement signed will provide socio-technical facilitation to the earthquake victims of Gorkha, the epicentre of 2015&#39;s earthquake and the Nuwakot district of Nepal.

Sanjay Mathur, Regional Director, UNOPS, said, &quot;It is significant that the Indian Government has decided to partner with the United Nations in this effort between UNOPS and UNDP. We have covered every district affected by the earthquake. We have strong partnerships and have strong relationships with local governments and communities. The close collaboration with the Government of India, Government of Nepal, Provincial and Local Government and with our UNDP partners it is an essential part of this essence of this program.&quot;

As per the agreement sealed on Thursday, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will build 26, 912 homeowners in Gorkha and 23, 088 homeowners in Nuwakot Districts of Nepal.

Yuvraj Bhusal, CEO, National Reconstruction Authority, Nepal, said, &quot;The Government of India is the largest donor in this regard, our near, next door neighbor and we are very much grateful to the Government of India and People of India for extending support to the cause of Nepal and Nepalese particularly for the earthquake victims.&quot;

As per the agreement, New Delhi will give $8.41 million to the UNOPS and $7.41 Million to the UNDP for the reconstruction of the 50,000 homes.

Manjeev Singh Puri, Ambassador of India to Nepal, said, &quot;The God, nature and our forefathers have bound us together in a manner perhaps this is not applicable to any other in the world. We all of us do not consider all of this even use the expression which is often claimed today as co-operation, we say this is a partnership we must have side by side solidarity. We must do what we can do for each other and your (Nepal&#39;s) prosperity lies gains for me and if I do well you have the right to pick and choose that from me and I think this brings whole life model for the people of India and people in Nepal. So we are very proud of this partnership and we are very very comfortable with this partnership let it be strengthened&nbsp; and let it be nurtured.&quot;

With the implementation of the agreement signed on Thursday a total of 16, 912 households in Gorkha and 23,088 households in Nuwakot will be benefitted.

The earthquake of 2015&#39;s April created havoc in Nepal which took the lives of about 10,000 people and 22,300 injuries. Gorkha and the Nuwakot were the districts which had the highest tolls and were enlisted as the &quot;Crisis-hit&quot; 14 districts.&nbsp;

The agreement signed will provide socio-technical facilitation to the earthquake victims of Gorkha

In a reconstruction bid for earthquake-ravaged Nepal, the Government of India has sealed an agreement with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50, 000 homes for quake victims. × The agreement signed will provide socio-technical facilitation to the earthquake victims of Gorkha, the epicentre of 2015's earthquake and the Nuwakot district of Nepal. Sanjay Mathur, Regional Director, UNOPS, said, "It is significant that the Indian Government has decided to partner with the United Nations in this effort between UNOPS and UNDP. We have covered every district affected by the earthquake. We have strong partnerships and have strong relationships with local governments and communities. The close collaboration with the Government of India, Government of Nepal, Provincial and Local Government and with our UNDP partners it is an essential part of this essence of this program." As per the agreement sealed on Thursday, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will build 26, 912 homeowners in Gorkha and 23, 088 homeowners in Nuwakot Districts of Nepal. Yuvraj Bhusal, CEO, National Reconstruction Authority, Nepal, said, "The Government of India is the largest donor in this regard, our near, next door neighbor and we are very much grateful to the Government of India and People of India for extending support to the cause of Nepal and Nepalese particularly for the earthquake victims." As per the agreement, New Delhi will give $8.41 million to the UNOPS and $7.41 Million to the UNDP for the reconstruction of the 50,000 homes. Manjeev Singh Puri, Ambassador of India to Nepal, said, "The God, nature and our forefathers have bound us together in a manner perhaps this is not applicable to any other in the world. We all of us do not consider all of this even use the expression which is often claimed today as co-operation, we say this is a partnership we must have side by side solidarity. We must do what we can do for each other and your (Nepal's) prosperity lies gains for me and if I do well you have the right to pick and choose that from me and I think this brings whole life model for the people of India and people in Nepal. So we are very proud of this partnership and we are very very comfortable with this partnership let it be strengthened and let it be nurtured." With the implementation of the agreement signed on Thursday a total of 16, 912 households in Gorkha and 23,088 households in Nuwakot will be benefitted. The earthquake of 2015's April created havoc in Nepal which took the lives of about 10,000 people and 22,300 injuries. Gorkha and the Nuwakot were the districts which had the highest tolls and were enlisted as the "Crisis-hit" 14 districts.

India seals agreement with UN to build homes for Nepal quake victims

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and his Nepalese counterpart Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on Monday agreed to enhance cooperation in the key areas of economy, culture and defence respectively.

Both the countries have also agreed to revive the stalled SAARC process, at bilateral talks held between Nepal PM and visiting Pakistani PM.

Abbasi said that Pakistan welcomed the completion of the democratic process in Nepal and wished for an era of a durable peace in the Himalayan country.

The Pakistan Prime Minister also backed Nepal&#39;s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as a matter of prime importance, according to The Dawn.

Abbasi said that he was pleased to see the flourishing of Nepal&#39;s democratic process and stated that political stability was a key to attaining economic development in any country.

He added that Nepal and Pakistan shared good relations for decades and agreed that there was a huge scope in collaboration in the fields of culture, education, tourism and sports respectively.

Both sides discussed the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an important platform for exploring cooperation among regional countries in the interest of the people.

(With inputs from ANI)

The Pakistan Prime Minister also backed Nepal's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as a matter of prime importance

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and his Nepalese counterpart Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on Monday agreed to enhance cooperation in the key areas of economy, culture and defence respectively. Both the countries have also agreed to revive the stalled SAARC process, at bilateral talks held between Nepal PM and visiting Pakistani PM. Abbasi said that Pakistan welcomed the completion of the democratic process in Nepal and wished for an era of a durable peace in the Himalayan country. The Pakistan Prime Minister also backed Nepal's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as a matter of prime importance, according to The Dawn. Abbasi said that he was pleased to see the flourishing of Nepal's democratic process and stated that political stability was a key to attaining economic development in any country. He added that Nepal and Pakistan shared good relations for decades and agreed that there was a huge scope in collaboration in the fields of culture, education, tourism and sports respectively. Both sides discussed the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an important platform for exploring cooperation among regional countries in the interest of the people. (With inputs from ANI)

Pakistan, Nepal agree to enhance cooperation in key sectors

The Government of India (GoI) which made a commitment of $100 million in the grant for the reconstruction in earthquake-ravaged Nepal is set to build 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts of the country respectively.

&quot;The Government of India had committed post-earthquake reconstruction package of USD 100 million in the grant to support the reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts in Nepal,&quot; the advisory from the Reconstruction Wing, Embassy of India said in a statement.

The Indian government will sign a partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on Thursday to expedite the reconstruction plan in Nepal.

&quot;The implementation modalities for the earthquake housing reconstruction project, signed in August 2017, stipulated the appointment of a consultant to provide socio-technical facilitation to the 50,000 GoI supported housing beneficiaries in Gorkha and Nuwakot to enable them to reconstruct their houses as per owner driven modality,&quot; the advisory added.

In accordance with the modality, the Indian government is appointing UNDP and UNOPS for the facilitation. The identified house owners in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts of Nepal will be benefitted from the project.

The earthquake of April 2015 created havoc in Nepal which took the lives of about 10,000 people and injured more than 20,000 others. Gorkha and the Nuwakot were the districts which had the highest death tolls and were enlisted as &quot;Crisis Hit&quot;.

Kathmandu itself has experienced two major quakes in the last century. The Himalayan belt has experienced many more, of which the Assam quake of 1950 was the worst.

Around 2.5 lakh buildings have been completely destroyed in Nepal due to the powerful temblor that flattened houses and uprooted electric poles and trees beside killing over 6,300 people.

(With inputs from ANI)

The Indian government will sign a partnership agreement with the UNDP and the United Nations Office for Project Services to expedite the reconstruction plan in Nepal.

The Government of India (GoI) which made a commitment of $100 million in the grant for the reconstruction in earthquake-ravaged Nepal is set to build 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts of the country respectively. "The Government of India had committed post-earthquake reconstruction package of USD 100 million in the grant to support the reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts in Nepal," the advisory from the Reconstruction Wing, Embassy of India said in a statement. The Indian government will sign a partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on Thursday to expedite the reconstruction plan in Nepal. "The implementation modalities for the earthquake housing reconstruction project, signed in August 2017, stipulated the appointment of a consultant to provide socio-technical facilitation to the 50,000 GoI supported housing beneficiaries in Gorkha and Nuwakot to enable them to reconstruct their houses as per owner driven modality," the advisory added. In accordance with the modality, the Indian government is appointing UNDP and UNOPS for the facilitation. The identified house owners in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts of Nepal will be benefitted from the project. The earthquake of April 2015 created havoc in Nepal which took the lives of about 10,000 people and injured more than 20,000 others. Gorkha and the Nuwakot were the districts which had the highest death tolls and were enlisted as "Crisis Hit". Kathmandu itself has experienced two major quakes in the last century. The Himalayan belt has experienced many more, of which the Assam quake of 1950 was the worst. Around 2.5 lakh buildings have been completely destroyed in Nepal due to the powerful temblor that flattened houses and uprooted electric poles and trees beside killing over 6,300 people. (With inputs from ANI)

India to build 50,000 houses for earthquake victims in Nepal

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on a two-day visit to Nepal&nbsp;will be accorded a guard of honour by the Nepali Army,&nbsp; newswire ANI reported.

&quot;He (Pakistan Prime Minister) is set to land in Kathmandu at about 2 pm and he will be conferred with guard of honour. To receive the honour, he will head to Tundikhel (ground) where he also will be received by Prime Minister&nbsp;Khadga Prasad Oli,&quot; the army source said.

During the Nepal visit&nbsp;which is Pakistan&#39;s &quot;pro-active and outreach efforts&quot; in the Indian subcontinent, Abbasi will congratulate the newly elected prime minister, Oli, who took over the office a few weeks ago.

&quot;Pakistan Prime Minister will stay in Soaltee Hotel and will meet President (Bidhya Devi Bhandari) and Prime Minister on the same day. During the meeting with the prime minister, Pak PM Abbasi will be raising the issue of a missing Pakistan retired colonel,&quot; a foreign ministry official seeking anonymity told ANI.

The two sides will also discuss ways to widen cooperation in trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts.

The two sides will also discuss ways to widen cooperation in trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on a two-day visit to Nepal will be accorded a guard of honour by the Nepali Army, newswire ANI reported. "He (Pakistan Prime Minister) is set to land in Kathmandu at about 2 pm and he will be conferred with guard of honour. To receive the honour, he will head to Tundikhel (ground) where he also will be received by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli," the army source said. During the Nepal visit which is Pakistan's "pro-active and outreach efforts" in the Indian subcontinent, Abbasi will congratulate the newly elected prime minister, Oli, who took over the office a few weeks ago. "Pakistan Prime Minister will stay in Soaltee Hotel and will meet President (Bidhya Devi Bhandari) and Prime Minister on the same day. During the meeting with the prime minister, Pak PM Abbasi will be raising the issue of a missing Pakistan retired colonel," a foreign ministry official seeking anonymity told ANI. The two sides will also discuss ways to widen cooperation in trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts.

Pak PM Abbasi to receive guard of honour in Nepal

Nepal&#39;s largest newspaper is due in court Friday summoned by the country&#39;s chief justice for articles critical of him, in a case widely condemned as an attack on press freedom.

The Kantipur Daily was subpoenaed by chief justice Gopal Parajuli on contempt of court charges for a series of articles that said the country&#39;s top judge had given different dates of birth on various official documents.

Judges in Nepal have to retire at 65 and the suggestion is that Parajuli knocked years off his age to hold office for longer.&nbsp;

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In the subpoena issued Sunday by Parajuli -- who will preside over the case despite being directly implicated in it -- the newspaper is accused of using &quot;objectionable language&quot; and repeating &quot;imaginary facts&quot;.

&quot;The articles published by the Kantipur Daily are intended to obstruct the judicial process and weaken the judiciary by disrespecting the court and spreading confusion about the court and its justices,&quot; according to the order seen by AFP.

Multiple news outlets have carried reports that the chief justice&#39;s official documents show as many as five different dates of birth, but only the Kantipur Daily -- Nepal&#39;s largest newspaper by circulation -- has been singled out by the court.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders slammed the move against the newspaper and urged lawmakers to impeach the top judge.

&quot;It shouldn&#39;t be necessary to remind a chief justice that you cannot be judge and party at the same time,&quot; said Daniel Bastard, the watchdog&#39;s Asia-Pacific expert.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a completely unacceptable case of prior censorship that could have dire consequences for media freedom if it sets a legal precedent.&quot;

Akhilesh Upadhyay, the editor-in-chief of Kantipur Daily&#39;s English-language sister publication, The Kathmandu Post, said the court order was motivated by a personal vendetta and said the newspaper would fight the charges.

&quot;He has put a muzzle on the press,&quot; he said in an interview with AFP earlier this week.

Parajuli was appointed chief justice nine months ago, and even by the youngest age on his official documents, is due to retire in two months.

Kantipur Daily&#39;s editor-in-chief, the chairman, a company director and a reporter are due in court Friday.

They could face up to a year in jail if found guilty.

Nepal&#39;s media industry has boomed since the country&#39;s king was overthrown a decade ago following a brutal civil war, spawning dozens of newspapers.

A new constitution passed in 2015 proclaims complete press freedom and bans censorship of news, which was common during monarchic rule.

Journalists in the Himalayan nation do still face intimidation and arrest, particularly if reporting on issues deemed by authorities to affect national unity.

Nepal ranks 100 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders&#39; press freedom index.

The Kantipur Daily was subpoenaed by Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli on contempt of court charges for articles that said he had fudged his date of birth

Nepal's largest newspaper is due in court Friday summoned by the country's chief justice for articles critical of him, in a case widely condemned as an attack on press freedom. The Kantipur Daily was subpoenaed by chief justice Gopal Parajuli on contempt of court charges for a series of articles that said the country's top judge had given different dates of birth on various official documents. Judges in Nepal have to retire at 65 and the suggestion is that Parajuli knocked years off his age to hold office for longer. The Kantipur Daily was subpoenaed by chief justice Gopal Parajuli on contempt of court charges for a series of articles that said the country's top judge had given different dates of birth on various official documents × In the subpoena issued Sunday by Parajuli -- who will preside over the case despite being directly implicated in it -- the newspaper is accused of using "objectionable language" and repeating "imaginary facts". "The articles published by the Kantipur Daily are intended to obstruct the judicial process and weaken the judiciary by disrespecting the court and spreading confusion about the court and its justices," according to the order seen by AFP. Multiple news outlets have carried reports that the chief justice's official documents show as many as five different dates of birth, but only the Kantipur Daily -- Nepal's largest newspaper by circulation -- has been singled out by the court. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders slammed the move against the newspaper and urged lawmakers to impeach the top judge. "It shouldn't be necessary to remind a chief justice that you cannot be judge and party at the same time," said Daniel Bastard, the watchdog's Asia-Pacific expert. "This is a completely unacceptable case of prior censorship that could have dire consequences for media freedom if it sets a legal precedent." Akhilesh Upadhyay, the editor-in-chief of Kantipur Daily's English-language sister publication, The Kathmandu Post, said the court order was motivated by a personal vendetta and said the newspaper would fight the charges. "He has put a muzzle on the press," he said in an interview with AFP earlier this week. Parajuli was appointed chief justice nine months ago, and even by the youngest age on his official documents, is due to retire in two months. Kantipur Daily's editor-in-chief, the chairman, a company director and a reporter are due in court Friday. They could face up to a year in jail if found guilty. Nepal's media industry has boomed since the country's king was overthrown a decade ago following a brutal civil war, spawning dozens of newspapers. A new constitution passed in 2015 proclaims complete press freedom and bans censorship of news, which was common during monarchic rule. Journalists in the Himalayan nation do still face intimidation and arrest, particularly if reporting on issues deemed by authorities to affect national unity. Nepal ranks 100 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' press freedom index.

Nepal newspaper summoned to court by Chief Justice for articles critical of him

Tata Motors announced the commercial launch of its compact SUV Tata Nexon in Nepal. Nexon will be priced at NPR 32,75,000 for the petrol variant. The diesel variant will cost around NPR 41,55,000.

Nexon is a sub-4 metre sports utility vehicle (SUV) which was launched along with the company&#39;s distributor Sipradi Trading yesterday. The vehicle will be available for sale in 20 authorised sales outlets across Nepal.

Tata Nexon will be available in four variants and five attractive colours. The vehicle enjoys a standard warranty of 75,000 km or three years, whichever is earlier.

With Nexon, Tata Motors has expanded its business beyond the purview of hatchbacks and sedans. The company described Nexon&#39;s launch as its first &quot;big step&quot; into the compact SUV segment.

Tata Motors announced a 43 per cent increase in its January volumes at 59,441 units.&nbsp;

Tata Nexon will be available in four variants and five attractive colours

Tata Motors announced the commercial launch of its compact SUV Tata Nexon in Nepal. Nexon will be priced at NPR 32,75,000 for the petrol variant. The diesel variant will cost around NPR 41,55,000. Nexon is a sub-4 metre sports utility vehicle (SUV) which was launched along with the company's distributor Sipradi Trading yesterday. The vehicle will be available for sale in 20 authorised sales outlets across Nepal. Tata Nexon will be available in four variants and five attractive colours. The vehicle enjoys a standard warranty of 75,000 km or three years, whichever is earlier. With Nexon, Tata Motors has expanded its business beyond the purview of hatchbacks and sedans. The company described Nexon's launch as its first "big step" into the compact SUV segment. Tata Motors announced a 43 per cent increase in its January volumes at 59,441 units.

Nepal: Tata Motors launches compact SUV Nexon

Every time a Left government takes power in Nepal, old concerns and fears are expressed in India and Nepal about how the government will manage its relations with its giant neighbours. All Left parties once in power have called for a sweeping review of bilateral relations between India and Nepal, especially on the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship and recruitment of Nepali Gorkhas in the Indian Army. In 1996, Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari of CPN UML initiated this process. At that time, China was not a big player in the region. Further, Nepal was a constitutional monarchy governed by the 1990 constitution where King exercised real power.

When Maoists assumed power, they tried to subvert democratic institutions of state to establish a People&rsquo;s Republic but were thwarted by democratic forces.

This is the first time a Left Alliance government -a CPN UML and Maoist Centre -have combined People&rsquo;s Democracy and Maoist ideology to form the merged Nepal Communist Party. Two-term Prime Minister KP Oli is viewed as pro-China especially after the blockade of 2015, and the alleged dismantling of his government by India in August 2016. Oli is the first Prime Minister to ever sign a ten-point agreement with China as a backlash to the blockade which includes a trade and transit treaty and use of Chinese ports. But Oli is also an old friend of India and has studied the geography of politics carefully. His intention to deepen ties with China affords options to leverage India, precisely what Prachanda said in his first term &ndash; &lsquo;we need China to balance India&rsquo;.

Another issue every Left government has sought to review with India is the question of Nepali citizens recruiting into the Indian Army by a tripartite treaty including the UK in 1947. The Maoists&rsquo;20-point representation to the government in 2000 included the question of recruitment. But as always, it is such an emotional and sensitive issue among Nepal&rsquo;s soldiering community and an apparent thorn in the side of the nationalists that it has invariably had to be dropped due to acute joblessness in Nepal. One-third of Nepal&rsquo;s population lives and works abroad and remittances make up for 25 per cent of government revenue. 40,000 Nepali soldiers are serving in the Indian Army and more than 5 lakh Indian ex-servicemen community in Nepal are a strong pro-India strategic constituency in Nepal. India-Nepal Armies have very special relations and their Army Chiefs are honorary Generals in each other&rsquo;s armies.

The Chinese have been pushing Nepal to have deeper ties with the Chinese Army and break the Gorkha connection with India. In 2017 for the first time, a small joint Nepal China training exercise was held. The Chinese have increased military aid to Nepal ten times and are responsible for the training of the armed police force and also the police.

The prescient founder of modern Nepal, King Prithvinarayan Shah had observed that Nepal is a yam between two big boulders. When this ground reality is tempered with history, geography, religion, culture, and proximity, the Chinese realise they have a long way to go towards equivalence with India, notwithstanding the allure of Belt and Road Initiative including grandiose plans for connectivity. Using their economic wealth,&nbsp; the Chinese have magnified their political influence dramatically despite citing &ldquo;political interference in the internal affairs of other countries&rdquo; as taboo. &nbsp;Beijing played a major role in forging the Left Alliance and the Nepal Communist Party. If the government survives five years, a new stable Nepal is in the making. Incidentally, an India-Nepal Eminent Persons Group is already working on a review of bilateral relations for the last two years.

Meanwhile, India will nurture the democratic forces and support the new government so long as its key security concerns are red-lined. Nepal can no longer be taken for granted as the political landscape has changed and for the present, the Chinese are in the driver&rsquo;s seat.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Using their economic wealth, the Chinese have magnified their political influence dramatically despite citing “political interference in the internal affairs of other countries” as taboo.

Every time a Left government takes power in Nepal, old concerns and fears are expressed in India and Nepal about how the government will manage its relations with its giant neighbours. All Left parties once in power have called for a sweeping review of bilateral relations between India and Nepal, especially on the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship and recruitment of Nepali Gorkhas in the Indian Army. In 1996, Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari of CPN UML initiated this process. At that time, China was not a big player in the region. Further, Nepal was a constitutional monarchy governed by the 1990 constitution where King exercised real power. When Maoists assumed power, they tried to subvert democratic institutions of state to establish a People’s Republic but were thwarted by democratic forces. This is the first time a Left Alliance government -a CPN UML and Maoist Centre -have combined People’s Democracy and Maoist ideology to form the merged Nepal Communist Party. Two-term Prime Minister KP Oli is viewed as pro-China especially after the blockade of 2015, and the alleged dismantling of his government by India in August 2016. Oli is the first Prime Minister to ever sign a ten-point agreement with China as a backlash to the blockade which includes a trade and transit treaty and use of Chinese ports. But Oli is also an old friend of India and has studied the geography of politics carefully. His intention to deepen ties with China affords options to leverage India, precisely what Prachanda said in his first term – ‘we need China to balance India’. Another issue every Left government has sought to review with India is the question of Nepali citizens recruiting into the Indian Army by a tripartite treaty including the UK in 1947. The Maoists’20-point representation to the government in 2000 included the question of recruitment. But as always, it is such an emotional and sensitive issue among Nepal’s soldiering community and an apparent thorn in the side of the nationalists that it has invariably had to be dropped due to acute joblessness in Nepal. One-third of Nepal’s population lives and works abroad and remittances make up for 25 per cent of government revenue. 40,000 Nepali soldiers are serving in the Indian Army and more than 5 lakh Indian ex-servicemen community in Nepal are a strong pro-India strategic constituency in Nepal. India-Nepal Armies have very special relations and their Army Chiefs are honorary Generals in each other’s armies. The Chinese have been pushing Nepal to have deeper ties with the Chinese Army and break the Gorkha connection with India. In 2017 for the first time, a small joint Nepal China training exercise was held. The Chinese have increased military aid to Nepal ten times and are responsible for the training of the armed police force and also the police. The prescient founder of modern Nepal, King Prithvinarayan Shah had observed that Nepal is a yam between two big boulders. When this ground reality is tempered with history, geography, religion, culture, and proximity, the Chinese realise they have a long way to go towards equivalence with India, notwithstanding the allure of Belt and Road Initiative including grandiose plans for connectivity. Using their economic wealth, the Chinese have magnified their political influence dramatically despite citing “political interference in the internal affairs of other countries” as taboo. Beijing played a major role in forging the Left Alliance and the Nepal Communist Party. If the government survives five years, a new stable Nepal is in the making. Incidentally, an India-Nepal Eminent Persons Group is already working on a review of bilateral relations for the last two years. Meanwhile, India will nurture the democratic forces and support the new government so long as its key security concerns are red-lined. Nepal can no longer be taken for granted as the political landscape has changed and for the present, the Chinese are in the driver’s seat. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: With China in control, India can't take Nepal for granted

As India and China vigorously jostle for influence in the tiny Himalayan nation, Nepal&rsquo;s new Prime Minister KP Oli has a hard task at hand to do a balancing act. But his early days as prime minister indicate a tectonic shift towards China. Even during elections, he maintained an aggressive pro-China line so as to reduce dependence on India. He used nationalism as a major election plank, which many believe went down well with the masses who voted the left alliance to a comfortable majority, causing discomfiture in the Indian establishment. This was wary of the return of the communist regime. In fact, there are reports that China played a crucial role in ensuring the victory of the left alliance in the elections.

In keeping with his words during electioneering, Oli has dropped enough hints of his government&rsquo;s pro-China tilt. In an interview to Hong Kong&#39;s South China Morning Post, he was more forthcoming when he said that he wanted to &ldquo;deepen&rdquo; ties with China and get more leverage in his dealings with India &ldquo;in keeping with the times&rdquo;. &nbsp;The statement will certainly not please the Indian establishment which had sent its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj immediately after the election results to mend ways with the new government.

The crafty Oli seems to have made a well-thought-out statement to drive a hard bargain with India. The election manifesto of the left alliance speaks volumes about the intent of the new government. It says that the India-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 will be scrapped and a new treaty will be negotiated. &nbsp;The two countries are deadlocked over the issue for several years whether to amend the treaty or replace it completely.&nbsp;

The ties between India and Nepal deteriorated during Oli&rsquo;s first stint as prime minister when he blamed India for the unofficial economic blockade which stopped essential goods from entering Nepal from India, a charge New Delhi denied. &nbsp;An angry Oli then signed a trade and transit agreement with China with an aim to end India&rsquo;s monopoly over Nepal&rsquo;s supply of daily essentials which further created bitterness between the two countries. Oli was also miffed with India&rsquo;s diplomatic intervention in the country&rsquo;s constitutional process in 2015 when New Delhi sought to accommodate demands of the Madhesis who launched a violent struggle to have greater say in the federal system. He often blamed New Delhi for the circumstances which led to his resignation following the political crisis over the Madhesi issue.

Therefore, there is no element of surprise as Oli plays the China card shrewdly. &nbsp;&quot;We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that&#39;s fine and we&#39;ll increase connectivity even further, but we can&rsquo;t forget that we have two neighbours. We don&#39;t want to depend on one country or have one option,&quot; he said in the same interview. It should be recalled that Oli in his previous avatar as prime minister had inked a deal with China to extend Tibet rail network to Kathmandu and created special economic zones for Chinese firms, infuriating India.

Oli should realize that he can&rsquo;t afford to keep all his eggs in one basket. He will need to be pragmatic to balance both India and China. &nbsp;India is still Nepal&rsquo;s biggest trade partner. In fact, the two-thirds of Nepal&rsquo;s trade remains with India and the Himalayan nation is heavily dependent on the latter for its everyday needs. Therefore when asked how he wanted to work out relations with India, Oli said: &nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve always had excellent relations with India. There were some elements in the Indian establishment that caused some misunderstanding, but Indian leaders have assured us that there will be no interference in the future and we will respect each other&#39;s sovereign rights&rdquo;. &nbsp;There is no doubt that he is still smarting from his unceremonious ouster and yet to reconcile.

Oli is aware that both India and China want to expand their influence in the region and he would like to use this to his country&rsquo;s advantage. The only difference is while India has always considered Nepal as a natural ally based on the close historical ties, China is ensnaring the region by dolling out lollipops to the world&rsquo;s one of the most impoverished countries by building roads, and trade and transit corridors. But Oli would do well to be careful and understand China&rsquo;s designs. In the past, several countries like the Maldives and Sri Lanka cosied up to China eyeing massive investments but ended up into a debt-trap.

Both India and Nepal need to reconcile and a make a fresh rapprochement to iron out their differences and bring the ailing relations back on track. Given the historic and cultural ties, the two countries can&rsquo;t afford to be like oil and water.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Given the historic and cultural ties, Nepal will need to be pragmatic to balance both India and China.

As India and China vigorously jostle for influence in the tiny Himalayan nation, Nepal’s new Prime Minister KP Oli has a hard task at hand to do a balancing act. But his early days as prime minister indicate a tectonic shift towards China. Even during elections, he maintained an aggressive pro-China line so as to reduce dependence on India. He used nationalism as a major election plank, which many believe went down well with the masses who voted the left alliance to a comfortable majority, causing discomfiture in the Indian establishment. This was wary of the return of the communist regime. In fact, there are reports that China played a crucial role in ensuring the victory of the left alliance in the elections. In keeping with his words during electioneering, Oli has dropped enough hints of his government’s pro-China tilt. In an interview to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, he was more forthcoming when he said that he wanted to “deepen” ties with China and get more leverage in his dealings with India “in keeping with the times”. The statement will certainly not please the Indian establishment which had sent its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj immediately after the election results to mend ways with the new government. The crafty Oli seems to have made a well-thought-out statement to drive a hard bargain with India. The election manifesto of the left alliance speaks volumes about the intent of the new government. It says that the India-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 will be scrapped and a new treaty will be negotiated. The two countries are deadlocked over the issue for several years whether to amend the treaty or replace it completely. The ties between India and Nepal deteriorated during Oli’s first stint as prime minister when he blamed India for the unofficial economic blockade which stopped essential goods from entering Nepal from India, a charge New Delhi denied. An angry Oli then signed a trade and transit agreement with China with an aim to end India’s monopoly over Nepal’s supply of daily essentials which further created bitterness between the two countries. Oli was also miffed with India’s diplomatic intervention in the country’s constitutional process in 2015 when New Delhi sought to accommodate demands of the Madhesis who launched a violent struggle to have greater say in the federal system. He often blamed New Delhi for the circumstances which led to his resignation following the political crisis over the Madhesi issue. Therefore, there is no element of surprise as Oli plays the China card shrewdly. "We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that's fine and we'll increase connectivity even further, but we can’t forget that we have two neighbours. We don't want to depend on one country or have one option," he said in the same interview. It should be recalled that Oli in his previous avatar as prime minister had inked a deal with China to extend Tibet rail network to Kathmandu and created special economic zones for Chinese firms, infuriating India. Oli should realize that he can’t afford to keep all his eggs in one basket. He will need to be pragmatic to balance both India and China. India is still Nepal’s biggest trade partner. In fact, the two-thirds of Nepal’s trade remains with India and the Himalayan nation is heavily dependent on the latter for its everyday needs. Therefore when asked how he wanted to work out relations with India, Oli said: "We've always had excellent relations with India. There were some elements in the Indian establishment that caused some misunderstanding, but Indian leaders have assured us that there will be no interference in the future and we will respect each other's sovereign rights”. There is no doubt that he is still smarting from his unceremonious ouster and yet to reconcile. Oli is aware that both India and China want to expand their influence in the region and he would like to use this to his country’s advantage. The only difference is while India has always considered Nepal as a natural ally based on the close historical ties, China is ensnaring the region by dolling out lollipops to the world’s one of the most impoverished countries by building roads, and trade and transit corridors. But Oli would do well to be careful and understand China’s designs. In the past, several countries like the Maldives and Sri Lanka cosied up to China eyeing massive investments but ended up into a debt-trap. Both India and Nepal need to reconcile and a make a fresh rapprochement to iron out their differences and bring the ailing relations back on track. Given the historic and cultural ties, the two countries can’t afford to be like oil and water. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Will KP Oli be able to humour both India and China?

Nepal&#39;s new Prime Minister KP Oli has said he wants to deepen ties with China to explore more options and get more leverage in his dealings with India &quot;in keeping with the times&quot;.

Oli, widely regarded as pro-China, also said he wants to &quot;update&quot; relations with India &quot;in keeping with the times&quot; and favours a review of all special provisions of the Indo-Nepal relations, including the long-established practice of Nepalese soldiers serving India&#39;s armed forces.

&quot;We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that&#39;s fine and we&#39;ll increase connectivity even further, but we can&rsquo;t forget that we have two neighbours. We don&#39;t want to depend on one country or have one option,&quot; he told Hong Kong&#39;s South China Morning Post in an interview.

About how he plans to work out relations with India, Oli said, &quot;we&#39;ve always had excellent relations with India. There were some elements in the Indian establishment that caused some misunderstanding, but Indian leaders have assured us that there will be no interference in the future and we will respect each other&#39;s sovereign rights&quot;.

Oli, 65, who had also served as the country&#39;s prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016, was forced to resign following the political crisis in the Himalayan nation over the Madhesi issue.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin had been demanding amendment of the new Constitution to address their concerns over representation in Parliament.

Before Oli&#39;s inauguration as the prime minister for the second time, External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had visited Nepal and met him and other Left leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Oli.

About Nepalese serving in the Indian Army, Oli said, &ldquo;This should be internally and mutually discussed and corrected, if necessary. We live in a new world, and Nepal is starting a new journey, we have to update whatever is considered outdated and bring it in line with the modern era.&quot;

Oli also said he would revive the China-backed $2.5 billion hydropower project which was scrapped by the previous government.

Expectations are high in China about Oli&rsquo;s government as he signed the Transit Treaty with Beijing during his first stint as Prime Minister in 2015 to end dependence on India for his landlocked country to revive the Budhi Gandaki project.

The dam project was scrapped by the previous government headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba citing irregularities.

China has been investing heavily in Nepal, blunting India&#39;s influence in the Himalayan country.

Oli justified his decision to build the dam with Chinese company saying that &quot;our petroleum usage has been increasing but we import all of it. We urgently need to develop hydropower to reduce our dependence on petroleum.&quot;

He sees infrastructure development as an important means to narrow the distance with China, whose physical remoteness compared with next-door India is a hindrance to deeper Sino-Nepal relations, the paper said.

He also spoke about improving rail and road network between Nepal and China through Tibet.

&quot;Once China brings its rail network up to Shigatse and then Kyirong in Tibet, it should be easy to extend it to Nepal. It&rsquo;s lower altitude than Tibet, and the terrain is actually sloping all the way down from Kyirong.

&quot;Apart from that, three roads are under construction connecting China and Nepal, which should be ready in a couple of years. If we can connect this railway network to our east-west rail project, it can revolutionise China-India trade, with Nepal in the middle,&quot; he said.

China aims to extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway to the Nepal border by 2020 and has expressed interest in extending it to Kathmandu. Kyirong in Tibet is about 25km from Nepal&rsquo;s Rasuwagadhi border transit point, which is 50km from Kathmandu.

'We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that's fine and we'll increase connectivity even further, but we can’t forget that we have two neighbours,' Oli said

Nepal's new Prime Minister KP Oli has said he wants to deepen ties with China to explore more options and get more leverage in his dealings with India "in keeping with the times". Oli, widely regarded as pro-China, also said he wants to "update" relations with India "in keeping with the times" and favours a review of all special provisions of the Indo-Nepal relations, including the long-established practice of Nepalese soldiers serving India's armed forces. "We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that's fine and we'll increase connectivity even further, but we can’t forget that we have two neighbours. We don't want to depend on one country or have one option," he told Hong Kong's South China Morning Post in an interview. About how he plans to work out relations with India, Oli said, "we've always had excellent relations with India. There were some elements in the Indian establishment that caused some misunderstanding, but Indian leaders have assured us that there will be no interference in the future and we will respect each other's sovereign rights". Oli, 65, who had also served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016, was forced to resign following the political crisis in the Himalayan nation over the Madhesi issue. Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin had been demanding amendment of the new Constitution to address their concerns over representation in Parliament. Before Oli's inauguration as the prime minister for the second time, External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had visited Nepal and met him and other Left leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Oli. About Nepalese serving in the Indian Army, Oli said, “This should be internally and mutually discussed and corrected, if necessary. We live in a new world, and Nepal is starting a new journey, we have to update whatever is considered outdated and bring it in line with the modern era." Oli also said he would revive the China-backed $2.5 billion hydropower project which was scrapped by the previous government. Expectations are high in China about Oli’s government as he signed the Transit Treaty with Beijing during his first stint as Prime Minister in 2015 to end dependence on India for his landlocked country to revive the Budhi Gandaki project. The dam project was scrapped by the previous government headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba citing irregularities. China has been investing heavily in Nepal, blunting India's influence in the Himalayan country. Oli justified his decision to build the dam with Chinese company saying that "our petroleum usage has been increasing but we import all of it. We urgently need to develop hydropower to reduce our dependence on petroleum." He sees infrastructure development as an important means to narrow the distance with China, whose physical remoteness compared with next-door India is a hindrance to deeper Sino-Nepal relations, the paper said. He also spoke about improving rail and road network between Nepal and China through Tibet. "Once China brings its rail network up to Shigatse and then Kyirong in Tibet, it should be easy to extend it to Nepal. It’s lower altitude than Tibet, and the terrain is actually sloping all the way down from Kyirong. "Apart from that, three roads are under construction connecting China and Nepal, which should be ready in a couple of years. If we can connect this railway network to our east-west rail project, it can revolutionise China-India trade, with Nepal in the middle," he said. China aims to extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway to the Nepal border by 2020 and has expressed interest in extending it to Kathmandu. Kyirong in Tibet is about 25km from Nepal’s Rasuwagadhi border transit point, which is 50km from Kathmandu.

Want to deepen ties with China to gain greater leverage with India: Nepal's Oli

KP Sharma Oli was today sworn in as Nepal&#39;s Prime Minister for the second time, weeks after his Left alliance with CPN Maoist swept the historic parliamentary polls, kindling hopes for much-needed political stability in the Himalayan nation.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to 65-year-old Oli and two other ministers - both from the CPN-UML - at a function held at President&rsquo;s Office, Shital Niwas, in Maharajgunj.

Oli is the 41st prime minister of Nepal.

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Earlier, there were reports that leaders from the CPN Maoist, another member of the Left Alliance, would also join the cabinet.

According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli.

It is learnt that CPN-UML general secretary Ishwor Pokharel was aspiring for the post of deputy Prime Minister in the new cabinet.

UML leaders Lal Babu Pandit and Thum Maya Thapa have been given the portfolios of Minister for Population and Environment, Minister for Women and Children respectively.

Oli&#39;s party CPN-UML secured 121 seats in the 275-member Parliament and became the largest party. The Nepali Congress has 63 seats while the CPN-Maoist Centre secured 53 seats.

Oli needs the support from the Maoist party led by Prachanda to prove the majority in the house.

His failure to include Maoist ministers during today&#39;s swearing-in ceremony raises question about the longevity of the new government, especially at a time when the two communist parties are in the process of unification, political observers say.

Known for his pro-China stance, Oli had served as the country&#39;s prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016.

His PM candidacy was supported by the CPN-Maoists, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic along with 13 other small parties.

Earlier, former prime minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had addressed the nation and submitted his resignation to the president.

Deuba was elected as the 40th Prime Minister on June 6 with the support from CPN (Maoist Centre) which is now a part of Left alliance.

&quot;The elections of three tiers of government have been successfully held under my leadership setting the foundation to long transition,&quot; Deuba said in the television address.

The Left alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, secured almost two third majority in the Parliament during the parliamentary elections.

The Madhesi parties - Rastriya Janta Party Nepal has got 17 seats and Federal Socialist Party Nepal secured 16 seats in the Parliamentary elections.

The elections were seen as the final step in Nepal&#39;s transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.

In 2015, when Nepal adopted a new Constitution that split it into seven states, dozens of people were killed in ethnic clashes over territory and rights.

Following the adoption of the new Constitution, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the provinces and were also facing discrimination.

The polls are said to be a step forward in cementing democracy and providing political stability to Nepal, which has seen 10 prime ministers in as many years.

Oli had served as deputy prime minister during the then interim government led by Girija Prasad Koirala in 2006 after the successful conclusion of the second Peoples Movement. He was elected as a member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the first time from Jhapa district in 1991.

He had also served as Minister of Home Affairs in 1994&ndash;1995. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives from Jhapa electorate in 1999.&nbsp;

KP Sharma Oli was today sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister for the second time, weeks after his Left alliance with CPN Maoist swept the historic parliamentary polls, kindling hopes for much-needed political stability in the Himalayan nation. President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to 65-year-old Oli and two other ministers - both from the CPN-UML - at a function held at President’s Office, Shital Niwas, in Maharajgunj. Oli is the 41st prime minister of Nepal. According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli × Earlier, there were reports that leaders from the CPN Maoist, another member of the Left Alliance, would also join the cabinet. According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli. It is learnt that CPN-UML general secretary Ishwor Pokharel was aspiring for the post of deputy Prime Minister in the new cabinet. UML leaders Lal Babu Pandit and Thum Maya Thapa have been given the portfolios of Minister for Population and Environment, Minister for Women and Children respectively. Oli's party CPN-UML secured 121 seats in the 275-member Parliament and became the largest party. The Nepali Congress has 63 seats while the CPN-Maoist Centre secured 53 seats. Oli needs the support from the Maoist party led by Prachanda to prove the majority in the house. His failure to include Maoist ministers during today's swearing-in ceremony raises question about the longevity of the new government, especially at a time when the two communist parties are in the process of unification, political observers say. Known for his pro-China stance, Oli had served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016. His PM candidacy was supported by the CPN-Maoists, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic along with 13 other small parties. Earlier, former prime minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had addressed the nation and submitted his resignation to the president. Deuba was elected as the 40th Prime Minister on June 6 with the support from CPN (Maoist Centre) which is now a part of Left alliance. "The elections of three tiers of government have been successfully held under my leadership setting the foundation to long transition," Deuba said in the television address. The Left alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, secured almost two third majority in the Parliament during the parliamentary elections. The Madhesi parties - Rastriya Janta Party Nepal has got 17 seats and Federal Socialist Party Nepal secured 16 seats in the Parliamentary elections. The elections were seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives. In 2015, when Nepal adopted a new Constitution that split it into seven states, dozens of people were killed in ethnic clashes over territory and rights. Following the adoption of the new Constitution, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the provinces and were also facing discrimination. The polls are said to be a step forward in cementing democracy and providing political stability to Nepal, which has seen 10 prime ministers in as many years. Oli had served as deputy prime minister during the then interim government led by Girija Prasad Koirala in 2006 after the successful conclusion of the second Peoples Movement. He was elected as a member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the first time from Jhapa district in 1991. He had also served as Minister of Home Affairs in 1994–1995. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives from Jhapa electorate in 1999.

KP Oli sworn in as Nepal PM for second time

Two months after the successful conclusion of parliamentary elections, Nepal&#39;s largest party CPN-UML on Wednesday picked its Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the next Prime Minister of the country.

Oli, 65, served as the country&#39;s prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016. He is known for his pro-China stance.

A Standing Committee (SC) of the party held in Lalitpur named Oli as the prime ministerial candidate as he is also the UML&#39;s Parliamentary Party leader, Surendra Pandey was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.

The Left Alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, had in December secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.

It had also secured an overwhelming majority in the upper house of Parliament with 39 seats, paving the way for the leftist alliance to form the country&#39;s next government.

The UML leaders also discussed the party unification with the CPN (Maoist Centre) during the meeting, the report said.

Following an intra-party discussion of both the parties, a meeting of the Party Unification Coordination Committee (PUCC) is scheduled to be held later today, it said.

The PUCC meeting is likely to take a final decision regarding the party unification.

The PUCC of the left alliance was formed to discuss the merger of the two parties.

The process of appointment of Prime Minister would begin after the Election Commission would submit the final results of House of Representatives election under the Proportional Representation to the President.

CPN-UML, with the support of CPN Maoist Centre, has emerged as the largest party after garnering the majority in the three-tier elections.

(With inputs from PTI)

Oli, 65, served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016. He is known for his pro-China stance

Two months after the successful conclusion of parliamentary elections, Nepal's largest party CPN-UML on Wednesday picked its Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the next Prime Minister of the country. Oli, 65, served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016. He is known for his pro-China stance. A Standing Committee (SC) of the party held in Lalitpur named Oli as the prime ministerial candidate as he is also the UML's Parliamentary Party leader, Surendra Pandey was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. The Left Alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, had in December secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation. It had also secured an overwhelming majority in the upper house of Parliament with 39 seats, paving the way for the leftist alliance to form the country's next government. The UML leaders also discussed the party unification with the CPN (Maoist Centre) during the meeting, the report said. Following an intra-party discussion of both the parties, a meeting of the Party Unification Coordination Committee (PUCC) is scheduled to be held later today, it said. The PUCC meeting is likely to take a final decision regarding the party unification. The PUCC of the left alliance was formed to discuss the merger of the two parties. The process of appointment of Prime Minister would begin after the Election Commission would submit the final results of House of Representatives election under the Proportional Representation to the President. CPN-UML, with the support of CPN Maoist Centre, has emerged as the largest party after garnering the majority in the three-tier elections. (With inputs from PTI)

Nepal's CPN-UML names KP Sharma Oli as next Prime Minister

China differs with Nepal over the official height of the world&#39;s highest peak, Mount Everest.&nbsp;

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The official statement from the Chinese side came after a report stated that Beijing has agreed to accept Nepal&#39;s measurement at 8,848 meters.&nbsp;

Chinese experts estimate Mount Everest to stand tall at 8844.43 meters, four meters shorter than the Nepalese measurement.

&quot;The different measurements of Mount Qomolangma&#39;s (Mount Everest) height between China and Nepal is a competition over the mountain,&quot; Xu Jianying, a research fellow of Research Centre for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) said.

The peak of Mt Everest played a significant role in the settlement of boundary between Nepal and China, China earlier claimed the whole mountain as part of its territory after it took control of Tibet.

&quot;Each country&#39;s surveyors have the intention of making others recognise their own measurements and their own outcome. But the different heights come from different measurement methods,&quot; Zhao Kangning, former deputy director of China&#39;s National Administration of Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Applications, told the Global Times.

According to the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information, China had never in any form said it changed the 2005 result which measured Mt Everest&#39;s rock base at 8844.43 meters above sea level.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The peak of Mt Everest played a significant role in the settlement of boundary between Nepal and China

China differs with Nepal over the official height of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. × The official statement from the Chinese side came after a report stated that Beijing has agreed to accept Nepal's measurement at 8,848 meters. Chinese experts estimate Mount Everest to stand tall at 8844.43 meters, four meters shorter than the Nepalese measurement. "The different measurements of Mount Qomolangma's (Mount Everest) height between China and Nepal is a competition over the mountain," Xu Jianying, a research fellow of Research Centre for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) said. The peak of Mt Everest played a significant role in the settlement of boundary between Nepal and China, China earlier claimed the whole mountain as part of its territory after it took control of Tibet. "Each country's surveyors have the intention of making others recognise their own measurements and their own outcome. But the different heights come from different measurement methods," Zhao Kangning, former deputy director of China's National Administration of Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Applications, told the Global Times. According to the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information, China had never in any form said it changed the 2005 result which measured Mt Everest's rock base at 8844.43 meters above sea level. (With inputs from PTI)

China differs with Nepal over height of Mt Everest: Report

Sandeep Lamichhane is the first player from Nepal to play in the XIth edition of Indian Premier League which will start from&nbsp;April 6 in Mumbai while the first match of the new season will be played at the same venue on April 7.

Sandeep Lamichhane hails from a very small district named Syangja in Nepal which is 200 km to the west of Kathmandu.&nbsp;

He is very serious about cricket. He moved to many cities to get better opportunities and also to improve his game.

Sandeep Lamichhane today became the first cricketer from Nepal to land an IPL contract when he was picked by Delhi Daredevils.

This 17-year-old kid has played U-19 for Nepal Cricket Team and his bowling style is leg break googly.&nbsp;The leg-spinner rose to prominence with a successful outing at the 2016 U-19 World Cup where he guided Nepal to a creditable eighth place.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-ipl-auction-2018-30948">For live&nbsp;updates on IPL auction, click here</a>

He hogged the limelight by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in six innings at an average of 17 and an economy of 4.67.

Sandeep had scalped five wickets in two warm-up games and was also part of Nepal&#39;s first match against New Zealand, which they won by 32 runs.

&quot;I grew up in Syangja and then moved to Chitwan, which is my hometown now,&quot; he told ESPNcricinfo.

&quot;I moved to Chitwan three years ago because of parents and better cricket opportunities. I started playing at nine. My father and older brother supported me as they are both fond of cricket,&quot; he added.

&quot;I used to watch videos of Shane Warne and my coach helped me become a leg-break bowler. I&#39;m also following Adil Rashid these days but Shane Warne forever,&quot; he said.

He had received an invitation from former Australian captain Michael Clarke to represent the Sydney-based club Wester Suburbs. He was also trained at Clarke&#39;s cricket academy in Sydney during the course of his season-long stay in Australia.

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1 year completed ✅ Mate <a href="https://twitter.com/MClarke23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MClarke23</a> Still the memories are fresh and alive. Thanks for the opportunity you gave me to play in Australia ???????????????????? <a href="https://t.co/s8MIBmvBIo">pic.twitter.com/s8MIBmvBIo</a>
&mdash; Sandeep Lamichhane (@IamSandeep25) <a href="https://twitter.com/IamSandeep25/status/910478114064617472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In the XI edition of IPL auction, Delhi Daredevils has bought Sandeep for&nbsp; Rs. 20 lakhs. With this, he became the first player from Nepal to play in IPL.

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You&#39;ve already made history, <a href="https://twitter.com/IamSandeep25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IamSandeep25</a>. Here&#39;s to more with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DDSquad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DDSquad</a>! ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilDilli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilDilli</a> <a href="https://t.co/POHrvrHWgm">pic.twitter.com/POHrvrHWgm</a>
&mdash; Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiDaredevils/status/957521326821933057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The leg-spinner rose to prominence with a successful outing at the 2016 U-19 World Cup where he guided Nepal to a creditable eighth place

Sandeep Lamichhane is the first player from Nepal to play in the XIth edition of Indian Premier League which will start from April 6 in Mumbai while the first match of the new season will be played at the same venue on April 7. Sandeep Lamichhane hails from a very small district named Syangja in Nepal which is 200 km to the west of Kathmandu. He is very serious about cricket. He moved to many cities to get better opportunities and also to improve his game. Sandeep Lamichhane today became the first cricketer from Nepal to land an IPL contract when he was picked by Delhi Daredevils. This 17-year-old kid has played U-19 for Nepal Cricket Team and his bowling style is leg break googly. The leg-spinner rose to prominence with a successful outing at the 2016 U-19 World Cup where he guided Nepal to a creditable eighth place. For live updates on IPL auction, click here He hogged the limelight by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in six innings at an average of 17 and an economy of 4.67. Sandeep had scalped five wickets in two warm-up games and was also part of Nepal's first match against New Zealand, which they won by 32 runs. "I grew up in Syangja and then moved to Chitwan, which is my hometown now," he told ESPNcricinfo. "I moved to Chitwan three years ago because of parents and better cricket opportunities. I started playing at nine. My father and older brother supported me as they are both fond of cricket," he added. "I used to watch videos of Shane Warne and my coach helped me become a leg-break bowler. I'm also following Adil Rashid these days but Shane Warne forever," he said. He had received an invitation from former Australian captain Michael Clarke to represent the Sydney-based club Wester Suburbs. He was also trained at Clarke's cricket academy in Sydney during the course of his season-long stay in Australia. 1 year completed ✅ Mate @MClarke23 Still the memories are fresh and alive. Thanks for the opportunity you gave me to play in Australia ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/s8MIBmvBIo — Sandeep Lamichhane (@IamSandeep25) September 20, 2017 × In the XI edition of IPL auction, Delhi Daredevils has bought Sandeep for Rs. 20 lakhs. With this, he became the first player from Nepal to play in IPL. You've already made history, @IamSandeep25. Here's to more with the #DDSquad! ????#IPLAuction #DilDilli pic.twitter.com/POHrvrHWgm — Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) January 28, 2018 ×

Sandeep Lamichhane, first Nepali to play in IPL for Delhi Daredevils

The Indian Cultural Centre, Embassy of India in Kathmandu has showcased the Odissi dance recitals at a cultural event which was organized to celebrate `70 years of diplomatic ties between India and Nepal` and `Maha Shivaratri Festival` at Nepal Army Auditorium.

According to the local media reports, the event, organised on February 10, featured the most versatile 10-member Odissi dance troupe led by Dr. Sujata Mishra from Odissa.

The students and artists of Indian Cultural Centre performed various folk dance forms as well.According to reports, Veteran Nepali actress Mithila Sharma was present at the event as the chief guest and inaugurated the function together with Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri.

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterised by deeply rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture.

To this end, the dance performance by the Odissi dance troupe from India was an effort of the Indian Cultural Centre aiming at further cementing the bilateral relations.

The visit of the 10-member Odissi troupe led by Dr. Sujata Mishra was supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), according to local media.&nbsp;

The event, organised on February 10, featured the most versatile 10-member Odissi dance troupe

The Indian Cultural Centre, Embassy of India in Kathmandu has showcased the Odissi dance recitals at a cultural event which was organized to celebrate `70 years of diplomatic ties between India and Nepal` and `Maha Shivaratri Festival` at Nepal Army Auditorium. According to the local media reports, the event, organised on February 10, featured the most versatile 10-member Odissi dance troupe led by Dr. Sujata Mishra from Odissa. The students and artists of Indian Cultural Centre performed various folk dance forms as well.According to reports, Veteran Nepali actress Mithila Sharma was present at the event as the chief guest and inaugurated the function together with Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri. As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterised by deeply rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. To this end, the dance performance by the Odissi dance troupe from India was an effort of the Indian Cultural Centre aiming at further cementing the bilateral relations. The visit of the 10-member Odissi troupe led by Dr. Sujata Mishra was supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), according to local media.

India, Nepal celebrate 70 years of 'diplomatic ties'

Nepal&#39;s Communist parties will form the next government, the election commission confirmed Friday after releasing long-delayed election results months after polls billed as a turning point for the Himalayan nation roiled by decades of political instability.

The alliance of the largest Communist party and former Maoist rebels has secured a strong majority in both the directly elected lower house of parliament and the indirectly elected upper house, according to official results from the commission.

Nepal voted in historic elections late last year seen as the end of a drawn-out peace process that began 11 years ago when Maoist guerrillas ended their bloody campaign against the state and joined government.

Two years later, Nepal overthrew its 240-year-old monarchy, beginning its transition to a federal democracy.

The elections were the first under the country`s new post-war constitution, which sets out a sweeping overhaul of the political system, devolving significant power from the centre to the seven provinces.

The Communist alliance also has a majority in six of the seven newly-formed provincial assemblies.

The final results were delayed by disagreements over how the new election rules in the constitution should be implemented.

The long delay has quashed much of the optimism that accompanied the polls, when many voters cast their ballots hoping a new government would bring much-needed stability and development to the impoverished country.

&quot;It might take months for a new government to take full shape and start working. This sets a bad precedent,&quot; said Guna Raj Luitel, editor of the Nagarik newspaper. 
&quot;Such a lengthy process will have a negative impact on our democracy. It will make it inefficient.&quot;

The leader of the Communist CPN-UML, K P Sharma Oli, is expected to be confirmed as the next prime minister in a parliamentary vote later this month.

During his last term in office, sharp-tongued Oli tilted Nepal&#39;s diplomatic relations towards China, straining ties with its traditional ally India.

Beijing responded by pumping vast sums of money into the impoverished Himalayan nation in the form of large-scale infrastructure projects.

Delhi appears determined to redress that balance and nearly doubled its aid to Nepal in its latest annual budget.

It also sent foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to Kathmandu last week on a charm offensive, which included meetings with prime minister-in-waiting Oli.

The final results were delayed by disagreements over how the new election rules in the constitution should be implemented.

Nepal's Communist parties will form the next government, the election commission confirmed Friday after releasing long-delayed election results months after polls billed as a turning point for the Himalayan nation roiled by decades of political instability. The alliance of the largest Communist party and former Maoist rebels has secured a strong majority in both the directly elected lower house of parliament and the indirectly elected upper house, according to official results from the commission. Nepal voted in historic elections late last year seen as the end of a drawn-out peace process that began 11 years ago when Maoist guerrillas ended their bloody campaign against the state and joined government. Two years later, Nepal overthrew its 240-year-old monarchy, beginning its transition to a federal democracy. The elections were the first under the country`s new post-war constitution, which sets out a sweeping overhaul of the political system, devolving significant power from the centre to the seven provinces. The Communist alliance also has a majority in six of the seven newly-formed provincial assemblies. The final results were delayed by disagreements over how the new election rules in the constitution should be implemented. The long delay has quashed much of the optimism that accompanied the polls, when many voters cast their ballots hoping a new government would bring much-needed stability and development to the impoverished country. "It might take months for a new government to take full shape and start working. This sets a bad precedent," said Guna Raj Luitel, editor of the Nagarik newspaper. "Such a lengthy process will have a negative impact on our democracy. It will make it inefficient." The leader of the Communist CPN-UML, K P Sharma Oli, is expected to be confirmed as the next prime minister in a parliamentary vote later this month. During his last term in office, sharp-tongued Oli tilted Nepal's diplomatic relations towards China, straining ties with its traditional ally India. Beijing responded by pumping vast sums of money into the impoverished Himalayan nation in the form of large-scale infrastructure projects. Delhi appears determined to redress that balance and nearly doubled its aid to Nepal in its latest annual budget. It also sent foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to Kathmandu last week on a charm offensive, which included meetings with prime minister-in-waiting Oli.

Nepal Communist alliance to form next government, confirms election commission

Nepal&#39;s restrictions on woman migrating for work are discriminatory and inconsistent with international law, a United Nations rights official said today during a visit to the country.

Nepal last year introduced a ban on women working as domestic helpers in the Gulf, one of various laws passed over the last decade to protect female migrant workers from sexual exploitation.

&quot;These bans are ineffective and create the consequence that women migrate through irregular channels and become victims of trafficking,&quot; said the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe Gonzalez Morales.

&quot;They (the government) don&#39;t realise it&#39;s discrimination, but these policies are inconsistent with international law and should be lifted.&quot; 
 
Nearly half a million Nepalese migrated for work in 2015/16, according to the latest available government data, and migrant remittances account for over a third of the country&#39;s GDP.

The vast majority are men working in construction in the Gulf and Malaysia, but around 20,000 women also left that year despite various laws that restrict female migration.

In recent years Nepal has introduced a minimum age limit for female migrant workers, prevented mothers with children under two from leaving the country for work, and most recently banned women from domestic work in the Gulf, though enforcement has been patchy.

&quot;The government is trying to make a statement that they are protecting (women). But this can be done through other means,&quot; Morales said.

Morales was speaking after an eight-day visit to the impoverished Himalayan nation to assess the recruitment processes for Nepalis working abroad.

Nepal&#39;s government has been criticised for failing to protect migrant workers from exorbitant fees charged by recruitment agencies that leave them mired in debt and trapped in jobs overseas.

In 2015 it banned agencies from charging migrants for flights and visas, but enforcement has been weak. Some suspect authorities are reluctant to clamp down on the lucrative industry.

&quot;Everyone agrees that there is a big problem in the recruitment process, but there doesn&#39;t seem to be a concrete plan to take steps to have the employers paying for this, which would be the solution according to international standards,&quot; said Morales.

Nepal&#39;s reliance on the cash flow from citizens overseas leaves it vulnerable to changes in host countries.

Political instability in Qatar and an economic slowdown in Saudi Arabia -- the two largest recipient countries of Nepali workers -- saw the number of new arrivals from Nepal slump at the end of last year.

Remittances declined by 1.4 per cent in the same period, a tiny drop that still resulted in Nepal&#39;s current account balance slipping into the red, according to central bank figures.

Nepal last year introduced a ban on women working as domestic helpers in the Gulf, one of various laws passed over the last decade to protect female migrant workers from sexual exploitation

Nepal's restrictions on woman migrating for work are discriminatory and inconsistent with international law, a United Nations rights official said today during a visit to the country. Nepal last year introduced a ban on women working as domestic helpers in the Gulf, one of various laws passed over the last decade to protect female migrant workers from sexual exploitation. "These bans are ineffective and create the consequence that women migrate through irregular channels and become victims of trafficking," said the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe Gonzalez Morales. "They (the government) don't realise it's discrimination, but these policies are inconsistent with international law and should be lifted." Nearly half a million Nepalese migrated for work in 2015/16, according to the latest available government data, and migrant remittances account for over a third of the country's GDP. The vast majority are men working in construction in the Gulf and Malaysia, but around 20,000 women also left that year despite various laws that restrict female migration. In recent years Nepal has introduced a minimum age limit for female migrant workers, prevented mothers with children under two from leaving the country for work, and most recently banned women from domestic work in the Gulf, though enforcement has been patchy. "The government is trying to make a statement that they are protecting (women). But this can be done through other means," Morales said. Morales was speaking after an eight-day visit to the impoverished Himalayan nation to assess the recruitment processes for Nepalis working abroad. Nepal's government has been criticised for failing to protect migrant workers from exorbitant fees charged by recruitment agencies that leave them mired in debt and trapped in jobs overseas. In 2015 it banned agencies from charging migrants for flights and visas, but enforcement has been weak. Some suspect authorities are reluctant to clamp down on the lucrative industry. "Everyone agrees that there is a big problem in the recruitment process, but there doesn't seem to be a concrete plan to take steps to have the employers paying for this, which would be the solution according to international standards," said Morales. Nepal's reliance on the cash flow from citizens overseas leaves it vulnerable to changes in host countries. Political instability in Qatar and an economic slowdown in Saudi Arabia -- the two largest recipient countries of Nepali workers -- saw the number of new arrivals from Nepal slump at the end of last year. Remittances declined by 1.4 per cent in the same period, a tiny drop that still resulted in Nepal's current account balance slipping into the red, according to central bank figures.

Nepal ban on women migrants violates rights: United Nations

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj met former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal here on Friday.

The minister, who reached Kathmandu on Thursday, met <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepals-oli-most-likely-next-pm-wins-parliament-seat-26385" target="_blank">Chairman of CPN-UML K.P Sharma Oli</a> in her first engagement and congratulated him on his party`s victory in the recent elections. &quot;The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward,&quot; EAM spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted.

Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country`s political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance.

This is Swaraj`s seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014. However this is her first visit to Nepal after the three-tier elections ended here in December.

The timing of the visit comes at a time when India wants to improve its relations with Oli and his party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML).

Relations between the two sides are often described as &quot;patchy&quot;, where Oli criticised India`s constant hindrance over Nepal`s new constitution in 2015, which did not recognise the rights of the Madhesis.

On January 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Oli and congratulated him in advance on his win in the just-concluded Nepal elections and invited each other to visit their respective countries.&nbsp;

India's External Affairs Minister is on a two-day visit to the country

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj met former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal here on Friday. The minister, who reached Kathmandu on Thursday, met Chairman of CPN-UML K.P Sharma Oli in her first engagement and congratulated him on his party`s victory in the recent elections. "The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward," EAM spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted. Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country`s political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance. This is Swaraj`s seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014. However this is her first visit to Nepal after the three-tier elections ended here in December. The timing of the visit comes at a time when India wants to improve its relations with Oli and his party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML). Relations between the two sides are often described as "patchy", where Oli criticised India`s constant hindrance over Nepal`s new constitution in 2015, which did not recognise the rights of the Madhesis. On January 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Oli and congratulated him in advance on his win in the just-concluded Nepal elections and invited each other to visit their respective countries.

Sushma Swaraj calls on Prachanda in Nepal

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Thursday and congratulated him on his party&#39;s victory in the recent elections in Kathmandu.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar took to Twitter to inform about the meeting.

&quot;In her first engagement, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Mr K.P Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN-UML and congratulated him on his Party&#39;s victory in the recent elections. The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward&quot;, he tweeted.

Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country&#39;s political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance.

Addressing the media at Tribhuvan International airport, Swaraj said that her visit will strengthen the India-Nepal friendship.

Raveesh tweeted, &quot;Delighted to visit Nepal - India&#39;s close friend. Our relationship is of such a nature that we don&#39;t need an excuse to visit each other. My visit to Nepal is to meet friends from all political parties and strengthen (India-Nepal) friendship&quot;.

Earlier today, Swaraj met Udaya Shumsher Rana, Minister of State (Finance) Nepal.

Swaraj will hold meetings with Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and outgoing Nepali prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

She will also meet with Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders.

This is Swaraj&#39;s seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014.

Addressing the media at Tribhuvan International airport, Swaraj said that her visit will strengthen the India-Nepal friendship

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Thursday and congratulated him on his party's victory in the recent elections in Kathmandu. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar took to Twitter to inform about the meeting. "In her first engagement, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Mr K.P Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN-UML and congratulated him on his Party's victory in the recent elections. The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward", he tweeted. Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country's political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance. Addressing the media at Tribhuvan International airport, Swaraj said that her visit will strengthen the India-Nepal friendship. Raveesh tweeted, "Delighted to visit Nepal - India's close friend. Our relationship is of such a nature that we don't need an excuse to visit each other. My visit to Nepal is to meet friends from all political parties and strengthen (India-Nepal) friendship". Earlier today, Swaraj met Udaya Shumsher Rana, Minister of State (Finance) Nepal. Swaraj will hold meetings with Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and outgoing Nepali prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. She will also meet with Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders. This is Swaraj's seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014.

Nepal: Sushma Swaraj meets CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, congratulates for elevation win

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be on a two-day visit to Nepal starting Thursday.&nbsp;

Swaraj&#39;s visit comes ahead of the formation of a new Nepalese government by a Communist alliance.&nbsp;

She will be accompanied by the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale and Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (North) of the EAM.

In her first trip post the three-tier elections in December, the external affairs minister will meet Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Nepal&#39;s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

She is also expected to meet with CPL-UML chief Oli, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders.

(With inputs from ANI)

Swaraj's visit comes ahead of formation of new Nepalese government by a Communist alliance

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be on a two-day visit to Nepal starting Thursday. Swaraj's visit comes ahead of the formation of a new Nepalese government by a Communist alliance. She will be accompanied by the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale and Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (North) of the EAM. In her first trip post the three-tier elections in December, the external affairs minister will meet Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. She is also expected to meet with CPL-UML chief Oli, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders. (With inputs from ANI)

Sushma Swaraj's two-day trip to Nepal begins this Thursday

Indian security agencies from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar along with Nepal border security agency held a meeting in Patna recently to address the growing radical activities along the Nepal border, home ministry sources said.

Indian security agencies are concerned about funds being sent by hardliners from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to radical groups at the Indo-Nepal Border, the sources informed.

According to sources, during the meeting, Intelligence Bureau(IB) officials presented a report on financial and institutional links to Pakistan and Gulf countries of the radical groups and the mushrooming of Madrasas funded by Gulf nations.

Local Intelligence agencies from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had earlier reported&nbsp;that most of the Madrasas along the Indo-Nepal border had foreign teachers and often they &quot;digressed&quot; from the religious teachings. The intelligence sleuths had highlighted the radicalization Indian Muslims through videos and other provocative material.

The porous Indo-Nepal border poses a unique challenge for security agencies on both sides of the border with rampant infiltration and human trafficking underway including smuggling of fake Indian currency notes.

The porous Indo-Nepal border poses a unique challenge for security agencies on both sides of the border.

Indian security agencies from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar along with Nepal border security agency held a meeting in Patna recently to address the growing radical activities along the Nepal border, home ministry sources said. Indian security agencies are concerned about funds being sent by hardliners from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to radical groups at the Indo-Nepal Border, the sources informed. According to sources, during the meeting, Intelligence Bureau(IB) officials presented a report on financial and institutional links to Pakistan and Gulf countries of the radical groups and the mushrooming of Madrasas funded by Gulf nations. Local Intelligence agencies from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had earlier reported that most of the Madrasas along the Indo-Nepal border had foreign teachers and often they "digressed" from the religious teachings. The intelligence sleuths had highlighted the radicalization Indian Muslims through videos and other provocative material. The porous Indo-Nepal border poses a unique challenge for security agencies on both sides of the border with rampant infiltration and human trafficking underway including smuggling of fake Indian currency notes.

India, Nepal security agencies concerned about funds flow by hardliners from Pakistan, Gulf countries: MHA sources

Blind Indian cricket team registered their third consecutive victory in the Blind Cricket World Cup against Nepal at the Eden Garden Cricket Ground in Ajman, UAE.

With this victory, dominant India has reached the semi-final.

Nepal won the toss and opted to bat first.

Indian bowlers played exceptionally well, they took early wickets and restricted the run rate also.

Nepal lost its first wicket in the 9th over when batsman Ramesh was caught at 14 runs by Pankaj of Rambir&#39;s ball. India&nbsp;took the second wicket&nbsp;as Sunil Rana was caught in front by Prem Kumar for 17.

Immediately, after that Surya Prasad of Nepal was run out by Pankaj for scoring 1 run, followed by another runout as Surajit Ghara catches Sunil Subedi short of the crease for 2.

Jafar Iqbal took the 5th wicket and after that Nepal picked up some pace and improved the run rate and set&nbsp;a total of 156 runs after losing 9 wickets in 37.5 overs as one batsman Padma, got retired hurt.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Collective team effort gives India a comprehensive win. 
Nepal 156 all out. 
India 160/2 in 15 over. 
India win by 8 wickets and top the points table as they make it to the semis.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blindcricketworldcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blindcricketworldcup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheOtherMenInBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheOtherMenInBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thecupisours?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thecupisours</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsNEP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsNEP</a>
&mdash; Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/blind_cricket/status/952483213691174912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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India achieved the target with 8 wickets in hand and 25 overs still remaining to be bowled.

&nbsp;

India reached the target set them in just 15 overs, defeating Nepal by 8 wickets

Blind Indian cricket team registered their third consecutive victory in the Blind Cricket World Cup against Nepal at the Eden Garden Cricket Ground in Ajman, UAE. With this victory, dominant India has reached the semi-final. Nepal won the toss and opted to bat first. Indian bowlers played exceptionally well, they took early wickets and restricted the run rate also. Nepal lost its first wicket in the 9th over when batsman Ramesh was caught at 14 runs by Pankaj of Rambir's ball. India took the second wicket as Sunil Rana was caught in front by Prem Kumar for 17. Immediately, after that Surya Prasad of Nepal was run out by Pankaj for scoring 1 run, followed by another runout as Surajit Ghara catches Sunil Subedi short of the crease for 2. Jafar Iqbal took the 5th wicket and after that Nepal picked up some pace and improved the run rate and set a total of 156 runs after losing 9 wickets in 37.5 overs as one batsman Padma, got retired hurt. Collective team effort gives India a comprehensive win. Nepal 156 all out. India 160/2 in 15 over. India win by 8 wickets and top the points table as they make it to the semis.#blindcricketworldcup #TheOtherMenInBlue #thecupisours #INDvsNEP — Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) January 14, 2018 × India achieved the target with 8 wickets in hand and 25 overs still remaining to be bowled.

Blind Cricket World Cup: India reach semi-final after beating Nepal

Seventeen Maoist ministers in Nepal resigned on Friday, saying it was time for the government to clear the way for a new one, reports said.

All Maoist ministers - 17 (10 cabinet and seven ministers of state) - were divested of their portfolios; they could enjoy some perks but would no longer have control over ministries and so would not be able to use them during elections. Nepali Congress and its allies would be the ones retaining control.

Almost three months after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba stripped Maoist Centre ministers of their responsibilities protesting the party&#39;s electoral alliance with the Communist Party of&nbsp;Nepal-Unified Marxist&nbsp;Leninist&nbsp;(CPN-UML), the third largest party has decided to quit the government.

The resignation also came following the election of some ministers to provincial assemblies which led the Maoist party to quit the government in order to make preparations for joining a provincial government, media reports said.

According to reports, after the decision announced on Thursday, the party notified PM Deuba about recalling of the ministers without a portfolio on Friday.

&quot;Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, Minister without Portfolio (the then Health Minister) submitted the resignation letter from the Maoist Center during the cabinet meeting on Friday,&quot; Press advisor of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Govinda Pariyar said.

Maoist leaders Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Janardan Sharma, Tek Bahadur Basnet, Girirajmani Pokhrel, Pradbhu Sah, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Shiva Kumar Mandal, Asha Khanal and Santa Kumar Tharu were amongst the 17 ministers.

All Maoist ministers were divested of their portfolios; they could enjoy some perks but would no longer have control over ministries and so would not be able to use them during elections

Seventeen Maoist ministers in Nepal resigned on Friday, saying it was time for the government to clear the way for a new one, reports said. All Maoist ministers - 17 (10 cabinet and seven ministers of state) - were divested of their portfolios; they could enjoy some perks but would no longer have control over ministries and so would not be able to use them during elections. Nepali Congress and its allies would be the ones retaining control. Almost three months after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba stripped Maoist Centre ministers of their responsibilities protesting the party's electoral alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), the third largest party has decided to quit the government. The resignation also came following the election of some ministers to provincial assemblies which led the Maoist party to quit the government in order to make preparations for joining a provincial government, media reports said. According to reports, after the decision announced on Thursday, the party notified PM Deuba about recalling of the ministers without a portfolio on Friday. "Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, Minister without Portfolio (the then Health Minister) submitted the resignation letter from the Maoist Center during the cabinet meeting on Friday," Press advisor of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Govinda Pariyar said. Maoist leaders Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Janardan Sharma, Tek Bahadur Basnet, Girirajmani Pokhrel, Pradbhu Sah, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Shiva Kumar Mandal, Asha Khanal and Santa Kumar Tharu were amongst the 17 ministers.

Nepal: 17 Maoist ministers decide to quit government

Nepal will receive internet bandwidth from China from tomorrow, ending the Himalayan nation&#39;s sole dependence on India for connecting to the cyberspace.

State-owned telecom company Nepal Telecom (NT) said that all the groundwork has been completed to formally connect Nepal with Chinese bandwidth from January 12.

&quot;The process of acquiring internet bandwidth from China has been completed. The commercial operation of the Nepal- China optical fibre link will begin from Friday, said Prativa Baidhya, spokesperson for NT.

However, NT did not disclose the actual volume of Chinese internet bandwidth that Nepal will receive.

The details will be made public after a formal inauguration tomorrow, she added.

In December 2016, NT had reached an agreement with China Telecom to acquire internet bandwidth. NT had begun the test transmission of the project from the first week of September last year.

With successful test transmission, Nepal will now be commercially connected with Chinese bandwidth, according to the official.

Chinese internet will be supplied via Rasuwagadhi gateway, according to sources at NT.

As the use of Internet has been increasing rapidly in the country, Chinese internet bandwidth is taken as an alternative source for Nepal to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demand, she said.

The commercial operation of the Chinese bandwidth project will end Nepal&#39;s sole dependence on India for internet bandwidth.

Nepal is currently linked to the global internet connectivity through Indian telecom operators via different optical fibre connections in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Birgunj, among others, the Himalayan Times reported.

Besides ending the monopoly of bandwidth supply, the Chinese Internet gateway is also expected to facilitate service providers in Nepal to establish bandwidth connection with other countries via China.

Though Nepal Telecom is purchasing limited volume of the Internet from China in the first phase, the company will increase the volume of Chinese internet gradually in the coming days. 
&nbsp;

Nepal Telecom did not disclose the actual volume of Chinese internet bandwidth that Nepal will receive

Nepal will receive internet bandwidth from China from tomorrow, ending the Himalayan nation's sole dependence on India for connecting to the cyberspace. State-owned telecom company Nepal Telecom (NT) said that all the groundwork has been completed to formally connect Nepal with Chinese bandwidth from January 12. "The process of acquiring internet bandwidth from China has been completed. The commercial operation of the Nepal- China optical fibre link will begin from Friday, said Prativa Baidhya, spokesperson for NT. However, NT did not disclose the actual volume of Chinese internet bandwidth that Nepal will receive. The details will be made public after a formal inauguration tomorrow, she added. In December 2016, NT had reached an agreement with China Telecom to acquire internet bandwidth. NT had begun the test transmission of the project from the first week of September last year. With successful test transmission, Nepal will now be commercially connected with Chinese bandwidth, according to the official. Chinese internet will be supplied via Rasuwagadhi gateway, according to sources at NT. As the use of Internet has been increasing rapidly in the country, Chinese internet bandwidth is taken as an alternative source for Nepal to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demand, she said. The commercial operation of the Chinese bandwidth project will end Nepal's sole dependence on India for internet bandwidth. Nepal is currently linked to the global internet connectivity through Indian telecom operators via different optical fibre connections in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Birgunj, among others, the Himalayan Times reported. Besides ending the monopoly of bandwidth supply, the Chinese Internet gateway is also expected to facilitate service providers in Nepal to establish bandwidth connection with other countries via China. Though Nepal Telecom is purchasing limited volume of the Internet from China in the first phase, the company will increase the volume of Chinese internet gradually in the coming days.

Nepal to use Chinese internet bandwidth from tomorrow, India's monopoly to end

A 23-year-old woman in Nepal was&nbsp;found dead in an isolated hut on Monday&nbsp;where she was left alone as part of a long-banned ancient Hindu practice that banishes women from the home during menstruation, a media report said.

Many communities in Nepal view menstruating women as impure and in some remote areas they are forced to sleep in a hut away from home during their periods, a custom is known as &quot;Chhaupadi&quot;.

Police said that Gauri Bayak (Budha) was found dead by her neighbours inside the Chhaupadi hut (menstruation hut) yesterday at Turmakhad Rural Municipality-3 in Achham district, The Kathmandu Post reported.

&quot;The cause of her death will be known after post-mortem,&quot; Deputy Superintendent of Police Dadhiram Neupane said.

Villagers suspect that Gauri might have died of smoke suffocation from the fire she had lit to keep herself warm inside the hut.

&quot;Gauri had lit a fire inside the hut. She might have died in her sleep due to smoke inhalation,&quot; said Ujir Bayak, a villager.

The government in August last year declared the practice as a criminal offence and introduced a law that stipulated a three-month jail sentence and/or Rs 3,000 fine against those convicted of &quot;Chhaupadi&quot; crime.

Despite the law and campaigns, the tradition is still rampant in some remote parts of the country.

Last year, a 21-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl had died in similar circumstances.

Police said that Gauri Bayak (Budha) was found dead by her neighbours inside the Chhaupadi hut (menstruation hut)

A 23-year-old woman in Nepal was found dead in an isolated hut on Monday where she was left alone as part of a long-banned ancient Hindu practice that banishes women from the home during menstruation, a media report said. Many communities in Nepal view menstruating women as impure and in some remote areas they are forced to sleep in a hut away from home during their periods, a custom is known as "Chhaupadi". Police said that Gauri Bayak (Budha) was found dead by her neighbours inside the Chhaupadi hut (menstruation hut) yesterday at Turmakhad Rural Municipality-3 in Achham district, The Kathmandu Post reported. "The cause of her death will be known after post-mortem," Deputy Superintendent of Police Dadhiram Neupane said. Villagers suspect that Gauri might have died of smoke suffocation from the fire she had lit to keep herself warm inside the hut. "Gauri had lit a fire inside the hut. She might have died in her sleep due to smoke inhalation," said Ujir Bayak, a villager. The government in August last year declared the practice as a criminal offence and introduced a law that stipulated a three-month jail sentence and/or Rs 3,000 fine against those convicted of "Chhaupadi" crime. Despite the law and campaigns, the tradition is still rampant in some remote parts of the country. Last year, a 21-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl had died in similar circumstances.

Woman dies in 'menstruation hut' in Nepal

India&#39;s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Thursday that three Indian girls had been rescued from Kenya.&nbsp;

Swaraj said the girls were victims of an &quot;organised crime syndicated that indulged in trafficking of girls&quot;.&nbsp;

She added that seven Nepalese girls had also been rescued.&nbsp;

Swaraj said the girls&#39; passports and phones had been taken from them and that they were being held captive in Mombasa.&nbsp;

Swaraj added that the Indian girls had been flown back to the country, and that the ministry of external affairs was &quot;sharing details&quot; with the government of Punjab so that a case can be registered against the agents and other people involved in the trafficking.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I appreciate the efforts of Ms.Suchitra Durai, Indian High Commissioner in Kenya. Our First Secretary Karan Yadav deserves a special mention. We thank the Kenyan Police for their help./3 <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainKenya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainKenya</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@capt_amarinder</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/948765376816365569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It is unclear when the girls were taken to Kenya.&nbsp;

Swaraj said the girls, who have been flown back to India, were being held captive in Mombasa

India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Thursday that three Indian girls had been rescued from Kenya. Swaraj said the girls were victims of an "organised crime syndicated that indulged in trafficking of girls". She added that seven Nepalese girls had also been rescued. Swaraj said the girls' passports and phones had been taken from them and that they were being held captive in Mombasa. Swaraj added that the Indian girls had been flown back to the country, and that the ministry of external affairs was "sharing details" with the government of Punjab so that a case can be registered against the agents and other people involved in the trafficking. I appreciate the efforts of Ms.Suchitra Durai, Indian High Commissioner in Kenya. Our First Secretary Karan Yadav deserves a special mention. We thank the Kenyan Police for their help./3 @IndiainKenya @capt_amarinder — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 4, 2018 × It is unclear when the girls were taken to Kenya.

Have rescued 3 Indian girls from Kenya: Sushma Swaraj

Climbers planning to scale the peaks of Nepal, including Mount Everest, this year, will either have to shelve their plans or will have to follow the new mountaineering rules.

As per reports, the Nepal government has amended its mountaineering regulations, banning solo climbers from scaling its mountains without an escort.

The law was revised ahead of the 2018 spring climbing season, in a bid to reduce accidents and make mountaineering safer.&nbsp;

It is also seen a way to create job opportunities for the local mountain guides.

The highest mountain in the world, Everest, will also be off limits for double amputees and blind climbers, unless they have written permission from a doctor.&nbsp;

Over 600 people travel to Nepal with the hope of reaching the summit every year.&nbsp;

Climbing permits, which are issued by the government, cost $70,000 for a group of seven and remain a major source of revenue for the country.

The law was revised ahead of the 2018 spring climbing season, in a bid to reduce accidents

Climbers planning to scale the peaks of Nepal, including Mount Everest, this year, will either have to shelve their plans or will have to follow the new mountaineering rules. As per reports, the Nepal government has amended its mountaineering regulations, banning solo climbers from scaling its mountains without an escort. The law was revised ahead of the 2018 spring climbing season, in a bid to reduce accidents and make mountaineering safer. It is also seen a way to create job opportunities for the local mountain guides. The highest mountain in the world, Everest, will also be off limits for double amputees and blind climbers, unless they have written permission from a doctor. Over 600 people travel to Nepal with the hope of reaching the summit every year. Climbing permits, which are issued by the government, cost $70,000 for a group of seven and remain a major source of revenue for the country.

Nepal bans solo climbers from scaling Mt. Everest

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