Dec-29th-2011
KATHMANDU: Nepal Police Club (NPC) began the seventh Dhorpatan Blue Sky Cup Women’s Double League Volleyball Championships with double victory here today.
The departmental team started with a straight set 25-16, 25-19, 25-9 win over Jawalakhel Volleyball Training Centre before beating their archrivals Nepal Armed Police Force Club 16-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-22.
Likewise, Angels’ Heart and New Diamond Academy also won their respective matches in the inaugural day with both teams cruising to victory against Bijeshwori Gyan Mandir. Bijeshwori lost to Angels’ Heart 25-9, 25-12, 25-14 and later bowed down to New Diamond 25-14, 25-11, 25-7.
The winners and runners-up will receive Rs 220,000 and Rs 110,000, while teams rounding up to the seventh position are also assured of cash rewards. Best player of the tournament — decided through audience voting — will get a two-wheeler.
Dhorpatan TVS Player of the Year, which will be picked by a five-member technical committee of organisers Dhorpatan Sports Training Centre, will also get a two-wheeler.
Evaluation of Player of the Year will also focus on the performance of a player throughout the year.
Himal..
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 12, 2011
Consumer groups seek role in pricing mechanism
Dec-30th-2011
KATHMANDU: Consumer rights activists have urged the government to involve them in pricing mechanism of the country as change in price directly hit to people.
The government must seek opinion of consumer before setting price of public services and essential goods, said Shirish Despande, consumer activist from India in capacity building workshop of Nepali consumer groups. “Consumer voices should not be ignored while changing price of petroleum products, electricity tariff, and public transport and cargo fare,” he said. “India and Nepal has almost same legal frameworks but Nepali consumer movement is not united for strength,” he said. He also urged consumer groups to specialise in particular fields from consumer education, complain handing, lobbying .
Consumer International (CI) has organised the work shop to build capacity of Nepali consumer groups and government. “Consumers can not be protected unless they get justice in their own localities. For this, market monitoring mechanisms should be strong and people access to consumer court to be easy,” said Indrani Thuraisngham, team leader of the UNIDO-CI project.
Joint-secretary of Ministry of Law and Justice Dilli Ghimire said that the government is always positive to protect consumers and working in the regards. “New draft of Consumer Protection Act has included basic needs and healthy environment rights to people. Consumer court has also envisioned in the draft,” he said.
According to him, The amendment proposal has passed by cabinet last week.
Himal..
KATHMANDU: Consumer rights activists have urged the government to involve them in pricing mechanism of the country as change in price directly hit to people.
The government must seek opinion of consumer before setting price of public services and essential goods, said Shirish Despande, consumer activist from India in capacity building workshop of Nepali consumer groups. “Consumer voices should not be ignored while changing price of petroleum products, electricity tariff, and public transport and cargo fare,” he said. “India and Nepal has almost same legal frameworks but Nepali consumer movement is not united for strength,” he said. He also urged consumer groups to specialise in particular fields from consumer education, complain handing, lobbying .
Consumer International (CI) has organised the work shop to build capacity of Nepali consumer groups and government. “Consumers can not be protected unless they get justice in their own localities. For this, market monitoring mechanisms should be strong and people access to consumer court to be easy,” said Indrani Thuraisngham, team leader of the UNIDO-CI project.
Joint-secretary of Ministry of Law and Justice Dilli Ghimire said that the government is always positive to protect consumers and working in the regards. “New draft of Consumer Protection Act has included basic needs and healthy environment rights to people. Consumer court has also envisioned in the draft,” he said.
According to him, The amendment proposal has passed by cabinet last week.
Himal..
Tap on findings
Dec-30th-2011
The youths are recognized to be the most productive segment of the society, and their lot largely determines the future of the country. A significant proportion of the population constitutes of youths, thus, it is with great eagerness that their status is looked upon. In this regard, the survey results made available on youths should be carefully looked into so as to find their present predicament and what needs to be done to ameliorate their overall living conditions. The findings of the Ministry of Health and Population made public in the “First Nepal Adolescent and Youth Survey - 2010/11” are, therefore, something that needs to be delved into, particularly by the development planners. The survey was held to assist the government by providing the necessary data to help formulate policies, plans and programmes dealing with the adolescents and youths. Surveyed were 14,754 adolescents and youths. It sought to highlight the socio-economic and demographic status of this most productive age group.
The survey sought to find out the awareness amongst the youths about health care and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and also the delinquency amongst the youths together with their exposure to the mass media. The findings make revelations about the status of the youths in the country. Therefore, the authorities should seriously look into the figures and work on plans for concrete actions to help the youths live a healthy and dignified life, besides proving their worth as the pillars of the society that is tottering at present with political instability and economic doldrums. There is a dire need to cash in on this level of awareness of youths to make them dependable allies in the mission to transform Nepal’s status in the community of nations.
Meanwhile, the problem of unemployment is hitting the youths the hardest. Because of the lack of employment opportunities many of the youths go abroad to work as migrant workers. Surely, there is unlimited scope of creating jobs in their native country. The youths are capable of serving as catalysts to development and the building of the development infrastructure to power the country to progress. The revenue earned from remittances could be useful in the short term, but we would do better if the youths worked here itself.
This would have a snowballing effect and the pace of development would pick up. The findings of the survey are very encouraging in that that there is a great deal of awareness amongst the youths as to what is good for them. But, now the ball is the government’s court, and it should use the survey findings to come up with the relevant strategies to engage the youths at home itself for their own good, and not be human resource exports for the benefit of other countries. That will also be in the interest and prosperity of the nation. It will be quite unfortunate if the government does not pay serious attention to the survey findings and do the needful for the betterment of the country’s youths.
Standing to welcome
The year 2011 is about to bid goodbye leaving a host of sweet as well as bitter memories. Yet, we have to be ready to welcome the New Year 2012 with all the gusto that we have in us with the anticipation that there will more brighter linings. Yes, as the New Year approaches, the midnight of December 31 is supposed to be the auspicious time to make a number of New Year resolutions to set us on the right track, from the lopsided practices of the past year. Yet, it is always seen that the resolutions are made only to be broken in a matter of days. That shows our character which is not rigid ecnough to follow what we ourselves have pledged to. Maybe that’s human nature, and the reason for the mess that we all Nepalese are in.
We must the New Year despite all the headaches that we encountered till the last day of 2011. Another reason for some cheers for New Year 2012 is that the government has formed a panel to study whether the Gregorian calendar can be adopted as the official calendar. In all, the spirits must be high to welcome 2012, as that will begin a new chapter that will run for 366 days, and, hopefully, with prosperity, good health, happiness and a new constitution in place.
Himalayan.
The youths are recognized to be the most productive segment of the society, and their lot largely determines the future of the country. A significant proportion of the population constitutes of youths, thus, it is with great eagerness that their status is looked upon. In this regard, the survey results made available on youths should be carefully looked into so as to find their present predicament and what needs to be done to ameliorate their overall living conditions. The findings of the Ministry of Health and Population made public in the “First Nepal Adolescent and Youth Survey - 2010/11” are, therefore, something that needs to be delved into, particularly by the development planners. The survey was held to assist the government by providing the necessary data to help formulate policies, plans and programmes dealing with the adolescents and youths. Surveyed were 14,754 adolescents and youths. It sought to highlight the socio-economic and demographic status of this most productive age group.
The survey sought to find out the awareness amongst the youths about health care and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and also the delinquency amongst the youths together with their exposure to the mass media. The findings make revelations about the status of the youths in the country. Therefore, the authorities should seriously look into the figures and work on plans for concrete actions to help the youths live a healthy and dignified life, besides proving their worth as the pillars of the society that is tottering at present with political instability and economic doldrums. There is a dire need to cash in on this level of awareness of youths to make them dependable allies in the mission to transform Nepal’s status in the community of nations.
Meanwhile, the problem of unemployment is hitting the youths the hardest. Because of the lack of employment opportunities many of the youths go abroad to work as migrant workers. Surely, there is unlimited scope of creating jobs in their native country. The youths are capable of serving as catalysts to development and the building of the development infrastructure to power the country to progress. The revenue earned from remittances could be useful in the short term, but we would do better if the youths worked here itself.
This would have a snowballing effect and the pace of development would pick up. The findings of the survey are very encouraging in that that there is a great deal of awareness amongst the youths as to what is good for them. But, now the ball is the government’s court, and it should use the survey findings to come up with the relevant strategies to engage the youths at home itself for their own good, and not be human resource exports for the benefit of other countries. That will also be in the interest and prosperity of the nation. It will be quite unfortunate if the government does not pay serious attention to the survey findings and do the needful for the betterment of the country’s youths.
Standing to welcome
The year 2011 is about to bid goodbye leaving a host of sweet as well as bitter memories. Yet, we have to be ready to welcome the New Year 2012 with all the gusto that we have in us with the anticipation that there will more brighter linings. Yes, as the New Year approaches, the midnight of December 31 is supposed to be the auspicious time to make a number of New Year resolutions to set us on the right track, from the lopsided practices of the past year. Yet, it is always seen that the resolutions are made only to be broken in a matter of days. That shows our character which is not rigid ecnough to follow what we ourselves have pledged to. Maybe that’s human nature, and the reason for the mess that we all Nepalese are in.
We must the New Year despite all the headaches that we encountered till the last day of 2011. Another reason for some cheers for New Year 2012 is that the government has formed a panel to study whether the Gregorian calendar can be adopted as the official calendar. In all, the spirits must be high to welcome 2012, as that will begin a new chapter that will run for 366 days, and, hopefully, with prosperity, good health, happiness and a new constitution in place.
Himalayan.
A dozen electricity hookers under action
Dec-30th-2011
KAPILVASTU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Taulihawa Branch has come up with electricity leakage control campaign following the NEA Centre warned to extend load-shedding by additional two hours if rampant leakage was not brought under control.
The NEA Branch Office had initiated the special campaign to check electricity leakage since last week.
In course of the campaign, the NEA Office has come up with action against 12 persons involved in hooking electricity in an illegal manner.
The action has been initiated against the wrongdoers after undertaking special check, monitoring and night patrol.
RSS.
KAPILVASTU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Taulihawa Branch has come up with electricity leakage control campaign following the NEA Centre warned to extend load-shedding by additional two hours if rampant leakage was not brought under control.
The NEA Branch Office had initiated the special campaign to check electricity leakage since last week.
In course of the campaign, the NEA Office has come up with action against 12 persons involved in hooking electricity in an illegal manner.
The action has been initiated against the wrongdoers after undertaking special check, monitoring and night patrol.
RSS.
Rooney Mara hints 'Lawless' filming to begin in 2012
NEW YORK: Rooney Mara has hinted director Terrence Malick will start filming 'Lawless' in September 2012, but she has not confirmed her involvement in the movie.
The 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' actress revealed director Terrence Malick will not begin shooting the movie - which is set to star Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale - for at least another nine months, but she is yet to confirm whether or not she will be appearing in the film.
When asked about the possibility of starring in 'Lawless', Rooney told Entertainment Weekly: "That's something that I hope to do, but it's unfortunately not until September."
The 26-year-old star admitted she would love to work with Terrence - who has helmed 'The Tree of Life' and 'The New World' - because he's one of the "nicest people" she's ever met, but she refused to reveal too many details about his forthcoming project.
She added: "I want to work with people who have a vision and who are uncompromising in the way that they make films, and Terry is one of those people. He's incredible. He's one of the nicest people I've ever come into contact with. But I'm not going to give away his secrets."
Terrence has penned the script for the movie, but the details are as yet unknown.
Agencies.
Thứ Tư, 28 tháng 12, 2011
Board urges to revise national tea and coffee policy
Dec-29th-2011
KATHMANDU: National Tea and Coffee Board has urged the government to revise the National Tea and Coffee Policy 2060 for the benefit of farmers and export promotion.
“There are some points which need to be revised in National Tea and Coffee Policy 2060 to promote the sector,”said executive directives, Raman Prasad Pathak. According to him, the policy is partially implemented due to unsuitable points.
The government approved and implemented National Coffee Policy 2060 to provide a source of income to rural people. The sector is also sought for employment and earning foreign currency. According to Pathak, the policy needs to be more focused to increase production through increment of tea and coffee cultivation land. He also said that government should also be more focused on overall development of farmers through quality training and workshops. “The policy should help to promote the export of coffee with a
view to substitute the import,” he said.
However, with the increase in the demand of Nepal Coffee, we are not able to fulfil the increasing demand due to lack of skilled farmers and cultivable land, he added. “We are planning to organise a workshop along with the participation of government representatives to discuss over the major issues to be addressed within the tea and coffee industries,” he said.
During the fiscal year 2010 -11, Nepal exported 279,762 kg of coffee which was 120,000 during the fiscal year 2009/10. The country exported coffee worth Rs 93.08 million during 2010/11 while it imported Rs 12.51 million worth coffee only.
According to the board, about 26,500 farmers had cultivated 401.5 metric tones of green bean in 1,752 hectare during the last fiscal year, which was about 343 metric tones in1,630 hectare a fiscal year ago.
Coffee is mainly cultivated in Lalitpur, Gulmi, Palpa, Syangja, Kaski,Kavrepalanchowk, Sindhupalchowk, Arghakhachi, while Baglung, Parbat, Gorkha,Lamjung, Tanahu, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Okhaldungha, Ramechhap, and Illam cultivating tea.
Himalayan.
KATHMANDU: National Tea and Coffee Board has urged the government to revise the National Tea and Coffee Policy 2060 for the benefit of farmers and export promotion.
“There are some points which need to be revised in National Tea and Coffee Policy 2060 to promote the sector,”said executive directives, Raman Prasad Pathak. According to him, the policy is partially implemented due to unsuitable points.
The government approved and implemented National Coffee Policy 2060 to provide a source of income to rural people. The sector is also sought for employment and earning foreign currency. According to Pathak, the policy needs to be more focused to increase production through increment of tea and coffee cultivation land. He also said that government should also be more focused on overall development of farmers through quality training and workshops. “The policy should help to promote the export of coffee with a
view to substitute the import,” he said.
However, with the increase in the demand of Nepal Coffee, we are not able to fulfil the increasing demand due to lack of skilled farmers and cultivable land, he added. “We are planning to organise a workshop along with the participation of government representatives to discuss over the major issues to be addressed within the tea and coffee industries,” he said.
During the fiscal year 2010 -11, Nepal exported 279,762 kg of coffee which was 120,000 during the fiscal year 2009/10. The country exported coffee worth Rs 93.08 million during 2010/11 while it imported Rs 12.51 million worth coffee only.
According to the board, about 26,500 farmers had cultivated 401.5 metric tones of green bean in 1,752 hectare during the last fiscal year, which was about 343 metric tones in1,630 hectare a fiscal year ago.
Coffee is mainly cultivated in Lalitpur, Gulmi, Palpa, Syangja, Kaski,Kavrepalanchowk, Sindhupalchowk, Arghakhachi, while Baglung, Parbat, Gorkha,Lamjung, Tanahu, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Okhaldungha, Ramechhap, and Illam cultivating tea.
Himalayan.
Tourists arrival up at Buddha's birthplace
Dec-29th2-2011
KAPLIVASTU: The inflow of tourists has surged in Tilaurakot, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, when there are few days to go to bid farewell to the Nepal Tourism Year-2011.
Number of foreign tourists visiting the tourism site enriched with archeological and historical importance has abruptly gone up almost at the end of the tourism year.
As many as 23,300 foreign tourists excluding Indians had arrived Tilaurakot during the first 11 months of the year. Around 1,500 Indian nationals turned up the historical site during the period.
Likewise, 700 foreigners visited the place during the period from first to third week of December.
According to the records of attendance book kept at Lumbini Development Trust, Tilaurakot, score of domestic tourists visiting the Lord Buddha;s birthplace stood at 1,434.
RSS.
KAPLIVASTU: The inflow of tourists has surged in Tilaurakot, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, when there are few days to go to bid farewell to the Nepal Tourism Year-2011.
Number of foreign tourists visiting the tourism site enriched with archeological and historical importance has abruptly gone up almost at the end of the tourism year.
As many as 23,300 foreign tourists excluding Indians had arrived Tilaurakot during the first 11 months of the year. Around 1,500 Indian nationals turned up the historical site during the period.
Likewise, 700 foreigners visited the place during the period from first to third week of December.
According to the records of attendance book kept at Lumbini Development Trust, Tilaurakot, score of domestic tourists visiting the Lord Buddha;s birthplace stood at 1,434.
RSS.
Thứ Ba, 27 tháng 12, 2011
Dalit protesters impose Gulmi bandh
Dec-28th-2011
GULMI: Life in Gulmi is out of gear since Wednesday morning due to the daylong strike imposed by Dalit Sajha Manch Gulmi in a bid to protest the killing of Manbir Sunar.
Sunar, a Dalit man, was thrashed to death in Kalikot on December 10 after he allegedly entered the kitchen of a local hotel run by the so-called upper class people to light his cigarette.
Disappointed over the practice of harsh caste-system in the 21th century which even took the form of murder, Dalit Sajha Manch has demanded immediate action against the slayers.
The Manch has floated a 4-point demand which includes: to compensate the victim’s family; to declare the deceased a martyr; to book the guilty; and to guarantee the higher education and job employment to Sunar’s children.
Interestingly, the government has already decided to provide Rs. 1 million as relief to the kin of Manbir Sunar.
The meeting of the Council of Minister on Tuesday directed the concerned authority to book the guilty in Sunar murder case at the earliest.
Cabinet also took a decision to form a separate untouchability unit at the office of the Council of Ministers and to launch a special campaign to eliminate untouchability from the society.
Nevertheless, all the educational institutions, markets, transportations, industries in the district have been brought to grinding halt.
Some of the passengers heading to Butwal and Kathmandu s have been stranded at Tamghas, confirmed sources.
Himalayan.
GULMI: Life in Gulmi is out of gear since Wednesday morning due to the daylong strike imposed by Dalit Sajha Manch Gulmi in a bid to protest the killing of Manbir Sunar.
Sunar, a Dalit man, was thrashed to death in Kalikot on December 10 after he allegedly entered the kitchen of a local hotel run by the so-called upper class people to light his cigarette.
Disappointed over the practice of harsh caste-system in the 21th century which even took the form of murder, Dalit Sajha Manch has demanded immediate action against the slayers.
The Manch has floated a 4-point demand which includes: to compensate the victim’s family; to declare the deceased a martyr; to book the guilty; and to guarantee the higher education and job employment to Sunar’s children.
Interestingly, the government has already decided to provide Rs. 1 million as relief to the kin of Manbir Sunar.
The meeting of the Council of Minister on Tuesday directed the concerned authority to book the guilty in Sunar murder case at the earliest.
Cabinet also took a decision to form a separate untouchability unit at the office of the Council of Ministers and to launch a special campaign to eliminate untouchability from the society.
Nevertheless, all the educational institutions, markets, transportations, industries in the district have been brought to grinding halt.
Some of the passengers heading to Butwal and Kathmandu s have been stranded at Tamghas, confirmed sources.
Himalayan.
Disqualified fighters feel disgraced
Dec-27th-2011
ITAHARI: The central struggle committee of the discharged fighters of the People's Liberation Army Nepal (PLA) has demanded clarification from the government why it dubbed the ex-PLA fighters disqualified.
Terming the ex-PLA combatants as disqualified by the government had disgraced them in society, the struggle committee said, warning of taking arms again if they were not respected in community.
Central member of the struggle committee, Chaitanya Rai here said the government must provide them economic help and opportunities.
RSS
ITAHARI: The central struggle committee of the discharged fighters of the People's Liberation Army Nepal (PLA) has demanded clarification from the government why it dubbed the ex-PLA fighters disqualified.
Terming the ex-PLA combatants as disqualified by the government had disgraced them in society, the struggle committee said, warning of taking arms again if they were not respected in community.
Central member of the struggle committee, Chaitanya Rai here said the government must provide them economic help and opportunities.
RSS
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
National League champions to get Rs 2.5m
Dec-27th-2011
LALITPUR: The champions of the inaugural Red Bull ‘A’ Division National League, beginning at the Pokhara Stadium on December 30, will receive a revised cash prize of Rs 2.5 million.
The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has previously announced a cash prize of four million rupees for the champions. “We had unofficially announced Rs 4 million for the champions but after consulting with the participating clubs we have revised the amount,” said the ANFA President Ganesh Thapa at a press conference here today.
The revised paycheck meant the runners-up will pocket one million rupees, while third and fourth place finishers will get Rs 500,000 and Rs 300,000. The best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, striker and coach will get a motorcycle each. Champions will also get an opportunity to represent Nepal in the 2012 AFC President’s Cup Qualifiers.
The football governing body also said that they would provide Rs 200,000 to each of the participating teams as preparation money. Of the total estimated costs of Rs 14 million, Rs 4.8 million has been set aside for prize money alone. ANFA has allotted a total of Rs 40 million budget for three tier Leagues with Rs 10.5 million cash prize alone.
President Thapa said that his association was considering to organise the National League on home and away system but they were compelled to make it a single-leg event due to unavailability of the grounds. “We have not abandoned our idea of organising it on the double leg system,” said Thapa adding that the impending AFC Challenge Cup finals here in March have forced them to withdraw their original plan.
In all, 10 teams — top eight ‘A’ Division outfits from Kathmandu Valley and two regional teams — will participate in the National League to be held in Pokhara and Butwal. Pokhara will host 22 matches from December 30 to January 9 next year, while the remaining 23 matches will be played at the FIFA Technical Centre in Butwal from January 11-23.
‘A’ Division League champions Nepal Police Club, Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club, Samsung Jawalakhel Youth Club, Mega Three Star Club, Yeti Himalayan Sherpa Club, New Road Team, Ranipokhari Corner Team and Tribhuvan Army Club will be joined by the regional champions Mitra Milan Club of Dharan and runners-up Sangam Club of Pokhara in the league.
Himal...
LALITPUR: The champions of the inaugural Red Bull ‘A’ Division National League, beginning at the Pokhara Stadium on December 30, will receive a revised cash prize of Rs 2.5 million.
The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has previously announced a cash prize of four million rupees for the champions. “We had unofficially announced Rs 4 million for the champions but after consulting with the participating clubs we have revised the amount,” said the ANFA President Ganesh Thapa at a press conference here today.
The revised paycheck meant the runners-up will pocket one million rupees, while third and fourth place finishers will get Rs 500,000 and Rs 300,000. The best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, striker and coach will get a motorcycle each. Champions will also get an opportunity to represent Nepal in the 2012 AFC President’s Cup Qualifiers.
The football governing body also said that they would provide Rs 200,000 to each of the participating teams as preparation money. Of the total estimated costs of Rs 14 million, Rs 4.8 million has been set aside for prize money alone. ANFA has allotted a total of Rs 40 million budget for three tier Leagues with Rs 10.5 million cash prize alone.
President Thapa said that his association was considering to organise the National League on home and away system but they were compelled to make it a single-leg event due to unavailability of the grounds. “We have not abandoned our idea of organising it on the double leg system,” said Thapa adding that the impending AFC Challenge Cup finals here in March have forced them to withdraw their original plan.
In all, 10 teams — top eight ‘A’ Division outfits from Kathmandu Valley and two regional teams — will participate in the National League to be held in Pokhara and Butwal. Pokhara will host 22 matches from December 30 to January 9 next year, while the remaining 23 matches will be played at the FIFA Technical Centre in Butwal from January 11-23.
‘A’ Division League champions Nepal Police Club, Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club, Samsung Jawalakhel Youth Club, Mega Three Star Club, Yeti Himalayan Sherpa Club, New Road Team, Ranipokhari Corner Team and Tribhuvan Army Club will be joined by the regional champions Mitra Milan Club of Dharan and runners-up Sangam Club of Pokhara in the league.
Himal...
Pandemic of HIV/AIDS
Dec-27th-2011
The global pandemic HIV/AIDS still need greater attention. The vision of a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths has captured the imagination of diverse partners, stakeholders and people living with and affected by HIV. Research shows that antiretroviral therapy (ART) can prevent new HIV infections, and it is encouraging that 6.6 million people are now receiving treatment in low and middle income countries. Researches show that the state of AIDS epidemic is quiet controlled than in the past one decade. Annual new HIV infections fell 21% between 1997 and 2010. There were 2.7 million new HIV infections in 2010. At the end of 2010, an estimated 34 million people were living with HIV worldwide, up 17% from 2001. Though new HIV infection fell down, access to ART helped reduce AIDS-related deaths that cause the increase in the population living with AIDS. Hence, the number of people dying with AIDS related causes fell to 1.8 million in 2010 down from 2.2 million in mid 2000s.
The Sub-Saharan region is where the maximum number of people with HIV reside. In 2010, about 68% of all people living with
HIV resided in a region with only 12% of the global population.
Though there was a notable decline in regional rate of new infections, 70% of new HIV infections in 2010 were seen. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, people living with HIV rose 250% from 2001-2010. Asia is the second largest grouping of people living with HIV that is partly attributable to the increase in people living with HIV who receive antiretroviral therapy that helps reduce the number of annual AIDS-related mortality. The epidemic’s decline is accelerating.
The world needs to maintain current efforts and make incremental progress or invest smartly and achieve rapid success in the AIDS response to “ZERO”. Antiretroviral treatment is a key to faster progress. Rapid increase in ART coverage is helping more countries achieve universal access to treatment, care and support. A major factor limiting the prevention dividend of HIV treatment, however is that more than 60% of the people living with HIV are unaware of their HIV status. So, community based awareness focusing on behavioral change program (condom use and its safe use, safe sex with only one partner) may be the key to achieve rapid decline in new HIV infection. Though the latest research shows that there is 25% decline in new HIV infection in Nepal, to continue it more attention and action are required. According to the category of ART receiving, at the end of 2010, Nepal fell in the category of 0-19% while some developed countries and more focused regions receive up to 80% ART therapy. So, the awareness program is more effective and needed in the country like ours. For the closer achievement of the goal globally, investing is to be done smartly. The future of AIDS resourcing depends on smart investing: spending now to curtail the need to ‘spend more-forever’. The rate on AIDS prevention shows the progress will move towards zero and the rate needs to be continued even faster with the clear aims: maximizing the benefits of the HIV response, using country specific epidemiology to ensure rational resource allocation, encouraging countries to implement the most effective program based on local context, increasing efficiency in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. To achieve the aims, investment must be done in the right place
with the right strategies and the investment should be innovative.
Latest news reveal that China calls for shared responsibility in achieving zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS applauds China’s decision to fill its HIV resource gap.
The current pace of AIDS pattern and the smart investment will lead soon to achieve the goal- ZERO. To achieve the goal, the smart investment needs to meet the objective of stopping new infections and keeping people alive. The basic programs to meet the alarming rate include: focused interventions for key populations at higher risk (particularly sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men and injection users); elimination of new HIV infections among children; behaviour change program; condom promotion and distribution; treatment, care and support for people living with HIV.
Globally the betterment agenda need to be conducted which includes: new infection among children to be cut by expanding antiretroviral coverage, reducing adult incidence and meeting family planning needs; access gap for women’s family planning services must be closed which enable women to avoid unintended pregnancies and optimize other health outcomes.
Researches with strong evidence and political declaration on HIV/ AIDS heralded a moment of truth in the global AIDS response. Committed leadership, social change, innovation and rapid injection of new resources take it to this level and will transform the response into a vanguard of global health success.
The progress can be made if the relevant decisions made accordingly are implemented continuously which will determine truly the beginning of the end of AIDS.
MOHAN SHRESTHA, Himalayan...
The global pandemic HIV/AIDS still need greater attention. The vision of a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths has captured the imagination of diverse partners, stakeholders and people living with and affected by HIV. Research shows that antiretroviral therapy (ART) can prevent new HIV infections, and it is encouraging that 6.6 million people are now receiving treatment in low and middle income countries. Researches show that the state of AIDS epidemic is quiet controlled than in the past one decade. Annual new HIV infections fell 21% between 1997 and 2010. There were 2.7 million new HIV infections in 2010. At the end of 2010, an estimated 34 million people were living with HIV worldwide, up 17% from 2001. Though new HIV infection fell down, access to ART helped reduce AIDS-related deaths that cause the increase in the population living with AIDS. Hence, the number of people dying with AIDS related causes fell to 1.8 million in 2010 down from 2.2 million in mid 2000s.
The Sub-Saharan region is where the maximum number of people with HIV reside. In 2010, about 68% of all people living with
HIV resided in a region with only 12% of the global population.
Though there was a notable decline in regional rate of new infections, 70% of new HIV infections in 2010 were seen. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, people living with HIV rose 250% from 2001-2010. Asia is the second largest grouping of people living with HIV that is partly attributable to the increase in people living with HIV who receive antiretroviral therapy that helps reduce the number of annual AIDS-related mortality. The epidemic’s decline is accelerating.
The world needs to maintain current efforts and make incremental progress or invest smartly and achieve rapid success in the AIDS response to “ZERO”. Antiretroviral treatment is a key to faster progress. Rapid increase in ART coverage is helping more countries achieve universal access to treatment, care and support. A major factor limiting the prevention dividend of HIV treatment, however is that more than 60% of the people living with HIV are unaware of their HIV status. So, community based awareness focusing on behavioral change program (condom use and its safe use, safe sex with only one partner) may be the key to achieve rapid decline in new HIV infection. Though the latest research shows that there is 25% decline in new HIV infection in Nepal, to continue it more attention and action are required. According to the category of ART receiving, at the end of 2010, Nepal fell in the category of 0-19% while some developed countries and more focused regions receive up to 80% ART therapy. So, the awareness program is more effective and needed in the country like ours. For the closer achievement of the goal globally, investing is to be done smartly. The future of AIDS resourcing depends on smart investing: spending now to curtail the need to ‘spend more-forever’. The rate on AIDS prevention shows the progress will move towards zero and the rate needs to be continued even faster with the clear aims: maximizing the benefits of the HIV response, using country specific epidemiology to ensure rational resource allocation, encouraging countries to implement the most effective program based on local context, increasing efficiency in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. To achieve the aims, investment must be done in the right place
with the right strategies and the investment should be innovative.
Latest news reveal that China calls for shared responsibility in achieving zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS applauds China’s decision to fill its HIV resource gap.
The current pace of AIDS pattern and the smart investment will lead soon to achieve the goal- ZERO. To achieve the goal, the smart investment needs to meet the objective of stopping new infections and keeping people alive. The basic programs to meet the alarming rate include: focused interventions for key populations at higher risk (particularly sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men and injection users); elimination of new HIV infections among children; behaviour change program; condom promotion and distribution; treatment, care and support for people living with HIV.
Globally the betterment agenda need to be conducted which includes: new infection among children to be cut by expanding antiretroviral coverage, reducing adult incidence and meeting family planning needs; access gap for women’s family planning services must be closed which enable women to avoid unintended pregnancies and optimize other health outcomes.
Researches with strong evidence and political declaration on HIV/ AIDS heralded a moment of truth in the global AIDS response. Committed leadership, social change, innovation and rapid injection of new resources take it to this level and will transform the response into a vanguard of global health success.
The progress can be made if the relevant decisions made accordingly are implemented continuously which will determine truly the beginning of the end of AIDS.
MOHAN SHRESTHA, Himalayan...
"Govt working to prevent 14-hour load shedding"
Dec-27th-2011
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Energy is carrying out necessary homework to ensure that power cut time does not cross the previous record of 14 hours a day. Currently, consumers are suffering 10-hour load shedding every day.
Speaking at the regular press meet organised by the Department of Information, Spokesperson of the Ministry Arjun Karki said the demand for electricity increases by 100 MW every year but failure to increase production accordingly is leading to rising hours of load shedding every year.
Efforts are being made to increase the transmission capacity between Nepal and India in order to import the 200 MW electricity agreed during Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai's recent visit to India, he said.
Meanwhile, according to information shared on the occasion 15 aspirants have applied for the post of Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority.
RSS
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Energy is carrying out necessary homework to ensure that power cut time does not cross the previous record of 14 hours a day. Currently, consumers are suffering 10-hour load shedding every day.
Speaking at the regular press meet organised by the Department of Information, Spokesperson of the Ministry Arjun Karki said the demand for electricity increases by 100 MW every year but failure to increase production accordingly is leading to rising hours of load shedding every year.
Efforts are being made to increase the transmission capacity between Nepal and India in order to import the 200 MW electricity agreed during Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai's recent visit to India, he said.
Meanwhile, according to information shared on the occasion 15 aspirants have applied for the post of Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority.
RSS
Foreign money reserve touches Rs 344 billion
Dec-27th-2011
KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Brasha Man Pun has said that foreign currency reserve has significantly increased in recent months. The national treasury has foreign
exchange worth Rs 344 billion today, he said in 14th anniversary of Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal.
The national treasury has Indian currency reserve around Rs 82 billion. The government has around Rs 325 billion reserve in mid-October.
“The government has achieved 19.36 per cent growth rate in revenue mobilisation in Mangsir (mid-November to mid-December). It will go ahead to 20 per cent in mid-January,” he said. He admitted that capital market and real estate has stagnated despite numbers of efforts.
“The government is doing homework to uplift the businesses,” he said adding that the government will bring new policy that empower real estate sector and helps to get loan repayment to banks.
Addressing to journalists, he said that the government will bring programmes to make Investment Year a grand success. The government has announced fiscal year 2012-13 as Investment Year. “The government shortly announces policies and programmes for Investment Year 2012-13 as Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai government has given economic agenda a top priority,” he said without elaborating the government priorities.
On the occasion, Minister for Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta warned further crisis of energy. “Increasing loadshedding is fuelling more demand of fuel and the state has failed to maintain supply,” he said adding that energy crisis has affected
industrial growth as well as people lives.
Nepal Rastra Bank’s governor Dr Yubraj Khatiwada showed happiness as deposits gradually increasing in banks and financial institutions. “Depositors in banks and finance companies have crossed 7.5 million. It showed banking sector is gaining trust from people,” he said. According to him, deposit
insurance introduced last year has secured around 13 per cent deposit so far.
Himalayan.
KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Brasha Man Pun has said that foreign currency reserve has significantly increased in recent months. The national treasury has foreign
exchange worth Rs 344 billion today, he said in 14th anniversary of Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal.
The national treasury has Indian currency reserve around Rs 82 billion. The government has around Rs 325 billion reserve in mid-October.
“The government has achieved 19.36 per cent growth rate in revenue mobilisation in Mangsir (mid-November to mid-December). It will go ahead to 20 per cent in mid-January,” he said. He admitted that capital market and real estate has stagnated despite numbers of efforts.
“The government is doing homework to uplift the businesses,” he said adding that the government will bring new policy that empower real estate sector and helps to get loan repayment to banks.
Addressing to journalists, he said that the government will bring programmes to make Investment Year a grand success. The government has announced fiscal year 2012-13 as Investment Year. “The government shortly announces policies and programmes for Investment Year 2012-13 as Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai government has given economic agenda a top priority,” he said without elaborating the government priorities.
On the occasion, Minister for Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta warned further crisis of energy. “Increasing loadshedding is fuelling more demand of fuel and the state has failed to maintain supply,” he said adding that energy crisis has affected
industrial growth as well as people lives.
Nepal Rastra Bank’s governor Dr Yubraj Khatiwada showed happiness as deposits gradually increasing in banks and financial institutions. “Depositors in banks and finance companies have crossed 7.5 million. It showed banking sector is gaining trust from people,” he said. According to him, deposit
insurance introduced last year has secured around 13 per cent deposit so far.
Himalayan.
12 elephants in Intl' elephant race semi final
Dec-27th-2011
CHITWAN: Twelve elephants are holding competition this afternoon for the semi final of International Elephants Race Tournament being held at Sauraha of Chitwan.
Six elephants will be selected from the semi final match on Tuesday.
The final event is set for tomorrow. Altogether 20 teams including 10 from abroad countries took part in the competition, informed coordinator of event organising main committee, Narayan Bhattarai.
In an interesting football match held among the calves of elephant, Crist Bank has won the title by defeating Rotary Club Chitwan with 4-1.
RSS
CHITWAN: Twelve elephants are holding competition this afternoon for the semi final of International Elephants Race Tournament being held at Sauraha of Chitwan.
Six elephants will be selected from the semi final match on Tuesday.
The final event is set for tomorrow. Altogether 20 teams including 10 from abroad countries took part in the competition, informed coordinator of event organising main committee, Narayan Bhattarai.
In an interesting football match held among the calves of elephant, Crist Bank has won the title by defeating Rotary Club Chitwan with 4-1.
RSS
Illegally imported goods confiscated
Dec-27th-2011
BHADRAPUR: A squad of the Armed Police Force (APF) seized large quantity of chemical fertilizers and its raw materials, illegally imported by evading customs duty, from Duwagadhi of Jhapa on Monday night.
The team headed by Superintendant of Police (SP) at Pathibhara Battalion Lakhanpur, Rajesh Uprety recovered 120 sacks of urea fertilizer and 35 packs of chemicals used in the manufacturing of fertilizers, informed the Battalion.
The activities of illegally importing chemical fertilizers have comparatively increased in Jhapa for the past couple of days, it is learn
RSS.
BHADRAPUR: A squad of the Armed Police Force (APF) seized large quantity of chemical fertilizers and its raw materials, illegally imported by evading customs duty, from Duwagadhi of Jhapa on Monday night.
The team headed by Superintendant of Police (SP) at Pathibhara Battalion Lakhanpur, Rajesh Uprety recovered 120 sacks of urea fertilizer and 35 packs of chemicals used in the manufacturing of fertilizers, informed the Battalion.
The activities of illegally importing chemical fertilizers have comparatively increased in Jhapa for the past couple of days, it is learn
RSS.
Sri Lanka win toss‚ bat first against South Africa
Dec-26th-2011
DURBAN: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the second test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Monday.
South Africa made one injury-enforced change to the team that won the first test at Centurion by an innings and 81 runs, with Vernon Philander ruled out with a knee injury.
Marchant de Lange, the 21-year-old rookie fast bowler from northern South Africa who has played just 14 first-class matches, will be playing his first test in place of Philander.
The Sri Lankans have made one change with uncapped wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal replacing Kaushal Silva.
Teams:
South Africa - Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Marchant de Lange.
Sri Lanka - Tillekaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando.
Reuters.
DURBAN: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the second test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Monday.
South Africa made one injury-enforced change to the team that won the first test at Centurion by an innings and 81 runs, with Vernon Philander ruled out with a knee injury.
Marchant de Lange, the 21-year-old rookie fast bowler from northern South Africa who has played just 14 first-class matches, will be playing his first test in place of Philander.
The Sri Lankans have made one change with uncapped wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal replacing Kaushal Silva.
Teams:
South Africa - Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Marchant de Lange.
Sri Lanka - Tillekaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando.
Reuters.
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 12, 2011
2011: A mobile year
KATHMANDU: Among the ‘must-have’ gadgets this year, mobiles definitely come out at the top — because they are now considered essential necessities. The Nepali mobile market was upbeat too, with renowned brands such as Nokia, Samsung, BlackBerry, Spice, Karbonn and ZTE bringing in latest models in 2011. With the year drawing to a close, it is time to review how top brands fared among Nepali consumers.
It was a good year for Neoteric (Nepal) Pvt Ltd, authorised dealer of Nokia for Nepal. The brand has approximately 150 models in the Nepali market till date and proclaims itself to be the leader. Area Sales Manager of the company, Ashwin Kafle says, “It was a successful year for us, as we launched 28 new models in the Nepali market and also included new portfolio of Dual SIM.” According to him, their total market share in Nepal is above 45 per cent and they reportedly sold 545,000 sets in 2011.
Likewise, Samsung also claims to be one of the major players in mobile phones. Dikesh Malhotra, executive director of International Marketing Services Pvt Ltd, authorised dealer of Samsung mobile for Nepal, says, “Samsung mobile users are at the forefront
and this year, our sales amounted to 240,000 units. The total commercial market share of Samsung mobile is 33 per cent. Quantity wise, it occupies 24 per cent of the sales.” The company claims that Samsung is currently number one in the smartphone arena. This year, approximately 60 models of Samsung mobile were launched worldwide, while the Nepali market had 25 such launches. There are altogether 200 models of Samsung mobiles in the domestic market — out of which Samsung Champ C3303, priced at Rs 6,590, sold the most during the year.
Another exciting happening of 2011 was the official appointment of TeleTalk Pvt Ltd as the authorised dealer of BlackBerry mobile phones. After this, Nepali consumers could lay their hands on the latest BlackBerry launches — BlackBerry Curve 8520 and 9300, Torch 9800 and 9860, Bold 9780 and 9900 — with relative ease.
According to Geeta Neupane, marketing manager of the company, BlackBerry is targeted at the corporate and executive group, though it got tremendous response from young entrepreneurs and students too. BlackBerry mobiles reportedly occupy one per cent of the total market share. Its highest selling model this year was BlackBerry Bold 9900, available at Rs 62,950.
TeleTalk, which is also the authorised distributor of Spice mobiles, considered it a satisfactory year for this brand as well. Neupane informs, “Spice mobile is popular among lower and middle end consumers, as it offers all multi-media features at affordable prices. This year, Spice c5060, priced at Rs 3,650, sold the most. Users in remote regions such as Humla and Jumla were attracted towards it because of its network reliability.” Spice has around 60 models in the domestic market, with 18 new models being launched in 2011 alone.
According to Neupane, the mobile market suffered a bit in 2011 due to the economic downturn. The company claims that Spice mobiles occupy 13 per cent of the market share.
Meanwhile, Murarka Organisation, under which Pashupati Trade Links is the authorised dealer of Karbonn mobiles and PK Traders of ZTE mobiles for Nepal, also reports a reasonable year in sales. Bhupal Chettri, sales manager of both the companies, says, “Karbonn mobile is the leading Indian brand in the Nepali market, and most of our users belong to the middle and low income groups.” According to him, Karbonn mobiles hold around 10 per cent market share. The company has already launched 50 models, among which 25 models were launched in 2011 — and 15 are currently available in the domestic market. According to reports, the brand’s highest selling models this year were Karbonn K202 and Karbonn K9 — priced at Rs 2,910 and Rs 3,564 respectively. Similarly, ZTE mobile, occupying around five per cent of the market share, also considers 2011 an acceptable year. As per Chettri, five models of ZTE mobiles were launched this year, out of which ZTE- S309, priced at Rs 1,790, sold like hot cakes.
Fixed-line phone growth slows
Dec-26th-2011
KATHMANDU: The fixed-line telephone popularly known as ‘land-line’ telephone is loosing its ground despite steady growth of telecom sector in the country. Telephone services– mobile, CDMA and land-line– had reached to 53.50 per cent of 26.62 million population.
The increment rate of fixed-line is around one to two thousands every month, according to Management Information System (MIS) report released by Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).
The number of fixed-line consumers has reached to 843,847 until mid-October, according to the regulator. The number of consumers was 842,352 a month ago.
However, telecom service providers have succeeded to expand consumer base by nearly 500,000 during the same period of time. The consumer base of mobile service was 12,153,234 until mid-September but it reached to 12,615,533 in the mid of October, the regulator’s report revealed.
Currently, five telecom companies out of six are providing fixed line telephone service to the consumers. Nepal Telecom, UTL, Smart, STM and Nepal Satellite are providing the service of fixed-line, according to the authority.
Nepal Telecom has the largest number of consumers, the report informed. Nepal Telecom’s fixed-line consumers have reached to 764,694 until mid-October. Similarly, UTL has 70,957, STM has 5,108, Nepal Satellite has 2,490 and Smart has 598 consumers, the authority said.
Consumer attraction have been shifting towards mobile technology since mobile is portable and easy for use, NTA official said, adding that the consumers of fixed-line are mostly government offices and other organisations.
The total consumers of voice telephony has reached to 14,248, 818 until mid-October making overall telephony rate of 53.50.
KATHMANDU: The fixed-line telephone popularly known as ‘land-line’ telephone is loosing its ground despite steady growth of telecom sector in the country. Telephone services– mobile, CDMA and land-line– had reached to 53.50 per cent of 26.62 million population.
The increment rate of fixed-line is around one to two thousands every month, according to Management Information System (MIS) report released by Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).
The number of fixed-line consumers has reached to 843,847 until mid-October, according to the regulator. The number of consumers was 842,352 a month ago.
However, telecom service providers have succeeded to expand consumer base by nearly 500,000 during the same period of time. The consumer base of mobile service was 12,153,234 until mid-September but it reached to 12,615,533 in the mid of October, the regulator’s report revealed.
Currently, five telecom companies out of six are providing fixed line telephone service to the consumers. Nepal Telecom, UTL, Smart, STM and Nepal Satellite are providing the service of fixed-line, according to the authority.
Nepal Telecom has the largest number of consumers, the report informed. Nepal Telecom’s fixed-line consumers have reached to 764,694 until mid-October. Similarly, UTL has 70,957, STM has 5,108, Nepal Satellite has 2,490 and Smart has 598 consumers, the authority said.
Consumer attraction have been shifting towards mobile technology since mobile is portable and easy for use, NTA official said, adding that the consumers of fixed-line are mostly government offices and other organisations.
The total consumers of voice telephony has reached to 14,248, 818 until mid-October making overall telephony rate of 53.50.
Corruption in students' midday meal money
Dec-26th-2011
ITAHARI: The chairmen of the school management committees and headmasters of the primary schools in Sunsari district have been charged of misusing the budget provided by the District Education Office (DEO) for the students' daytime meal.
The office has been doling out nearly Rs 34 million budget to 14,000 plus students in 58 different schools to feed nutritious food to the kids during school hour.
However, it has been learnt that the students were provided with low-priced fast-food.
Planning officer in the DEO, Durga Khatiwada said the budget was allocated by counting the head of the students and each student gets Rs. 12 everyday for tiffin.
Khatiwada said millions of rupees could have been misused as the students were not only provided with the poor quality meal but also the schools were seeking extra money from the DEO by providing fake details of the students.
Lack of monitoring in the schools is to blame for such anomalies.
RSS.
ITAHARI: The chairmen of the school management committees and headmasters of the primary schools in Sunsari district have been charged of misusing the budget provided by the District Education Office (DEO) for the students' daytime meal.
The office has been doling out nearly Rs 34 million budget to 14,000 plus students in 58 different schools to feed nutritious food to the kids during school hour.
However, it has been learnt that the students were provided with low-priced fast-food.
Planning officer in the DEO, Durga Khatiwada said the budget was allocated by counting the head of the students and each student gets Rs. 12 everyday for tiffin.
Khatiwada said millions of rupees could have been misused as the students were not only provided with the poor quality meal but also the schools were seeking extra money from the DEO by providing fake details of the students.
Lack of monitoring in the schools is to blame for such anomalies.
RSS.
Fur-loving Kim Kardashian under fire from PETA
LONDON: Since the break-up of her short-lived marriage to basketball journeyman Kris Humphries times have been tough for Kim Kardashian, reported the Daily Mail on Saturday.
And her declining popularity looks set to receive a further blow after animal rights group PETA launched a billboard campaign slating the star's love of fur coats.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians favourite has regularly been spotted wearing such jackets this year, despite already being chastened by the group, who named her their worst dressed person of 2010.
And in the emotive ad the group has a cute picture of two fox cubs, with the statement: 'Kim These babies miss their mother. Is she on your back.'
In addition to the adverts, the animal rights organisation has also blasted the 31-year-old on their website.
PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said: 'Kim knows that animals on fur farms are beaten, electrocuted, and often skinned alive.
'We've explained it to her, and she's watched a video expose that was filmed inside fur farms.
'When Kim is ready to put an end to her relationship with fur, PETA will be happy to take her discards and donate them to the homeless.'
Ironically she turned out to support a PETA campaign poster AGAINST fur which featured her sister Khloe earlier this year.
She posed with her sister next to the 2008 Fur? I'd Rather Go Naked picture in 2008, after her younger sibling stripped off for the charity.
It is the second time in recent days the Kardashians have been involved in a fashion flare-up.
It was claimed the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights had criticised the family for using Chinese sweatshop labour to produce their fashion lines.
However the group's executive director Charles Kernaghan later spoke out to say the allegations could not be proved, that he had been speaking about conditions in the country in general, and that his words had been twisted.
He did speak out again last night to say: 'If Ms. Kardashian has found a way to overcome the iron-fisted repression under which the Chinese workers are forced to toil, then that would be huge news and worthy of tremendous applause.
'But unfortunately, based on our concrete experiences investigating factories in China and elsewhere, the chances are about one in a million that Ms. Kardashian has found a way to push back against the Chinese authorities and guarantee that her employees will be afforded their most basic, internationally recognized workers' rights.'
The Mail Online contacted Kim's representative, but have yet to receive a comment.
Agencies.
Thứ Bảy, 24 tháng 12, 2011
Govt asks banks to invest in agriculture
Dec-25th-2011
KATHMANDU: The government has asked banks to increase their lending in agriculture sector or face strict measures that bind them to increase their investment in the sector. Banks and finance companies are staying away from venturing into agriculture sector.
Monetary and fiscal policies have failed to encourage financial institutions to increase their lending in agriculture sector, so government will have to force them, said Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
“The urban centric financial institutions do not want to go into rural areas and investing in unproductive sectors like real estate, automobile etc,” he said during a seminar on ‘role of financial service in agriculture sector development’ organised by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). Productivity of agriculture sector is appalling as statistic show that 74 per cent of population are engaged in agriculture but the sector contributes only 35 per cent in national income.
“The need of introducing crop insurance for the farmers as a cushion to seasonal shocks,” he stressed, adding that lack of financial service to the agriculture is the reason behind the low performance of the sector. He expressed that to commercialise agriculture, proper agro marketing and technical development is required through subsidies.
Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun also stressed the lack of access to financial services is one of the reasons that agriculture is still being conducted at subsistence level despite being the occupation of majority of population of Nepal.
The commercial banks are also reluctant to lend to the agriculture sector as their balance sheet shows that agro loans comprise only three per cent of total lending, he pointed out. There is a need to increase investment in agro related sectors such as processing, cold storage, fertilisers and most importantly in agro insurance, he suggested.
NRB governor Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada emphasised on need of upgrading of technology used in the production in order to develop agro sector. “There is no prospect for developing agro sector in the absence of proper research and development,” he said lamenting that even donor agencies are indifferent regarding the matter.
“The absence of proper agriculture marketing infrastructure helping middlemen to earn more than the farmers,” he said adding that minimum price fixed by the government for agriculture products has to be high enough to cover production cost.
KATHMANDU: The government has asked banks to increase their lending in agriculture sector or face strict measures that bind them to increase their investment in the sector. Banks and finance companies are staying away from venturing into agriculture sector.
Monetary and fiscal policies have failed to encourage financial institutions to increase their lending in agriculture sector, so government will have to force them, said Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
“The urban centric financial institutions do not want to go into rural areas and investing in unproductive sectors like real estate, automobile etc,” he said during a seminar on ‘role of financial service in agriculture sector development’ organised by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). Productivity of agriculture sector is appalling as statistic show that 74 per cent of population are engaged in agriculture but the sector contributes only 35 per cent in national income.
“The need of introducing crop insurance for the farmers as a cushion to seasonal shocks,” he stressed, adding that lack of financial service to the agriculture is the reason behind the low performance of the sector. He expressed that to commercialise agriculture, proper agro marketing and technical development is required through subsidies.
Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun also stressed the lack of access to financial services is one of the reasons that agriculture is still being conducted at subsistence level despite being the occupation of majority of population of Nepal.
The commercial banks are also reluctant to lend to the agriculture sector as their balance sheet shows that agro loans comprise only three per cent of total lending, he pointed out. There is a need to increase investment in agro related sectors such as processing, cold storage, fertilisers and most importantly in agro insurance, he suggested.
NRB governor Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada emphasised on need of upgrading of technology used in the production in order to develop agro sector. “There is no prospect for developing agro sector in the absence of proper research and development,” he said lamenting that even donor agencies are indifferent regarding the matter.
“The absence of proper agriculture marketing infrastructure helping middlemen to earn more than the farmers,” he said adding that minimum price fixed by the government for agriculture products has to be high enough to cover production cost.
Raj Kumar defends title
Dec-25th-2011
KATHMANDU: Raj Kumar Nepali, a 20-year old biker from Pokhara, defended the title winning the second Chain Mountain Bike Downhill Championship here at the Hattiban Resort today.
Raj Kumar completed the 1.9km course in 2:37.24 seconds leaving Parmeshwor Pokharel (2:38.04) and national champion Suraj Pandey (3:45.04) behind. It was the fifth downhill title for Raj Kumar. Of the five titles he won in his 13-year career, four came at the same venue. He had claimed a title in his home city earlier this year.
Raj Kumar was more than happy to have defended the title. “I am delighted to win the title with an improved timing,” said Raj Kumar, a 12th grader at Mahendra Higher Secondary School in Pokhara. Raj Kumar had clocked 3:10 seconds to win the trophy in the last edition in 2009.
He credited his success to his mentor and senior biker Santosh Rai. “He (Santosh) is the unsung hero in my success, I am getting every support from him, I would not have achieved this success in the absence of Santosh” said the excited biker, who was disqualified in the 14th Asian Mountain Bike Championship here in 2008.
National champion Suraj, who was competing for the first time since fracturing his right hand during the Commencal Series in February, said he was satisfied with the results. “I had planned to finish the race in top five and I am more than happy to claim the the third place in this tournament,” said Suraj. “The third position finish has boosted my morale to do better in the upcoming events,” said Suraj, the oldest participant at 35. He had finished sixth in the last edition in 2009.
In all, 26 bikers including a foreign invitee in Brazilian David Silva participated
in the tournament organised by the Lalitpur District Cycling Association, under the auspices of Annapurna Post.
The event was managed by Chain Inc. Of the total 26 players, Binod Nagarkoti and Sumit Rai failed to finish the race, while Norwegian Lasse Storhoit did not turn up. The organisers had selected 27 bikers out of the 50 entrants. The top three finishers received race related equipment worth Rs 22,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 2,500 respectively.
Biking for a cause
KATHMANDU: The second Chain Mountain Bike Downhill Championship on Saturday witnessed a different scenario with the participations of Pokharel siblings — Purushottam, Maheshwor and Parmeshwor. Among the three, the eldest brother Purushottam — who had his kidney transplanted in 2001 — took part in the race with an objective of spreading a message to the society. “I participated in the race to change the mentality of the people who think they cannot do physical works after the transplantation,” said the 31-year-old Purushottam. “People hesitate to do physical works after the transplantation. And I want to tell them that’s wrong. I proved that a kidney-transplant person is equally capable and can compete in the society,” added Purushottam, who along with his brothers started training in April. The nine-month training was enough for them to qualify. Out of the 27 bikers, Purushottam finished sixth, while the youngest of the lot Parmeshwor came second and Maheshwor ended up 16th.
Himalayan.
KATHMANDU: Raj Kumar Nepali, a 20-year old biker from Pokhara, defended the title winning the second Chain Mountain Bike Downhill Championship here at the Hattiban Resort today.
Raj Kumar completed the 1.9km course in 2:37.24 seconds leaving Parmeshwor Pokharel (2:38.04) and national champion Suraj Pandey (3:45.04) behind. It was the fifth downhill title for Raj Kumar. Of the five titles he won in his 13-year career, four came at the same venue. He had claimed a title in his home city earlier this year.
Raj Kumar was more than happy to have defended the title. “I am delighted to win the title with an improved timing,” said Raj Kumar, a 12th grader at Mahendra Higher Secondary School in Pokhara. Raj Kumar had clocked 3:10 seconds to win the trophy in the last edition in 2009.
He credited his success to his mentor and senior biker Santosh Rai. “He (Santosh) is the unsung hero in my success, I am getting every support from him, I would not have achieved this success in the absence of Santosh” said the excited biker, who was disqualified in the 14th Asian Mountain Bike Championship here in 2008.
National champion Suraj, who was competing for the first time since fracturing his right hand during the Commencal Series in February, said he was satisfied with the results. “I had planned to finish the race in top five and I am more than happy to claim the the third place in this tournament,” said Suraj. “The third position finish has boosted my morale to do better in the upcoming events,” said Suraj, the oldest participant at 35. He had finished sixth in the last edition in 2009.
In all, 26 bikers including a foreign invitee in Brazilian David Silva participated
in the tournament organised by the Lalitpur District Cycling Association, under the auspices of Annapurna Post.
The event was managed by Chain Inc. Of the total 26 players, Binod Nagarkoti and Sumit Rai failed to finish the race, while Norwegian Lasse Storhoit did not turn up. The organisers had selected 27 bikers out of the 50 entrants. The top three finishers received race related equipment worth Rs 22,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 2,500 respectively.
Biking for a cause
KATHMANDU: The second Chain Mountain Bike Downhill Championship on Saturday witnessed a different scenario with the participations of Pokharel siblings — Purushottam, Maheshwor and Parmeshwor. Among the three, the eldest brother Purushottam — who had his kidney transplanted in 2001 — took part in the race with an objective of spreading a message to the society. “I participated in the race to change the mentality of the people who think they cannot do physical works after the transplantation,” said the 31-year-old Purushottam. “People hesitate to do physical works after the transplantation. And I want to tell them that’s wrong. I proved that a kidney-transplant person is equally capable and can compete in the society,” added Purushottam, who along with his brothers started training in April. The nine-month training was enough for them to qualify. Out of the 27 bikers, Purushottam finished sixth, while the youngest of the lot Parmeshwor came second and Maheshwor ended up 16th.
Himalayan.
Taylor Swift a "crafty" present-wrapper
LOS ANGELES: The 'Mean' hitmaker enjoys making her Christmas gifts hard to unwrap and she goes to great lengths to make them look attractive before her family and friends can open them.
She wrote on twitter: "I get sort of crafty when I wrap gifts. Like...I had to stop when I found myself hot-gluing Christmas figurines onto the presents."
The blonde stunner loves spending time with her family at Christmas and she enjoys using the festive period to look back on what she has achieved over the years.
The 22-year-old singer - who was named Artist of the Year at the 2011 American Music Awards - told Twist magazine: "I plan on spending as much time with my family as possible. It's amazing to have us all together. Also, a lot of my friends are always on tour.
"To have everyone back in Nashville for the holidays is one of my favourite things about this time of year. My family and I always decorate a big Christmas tree together and look at the ornaments [my brother] Austin and I made when we were kids.
"It's so nostalgic, looking back at all the Christmases past and comparing them to how different our lives are now."
Taylor recently gave her legion of fans an early Christmas present by tweeting a link to her latest song 'Safe and Sound', which will feature on the soundtrack of action movie 'The Hunger Games'.
Agencies.
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 12, 2011
Policy for ground water resources
KATHMANDU: In contrast to the Government’s target to provide safe drinking water for each citizen, one vital natural resource, ground water in the form of springs, dug wells and tube wells is being neglected without any policy. All groundwater investigation and development works are concentrated in the Capital and some parts of terai, avoiding the hilly regions. There are about 1,000 deep and 50,000 shallow water wells in the terai, for domestic, industrial and irrigational purpose.
According to a study, the current annual use of groundwater in terai is about 860 million cubic metre (MCM). By the end of 2027, this figure is expected to increase by 6500 MCM per annum.
The existing Water Resources Act (WRA) 1992 is general in character and inadequate to address the problems associated with regulating groundwater utilisation and management because of the complexity inherent in the groundwater system, said Suresh Raj Uprety. He informed that the Ministry of Water Resources is said to be in the process of amending the WRA 1992 and that the groundwater regulation will be prepared later.
Himalayan.
According to a study, the current annual use of groundwater in terai is about 860 million cubic metre (MCM). By the end of 2027, this figure is expected to increase by 6500 MCM per annum.
The existing Water Resources Act (WRA) 1992 is general in character and inadequate to address the problems associated with regulating groundwater utilisation and management because of the complexity inherent in the groundwater system, said Suresh Raj Uprety. He informed that the Ministry of Water Resources is said to be in the process of amending the WRA 1992 and that the groundwater regulation will be prepared later.
Himalayan.
Finance Minister paints rosy picture of economy
DEc-23rd-2011
KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun, though, painted a rosy picture of the economy, people have not got any respite from price hike; electricity tariff is increasing from January 15 and petroleum products prices are rising in a couple of days, making a deep hole in people’s pocket.
Neither the government has been able to create employment, nor has it been able to spend on development activities, but finance minister claimed that the economic indicators are positive and the country is sailing smoothly.
He, however, accepted that the government has not been able to crack whip on inflation and provide any ‘visible relief’ to the people, as promised.
The government is committed to give relief to the people, he reiterated, adding “but increasing electricity tariff and petroleum products prices was a compulsion.”
“The government has to take risk to save the country,” Pun tried to justify. “There has been no hike in the electricity tariff and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is incurring losses. Similarly, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is also incurring huge losses forcing the government to hike the price. The government cannot always pump capital in NOC.”
The increasing hours of power outage has made the economy less competitive and the government is looking for solution to the power crisis and is soon deciding on either installing 100 MW Diesel Plant or increasing power import from India, he added.
But the rise in electricity tariff by 20 per cent and petroleum products will increase the cost of operation of industries, transportation and make goods dearer but people’s purchasing power has not increased.
Pun showed his dissatisfaction over the low capital expenditure. “We have been able to spend Rs 5.29 billion on the development activities by the end of fifth month of the current fiscal year,” he said, adding that it is, though 12 per cent increment compared to the last fiscal year, the development spending is ‘too low’. The government has earmarked Rs 72.61 billion for development activities in the budget for this fiscal year.
“The government has spent Rs 84.51 billion by the end of fifth month,” he said, adding, “Of the total, Rs 71.91 billion has been spent on recurrent expenditure, spending on regular salaries and administrative activities.”
The lower capital spending has resulted in lesser employment creation. Similarly, the government’s ambitious plan to create employment to 50,000 youths in a year through Youth Self-Employment programme has also failed.
“The government has been able to help 1,800 youths in the last four years under the programme against the government’s target of 50,000 in a year,” Pun said, blaming the bureaucratic hurdles for the failure. “But we are having talks with the banks and financial institutions and youth wings of the political parties to make conducive environment to create more employment through risk free loan of Rs 200,000 under Youth Self-Employment programme that is expected to discourage search for greener pasture abroad by unemployed youths,” he promised. But by the fourth month of current fiscal year, some 156,721 youths have already landed in the Gulf and Malaysia for employment, according to the Department of Foreign Employment.
The programme was supposed to be scrapped according to the political consensus last month as it was criticised to be a party funding mechanism. But he said that the programme will be expanded through Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) district chapters and government banks, as they are also showing interest to participate in the programme actively.
“The government banks have promised to help the
programme by creating a separate desk to lend for youths, urban and rural,” Pun said, adding that Agriculture Development Bank Ltd has asked for Rs 2 billion.
Himalayan.
KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun, though, painted a rosy picture of the economy, people have not got any respite from price hike; electricity tariff is increasing from January 15 and petroleum products prices are rising in a couple of days, making a deep hole in people’s pocket.
Neither the government has been able to create employment, nor has it been able to spend on development activities, but finance minister claimed that the economic indicators are positive and the country is sailing smoothly.
He, however, accepted that the government has not been able to crack whip on inflation and provide any ‘visible relief’ to the people, as promised.
The government is committed to give relief to the people, he reiterated, adding “but increasing electricity tariff and petroleum products prices was a compulsion.”
“The government has to take risk to save the country,” Pun tried to justify. “There has been no hike in the electricity tariff and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is incurring losses. Similarly, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is also incurring huge losses forcing the government to hike the price. The government cannot always pump capital in NOC.”
The increasing hours of power outage has made the economy less competitive and the government is looking for solution to the power crisis and is soon deciding on either installing 100 MW Diesel Plant or increasing power import from India, he added.
But the rise in electricity tariff by 20 per cent and petroleum products will increase the cost of operation of industries, transportation and make goods dearer but people’s purchasing power has not increased.
Pun showed his dissatisfaction over the low capital expenditure. “We have been able to spend Rs 5.29 billion on the development activities by the end of fifth month of the current fiscal year,” he said, adding that it is, though 12 per cent increment compared to the last fiscal year, the development spending is ‘too low’. The government has earmarked Rs 72.61 billion for development activities in the budget for this fiscal year.
“The government has spent Rs 84.51 billion by the end of fifth month,” he said, adding, “Of the total, Rs 71.91 billion has been spent on recurrent expenditure, spending on regular salaries and administrative activities.”
The lower capital spending has resulted in lesser employment creation. Similarly, the government’s ambitious plan to create employment to 50,000 youths in a year through Youth Self-Employment programme has also failed.
“The government has been able to help 1,800 youths in the last four years under the programme against the government’s target of 50,000 in a year,” Pun said, blaming the bureaucratic hurdles for the failure. “But we are having talks with the banks and financial institutions and youth wings of the political parties to make conducive environment to create more employment through risk free loan of Rs 200,000 under Youth Self-Employment programme that is expected to discourage search for greener pasture abroad by unemployed youths,” he promised. But by the fourth month of current fiscal year, some 156,721 youths have already landed in the Gulf and Malaysia for employment, according to the Department of Foreign Employment.
The programme was supposed to be scrapped according to the political consensus last month as it was criticised to be a party funding mechanism. But he said that the programme will be expanded through Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) district chapters and government banks, as they are also showing interest to participate in the programme actively.
“The government banks have promised to help the
programme by creating a separate desk to lend for youths, urban and rural,” Pun said, adding that Agriculture Development Bank Ltd has asked for Rs 2 billion.
Himalayan.
I'd love to work with Rajinikanth: Asin
MUMBAI: She may not have a baggage of films to boast of in Bollywood, even though her debut Ghajini proved to be a blockbuster.
But Asin Thottumkal, who was in town recently, is set to take the big screen by a storm next year with two big releases - Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan. But what's put the actor in the limelight is the recent news of her starring in Rajinikanth's next.
The latest buzz doing the rounds in Kollywood circles is that she's been offered to play the lead role opposite the Superstar in Kochadaiyaan, beating competition from the likes of Vidya Balan and Anushka Shetty. Quiz her about the offer and the actor remains tight-lipped about it. "You'll have to ask the producer of the film. I can't comment about it now," she says, adding, "I would love to work with Rajinikanth and if a good project comes by, I'll take it up."
Asin, who is still basking in the success of her last release, Ready, has reportedly said that she wouldn't like to do many films with her 'dear friend' Salman Khan. Rumours that she is dating Neil Nitin Mukesh - with whom she was said to have broken up with - have resurfaced, but the actor is unmindful of the controversies that surround her. "Bollywood gossip is a cliche. I am a straightforward person and prefer to set the record straight if anything comes up," she asserts.
The 26-year-old actor, who has wrapped up the shoot for Housefull 2 opposite Akshay Kumar, is looking forward to the release next year. "With 22 stars working on the film, we had a blast shooting for it. Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala managed the cast really well," says Asin. When asked about how it was to work with the new dostana in town - Akshay Kumar and John Abraham - she says, "It's Akshay plus John! Both of them drove the entire cast and crew crazy with their pranks."
What excites the actor is that the roles she plays in her upcoming films will show her in a different light altogether. Is she choosy about her roles? "I am not choosy. I can shuffle between a serious role and feature in an out-an-out commercial flick too. Nevertheless, I prefer to act in movies that strike a balance between both," she says.
Having worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, does she have plans to work on a Kannada film in the near future? "I have no qualms about working for any film industry as long as my role in the film is meaty. I'd love to work for a Kannada film, but I haven't been offered any scripts so far," she says.
Agencies.
Suu Kyi's party registers to run in Myanmar polls
Dec-23rd-2011
NAYPYITAW: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has formally registered her party for any upcoming elections, returning the Nobel laureate to the political arena.
Suu Kyi and National League for Democracy leader Tin Oo registered the party at the Union Election Commission in the capital Friday morning.
Suu Kyi decided last month to formally rejoin politics in the military-dominated country.
The party boycotted last year's general elections because of restrictive rules that among other things prevented Suu Kyi from being a candidate. The government has since lifted many of those restrictions.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win said Suu Kyi will soon announce were she will run in an upcoming by-election.
No date has been set for that election.
AP.
NAYPYITAW: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has formally registered her party for any upcoming elections, returning the Nobel laureate to the political arena.
Suu Kyi and National League for Democracy leader Tin Oo registered the party at the Union Election Commission in the capital Friday morning.
Suu Kyi decided last month to formally rejoin politics in the military-dominated country.
The party boycotted last year's general elections because of restrictive rules that among other things prevented Suu Kyi from being a candidate. The government has since lifted many of those restrictions.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win said Suu Kyi will soon announce were she will run in an upcoming by-election.
No date has been set for that election.
AP.
Stephanie Seymour sizzles on beach after weight loss
LONDON: She was once hailed a 'swimsuit supermodel' on the cover of Sports Illustrated, so for Stephanie Seymour the bikini stakes are high, reported the Daily Mail on Wednesday.
No matter that she's now a 42-year-old mother of four, the world is still an aesthetically-driven place and people will judge her form.
It may not be fair, but Seymour has been a model since she was 16 and she knows the drill, get in shape before you hit the beach.
Especially when you're headed to one peppered with celebrities.
Last year she was upset when she was photographed on the showbiz sand after gaining ten pounds.
When she was snapped having a cuddle with her openly gay son, Peter Jnr, Stephanie told Town and Country that he was comforting her about the weight gain: 'I'd gained ten pounds, and was feeling insecure,' she admitted.
So this year she's left nothing to chance, and unveiled a new improved beach body today thanks to dieting, exercise and a tan.
Just yesterday, the former girlfriend of Axl Rose was putting her already extremely well honed body through it's paces in St Barts.
It's on the Caribbean island that California girl Stephanie will no doubt be displaying her winning curves. She made several show-stopping appearances on the beach last year.
But then she was making a statement in more ways than one, as she had just settled her differences with her previously estranged husband, Peter Brant.
A year on, and the pair look to be happier than ever, as the 64-year-old joined his wife on her work-out in a local park.
It's a big turnaround after early last year when the couple were in the throes of one of the ugliest celebrity divorce battles.
They revealed in September that they were calling off their acrimonious divorce despite already spending millions each on legal fees and had got back together.
They first announced their split in March 2009 and embarked on a bitter battle rife with allegations of infidelity, drug abuse and wild spending sprees and embroiled their children in the process.
Police were called to the couple's home following Seymour's complaint that Brant's security assaulted her, Brant accused the model of drug use and was seeking sole custody of their three children.
The couple are parents to Peter Jnr, 18 , Harry, 14 , and seven-year-old Lily, as well as Dylan, 20 , from one of Stephanie's earlier relationships.
Appearing on the Oprah show in February, Stephanie candidly discussed her efforts to repair her rocky marriage.
She told Oprah the night before she and her husband were due in court to finalise their divorce she had a change of heart: ‘I had an epiphany. I went to my husband’s house with a sort of peace offering... and we just decided then and there to reconcile and work things out between us.’
Stephanie’s renewed commitment to her husband and marriage were not the only topics she openly discussed with the talk show host.
She also spoke about the racy photos of herself and 18 year old son, Peter, hugging and kissing which created a media firestorm around the family.
She explained: ‘We had no idea one second would be turned into something that could ever be thought of as inappropriate. He’s my baby. He’s a gorgeous young man, but he’s my baby.’
Seymour was also a coveted Victoria's Secret angel.
She has since grace more than 300 magazine covers and considered the world's most celebrated swimsuit models.
She dated rock star Axl Rose in the early 1990s and starred in two Guns N' Roses videos, including the famous wedding montage for November Rain.
Seymour then met Brant who was married and had five children.
Brant made his fortune with his White Birch Paper Co and operates six pulp and paper mills.
He was jailed briefly in 1990 for failure to keep good tax records.
Agencies.
I never had any problems with Abhay: Sonam Kapoor
MUMBAI: This 'player' likes to play with words, alright. And no one does it better than her.
Recently, when zoOm asked Sonam Kapoor about her equation with Abhay Deol, she nonchalantly brushed it off saying, "I never had any problems with Abhay. In fact, I'm talking about it for the first time here. All the problems were between him and my dad, Anil Kapoor.
The war-of-words, or so to say, was never between us." Sonam and Abhay are pairing-up again for Rajkumar Santoshi's next film. Well, smart move, gal. We hope there's no war on the sets of this one. Of words, or otherwise... For more Bollywood news & gossip, keep watching 'Planet Bollywood News' every night at 7, only on zoOm - India's No.1 Bollywood channel.
Agencies.
Thứ Tư, 21 tháng 12, 2011
Kate Moss heats up winter with lingerie shoot
LONDON: Kate Moss raises temperatures this Christmas in a sensational new bedroom shoot, reported British daily The Sun on Wednesday.
Reclining on an unmade bed, the Croydon clothes horse ignores the chilly wintry weather outside and sprawls out in a risqué black two-piece and sheer stockings.
Despite tying the knot with rocker Jamie Hince this year, her career is showing no signs of taking a back seat.
The image is just one from a new collection shot for French lingerie firm Valisere.
Coming more than 20 years after her debut job for British magazine The Face, the photoshoot proves the 37-year-old's slender figure is as trim as ever.
Another frame sees her rocking a new loose fringe, again lying across a bed, but this time wearing a more innocent white bra and knickers set and thigh-high socks.
And a third image shows the beauty gazing into a mirror while wearing a pretty floral design.
While the final shot sees scantily-clad Kate leaning against a wardrobe.
Despite raking in the cash in modelling deals, The Sun recently told how Kate will be saving plenty of cash on Christmas presents this year.
She is learning how to make chutney and is planning to hand out jars of the stuff as gifts for her mates.
A source said: "Some of Kate's pals are really into cheese so she has told them to expect a surprise this Christmas.
"She loves cooking and experimenting with different flavours."
Yesterday Kate was accused of ripping off a photoshoot by another brand in adverts for her Fred jewellery range.
A spokesman for her former employer David Yurman said: "The Fred campaign is embarrassingly similar to the one we ran a year ago."
Agencies.
Protection of lakes stressed
Dec-22nd-2011
KATHMANDU: The National Lake Protection Development Committee has emphasized on operation of all the lakes in the country under a single policy.
The meeting of the Committee held Wednesday said some 5,000 lakes of the country should be protected under one plan and government should make both short term and long term plans for their development as per touristic importance.
Chairman of the National Lake Development Committee Shaligram Poudel said lakes were encroached for lack of government policies and bio-diversity linked to it are facing problems.
He also said a high level squad should be formed immediately as they cannot be protected under the present condition.
As per World Protection Association Nepal, there are 163 wetlands in Terai of Nepal and 79 are in the hills and as per the Committee's 2009 preliminary statistics, there are 5,358 natural lakes in the country.
Some 2,712 lakes are below 500 metres altitude, 2,227 above 3,000 metres and 419 lakes are in the mid-hills.
The data on number and status of other lakes in high Himalayas are yet not ascertained, said Poudel.
No effective endeavors have been undertaken because of the ownership debate among the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Local Development, Finance Ministry and Tourism Ministry, said NAST representative Prakash Raut.
National Nature Conservation Fund Executive Director Judda Bahadur Gurung said the ownership issue should be cleared first, whereas NTB Manager Mani Lamichhane said, immediate steps are needed as the high Himalayan lakes are facing problems due to climate change.
He said the two thirds of the Fewa Lake was encroached, Rupa lake was not managed well and water level decreasing, Tsho Rolpa and Tilicho lakes were facing problems because of climate change and could be a history if not an immediate protection strategy is taken to protect them.
RSS.
KATHMANDU: The National Lake Protection Development Committee has emphasized on operation of all the lakes in the country under a single policy.
The meeting of the Committee held Wednesday said some 5,000 lakes of the country should be protected under one plan and government should make both short term and long term plans for their development as per touristic importance.
Chairman of the National Lake Development Committee Shaligram Poudel said lakes were encroached for lack of government policies and bio-diversity linked to it are facing problems.
He also said a high level squad should be formed immediately as they cannot be protected under the present condition.
As per World Protection Association Nepal, there are 163 wetlands in Terai of Nepal and 79 are in the hills and as per the Committee's 2009 preliminary statistics, there are 5,358 natural lakes in the country.
Some 2,712 lakes are below 500 metres altitude, 2,227 above 3,000 metres and 419 lakes are in the mid-hills.
The data on number and status of other lakes in high Himalayas are yet not ascertained, said Poudel.
No effective endeavors have been undertaken because of the ownership debate among the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Local Development, Finance Ministry and Tourism Ministry, said NAST representative Prakash Raut.
National Nature Conservation Fund Executive Director Judda Bahadur Gurung said the ownership issue should be cleared first, whereas NTB Manager Mani Lamichhane said, immediate steps are needed as the high Himalayan lakes are facing problems due to climate change.
He said the two thirds of the Fewa Lake was encroached, Rupa lake was not managed well and water level decreasing, Tsho Rolpa and Tilicho lakes were facing problems because of climate change and could be a history if not an immediate protection strategy is taken to protect them.
RSS.
Cold waves take toll on life
Dec-21st-2011
RAUTAHAT: Life in Rautahat district is getting tougher due to cold wave followed by dipping temperature. At least eight people have lost their lives in Rautahat this year due to chilling cold.
With the mercury level going down, the Armed Base Camp, Pokharbinda has made arrangement for fire to beat the cold.
The Gaur municipality has not heeded the public demand to make necessary arrangement for fire despite repeated requests, locals complained.
RSS.
RAUTAHAT: Life in Rautahat district is getting tougher due to cold wave followed by dipping temperature. At least eight people have lost their lives in Rautahat this year due to chilling cold.
With the mercury level going down, the Armed Base Camp, Pokharbinda has made arrangement for fire to beat the cold.
The Gaur municipality has not heeded the public demand to make necessary arrangement for fire despite repeated requests, locals complained.
RSS.
Thứ Ba, 20 tháng 12, 2011
New York rewards '50 millionth' tourist
TIMES SQUARE: New York's mayor celebrated record tourist numbers Friday by awarding the city's 50 millionth visitor this year a symbolic golden ticket -- and some serious cash prizes -- in Times Square.
Newlyweds Craig and Lucy Johnson family from Britain were feted as Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted the Big Apple's success in breaking the 50 million number ahead of a self-imposed deadline of 2012.
Of the 50.2 million people, 10.1 came from abroad and the rest from the United States. The biggest foreign contingent was British, with one million visitors, the mayor's office said.
"New York City’s quality of life has contributed to this great success and we are confident we will sustain the success of our tourism industry in the months and years ahead," Bloomberg said.
The Johnsons were given a $10,000 gift card for this trip and a $10,000 package of gift cards to visit and spend money in famous stores and at Broadway shows again in 2012.
AFP.
Tribhuvan International Airport goes hightech
KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan International Airport civil aviation office signed a seven-year agreement with air transport IT specialist Sita to tackle check-in queues at the only international airport of the country.
“With the introduction of Sita’s common use platform AirportConnect open queues will be reduced and passenger flow through the airport will greatly improve because check in areas can be used more efficiently,” said director general of Civil Avia Ram Prasad Neupane.
With the constraints of available space and growth in number of international airlines and their frequency of flights, expansion of physical space and facilities was a must. “As an initiative, we have decided to provide Common User Terminal Equipment system, comprising Sita AirportConnect Open, Maestro LDCs and Bag Fast at the airport for easy passenger processing service to enable multiple airlines, service providers, to share physical check-in and boarding gate resources,” said general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport Ratish Chandra Lal Suman. “Long queues are consequences of the lack of airline common-use facilities at the airport.”
“We selected Sita after an extremely competitive international bidding ,” Suman said, adding that the upgradation is timely as Nepal posted a record over a half million air traffic this year. Sita AirportConnect Open will be implemented initially at 24 check-in counters, and later it will be expanded to 36.
According to Suman, the passenger numbers are expected to grow from now until April due to the peak tourism season. “There was a encouraging growth in air traffic last year when number of international airlines also increased,” he said, adding that international airlines need consistent passenger processing, reduced congestion and improved flow.
“AirportConnect Open will provide airport with flexibility to cope up with peaks in traffic during the busiest times of the year for tourism and trade,” Sita country director for India and subcontinent Maneesh Jaikrishna said.
Sita has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing and managing the system for seven years and act as an exclusive concessionaire for Cute service.
Himalayan
“With the introduction of Sita’s common use platform AirportConnect open queues will be reduced and passenger flow through the airport will greatly improve because check in areas can be used more efficiently,” said director general of Civil Avia Ram Prasad Neupane.
With the constraints of available space and growth in number of international airlines and their frequency of flights, expansion of physical space and facilities was a must. “As an initiative, we have decided to provide Common User Terminal Equipment system, comprising Sita AirportConnect Open, Maestro LDCs and Bag Fast at the airport for easy passenger processing service to enable multiple airlines, service providers, to share physical check-in and boarding gate resources,” said general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport Ratish Chandra Lal Suman. “Long queues are consequences of the lack of airline common-use facilities at the airport.”
“We selected Sita after an extremely competitive international bidding ,” Suman said, adding that the upgradation is timely as Nepal posted a record over a half million air traffic this year. Sita AirportConnect Open will be implemented initially at 24 check-in counters, and later it will be expanded to 36.
According to Suman, the passenger numbers are expected to grow from now until April due to the peak tourism season. “There was a encouraging growth in air traffic last year when number of international airlines also increased,” he said, adding that international airlines need consistent passenger processing, reduced congestion and improved flow.
“AirportConnect Open will provide airport with flexibility to cope up with peaks in traffic during the busiest times of the year for tourism and trade,” Sita country director for India and subcontinent Maneesh Jaikrishna said.
Sita has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing and managing the system for seven years and act as an exclusive concessionaire for Cute service.
Himalayan
LeAnn Rimes displays skinny appeal in Mexico
LONDON: For most people the week before Christmas means dashing round for last-minute gifts.
But for LeAnn Rimes it was a case of sun, sea and looking very skinny indeed as she relaxed with hubby Eddie Cibrian in Mexico, reported the Daily Mail on Monday.
The singer tweeted a picture of herself wearing a brown bikini, the bottoms of which swamped her tiny lower body.
The 29-year-old's shrinking frame has been much discussed by fans some of whom have raised concerns for her health.
Earlier this year Rimes was approached in a Chicago restaurant by a diner who bluntly told her: 'You need to eat something.'
Furiously the star took to Twitter in rebuttal, posting: ‘How dare someone come to me at a table w/ the boys and tell me I need to eat something.'
She has often taken to Twitter to document what she has eaten since the incident.
Sunday was no exception with Rimes tweeting from fully-stocked beach bar.
'My man's heaven.....football & a FULL tequila bar!....sushi too,' she wrote.
Rimes and Cibrian, who married in April, jetted out for their romantic getaway from LAX Sunday.
It seems Rimes may have had some trouble on the plane after tweeting: 'So happy my hubby speaks Spanish cause they didn't have English customs forms on the plane. There are some VERY confused people.'
And before the pair's trip, the country singer revealed she had been stocking up on swimwear.
'Take out day & I'm in charge, but not before a little Diane's Beachwear shopping for a hat. :) #getmeonaplanenow,' she wrote.
But after they landed the singer could relax properly but still made sure to tweet updates with pictures of her and Cibrian looking suitably loved up.
Agencies.
International volleyball competition begins in Pokhara
Dec-21st-2011
KASKI: The First Wai Wai International Invitational Volleyball Competition began in Pokhara Stadium from Tuesday under the auspices of the Regional Volleyball Association.
The league com knock out games will run until December 24. National Sports Council Member Dilip Bikram Shahi inaugurated the games amid a function, Tuesday.
Participating in the competition are Nepal Police, Young Star Club of Bhutan, Tops Higher Secondary School of Pokhara, Majdoor Smriti Club, Fishtail Higher Secondary of Pokhara, Eastern Railway of India, Balodaya Higher Secondary, Pokhara, and Gyanubaba Higher Secondary, Pokhara.
RSS.
KASKI: The First Wai Wai International Invitational Volleyball Competition began in Pokhara Stadium from Tuesday under the auspices of the Regional Volleyball Association.
The league com knock out games will run until December 24. National Sports Council Member Dilip Bikram Shahi inaugurated the games amid a function, Tuesday.
Participating in the competition are Nepal Police, Young Star Club of Bhutan, Tops Higher Secondary School of Pokhara, Majdoor Smriti Club, Fishtail Higher Secondary of Pokhara, Eastern Railway of India, Balodaya Higher Secondary, Pokhara, and Gyanubaba Higher Secondary, Pokhara.
RSS.
Thứ Hai, 19 tháng 12, 2011
Challenges beckon
The health sector is viewed very critically as its progress reflects the health status of the people in the country. There are problems galore in the health service delivery because of the topography of the country and cultural barriers. Moreover, the remote districts are often reported to being sans the deputed medical personnel, leaving the people without health services that is their right. Yet, the government has not been able to mend its fences as far as manning the health facilities around the country is concerned. Besides, the recent news reports from Dipayal pointed to the fact that the drugs meant for the district health units were found abandoned at the hotels in the district headquarters. This shows the utter negligence as regards the delivery of the essential drugs to its destination. The same might be happening in other districts as well. Whatever it may be, the victims are the people who come to the health facilities for diagnosis and treatment of their ailments, and they are entitled to free medicines provided by the Health Ministry. Slogans do not work magic, ‘health for all’ can only be attained with all the logistics in place, about which there are ample grievances.
In this gloomy scenario, the achievement made in Millennium Development Goals-5 (MDGs-5) comes as a ray of hope. The MDGs-5 concerns the maternal health, which is what Safe Motherhood depends so much upon. As per the records, the maternal mortality rate has been brought down from 539 in 1996 to 281 per 100,000 live births in 2006, which is a remarkable 49 per cent reduction. This has materialised despite the reigning fluid politics. What seems to have spurred this development could be the rising awareness among the expectant mothers, and the government’s initiative of waiving user fees for safe delivery services in government health facilities in the country, and also the cash incentives provided to the mothers. Despite all that, there are many mothers-to-be who are unaware of the facilities that they can avail of. Going together with it is the MDGs-4, which is concerned about child health. It is awe-inspiring that the under-five child mortality rate has declined from 118 per thousand live births in 1996 to 54 in 2011. However, the neo-natal mortality remains a serious concern.
There are glimmers of hope for achieving the MDGs in the health sector, but one has to be cautious about the often ad-hoc way of handling the specific needs and demands of the health sector. It is true that women have to always remain the focus as the next generation’s health and well-being rests on them. To make them aware of their health needs and the health facilities that they can avail of is urgent. However, plans do not make much sense unless the props, that is the health facilities, are manned properly, with an adequate stock of the essential drugs for free distribution. Monitoring of the health services offered by the government health facilities needs more strictness, and there is need to take serious note of absenteeism of health professionals from their respective posts. More budgetary allocation for the health sector together with enhanced human resources are what makes sense, among others.
Retain youths
Youths in droves are fleeing their villages in search of employment in foreign countries. It was once believed that this trend would stop once peace was restored in the country. However, this is not so as indicated by reports from far-flung villages in Okhaldunga, which have almost become devoid of youths. This must be the same in other remote districts. The youths opt to go abroad in search of greener pastures at the same time leaving arable land barren. If this trend was to continue, the country would stand to lose much in the long run. Adversely affected would be social life not to talk about the life in the villages. Thus, it was high time the government intervened and set up infrastructures to build agricultural and cottage industries to create more jobs.
Since the youths are the most productive segment of the society, the country cannot afford to lose them. For this, employment opportunities ought to be generated without further delay, and the youths must be encouraged to take part in development endeavours in the country itself. This, however, calls for appropriate strategies.
Aditorial.(The Himalayan)
In this gloomy scenario, the achievement made in Millennium Development Goals-5 (MDGs-5) comes as a ray of hope. The MDGs-5 concerns the maternal health, which is what Safe Motherhood depends so much upon. As per the records, the maternal mortality rate has been brought down from 539 in 1996 to 281 per 100,000 live births in 2006, which is a remarkable 49 per cent reduction. This has materialised despite the reigning fluid politics. What seems to have spurred this development could be the rising awareness among the expectant mothers, and the government’s initiative of waiving user fees for safe delivery services in government health facilities in the country, and also the cash incentives provided to the mothers. Despite all that, there are many mothers-to-be who are unaware of the facilities that they can avail of. Going together with it is the MDGs-4, which is concerned about child health. It is awe-inspiring that the under-five child mortality rate has declined from 118 per thousand live births in 1996 to 54 in 2011. However, the neo-natal mortality remains a serious concern.
There are glimmers of hope for achieving the MDGs in the health sector, but one has to be cautious about the often ad-hoc way of handling the specific needs and demands of the health sector. It is true that women have to always remain the focus as the next generation’s health and well-being rests on them. To make them aware of their health needs and the health facilities that they can avail of is urgent. However, plans do not make much sense unless the props, that is the health facilities, are manned properly, with an adequate stock of the essential drugs for free distribution. Monitoring of the health services offered by the government health facilities needs more strictness, and there is need to take serious note of absenteeism of health professionals from their respective posts. More budgetary allocation for the health sector together with enhanced human resources are what makes sense, among others.
Retain youths
Youths in droves are fleeing their villages in search of employment in foreign countries. It was once believed that this trend would stop once peace was restored in the country. However, this is not so as indicated by reports from far-flung villages in Okhaldunga, which have almost become devoid of youths. This must be the same in other remote districts. The youths opt to go abroad in search of greener pastures at the same time leaving arable land barren. If this trend was to continue, the country would stand to lose much in the long run. Adversely affected would be social life not to talk about the life in the villages. Thus, it was high time the government intervened and set up infrastructures to build agricultural and cottage industries to create more jobs.
Since the youths are the most productive segment of the society, the country cannot afford to lose them. For this, employment opportunities ought to be generated without further delay, and the youths must be encouraged to take part in development endeavours in the country itself. This, however, calls for appropriate strategies.
Aditorial.(The Himalayan)
Sri Lanka call replacement cricketers for Tests
COLOMBO: Uncapped fast bowler Kanishka Alvitigala and seamer Dhammika Prasad have flown out to South Africa to join Sri Lanka's struggling Test team, officials said Tuesday.
Sri Lanka, who were crushed in the first Test by an innings and 81 runs, had requested replacements after pace bowler Nuwan Pradeep was injured during a warm-up game in Benoni.
"Dhammika Prasad and Kanishka Alvitigala will be available for selection for the 2nd Test at Durban on 26th of December and for the final Test at Cape Town scheduled for 3rd January 2012," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
The governing body said both players flew out on Monday to join the team.
The 25-year-old Alvitigala has taken 51 first-class wickets in 25 matches with a career-best of 5 for 34. He has been part of the Sri Lanka A team and toured England earlier this year.
The injury-prone Prasad, 28, has featured in eight Tests, taking five wickets on his debut match against India in 2008.
Sri Lanka also play a five-match one-day series during the tour of South Africa, which ends on January 22.
AFP.
Olympus aims to tap Sony‚ others for $1.3 billion in new capital
TOKYO: Olympus Corp is preparing to issue about $1.28 billion (100 billion yen) in new shares with Japanese high-tech stalwarts Sony and Fujifilm seen as likely buyers as it tries to bolster its depleted finances, the Nikkei business daily reported.
The report on the sale, which the Nikkei said could take the form of preferred shares, follows a warning from one of the camera and endoscope maker's top foreign shareholders that the scandal-tainted board may try to retain control by issuing new shares to dilute the power of existing shareholders.
Olympus shares jumped following the report, as worries about share dilution from capital raising were offset by the potential benefits for the company's financial health.
Olympus last week announced restated accounts for the past five years as it struggles to sort out a $1.7 billion accounting scandal dating back to the 1990s, whittling its net assets down to just 45.9 billion yen ($588.9 million).
The company also reported a 32.33 billion yen net loss for the half-year to September 30, although its diagnostic endoscope business, which holds a dominant 70 percent share of the global market, remains a strong cash earner.
The Nikkei said Olympus was believed to be considering issuing preferred shares that would not carry voting rights, although they would eventually be convertible into common stock.
Panasonic Corp may also acquire some of the stock, the report said, with details of the new share issuance due to be finalized by next month.
Olympus said it had made no decisions about capital raising and would consider all options as it proceeds with managerial reforms, while Sony and Fujifilm declined to comment.
SHARES UP
Olympus stock traded up 13 percent at 1,034 yen in volatile early trade after the report, reversing four straight days of declines.
"Some people are obviously seeing that this will add to its net assets and contribute to the financial health of the company and increase the value of the company," said Masayoshi Okamoto, head of dealing at Jujiya Securities.
Tennessee-based Southeastern Asset Management, which holds 5 percent of Olympus stock, said on Monday it feared that moves to bring in a new Olympus investor would effectively sink a campaign to reinstate former CEO Michael Woodford, who blew the whistle on Olympus' accounting scandal two months ago.
Woodford blasted Japanese shareholders last week during a trip to Japan for failing to stand up for him in his battle with the current board, which he argues should not play a role in selecting his replacement or setting out the company's future after its complacency in the accounting fraud.
Southeastern said a move by Olympus to bring in a friendly shareholder would be seen as a last-ditch attempt by the existing directors to hold on to power and would further damage the image of corporate Japan.
The Olympus board has said it aims to hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting in March or April to install a new management team, but Woodford has called for swifter action.
Olympus is also under investigation by police, prosecutors and securities regulators who are expected to conduct raids this week on the company's offices according to domestic media reports, and remains at risk of a delisting of its shares.
The case has so far focused, however, on actions by former Chairman and President Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and two other former senior executives as the company used questionable acquisition deals and other accounting tricks to hide investment losses.
Reuters.
Drug abuse on the rise in Nawalparasi
Dec-20th-2011
NAWALPARASI: Mostly youths have been found trapped in a vicious circle of drug abuse in Nawalparasi. Youths are found increasingly engaged in drug peddling, according to the latest data of people police arrested on the charge of drug abuse.
Area Police Office, Kawaswoti has arrested and registered case against seven drug abusers during the past three months. All the arrestees are found to be at the age class of 20-25, informed Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) of the area police office, Mukunda Marasini.
Likewise, two months ago, Area Police Office, Gaindakot also arrested two youths red hand while consuming banned drug namely TDJC and filed case against them.
The abusers are found to be consuming brown sugar and other abusive drugs, which are imported to Nepal from Indian route, DSP Marasini said.
RSS.
NAWALPARASI: Mostly youths have been found trapped in a vicious circle of drug abuse in Nawalparasi. Youths are found increasingly engaged in drug peddling, according to the latest data of people police arrested on the charge of drug abuse.
Area Police Office, Kawaswoti has arrested and registered case against seven drug abusers during the past three months. All the arrestees are found to be at the age class of 20-25, informed Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) of the area police office, Mukunda Marasini.
Likewise, two months ago, Area Police Office, Gaindakot also arrested two youths red hand while consuming banned drug namely TDJC and filed case against them.
The abusers are found to be consuming brown sugar and other abusive drugs, which are imported to Nepal from Indian route, DSP Marasini said.
RSS.
Lego for girls: Wait, what?
Sometimes, information will stop you and make you reconsider your world view.
"Indianapolis Colts win," did it for me today. So did a Bloomberg Businessweek headline that said: "Lego is For Girls."
I had never considered Lego to be anything other than a precursor to an engineering job. Some people make it, some don't. Most of those people seem to be boys.
But I'd never imagined that Lego would find the need to launch a special line of toys specifically for girls. Yet here we have, debuting in 2012, Brick Barbie. Not, not quite.
Instead, it's Lego Friends, which doesn't seem to include effigies of Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry, but does include give new characters who live in something called Heartlake City.
I don't believe they will look anything like this.
(Credit: CC Pop Culture Geek/Flickr)
I have been to Heartbreak City, a place that normally goes under the name of Buffalo. But Heartlake City appears to be a fictional place where Olivia the smart girl and Emma the beautician build their lives brick by brick.
They seem to be accompanied by Mia the animal lover, Stephanie the social butterfly and Andrea the singer. The Brickblogger describes them as "Skinny, curvy and very girly."
While you (and I) might imagine that these are characters from a soap opera, they are apparently based on deep and beautiful research into the mind of girls and their aspirations.
Just as journalists choose to be embedded in fun places like Iraq, Lego placed its operatives in family homes to watch how boys and girls play.
"We want to reach the other 50 percent of the world's children," Lego CEO Jorgen Knudstorp told Bloomberg.
This would seem to be an admission that Lego had previously focused all of its energies on boys. This research showed the company that girls were not at all fond of the traditional Lego minifigure. There was no place to hang a purse on one of these brutes.
So these Lego Friends are a little larger, in order to be more accessory-friendly.
Those who know about this sort of thing-- let's call them mothers-- tell me that this is not the first time Lego has produced toys for girls. Here's Belville, for example, a place where girls jump horses over Lego fences.
And here's a Pink Brick Box. Which appears to be a box full of pink bricks.
Then there's the Bikini Bottom Undersea Party, which seems to have Spongebob at its heart.
Some might believe that Lego Friends manages, despite its heart being in some sort of good place, to reinforce gender types effortlessly. However, it is clearly a concerted effort to make Lego stand for something that isn't exclusively male.
If it works, might Silicon Valley follow suit?
Rihanna fumes over racist remarks
LONDON: Rihanna has vented her anger after encountering "the most racist man ever" at her hotel in Lisbon while on tour, reported British daily The Sun on Monday.
She wrote on Twitter: "This man said the craziest s*** about black women, calling us dogs, sluts. We don't look like s*** and we don't belong in the same hotels."
Rihanna performs the first of three gigs at London's O2 Arena tomorrow – the final dates of her gruelling Loud tour.
Bet she can't wait to put her feet up on Boxing Day to watch repeats of Only Fools And Horses.
Agencies.
Pamela Anderson shows off stunning beach body at 44
LONDON: Pamela Anderson still has a cracking beach body — almost 20 years after her debut in Baywatch, reported British daily The Sun on Monday.
The blonde may now be in her mid-forties, but on holiday in Hawaii she displayed a toned physique many half her age would be proud of.
Pamela is currently enjoying a festive break with boyfriend Jon Rose, a professional surfer and environmentalist.
The couple have been dating for the last few months and appeared relaxed as they watched the waves roll on to the beach.
Pam's black two-piece displayed the star's flat stomach and pert bottom.
It also gave fans a glimpse of her tattoo collection — a tribal design on her back and barbed wire etching on her left arm.
The 44-year-old has credited her sons Dylan and Brandon, from her marriage to rocker Tommy Lee, for helping keep her figure in check.
She said: "My kids keep me in shape. I play every sport with them - football, basketball, baseball.
"I'm always outside and on the beach and in the water and I'm not a real gym person.
"I don't do the gym and I don't diet - I'm vegetarian but I don't diet."
Pamela married Tommy, drummer of Mötley Crüe, in 1995, after knowing him for only 96 hours.
Anderson filed for divorce from Tommy twice and reconciled with him twice, before the couple finally broke up for good in 2000.
Pamela and her famous red swimming costume enjoyed five fabulous years playing C.J Parker in Baywatch from 1992 to 1997.
Agencies.
Thứ Bảy, 17 tháng 12, 2011
Britney Spears engaged to marry Jason Trawick
LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears is ready to walk down the aisle for the third time. The 30-year-old pop star has agreed to marry her longtime boyfriend and former agent Jason Trawick.
Trawick announced Friday on "Access Hollywood" that he and Spears are engaged. The two have been dating since 2009.
Spears hinted at the big news with a tweet Friday morning that read, "OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for. Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!!"
Spears was previously married to Kevin Federline, with whom she has two sons: 6-year-old Sean Preston and 5-year-old Jayden James. The couple divorced in 2006. Spears also briefly wed childhood friend Jason Alexander in 2004, but the marriage was annulled after 55 hours.
AP.
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
Obama names veteran diplomat as India ambassador
NEW YORK: US President Barack Obama on Friday named Nancy Powell, a career diplomat with wide experience in South Asia, to be the ambassador to India and fill a half-year vacancy.
Powell has served as US ambassador to Pakistan and to Nepal and holds the rank of career ambassador, a prestigious title given only to select career diplomats based on their service.
In a statement announcing Powell's appointment and a separate appointee, Obama said: "These fine public servants both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles."
But US presidents in recent years have chosen political appointees for India in a bid to highlight the importance of the relationship between the world's two largest democracies.
Obama's first ambassador to India, former congressman Timothy Roemer, announced his resignation in April, saying he had agreed in advance not to serve for more than two years.
Relations between the United States and India have warmed rapidly since the mutual mistrust of the Cold War. But many Indian commentators accuse Obama of not investing the same effort in relations as his predecessor George W. Bush.
The administration has dismissed the concerns, noting that Obama invited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as his first state guest and pointing to Obama's support for India's long-time goal of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Previous US ambassadors to India have included the economist John Kenneth Galbraith and the scholar and future senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
AFP.
3-day interaction on new media for peace concluded
Dec-16th-2011
POKHARA: The first regional-level interaction based on the new media policy for peace process concluded here on Friday.
The three-day event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Information and Communications with the support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-run Media for Peace Project.
The objective of organising the interaction was to solicit suggestions and recommendations on the draft of the new media policy.
The draft media policy includes proposals such as increasing the capacity of the National News Agency (RSS) and amending the related Act for developing the country’s only news agency into an efficient and vibrant news agency.
Similarly, the draft media policy contains proposals regarding review of the current policies related to the mass media, information and telecommunications under the Ministry of Information and Communications and also proposals for encouraging the the media and the journalists for making them fully conscious towards their role and responsibilities for the development of healthy journalism in society.
Besides, during the programme, suggestions were received for making the services of the National News Agency (RSS) more effective by reviewing act and laws.
Under Secretary at the Ministry Hemraj Bhusal said the event was successful in achieving suggestions for making the entire communications policy.
Representatives of various electronic media and print media, lawyers and the representatives of the governmental and non-governmental organisations attended the programme.
RSS.
POKHARA: The first regional-level interaction based on the new media policy for peace process concluded here on Friday.
The three-day event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Information and Communications with the support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-run Media for Peace Project.
The objective of organising the interaction was to solicit suggestions and recommendations on the draft of the new media policy.
The draft media policy includes proposals such as increasing the capacity of the National News Agency (RSS) and amending the related Act for developing the country’s only news agency into an efficient and vibrant news agency.
Similarly, the draft media policy contains proposals regarding review of the current policies related to the mass media, information and telecommunications under the Ministry of Information and Communications and also proposals for encouraging the the media and the journalists for making them fully conscious towards their role and responsibilities for the development of healthy journalism in society.
Besides, during the programme, suggestions were received for making the services of the National News Agency (RSS) more effective by reviewing act and laws.
Under Secretary at the Ministry Hemraj Bhusal said the event was successful in achieving suggestions for making the entire communications policy.
Representatives of various electronic media and print media, lawyers and the representatives of the governmental and non-governmental organisations attended the programme.
RSS.
Thứ Năm, 15 tháng 12, 2011
Dell says goodbye to Netbooks
Dell is now concentrating on laptops that deliver real performance--a major failing of the Netbook.
"We sold through the Dell Mini some time ago. We're committed to the highly portable space and have focused on delivering thin + powerful solutions, for which we've seen strong success, particularly in our XPS line," Matthew Hutchison, director of Dell Global Consumer PR, said in a statement sent to CNET.
Hutchison said Dell's mobile consumer focus is on products like its recently introduced XPS 14z (which got an "excellent" rating from CNET Reviews) and the XPS 15z.
Netbooks debuted in 2008 and Intel said in August of 2010 that about 70 million Atom processors had shipped for the small laptops.
But Apple's iPad, and other tablets that followed, began making serious inroads into the category in the second half of 2010. And the Netbook has never really been the same since.
Major U.S. electronics retailers offer very visible proof of this. Go into a Best Buy today and you will see display tables filled with tablets but only a handful of Netbooks--if that--on display.
And Intel has moved on too. The chipmaker has reset its sights on ultrabooks, which offer comparable portability but much better performance.