After UAE win, Nepal in maiden T20 final

KATHMANDU, APR 03 -Nepal overcame the challenge of United Arab Emirates by six wickets on Tuesday to reach the final of the ACC Twenty20 Cup for the first time in four attempts. Egged on by a vociferous home crowd, Nepal chased down the 134-run target in 19.1 overs at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. After making early exits in the first two editions, Nepal reached the tournament’s semi-finals last year before going down to Afghanistan. Nepal now have a perfect opportunity to avenge that defeat when the two sides meet in Wednesday’s summit clash.

“I am sure we can defeat Afghanistan if we repeat today’s performance,” Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake said after the match. “I think our aim of playing at higher level is slowly but surely materialising.” Left hand opener Pradeep Airee completed his second fifty of the tournament, putting on 61 runs with Subash Khakurel for the first wicket to set up a solid platform to exact revenge on UAE, which had thrashed Nepal by six wickets in the group stage in the last tournament. UAE bowler Ahmed Fayyaz snared a couple of wickets that left the hosts requiring 24 runs from the last three overs. But some big hitting from Binod Bhandari relieved the pressure before captain Paras Khadka brought his team home in 19.1 overs to the raucous reception from the crowd. Airee shared man of the match award with off spinner Prithu Baskota who had earlier picked three wickets to restrict UAE to 133/9. “I would like to thank the crowd for their overwhelming support that acted as an extra player,” said Khadka, counting on the home comfort again in the final.

“We have already accomplished the initial target, securing a berth in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. Winning the trophy is the next goal.”

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US teen with Down syndrome scales Mount Everest

NEW YORK: A 15-year-old US boy has possibly become one of the first person ever with Down

Eli Reimer is also possibly the first American teen, with the syndrome, to have made the exceptional ascent last month, when he reached a staggering 17,600 feet after nearly two weeks of walking.

After walking for around 113 km, Reimer triumphed when he reached one of two base camps on the world's tallest mountain, 'New York Daily News' reported.

Eli's father, Justin Reimer, joined the teen last month along with their team setting out to raise money for the family's charity, The Elisha Foundation.

"It was surreal," Reimer told US news channel HLN in an interview.

"To be standing there at that place and see the smile on Eli's face and the sense of accomplishment that he had, and the fact that his health was better than any of us at that point ... it was humbling, it was inspiring, just an amazing moment," said Reimer.

Atleast one more person with Down syndrome is known to have reached the base camp - a 35-year-old man from the UK, Justin Reimer told TIME magazine.

The father-son adventurer duo climbed nearly 17,600 feet to the mountain's south base camp in Nepal.

Eli's doctors gave him the thumbs-up to attempt the endurance-testing task, Reimer told the channel.

"We monitored his blood (saturation), oxygen saturation levels as we went up (the mountain).

"And his were consistently, significantly higher than everyone else's to where he was actually leading us on the trail. Eli was like our guide on this whole thing," Reimer said.

"For anybody who has a child with a disability or who is impacted in some way ... the disability is not a limitation," said Justin Reimer, adding that Eli's life "and the lives of those with disabilities have infinite worth."
syndrome to have scaled the Mount Everest - the world's tallest mountain.

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SC stays TRC ordinance, NA promotion

KATHMANDU, APR 01 - The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) ordinance, arguing that some of its provisions contradicted the Interim Constitution.

A single bench of Justice Sushila Karki issued the interim order until another hearing where both the plaintiff and the defendants need to be present to decide on whether a further stay is required.

The bench also asked the defendants to furnish a written clarification as to why the ordinance was promulgated.

Earlier on March 24, an alliance of insurgency victims had jointly filed a writ petitions filed at the apex court challenging the recently enacted ordinance to establish a Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Person as well as a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The petitioners had demanded nullification of four articles and amendment to the ordinance.

Also today, the apex court ordered the government not to implement its controversial decision to promote Nepal Army colonels.

A single bench of Justice Girish Chandra Lal issued the order to this effect and asked both the plaintiff and the defendants to be present in court on April 4 to discuss whether a further stay order is needed.

Earlier, the Nepal Army had promoted 16 lieutenant colonels to the rank of colonels through its newly introduced fast-track promotion system, citing it as a new policy aimed at discharging incompetent officers from the institution.

On March 17, eight lieutenant colonels had filed the petition at the apex court against the promotion, arguing that the nominations for the promotion were ‘arbitrary’ and ‘had bypassed the merit-based promotion system.’

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