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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Chairman Regmi hopeful of all side cooperation to draft new constitution

KATHMANDU, MAR 27 - Chairman of Interim Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi has stressed on the

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by Ex-civil servants organizations national coordination council here on Wednesday, Chairman Regmi said that drafting of a new constitution was the main agenda of the nation, as it had a long-term importance and is the way to building a stable country.  "Now we are honestly working to make the CA election successful", he said.

Expressing hope for continuous support and cooperation from every community, caste and level of the society to build a happy, peace and prosperous Nepal, Chairman Regmi said he had to take up the leadership of the election government amidst vivid challenges due to request from the political parties.

Organisation Chairman Akru Narsingh Rana said around 350,000 retired civil servants and former members of the army, police and Armed Police Force are associated with the organization.

Chairman Regmi and ministers Ram Kumar Shrestha, Rhidhibaba Pradhan  and Tek Bahadur Thapa were honoured on the occasion. RSS
need for collective efforts to ensure that the upcoming Constituent Assembly election is result-oriented, as it determines the fate of the Nepali people.

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UML to be largest party after CA elections: Khanal

RSS, KATHMANDU, March 23: Chairman of the CPN (UML), Jhala Nath Khanal, has claimed that the UML would be the largest political party after the election and write the constitution for it only has power to take on the ultra-leftist and ultra-rightist forces.

Speaking at the inaugural program of the Second National Convention of the University Employees Union, he said, "The UML should be made the largest political party to write a workable constitution."

"The former CA failed to write the constitution as the Unified CPN (Maoist) became the largest party; if the same result comes through the forthcoming CA election, the nation would not get constitution from the CA again," he claimed.

The Chief Justice (CJ)-led Interim Election Council was formed as even the independent persons, too, would have political inclination to some extent, he stated.

Stating that the government is going to give complete shape to the constitutional bodies as per the recommendation of the four-party mechanism within a few days, the CPN-UML chairman said the government would announce the date for the CA election soon.

He said the fresh CA election would be held by June if all the arrangements could be made for the same. He assured that the election would be held by November in case of any technical problems in June, he added.

Former Prime Minister Khanal expressed his commitment as the UML party Chairman to build democratic federal Nepal from the new CA.

During the program, Chairman of the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD), Bishwanath Pyakurel, Chairman of the Union Kuber KC, and others, said the university employees should be united to attain their rights.

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Paras's photo taken in hospital bed surfaces on Facebook

KATHMANDU: The latest photograph of ailing former crown prince Paras Shah, who is recuperating at a Bangkok-based hospital, has been made public through a social networking website on Saturday.

Shah's friend Sunil Khadka, also the secretary of Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Thailand, has uploaded the photograph on Facebook, claiming that it is genuine and taken today.

In the photograph, the 42-year-old royal, who regained his consciousness on March 2 after remaining in coma for 11 days, is seen with a fresh look sporting French beard.

His chest is bare and a tattoo is seen on his right arm.

A scar is conspicouus in his chest, indicating the invasive procedure carried out during his treatment after the cardiac arrest on February 19.

Chatting with THT Online on Facebook, Khadka told that the Samitivej Hospital is likely to discharge the high-profile patient in a week.

Shah is undergoing treatment at the hospital since February 19.

“Dear friends, anybody confuse about our crown Prince Paras B. B. Shah? this is real picture from his bed just today 23rd March. and you see his Facebook update and his vision . so do not confuse again. we all youth have to stand for motherland. Thank you,” Khadka has written on his Facebook, while posting Shah's photograph.

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Govt to bring full budget if parties agree: Finance Minister

KATHMANDU, MAR 23 -

Minister for Finance Shankar Prasad Koirala has said that full budget would be brought in the fiscal year 2070-71 BS if the political parties were agreed on the same.

Speaking in a programme organised by the Bhojpure Service Society in his honour in the Capital on Saturday, Minister Koirala pledged to make maximum efforts on his behalf to ensure the full budget for the next fiscal year on time.

The government's failure to bring the full-size budget in the fiscal year 2069-70 BS caused a negative impact on nation's economy, he said.

Saying the government was planning to bring the supplementary budget within the next few days, Minister Koirala, who is also the Minister for Industry and Commerce, and Supplies, said preparations were on to announce the supplementary budget without changes in the prevailing policies.

The government could do nothing without support and cooperation from the political parties, he said, adding that problems in the country are being solved by giving a political outlet to the nation.

He promised his best for the development of his hometown, Bhojpur.

Society Chairman Pasang Dorchee Sherpa and Bhojpure Service Society Council Chairman Daya Krishna Neupane stressed the need of increasing budget allocation for the development of   Bhojpur. RSS

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