Showing posts with label international news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international news. Show all posts

Two Indians among 25 killed in Kabul terrorist attack

8:05 PM
“We have learnt that 2 Indian nationals, Ganesh Thapa & Govind Singh from Dehradun, died tragically in the blast in Kabul today morning,” external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted late on Monday night.

The Taliban and the Islamic State both claimed the first attack, which killed 14 security guards, including the Indians, working for the Canadian embassy in Kabul in a massive blast that left their yellow minibus spattered with blood.

Two Indians were among 25 people killed in a suicide blast in Kabul Monday. Officials said they worked for a private security company, Sabre International, and were probably deployed at the Canadian embassy. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which also killed 14 Nepalese guards working for the embassy. A suicide bomber on foot had targeted a mini bus transporting them.

Within hours, a second blast went off inside the vehicle of MP Ataullah Faizani in Chehlsitoon area, injuring him.

The Indian government is working with its Afghan counterpart to repatriate their bodies at the earliest, Swarup said without giving other details. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “Ganesh Thapa and Govind Singh from Dehradun died in the blast. The government is in touch with their families and is working to repatriate their mortal remains.”
Two Indians among 25 killed in Kabul terrorist attack
An injured Nepalese security guard in Kabul - Source: AP
Soon after a Taliban spokesman on Twitter claimed the attack, the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan released a competing claim in which it named and pictured the alleged bomber, according to the SITE monitoring group. An Afghan intelligence source said officials were investigating the IS claim, which was denied by the Taliban.

Police said the attack on the security guards was carried out by a suicide bomber on foot on a key road leading east out of Kabul towards Jalalabad. The interior ministry said in a statement that five Nepali citizens and four Afghans were wounded. The Canadian embassy confirmed the “cowardly” attack in a tweet and said it had employed the guards.

14 Nepalese killed in Kabul sucide bomb attack by taliban

12:57 PM
20th June 2016 Kabul: A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least 14 people and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, early on Monday, officials said.

A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city.

The attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said.

The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said.

He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded in the attack, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam`s holy month.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement from the Islamist group`s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, on Twitter.


Via TheDC


Darjeeling police busted International sex racket with the help of school kids

9:11 PM
Writes Amitava Banerjee

Darjeeling, Jun 19, 2016: Intervention by schoolchildren helped uncover an international sex racket, leading to the arrest of the operation’s kingpin from Delhi along with a woman trafficker from Nepal.

Three traffickers were arrested at the West Bengal-Nepal border, and a police team from Darjeeling was rushed to Delhi to nab others involved in the racket. Members of Mankind in Action for Rural Growth (MARG), an NGO, accompanied the police team.

Gagan Verma, the alleged kingpin, was arrested from his residence in DLF Phase 2, Gurgaon, by the Darjeeling police team along with Haryana police on Saturday. Verma allegedly forged government documents such as Aadhaar cards to traffic girls, and force them to dance in bars and into flesh trade.
Most of the girls were trafficked from the hills of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Nepal. The racket was operational in the National Capital Region, particularly in Gurgaon and Mudrika area of Delhi.
However, Verma’s aide, Sunni Tamang, managed to give police the slip and escaped to Nepal by road. MARG subsequently informed its partner NGO, Maiti Nepal, and Tamang was apprehended at the Nepal-West Bengal border at around 6pm on Saturday.
 Darjeeling police busted International sex racket with the help of school kids
 Darjeeling police busted International sex racket with the help of school kids
The Darjeeling police team comprised of two sub-inspectors, two women and two men constables. “We are bringing Verma to the Darjeeling district. He will be produced at the additional chief justice court in Siliguri,” said Deo Gazmer, officer-in-charge of Khoribari police station.v
The operation to bring down the racketeers began after MARG received information from Maiti Nepal that a 15-year-old girl had gone missing from a remote village in the Sidhupalchowk district of Nepal.

The NGO has 12 Students Against Trafficking Clubs (SATC) running successfully in Darjeeling schools, under which students of Class 10, 11 and 12 are sensitised on the human trafficking issue.
“We had alerted our SATC regarding the missing girl. Four of our students from an SATC we run in a school located in the remote part of the district bordering Nepal managed to trace [the girl] on a social network site and befriended her,” said Nirnay John Chettri, president, MARG.

The students pretended to be residents of Nepal who were looking for jobs. The 15-year-old girl then introduced the SATC members to her “friend” in Delhi, who offered them jobs with a salary of Rs 15,000. They would have to work as bar dancers and entertain guests in Delhi.
When the SATC members raised concerns about being caught at the India-Nepal border, they were asked to e-mail their photographs and within 20 minutes they received fake Aadhaar cards along with their appointment letters.

“The students then laid a trap, stating that they would run away from their homes for Delhi. They requested the person in Delhi to send someone to meet them in Panitanki on the Indo-Nepal border, located in the plains of the Darjeeling district,” said Chettri.

At 1 pm on June 8, a man and a woman arrived at the rendezvous point in Panitanki, and were apprehended by police. The duo was identified as Ugen Tshering Bhutia, 23, of Jaldhaka in Kalimpong sub-division and Srijana Rai, 22, of Kumai in Darjeeling district.

“The whole evening, we continued chatting with the Delhi people from where we learnt that a girl from their group had boarded the Rajdhani Express to pick up our SATC girls from the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) on June 9,” said Chettri.

A second trap was laid on June 9 at NJP, and Pranita Mukhia, 22, originally from Sipchu in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, was arrested.

Along with her Hierien (39) of Shilong, Prashant Borah (24) and Pranjol Sunwar (37) of Dibrugarh were arrested from NJP.

MARG the key NGO working in this case states: After our recent intervention in Panitanki (Indo Nepal Border) and NJP on 8th and 9th of June we got certain lead information of sex racket flourishing in Gurgaon and Munrika area of Delhi and NCR.

Most of the girls were trafficked and recruited from the hills of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Nepal. Darjeeling Police Team organised by  Deodoot Gajmer (OC Khoribari) and headed by  Anup Roy (SI) and MARG members left for Delhi.

After taking support from  Robin Hibu (IPS) Jt. Commissioner Delhi Police, (Nodal Officer for the North East Folks), Deepak Saharan (HPS) DCP East of Gurgaon, Mam Tanya Singh (ACP) Gurgaon, SHO DLF Phase 2, Darjeeling Police Team raided and arrested  Gagan Verma from his residence.

Verma is one of the kingpin who was pushing girls into club dancing, flesh trade and was illegally making documents like Aaddhar Cards for the girls.

Sunni Tamang an aide of Verma escaped that very morning for Nepal by road. This information was again relayed to Maiti Nepal. At around 6pm yesterday Sunni was apprehended by Maiti Nepal Team in Nepal Gunj.

Mission Impossible became possible because all worked as a team.

It was the joint effort of Robin Hibu (Jt. Comm), Deepak Saharan (DCP), Mam Tanya Singh (ACP), Deodoot Gazmer (OC Khoribari), Kalyan Gurung (CI, Khoribari), DYSP (Khoribari), Sanjay Prasad (Maiti Nepal), Subir Roy (for arranging a vehicle for the team on the 16th), Lisa from Caritas India (Anthony Chettri, Delhi) for arranging vehicle for two days for the team, SATC members.

Via Hindustan Times

Ranjana Pradhan Rai selected for "The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award"

10:27 AM
Big shout out to Gorkhas daughter Ranjana Pradhan Rai from Darjeeling for being selected for "The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award". Over the past 60 years, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has transformed the lives of millions of young people in 140 countries and territories worldwide. This year to celebrate their anniversary they've made 60 films of 60 seconds which tell the incredible stories of the Award from around the world.

Ranjana Pradhan Rai is from Darjeeling, West Bengal and is the proud daughter of Lt. Col (Veteran) Sukul Pradhan, Ex-Deputy Director - National Cadet Corps (NCC) and General Secretary of Nepali Sammelan Delhi (Regd since 1959).

About the The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award
The Award equips young people for life and work.The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is available to all 14-24 year olds and is the world’s leading youth achievement award. It equips all young people for life regardless of their background, culture, physical ability, skills and interests. Doing the Award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others; it pushes young people to their personal limits and recognises their achievements consistently. Since its launch 60 years ago, the Award has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives. Through non formal education, the Award can play a critical role in a young person’s personal development and is achievable by any 14-24 year old who wants to take up the challenge.

Ranjana Pradhan Rai selected for "The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award"

In her 1 minute film  “THE AWARD BRINGS EVERYBODY TOGETHER” Ranjana says the following:-

There is more in you than you think. The Award directly or indirectly helps in building our society and community, it brings everybody together.The award programe engages, equips and empowers young people. It equips them with essential life skill and it gives them a sense of responsibllity to give back to the community.Ever since I got involved with the Award itt has changed my life. It helps people practice democraccy in the true sence, because every individual involved with the award programme is free to practice and pursue what they wish to without cultural bias. And the prejudice in society that often occurs in small pockets are erased with the help of volunteers who reach out to people in a more sober through the award programme.


Second Short film by Gorkha TEZ in the 69th Cannes International Film Festival 2016

5:19 PM
Another Gorkha Filmmaker's Short film TEZ selected FOR 69thCannes International Film Festival (Festival De Cannes) 2016

Guwahati , Monday, 2nd May 2016: An Eastern Green Pictures production, Assamese language short Film TEZ has been selected under the Short Film Corner section at the prestigious 69th Cannes International Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) which will be held from May 11th to May 22nd 2016 at Cannes, France.

The film has been catalogued in the official ‘Short Film Catalog’ for this year’s selection in the Short Film Corner [Details: http://bit.ly/1QP0qQo]
Also, TEZ has received official selection in the 6th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival – 2016.

Adding another feather to the cap, TEZ has been selected at the 16th International Film Festivals to be held in Jaipur from May 15, the short film finds selection among 65 films selected out of 975 films received from 60 countries from 16 different subjects Tez is directed by Bhaskar Upadhyaya and Prabhat Goswami. The story and script is written by Prabhat Goswami and Producer of the film is Bhaskar Upadhyaya under the banner of Eastern Green Pictures. Chief Assistant Director is Manas Sagra. Pranab Vivek is the technical director and Amiya Ranjan Das is the Director of Photography of the film.
Second Gorkha Short film TEZ in the 69th Cannes International Film Festival 2016
Gorkha Filmmaker's Short film TEZ selected for 69thCannes International Film Festival 2016
Tez is a short film based on a father who abandons his new born girl child in the want of a boy. The story is based on the backdrop of the 90’s era, when in certain societies a male child meant prosperity and an extra earning hand, and whereas the ‘weaker sex’ was looked down upon. The father associates the birth of a girl with unending responsibilities and liabilities. However, the world turns upside down for the father when he has his moment of realization.

Produced under the banner of Eastern Green Pictures, Tez stars Prastuti Parashar, Angurlata Deka and Giridhar Roy; and Tarali Sarma is the music director of the film. Tez was shot in Guwahati and its outskirts late in 2015. Tez puts forward the message of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ (Save the Girl child, Educate the Girl child) in a very subtle yet cinematic way.

Talking to this correspondent in Guwahati Engineer turned passionate filmmaker Bhaskar Upadhyay said, ‘Selection of TEZ in film Festivals like Cannes Film Festival, International Film Festival, and Dada Saheb Phalke means creative efforts and cinematic excellence and experience of Eastern Green Pictures is rewarded. EGP congratulates people of Assam and the North East for this achievement by an regional language Short Film and we look forward for filling the void of the cinema industry of regional movies in the region in the days to come’.

It may be recalled Eastern Green Pictures recently announced its full length Assamese movie ULKA (https://web.facebook.com/UlkaTheFilm/?fref=ts to be produced by Bhaskar Upahyay and Meghraj Timsina and to be directed by Pranab Vivek. This movie will be first of its kind and audience will find a completely new genre film in regional language which will dubbed in few more regional language and released nationwide among the North Easterner crowd.



via: TheDC

Prof Mahendra P Lama in Eminent Persons Group (EPG)

12:17 PM
Feb 21, 2016- India has formed the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to review treaties and relations between the two countries and it is proud moment for all Indian Gorkhas that Prof Mahendra P Lama is part of it. Dr. Lama is one of the four members representing the country in EGP.

Former Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nepal expert Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Professor Mahendra P Lama and Professor BC Upreti, a senior fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation have been named as the members.

An agreement to establish the EPG was reached in 2011 during the official visit of former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai to India. The two countries agreed to prepare the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the EPG in 2014 during the third meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission in Kathmandu.

Nepal formed its EPG last month. Former secretary and chief commissioner of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Surya Nath Upadhyay, former ambassador Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former ambassador Nilambar Acharya and UML lawmaker Rajan Bhattarai are the EPG members from the Nepali side.
Prof  Mahendra P Lama in Eminent Persons Group (EPG)
Prof  Mahendra P Lama 
Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made the announcement of formation of the EPG on Saturday during a press briefing coinciding with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s six-day visit to India.

Members
Indian side
Jayant Prasad, former ambassador to Nepal
Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, BJP leader
Prof Mahendra P Lama
Prof BC Upreti, senior fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation

Nepali side 
Surya Nath Upadhyay, former chief commissioner, CIAA
Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former ambassador
Nilambar Acharya, former ambassador
Rajan Bhattarai, UML lawmaker
* Nepal formed its EPG last month

Via kathmandupost


Dr. Mahendra P Lama addresses India-ASEAN Delhi Dialogue VIII

8:50 AM
The prestigious Delhi Dialogue VIII organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India to promote and strengthen the political, economic, socio-cultural and strategic relations between 10 countries of South East Asia (Association of South East Asian Nations) and India will be over on 19th February in Delhi.

It started on 17th Feb 2016. It is attended by the high level Ministerial and business delegation from Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines and Indonesia. Indian delegation is led by the Smt Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, Chief Ministers, top bureaucrats, eminent academics and well known business houses.

The India-ASEAN trade has already reached a level of Rs 450000 Crore in 2015. ASEAN countries receive the highest amount of US foreign investment. Prof Mahendra P Lama was invited to address a specific session on “Promoting Cross Border Trade with ASEAN: Capitalizing on Comparative Advantage”. He primarily focused on the following issues. i) India’s Look East Policy has reached a crucial phase where the participation of the North East region is very vital. It is because the NER will be a physical gateway to the South East Asian countries as this region has 98 percent of its borders with neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, Bhutan and Nepal and 2 percent with the rest of India. Socio-culturally and historically this region had had very close relations with all these countries. ii) There are several opportunities as the concept of borders is fast changing. Borders are now becoming borderlands where there are huge opportunities for exchanges and interactions in areas like trade, investment, tourism, energy, disaster management, natural resources exchanges, education and health among many countries.
Dr. Mahendra P Lama addresses India-ASEAN Delhi Dialogue VIII
Dr. Mahendra P Lama addresses India-ASEAN Delhi Dialogue VIII
After the reopening of Nathu la trade route between Sikkim and Tibet the warming up in reconsidering the exchanges in borders have started. Government of India wants this to be consolidated. iii) There are several opportunities emerging particularly in the arena of small and medium enterprises, energy and services sector like tourism, education and health and agriculture, horticulture and floriculture.

For instance, in the Small and medium enterprises like in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand the top multinational with widely accepted brand names like Toshiba, Apple, Sony, Hyundai and Samsung could be invited to Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim. The products could be exported anywhere in the world. iv) In the energy front the NER has almost 40 percent of India hydro power potentials and 18 percent of hydro carbon including gas, oil and coal. Therefore NER could play the role of a centre of energy pool. This could be connected with the Greater Mekong Sub-region where Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunan and Guangxi Zhuang the two provinces of China have made huge cross border electricity exchange projects.

This has been a huge success. v) The small and medium enterprises in the NER should be opened to the investors from the ASEAN countries and whatever they produce could be sold in India and other South Asian and South East Asian countries under the India-ASEAN Free Trade agreement.

For instance, the bamboo shoots, pine apples, avacado, lichis, ginger, cardamom, flowers could be harnessed by the companies like Makro and Alligator Industry of Myanmar. It was suggested that clauses to promote such integration of trade and investment could be included in this agreement. vi) The Ministry of Development of North East Region (MDoNER) could now be located in the North East region only from its present location in New Delhi. This way Ministry can devote exclusive time both to the development of NER and also to strike linkages with the South East Asian countries for promotion of India’s Look East Policy. This way the MDoNER and North East Council could effectively use the huge funds for infrastructure provided by the Central Government. vii) The Darjeeling and Dooars region of West Bengal could also be incorporated in the North Eastern Council so that this regional also get all the facilities. The session was chaired by the Dr Rajat Nag , former Director General in the Asian Development Bank in Manila.

Source: Kalimpong News.


 
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