Nepal

'Kung fu nuns' on bikes swap maroon robes

Washington - Muslimchronicle

About 200 "Kung fu nuns" kicked off a month-long journey from Nepal through India on Saturday, swapping their flowing maroon robes for lycra leggings to raise awareness about human trafficking and gender equality. The Buddhist nuns are trained in martial arts and frequently organise pilgrimages and cycling trips to promote gender equality. "We are starting our fifth cycle yatra (pilgrimage)Read more

Nepal's restive south votes in historic polls

Kathmandu - Muslimchroncile

Nepal's troubled south votes Thursday in historic elections many hope will bring much-needed stability to the desperately poor country, but which have been marred by violence and fears of ethnic tension. The watershed vote marks Nepal's transition from a monarchy to a federal democracy, after emerging from a brutal decade of civil war only to stagger through political turmoil andRead more

Mountains of garbage and despair in India’s dirtiest city

India - Muslimchronicle

Flies throng over piles of faeces, the drains overflow with sewage and the foul smell in the air is inescapable. Welcome to Awas Vikas: one of the most exclusive parts of Gonda, a city suffering the ignominy of being branded the dirtiest in India. Even in such upmarket areas, garbage trucks are rarely seen, green spaces are littered with rubbish,Read more

Nepal survey to remeasure Mount Everest begins

Kathmandu - AFP

Nepal has begun remeasuring Mount Everest to check if the height of the world's tallest peak was altered by a powerful earthquake that struck the nation in 2015, the government said Friday. The official height of Mount Everest -- which lies in the Himalayan range, straddling the border between Nepal and China -- is 8,848 metres (29,029 feet), first recordedRead more

Heavy rain, flooding paralyse India's financial hub

India - Musimchronicle

Heavy rain brought India's financial capital Mumbai to a virtual standstill on Tuesday, flooding streets, causing transport chaos and prompting warnings to stay indoors. Dozens of flights and local train services were cancelled as rains lashed the coastal city of nearly 20 million people. Floods have killed more than 1,000 people in India, Nepal and Bangladesh in recent weeks and forcedRead more

Red Cross says 24 million affected by South Asia floods

Geneva - Muslimchronicle

More than 24 million people have been affected by some of the worst flooding to hit South Asia in decades, with large areas of land submerged in water, the Red Cross Tuesday. Authorities in Bangladesh, India and Nepal have put the death toll at more than 750 since August 10, when a series of deluges began spreading with the annualRead more

South Asia floods claim more than 750 lives

Kurigram - Muslimchronicle

More than 750 people have died in floods across South Asia, officials said Monday, with monsoon rains also causing the deaths of hundreds of animals, including rhinos and a tiger. The human toll is steadily rising across India, Nepal and Bangladesh following the latest in a series of deluges since August 10, as the annual monsoon hits the north andRead more

Nepali home minister leaves for Sri Lanka to attend SAARC meeting

Kathmandu - Muslimchronicle

Nepali Home Minister Janardan Sharma left for Sri Lanka on Tuesday to attend the 8th meeting of home ministers and interior ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations. The meeting will take place in Colombo on Thursday. The high-powered Nepali delegation visiting Colombo comprises officials from Home and Foreign Ministries as well as representatives of the ImmigrationRead more

Sopranos actor kicks off Nepal fire truck expedition

Kathmandu - Muslimchronicle

Sopranos star Michael Imperioli kicked off an expedition Monday that will see a motley crew of celebrities drive 10 fire trucks on Nepal's hair-raising roads for charity. Imperioli and around two dozen other celebrities -- including actor Malcolm McDowell and British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes -- will drive 480 kilometres (300 miles) from the India-Nepal border in November to theRead more

Nepalese president arrives in India with a message

New Delhi - Arab today

Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived here on Monday on her first overseas tour, carrying a 'message of friendship' for India and to further strengthen bilateral ties. She will hold talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to explore ways to step up cooperation between the two close neighbours whose ties faced some strains followingRead more