Nepal

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China Closes Everest to Curb Protests

Torch route deemed 'unsafe' due to 'environmental' problems

(Newser) - China has closed down Mount Everest, worried that pro-Tibet protesters might disrupt what’s supposed to be the emotional and physical pinnacle of this summer's Olympic torch relay—the ascent to the summit. Just ahead of the climbing season—April, May and early June—authorities  told expedition companies the Tibetan...

Nepali Goddess Retires at 11
Nepali Goddess Retires at 11

Nepali Goddess Retires at 11

Kumari briefly deposed last year after traveling abroad

(Newser) - Sajani Shakya, one of Nepal's living goddesses, is officially retiring at age 11, the AP reports. Religious leaders briefly stripped the Kumari of her divine status last year after she defied custom and traveled abroad, but her premature retirement isn't related to the controversy, officials say. She has "come...

Wealth Doesn't Always Aid Health
Wealth Doesn't Always
Aid Health

Wealth Doesn't Always Aid Health

UN finds child mortality rates uneven in developing nations

(Newser) - Citing new child mortality statistics, analysts say a nation's wealth doesn’t always translate into better health for its youngest citizens, the BBC reports. Every year, 10 million children die before their fifth birthday, with 99% of the fatalities occurring in the developing world. But even when conditions improve, survival...

Police Bust Doctor Heading Kidney Racket

Rogue MD from India found hiding in Nepal jungles

(Newser) - An Indian doctor hiding out in the jungles of Nepal has been arrested, accused of heading the country's largest organ transplant racket. Hundreds of poor workers were hoodwinked into selling their kidneys, which Amit Kumar then offered to rich clients in India and abroad seeking a transplant. The doctor will...

Nepal Bridge Fails; 200 Missing
Nepal Bridge Fails; 200 Missing

Nepal Bridge Fails; 200 Missing

15 bodies recovered after suspension span collapses

(Newser) - Nepalese rescuers were searching into the night for about 200 people who plummeted into a swirling river when a suspension bridge collapsed. Another 15 bodies have been recovered, and 32 were taken to nearby hospitals. Up to 1,000 Hindu pilgrims were on the bridge when it failed in a...

Nepal to Ax Monarchy, Install Republic

Leaders cave after 3-month standoff with Maoists

(Newser) - After almost three months of deadlock, Nepal agreed today to end its 240-year-old monarchy and set up a republic, the BBC reports. Maoist rebels, who had walked out in October and staged violent protests, struck the deal with Nepal's leaders, which will go into effect after elections next spring.

Nepal Court Rules for Gay Rights
Nepal Court Rules for Gay Rights

Nepal Court Rules for Gay Rights

Landmark decision to scrap laws discriminating against gay, lesbian, transgender Nepalese

(Newser) - Conservative Nepal must stop its discrimination against homosexuals and make laws to protect their rights, the nation's highest court ruled yesterday. The decision is a major victory for gay rights advocates in the Himalayan country, where gay men and women have long complained of discrimination and attacks, BBC reports. "...

Sherpas Navigate Big Apple Canyons
Sherpas Navigate Big Apple Canyons

Sherpas Navigate Big Apple Canyons

As tourism fades, expat Nepalese guides turn to driving NYC cabs

(Newser) - When a 10-year civil war drove tourists and climbers out of Nepal, the Sherpas who catered to them also left in droves, and many wound up in New York driving cabs. The taxis offer not only a livelihood but also fewer risks. "I stopped extreme climbing for my own...

African Union Rejects Asian Troops for Darfur

Claims African countries can supply all 26,000

(Newser) - Asian troops promised by the United Nations for a joint peacekeeping force in Darfur won't be needed, the leaders of the African Union said yesterday; African countries  will supply all 26,000 peacekeepers, the BBC reports. But critics doubt that enough trained African soldiers are available for an effective force,...

Disease Fears Shadow Flood Victims
Disease Fears Shadow Flood Victims

Disease Fears Shadow Flood Victims

Relief workers struggle to supply food, medicine to waterlogged South Asia

(Newser) - Humanitarian efforts have come up short following massive floods in South Asia, sparking anger throughout the region. Hard-hit areas such as India's Bihar state have seen fighting over limited food and supplies, the BBC reports. An official in Bihar says relief efforts are now in “high gear,” but...

Food Dropped to Indian Villagers
Food Dropped to Indian Villagers

Food Dropped to Indian Villagers

(Newser) - Helicopters dropped food today to some two million Indian villagers left stranded by heavy monsoon rains, the AP reports. Floods in South Asia have driven 19 million from their homes and left hundreds dead. Villagers have been killed by collapsing houses, violent waters and even panicked rhinos as neck-deep water...

Floods Devastate South Asia
Floods Devastate South Asia

Floods Devastate South Asia

Millions are displaced; huge areas are underwater

(Newser) - Some of the worst flooding in living memory has hit Northern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where three weeks of heavy rains have caused rivers to rise as much as 30 feet.  Over 12 million acres of farmland is underwater, and almost 20 million people have been displaced.

Stories 161 - 172 | << Prev