GOVERNMENT PLANS FOR KATHMANDU METRO RAILWAY

Korean consulting firm Chungsuk Engineering Company to prepare a Detail Project Report (DPR) for the construction of Bardibas-Birgunj section of Mechi-Mahakali Electrical Railway system and negotiations with the same firm are underway for the feasibility study of the proposed metro train service in the Kathmandu valley.

The committee is engaged in final negotiations with the same Korean firm (Chungsuk Engineering Company) to finalize the contract agreement after evaluating its technical and financial proposals for the feasibility study of metro railway - a Mass Rapid Transit (underground and elevated railway) system for the capital.

The government pushed for a Mass Rapid Transit system in the valley about two years ago in a bid to manage the worsening traffic conditions in the capital due to unchecked rise in the number of vehicles and poor transport infrastructure. An estimated Rs 80 million is needed to complete the feasibility of the Metro railway line. 

Chungsuk Engineering Company of Korea, RITES Limited (India), Systra FA of France and TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management of Thailand were short-listed and asked to submit their financial and technical proposals for the study.

The proposed railway network is expected to cover almost all major bus stops and connect the city with the outskirts, making commuter movement easier and faster, and laying down of 75 km of railway track including 27 km along the Ring Road. 

Source Nepali News

Dense fog prompts flight cancellations

At least four international flights were diverted and all Kathmandu-bound international carriers were told to circle the sky for more than 45 minutes on Sunday morning after dense fog prevented planes from landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

The weather conditions also forced cancellation of over 100 domestic flights to Lukla, Janakpur, Bharatpur and Pokhara and other remote sectors. Normally, over 170 flights are operated every day in the domestic sector. 

No flights landed between 9:15 am to 12:00 noon while the weather did not totally affect the departures, a TIA source said. 

International carriers—Oman Air, Gulf Air, Spice Jet and China Eastern—were diverted due to the inclement weather. Other carriers—Bahrain Air, Qatar Airways, Jet Airways, Air India, Thai Airways, Fly Dubai—spent more than 45 minutes over the Kathmandu skies before they were allowed to land, Kishore Kumar Khatri, an officer at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the TIA, said.

According to him, the diverted planes landed late in the afternoon.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was on a Thai Airways plane that was waiting to land at 12:40 pm, was compelled to cancel his party’s Central Committee meeting scheduled at 1:00 pm on Sunday. The aircraft landed at 1:40 pm. 

“There was massive congestion after the fog, as there were several flights waiting to land,” Khatri said. “Many of them must have spent more than an hour circling the TIA before they could land,” according to the TIA. 

The weather, however, did not affect all departing flights. The TIA reported a 1,600-metre ground visibility early in the morning while it improved to 4,000 metres before noon.

For big aircraft, the normal approach visibility on the ground is 3,200 metres while for smaller planes it is 1,600 metres. Although the TIA had ground visibility of over 3,200 metres before noon, TIA sources said the carriers may have been denied descent due to poor vertical visibility.

The most hit was Pokhara Airport. According to Pokhara Airport Chief Pratap Babu Tiwari, only a single flight of Tara Air was operated on Sunday.

“The airport had 2,500 metre visibility during the day and 3,000 metres in the evening,” Tiwari said. Flights are operated when the visibility is 5,000 metre in Pokhara. However, carriers can take off and land at 2,500-metre visibility by applying special visual flights rules. “However, flights normally do not apply the special visual flights rules due to safety concerns.” The tourist hotspot witnesses over 38 flight movements a day.

On Sunday, Yeti Airlines cancelled 10 flights to Pokhara and one to Tumlingtar. Tara Air, the subsidiary of Yeti Airlines, cancelled 15 flights to Lukla, five to Jomsom and one each to Lamidanda and Faflu.

Similarly, Buddha Air suspended six flights and Guna Air cancelled five flights to Pokhara. Agni Air reported five cancellations to Pokhara and two flights to Lukla.


Sources the Kathmandu Post 

Snapped! John's new girlfriend?

We spotted John the other night with a mystery woman on his arm. His new girlfriend? Go here for better pictures of the couple 

 http://t.in.com/6hXi

 

Nepal Airlines Corporation seeks 8 aircraft in grant from China

The government has requested China to provide eight small and medium-sized aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has written to the Chinese Embassy asking for eight planes from the northern neighbour as a grant. According to the MoF, the proposal was made as per the request of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA).

According to Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Banskota, the government has requested China to provide all eight aircraft as a grant if possible. “If it is not possible as a grant, we have also requested China to provide a soft loan,” said Banskota.

In the first week of August, NAC had requested its line ministry, the MoTCA, to arrange new aircraft from China as a gift in a bid to bolster its domestic service.

NAC has sought five small (17-19 seater) and three medium-sized (50-70 seater) aircraft from China. The corporation plans to use the medium-sized aircraft for cross-border flights and the small ones on domestic routes.

The Canadian International Development Agency had donated seven Twin Otters to NAC from 1972 to 1979. Among them, only three are in the operation. According to NAC, two Twin Otters can be put back in service after maintenance. With only three Twin Otters in hand, the NAC is struggling even to survive in the domestic market. With private airlines dominating domestic aerospace, the NAC’s market share in the first half of 2011 has declined by 3.5 percent. The NAC currently has just over three percent market share in domestic airline market.

Unlike private companies, NAC is more concentrated on remote areas where it has to offer services at subsidized rates. Hence, its domestic service is currently running at a loss. It has been incurring Rs 50 million in losses annually from each aircraft serving the remote sector. The corporation, to boost its revenue, has recently signed an agreement for charter services with private airlines.

NAC says if it gets more aircraft, it will be able to compete with private airlines and expand its services to more profitable sectors. Currently, it has no single flight on trunk routes where profitability is higher. (Source:ekantipur)

Malina at Miss World FINALE!

When Out on A Date

And of course the one thing that one most certainly does during their youth is “Go Out On A Date”. In a society that is ours, however, two young people dating is still considered to be a taboo, especially in most traditional families. But is any of that going to stop the co-ed- school- going, How-I-met-your-mother-watching, facebook-browsing X generation, hip Nepali youngsters of today? Mmm.. yeah, not really.

And it’s only natural. The process of finding a suitable mate when at a prime of one’s youth is an innate human feature and has been prevalent for centuries now- only the modern term given to it is now popularly known as DATING.

So why resist a natural human trait right? In fact, the parents of today should smart up and start getting on the same page with today’s youths and participate as a sound and un-nosy monitor of their dating-ready-teenage kids. More on that in later issues, for now we give you some key dating etiquettes.

You see, the rules are simple. You go out on a date to have a good time, to get to know the other person better and cruise for possibilities of a long standing friendship or a relationship with the person.

If you happen to like the person, its only inevitable that you will be in your best behavior and even if the other person wasn’t the sort of a person you see yourself dating for a long time, at least make it a point to be nice to him/her. Being rude to your date is the worst thing to do but chances are that sometimes you might be coming off as impolite, unknowingly too.

In that case, check out the dating etiquettes stated below and make sure you and your date are having a nice time together.

 The rules are basically the same for teens, the middle aged and seniors, first date or last date, girls or guys.

 Primary rule – girls and guys, treat your date with dignity and respect; this applies to online dating as well.

 No swearing. No drunkenness.
 Act like a lady or gentleman. 

Before the date

 Ask a few days in advance of the proposed date.
 If the person cannot or will not be available for a date even at the second request – they are not interested. Don’t push the issue. Move on.

On the date

 Be on time. It shows respect for your date’s time. If you are running late ring/text, inform.
 Dress appropriately for the occasion. Clean hair, nails, clothes. Lightly perfumed. It’s a fact that people who smell good make a hit of a date.

 Guys – open, hold and close doors for your date (even if she is driving)- it shows that you are prepared to go out of your way to be courteous to her. Girls however, let him do all of that, but don’t expect it.

 Look for it. Hair, clothes, smile, personality, sense of humor. If you can’t find something to compliment, why are you even dating this person?

 It’s standard etiquette that guys pay for the first date. But girls, be considerate - offer to pay half or to buy the drinks or something to show that you are not a freeloader.

 Do not abandon your date at the venue or for that matter stand up him/her. Remember that being rude is one of the qualities of an insecure loser. You don’t want to be one.
 Remember the magic words. Say – please, thank you, after you, you’re welcome.
 Make frequent eye contact (do not leer). Be attentive to your date.

 Use their name – frequently. To them it is the sweetest word in any language.
 Get to know each other better. Enquire casually about their likes and dislikes; values and expectations; interests, dreams and aspirations.

 Avoid bragging and talking too much about anything, especially yourself.
 Keep the conversation light and try to have fun together
 Use humour, but don’t overdo it
 Don’t lie to your date
 Do not force intimacy.

 Avoid sharing confidences. It puts your date in an awkward position.
 Guys, see her to her door (even if it’s a taxi’s door) after the date. It’s for her safety. If your date ended at night time be courteous enough to call her to know if she safely reached home.

 A friendly hug in greeting or to say good-bye is okay or perhaps a kiss on the cheek is fine too, but make sure the other person is comfortable with it.

 If you promise to ring or contact your date again, you must do it – within a reasonable time frame or do not make the offer at all.

 It’s okay to date others until you have clearly come to an understanding or are going steady.

Source Teen

FACEBOOK WILL END ON MARCH 15th, 2012!

PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March of 2012. Managing the site has become too stressful.

“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”

Zuckerberg went on to explain that starting March 15th of next year, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.  That gives users (and Facebook addicts) a year to adjust to life without Facebook.

“After March 15th, 2012 the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back after Facebook goes out of business.”

Zuckerberg said the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.

“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”

Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.

“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”

However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.

“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”

Sources Click here 

Namrata to debut in theater with Oleanna

Actress and model Namrata Shrestha is going to start acting in theater with a debut role in an English play "Oleanna". The play will start from December 2, 2011 under the direction of by Deborah Herola.


Oleanna is a controversial two-character play by David Mamet. The play is about the power struggle between a university professor and one of his female students, who accuses him of sexual exploitation and, by doing so, spoils his chances of being accorded tenure.The three act play was later adopted to a movie by the same name by Mamet.The rehearsal of the play is currently going on. The play will feature actors Namrata, Anup Baral, Diya Maskey, and Shanti Giri. It seems, Namrata is feeling good these days as she has decided to do the theater role. She was sick for some time during the Dashain festival and the doctors had told her that she has stone in her kidney.

Finally Vootoo the lounge is ready ...

  Congratulations specially to Ashutosh Shrestha & Djraju Singh + All Vootoo Members for all the hard work ..... As of now we all are super excited to move on towards the soft launch this whole week - If you are around Lazimpat then do drop by for an amazing food experience with a twist - "Food Voutique " Which i'm 1000% sure u will love ;)

Bollywood actor becomes Indian 'prince'

MUMBAI, Oct 31: Top Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was made the new Nawab (Muslim prince) of Pataudi on Monday in a private ceremony at his ancestral home in northern India.

Khan became the 10th nawab of the former princely state after the death in September of his 70-year-old father, Mansur Ali Khan, from a rare form of lung disease. 

The elder Khan, nicknamed "Tiger Pataudi" for his brilliant fielding, captained India at cricket while his father, Ifthikar Ali Khan, played for both India and England.

Saif Ali Khan, who was educated at the private Winchester school in England, is one of Hindi-language cinema´s biggest stars and was recently seen in the thriller "Aarakshan" (Reservation).

Monday´s ceremony was held at the family seat of Pataudi Palace in Haryana state and attended by relatives and local villagers, said Rohini Iyer, Khan´s spokeswoman in Mumbai.

Village chiefs tied a turban around his head at a ceremony watched by his mother, the former actress Sharmila Tagore, and his two sisters.

The 41-year-old actor, who is dating Bollywood pin-up Kareena Kapoor, told the NDTV news channel after the ceremony that "even if it´s symbolic, it´s very humbling... I´m also conscious of some kind of responsibility."

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan sits on stage near a portrait of his late father as he is made the new Nawab (Muslim prince) of Pataudi on October 31, 2011 in a private ceremony at his ancestral home in Gurgaon, the northern Indian state of Haryana. (AFP)

Pataudi was a princely state in pre-independence India while the nawabs, who can trace their lineage back centuries, were its aristocratic rulers.

Like the heads of other erstwhile Indian princely states that were taken over after the British left in 1947, the title is now ceremonial with no formal powers.

Part of Pataudi Palace is now a heritage hotel.