This is why ICC suspended Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN)

ICC Board Meeting - © ICC

The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and ICC Board meetings was held at its headquarter in Dubai on 24th April this year. ICC decided to suspend CAN in light of the court case between CAN and Ad hoc Committee established by Nepal Government's National Sports Council (NSC).

As a result there has been a vacuum of cricket leadership in Nepal. The Board accused Nepal of breaching Article 2.9 of the ICC’s Articles of Association, which prohibits government interference and requires free and fair elections.

Also, the suspension will mean that CAN will not be receiving any funding from ICC however the cricket teams from Nepal will be able to feature in ICC events.

ICC puts further emphasis that the suspension will nit be lifted until CAN becomes free of government interference and that ICC is working with the stakeholders to lift the suspension.

"The Board maintained that it doesn’t accept government interference in the affairs of its Members as it wants all its Members to work independently with the best intentions of promoting and developing the game in their respective territories in accordance with the ICC’s objectives and strategy. It added that until such time as the CAN becomes free of government interference and is properly structured to begin exploiting the tremendous cricket talent and opportunities that exist in Nepal, the membership of CAN will remain suspended."

Indian Police Officers Arrested In Nepal by Nepal Police

Nepal police have arrested five Indian police officers including an inspector from Sanagaun today.

The Indian police officers were said to have been in civil uniform and were arrested while they were heading towards Achham to look for an alleged murderer of a doctor in Punjab.
The plain-clothed policemen were carrying arms, according to the National News Agency of Nepal.

Nepal Police have seized an AK-47 rifle and its 25 round of ammunition, a pistol and its 12 rounds of ammunition from the Indian Police..

Nepalese-born Australian residents were the fastest-growing overseas-born community.

The new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the proportion of Australian residents born overseas has soared to its highest level in 120 years.

In 2015, more than 28 per cent of the population were born overseas, the largest proportion since 1895, according to the research released on Wednesday. The percentage has increased every year for the past 15 years.

Nepalese-born Australian residents were the fastest-growing overseas-born community. Their numbers have swelled more than 11-fold over the past 10 years, from just over 3800 people in 2005 to more than 43,500 in 2015.

Although their population is small compared to other overseas-born groups, the rate of increase - nearly 28 percent a year, on average - is well above other groups. For example, the next fastest growing groups - those born in Pakistan, Brazil and India - increased their numbers by around three-fold over the same period.

The steepest decline among the top 50 countries of birth was for Serbian-born residents, followed by those born in Poland.


As the chart above shows, the share of Australian residents born overseas last peaked in the late 1890s. Nearly 30 per cent of the population were foreign-born at the time following the first mining boom and the surge in Chinese migration in the gold rush era, according to Anna Boucher, a senior lecturer in the University of Sydney's School of Social and Political Sciences.

"Then there was the introduction of 'White Australia' and the effective closing of borders, with the exception of some Commonwealth migration, up until the post-war period," Dr Boucher said.

This explains the steep decline in the share of overseas-born Australians during the first half of the 20th century.

The dramatic turnaround in the mid-1940s reflects the shift to a mass migration policy, driven by a belief that Australia must "populate or perish" to survive in the post-war era. A new migration scheme aimed to increase the population by one percent a year.

The dip in the late-1970s relates to low migration intake under the Whitlam and Fraser governments. Since 2000, the figure has risen steadily. "The story there is around bipartisan support for temporary migration," Dr Boucher said - in particular, rapid increases in the number of working holiday makers and international students.

Australia ranks fourth among OECD countries for the largest proportion of overseas-born residents, behind Luxembourg (43.7 per cent), Switzerland (28.3 per cent) and New Zealand (28.2 per cent) according to 2013 statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"Australia has traditionally had a high proportion of migrants, but we've now hit a peak not seen since the late 1800s," said Beidar Cho from the ABS.

Nepali-born nurse Pushpa Belbase, who joined her husband in Sydney in 1996, said the first few years were difficult but now, she wouldn't live elsewhere.

"It was hard to leave home - our parents are still over there; there was no one here to support us in that time … but now I feel like Australia is home," she said.

"Two of my children were born here. It's a better life than Nepal. It's easy to survive and you can get a good education here. I'm so happy we came."

source: Sydney Morning Herald

China and Pakistan Go Hand in Hand Against India at the UN

In a major disappointment for India, China once again blocked India's proposal to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

After the attack on the IAF base at Pathankot on January 2, India in February wrote to the UN calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.

According to sources, 14 out of 15 countries were willing to designate Azhar, but China alone decided to go against all the others in the bid.

China did not give any reason on their move in their written communication which just says that they want to put a hold on India's proposition.

The US, UK and France had strongly supported the move and the other nations had also expressed their consent to proceed with the action on Azhar.

But China, one of the five permanent members of the UN group with veto powers, collaborated with Pakistan to block the bid, sources add.

China is now the only country that has stood up for Masood Azhar more than once.

Nepal's Capital City to be Changed to Butwal.

KATHMANDU, April 1: The lawmakers in Nepal today publicly announced the plans to make Butwal the new capital city of the new Nepal.

The decision came after the rigorous debate and consultaion with the reknowned intellectuals, professors and all stakeholders.

The new constitution of Nepal have been amended to codify the new milestone in Nepalese history. Speaking in the parliament today the PM Oli said, " we are happy with the new decision to make Butwal our new Capital city. It will not only take pressure away from Kathmandu and also provide us with a potential to make our new capital city an example in the world arena."

The joint statement from the top leaders also highlighted the plan to make Butwal a model city in the world which will have chinese train line running along with the Tinau river and an international airport in Lumbini.

Happy April Fool !!!

Full Information about Nepal Visa

Visa can be obtained on arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, at border entry points in Kakadvitta, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Gaddachowki on Nepal-India border and Kodari on Nepal-China border. Visa can also be obtained at the nearest Nepal Embassy or Diplomatic Mission. Visa can also be obtained (renewal purposes) at Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu. A valid passport and one passport size photo with a light background is required. Immigration Department has not specified the size of the passport size photo.

Visa can be obtained only through payment of cash in the following currency:Euro, Swiss Franc, Pound Sterling, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore Dollar and Japanese Yen. Credit card, Indian currency and Nepali currency are not accepted as payment of visa fee.

A. Tourist Visa

Visa Facility Duration Fee
Multiple entry 15 days US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 30 days US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 90 days US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency

B. Gratis (Free) Visa

For first visit in one visa year (January to December) , gratis visa for 30 days is available only for nationals of South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, visa can be extended from the Immigration Department on payment of visa fee as specified above.

Indian nationals do not require visa to enter into Nepal.

C. For Indian National

Indian nationals do not require visa to enter Nepal.

As per the Nepalese Immigration, Indian Nationals Traveling to Nepal must posses any One of the following documents.

1. Passport
2. Driving License with photo
3. Photo Identity card issued by a Government Agency
4. Ration Card with Photo
5. Election Commission Card with Photo
6. Identity Card issued by Embassy of India in Kathmandu
7. Identity Card with Photo issued by Sub- Divisional Magistrate or any other officials above his rank

Also, please check with your nearest travel agents for documents required by the Indian Immigration for Indians travelling to Nepal.

D. Other Information

Nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan will need to obtain visa from Nepal Embassies or Diplomatic Missions in their respective countries, as they do not get visa on arrival at the immigration entry points of Nepal.

E. Visa Extension

Tourists can stay for a maximum of 150 days in a visa year (Jan 1 to Dec 31).

For further information, please contact:
Department of Immigration
Kalikasthan, Kathmandu
Tel: +977-1-4429659/4429660/4438862/4438868
Fax:+977-1-4433935/4433934
Email: mail@nepalimmigration.gov.np
Website: http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np

[Source : Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation]

Illegal Immigrants Sheltering in Nepal

KATHMANDU, March 31: Over 500 'illegal migrants' from various countries are staying in various parts of Nepal, according to available data. These migrants entered Nepal on various pretexts over a period of time.

Records at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) show that the number of such migrants, often categorised as urban refugees, has reached 533. However, the government doesn't have data on this category as it recognises refugees from Bhutan and Tibet only.

Altogether 261 people from Pakistan were sheltering in Nepal as refugees as of March end 2015, according to UNHCR data obtained from MoHA. The second highest number of 'illegal migrants' by country is 156, from Myanmar. People from Sri Lanka, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangladesh are also among the 'illegal migrants'.

Under Secretary at the Local Administration Section at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), Kosha Hari Niraula, said that the government does not recognise refugees from any country except Bhutan and Tibet.

"We don't recognise refugees from countries like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq or anywhere else. They are categorised as illegal migrants and no law obliges us to ensure their resettlement or repatriation," said Niraula.

He added that people are entering Nepal thanks to the effortless visa processing and they overstay their visas for years on various excuses.

Nepal doesn't issue on-arrival visas to the citizens of 11 countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethopia, Iraq, Afganistan and Syria, and Palestine.

Neupane further clarified that UNHCR has categorised such 'illegal migrants', who have entered Nepal due to lack of security in their respective countries and other political problems, as urban refugees.

Officials at the National Unit for Co-ordination of Refugee Affairs (NUCRA) at MoHA opine that the penalty of five dollars per day for overstaying in Nepal should be waived for such migrants to facilitate their departure.

According to government data, there are 17,134 Bhutanese refugees and 12,540 Tibetan refugees remaining in Nepal. The government has carried out third country resettlement for 101,222 Bhutanese refugees.

However, Gopal Siwakoti, chairman of the International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development (INHURED), an organisation working on human rights and refugee issues, told Republica that the government should provide legal identity to all refugees, be they Bhutanese or Tibetan, as a durable solution.

He also informed that there are around 9,000 Tibetan refugees languishing in Nepal without any legal status because of the diplomatic pressure from Nepal's northern neighbour, China. "The government should come up with a comprehensive policy in regard to urban refugees as we are not a signatory to the Refugee Convention 1951."

Source: SHREEJANA SHRESTHA, My Republic Media