Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara is a Colombian actress, comedian, television hostess, and model. Vergara was widely known for co-hosting two television shows for Spanish-language television network Univisión in the late 1990s. She has become the highest paid person on TV after taking home $39.6 million last year, $11 million clear of cashed-up TV actor, Ashton Kutcher.

The Modern Family star pocketed the impressive sum between June 2013 and June 2014, give the actress top spot on Forbes list for the third consecutive year.

Her big payday was largely due to her extensive endorsement deals and business interests outside of her $348,000-an-episode day job.

Her first notable acting job in English was in the 2003 film Chasing Papi. Subsequently, she appeared in other films, including Four Brothers (2005) and two Tyler Perry films – Meet the Browns (2008) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009), receiving an ALMA Award nomination for the latter. Vergara’s success on television has earned her roles in recent films The Smurfs (2011), New Year’s Eve(2011), Happy Feet Two (2011), The Three Stooges (2012), Escape From Planet Earth (2013), and Machete Kills (2013). In 2012 and 2013, she was the top-earning actress on US television.

Vergara stars on the ABC series Modern Family as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, for which she has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2014, she was ranked as the 32nd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

By Prarthna Sarkar

In a strange turn of events, “Makdee” star Shweta Basu Prasad was caught in a prostitution racket in Hyderabad.

The actress, who played the role of Shreyas Talpade’s younger sister in “Iqbal” was arrested from a luxury hotel at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, according to the Indian Express.

The 23-year-old was apparently caught in a compromising position at the time of raid and was accompanied by a pimp. The police have also arrested a few well-known businessmen from the hotel.

Citing wrong career choices and financial constraints as reasons, Prasad said every actress apparently goes through such a phase. “I have made wrong choices in my career, and I was out of money. I had to support my family and some other good causes. All the doors were closed, and some people encouraged me to get into prostitution to earn money,” India Today quoted her.

She added that she was helpless and wasn’t the only one involved in the ‘act’. “I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act. I’m not the only one who faced this problem, and there are several other heroines who have gone through this phase.”

The actor, after a medical test, has now been sent to a rescue home run by the Women and Child Welfare group and will be rehabilitated there for as long as three months.?

बीस वर्षजेलको पिंञ्जडामा थुनिएर खड्गमान सिंह बाहिर आँउदा लावालस्करले उनको जयजयकार गरेका थिए । त्यस बेला उनलाई भेट्नेको कस्तो ताँती थियो भने नेपाली काङ्ग्रेसका संस्थापक नेता कृष्णप्रसाद भट्टराईले समेत तीन घन्टाको लाइनमा बसेर खड्गमान सिंहका हातमा पुष्पार्पण गरेका थिए ।

सिंहले १९८३ सालतिर भारतमा गएर महात्मा गान्धीलाई भेटेका थिए । गान्धीकै प्रेरणाले उनी नेपालको राणा विरोधी आन्दोलनमा सक्रिय भए । उनी नै राणा विरोधमा ओर्लने पहिलो नेपाली थिए । यसैबारे उनैले भनेका पनि थिए ”अनधिकारी र स्वेच्छाचारी राणशासनको विरोधमा उठ्ने म प्रथम व्यक्ति हुँ ।” नेपालमा पहिलो राजनैतिक दल खोल्ने पनि सिंह नै थिए र उनी प्रचण्ड गोर्खा दलका संस्थापकमध्येका एक थिए ।

सिंहले जीवनको महत्त्वपूर्ण भाग राणाशासनविरुद्ध सङ्घर्ष गरेरै विताए । उनी बीस वर्षसम्म जेलभित्रको फलामे पिंजडामा नै कोचिए । मान्छै थुन्ने त्यस पिंन्जडामा उनी उभिन सक्तैन थिए र खुट्टा पसारेर सुत्न पनि सक्तैन थिए । वास्तवमा अहिलेसम्मकै राजनैतिक यातना भोगीको इतिहासमा राजनीतिज्ञहरूमा सबैभन्दा बढी यातना भोग्ने व्यक्ति पनि सिंह नै थिए । खोरमा बन्द भएका बेला पनि सिंहका भावनाहरू जेलका पर्खाल बाहिर निस्कन्थे । स्वाभिमानी सिंह जन स्वतन्त्रताका लागि जेलमा नै कुँजो भए तर राणासमक्ष उनले आत्मर्समर्पण गरेनन् ।

आफूले भोगेका यस्तै विचित्रको अनुभव सिउरिएर सिंहले ‘जेलमा बीस वर्ष भन्ने अमर ग्रन्थ लेखे । साथै जीवनको उत्तर्रार्धमा आएर उनले ‘जेलबाहिर चालीस वर्ष भन्ने अर्को महत्त्वपूर्ण कृति लेखे । यस ग्रन्थको शिरमा नै उनले नरेन्द्रराज प्रसाईलाई सम्बोधन गरेर लेखे ।

जेलबाट निस्केपछि राजा त्रिभुवनका कृपाले सिंहले प्रज्ञा राज्यलक्ष्मीसँग बिहे गरे । सिंह मन्त्री, राजदूत र अञ्चलाधीश पनि भए । उनले प्रथम दर्जाको गार्खा दक्षिण बाहु पनि पाए र त्रिशक्ति पट्ट दोस्रा पनि लाए । उनले मुलुकको प्रधानमन्त्री बनेर राष्ट्र बनाउने सोच राखेका थिए । तर उनलाई विश्वबन्धु थापा र राजेश्वर देवकोटालाई झैं भाग्यले साथ दिएन । उनले नेपालका प्रायः सम्पूर्ण भूभाग र एसियाका साथै यूरोपका केही राष्ट्रको समेत भ्रमण गरेर अनुभव सङ्ग्रह गरे तर अनेक राष्ट्रघाति तत्वहरुको छिर्के झेल्नु परेकाले उनले मुलुकका लागि चाहेजति केही गर्न सकेनन् । वास्तवमा असल, महान् र त्यागीहरुलाई विटुलो पार्ने काममा पनि पञ्चायती व्यवस्थाले एउटा आधारभूत सिद्धान्त बनाएको थियो । त्यही पासोमा सिंह पनि फसेका थिए । यतिहुँदा हुँदै पनि उनले राजाको वकालतमा नै आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण जीवन फ्याँके । तर ‘जेल बाहिर चालीस वर्षमा उनले आफ्नो मन लेखे । त्यस कृतिमा उनले भनेका थिए ”पञ्चायतका जरा उखेल्नु एउटा नमूना मात्र हो हेर्दै जाउँ अझै केके उखेलिन्छ !” साँच्चे हो राजाका धुपौरेले सिंहजस्ता देशभक्तका पनि नाकमा घरिघरि नस हालिरहन्थे र यस्ता किसिमका क्रान्तिकारी किताब लेख्ने प्रेरणा दिइरहन्थे ।

खड्गमान सिंह १९६४ सालमा काठमाडाðको डिल्लीबजारमा दिलिपसिंह वस्नेत र दीर्घकुमारीको सुपुत्रका रूपमा जन्मे । उनले पटना विश्वविद्यालयबाट म्याट्रिक दिएपछि जनक्रान्तिमा हाम फाले । राणा विरुद्धको यज्ञमा समाहित हुँदा उनी चौबीस बर्षा थिए ।
सिंहले सदैव महात्मा गान्धीको जय मनाए र सधैं खादी कै पोशाक लगाए । उनी नेहरु, लेनिन, चाउ एनलाई, किमईल सुङको वकालत गरिरहन्थे । साथै उनी दशरथ चन्द, मैनाबहादुर खत्री, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला, तुलसीमेहर श्रेष्ठ, चित्तधर हृदय, गोपाल पाँडे असीम, लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा, सिद्धिचरण श्रेष्ठ र श्यामप्रसाद शर्माको गीत गाएर थाक्तैन थिए ।

सिंहको राजनीतिक जीवन हिंसात्मक क्रान्तिकारी पथबाट सुरु भयो । तर जेलमा गहिरो चिन्तन र गीता अध्ययनले उनको हृदयमा हिंसाको छाप मेटियो । उनी भन्थे ”हाम्रो समानताको बाटो समन्वयवाद हो ।”

सिंह सुरुमा प्रजातन्त्र अथवा संसदीय व्यवस्थाको मागमा समर्पित भए तर प्रजातन्त्र आउने वित्तिकै उनी भौंतारिन थाले । त्यसपछि उनले फेरि भने ”पार्टी हानथापले राष्ट्रको सामूहिक उत्थान हुन नसक्ने हुँदा २००८ सालमै दलगत व्यवस्था नेपालको निम्ति उपयुक्त भएन ।” साथै राजाका अघिपछिका डुहुरे मुसाले काम गर्न नदिएको उनले सधैं गुनासो गरिरहे । उनी भन्थे ‘सामूहिक रूपमा साझा प्रक्रियाद्वारा देश निर्माण गर्ने बुद्धिजीवीको आस्था भएको सरकार हुनु अत्यावश्यक थियो तर मन्त्रीहरू बुद्धिजीवी नै खोजिदैनथ्यो ।” उनले क्रमशः आफ्नो राजनितीक जीवन पनि एक प्रकारको दूरभाग्यको नै ठानेका थिए । यतिहुँदाहुँदै पनि उनी नेपाली राष्ट्रिय एकताको प्रतीकका रुपमा राजाको आवश्यकतामा जोड दिन्थे ।
नेपालको परम्परा, भौगोलिक बनावटआदि उपर गढेर हेर्दा दलीय व्यवस्था काम लाग्दैन भन्ने अडानमा नै सिहको जीवन सकिएको थियो । उनी सिद्धान्तलाई भन्दा ब्यबहारलाई बढी जोड दिन्थे । उनी नेपालमा भोको नाङ्गो एक जना पनि नरहून् भन्थे । साथै उनी वसुदैव कुटुम्बकम्को भावना राखेर नै बाँचे । उनी निर्धानिमुखालाई हेला गर्ने प्रवृत्तिको घोर विरोधी थिए । अनि उनी मादक पदार्थलाई जीवन बर्बादको संज्ञा दिन्थे ।
सिंहकी श्रीमती पनि राजनीतज्ञ थिइन् । प्रज्ञाराज्यलक्ष्मी सिंह राष्ट्रिय पञ्चायतकी उपाध्यक्ष पनि थिइन् । तर खड्गमान सिंहले आफ्नी पत्नी प्रज्ञासँग अत्यन्तै थारै समय मात्र लहसिन पाए । उनीहरूद्वारा प्राप्त पुत्र नै सिंहको बाँचुन्जेलको लौरो भए ।

सिंह सधैं देश र जनसेवाको निम्ति नै लडे । जीवनको अन्तिम बेलामा आएर उनले भने ”मैले नेपालमा केही काम गर्न सकिन ।” जीवनमा त्याग गर्दागर्दै सिंहको २०५३ सालमा काठमाडौमा निधन भयो । त्यसपछि नेपालले उनको खोजीनिति नै पनि गरेन । राजनीतिमा लागेका झारेझुरेको समेत हुलाक टिकट प्रकाशनमा आयो र कौशीमा बसेर तमासा हेर्दै गरेको मानिसलाई झुक्किएर गोलि लाग्दा पनि शहिद बनाइयो । तर सिंहका बारे सरकारी तहले चासो नै राखेन । उनले जीवनको उत्तर्रार्धमा पनि भनेका थिए ”राजनीतिमा लाग्ने सबै स्वार्थी, कपटी र धुर्त हुँदैनन्, हृदयमा स्नेह र सेवापरायण, समता र सद्व्यबहार धारण गर्ने पनि हुन्छन् ।” तर नेपालका हकमा उनको सोचाइले कुनै धर्म निर्वाह गर्न सकेको देखिएन । नेपालीहरुका छातिभित्र संवेदनाको श्रोत नै सुकेकाले हिंजोको कालरात्रिमा नेपाल र नेपालीको उज्ज्वल भविष्यका लागि कठोर जीवन रोज्ने सिंहको योगदानको चर्चा हराउदै गयो । देशभक्त भएका कारण नै खड्गमान सिंह नेपाली राजनीतिमा असफल नै भएका हुन् त ? भन्ने प्रश्नले अब जरा गडिसकेको छ ।

@Nai Prakashan

रामकुमार श्रेष्ठ

वेलायतका प्रधानमन्त्री डेभिड क्यामेरोन मन्त्रीहरुलाई लिमो गाडी बिर्सेंर ट्युब चढन सल्लाह दिंदै आफू पनि ट्युबमा यात्रा गर्दा उभिएर पत्रिका पढ्न सक्छन, स्वीटजरल्याण्डका ९१ प्रतिशत सभासदहरु ट्राममा यात्रा गर्छन्, शिकागोका मेयर राहम इमानुयल ट्रेन चढछन्, फ्रान्सका तात्कालिन प्रधानमन्त्री फ्रान्सिस हलाण्डेले २०१२ मा फ्रान्सभित्रको आफ्नो आधिकारिक भ्रमण ट्रेनबाट गर्ने घोषणा गर्छन, थाइल्याण्डका यातायात मन्त्री चाडचार्टले बैंककमा बस यात्रा अत्यन्तै ढिलो हुने बुझ्दा बुझ्दै पनि झन्डै प्लेन नै छुटने गरी गत जुनमा बसबाटै एयरपोर्ट जान्छन । त्यसैले अनाबस्यक अनगिन्ती पार्टी र नेता भएको गरीब देशका नेताहरु भने महंगा सवारी साधनको सट्टा पूर्व उपप्रधानमन्त्री नारायणकाजी श्रेष्ठले जस्तै सार्वजनिक यातायातमा चढ्नु नै उपयुक्त र ब्याबहारिक हो, तर पनि त्यसो भने हुन नसकिरहेको कारण श्रेष्ठको नियमित सार्वजनिक यातायात प्रयोग गराइ राष्ट्रिय चर्चाको बिषय बन्न पुगेको छ ।

पूर्व उपप्रधानमन्त्री श्रेष्ठ सार्वजनिक यातायात चढ्न थालेपछि जसरी समाचार बन्यो त्यसरी समाचार त गरीब नेपालका नेताहरु महंगा सवारी साधन चढनुको बन्नु पर्थ्यो । जुन कुरो व्याबहारिक र देश सुहाउँदो हो, त्यही काम गर्दा यत्रो चर्चा परिचर्चा हुन्छ भने हामी कतिसम्म अव्याबहारिक भएका रहेछौं त ? संपन्न मुलुकमा अनगिन्ती नारायणकाजी हुँदा प्रतिब्यक्ति आयका हिसाबले २६२ देशमा जानकारी प्राप्त भएका २२८ देशमध्येमा २०७ औं देशमा पर्ने एउटा तन्नम भगत हामीकहाँ बल्ल बल्ल एउटा नयाँ नारायणकाजी जन्मन्छन भने सीमित ब्यक्तिहरु मोटाएर देश सुकेनास रोगले ग्रस्त हुने रोगबाट उन्मुक्ति पाउने परिकल्पनाले सार्थक रुप लेला भन्ने आधार के त ? गरीब देशका अनगिन्ती नेताहरुद्धारा प्रयोग गरिने महंगा सवारी साधन प्रसंग ठूला ठूला भ्रस्टाचार जस्तै समाचार बन्न छाडिसकेको छ । यस्को स्पस्ट अर्थ हो यी ठूला गम्भीर समस्याहरुलाई समस्या देख्ने मानसिकता र माहौल थकित र बेसहार भैसकेका छन ।

त्यसो त प्रधानमन्त्री भएपछि मुस्ताङ गाडी चढ्ने र प्रधानमन्त्री भएरै बिदेश यात्रामा इकोनोमिकल टिकट प्रयोग गर्ने डा बाबुराम भट्टराई र हनुमानढोकास्थित तलेजु भवानी मन्दिरको माथिल्लो तलाबाट जनताको घरको धुरीबाट धुवाँ निस्किएको हेरेपछि मात्र खाना खाने राजा महिन्द्र मल्ल पनि नभएका होइनन । अत्यन्तै सामान्य घरमा बसी बाणिज्य बैंकबाट ॠण लिएर कुखुरा पालन ब्यवसाय गरी लिएको ॠण तिर्न कठीनाइ भएका कारण आँशु चुहाउने पटक पटक मन्त्री भएर प्रधानमन्त्री भएका मरिचमान सिंह पनि नभएका होइनन । गत चुनावमा चुनाव खर्च जुटाउन १० रुपैयाँमा पर्चा बेच्दै हिंड्ने पूर्व उपप्रधानमन्त्री यिनै नारायणकाजी अहिले लामो समय सार्वजनिक यातायातमा यात्रा गर्न थालेपछि यस्ले ठुलै स्थान पाएको छ संचार जगतमा । हुनु पर्ने र गरिनुपर्ने काम हुँदा र गरिंदा यसरी चर्चा पाउनुको स्पस्ट अर्थ हामी टाउकोले हिंडिरहेका रहेछौं भन्ने हो ।

भनिन्छ ‘देश अनुसारको भेष’ । र पनि धनी देशका नेताहरुका व्याबहारिक सामान्य जीवन शैली देखिंदा समेत गरीब देशका नेताहरुको अस्वाभाबिक तडक भडक जीवनशैली देखिनुले देश र जनता दुबैमा भुङ्रो जस्तो ज्वरो निकाल्नु अस्वाभाविक होइन । गरीब देशका नेताहरुको आलिशन जीवनशैली नै भ्रस्टाचारलाई प्रश्रय दिने मूलाधार हो । चिया, चुरोट खानेहरु समातिने तर करोडौं अरबौं खानेहरु स-सम्मान हिंड्नु र अझ बिदेश शयरको अबसर दिइनु भनेको कानुनी राज्य स्थापित नहुनु हो, स्थापना हुन नदिइनु हो । ज्वरो आउँदा सिटामोल खान नपाउने र सुत्केरी हुने बेलामा सुडेनीको दर्शन दुर्लभ हुने देशमा राजनीति गर्नेहरु पजेरो र प्राडोको मालिक बन्नु सामान्य र काम कुरो एकातिर कुम्लो बोकी ठिमीतिर भने झैं मुलभुत कुरोलाई छाडी बिदेश शयर पानी पंधेरो हुने अवस्था सामना गरिरहंदा, भ्रस्टाचार प्रमाणित गर्न प्रमाण आबस्यक पर्ने, तर प्रमाण जुटाउन दसी पनि फेला पार्न नसक्ने गरी जादु सूत्रपात गर्ने क्षमता भएका नांगा बादशाहहरुलाई नांगो भन्न नसकिरहेका बेला पूर्व उपप्रधानमन्त्री श्रेष्ठ लामो समय सार्वजनिक सवारी साधन चढने प्रसंगले एउटा तरंग ल्याउनु स्वाभाबिकै हो । ‘पार्टीमा भ्रष्टीकरण बढ्दै गएका कारण यस्तो आन्दोलन थालेको हुँ । एकपटक मन्त्री हुँदैमा जीन्दगीभर पुग्ने गरी पैसा र महंगा गाडी कहाँबाट आउँछन् ? मेरो पार्टीले यो कुराको बोध नगरेसम्म मेरो आन्दोलन जारी रहन्छ ।’ – उनको भनाइ छ । उन्ले आफ्नो पार्टीतिर इंगित गरे तापनि एक पटक सांसद, मन्त्री र प्रधानमन्त्री भएपछि केही नगरिकनै आजीवन त्यही रवाफमा बस्ने परिपाटीप्रति नै लक्षित छ उन्को यो आन्दोलन ।

२०३८ सालतिर गोर्खाबाट काठमाण्डौँ आउने क्रममा यात्रुले खचाखच भरिएको बसमा सानो ठाउँ भए पनि पुग्ने बरिस्ठ नेता राजेस्वर देवकोटालाई अरुसंग संगै बस्न नहुने भनी पुरै सिट कब्जा जमाएर बसी संगैको सिट खाली छाडिएको देखेको केही समयपछि गोर्खाबाट काठमाण्डौँ आउने क्रममा नै यात्रुले खचाखच भरिएको बसमा अर्का बरिस्ठ नेता बिस्वबन्धु थापा एकजना गर्भबति महिलाको लागि सिट छोडन लगाउन एकजना अधिकृत स्तरका ब्यक्तिसंग झगडा गरेको देख्न पुगें । नेता थापा आँफै पनि उभिएका थिए । त्यस्तै सर्बस्व हरण सहित राणाकालमा जेल पर्दा ‘जेलमा बीस बर्ष’ पुस्तक लेखेर चर्चामा आएका र जेल बाहिर आँउदा नेपाली काङ्ग्रेसका संस्थापक नेता कृष्णप्रसाद भट्टराईले समेत तीन घन्टाको लाइनमा बसेर हातमा पुष्पार्पण गरिएका पूर्व मन्त्री खड्गमान सिंहले आफ्नै स्वकीय सचिबले आफ्नो पछाडि ‘खड्गे आफू पनि नखाने, अरुलाई पनि खान नदिने’ भन्दै गाली गरेको गुनासो पोख्थे हामीसंगको भेटको क्रममा । यी सरलता सांसद र मन्त्री हुने बित्तिक्कै सबै पजेरोपति भएको नदेखिने अवस्थाका थिए । अन्याय, अत्याचार, भ्रस्टाचार, नाताबाद, कृपाबाद, फरियाबाद आदिको बिरोध गर्दै पञ्चायतलाई बहुदलीय प्रजातन्त्रले र बहुदलीय प्रजातन्त्रलाई गणतन्त्रले बिस्थापित गर्दा समेत ठूला देशहरुको भन्दा पनि ठुलो संख्यामा सांसद र बारंबारको जम्बो मन्त्रीमण्डलका मन्त्री हुनेहरुका बीच खड्गमान सिंह, रुपचन्द्र बिष्ट, भिम बहादुर तामाङ्हरुको खडेरी परेको बेलामा पूर्व उपप्रधानमन्त्रीको यो किसिमको आन्दोलनको निरन्तरताले महत्व पाउनु असान्दर्भिक होइन ।

जति थकित भए पनि आफूले खाएका भाँडा माझ्ने बानी नछाडेका पूर्व उपप्रधानमन्त्री श्रेष्ठ आजकाल गाढी चढेको थाहा पाएपछि गाडी स्टाफहरुको सर्वसाधारणलाई गर्ने व्यवहार नै फरक हुन थालेको छ । उनीहरुको यो अस्थायी व्यबहारलाई स्थायी रुपमा परिणत गर्न धेरै नारायणकाजीहरु र स्पस्ट र ठोस नीति र नियमको आवश्यकता पर्छ । आदर्शले मात्रै देश बन्ने भए त देश पहिल्यै सिंगापुर बनिसकेको हुन्थ्यो । सबैतिर अस्तब्यस्त र तहस नहस समाज र देश रुपान्तरण सम्भब त्यसबेला मात्रै सम्भब हुन सक्छ जब नेतृत्वदायी भूमिका निर्बाह गर्नेहरु व्याबहारिक बन्छन । अन्यथा रक्सी पुरानै बोत्तल मात्रै नयाँ भने झैं नव धनाढ्यहरु जन्मने र नव डनका मालिक बन्ने प्रकृया अगाडि बढ्ने र त्यस्ले बिस्तारै देशमा माफियातन्त्रको बिकास हुने खतरालाई नकार्न सकिन्न । देशको दुर्दशाको मूल जरो भनेकै कुर्सी मोह, नाताबाद, कृपाबाद, पार्टीबाद जस्ता स्वार्थपूर्ण सोंच हुन । त्यसैले दक्षिण अमेरिकी मुलुक उरग्वेका बहालवाला राष्ट्रपति जोसे मुजिकाले जस्तै जीवनशैली हाम्रा नेताहरुले पनि अपनाउने भए न त देश भ्रस्टाचारको दलदलमा फस्थ्यो न त देश यसरी अनिर्णयको बन्दी बन्थ्यो । कस्ले कस्लाई केका आधारमा सुन्ने र आदर गर्ने भन्ने जस्तो जटिल समस्या आदर्श पुरुषको अभावमा टडकारो रुपमा देखा परेको देखिएको समस्या हो हाम्रो । अथाह श्रोतको धनी देशको यो हालतको कारक तत्व भनेकै उरग्वेका बहालवाला राष्ट्रपति जोसे मुजिकाको शब्दमा भन्ने हो भने हाम्रा गरीब नेताहरु र गरीब ब्युरोक्र्याटसहरु हुन । उनी भन्छन – ‘मलाई कँगाल राष्ट्रपति भन्छन, तर मलाई त्यस्तो लाग्दैन । गरिव त ती हुन जो आफ्नो रवाफिलो जीवनशैली कामय राख्नका लागि मात्र काम गर्छन, जस्ले धेरैभन्दा धेरै कमाउन चाहन्छन । दक्षिण अमेरिकी मुलुक उरुग्वेका बहालवाला राष्ट्रपति जोसे मुजिका, जो उपचार गर्न आफ्नै देशको अस्पतालमा पालो कुर्छन भने हाम्रा नेताहरु स्वास्थ्य उपचारका खातिर पखालाले ग्रस्त भएको ब्यक्ति शौचालय धाए जस्तै गरेर राज्यको ढिकुटीबाट करोडौं रुपयाँ सकाउँदै बिदेश औषधोपचारको लागि तारन्तार धाउने गर्छन् । लोकलाजले पनि नारायणकाजीको असर उनीहरुमा केही पर्ला कि भन्यो, कहीं कतै त्यस्को छनक समेत पनि देखा पर्नु त परै जाओस उल्टै उनीहरुको आफ्नैपनाको महामारी मच्चाएरै भने पनि नारायणकाजीलाई अत्याउन खोज्ने प्रबृत्तका कारण लाज त लोकलाई पो लागिरहेछ ।

See more at: http://www.ratopati.com/2014/09/06/165107.html#sthash.oBigHU7Q.dpuf

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s army said Friday that it has arrested 10 militants suspected of involvement in the 2012 attack on teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who won world acclaim after she was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating gender equality and education for women.

Army spokesman Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said the detained men attacked Yousafzai, then 15, on orders from Mullah Fazlullah, the head of the Pakistani Taliban. The army is currently waging a major offensive against the extremist group in North Waziristan, a tribal region along the border with Afghanistan that has long been a militant stronghold.

“The entire gang involved in the murder attempt… has been busted,” Bajwa said, adding that the “terrorists” were part of Tehrik-e-Taliban, an umbrella group encompassing militant organizations across the tribal areas.

Malala, a precocious teenage activist who had called for expanding girls’ education in deeply conservative areas of Pakistan, was shot in the head in October 2012 while returning from school. Two other girls were also wounded in the attack.

Malala was initially treated in Pakistan, but was later flown to a hospital in Britain, where she now lives with her family. “This is good news for our family and most importantly, for the people of Pakistan and the civilized world. This first step of apprehending Malala’s attackers signifies the beginning of real hope for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been affected by terrorism,” Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, said in a statement.

Malala is from the northwestern Swat Valley, once home to Fazlullah, who was elevated to his current leadership position after his predecessor, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan.

Fazlullah has been on the run since 2009, when Pakistan launched a major offensive in the Swat Valley to eliminate militants who were trying to overthrow the government and impose a harsh version of Islamic law. Islamic extremists believe women should largely confine themselves to the home, and view girls’ education as a sinister Western import.

Pakistan believes Fazlullah is hiding in Afghanistan, and Bajwa said Islamabad had raised the issue with the Afghan government. Both countries have long accused each other of ignoring militants who launch cross-border attacks from their territory.

“We will continue our efforts until (Fazlullah) is arrested or killed,” Bajwa told a televised news conference in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. He did not say when or where the men were captured, but said security agencies detained all 10 in a coordinated operation acting on information from one of the members of the cell. He said the head of the cell had also been arrested.

“The group acted upon the instructions of Mullah Fazlullah who, while based in Kunar, Afghanistan, passed instructions through his two associates,” he said. He added that it was a “known fact” that Fazlullah and other “terrorists” are hiding in Afghanistan.

The arrests come at a time when Pakistan’s military is carrying out a major operation against militants in North Waziristan. Pakistan launched the June 15 operation after militants attacked one of the country’s busiest airports, in the southern city of Karachi, shocking the nation.

The military says it has so far killed at least 975 militants and that the operation is progressing as planned.

@Mail

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the cusp of intensified airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, President Barack Obama is using the legal grounding of the congressional authorizations President George W. Bush relied on more than a decade ago to go to war. But Obama has made no effort to ask Congress to explicitly authorize his own conflict.

The White House said again Friday that Bush-era congressional authorizations for the war on al-Qaida and the Iraq invasion give Obama authority to act without new approval by Congress under the 1973 War Powers Act. That law, passed during the Vietnam War, serves as a constitutional check on presidential power to declare war without congressional consent. It requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action and limits the use of military forces to no more than 60 days unless Congress authorizes force or declares war.

“It is the view of this administration and the president’s national security team specifically that additional authorization from Congress is not required, that he has the authority that he needs to order the military actions,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. He said there were no plans to seek consent from Congress. “At this point we have not, and I don’t know of any plan to do so at this point,” he said.

The administration’s tightly crafted legal strategy has short-circuited the congressional oversight that Obama once championed. The White House’s use of post-9/11 congressional force authorizations for the broadening air war has generated a chorus of criticism that the justifications are, at best, a legal stretch.

“Committing American lives to war is such a serious question, it should not be left to one person to decide, even if it’s the president,” said former Illinois Rep. Paul Findley, 92, who helped write the War Powers Act.

As a U.S. senator from Illinois running for president in 2007, Obama tried to prevent Bush’s administration from taking any military action against Iran unless it was explicitly authorized by Congress. A Senate resolution Obama sponsored died in committee.

Nearly seven years later, U.S. fighter jets and unmanned drones armed with missiles have flown 150 airstrikes against the Islamic State group over the past five weeks in Iraq under Obama’s orders — even though he has yet to formally ask Congress to authorize the expanding war. Obama told the nation Wednesday he would unleash U.S. strikes inside Syria for the first time, along with intensified bombing in Iraq, as part of “a steady, relentless effort” to root out Islamic State extremists. Obama has not said how long the air campaign will last.

The White House has cited the 2001 military authorization Congress gave Bush to attack any countries, groups or people who planned, authorized, committed or aided the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Earnest on Thursday described the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, generally known as the AUMF, as one that Obama “believes continues to apply to this terrorist organization that is operating in Iraq and Syria.”

The Islamic State group, which was founded in 2004, has not been linked to the 9/11 attacks, although its founders later pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden. In February, al-Qaida declared that the Islamic State group was no longer formally part of the terror organization. And in recent weeks, senior U.S. officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Matthew Olsen, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, have drawn significant distinctions between al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Earnest said Thursday that Obama welcomes support from Congress but that it isn’t necessary. “The president has the authority, the statutory authority that he needs,” Earnest said. Others disagreed. “I actually think the 2001 AUMF argument is pretty tortured,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. “They are essentially saying that ISIL is associated with al-Qaida, and that’s not obvious,” Himes said, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State group. “Stretching it like this has dangerous implications.”

Himes supports a new congressional vote for a specific IS group authorization, as does another Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff of California. There is wariness even from some former Bush administration officials. Jack Goldsmith, head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under Bush, said in the Lawfare blog that “it seems a stretch” to connect the Islamic State group to al-Qaida, considering recent rivalry between the two groups.

The White House also finds authorization under the 2002 resolution that approved the invasion of Iraq to identify and destroy weapons of mass destruction. That resolution also cited the threat from al-Qaida, which Congress said then was operating inside Iraq. But the U.S. later concluded there were no ties between al-Qaida and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein or his government, and the group formally known as al-Qaida in Iraq — which later evolved into the Islamic State group — didn’t form until 2004, after the U.S.-led invasion.

Obama is using both authorizations as authority to act even though he publicly sought their repeal last year. In a key national security address at the National Defense University in May 2013, Obama said he wanted to scrap the 2001 order because “we may be drawn into more wars we don’t need to fight.” Two months later, Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, asked House Speaker John Boehner to consider repealing the 2002 Iraq resolution, calling the document “outdated.”

Obama has asked only for congressional backing to pay for the buildup of American advisers and equipment to aid Syrian opposition forces. House Republicans spurned a vote on that separate request earlier this week, but Boehner is now siding with the administration. The White House acknowledged it could not overtly train Syrian rebels without Congress approving the cost of about $500 million.

Since U.S. military advisers went into Iraq in June, the administration has maneuvered repeatedly to avoid coming into conflict with the War Powers provision that imposes a 60-day time limit on unapproved military action. Seven times, before each 60-day limit has expired, Obama has sent new notification letters to Congress restarting the clock and providing new extensions without invoking congressional approval. The most recent four notifications have covered the airstrikes against the Islamic State group that began Aug. 8.

An international law expert at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, Peter J. Spiro, described the letters as workarounds that amount to “killing the War Powers Act with 1,000 tiny cuts.” Former Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., who now heads the Lugar Center for foreign affairs in Washington, said Obama could ask for congressional approval in a way that would be less formal than a specific war resolution — perhaps either as an appropriations request or a simple resolution.

“It may not be the most satisfactory way to declare war,” Lugar said. “But it may be a pragmatic compromise for the moment.”

By Jacqueline Howard

Not just one, but two strong solar flares burst off the sun’s surface this week — and now Earth is getting hit with the aftermath.

While the solar storm headed our way may affect power lines, radio transmissions, communication systems and satellites to a small degree, scientists say it’s nothing to worry about.

“We’re not scared of this one,” Tom Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, told the AP.

A strong X1.6-class solar flare erupted from a sunspot on Wednesday, following a previous flare that blasted out of the same spot on Monday, LiveScience reported. Just check out the action captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory in the video below.

वरिष्ठ गीतकर क्षेत्र प्रताप अधिकारीको शब्द रचनामा गायक आशिष श्रेष्ठको स्वरमा सजिएको “नेपालीको आँखा भरी” बोलको गीतले यस बर्षको सर्वोत्कृष्ट राष्ट्रिय भावनाको गीतको अवार्ड हासिल गरेको छ | राजधानी काठमाडौँमा आयोजित १६ औं टुबोर्ग इमेज अवार्डमा मनोनयनमा परेका अन्य गीतहरुलाई पछि पार्दै यस गीतले अवार्ड हासिल गरेको हो | यस गीतमा संगीत चन्दन श्रेष्ठले दिएका छन् |

अष्ट्रेलियामा बसेर गायन र संगीतलाई आत्मसाथ गरि रहेका सुमधुर स्वरका धनि आशिष श्रेष्ठले एक दर्जन बढी सांगीतिक एल्बम मार्फत आफ्नो प्रतिभा पस्किसकेका छन् | गायक श्रेष्ठले “आयान स्कुल अफ म्युजिक” नामको सङ्गीत पाठशाला खोलेर अष्ट्रेलियामा बाध्यवादन तथा भोकल (स्वर) कक्षा सन्चालन गरेका छन् |

गोरखा जन्मस्थल भएका आशिष श्रेष्ठ र चन्दन श्रेष्ठ दुबैलाई हार्दिक बधाइ !

यस्तो छ यस बर्षको सर्वोत्कृष्ट राष्ट्रिय भावनाको गीत

Spain’s central government has already said it will challenge Catalan law in constitutional court.

By Ashifa Kassam

As the campaign for Scottish independence enters its final week,Catalonia is launching the next phase in its attempt to break away fromSpain. On Monday, the regional parliament began laying the groundwork to pass a law allowing a referendum on 9 November.

The Catalan leader Artur Mas told the Catalan parliament that the law would pave the way for the region to call non-binding consultations. “This would mean that Spain would effectively bury the ‘old Spain’ and rediscover that it is a country made up of several nations,” he said.

“In an instant, Spain would emerge as a country with an impressive level of democracy, tolerance and one that is capable of listening and resolving what is, above all, a democratic challenge.”

Albert Royo, of Diplocat, Catalonia’s public diplomacy body, said the regional law was a last-ditch attempt to hold a vote on independence. “The Spanish government keeps saying this is illegal. This is our solution to make it legal,” he said.

Catalan politicians are expected to approve the law on Friday, a day after Scottish referendum. The timing has offered independence-minded Catalans a window in which to compare the differing responses of Madrid and London to the independence efforts.

“Britain has offered a good solution – the ballot box. That’s how political conflicts should be managed in the 21st century,” Royo said.

Spain’s central government has already said it will challenge the Catalan law in the constitutional court. As soon as it does, the 9 November consultation will be automatically suspended, sending Spain careering towards a political crisis, said Royo. “Spain is a young democracy and this will put Spain’s democratic values and prestige at risk.”

Last Thursday hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona to demand a vote on independence. Polls show that a majority of Catalans want the chance to have their say in a referendum, while support for independence hovers around half.

Caught between the majority of his citizens who want a vote and an obstinate Madrid, Mas has said he will sit down with the pro-independence parties to determine a course of action if the consultation is suspended. While Mas is reluctant to hold an illegal referendum, his alliance with the left-leaning, pro-independence party Catalan Republican Left (ERC) was forged with a promise that there would be a vote.

Xavier Arbós Marín, a constitutional law professor at the University of Barcelona, said: “There is pressure on him from the pro-independence parties to take ballot boxes out on to the street regardless of what Madrid says.”

The other option for Mas is to call early elections that could act as a de facto poll on independence. But the move would be risky for Mas, as he would probably be painted as the leader who failed to deliver the promised referendum, said Arbós Marín.

Mas is also struggling to contain the fallout after the founder of his party, Jordi Pujol, who governed Catalonia for 23 years, confessed to stashing an undisclosed amount of money in an offshore account for more than three decades. With Pujol expected to explain his actions in front of the Catalan parliament in early October, the scandal shows no sign of abating. “The next few weeks will be very interesting,” Arbós Marín said.

Regardless of what plays out in the political arena, the final result will be the same, insisted Royo. “One way or another, Catalans will vote,” he said, noting that municipal and general elections were scheduled for 2015. “Either we can have a consultation or elections next year. In the end, we’ll vote.”

@TG

गरीब देशबाट धनी देशमा आएर सिकेको र बुझेको धनी देशको कामप्रतिको  संस्कार, मानसिकता र मान्यता आफ्नो देशमा भित्र्याउन भृकुटीको भूमिका निर्बाह गरेर देशमा सकारात्मक वातावरण सिर्जना गर्नु पर्नेहरु आँफै टाउको लुकाएर उल्टो दिग्भ्रम सिर्जना गर्छन् भने धनी देशको पैसा त भित्रिएला नै, तर न त यस्ले ‘बिदेशमा त पैसाको बोटै हुन्छ’ भन्ने जस्तो सोचाइंले ग्रस्तहरुको आशे बानीलाई सुधारेर आफ्नै हैरानी कमी गर्न सकिन्छ न त देश बिकासको लागि आवश्यक पर्ने एउटा नयाँ संस्कारको विकास गर्न नै ।

रामकुमार श्रेष्ठ

मेलबर्नको एउटा ठूलो निर्माण कम्पनीको कार्यालयमा अफिस समयपछि सफा गर्ने काम जिम्मा पाएको ब्यक्ति एकदिन अफिस समयपश्चात पनि निर्देशक कोठैमा भएको थाहा पाएर ढोका ढकढक्याएर अनुमति लिएर पस्छ । कोठामा पस्ने बित्तिकै निर्देशकको बोली उस्को कानमा पर्छ, “आज मैले ठूलो गल्ती गरेकोमा क्षमा गर मित्र” । उक्त दिन निर्देशकको टेबल वरिपरि भुइंमा च्यातिएका थुप्रै कागज छरपस्ट भएकोले उनको भनाइ त्यसप्रति नै लक्षित हो भन्ने बुझ्नमा उसलाई कठीन भएन ।

स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्रमा काम गर्ने बिभिन्न संस्थाहरुमा बिभिन्न स्तरका स्वास्थ्यकर्मीहरु पठाउने अस्ट्रेलियाकै ठूलोमा गनिने एजेन्सीको मेलबर्न शाखामा काम गर्ने दुई युनिटका प्रमुख थिए क्यारी र त्यही संस्थाबाट प्रदान गरिने तालिममा कहिलेकांही तालिम दिने काममा पनि शरिक हुने गर्थे । त्यो एजेन्सीमा कामको सिलसिलामा आउनेहरुको लागि नि:शुल्क रुपमा खाना उपलब्ध गराउने राम्रो क्याफे पनि थियो । क्यारी कहिलेकांही सो क्याफेमा पनि काम गर्थे र आफ्ना बिद्यार्थी र कर्मचारीहरुले खाइसकेको प्लेटहरु उठाउन पनि ब्यस्त देखिन्थे ।

मेलबर्नको एउटा ठूलो नर्सिङ होममा काम पाएको केही दिनमा आफ्नो यूनिट मैनेजरले सामान राखिएको ट्रली ठेल्दै गरेको देखेर अबिकसित देशबाट आएका एकजना नयाँ कर्मचारी सघाउन जाँदा यूनिट मैनेजरले आफूलाई कुनै समस्या नभएकोले आफ्नै काम जारी राख्न भने । केही समयपछि उसले अर्को कुनामा नर्सिङ होमका मैनेजरले एउटा बिरामीलाई खानेकुरा ख्वाइरहेको देखे ।

हामी जे जस्तो संस्कार र मानसिकताग्रस्त समाजमा छौं यस्का आधारमा माथिका वास्तबिकताहरुलाई विश्वास गर्न र स्वीकार्न हम्मे हम्मे पर्छ जबकि विकसित देशमा बस्नेका लागि यी कुनै अस्वाभाबिक र अनौठा कुरा भने होइनन । यसको अर्थ के होइन भने बिकसित देशका सबै कुरा राम्रा छन र अबिकसित देशका नराम्रा । अबिकसित देशबाट पनि बिकसित देशले सिक्नु पर्ने कुराहरु धेरै छन । कामप्रतिको हाम्रो दृष्टिकोण सामाजिक बिषमता कायम गर्न र विकास कार्य अगाडि बढाउन बाधकको रुपमा देखा परेकोले विकसित देशमा पाइने यस किसिमको मान्यता भित्र्याउन सकिएको खण्डमा यसले विकास कार्यमा सकारात्मक भूमिका निर्बाह गर्ने कुरामा सन्देह छैन, तर समाज र देश परिवर्तनको लागि महत्वपूर्ण भएका कारण यस्ता कुराहरुको विकसित देशमा रहनेहरुले इमान्दारितापूर्बक वकालत गर्नु पर्छ भने विकसित देश गएर फर्कनेहरुले बिना श्रोत करोडपति र अरबपति बनेर दासप्रथाको प्रतिनिधि बनेर त्यसैलाई निरन्तरता दिने किसिमले विकसित देश विकसित हुने एउटा महत्वपूर्ण सूत्रको बदख्वाइ गर्ने नाममा आँफैले आफ्नै बदख्वाइ गर्नु हुँदैन । यी दुबै पक्षले यस्लाई आफ्नो देशमा भित्र्याउन भृकुटीको भूमिका निर्बाह गर्न सके देशलाई अगाडि बढाउन सहायकसिद्ध हुने कुरामा सन्देह छैन ।  

म पहिलो पटक अस्ट्रेलिया भएको समय करीब एघार वर्ष अघि भिक्टोरिया सरकारले स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्रसंग सम्बद्ध अस्पताल, नर्सिङ होमहरुमा सरसफाइको गुणस्तर हुन पर्ने जत्तिको गुणस्तरको नभएको कारण त्यसमा सुधार ल्याउने नीति ल्याउँदै थियो र त्यसको लागि ठूलो रकम खर्च गर्ने तयारी गर्दै थियो । यो नीति ल्याउनुको पछाडिको दर्शन थियो, ‘Spending some more  thousands of dollars in a particular hospitals and health care  facilities they will be able to save millions of dollars, as efficiency  of infection control will be increased.’ यस किसिमको देशमा नागरिकको स्वास्थ्यमा पर्ने प्रतिकूल असरका कारण सिर्जित परिणामले गर्दा एकातिर सरकारमाथिको आर्थिक दायित्व थपिने र अर्कोतिर यस परिस्थितिका कारण देशभित्रै भएको मानव शक्तिको सदुपयोग गर्न नसकी आवश्यक मानव शक्ति बाहिरी देशबाट ल्याउन पर्ने अवस्थामा सिर्जना हुन सक्ने भएकोले नागरिकको स्वास्थ्यमा सरकार त्यसरी संबेदनशील हुनु स्वाभाबिकै हो । यिनै बिषयबस्तुहरुलाई आधार बनाएर कामका सम्बन्धमा बिल्कुलै फरक र बिपरित मानसिकता र संस्कारयुक्त देशमा आउने नबागन्तुकहरुलाई बिगतका एकादेशका ठूलो ठूलो कुरा गरेर समय फाल्नुको अलावा बर्तमानको वास्तबिक धरातलमा रहेर शुरुमा जे जस्तो हुन्छ काम गर्दै बिस्तारै तालिमहरु लिएर प्रगति गर्न अभिप्रेरित गर्न त्यस बेला अंग्रेजीमा लेखेर साथीहरु बीच सर्कुलेट गरिएको ‘BE PROUD OF BEING A CLEANER’ आलेखलाई यो एघार वर्षको बीचमा देखिएका थप दृस्टान्तहरुलाई समेत समाबेश गरी केही परिमार्जन गरेर लेख्नु अझै सान्दर्भिक देखिने महसूस गरी सो प्रयास गर्दै छु यो आलेख मार्फत ।

माथिका दृस्टान्तहरुबाट के स्पष्ट देखिन्छ भने विकसित देशमा साना र ठूला बीच पनि मानवीय व्यवहार हुन्छ र ठूलाले सानालाई त्यत्ति सजिलै हेप्ने भन्ने कुरा हुँदैन । शिक्षकले बिद्यार्थीलाई र अभिभाबकले आफ्ना बच्चाहरुलाई समेत गाली गर्न नमिल्ने देशमा काम गर्ने जिम्मेवारी पाएको एउटा परिपक्क मानिसलाई अर्को मानिसले अमानवीय व्यबहार गर्ने कसरी ? यस दृस्टिकोणबाट पूंजीवादी भनिने देशहरुमा गरीब देशका गरीब जनताको विश्वाश प्राप्त गर्न कतिपय समाजवादी सिद्धान्तको आदर्श छाट्ने कम्युनिष्टहरुमा भन्दा बढी व्यवहारिक रुपमा समाजवादी छनक देखिन्छ ।

करीब दश बर्ष अघि अस्ट्रेलियाबाट नेपाल फर्किएको समयमा अमेरिकाबाट नेपाल केही समयको लागि आउनु भएकी एकजना बरिष्ठ अभिनेतृसंग लिइएको अन्तरवार्ता टिभिबाट प्रसारण भैरहेको थियो । त्यसमा पत्रकार नेपालमा त्यस्तो बरिष्ठ कलाकार भएको मानिस त्यहाँ सामान्य काम गर्न किन गएको, के काम गर्दै, त्यसले सन्तुष्टी दिन सके नसकेको भित्रै घुमिरहेका थिए भने अभिनेतृ त्यहाँको संस्कार, मान्छेहरुको मानसिकताको कारण कामको प्रकृतिको प्रश्नले कुनै महत्व नराख्ने कुरामा जोड दिंदै थिइन । एउटा पक्ष बुझाउन खोज्दै थियो, अर्को पक्ष बुझ्न सकिरहेको थिएन वा बुझी बुझी बुझ पचाएर अफ्टेरोमा पार्न किन, केका लागि जस्ता प्रश्नकै वरिपरि रिंगिरहेको थियो ।

जब म इन्जिनियरिङ्ग कोर्स पुरा गरेर नेपाल फर्कें त घरका सबै किसिमका काम गर्नुमा मलाई कुनै हीनताबोध हुँदैनथ्यो, तर मानिसहरु काम गरिरहेको बेलामा आइपुग्दा प्रश्न तेर्साइहाल्थे, “के हो इन्जिनियर सा’ब, एउटा काम गर्ने मान्छे नराखेर…” उनीहरु ठान्थे कि म कन्जुस्याइं गरिराखेको छु । तर काम गर्ने मान्छे हुँदा समेत यस किसिमका काम गर्ने कामलाई पूर्ण रुपले तिलाञ्जली दिने काम भएन मबाट । आफ्नै डिन र रेक्टरलाई भेट्दा देवता नै भेटेको जस्तो महसूस गर्नु पर्ने देशबाट गएर डिन रेक्टरहरु समेत आँफै कोठा कोठामा आएर सूचना सुनाउँदै हिंड्ने र आफ्नो चिया आँफै बनाएर खाने संस्कारलाई समेत बुझ्नेको लागि यो कुनै ठूलो कुरो थिएन । गोङबूको महादेबटारमा स्थानीय तबरबाटै मोटरबाटो ल्याउन खट्नेहरुका लागि पहिला त सबैबाट पैसा उठाउनु नै चुनौति थियो भने उठेको पैसाबाट धेरैभन्दा धेरै काम गर्नु पर्ने चुनौति आफ्नै ठाउँमा थियो । त्यसैले ट्रकहरुले माटो ल्याएर छाडेर गएपछि अर्को ट्रिप ल्याउनु अघि ठूला ठूला माटोका डल्लाहरु बाटोबाट नपन्छइदिने हो भने ट्रकले माटो उतै उतै छाढिदिंदा माटो ओसार्नु पर्ने खर्च बढने भएकोले बाटोमा भएका त्यस्ता डल्लाहरु बाटोबाट हटाउँथे । यसो गर्दा मान्छेहरुले घर घरबाट हेर्ने गरेको संझना ताजै छ ।

अविकसित देशका मानिसमा तुलनात्मक रुपमा बढी अधिकारयुक्त जिम्मेवारी प्राप्त गर्न जे पनि गर्ने तर जिम्मेवारी पुरा गर्नतिर चासो नदिने प्रवृति पाईन्छ भने विकसित देशमा राजनीतिमा बाहेक सामान्यतया जिम्मेवारी लिएपछि पुरा पनि गर्नु पर्ने भएकोले सकभर बढी अधिकार लिएर जिम्मेवारी बढाउन चाहँदैनन । किनकि जिम्मेवारी लिएपछि कर्तब्य पुरा गर्नु पर्छ भन्ने कुरामा उनीहरु संबेदनशील छन ।

माइ संसारमा करीब छ: बर्ष पहिला प्रकाशित मेरो एउटा आलेखमा एउटा कमेण्ट यस्तो थियो, “यस्तो देशभक्तिको कुरा गर्ने मानिस विदेशमा भाँडा माझ्न किन गएको नि ?” प्रश्नकर्ताको जबाफमा लेखेको थिएँ, “पहिलो कुरो त विदेशमा कामप्रतिको दृष्‍टिकोण नै हाम्रोभन्दा बिल्कुलै फरक छ । दोश्रो कुरो, बिदेशमा जाने सबै नेपाली भाँडै माझ्छन भन्ने मान्यता पनि गलत हो । धेरै मर्यादित पदमा काम गर्ने नेपालीहरु पनि थुप्रै छन । मेरो हकमा भन्नु पर्दा म र मेरी श्रीमतीले नेपालमा दुई वर्ष अघि नै मासिक झन्डै दुई लाख कमाउन समस्या नहुने वातावरण भएर पनि विशेष परिस्थितिका कारण विदेश आएका हौं । यहाँ वेलायतमा म स्ट्रक्चरल इन्जिनियरको रुपमा काम गरिराखेको छु भने अस्ट्रेलियामा बरिष्ठ इन्जिनियरको काम पाइसकेको छु ।“

भृकुटी बन्नु पर्नेहरुले नै टाउको लुकाएपछि

यसरी के स्पष्ट हुन्छ भने विकसित देशमा कामको प्रकृतिलाई भन्दा काम गरिनुलाई बढी महत्व दिने गरिन्छ र कुनै पनि कामलाई राम्रो र नराम्रो भन्ने मानसिकताबाट एक किसिमले मुक्त जस्तै देखिन्छन । पुरुषले महिलालाई, ठूला पदकाले साना पदकालाई, त्यही देशकाले अन्य देशकालाई सिद्धान्तत: भेदभाव र थिचोमिचो गर्न पाउँदैनन । त्यसैले जतिसुकै ठूलो पद ओगटेको भनिनेहरुले पनि आफ्नो परिवारका कुनै पनि सदस्यले सरसफाइ गर्ने काम गरेको होस अथवा होटलमा भाँडा माझ्ने – जे काम गरेको हो सो बिना हिचकिचावट भन्ने गर्छन् । र अर्को महत्वपूर्ण कुरा भनेको यस्तो देशमा सामान्य काम गर्नेको पनि गाडी, टिभी, कम्प्युटर, फ्रिज, घर भन्ने कुरा क्षमतानुसारको स्तरको भै नै हाल्छ । तर गरीब देशबाट जाने कतिपयले आफूलाई त्यहाँको अनुरुप परिवर्तन नगरेर आफ्नै देशको मानसिकतानुरुप आफूलाई प्रस्तुत गरिराखेका हुन्छन र आफूले आफैलाई ठूलो देखाउन खोज्दा अरुले नकारात्मक रुपमा बुझेको पत्तै पाउँदैनन ।

आफ्नो देशमा प्रसस्त काम गर्नेहरु राखेर बसेको भन्दै बसेको देशलाई गाली गर्ने तर सो देश छाड्न पनि नचाहनेहरुबाट आजित भएर कहिलेकांही त्यस्ताहरुलाई ‘यहाँ किन बसेको तर ?’ भनेर सोधिदिंदा रगतको प्रबाह अनुहारमा राम्रै देख्न सकिन्छ । कोही भने आफू बसिरहेको देशमा बस्नको लागि संभब भए जत्तिका सबै उपाय अपनाउँदा अपनाउँदै पनि बस्न मिल्ने नमिल्ने यकीन नभएकोले बस्न मन नलागेको बताउँछन र बस्न मिल्ने भएपछि अरुले पत्याउने नपत्याउने केही सोंच्दै नसोची कुरा फेर्नेहरु पनि पाईन्छन । यसरी आफ्नै देशको संस्कार र मानसिकताको जन्जालबाट उन्मुक्ति पाउन नसकेर आफूले आँफैलाई अनावश्यक किसिमले नसुहाउने किसिमले देखाउन खोजेको हैसियतका कारण धेरैलाई हसाउने काम गरिराखेका हुन्छन केहीले ।

वेलायतमा हुँदा एक जनासंग फोनमा कुरा भए अनुरुप सानो काम दिएको थिएँ एकजना नेपालीलाई । काम के भयो भन्ने बुझ्नको लागि भोलिपल्ट उसको मोबाइलमा फोन गर्दा अर्कोले उठाएर ऊ अर्को फोनमा ब्यस्त भएको जानकारी दियो । केही घण्टापछि अर्कोले फोन गरेर मैले चाहेको कुराबारे जानकारी लिन फोन गरेको र चिट लेखेर जानकारीको लागि लेखेर उस्को टेबलमा रखिदिने जानकारी दियो । आफूले आँफैलाई हैसियतभन्दा धेरै ठूलो देखाउन गरेको नाटक देखेर मनमनै हाँसे र सोही काम धेरै नेपालीले चिन्ने एकजना दाजुलाई दिएँ, जुन काम भोलिपल्टै तमाम भएर आयो ।

विकसित देशमा मानिसहरु काममा खुब खटेका हुन्छन बिदामा घुम्न जानको लागि पैसा जम्मा गर्न । त्यसैले बेला बेलामा नेपालीहरु बीच कुरा हुने गर्छ, “नेपालका नेताहरु र भ्रस्टाचारीहरुलाई बिदेशमा छ महिना जति ल्याएर काममा जोताएर पेटको बोसो घटाएर पठाउन पाए बल्ल देशमा केही हुन्थ्यो कि ?”

अबिकसित देशका मानिसमा पाइने यस किसिमको  मानसिकता पनि नै अबिकसित देशको राजनीति प्रदूषित र बिकृत हुनुमा धेरै हदसम्म जिम्मेवार भएको देखिन्छ । बिदेशमा केही सामय मन्त्री प्रधानमन्त्री भएपछी अन्य सामान्य पेशामा समय बिताउने प्रचलन छ, तर हामीकहाँ मन्त्री प्रधानमन्त्री भएपछी आजिवन त्यही रबाफमा २-४ जना अगाडि पछाडि लगाएर हिंड्ने र केही कामै गर्न नहुने भन्ने मानसिकताले ग्रस्त छ । यो मानसिकताका कारण कुर्सी नपाउने बित्तिक्कै कुर्सीमा बस्नेको खोइरो खन्ने र कुर्सीबाट तानेर आफू त्यहाँ जाने तिकडम मात्रै गर्ने भएकोले यस्ले देशलाई समस्याको भुमरीमा मात्रै जकड्याइराख्नेभन्दा बढी केही गर्न नसक्ने प्रमाणित गरिसकेको छ । डा बाबुरामन भट्टराई प्रधानमन्त्री भएर पनि पढाउन जान सक्छन, डा उपेन्द्र देवकोटा मन्त्री भएर पनि डाक्टरी पेशामा फर्कन सक्छन, सुवास नेम्बाङ सभामुख भएर पनि कालो कोट लगाउन सक्छन भने अन्य नेताहरु पनि १-२ पटक मन्त्री अथवा प्रधानमन्त्री भएपछी अन्य केही पेशामा फर्कने संस्कारको बिकास गरिनुपर्छ देशलाई अगाडि बढाउन । नायिका बिनिता बराल अहिले सिनेकर्मीभन्दा बढि अर्गानिक किसानका रुपमा बढि चर्चामा छिन् । काठमाडौको टोखामा १० रोपनी जग्गा भाडामा लिएर प्राङ्गारिक खेती सञ्चालन गरिरहेकी छिन् । यस्को लागि बिदेशमा जस्तै हरेक कामलाई आदर गरिने संस्कार र मानसिकताको आवश्यकता पर्छ ।

गरीब देशबाट धनी देशमा आएर सिकेको र बुझेको धनी देशको कामप्रतिको यो संस्कार, यो मानसिकता र यो मान्यता आफ्नो देशमा भित्र्याउन भृकुटीको भूमिका निर्बाह गरेर देशमा सकारात्मक वातावरण सिर्जना गर्नु पर्नेहरु आँफै टाउको यसरी लुकाएर उल्टो दिग्भ्रम सिर्जना गर्छन् भने धनी देशको पैसा त भित्रिएला नै, तर न त यस्ले ‘बिदेशमा त पैसाको बोटै हुन्छ’ भन्ने जस्तो सोचाइंले ग्रस्तहरुको आशे बानीलाई सुधारेर आफ्नै हैरानी कमी गर्न सकिन्छ न त देश बिकासको लागि आवश्यक पर्ने एउटा नयाँ संस्कारको विकास गर्न नै ।मेरो हकमा भन्नु पर्दा म र मेरी श्रीमतीले नेपालमा दुई वर्ष अघि नै मासिक झन्डै दुई लाख कमाउन समस्या नहुने वातावरण भएर पनि विशेषपरिस्थितिका कारण विदेश आएका हौं । यहाँ वेलायतमा म स्ट्रक्चरल इन्जिनियरको रुपमा काम गरिराखेको छु भने अस्ट्रेलियामा बरिष्ठइन्जिनियरको काम पाइसकेको छु ।“

 | By JOSH LEDERMAN

“The president has full confidence in the Secret Service and is grateful to the men and women who day in and day out protect himself, his family and the White House,” said White House spokesman Frank Benenati. He said the White House expected Pierson’s review to be conducted “with the same professionalism and commitment to duty that we and the American people expect from the U.S. Secret Service.”

The presidential vote of confidence came as the storied agency sought to dispel growing concerns about security at the White House, one of the most heavily protected buildings in the world. Another man was arrested Saturday outside the White House in an unrelated event.

President Barack Obama and his daughters had just left the White House by helicopter on Friday evening when the Secret Service says 42-year-old Omar J. Gonzalez scaled the fence, darting across the lawn and through the unlocked North Portico doors before officers finally tackled him.

“Every day the Secret Service is challenged to ensure security at the White House complex while still allowing public accessibility to a national historical site,” the agency said in a statement. “Although last night the officers showed tremendous restraint and discipline in dealing with this subject, the location of Gonzalez’s arrest is not acceptable.”

The Secret Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility was carrying out the review, which started Friday with interviews and a physical site assessment and will include a review of all of the security and operational policies, officials said.

Officials had originally said that Gonzalez appeared unarmed as he sprinted across the lawn — potentially one reason agents didn’t shoot him or release their service dogs to detain him. But a law enforcement official said Gonzalez had a small folding knife with him at the time of the arrest, and faces a weapons charge. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and demanded anonymity.

Less than 24 hours after Gonzalez’ arrest, a second man was apprehended after he drove up to a White House gate and refused to leave, the Secret Service said, prompting bomb technicians in full gear to search the vehicle as agents shut down nearby streets.

There were no indications the two events were connected. Yet the pair of incidents in short succession only intensified the scrutiny of the Secret Service, which is still struggling to rehabilitate its image following a series of allegations of misconduct by agents in recent years, including agents on Obama’s detail.

“Unfortunately, they are failing to do their job,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House subpanel on national security oversight, told the AP. “These are good men and women, but the Secret Service leadership has a lot of questions to answer.”

“Was the door open?” he added incredulously.

Gonzalez, of Copperas Cove, Texas, was transported to a nearby hospital after his arrest for evaluation. He faces unlawful entry and other charges.

On a quiet cul-de-sac about an hour’s drive from Waco, Texas, where Gonzalez was last believed to have lived according to records, former neighbors said he moved out roughly two years ago. Sgt. 1st Class David Haslach, who lives two doors down from Gonzalez’s former home, said Gonzalez had been in the U.S. military and told Haslach he had received a medical discharge.

He and another former neighbor, Elke Warner, both recalled him seeming paranoid in the months before he left town.

“At the end, he got so weird. He had motion detector lights put in,” Warner said. She added that she last saw Gonzalez about a year and a half ago at a nearby camp site, where he was apparently living with his two dogs.

Attempts to reach Gonzalez or his relatives by phone were unsuccessful.

The Secret Service has struggled in recent years to strike the appropriate balance between ensuring the first family’s security and preserving the public’s access to the White House grounds. Once open to vehicles, the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was confined to pedestrians after the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, but officials have been reluctant to restrict access to the area further.

असोज, काठमाडौं । भारतीय प्रधानमन्त्री नरेन्द्र मोदी काठमाडौंबाट फर्किएको डेढ महिना नपुग्दै नेपाल-भारत सीमा विवाद समाधान गर्ने र सीमाना व्यवस्थापन गर्ने प्रक्रियाले गति लिएको छ ।

सात वर्षपछि पहिलोपटक सीमा व्यवस्थापनसम्बन्धी संयन्त्रको बैठक बसेर दुई देशबीचको सीमानाबाट हराएका जंगे पिल्लरहरु खोज्ने र सीमा व्यवस्थापनसम्बन्धी काम थाल्ने सहमति भएको हो । काठमाडौंमा विहीबार र शुक्रबार बसेको दुई देशका नापी विभागका महानिर्देशक नेतृत्वको उच्चस्तरीय संयन्त्रको बैठकले तीन वर्षभित्र सीमा व्यवस्थापन गर्ने कार्ययोजना तयार पारेको छ ।

नापी विभागका उपमहानिर्देशक एवं प्रवक्ता मधुसुदन अधिकारीले सात वर्षपछि पहिलोपटक सीमा व्यवस्थापन सम्बन्धी संयन्त्र गठन भएर काम शुरु हुनु नै ठूलो उपलब्धी रहेको प्रतिक्रिया दिए । अधिकारीले अनलाइनखबरसँग भने- ‘अब सीमा पिल्लर, नो म्यान्स ल्यान्डको व्यवस्थापन, क्रस बोर्डर अकुपेसन, सीमानाको नक्साङ्कन लगायतका सबै विषयमा स्थलगत काम हुन्छ ।

यो कामका लागि केन्द्रीय स्तरमा उपमहानिर्देशकको नेतृत्वमा एउटा प्राविधिक टोली रहने छ भने जिल्लामा प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीको नेतृत्वमा प्राविधिक संयन्त्र गठन भएका छन् ।

दुबै देशका प्राविधिक टोलीले नक्सा बनाएर हराएका पिल्लरहरुको संख्या यकिन गर्ने र मिचिएको भनिएको भूभाग पनि नक्साले बताउने नापी विभागका महानिर्देशक नागेन्द्र झाले बताए । नेपाली टोलीका नेता झाले भने- ‘दुबै देशका प्रधानमन्त्री र परराष्ट्रमन्त्रीहरुबीचको वार्तापछि यो संयन्त्र बनेको हो । अब हरेक वर्ष हाम्रो संयन्त्रको बैठक बसेर तीन वर्षमा सीमा समस्या समाधान गर्ने लक्ष्य राखेका छौं ।’

दुई हजार पिल्लर बेपत्ता

नेपाल-भारत सीमानामा ८ हजार ५ सय ५३ वटा पिल्लर गाडिएका थिए । सीमाना छुट्याउने ती पिलरलाई जंगे पिलर समेत भनिन्छ । तर, सात वर्षको बीचमा करीब दुई हजार पिल्लर हराएको नापी बिभाग स्रोतले जनाएको छ । तीमध्ये कतिपय भारतीय पक्षले निकालेर फालेका गुनासो स्थानीयले गरेका छन् ।

नापी विभागका महानिर्देशक झाले सात वर्षको बीचमा कुनै संयन्त्रले काम नगर्दा धेरै पिल्लरहरु हराएको बताए । उनले भने- ‘धेरैजसो खोला क्षेत्रका पिल्लर हराएका छन्, वर्षा याममा खोलाले बगाउँछ ।’

नेपाल भारत सीमानाको सुस्ता र कालापानीमा भने अहिलेसम्म पिल्लर राखिएको छैन । त्यहाँ सीमा विवाद कायमै रहेकाले पिल्लर नराखिएको महानिर्देशक झाले बताए ।

सुस्ता र कालापानी परराष्ट्र सचिवलाई जिम्मा

सुस्ता र कालापानीको सम्बन्धमा टुंगो लगाउन परराष्ट्र सचिवहरुलाई जिम्मा लगाइएको र त्यो नीति निर्माण तहको विषय भएकाले आफूहरुले बोल्न नमिल्ने झाले बताए । झाले भने- ‘सुस्ता र कालापानीको भूभागमा दुबै देशको दाबी छ । माथिल्लो तहबाट टुंगिने विषय हो, प्राविधिक सहयोग चाहिए हामी दिन तयार छौं ।’

नवलपरासीको सुस्तामा भारतीय पक्षले हरेक वर्ष अतिक्रमण गरेर बस्ती बसाइरहेको छ भने कालपानीमा नेपाली भूमिमा भारतीय सेनाले क्याम्प खडा गरेको छ ।

भारतीय प्रधानमन्त्री मोदीले भारत ठूलो देश भएकाले दुई चार हेक्टर जग्गामा लोभ नगर्ने भन्दै सीमा विवाद चाँडो टुंग्याउन निर्देशन दिएको भारतीय पक्षले नेपाली पक्षलाई बताएको स्रोतले जनाएको छ ।

वार्तामा भारतीय पक्षको नेतृत्व त्यहाँका नापी बिभागका महानिर्देशक स्वर्ण सुब्बारोले गरेका थिए । संयन्त्रको अर्को बैठक भारतमा हुनेछ । प्राविधिक अधिकारीहरुको बैठक आगामी डिसेम्बरभित्रै दिल्लीमा हुनेछ ।

After watching the thousands of videos from 87 countries The Climate Reality Project received for its Why? Why Not? campaign, it has picked seven winners who will put their questions on climate change to the U.N. Climate Summit taking place next week in New York City. See their videos now:

These young people come from six continents and every background imaginable — but they share a commitment to protecting our planet from climate change. By asking their questions at the U.N. Climate Summit, these generational voices will challenge world leaders to take bold steps as they begin the process of crafting a new global agreement on climate action, leading up to next year’s critical conference in Paris.

The Project will keep you updated on the latest events taking place both at the U.N. Climate Summit and out in the streets at the People’s Climate March next week.

This is a decisive moment for the climate movement, so stay tuned and stay active.

All videos included in the link given above including the winners.

Source: Email received from

Ken Berlin
President & CEO
The Climate Reality Project

Filed under: Global Tagged: The Climate Reality Project, The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes, U.N. Climate Summit

अत्यन्तै थोरै नेपाली बसोबास गर्ने अस्ट्रेलियाको जिलोङमा जिलोङ नेपलिज एसोशियसनको पहलमा आयोजनामा गरिएको पहिलो दसैंं कार्यक्रममा वरिपरिका शहरहरु मेलबर्न, बालाराट र वार्नाबुलदेखि नेपाली एबं बिदेशीहरु आएर नाचगान सहित भब्यताका साथ मनाइएको दसैंं कार्यक्रममा अस्ट्रेलियाको आसन्न सांसद निर्वाचनका लागि उम्मेदवार भएका ठूला पार्टीका उम्मेदवारहरु समेतले नेपाली एबं बिदेशीहरुलाई दसैंको टिका लगाएर आशिर्बाद दिए । यसरी टिका लगाएर आशिर्बाद दिने बिदेशीहरुमा लेबर र ग्रिन पार्टीका सांसद उम्मेदवारहरु क्रमश: क्रिस्टिन कोउजेन्स र लोइड डेविस, भिक्टोरिया मल्टिकल्चरल कमिसनका कमिसनर डा टेरेज डे फजिओ, ग्रेटर जिलोङ काउन्सिलका बहुसांस्कृतिक जिम्मेवारी बहन गरेका काउन्सिलर एड्डी कोन्टेल्ज र अजी एक्सन अब्रोडका प्रबन्ध निर्ढेशक ग्राएम केण्ट थिए ।

कार्यक्रममा भिक्टोरियाका लागि अबैतनिक महाबाणिज्य दूत महामहिम चन्द्र योन्जन, लेबर र ग्रिन पार्टीका सांसद उम्मेदवारहरु क्रमश: क्रिस्टिन कोउजेन्स र लोइड डेविस, भिक्टोरिया मल्टिकल्चरल कमिसनका कमिसनर डा टेरेज डे फजिओ, ग्रेटर जिलोङ काउन्सिलका बहुसांस्कृतिक जिम्मेवारी बहन गरेका काउन्सिलर एड्डी कोन्टेल्ज, अजी एक्सन अब्रोडका प्रबन्ध निर्ढेशक ग्राएम केण्ट, बेटर कम्युनिटिज कन्सल्टिङका प्रबन्ध निर्देशक ब्राड क्लार्क, डाभर्सिटाटका कम्युनिटी एजुकेटर हेमराज भूलाह, एनआरएन भिक्टोरियाका संयोजक ॠषि कंडेल, नेपालीज एसोशियसन भिक्टोरियाका अध्यक्ष सुधिर शाक्यले मन्तब्य ब्यक्त गर्दै सबैलाई दसैंंको शुभ-कामना दिए । मन्तब्य ब्यक्त गर्ने क्रममा अधिकांश बक्ताले जिलोङमा नेपालीहरुद्धारा आयोजना गरिएको यो पहिलो कार्यक्रमले अनेकतामा एकता र सबैले सबैको संस्कृतिको आदर जस्तो अत्यन्तै महत्वपूर्ण सन्देश दिएको अभिब्यक्ति दिए । ब्राड क्लार्कले भने आफ्नो मन्तब्य नेपालीमा नै दिएका थिए ।

कार्यक्रममा ज्योत्सी राजभण्डारी, प्रज्ञा कुमारी पटेल, मुस्कान करन्जित्, पूजा श्रेष्ठ, अतिथि आचार्यले नृत्य प्रदर्शन गरेका थिए भने गायिका निबेदिता बरालले गीत गाउनु भएको थियो । डा साबित्रा काफ्लेले दसैंंको बारेमा पाउर प्वाइण्ट प्रिजेण्टेशन गर्नु भएको थियो ।

ज्योत्सी राजभण्डारी, प्रज्ञा कुमारी पटेल, मुस्कान करन्जित्, पूजा श्रेष्ठ, अतिथि आचार्य, निबेदिता बराल, डा साबित्रा काफ्ले, मिस्टर नेपाल अस्ट्रेलिया २०१४ अनुपम ध्वज किरण, जोन योन्जन, मिस नेपाल अस्ट्रेलिया २०१२ दीपाश्री शाह र ईन्द्र देवी कोइरालालाई कार्यक्रमको अन्तमा कार्यक्रम सफल तुल्याउन उल्लेख्य योगदान दिएकोमा कार्यक्रमका बिशेष अतिथिहरु मार्फत प्रसंशा पत्र प्रदान गरिएको थियो ।

मिस नेपाल अस्ट्रेलिया २०१२ दीपाश्री शाहद्धारा सन्चालन गरिएको र जिलोङ नेपलिज एसोशियसनका अध्यक्ष एबं लुम्बिनी-कपिलवस्तु दिवस अभियानका बिस्व संयोजक रामकुमार श्रेष्ठद्धारा धन्यवाद ज्ञापन गरिएको सो कार्यक्रममा परंपरागत नेपाली खानाका परिकारहरु सबैको लागि अर्को आकर्षण बनेको थियो ।

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Filed under: News

लुम्बिनी-कपिलवस्तु दिवस अभियानको आगामी डिसेम्बर १ मा छैटौं बार्षिकी मनाउने क्रममा वुद्ध र लुम्बिनी बिषयमा केन्द्रित भएर अन्तराष्ट्रिय साहित्यिक महोत्सब मनाउने हेतुले डा मधु माधुर्यको मूल संयोजकत्वमा गठित समदर्शी काइंला (युनाइटेड अरब एमिरेट्स), उमा सुवेदी (नेपाल), कमला प्रसाई (अमेरिका), भगवती बस्नेत (इजरायल), सानु घिमिरे (अस्ट्रेलिया), सुरेन्द्र लिम्बू परदेशी (भारत), बिमल गिरी (बेल्जियम), बिकल आचार्य (वेलायत), हरि कृष्ण लभली श्रेष्ठ (नेपाल), बिनोद अधिकारी (कुवेत), डा लेखनाथ काफ्ले (ताइवान) र डा हरि कुमार श्रेष्ठ (नेपाल) रहनु भएको १३ सदस्यीय मूल आयोजक समितिले “वुद्ध जन्मेको देशमा आजका स्वर-लहरीहरु” शिर्षकमा तपसिलका सीमामा रहेर अन्तराष्ट्रिय साहित्यिक महोत्सब आयोजना गर्ने भएको छ:

१ रचना आगामी नोभेम्बरको पहिलो हप्ताभित्र प्राप्त हुनुपर्नेछ ।
२ महोत्सवमा प्रतियोगी वा अप्रतियोगी २ खालको कविता समाहित गरिने छन । प्रतियोगी कविता ५०० शव्दमा नबढाई प्रस्तुत हुनु पर्ने (फाइल टेक्स्ट र अडियो गरी दुवै फर्म्याटमा उपलब्ध गराउनु पर्ने छ । त्यसकोलागी mksnepal@yahoo.com र omram2002@gmail.com इमेलमा पठाउन सकिने छ ।)
3 अडियो फाइलमा कविता मात्रै र टेक्स्ट फाइलमा कविता र रचनाकारको सामान्य परिचय, संपर्क ईमेल र टेलिफोन नम्बर हुनु पर्नेछ । रचनाको साथमा रचनाकारको फोटो पनि संलग्न हुनु पर्नेछ ।
४ तीन सदस्यीय निर्णायक मण्डलमा बरिस्ठ साहित्यकार डा. कविताराम श्रेष्ठ (वेलायत), कृष्णप्रकाश श्रेष्ठ (रसिया), र दामोदर पुडाशैनी (नेपाल) रहनु हुनेछ |
५ उत्कृष्ठ १० कविताका रचनाकारलाई नेपालामा आयोजना गरिने बिशेष कार्यक्रममा प्रमाणपत्र र नगद पुरस्कार प्रदान गरिनेछ ।

कार्यक्रमको लागि सुमन खरेल (रसिया) को मूल संयोजकत्वमा बिकल आचार्य (वेलायत), सानु घिमिरे (अस्ट्रेलिया), बिमल गिरी (बेल्जियम) र बिनोद अधिकारी (कुवेत) रहेको आर्थिक समिति गठन गरिएको छ ।

बुटवलबाट सन्चालित रेडियो खस्यौलीले साहित्यिक महोत्सब कार्यक्रम प्रसारण गर्नेछ र त्यस वरिपरिका केही रेडियोहरुले ऐक्यबद्धता जनाउनेछन । साथै अस्ट्रेलियाको एडिलेडबाट सन्चालित रेडियोले ऐक्यबद्धता जनाउनेछ आफ्नो नियमित कार्यक्रम स्थगित गर्दै यस्लाई प्राथमिकता दिएर । ऐक्यबद्धता जनाउन चाहने रेडियोहरुलाई समयमा नै संपर्क गर्नु हुन यसैलाई सूचनाको रुपमा सूचित गरिन्छ ।

बेल्जियम, १ अक्टोबर – संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघको ६९ औं महासभालाई सम्बोधन गरेर प्रधानमन्त्री सुशील कोइराला स्वदेश फर्कने क्रममा बेल्जियमको राजधानी ब्रुसेल्समा आउनुभएको अवसरमा लुम्बिनी कपिलवस्तु दिवस विश्व अभियानका तर्फबाट बेल्जियमस्थित अभियानका अभियान्ताहरुले प्रधानमन्त्री कोइरालालाई अभियानका गतिविधिहरुको बारेमा संक्षेपमा प्रकाश पार्दै अभियानले आगामी वुद्ध जयन्तीका अबसरमा बेल्जियममा आयोजना गर्ने अन्तराष्ट्रिय संगोस्ठीमा नेपाल सरकारको सहयोग र सहभागिता होस भनी अभियानका विश्व संयोजक रामकुमार श्रेष्ठद्वारा हस्ताक्षरित ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाएका छन । नेपाली राजदुतावास ब्रुसेल्सले प्रधानमन्त्रीको सम्मानमा आयोजना गरेको दिवाभोज कार्यक्रमको अवसरमा उक्त ज्ञापनपत्र दिइएको हो ।

गौतम बुद्धको जन्मस्थलका बिषयमा विश्वका कतिपय देशहरुका पाठ्यपुस्तकमा रहेको गलत जानकारीलाई सच्याउने तथा विश्वव्यापीरुपमा लुम्बिनीको प्रचारप्रसार र प्रवर्धन गर्ने मूल उद्देश्यमा आधारित भएर लुम्बिनी र बुद्धका बारेमा भएका पछिल्ला बिस्वब्यापी महत्व राख्ने प्रो क्वाकद्धारा तयार पारिएको लुम्बिनी बिस्व शान्ति नगर गुरु योजना र युनेस्कोद्धारा वेलायतका प्रो कनिंघामको नेतृत्वमा लुम्बिनीमा सन्चालन गरिएको अत्याधुनिक अनुसन्धानात्मक उत्खनन कार्यले बुद्ध हामीले मानी आएको भन्दा करीब तीन सय बर्ष अगावै जन्मनु भएको निस्कर्ष निकालेको उपलब्धिलाई बिस्तृत रुपमा बिज्ञहरुद्धारा छलफल गरेर बुद्ध र लुम्बिनी बिषयक यी नयाँ बिषयबस्तुहरुलाई अझै बिस्व जनतामा सुसूचित गरी लुम्बिनी नेपालको समेत प्रबर्द्धन गर्ने अभिप्रायले बिभिन्न बिस्वबिध्यालयका प्रतिष्ठित प्राध्यापकहरुद्धारा कार्यपत्र पेश गरिने अन्तराष्ट्रिय सेमिनारको लागि नेपाल सरकारसंग सहकार्य र सहयोगको लागि ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाइएको हो ।

ज्ञापनपत्रका साथ अभियानले हालसम्म हासिल गरेका मुख्य उपलब्धिहरु सचित्र समेटिएको सामग्री समेत प्रधानमन्त्रीलाई बुझाइएको थियो । ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाउने क्रममा अभियानका युरोप सल्लाहकार दामोदरप्रसाद आचार्यले सामग्रीमा उल्लेख गरिएका मूलभूत कुराहरुलाई प्रधानमत्री समक्ष सबिस्तार जानकारी गराउनु भएको थियो ।

उक्त अवसरमा अभियानको विश्व समिति सदस्य सन्तोष न्यौपाने, लुम्बिनी कपिलवस्तु दिवस अभियान, राष्ट्रिय समिति बेल्जियमका सल्लाहकारहरु रविन्द्रमान श्रेष्ठ, गंगाधर गौतम तथा संयोजकहरु डिल्लीराम भण्डारी, विमल गिरि, रजनी प्रधान, सिता सापकोटा, दुर्गाप्रसाद सुवेदी र ओम शर्माको समेत उपस्थिति थियो ।

The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the 2014 peace prize to a 17 years Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India for their work in helping to promote universal schooling and protecting children worldwide from abuse and exploitation.

There were a record 278 nominations this year, 19 more than ever before – including US whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, Russian president Vladimir Putin, and Pope Francis. Also on the list of nominees was an anti-war clause in the Japanese constitution and the International Space Station Partnership.

The announcement was made in Oslo by Thorbjorn Jagland, the committee’s chairman, after a year in which war has spread into Europe with fighting in eastern Ukraine, and across frontiers in the Middle East after the Sunni militant Islamic State pushed from Syria into Iraq in June.

The committee cited Ms. Yousafzai’s “heroic struggle” for girls’ rights to education. Mr. Satyarthi was praised for “showing great personal courage” in leading peaceful demonstrations focusing on grave exploitation of children for financial gain.

For the previous two years, the prize had been awarded to international bodies: the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2013 and the European Union in 2012.

• At 5ft 4in, she has a 20-inch waist and 32F bra size
• Claims extreme ‘Barbie’ proportions are not through surgery or Photoshop
• Has a huge following online where she shares hundreds of pictures
• Despite her age, her mother approves, even taking most of the shots
  
• Lolita wants to become a psychologist after she finishes school
  

By KATY WINTER

Lolita Richi, the youngest ‘Human Barbie’ yet to emerge, who claims to be the most doll-like beauty yet. 

Lolita, 16, from Kiev, Ukraine, boasts the same improbable body proportions and blank facial features as a Barbie. She has a tiny 20-inch waist, a 32F bra size and wears contact lenses that give her a wide-eyed, doll-like stare.

Lolita maintains that her striking looks were achieved without plastic surgery, dieting or Photoshop.

At the age of just 16, Lolita claims to be the most doll-like beauty yet – and it’s all natural (apart from the coloured contact lenses)

The outspoken high-school student, who is now temporarily living in Turkmenistan, says: ‘I think I’ve achieved this image better than anyone else. I’m the ultimate vamp woman. I haven’t even heard of Valeria Lukyanov.

‘People have openly told me that they’re jealous of me and how good I look. All of the boys at school fancy me as well but I don’t like any of them. They are not to my taste.’

Growing up, Lolita was a playful tomboy who showed no interest in her appearance.

She says: ‘I never thought about playing with dolls when I was younger. I was always outside playing with the boys.’

It was only a year ago that super-confident Lolita first adopted the doll look. She has since gained a devoted band of followers on Russian social network VK.

Lolita explains: ‘I started dressing up like this because I want to look perfect. I think that all women should be well-kept and immaculate. I wanted to be my own inspiration.

‘If a girl doesn’t have beautiful eyes then they should wear contact lenses to sort it out. If they have a crooked nose, then she must do something about it, whether that’s plastic surgery or not.

‘I had great features to start with and I just improved on them. My big breasts are natural although I something wear a push-up bra to enhance them.

‘I have a gorgeous figure so I don’t even have to diet. I just eat whatever’s available in the fridge whether that’s sausages or fruit.

‘I started wearing affordable contact lenses and make-up. My mother used to be an actress so I borrow her wigs.

‘I feel comfortable and confident in my appearance. There are many women who want to look like this.’

However Lolita confesses that she does receive a fair share of negative criticism online.

She says: ‘People make good and bad comments about me online. I’ve blocked a few users who have been particularly mean about my appearance.

‘But I do get nice compliments too, I like when men admire my hands.’

One person who is wholly supportive of her eccentric look is Lolita’s mother, Anya Richi, 33. Anya is her photographer and captures all of the snaps that Lolita uploads online.

She says:’My mum doesn’t say anything about my appearance. She allows me to dress however I want. My mum’s proud of how I look.’

Lolita says there is no man out there at the moment who is a worthy candidate for her affections.

‘I’m not attracted to any of the boys at school, although they all like me. They aren’t good enough for me and they have an immature mentality.

‘I did have one serious boyfriend in the past but I dumped him because we kept having little disagreements. In the end, we were incompatible.

‘I want to be with a really manly man who is polite, sensible and who doesn’t run away from problems. He also needs to have a full head of hair. I don’t like bald men.’

Lolita wants to become a psychologist after she finishes school but would love to achieve fame for her look.

She says, ‘I’m only 5ft 4in tall so I can’t become a model unfortunately. But if I can become famous for my appearance in some other way, I will be extremely happy.’

What does it take to disrupt, to lead, to innovate? For Jan Koum it was coming up with a texting app so popular that Facebook had to have it—for $19 billion. For Elizabeth Holmes it was a childhood fear of getting her blood drawn. For Andriy Kobolyev, CEO of Ukrainian gas giant Naftogaz, it’s the fine art of persuading Gazprom to keep the gas flowing—while getting his countrymen to stop sleeping with their windows open.

Welcome to our 2014 40 under 40, our list of the most powerful, influential, important people in business under 40. You’ll see plenty of household names here—Mark Zuckerberg, Brian Chesky, Marissa Mayer—but you’ll also see plenty of new faces. (One thing you won’t see are many repeats. With very few exceptions, once someone’s been on once, we consider them “in the club” and move them off to make room for fresh discoveries.) What we look for: power, influence, leverage, scale, and ideas that disrupt.

Many names on the list are of course in the tech sector, but they’re also in finance, fashion, film, real estate, and even eggless mayonnaise. This year there are a surprising number of legacies, perhaps reflecting how hard it is to get ahead in today’s economy without the right connections (though for a true rags-to-riches tale, look no further than Koum). One thing they have in common: They don’t like limits, and they don’t like being told no.

1. Travis Kalanick & Brian Chesky

They’re revolutionizing two very different industries, but this year was the year that Kalanick and Chesky became the figureheads for the ongoing clash between the great potential of the Internet economy and the rules and regulations of the old economy. In the Internet economy, the web can connect hundreds of millions of us to powerful platforms and networks where we can help ourselves to extra inventory, whether it’s a spare bedroom in someone’s house or a driver-for-hire idling in between jobs.

In the real world economy, that ability can collide with entrenched interest groups and decades-old regulations. Kalanick’s style is to enter a market, cease-and-desist orders be damned, and ask questions later; Chesky’s is more diplomatic. What they have in common is growth. In the last 12 months, Uber has quadrupled the number of markets it serves to over 170 cities (you can now Uber in Abu Dhabi and Hyderabad); This June, it raised $1.2 billion at an $17 billion valuation, one of the highest ever for a tech startup. Airbnb has provided shelter for 20 million people—half of those this year—and on its peak night this summer, 425,000 people stayed in an Airbnb somewhere in the world.

There are other challenges, too, like Uber’s accusations of bad sportsmanwhip with rival Lyft. But both outfits are undaunted. Chesky continues to run Airbnb with his cofounders Nate Blecharczyk, who oversees technical strategy as CTO, and Joe Gebbia, chief product officer. Kalanick has been beefing up his team, most recently hiring former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe as SVP of policy and strategy. “We want to be regulated,” Chesky insists. “Because we want to be recognized.”

5 things you don’t know about Travis:

• • He lived with his parents for a year while not taking a salary at a previous startup
• • He likes to think of himself as “The Wolf” in “Pulp Fiction”
• • His mother sold newspaper ads
• • He named his first big house in San Francisco the Jam Pad
• • Sean Parker is a close friend

5 things you don’t know about Brian:

• • He’s a huge Bob Dylan fan
• • Paul Graham of Y Combinator was an important mentor
• • He went to RISD
• • He grew up in Niskayuna, New York
• • He spent more than a year using his own service rather than having an apartment

2. Mark Zuckerberg

The social media giant isn’t adding users as fast as it used to, but it’s finally minting money from them. Revenue and profits keep trouncing estimates—and the company proved its critics wrong when it comes to mobile monetization: in the second quarter this year, mobile advertising accounted for almost two-thirds of ad revenue, while the number of users checking in on mobile devices grew to 650 million. Months after the company’s $19 billion purchase of mobile messaging app WhatsApp, Facebook acquired Finnish startup Pryte, which makes it easier for people in developing countries to purchase Internet access for mobile apps. Zuck has been active on the philanthropic front, too: Last December, he and wife Priscilla donated 18 million Facebook shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, an amount valued at almost $1 billion and recognized as the largest charitable gift on public record for the year.

5 things you don’t know about Mark:

• • He makes one resolution every year, a personal challenge
• • In 2011, the challenge was to only eat animals he killed himself
• • He has a Puli named Beast
• • His wife was his college sweetheart
• • He has made a concerted effort in the last few years to swap hoodies for neckties

3. Matteo Renzi

The youngest prime minister in Italian history came into office in February on a burst of promise. A charismatic outsider, he pledged to break his center-left Democratic Party’s long ties to labor while he chased renewal by challenging Europe’s zeal for austerity. He’s auctioned off state-owned luxury cars and sacked the chiefs of state-owned companies, shaking up the country’s entrenched ruling class. But his more sweeping aims have collided with reality. His political and economic reform agenda is now meeting stiff resistance in the Italian parliament. And it may be sunk by a more urgent concern: the country is suffering a triple-dip recession that’s wiped out all its growth since 2000, complicated by a crushing debt load. In the face of all that, Renzi is vowing to press ahead, marshaling the optimism that swept him to power.

5 things you don’t know about Matteo:

• • He believes Silicon Valley is “the capital of the future”
• • He won the Italian version of “Wheel of Fortune” in 1994
• • He used to referee amateur soccer games as a hobby
• • He was previously the mayor of Florence
• • He ran an American-style campaign, touring Italy in a white camper

4. Andriy Kobolyev

Kobolyev has his hands full—and not just because at just 36, he runs a company that employs 175,000 and accounts for one-eighth of his country’s GDP. He took the reins at Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company in March, a week after his predecessor was arrested on corruption charges and in the midst of his country’s bitter conflict with Russia, which also is Ukraine’s main gas supplier. Add to those combustible politics: fears over Europe’s energy security (which relies on Naftogaz pipes); Ukraine’s $5.3 billion in unpaid gas bills (Russia’s Gazprom cut the country’s supply in June); and a population so accustomed to cheap heat that they keep their windows open year round. Energy conservation and transparency initiatives underway, Kobolyev now just needs to shore up a gas supply for his 45 million countrymen—he’s already got some flowing in from Slovakia— before winter comes. Good thing he thinks negotiations are “fun.”

5 things you don’t know about Andriy:

• • When he was a kid, he wanted to be a magician
• • His first job was with PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• • He doesn’t have a mentor, and instead learned his leadership style from books
• • He was planning to leave Ukraine—until the revolution happened earlier this year
• • He worked for 8 years at Naftogaz in the past before leaving to work for an investment firm

5. Jan Koum

The Ukrainian-born engineer toiled at Yahoo for nearly a decade with co-founder Brian Acton before traveling South America and eventually developing WhatsApp, the simple, free mobile app that works a lot like traditional text, letting users send and receive calls, video, and pictures, as well as messages. The startup ballooned to hundreds of millions of users—becoming especially popular overseas—and made headlines this February when Facebook—the very employer that turned Koum down for a job years before— bought it for $19 billion. It was the most expensive acquisition ever for a venture-backed startup; Koum famously signed the deal at the former social services office where he once stood in line to collect food stamps.

5 things you don’t know about Jan:

• • He boxes in his spare time
• • He immigrated to Mountain View, Calif., from Ukraine when he was 16.
• • He went to San Jose State University before dropping out to join Yahoo.
• • On Twitter, he has 27,000 followers but is only following 2 people
• • He previously worked at Ernst & Young (like no. 36 on the list, Sarah Kauss)

6. Marissa Mayer

No one ever said turning around Yahoo would be easy, Mayer is facing restless investors as ad revenue remains challenged—and in the wake of the sale of part of the company’s stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The sale earned $9.4 billion for Yahoo—a portion of which Mayer may use to add to the some 40 acquisitions she’s made in the past two years. But investors are questioning her ability to create value with that strategy: the company’s core business is now valued at less than its stakes in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan. Two bright spots: Mayer has turned Yahoo into a player in content with big name hires like Katie Couric. And search-related revenue is up 2% year over year.

5 things you don’t know about Marissa:

• • She was the first person to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company while pregnant
• • She’s a huge Packers fan
• • Her husband Zach Bogue has an investment fund called Data Collective
• • She has been on the 40 Under 40 list five years in a row
• • Hosain Rahman of Jawbone, who has also made the 40 Under 40, was her dorm-mate and friend in college

7. Tom Farley

When he was just 30, Farley, was named the head of the New York Board of Trade. It was a tough gig: the NYBOT was an also-ran commodities exchange that did most trading on its physical floor at a time when the rest of Wall Street was going electronic—and being young and coming from the tech world won Farley immediate enemies with its old school traders. Five years later trading volume on the NYBOT—which was renamed ICE Futures US— had doubled and earnings were up sixfold. Farley’s new assignment is similar but exponentially bigger and more prominent: In May, he was named president of the New York Stock Exchange, making him the second-youngest person to ever run it (the youngest was William McChesney Martin, who was 31 when he was named in 1938; he went on to become the longest-serving chairman of the Federal Reserve). Farley’s plan to keep the old man of Wall Street relevant: modernize and simplify everything, from the NYSE’s trading systems to its office space. He’s already overhauled management. Says Jeffrey Sprecher, CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange, which bought the NYSE last year: “it’s his show.”

5 things you don’t know about Tom:

• • He played basketball at Georgetown (his nickname on NYC courts is “Solid”)
• • He’s building a central coffee bar at the NYSE to foster collaboration
• • The first concert he went to was Rod Stewart
• • He’s a fan of WWE wrestling
• • He likes to go to Cape Cod with his family

8. Kevin Systrom

Snap-happy Systrom has just begun to make good on Mark Zuckerberg’s $1 billion bet on the company in 2012, rolling out sponsored ads for the first time in November 2013. Since the acquisition—which paved the way for Facebook’s fatter bids for upstarts like WhatsApp ($19 billion), Oculus Rift ($2 billion) and SnapChat ($3 billion)—the mobile photo platform has ballooned about 10x in both size and audience, now having more than 200 million active monthly users and some 150 employees. In scaling one of the world’s most engrossing and consistently downloaded apps, Systrom has rolled out fresh features such as private messaging with Instagram Direct, new creative tools for photo-editing, and Hyperlapse, a standalone app for shooting steady-cam time-lapse video, over the past year. He also scaled his career up a few notches when he was named to the Wal-Mart board last month.

5 things you don’t know about Kevin:

• • He loves to cook
• • He co-founded Instagram with his Stanford engineering pal Mike Krieger
• • He roots for the Boston Red Sox
• • His first concert was Barenaked Ladies
• • He likes bourbon

9. Elizabeth Holmes

Holmes, whom we put on our cover in June, dropped out of Stanford when she was 19 to found Theranos, a revolutionary blood analytics company. Ten years later, her private, Palo Alto-based company employs more than 500 and is valued by investors at about $9 billion. (She retains more than half the stock, so you can do the math.) Theranos performs blood tests for a fraction of the price charged by competitors and without the use of a syringe. Using a painless, patented method of pricking a finger instead, it can perform as many as 70 tests at a time from just a few drops of blood—about 100th to 1000th the amount drawn by venipuncture. Wowed by the potential commercial, military, and humanitarian applications, Theranos board members include three former cabinet secretaries (George Shultz, Bill Perry, and Henry Kissinger), two former Senators, a retired CentCom commander, a retired Navy admiral, and a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5 things you don’t know about Elizabeth:

• • She spent a summer working at a genome lab in Singapore
• • Famous trial lawyer David Boies is her company’s legal adviser
• • She’s a vegan
• • She doesn’t drink any coffee
• • Her great grandfather was Christian Holmes, a WWI veteran and surgeon after whom a hospital at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center is named

10. Mason Morfit

He might be the most powerful activist shareholder you haven’t heard of. Early last year, Morfit was a largely unknown stock picker, working at a largely unknown hedge fund. Then in April 2013, he produced a detailed report, delivered by his boss ValueAct CEO Jeff Ubben at an investment conference, on how to fix a lumbering Microsoft. The report won ValueAct and Morfit respect among some of Microsoft’s largest shareholders. Behind the scenes, Morfit rallied support for a change at the top—and within a few months, CEO Steve Ballmer was out and Satya Nadella was in. Earlier this year, Microsoft added Morfit to its board, making him the company’s youngest director by nearly a decade. Morfit’s tip for getting managers much more experienced than he to listen is to prove he’s done his homework. “Please don’t say I dazzle people with data,” says Morfit. “It’s everything I am not. I’m not flashy.”

5 things you don’t know about Mason:

• • He plays lead guitar with friends in a cover band called Birdseed
• • He grew up in Washington, D.C., but spent time in Jakarta and New Delhi, where his father was posted in the U.S. foreign service
• • He went to Princeton
• • Microsoft is his sixth public company board seat; he joined his first board at 29
• • His real first name is Garrison

Does it surprise you to hear Australia has more than 1.2 million millionaires? If it does, just think about how much we invest in housing.

Australia also has the highest median wealth in the world, with household wealth growing at an average annual pace of 11 per cent, according to a new Global Wealth Report by Credit Suisse.

The fifth annual study by the Swiss bank of global wealth trends found the median Australian adult was worth more than $US225,000 ($258,000) in June, well ahead of the second wealthiest population on this measure, the ­Belgians, at $US173,000. They were followed by the Italians, French and British, all at around $US110,000.

There are a couple of reasons for this, but one of them is the composition of household wealth in Australia – it is heavily skewed towards “real assets” such as homes and apartments.

Real assets account for 60 per cent of gross household assets in Australia. With house prices rising, our median wealth is rising too. There are plenty of suburbs where the average price of a home is nudging $1 million. Lots of us need to be millionaires on paper just to own a home.

At any rate, the Global Wealth Report shows Australians have enjoyed some of the biggest gains in wealth in recent years. Here are some key graphs that tell the story of our millionaire boom:

© James Davies, Rodrigo Lluberas and Anthony Shorrocks/Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2014 Growth in median wealth by country, 2000-2014.

The above graph tracks trends in the median wealth of adults in different countries from 2000 to 2014.

Australians achieved some of the biggest gains in the Asia-Pacific region in the past 14 years, second only behind New Zealanders.

But why?

One of the things this graph shows is the impact of financial crises on median wealth, with New Zealand and Korea experiencing particularly large setbacks during the global financial crisis.

Median wealth in Korea, Hong Kong and India has still not recovered to the level achieved in 2007.

Australians suffered less during the GFC compared to their neighbours, but the pace at which their median wealth was growing before the crisis has slowed considerably in recent years.

We obviously fared better during the GFC than others and our recovery has been better too.

© James Davies, Rodrigo Lluberas and Anthony Shorrocks/Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2014 Number of millionaires by country, 2000-2014.

The above graph shows the growth in the number of millionaires in various countries.

There were 1.1 million millionaires in Australia a few years ago. Now there are more than 1.25 million.

But while Australians have enjoyed the benefits of a stronger exchange rate and growing house prices and asset prices, other countries have fared less well.

Indonesia was doing surprisingly well since the financial crisis, outperforming all other countries in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China) and the Middle East, until the economic reversals of the past 12 months.

In fact, the report’s authors note that the “exceptionally high” growth in millionaire numbers in Indonesia also reflect a “significant rise” in wealth inequality since 2008.

The number of millionaires in Japan fell below the level achieved in 2000, and then remained there for much of the period, before climbing again recently.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are countries which have not seen the number of millionaires return to the levels recorded before the financial crisis.

(This graph has excluded the number of millionaires in China because it is so far ahead of the rest of the region).

© James Davies, Rodrigo Lluberas and Anthony Shorrocks/Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2014 Millionaires by country, 2000 and 2014.

The above graph shows how the changing fortunes of millionaires in the region have had a significant impact on the “residence pattern” of millionaires in Asia and Australia.

As this graph shows, Japan had more than three-quarters of the total resident millionaires in the Asia Pacific and Middle East at the beginning of the century. But its regional share has halved to 39 per cent.

China’s share has risen ten-fold to 18 per cent.

Australia’s share has risen four-fold to 17 per cent.

Representation in Korea, India and Singapore has roughly doubled, but the share has remained constant in Taiwan and fallen in Hong Kong.

© James Davies, Rodrigo Lluberas and Anthony Shorrocks/Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2014 Ultra high net worth individuals 2014: selected countries.

The report characterises “ultra-high net worth individuals” as people whose net worth is over $US50 million ($57.4 million) and as the graph above shows, America has plenty of them.

There are roughly 128,200 ultra-high net worth individuals in the world, of which 45,200 are worth at least $US100 million and 4300 have assets above $US500 million.

America clearly dominates the regional rankings.

The number of high-net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals has grown rapidly in recent years, but the report’s authors say it is hard to say whether the very wealthy have “benefited most” since the financial crisis.

“Little can be deduced about inequality trends from the fact that the number of millionaires and billionaires is growing faster than average wealth,” the report says.

“This is almost certain to happen when wealth is growing, regardless of whether inequality is rising or falling.”

@MSN