Page 300 - Video Gallery

Tibetans in Nepal pray for country's recovery from earthquake

Kathmandu, May 06 (ANI): Tibetans in Kathmandu prayed at the city's temples on Wednesday (May 6) morning, more than a week after a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, seeking a quick recovery from the disaster. Many flocked to Swayambhunath temple, one the city's largest Tibetan Buddhist temples to offer prayers and light oil lamps. More than 7,000 people have been killed by the earthquake, and many have been injured.

US cargo aircraft fleet arrives in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, May 06 (ANI): The United States started sending their airborne cargo aircraft to quake-hit Nepal to help improve cargo capacity of Kathmandu airport. The fleet includes four C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft and two UH-1Y Huey helicopters. The United Nations has said 8 million of Nepal's 28 million people were affected by the quake, with at least 2 million needing tents, water, food and medicines over the next three months. Amid that, the United States is looking to provide up to 26 million USD in aid.

Pakistan opens first solar power plant, built with Chinese investment

Bahawalpur, May 6 (ANI): Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the country's first solar power plant, the latest fruit of increasingly close cooperation with China and a step towards an electoral promise to end crippling power cuts. The solar park in Punjab province produces 100 MW of power, which will be increased to 1,000 MW by next year. The plant, owned by Punjab province and built by China's Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co Ltd (TBEA), took a year to build at a cost of $190 million, Pakistani government documents show. Power shortages cripple industry and have led to widespread discontent. Sharif is keen to address the problem before the next election, due by 2018. Pakistan says $37 billion of Chinese investment is going into energy ventures to generate 16,400 MW of power.

Professor says 1971 war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh on track

Dhaka, May 06 (ANI): Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah refuted impression that International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), trying 1971 war criminals in Bangladesh, had slowed down. Kalimullah urged people to be patient. Kalimullah also urged foreign countries to deport the suspected war criminals to Bangladesh for trial. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened an inquiry in 2010 into crimes committed during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, since when several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, the country's largest Islamist party, have been sentenced to death by two war crimes tribunals.

People of Gilgit Baltistan Struggling for their Rights

Gilgit Baltistan, May 05, 2015: The call of the people of Gilgit Baltistan has been going unheard for decades now. The continued denial of political rights by Pakistan in the region is fuelling dissatisfaction by the day. The people of Gilgit Baltistan have realized that Islamabad is taking them for a ride for years. From basic amenities to the citizenship rights, everything has been taken back by the puppet regime from the locals of the region. Even the rich natural resources are being plundered by Pakistan, without paying any royalty to the locals. Gilgit Baltistan was a part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan, which has illegally occupied it for over six decades, has been ruling it through proxies. While successive Pakistani government have always kept up the sham of championing "self determination" for the people of Gilgit, it has continuously suppressed their rights denying them basic, constitutional and human rights. It has become increasingly clear th

Nepal asks foreign nations to end search and rescue operations, India assures all help in rehabilitation

Kathmandu, May 05 (ANI): Nepal has asked foreign countries to wrap up search and rescue operations nine days after a devastating earthquake killed more than 7,200 people, with no hope of finding survivors, Indian officials said. Dozens of countries sent teams to look for survivors after the Himalayan nation was hit by a 7.9 magnitude quake on April 25, its worst since 1934, but the Nepal government now believes the search and rescue work has been nearly completed. Chief of National Disaster Response Force which was among the first foreign organisations to arrive after the quake, said it had been asked by the Nepalese government to conclude its search and rescue operation. Many countries have pledged money that will be necessary to rebuild homes, hospitals and historic buildings. Others such as neighbouring India have sent trucks to deliver aid and deployed helicopters to rescue thousands of people from remote towns and villages.

Life limping back to normal in quake hit Nepal

Kathmandu, May 05 (ANI): Days after a massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on Richter scale hit Nepal, gloom that had enveloped Kathmandu city is gradually lifting and life was limping back to normal. Markets are slowly re-opening, hawkers are out, roads are once again full of traffic and the usual warmth and sunshine for this time of the year are back after days of intermittent rains. The April 25 earthquake has killed over 7,000 people and wounded over 14,300, Nepal's government said. A shopkeeper, Chandra Thaka said that markets were once again buzzing with activity, days after wearing a deserted look. A resident Ravinder Kumar Giri said that though people were trying to get back to normal, fear still lingered. Many Nepalis are still sleeping in the open since the quake, afraid of returning to their homes because of powerful aftershocks. Tents have been pitched in Kathmandu's main sports stadium and on its golf course.

Nepal govt asks search and rescue teams of all countries to return back

Kathmandu, May 04 (ANI): The Nepalese government has asked the search and rescue teams of all 34 countries including India to return back home. Director General of NDRF OP Singh said that the government has asked the search and rescue teams to return as there is least possibility of any victims coming out alive from the debris, thus all 34 countries will be making arrangements of returning back. He added that some teams will be sent via road route and others would be airlifted. Singh also said that the relief and rehabilitation teams will continue their work in Nepal.

Special prayers held at Kathmandu's Boudhanath temple on Buddha Purnima

Kathmandu, May 04 (ANI): Special prayers were held on Monday in Kathmandu's Boudhanath temple on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. People in large numbers gathered at the Boudhanath Stupa, the largest stupa in Nepal even as the capital city faced major destruction after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Himalayan nation. People were seen offering scarves and taking blessings at the stupa. They also lit earthern lamps and prayed for the safety of the country's people in the wake of the massive quake. The peaceful sacred words 'Buddham Saranam gacchami' filled the air as the grieved nation prayed to Lord Buddha. Meanwhile in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the 'International Buddha Poornima Diwas celebrations', which is to be held in the national capital today. PM Modi also greeted people on the occasion. "Greetings to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima," he tweeted.

Pakistan sets up special relief fund for Nepal quake victims

Islamabad, May 04 (ANI): Pakistan's Foreign Secretary said the country's government has established a special relief fund for the victims in Nepal following the Himalayan country's devastating earthquake. The 7.9 magnitude quake that struck last Saturday killed over 7000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless when it destroyed parts of the capital Kathmandu and flattened villages across a wide swath of the country. The Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Pakistanis at home and abroad were sending the contributions to the fund. Chaudhry said Nepal's Embassy in Islamabad has also played an effective role in coordinating relief efforts for the quake affectees. He said initial relief consignments including tents, medicines and food items have already been sent to Kathmandu through six C-130s flights. He said a 30-bed mobile hospital of Pakistan with 50 doctors was also working in Kathmandu. The Foreign Secretary said Nepalese Chief of Army Staff has lauded Pakistan relief o

Small villages in Nepal turned into rubble after massive quake

Patan/ Lubho, May 04 (ANI): What remains of Patan, a major city of Nepal known for its rich cultural heritage, is only rubble with almost 60 percent of houses and temples flattened. A powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale has caused maximum damage to the city, known largely for its festivals and feasts. Rescue teams of India, Nepal and other countries have been removing debris carefully to detect any possible survivor. Temples as old as 400 years have been destroyed by the quake that struck Nepal on April 25. Patan is on the elevated tract of land in Kathmandu valley on the south side of the Bagmati River. Another village in Kathmandu, Lubho village, once brimming with life now tells a tale of destruction with only flattened houses and sparse population left behind by a devastating earthquake. Eight days after the massive quake, residents of Lubho sifted through the rubble to collect whatever they can find of their belongings and move out to start their lives over. A r

Customs checks hold up relief for Nepal quake victims

Kathmandu, May 04 (ANI): Customs inspections at Kathmandu airport have been holding up vital relief supplies for earthquake survivors in Nepal, international aid agencies said as the death toll from the disaster eight days ago passed 7,000. The United Nations said the Nepali government must loosen its normal customs restrictions to deal with the increasing flow of relief material now pouring in from abroad and piling up at the airport. But the country's government, complaining it has received such unneeded supplies as tuna and mayonnaise, insisted its customs agents had to check all emergency shipments. Nepal's Civil Aviation Secretary, who is in charge of the emergency centre at Kathmandu airport, said only a limited amount of aid had arrived. Nepal lifted import taxes on tarpaulins and tents on Friday but a home ministry spokesman said all goods coming in from overseas had to be inspected. Shrestha accused some countries of paying lip service to the idea of aid, bringing in planes pr

Shops begin to open as life limps back to normalcy in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, May 04 (ANI): Life was slowly limping back to normal in Nepal's capital Kathmandu where shops began reopening eight days after a deadly earthquake. At Kathmandu's Durbar Square, home to a clutch of curio and clothing shops, bulldozers were still clearing up the rubble from last Saturday's earthquake that has so far claimed more than 7,000 lives and left over 14,000 injured. Sunil Shreshtha, a clothes seller, said every single day without business meant mounting losses. For some like handicrafts seller Panch Kumar Chhettri, business as usual is likely to take months. However, customers were relieved that shops were re-opening. Meanwhile, a 90-year-old elderly man recalled his horrific earthquake experience that struck Nepal when he was nine years old in 1934 and how similar that was from the present quake. Inder Bahadur was nine years old when he felt the earth tremble for the first time in year 1934. Bahadur works as a priest in a temple located in the worst hit Lalitpur dis

Nepal quake survivors seek therapy to ease anxiety

Kathmandu, May 03 (ANI): A group of healers and psychologists are counselling quake survivors in Nepal to help them overcome the trauma of last week's 7.9 earthquake. A group called Hug and Heal is providing Kathmandu's quake-traumatised residents with psychological counseling, psycho-social intervention and also Akasha healing to help them move on with their lives. Akasha healing helps spread positive energy using a holistic approach from the healers who are initiated with positive energy power, according the Hug and Heal program head, Indra Gurung. The group of volunteers operate in a tent in Kathmandu, where around 2500 people are still seeking shelter, unable to return to their homes shattered by the tremour on April 25. Gurung starts the day distributing flowers to offer consolation and also to help people open up psychologically in order to manage their anxiety. Those who come for therapy say they feel overwhelmed by the calamity that has befallen them and the prospects for the f

British royal couple presents new baby to the world

London, May 03 (ANI): Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, the wife of Prince William, gave birth to a girl on Saturday, the couple's second child and a great grand-daughter to Queen Elizabeth. The royal family's newest member was born at St Mary's Hospital, West London, the couple's Kensington Palace residence said in a statement. The couple emerged later the same day with the baby wrapped in a white woollen shawl and bonnet to pose for photographs on the steps of the hospital, a little over 12 hours after Kate arrived. Kate cradled the sleeping princess in her arms as the couple waved to the cheering crowd. The Duchess was wearing a yellow and white summer dress and high heels. A few minutes later, Prince William carried the baby in a car seat to a waiting vehicle, and then drove his wife and new daughter the short distance to Kensington Palace. According to sources, Prince William was present in the hospital at the time of birth but later left to pick up young George so he could meet his

Quake-hit Nepal stares at water crisis

Kathmandu, May 03 (ANI): A week after Nepal was hit by a massive quake, measuring 7.9 on Richter scale, residents in capital city Kathmandu are facing an extreme shortage of water with tankers being their only hope. Water pipelines were badly damaged by the earthquake, while rubble is also restricting movement of water tankers in many places. Lorries are able to carry water tankers only to areas which have not been cut off. Efforts to step up the pace of delivery of relief material including water were frustrated by a shortage of supply trucks and drivers, many of whom had returned to their villages to help their families. A relief worker, Ali, said that people come running at the sight of water tankers and a tank which takes hours to fill up is soon emptied.

Prince William's Wife Kate Middleton Gives Birth to a Girl

London, May 02 (ANI): Prince William's wife Kate Middleton has given birth to a girl child at a London hospital on Saturday. In a brief statement, palace officials said the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted at 6 a.m. local time today at St. Mary's Hospital. She traveled by car to the Lindo wing with William. The baby will be a sister to William and Kate's first child, Prince George, who was born July 22, 2013 at the same hospital. Police were standing outside the entrance to the Lindo wing as the world's media stood waiting for news of the birth.

A week after massive earthquake, Nepal still reeling under its aftermath

Kathmandu, May 02 (ANI): Kathmandu residents said they were living in fear of aftershocks on Saturday, a week after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Himalayan nation, killing more than 6,200 and reducing many parts of the city to rubble. Many have been sleeping in the open since the quake, with survivors afraid to return to their homes because of powerful aftershocks. Furthermore, Makwanpur district have been still waiting for aid since the earthquake struck the country. The area is not very accessible -- there is only one dirt road that links them to the rest of the country. The residents feed themselves with what they grow, and rely on the men working in Kathmandu to bring back money. Plan International, an aid organisation focusing on the well-being of children, reached the area to assess the essential needs of the badly-affected community .

Will put all strength to deal with epidemic-like situation says Nepal's Health Minister

Kathmandu, Nepal/Raxaul, Bihar/Lucknow, May 02 (ANI): Nepal Health Minister Khaga Raj Adhikari said on Saturday that the ministry is putting all its strength to combat a possible epidemic situation after an earthquake last weekend left the Himalayan nation in tatters. The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude quake which devastated the densely-populated Kathmandu Valley on April 25 has risen above 6,200, with more than 14,000 injured. Meanwhile, relief operations were being carried out by the Israeli Army in a camp and medical aid were being provided to the victims. Israel sent a team of 285 rescue and medical personnel to Kathmandu, earlier this week. The army had in fact rented two commercial Boeing 747 to carry medical and rescue personnel as well as almost 100 tonnes of supplies.

NSA Ajit Doval says PM Modi concerned about situation in Nepal

Kathmandu, May 02 (ANI): National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very concerned about the situation in Nepal after the devastating earthquake and was monitoring the developments very closely. Doval made the comments at a press conference in capital Kathmandu after he alongwith Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visited the Himalayan nation to review the rescue and relief operations. The two senior officials also met Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and President Ram Baran Yadav. He said they also carried a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who conveyed his heartfelt condolences for the quake victims of Nepal.