She will be climbing Mt Everest for the first time to raise money for Global Angels, an international foundation championing the causes of children around the world which is aimed at empowering them and their communities.

A novice climber is holding a series of auctions to raise money for her bid to become the youngest British female to reach the top of Mount Everest. The first of the three flag auctions will be held on Sunday.

Friendship Bridge (Nepal Tibet Border)

The bridge connecting northern Nepal with Tibet – the Friendship Bridge – has been effectively closed by the Chinese authorities, rights body International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said in a statement, while flights between Kathmandu and Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, have been grounded since Friday.

Travel agents in Nepal have also been warned that tourists may not be allowed to enter Tibet for several days after March 10, ICT said.

On Monday, security officials from both Nepal and China held talks in Khasa town on the Nepal-Tibet border to discuss how to beef up security along the border between the two countries.

China suspects Tibetan dissidents will be pushed to Nepal from India with Indian and American aid to keep up rallies for a “Free Tibet”.

It has been urging Nepal to regulate its nearly 1,800km open border with India but the demand is yet to be fulfilled by the Nepal government.

Nepal however has beefed up security on its own territory to stop protests or even large-scale prayers in memory of the Tibetans who died in the uprising in Tibet in 1959 as well as hundreds of people who were arrested and went missing after demonstrations in Tibet in 2008.

The Dalai Lama’s unofficial representative Thinley Gyatso was arrested by Nepal police Sunday and released after a threatening interrogation as well as warning not to take part in any protests.

Security has also been beefed up around the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and the Tibet visa office.

Since last month, police have been ordered to raid houses and hotels in the area around the Tibetan religious shrine Boudhanath, a major pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists.

There have also been pre-emptive arrests of Tibetans, ID checks and house searches as well as large-scale police deployment in Tibetan communities.

The harassment and extortion has created a sense of fear and insecurity among long-staying Tibetan refugees in Nepal with police threats of deportation.

As part of its carrot and stick policy, China has also stepped up offers of assistance to Nepal.

Nepal’s Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari is leaving for China on an eight-day visit March 26 to discuss military assistance.

The idol constructed by Indian businessman Kamal Jain was inaugurated by Nepalese Tourism Minister Sharad Singh Bhandari at Sanga of Bhaktapur district, 20 km east of Kathmandu.

Jain who hails from Gurgaon in Haryana is the proprietor of Hill Take water tank, one of the leading water tank industries in Nepal. The construction of the idol made of cement and concrete started more than a decade ago.

Bhandari said the site will be developed as a popular tourism destination and will attract more tourists into Nepal as the country gears up for Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign with an aim to attract one million visitors.

Visit Nepal 2011

The most anticipated and highly expected Tourism campaign of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 is set to officially launch on February 26, 2010. With an aim to attract one million tourists, tourism entrepreneurs are urging to celebrate this campaign as “Year of Celebration”.

NTY Secretariat announced the program will formally begin with the illumination of the peace torch brought from Lumbini by Hon Prime Minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal at Tundikhel amidst a gala festival along with parades from six different place of the valley. Similar programmes will be organised from East to West — Biratnagar, Janakpur, Birgunj, Chitwan, Pokhara, Bhairahawa, and Nepalgunj. NTY 2011 programme implementation committee national coordinator Yogendra Shakya, in was hopeful to re-brand Nepal as a peaceful country by making the programme a great success. He added there will be written commitments from all major parties’ leaders. NTY 2011 secretariat has asked people to host national flag at their homes and workplaces from February 19 to mark the programme.

“Nepal will not have an accessibility problem from 2011,” said Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) secretary Nagendra Prasad Ghimire on Wednesday. Speaking at a press meet, Ghimire said that observing the surge of both national and international airlines by 2011 there will be a total of 32 airlines with international flights. According to Ghimire, a number of international airlines are showing interest in operations here. “Spirit of Manila and Oman Air are new applicants while Malaysian Airlines and another Malaysian airlines Air Asia are doing feasibility studies,” he said adding that currently there are 25 international flight operators. MoTCA recently issued a 45 days’ notice to domestic operators to apply for international operations. Airlines that active for five years and with five aircraft are eligible.

On this auspicious day, devotees from all over the world gather to worship Lord Shiva in the biggest hindu temple Pashupatinath located on the banks of the Bagmati river, Kathmandu.

This year Pashupati Area Development Trust has initiated a new queue system for the pilgrims, by paying an entrance fee of NPR. 1000, pilgrims can enter the temple without much hassle. Piligrims can purchase the tickets for Maha Shivaratri from different NIBL branches and offices of Pashupati Area Development Trust.

The fundraising event will screen award winning documentary “Sherpas – The true heroes of Mount Everest” by Dr Frank Senn, Hari Thapa and Otto C Honneger on Thursday, March 11 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Jai Nepal Hall, Hattisar.

For more information about event and tickets:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=281524791298&mid=1d583f2G2f08c0c7G4c15776G7

or contact Mr. Juju Kaji, founder of Hearbeat via kajijuju@hotmail.com

Around 800 exhibitors from 70 countries participated in Holiday Fair 2010. The Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair 2010 is the largest consumer travel fair and the world’s largest trade event in the Benelux region. The main theme of the Holiday Fair 2010 was “Meet the locals” where the visitors had opportunities to meet with exhibitors and have first hand information.

During the fair, NTB organised a multimedia presentation for the visitors regarding overall Nepal’s tourism products and Nepal Tourism Fair.

After the multimedia presentation, a quiz programme was organised where the audiences were quizzed on Nepal’s tourism in order to generate curiosity among the potential visitors to Nepal.

Visitors at Nepal stall inquired on safety, adventure tourism, tourism activities in Nepal, Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY 2011).

According to the NTB, visitors were more interested in knowing availability of direct flight connectivity to Nepal. Currently Arke Fly operated by TUI Holland International of the Netherlands links Dutch capital of Amsterdam to Kathmandu.

Various information in the form of Dutch and English Travelers Information, CDs, posters, brochures, booklet on Nature and Culture were distributed from the Nepal Stall. The Nepal Stall was decorated by flexes showcasing various tourism activities such as Nature, Culture and Adventure.

Source: nepalnews.com