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GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup | StudyJam Series 2018

Sandesh Chaudhary

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Title: GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup | StudyJam Series 2018
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
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GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup | StudyJam Series 2018 GDG Dang Ghorahi-15, Ghorahi, Dang Online Meet up Title: GDG Da...

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 GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup | StudyJam Series 2018</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT-LrSQOzjVo7YH6r5NcLR3VNNrVU8IMIQVCDdTU5Tqa6_urn7wsxp4clZre4UxJLg6HWLN52vso47ELnyukMix3Iijoo5p4INJniZmJZHjNjAGBsIcBeqXCem0ORUc4TJJFONhUzYmdL/s1600/meetup+by+shandesh+chaudhary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1599" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT-LrSQOzjVo7YH6r5NcLR3VNNrVU8IMIQVCDdTU5Tqa6_urn7wsxp4clZre4UxJLg6HWLN52vso47ELnyukMix3Iijoo5p4INJniZmJZHjNjAGBsIcBeqXCem0ORUc4TJJFONhUzYmdL/s400/meetup+by+shandesh+chaudhary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">GDG Dang</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ghorahi-15, Ghorahi, Dang</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Online Meet up Title: GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup |
StudyJam Series 2018<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Event Date: Wednesday
31, January 2018</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration: 1/2 hours.</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Speakers</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dipesh Das<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Niraj Bhusal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How many joined the meet
up</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">: <b>12</b></span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Male : </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">8</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Female : 2</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Summary:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">GDG Dang was honored
to be part of this year’s mSite Facilitators and StudyJam Series. This gave us
the opportunity to bring people interested in many Google Certification courses
and together, meet up got to find out the online certification courses and get
certified and collect some achievements was made by Google's Academy for Ads what
the future should expect from Google.</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">After introducing meet
up to <b>mSite Facilitators and StudyJam Series</b>, it was time for discussion.
Attendees were amazed by what a valuable Certificates and achievements, Academy
for Ads has provided to us. This session was followed by some teaching lessons
and course resources. All participants were benefited to know about the online
certificates and achievements.</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Overall Objective:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The overall objectives
include:</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Discussing with senior
Community Leaders in GDG Dang to learn about how to get online certificates and
how to collect achievements for Academy for Ads. These online certificates are very
useful in future and  encourage them to learn
something new and get certified. Past experience of certification also shared
by seniors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Success Highlights:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This meet up was held
at the Online Meet up, it was an opportunity to learn about online Google
Certificates and achievements as the meet up was started with the short introduction
of each participants. See Some Pictures below and check out our photo url for
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Participant Feedback:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Participants<b> </b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">were
very excited with the meet up. They said the meet up filled with learning ideas
and discuss about online Google certification courses. We discuss each other
about the course and share how to get resources for the online certification
courses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Logistics/Planning:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In the next event we
will share our certificates that who have got and get verified their accounts.</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Key Learning:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Before the event, i
had a talk with our senior GDG leaders and discuss him to create a online
Hangouts meet up. He said we have collected many certificates that you all can
get. We should go for the <b>mSite Facilitators and StudyJam Series meet up</b>,
i told him that provides us the resources to prepare for certifications exams. </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Appreciation:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Special thanks goes to
Mr. Dipesh Das and Mr. Niraj Bhusal, Google Community Leaders, and all
participants.  </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Written by <a href="http://shandesh.shandesh.com.np/" target="_blank">SandeshChaudhary</a></span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>        </b><b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">You can follow me on:</span></i></b></h3>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Facebook : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shandesh.com.np/">https://www.facebook.com/shandesh.com.np/</a></span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Instagram : <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shandesh_chaudhary/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/shandesh_chaudhary/ </a></span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>LinkedIn</i></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> : <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shandesh-chaudhary-6ba257124/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/shandesh-chaudhary-6ba257124/</a></span></i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/15604966s">https://twitter.com/15604966s</a></span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Google Plus : <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/105695223885537905201">https://plus.google.com/u/0/105695223885537905201</a></span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>YouTube</i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shandesh_chaudhary">https://www.youtube.com/shandesh_chaudhary</a></span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Email : <a href="mailto:info@shandesh.com.np">info@shandesh.com.np</a></span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website : <a href="http://www.shandesh.shandesh.com.np/">www.shandesh.shandesh.com.np</a></span></i></blockquote>
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GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup | StudyJam Series 2018

GDG Dang mSite Facilitators Meetup | StudyJam Series 2018 GDG Dang Ghorahi-15, Ghorahi, Dang Online Meet up Title: GDG Da...

Nepal eye knock out berth in U-19 Asia Cup

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Nepal eye knock out berth in U-19 Asia Cup
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times Kathmandu, December 12 A 19-member squad is on Tuesday leaving for Sri Lanka to take part in the ACC U-19...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/nepal-u-19-cricket-team-eye-knock-berth-u-19-asia-cup/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kathmandu, December 12</strong></div>
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A 19-member squad is on Tuesday leaving for Sri Lanka to take part in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup slated for December 13-24 with eyes firmly set on maiden berth in the knock out stage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIafGXQT1wey-toE2IKFvPlhVLe0PVYO9-0bzOMt7CdvK9JVCnJ4AXCmFZf26py8zmaws1k6xl9pr7R_i4D1oJAv5FSGdRqrW982DZ27ifIu-DBJILMsthXMqhUFgUEqJVO2EJSuIzg2z4/s1600/Nepals-U-19-cricket-team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIafGXQT1wey-toE2IKFvPlhVLe0PVYO9-0bzOMt7CdvK9JVCnJ4AXCmFZf26py8zmaws1k6xl9pr7R_i4D1oJAv5FSGdRqrW982DZ27ifIu-DBJILMsthXMqhUFgUEqJVO2EJSuIzg2z4/s640/Nepals-U-19-cricket-team.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nepal are pitted in Group A along with India, hosts Sri Lanka and Malaysia in the 50-over competition.</div>
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Similarly, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Singapore are pitted in Group B. Nepal will play their opening match against Sri Lanka on December 15 before facing defending champions India the following day.</div>
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Nepal will play their last group match against Malaysia on December 18. Top two teams after the league round will advance to the semi-finals slated for December 20 and 21. The final is scheduled for December 23.</div>
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Nepal have featured in both of the previous two editions of the competition but are yet to make it to the knock out stage. However, head coach Binod Das said that Nepal were capable of securing second round berth this time around. “We have set our target of reaching the second round but it is not going to be easy as we had short preparation period of 15 days,” said Das.</div>
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The former U-19 and national team skipper Das said the team tried hard for the best use of the available resources. “I don’t see any reason that we cannot not make it to the second round as we have been able to beat teams like South Africa and New Zealand in the U-19 level in the past.</div>
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I will be disappointed if we will not achieve our target,” he added.</div>
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In the first edition held in Malaysia in 2012, Nepal beat the host nation by 107 runs but faced an 81-run defeat against India and went down to Pakistan by eight wickets. Two years later, Nepal recorded an 80-run victory over hosts United Arab Emirates but suffered a nine-wicket defeat against India and faced a 132-run loss at the hands of Pakistan.</div>
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The players were also confident of achieving the target. “The players are on a high especially after their performance in practice matches and we are hoping for the best,” said skipper Sandeep Lamichhane, who recently played for former Australian skipper Michael Clarke’s club.</div>
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“We are capable of advancing to the knock out stage and we are even looking to make it to the final as well,” added Lamichhane, who lamented the lack of international exposure for the tournament. He has also taken the tournament as the preparation for the ICC U-19 World Cup to be held in New Zealand in 2018.</div>
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Coach Das termed the team as the best one and claimed bowling department as the strongest side. “Bowling as usual looks good as we have varieties in spinners Kamal Airee and Nandan Yadav. We are pinning hopes on them in Sri Lankan pitches where spinners can turn the matches.</div>
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In batting, Aasif Sheikh and Anil Kumar Sah are strong,” said Das. The coach said he focused on match practices during the training camp apart from physical fitness of the players. “We could not address technical aspects of the game due to lack of time,” added coach Das.</div>
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The players were picked through talent hunt programmes at six different centres of the country rather than following the traditional process of national games.</div>
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Playing against defending champions India and hosts Sri Lanka would not be easy for Nepal. While Sri Lanka will have home advantage, India are always a dominant force in the region. “We are not going to play looking at other teams, either it be India or Sri Lanka. We will focus on our own game and fight till last moment,” said Das.</div>
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Meanwhile, National Sports Council Member Secretary Keshab Kumar Bista and Chaudhary Group’s Assistant General Manager Lal Babu Prasad bade farewell to the team amidst a programme today.</div>
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“Our national team made cricket popular in the country with lots of success and the youth team needs to come up with even better results,” said Bista accepting the fact that the government was not able to provide the cricketers with proper facilities.</div>
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National team head coach Jagat Tamatta, who is also travelling to Sri Lanka with the team, said the event would be the best platform for youth cricketers. “We have selected the best players in the team and the only concern is the short training period for preparation,” he said. Physiotherapist Dinesh Bhatta and technical analyst Raman Shiwakoti will also accompany the team to Sri Lanka.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">NEPAL TEAM</strong>: Sandeep Lamichhane (skipper), Md Aasif Sheikh, Rabindra Jung Shahi, Aadil Khan, Bhim Sharki, Anil Kumar Sah, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pawan Sarraf, Suwarnakar Uraw, Sandeep Sunar, Kamal Singh Airee, Nandan Yadav, Prakash KC, Avinash Karn and Rohit Kumar Paudel.</div>
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Nepal eye knock out berth in U-19 Asia Cup

source : The Himalayan Times Kathmandu, December 12 A 19-member squad is on Tuesday leaving for Sri Lanka to take part in the ACC U-19...

Weightlifters feted

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Weightlifters feted
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times KATHMANDU: Ministry of Youth and Sports on Monday felicitated two youth weightlifters with Rs 25,000 each ...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/prakash-kc-kamala-shrestha-felicitated-for-national-records-in-weightlifting/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">KATHMANDU:</strong> Ministry of Youth and Sports on Monday felicitated two youth weightlifters with Rs 25,000 each for setting new national records during the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship held in Japan last month.</div>
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Prakash KC lifted 100kg in snatch and 124kg weight in clean and jerk in the men’s 62kg category to better his own personal record.</div>
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Earlier, KC had lifted 93kg in snatch and 124 in clean and jerk during the Grand Prix Weightlifting Championship held in Kathmandu to set a national record.</div>
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Similarly, Kamala Shrestha had set a new record with a lift of 61kg in snatch and 78kg in clean and jerk in the women’s<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />58kg event.</div>
</div>

Weightlifters feted

source : The Himalayan Times KATHMANDU: Ministry of Youth and Sports on Monday felicitated two youth weightlifters with Rs 25,000 each ...

Ronaldo’s golden year rewarded with fourth Ballon d’Or

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Ronaldo’s golden year rewarded with fourth Ballon d’Or
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times PARIS: Cristiano Ronaldo capped a remarkable year by claiming a fourth Ballon d’Or award on Monday after l...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/cristiano-ronaldo-golden-year-rewarded-fourth-ballon-dor/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">PARIS:</strong> Cristiano Ronaldo capped a remarkable year by claiming a fourth Ballon d’Or award on Monday after leading Portugal to an emotional European Championship title and Real Madrid to a record-extending Champions League crown in 2016.</div>
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Ronaldo is one short of the record tally of five awards won by Barcelona’s Argentina forward Lionel Messi, who was second with the pair having taken the first two spots since 2011.</div>
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“For me it’s a great honour to receive my fourth golden ball. The emotion is like for the first one, it’s a dream come true again. I never thought in my mind to win four times. I’m so happy,” said Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008, 2013 and 2014.</div>
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“It’s probably the best year of my career collectively, with Real Madrid and Portugal.</div>
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“Real are used to winning titles while Portugal had never won a major title so this (Euro 2016) title is special. I don’t want to lack respect to the Champions League but the title with Portugal is a level above.”</div>
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The Ballon d’Or, which merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award from 2010-15 to create the FIFA Ballon d’Or, returned to France Football magazine this year.</div>
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A total of 173 journalists voted but not national team coaches and captains who were also polled for the FIFA award.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: teal;">CUT ABOVE</span></h4>
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France and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, who lost to Ronaldo’s Portugal and Real in the Euro 2016 and Champions League finals respectively, took third place.</div>
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Uruguay forward Luis Suarez was fourth and Brazil’s Neymar fifth, giving Barcelona three players in the top five.</div>
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Ronaldo was a cut above the competition, though.</div>
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He scored 51 goals in 54 games for club and country, albeit his lowest tally since 2008, claimed another Champions League winners’ medal and lifted the European Championship trophy.</div>
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Ronaldo limped off midway through the first half of July’s Euro 2016 final, which Portugal won 1-0 after extra time against hosts France, but he hobbled back onto the pitch to celebrate his country’s first major soccer title.</div>
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Six weeks earlier, after a fairly anonymous performance against local rivals Atletico in the Champions League final, he scored the decisive penalty in the shootout to hand Real their 11th European Cup.</div>
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It was, therefore, hard to see past 31-year-old Ronaldo for the winner of the Ballon d’Or, even if the trophy is designed to reward individual performance rather than team results.</div>
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Ronaldo’s golden year rewarded with fourth Ballon d’Or

source : The Himalayan Times PARIS: Cristiano Ronaldo capped a remarkable year by claiming a fourth Ballon d’Or award on Monday after l...

Three Star Club seeks Rs 60 mln compensation from ANFA after missing AFC Cup appearance

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Three Star Club seeks Rs 60 mln compensation from ANFA after missing AFC Cup appearance
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times KATHMANDU: Nepal league leader Three Star Club on Tuesday demanded Rs 60 million compensation from the All ...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/three-star-club-seeks-rs-60-mln-compensation-anfa-missing-afc-cup-appearance/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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KATHMANDU: Nepal league leader Three Star Club on Tuesday demanded Rs 60 million compensation from the All Nepal Football Association, claiming the national football governing body robbed it of the appearance in the AFC Cup 2017.</div>
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Organising a press conference in Kathmandu today, the Club also informed it decided to write to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council, the Nepal Olympic Committee, the AFC as well as FIFA about the issue.</div>
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Issuing a press statement during the meeting, TSC Executive Chairman Arun Man Joshi and General Secretary Sanjeev Shilpakar also demanded that the concerned government authorities investigate into the case.</div>
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Three Star Club seeks Rs 60 mln compensation from ANFA after missing AFC Cup appearance

source : The Himalayan Times KATHMANDU: Nepal league leader Three Star Club on Tuesday demanded Rs 60 million compensation from the All ...

Scores sagging for high school grads taking ACT college test

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Scores sagging for high school grads taking ACT college test
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times WASHINGTON: Nearly two-thirds of this year’s high school graduates took the ACT college entrance exam, and...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/education/scores-sagging-high-school-grads-taking-act-college-test/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">WASHINGTON:</strong> Nearly two-thirds of this year’s high school graduates took the ACT college entrance exam, and their scores suggest that many remain unprepared for the rigors of college-level coursework.</div>
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The testing company said Wednesday that only 38 percent of graduating seniors who took the exam hit the college-prepared benchmark in at least three of the four core subjects tested — reading, English, math and science — down from 40 percent last year. The benchmark is designed to measure a strong readiness for college.</div>
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The average composite score also declined a bit, down from 21 to 20.8 this year. The four tests are scored on a scale of 1 to 36. The composite is the average of the four scores. The vast majority of colleges use the composite in admissions.</div>
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ACT’s Paul Weeks says a decline in scores was expected, given the changing demographic of the testing population.</div>
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“Almost 2 out 3 students are taking the ACT and what’s happened is the testing cohort has become increasingly representative of students at large,” said Weeks, senior vice president for client relations, in an interview.</div>
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A number of additional states also are giving the ACT to all of their 11th-grade students. “That group of new states showed up in this year’s grad class report so we would have expected it to have an impact” on scores, Weeks said.</div>
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Nearly 2.1 million graduating seniors took the ACT, up from 1.9 million in the last school year.</div>
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By comparison, 1.7 million graduating seniors in 2015 took the SAT, the other major college entrance exam. The College Board expects to release updated 2016 numbers for the SAT later this fall.</div>
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Of the ACT-tested high school graduates this year, 61 percent met the English benchmark of 18 points, which indicates a student is likely ready for a college composition course and would earn a “C” or better grade.</div>
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In reading, 44 percent met the 22-point mark that suggests readiness for a college-level social-sciences course. For math, 41 percent met the 22-point threshold that predicts success in an algebra course. And in science, 36 percent hit the 22-point score that predicts success in an entry-level biology course.</div>
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In contrast, 34 percent of 2016 grads did not meet any of the four benchmarks. Weeks called that number alarming, an indication that those students are likely to struggle with first-year courses and end up in remedial classes that will delay degree completion and increase college costs.</div>
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The report showed a relatively wide gulf, by race, in the percentages of graduates hitting three or more of the college-ready benchmarks. Forty-nine percent of white test-takers met the three-or-more benchmark, compared to 11 percent of African Americans and 23 percent of Hispanic test-takers. But the gaps between the groups haven’t shifted that much, for better or worse, in the last four years.</div>
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When students register for the ACT, they can designate a college major. For 2016 grads, the most popular major selected was nursing, followed by pre-medicine, business administration and management and mechanical engineering.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: navy;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Other findings in the annual score report:</strong></span></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Massachusetts had the highest average composite score, at 24.8. It was followed by Connecticut and New Hampshire, both with a 24.5 average composite score.</em></span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the last four years, the proportion of students saying they would like to pursue vocational/technical and two-year degrees increased by 2 percent. The proportion aspiring to higher levels of education dropped by 6 percent.</em></span></li>
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The testing company says 20 states funded ACT testing for all public school students in the 2016 graduating class. Those states are: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.</div>
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Scores sagging for high school grads taking ACT college test

source : The Himalayan Times WASHINGTON: Nearly two-thirds of this year’s high school graduates took the ACT college entrance exam, and...

Oxford ranked as world’s top university: Times Higher Education

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Oxford ranked as world’s top university: Times Higher Education
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times The University of Oxford has become the first British university to top the Times Higher Education’s global...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/education/oxford-ranked-worlds-top-university-times-higher-education/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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The University of Oxford has become the first British university to top the Times Higher Education’s global league table, knocking the California Institute of Technology into second place.</div>
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Oxford topped the list because it improved across the four main indicators that influence the rankings – teaching, research, citations and international outlook, Times Higher Education said.</div>
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But Britain’s vote to leave the European Union could threaten the oldest university in the English-speaking world, locking academics out of research projects, said Phil Baty, the editor of the rankings.</div>
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“As well as some top academics reporting they have been frozen out of collaborative research projects with EU colleagues, many are admitting that they might look to relocate to a university outside the country,” Baty told the BBC.</div>
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While Oxford, the University of Cambridge and London’s Imperial College make the top 10 along with ETH Zurich, the list is dominated by U.S. universities.</div>
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Stanford University is ranked third, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology fifth, Harvard sixth, Princeton seventh and the University of California, Berkeley and University of Chicago at tenth equal.</div>
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Cambridge was ranked fourth, Imperial eighth and ETH Zurich ninth.</div>
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More broadly, the rankings showed institutions in Asia had made progress with two new Asian universities now in the 100 and another four joining the top 200.</div>
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Oxford ranked as world’s top university: Times Higher Education

source : The Himalayan Times The University of Oxford has become the first British university to top the Times Higher Education’s global...

At least 10 killed by collapse of church in southern Nigeria: resident

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: At least 10 killed by collapse of church in southern Nigeria: resident
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times At least ten people were killed and some 15 wounded when a church collapsed during a service in southern Ni...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/world/least-10-killed-collapse-church-southern-nigeria-resident/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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At least ten people were killed and some 15 wounded when a church collapsed during a service in southern Nigeria on Saturday, a resident and police said.</div>
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State news agency NAN said on its website there had been 60 “victims” of the collapse in the southern city of Uyo in Akwa Ibom state without clarifying whether they had been killed or wounded.</div>
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“I visited the scene of the incident today and saw people being taken out,” said Monday Akpan, a resident. “More than ten people were killed from my calculation and what I heard others say there.”</div>
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Local media put the death toll even higher. The Premium Times said on its website at least 50 people had been killed or seriously injured.</div>
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Police and civil service officials said some worshippers had been killed but refused to give a figure as the rescue operation was still ongoing.</div>
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The church collapsed during a service when a pastor was to be consecrated as bishop and local officials in attendance escaped unhurt, police spokeswomen Cordelia Nwawe said.</div>
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“Ten to 15 people were injured and have been taken to a hospital,” Nwawe said.</div>
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At least 10 killed by collapse of church in southern Nigeria: resident

source : The Himalayan Times At least ten people were killed and some 15 wounded when a church collapsed during a service in southern Ni...

Taliban demands for cash stir fears of comeback in Pakistan’s Swat Valley

Sandesh Chaudhary

Link Author

Title: Taliban demands for cash stir fears of comeback in Pakistan’s Swat Valley
Author: Sandesh Chaudhary
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

source : The Himalayan Times MINGORA: When Pakistani shopkeeper Abdur Rahim’s phone rang in mid-October, he was shocked to hear the voi...

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source : <a href="http://thehimalayantimes.com/world/taliban-demands-cash-stir-fears-comeback-pakistans-swat-valley/">The Himalayan Times</a><br />
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<span class="location" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">MINGORA: </strong></span>When Pakistani shopkeeper Abdur Rahim’s phone rang in mid-October, he was shocked to hear the voice of a senior militant commander demanding protection money from him and his fellow traders in the Swat Valley.</div>
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The menacing call was taken seriously in a northern pocket of the country where Pakistani Taliban insurgents took partial control in 2007, before being ousted two years later in a major military operation hailed as a telling blow against Islamist violence.</div>
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Locals fear that recent threats of extortion and a spate of targeted killings earlier this year mark an attempt by the Taliban to regain a foothold in the picturesque, mountainous area they once ruled with an iron fist.</div>
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Western powers, including the United States which has thousands of troops fighting other militant groups across the nearby border in Afghanistan, want to see jihadi networks along the frontier crushed.</div>
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During the Oct. 19 conversation, Mullah Akhtar, a commander close to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah, ordered Rahim to collect money from 15,000 members of the Swat Traders’ Federation, of which he is president.</div>
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But in a tense exchange, Rahim refused to cooperate, and told Akhtar militants were not welcome in Swat.</div>
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According to Rahim, Akhtar boiled over with rage: “I will blow you up, so that even the doctors won’t be able to find the pieces.”</div>
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Since the call, Rahim’s life has changed.</div>
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Speaking to Reuters in Swat’s main town of Mingora, he stood flanked by two armed policemen, while plainclothed officers keep a watchful eye in the background. CCTV cameras monitor his home.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: navy;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">MOTIVES UNCLEAR</strong></span></div>
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Representatives of the militant movement could not be reached for comment on their tactics in Swat Valley; some residents believe demands for money and a rise in attacks in the first half of the year are signs of desperation.</div>
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Attacks have been a part of life there since 2010, including the attempted assassination of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, but in recent months the murders have stopped after a series of arrests by police.</div>
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The Taliban have also struggled to build ideological support after their bloody two-year rule that saw them impose a harsh version of Islamic law on the valley’s 2 million residents.</div>
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The group remains active elsewhere, however, particularly in southern Baluchistan province, where a faction of the Taliban and Islamic State have claimed responsibility for a series of bomb and gun attacks that have killed more than 180 people.</div>
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The Pakistani military will be desperate to keep the Taliban out of Swat, the first sizeable region outside lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall to the militants.</div>
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The army’s publicity wing did not respond to requests for comment on the situation in the area.</div>
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The military has been on alert for signs of a Taliban resurgence as it seeks to rebuild civilian institutions and win over the local population as a bulwark against radical ideology.</div>
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A force of more than 4,000 Pakistani soldiers is stationed in Swat, and last month the army began constructing a permanent garrison.</div>
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“It (Swat) was always shown as the example of a successful military operation,” said Zahid Hussain, a security analyst. “But the main challenge is to hold that area, and to now establish a civilian authority.”</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: navy;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">NEUTRALIZING SUPPORT NETWORKS</strong></span></div>
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While officials tout the recent drop in assassinations by the Taliban as progress, locals on the group’s hit-list are less sanguine.</div>
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Powerful tribal leaders, especially those who worked with anti-Taliban peace committees, say they are in danger.</div>
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Fazal Wahab, for example, walks through Mingora’s bustling market hiding a pistol under his coat and wearing a black anti-pollution face mask to hide his identity.</div>
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“I have received no support of any kind from the army,” said Wahab, who has faced Taliban death threats for years due to his work.</div>
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But local officials say security has improved.</div>
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More than 2,000 Taliban fighters from Swat have been driven into mountainous areas on the Afghan side of the border nearby, according to officials.</div>
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Police in Swat said TTP assassins used little-trodden mountain passes between Afghanistan’s Nuristan and Pakistan’s Chitral regions to sneak into the valley.</div>
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“It’s not difficult for one or two people to slip through,” said Akhtar Hayat Khan, Swat’s police chief.</div>
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Khan said several intelligence-led swoops on local facilitators had disrupted the Taliban’s support network and limited the threat. In July, police arrested at least 12 people across the valley suspected of aiding attacks.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: navy;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">“DOG EAT DOG”</strong></span></div>
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Local traders applauded Rahim’s stand against the Taliban, but some were not sure if they would follow his example if faced with demands for protection money themselves.</div>
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“If we get a call, then what can we do? We will bear the decision like a stone on our hearts, but we have no choice,” said Nisar Ahmed.</div>
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Rahim is steadfast in his resistance. Recently he started breeding dogs, widely considered unclean in Islam, for his own protection.</div>
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“I used to hate keeping dogs. But you need to keep a dog to fight a dog,” he said. “They (the Taliban) are hungry now. And like a dog bites a man out of hunger, they’re biting, too.”</div>
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Taliban demands for cash stir fears of comeback in Pakistan’s Swat Valley

source : The Himalayan Times MINGORA: When Pakistani shopkeeper Abdur Rahim’s phone rang in mid-October, he was shocked to hear the voi...

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