Ganga and Jamuna – ‘’the Spider sisters‘’ refuse separation

PRADEEP K TIMALSINA
Ganga and Jamuna Mondal, 39, live with a very rare condition among conjoined twins — between them they have two heads, three legs and four arms.
Since childhood the sisters, from a small village in West Bengal, India, have performed at local fairs to large crowds eager to watch them crawl like an insect.
A new documentary from Discovery Channel shows the sisters perform for five hours during one of their travelling stage shows — they earn only $46 but it is enough to feed their extended family for a fortnight.
"People are drawn to us, they think we are strange," says Jammu in the documentary, titled My Shocking Story: Human Spider Sisters.
"Like you, we are human, and feel as normal as you do."
The sisters are the sole earners for their 22 extended family members, who all live under one roof.
The whole family pitches in to help them prepare for each show, which sees Ganga and Jamuna perform routine actions like brushing their teeth and applying face cream, before parading up and down in front of the crowds on their hands and legs.
The sisters are joined at the pelvis but each has a normal upper body and one functioning leg. Their other two legs are fused together into a single limb with nine toes.
Doctors have warned that separating the pair could be fatal.
But US conjoined twins expert Dr James Stein tests them in the TV documentary and says the pair could survive.
The sisters refuse, with Ganga saying: "The way God made us is the way we will live."

Leech identifies robber

PRADEEP K TIMALSINA/Sydney, Australia

Blood taken from a leech has proved decisive in solving an eight year old aggravated robbery case in northern Tasmania.

In what police describe as a world first, DNA taken from a leech has been used to catch and convict a man who robbed a 71-year-old woman at her home in 2001.

Peter Alec Cannon, 54, from Lilydale has pleaded guilty in the Launceston Supreme Court to aggravated armed robbery.

Forensics collected the leech from the crime scene.

The blood sample was filed away after it did not match anyone at the scene or the robbery vicitm.

But last year when Cannon was charged with drug offences, his DNA was matched with the blood sample taken eight years earlier from the leech.

Cannon has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Friday

KEVIN RUDD SWORE ON LABOUR MPS

PRADEEP K TIMALSINA, Sydney, Australia

Kevin Rudd has refused to apologise for repeatedly swearing during a meeting with factional bosses earlier this month, saying the "robust conversation" was consistent with Labor Party traditions.
A number of MPs copped some expletives when they visited the prime minister's parliament house office to object to plans to cut politicians' annual printing allowances by 25 per cent to $75,000.
The PM said in the presence of three female MPs: "I don't care what you f***ers think," News Limited has reported.
He later told another senator: "You can get f***ed."
Mr Rudd admits he swore.
"It's fair to say, consistent with the traditions of the Australia Labor Party, we're given to robust conversations," Mr Rudd told reporters in New York when asked about the meeting.
"I made my point of view absolutely clear.
"These entitlements needed to be cut back.
"I make no apology for either the content of my conversation or the robustness with which I expressed my views."
In a random survey of printing allowance use, the auditor-general found that in 74 per cent of instances the entitlement was at risk of being misused.
During the 2007/08 financial year - which covered the 2007 election - the auditor-general found some MPs were using the printing allowance primarily for re-election purposes.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says Mr Rudd doesn't have more of a potty mouth than anyone else in the community.
"There's as much chance of the prime minister swearing as you and I have sworn from time to time in the past," he told the Nine Network's Laurie Oakes.
"All of us engage regrettably in that sort of language from time to time."
Mr Smith said the most important thing was that the policy of capping printing payments was "absolutely right".
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment on the swearing because he wasn't at the meeting but said the prime minister had acted appropriately regarding the allowance.
"The Australian people will get some comfort from the fact that the prime minister isn't dictated to by any group, faction, interest group within the party," Mr Albanese told Network Ten.
Asked about the incident, Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner said politics was a robust business.
"One of the amusing things in the article was the suggestion that Labor backbenchers might have been horrified at someone swearing at them," Mr Tanner told ABC Television on Sunday.
"The truth is that politics, whether it's on our side or the other side, is a robust business where exchanges of views can sometimes be laced with less than polite descriptions - that's life.
"These discussions can sometimes be robust and all I can say is: Let he who is without sin cast the first line."
Mr Tanner said previous entitlements were too loose, ambiguous and open to being misused.
"We have clamped down on that vigorously and inevitably a few toes have been trodden on," he said.
"We make no apologies for that."

A TEEN AGER BOY SETENCED JAIL

PRADEEP K TIMALSINA, Sydney ,Australia
A 16-year-old boy has been sentenced to six years' jail for raping a woman in Tennant Creek earlier this year.
The teenager attacked the woman as she walked through Crown land in Tennant Creek one night in March. The court heard he grabbed her from behind and punched and kicked her so she was knocked out. He then dragged the woman into bushes and had sex with her.
Chief Justice Brian Martin said the boy was immature and had been drunk at the time of the attack. But he said concerns about the boy's age and rehabilitation had to come second to the need to protect the community from attacks of that kind.
He sentenced the boy to six years' jail, with a non-parole period of three years and nine months.

My GPRS; the satellite lady

It was Friday night; everyone was in the mood to celebrate. . Of course I shared the mood, but I was off the hard stuff because I had to drive. I put it off as long as I could, but eventually I had to leave. I didn't know this part of town, and the busy network of roads led off in all directions like a rabbit's warren. I reached over to the GPS, punched in my destination and hit go.
A woman's voice emanated from the box on my windscreen, prompting me to turn at regular intervals. I gave her utmost respect, and followed her every command. In 100 meters, turn she commanded, and I turned. As I turned left she said “recalculating…..in 500 meter turn right’’. I wondered because I was doing precisely as I was being told. Anyway, I took it easy and followed the instruction given by the satellite lady. Recalculating’’ she repeated, anyway I had to follow her commands. In 200 meter turn right ‘’ again she said “turn right” I did turn right but immediately afterwards she said “recalculating ”, now I realized that something had gone seriously wrong ; she was leading me to the wrong direction.
I determined, to ignore any information acquired by the faulty GPRS. I drove haphazardly .After being confronted with the confusing turnings, intersections and amber lights I reached a quiet suburb. After a while, I felt that I had completely lost my way but carried on my tedious journey. The satellite lady continuously issued her commands, but I paid no attention together.
A couple of minutes later, I heard a grunt, which was identical to the satellite lady’s voice. Reiteratively, she was prompting “recalculating”… but I ignored her. Suddenly, I heard the sound of glass shattering; I stopped my car and looked around and in front. I saw the GPRS, mounted on my car, had been brushed aside; and a lady popped her head up. All of sudden she came out with a sword and addressed me “you stupid fellow, didn’t hear me? If you don’t need to follow my instructions why did you buy me? Merely waste of money. You don’t want to obey me? Each and every single person obeys me and follows my instructions but you…you idiot.’’
She bashed me over the head, with her sword and I fell to the floor . Eventually I woke up and slowly got to my feet. I had sweat on my face , fear in my soul and my body war trembling …I realized the reality: It was a night mare
Writer:-PRAEEP K TIMALSINA

अस्ट्रेलियामा नेपाली भाषाको माग

प्रदीप तिमल्सिना/ सिडनी,अस्ट्रेलिया
22september2009(Published on www.dainikee.com)

अस्ट्रेलियामा नेपाली भाषालाई पनि सामुदायिक भाषाको मान्यता दिनु पर्ने माग राख्दै मानव अधिकार तथा लोकतान्त्रिक मञ्च नेपाल, अस्ट्रेलियाको आयोजनामा सिड्नीको ग्र्याण्ड्वीलस्थित आरएसएल क्लबको सभा कक्षमा एक कार्यक्रमको आयोजन गरियो । नेपाली कांग्रेसका सभासद गगन थापाको प्रमुख आतिथ्य अनि मञ्चका अध्यक्ष रमेश पाण्डेको सभापतित्वामा सम्पन्न सो कार्यक्रममा अस्ट्रेलियाका लागि नेपाली राजदूत योगेन्द्र ढकाल,महावाणिज्यदूत दीपक खड्का, एनआरएन अस्ट्रेलियाका अध्यक्ष ध्रुब सुबेदी, महिला अधिकारकर्मी इन्दू गौतम, ब्यापारी, पत्रकार तथा उल्लेख्य संख्यामा नेपालीहरुको उपस्थिति थियो ।
यस्तै अस्ट्रेलियन सरकारका तर्फ़बाट सामुदायिक जनसम्पर्क अधिकारी मार्क ब्ल्याक अनि मानवअधिकारकर्मी लौरी फर्गिसनको पनि कार्यक्रममा उपस्थिति थियो ।
कार्यक्रमका प्रमुख अतिथि गगन थापाले नयाँ नेपाल बनाउने अभिभारा नेताको मात्र नभै समस्थ नेपालीहरुको पनि भएकोले विकाशको सपना देखने सम्पूर्ण प्रवासी नेपालीहरुले नेपालीहरुको दुःखमा पनि साथ दिनु पर्ने धारणा राखे ।
उनलेअस्ट्रेलियामा अरु भाषा सरह नेपाली भाषाले पनि स्थान पाएमा नयाँ नेपाली पुस्ताले नेपाल अनि नेपाली भाषालाई नबिर्सने आशा अभिब्यक्त गरेका थिए ।
मञ्चका अध्यक्ष रमेश पाण्डेले अस्ट्रेलियामा नेपाली भाषाले अरु भाषा सरह सामुदायिक भाषाका रुपमा स्थान पाएमा नयाँ आउनेहरुलाई थप अवसर अनि सहज हुनुका साथै संपूर्ण नेपालीहरुले लाभ उठाने भएकोले आआफ्नो क्षेत्रबाट सक्दो सहयोग गरि सरकारलाई घ्चघच्याउने कार्यमा सहयोग गर्न समस्त नेपाली समुदायलाई अपिल गरेका थिए ।
कार्यक्रममा अस्ट्रेलियाका लागि नेपाली राजदूत योगेन्द्र ढकाल,महावाणिज्यदूत दीपक खड्का, एन आर एन अस्ट्रेलियाका अध्यक्ष ध्रुब सुबेदी, महिला अधिकारकर्मी इन्दू गौतमले आआफ्नो धारणा राखेका थिए । प्राय: वक्ताहरुले नेपालीहरु एकजुटभै नेपाली भाषालाई सामुदायिक भाषासरह स्थान दिनु पर्ने आवाज बुलंद गरि सहयोगको लागि समेत आह्वान गरेका थिए ।
त्यसैगरि अस्ट्रेलियन सरकारका सामुदायिक जनसम्पर्क अधिकारी मार्क ब्ल्याकले नेपालीहरुको हाल अस्ट्रेलियामा बढ्दो जन घनत्वका आधारमा नेपाली भाषाले सरकारी रुपमा सामुदायिक भाषाको मान्यता पाउनु पर्ने भएकोले जनघनत्वको आंकड़ा सरकार समक्ष पेश गर्न आग्रह गरे।
मानवअधिकारकर्मी लौरी फर्गिसनले नेपाली भाषालाई सामुदायिक भाषाको मान्यता दिनु पर्ने ६० वर्ष पुरानो माग भएकाले अब एकबद्द भई निस्चित मापदण्ड अनि कानूनी प्रक्रिया पूरा गरि अस्ट्रेलियन सरकारसमक्ष आफ्नो माग पेश गर्न सुझाव दिएका थिए।

नयाँ नेपाली वाणिज्यदूतावास सिड़निमा

प्रदीप तिमल्सिना , सिडनी , अस्ट्रेलिया / १५ सेप्टेम्बर २००९
सिडनिस्थित प्रतिष्ठित ब्यावसायी दिपक खड्कालाई नेपाल सरकारबाट नियुक्त गरिएपछि अस्ट्रेलियाको प्रमुख सहर सिड्नीमा बिधिवत रूपमा आज देखि नेपाली वाणिज्यदूतको कार्यालयले काम सुरु गरेको छ। आज नर्थ सिड्नीको मिलर स्ट्रीट,टाउन स्क्वायरमा आयोजित एक समारोह बीच अष्ट्रेलियाका लागि नेपाली राजदुत योगेन्द्र ढकाल र अष्ट्रेलियाको विदेश मन्त्रालयका उच्च अधिकारी फिलिपा किङ द्वारा संयुक्त रुपमा वाणिज्यदूत कार्यालयको उदघाटन गरिएको थियो ।
सिडनी स्थित नेपाली समुदायका प्रतिनिधि, ब्यावासयी, पत्रकार एवं कुटनीतिक नियोगका उच्च अधिकारीहरु उत्साह जनक उपस्थिति रहेको उक्त कार्यक्रमको शुभारम्भ अष्ट्रेलिया र नेपालका राष्ट्रिय गान र धुन बजाएर गरिएको थियो भने कार्यक्रमका सिलसिलामा हालै सिड्नी आएका नेपालका लोक गायक द्वय कोमल वली र मनोहरी थापाले स्वागत गीत गाउनुका साथै सिड्नी स्थित स्थानिय नेपाली कलाकारले नृत्य प्रस्तुत गरेका थिए।
गत २० वर्षदेखि निउ साऊथ वेल्समा महावाणिज्यदूतको रुपमा निरन्तर सेवा गर्दै आएकी क्रिस्टिन् जीको कार्यकाल समाप्ति तथा नेपाली ब्यवसायी दीपक खडकाको ब्यक्तिगत प्रयासका परिणाम स्वरुप स्थापित नया नेपाली वाणिज्यदूतको कार्यालयले नेपाली तथा बिदेशी सेवाग्रहीहरुलाई उचित सेवा प्रदान गर्ने आशा सहभागीहरुले लिएका छन । कार्यालय सार्वजनिक बिदाका दिन बाहेक हप्ताको चारै दिन संञ्चलन हुने कुरा कार्यक्रममा जानकारी गरिएको थियो ।