Khagendra Thapa Magar, 18, who stands at 56 centimetres tall, waits with his father Rup Bahadur Thapa Magar, left, to meet the media in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. (AP/Binod Joshi)

Nepalese man, 56 cm tall, seeks title of shortest man

Prince Charles thanks Gurkhas over Harry (Source: telegraph.co.uk)

Charles met about 200 soldiers, their wives and children from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles as they trained on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire ahead of deploying to Afghanistan from next month.

As Colonel in Chief, the Prince spoke to several soldiers who worked alongside Prince Harry when he was in Helmand in early 2008.

Captain Chandra Pun, second in command of A Company, showed Charles a photo of himself and Harry enjoying a Nepalese curry in their sleeping quarters in Afghanistan.

He said: ''He laughed and said thanks for looking after my son.

''In Nepal we don't use knife and forks, we use our fingers. That was the first time I taught Prince Harry how to eat rice with his fingers.

''He asked a couple of questions about the boys. I told him we had done lots of training, most of the boys have lots of experience in Afghanistan, we are very confident and looking forward to it.''

The 41-year-old added: ''We are very proud His Royal Highness came down to visit us and it's a good opportunity for our families as well.''

He said he felt like the ''luckiest man in the world'' to have met Charles three times and served with Harry.

''The Gurkhas are very kind, we make friends very quickly,'' he said.

''That's why Harry adapted with us very well and we are very much looking after each other.''

Charles was presented with a garland of the battalion's colours - red, green and black, which he wore throughout the visit over his combats.

He toured military equipment in a hangar and struggled with the weight of a 45lb backpack which two Gurkhas helped to put on his shoulders.

Gurkha soldiers also danced, clapped and sang to the beat of a drum playing a traditional folk song from Nepal.

Competition is fierce in Nepal to join the British Army with up to 1,000 applicants for each of about 200 places offered every year.

They carry up to 1001bs in communication gear, weapons and body armour and their motto is 'It's better to die than be a coward'.

Charles had a private briefing with Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Strickland to find out about the regiment.

He also surprised one soldier by presenting him with the Parish Trophy, an annual award for the battalion's best rifleman.

He gave the trophy to Rifleman Poshraj Rai, 26, as he stood guard in the sangar, or watchtower, at Avon Compound, who said: ''He said well done and that I was a very good soldier.

''I was very excited and I am very excited about having this award.''

It is Charles's first visit to the battalion since Brunei in October 2008.

Manju Gurung, wife of Gurkha Major Khusiman, and their 12-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter met the Prince.

''He is very supportive,'' she said. ''We need moral support and at this time it's quite challenging in the British Army.''

The Gurkha Rifles, which moved to Kent in August last year, will partner an Afghan Army unit and members of the Afghan Police during their deployment.

Most will be based in the Babaji area between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk.

Actress Joanna Lumley helped campaign for Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years' service to be allowed to settle in the UK.

Source Gurkhas.com

पाइलटहरुले जहाज नउडाउने

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सेवा र सुविधा वृद्धिको माग गर्दै नेपाल वायुसेवा निगमका पाइलटहरुले फागुन ४ देखि जहाज नउडाउने घोषणा गरेका छन । आन्तरिक उडान गर्न निजी क्षेत्रका अन्य वायुसेवा कम्पनीका पाइलटका तुलनामा कम सेवा सुविधा पाइरहेको निगमका पाइलटहरुको गुनासो छ ।

 निगमका पाइलटहरुको संगठन नेपाल एयरलाइन्स पाइलटस एसोसिएसन -नापा) का अध्यक्ष क्याप्टेन वाइ. के. भट्टर्राईका अनुसार निगम व्यवस्थापनलाई पाइलटको माग पूरा गर्न फागुन ३ गतेसम्मको अल्टिमेटम दिइएको छ । माग पूरा नभए फागुन ४ देखि जहाज उडाउन बन्द गर्ने भट्टर्राईले भन्नुभयो । यसअघि व्यवस्थापनले अन्य देशका र निजी क्षेत्रका कम्पनीका दाँजोमा आफना पाइलटको सेवा सुविधाबारे तुलनात्मक अध्ययन गर्न समिति गठन गरे पनि माग पूरा भएको छैन । पाइलटको पदोन्नति नौं तहबाट माथि जान रोकिएको छ ।

Source nepalitv.com