Children Star Group

2011-10-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

Child labour situation

Child labour remains a major economic and social phenomenon in Nepal. According to the National Child Labour Survey undertaken in 1997 ( 1 ), 1.660 million children (26.6 per cent) out of the total 6.225 million children aged between 5 and 14 years in the country are economically active ( 2 ).

Among the 1.660 million economically active children, boys (54 per cent) outnumber girls (46 per cent) ( 3 );
Many of these children do not go to schools (14.54 per cent of the boys and 25.96 per cent of the girls) ( 4 );
The large part (94.7 per cent, 1.576 million) of the economically active children are engaged in the agriculture sector, mostly as unpaid family workers and partly as forced labour attached to their parents under debt bondage or similar other exploitative labour. Besides agriculture, working children are mainly involved in the services sector (27,000) and communications and transportation sector (26,000) ( 5 );
Based on several studies conducted under the IPEC Time-Bound Programme (TBP) ( 6 ), it is estimated that there are 127,143 children working in the worst forms of child labour — as bonded labourers, ragpickers, porters, domestic workers, in mines, in the carpet sector, and being trafficked. According to the same studies, the children involved in these forms of child labour start working between the ages of 10 and 14. In addition, more than one-third of them are illiterate, and a majority are school dropouts, who have been brought to their present workplace by their parents or relatives. It also appears that they all come from landless and relatively large families. Finally, more than 80 per cent of children trapped in the worst forms of child labour have migrated for work. With the exception of children bonded into agricultural labour and children working as long distance porters in the rural areas of Nepal, the vast majority of children work in urban areas.

Factors that generate child labour in Nepal can be summarized as follows:

On the demand side, while the society at large is aware of the ill effects of child labour, both to the individual child as well as to the nation, the existing societal attitude remains largely indifferent to it. Legal provisions on safeguarding child rights and preventing child labour are inadequate in enforcement and children continue to be hired as child labourers. In rural areas, children work mostly in the agricultural sector, while in urban areas, they can be found in almost all kinds of work requiring manual labour;
The supply side of this is characterised by illiteracy of the parents, lack of access to as well as low perceived value of education, disharmony and diminishing family support, subsistence livelihoods that push families, particularly in rural areas, to send their children to work;
The civil war is another factor contributing to child labour in Nepal. In rural areas, many families prefer to send their children to urban areas for fear of them being caught in the cross-fire, or becoming a victim of the security forces or Maoists. As a result, these children enter the child labour market and very often end up in the worst forms of child labour.

credit; international labour organization

2011-10-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

problem of children and women in nepal

Of course the constitution must deal with the problems of Nepal. So what are the issues for Nepali children? Some of them are:

Lack of any schooling or lack of good schooling
Lack of treatment for childhood diseases
Children whose mothers die giving birth to them or to younger children
Street children
Children abducted or otherwise affected by conflict
Child soldiers
Child labour
Children who are suspected of having committed criminal of fences and are
- Tried in courts designed for adults
- Kept in facilities with adult criminals
Children whose mothers have been imprisoned and are themselves in prison because there is nowhere else for them to go
Children who have no nationality
Children who are forced into prostitution (by poverty or by exploitative adults)
Children who are used to beg
Children who are beaten - at home or in school

Children who are married at a very young age

Find material on many of these topics in websites - click http://childrenstargroups.blogspot.com/ for more information................

2011-08-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

children star group treasure folder from 2007. this folder is used to keep the record of monthly payments make by Children Star Group Member.

Children Star Group Code Conduct Handbook

2011-08-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

children star group Code And Conduct Handbook Front Cover !!! those Codes which were Written in 2008 Where Still On the handbook.
( Credit : Mohan Siwakoti )

First Children Star Group Video with Introduction

2011-06-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Message from the Group coordinator

2011-06-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Welcome to Children Star Group,

Home of the Bhutanese refugee children. My name is Lila ram Siwakoti and I am the coordinator of Children Star Group. I am from the Bhutanese refugee camp Beldangi 2 and recently resettled in the United States of America. I am studying in the 11^th grade. As a group coordinator I would like to share you some of the facts about children star group.

Children Star Group is a children based common group established by Bhutanese refugee children in eastern Nepal. Children Star Group was created as a place for Bhutanese refugees to come together and help the children up to age 18 in our communities. We are made of up of youth 15-19 years old refugees primarily already resettled in different places around the world. The group focuses on the promotion of children who are made targets of civil wars, social unrest and domestic violence.

In June 2008, Children Star Group members and executive members passed a group code of conduct. Codes are divided in to four main sections. Each section described group member responsibilities and group procedure. These codes help group members to stay up to date with group, future activities and diplomacy.

In addition, Children Star Group has also raised children’s voices through social network sites such as “face book”. Furthermore, there is Face book page designed to spread children’s news. Throughout the Face book page children star Group have weekly updates which consist of a quotation, short stories and tech news.

At last, I would like to welcome people of all ages to join our cause against children corruption. United we can. Let’s uphold our mission together, and help spread the voice of voiceless.

Thank you

Lila ram Siwakoti

2011-05-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

(CBS) Six million. That's how many people will die this year as a result of exposure to tobacco smoke - and the number of tobacco-related deaths could soar to eight million by 2030. The World Health Organization made that projection on Monday - one day ahead of today's World No Tobacco Day, which is marked each year on May 31.

PICTURES: 55 gruesome tobacco warning labels

To save lives, the organization is pressing countries around the world to ramp up their antismoking efforts. It's asked them to sign on to its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which requires implementing tobacco taxes, banning tobacco advertising and sales to minors, and taking steps to protect citizens against second-hand smoke.

The FCTC also calls for placing large health warning labels on cigarette packages - and in this respect the U.S. and many other nations seem to be doing their part. Next month the FDA will finalize its new warning labels for cigarette package and ads, months after putting forth a set of 36 proposed labels - which shocked some for their blunt messages and graphic depictions of tobacco-related health dangers.

The World Lung Foundation says that, on average, smokers see images on tobacco packs 15 times a day, adding up to almost 5,500 times a year, Reuters reported. That makes pictures "a highly effective channel to inform smokers about the dangers of tobacco," the foundation said.

It seems young people, in particular, may need to be informed.

"Every day, nearly 3,500 kids under the age of 18 try a cigarette for the first time, and 850 of them become daily smokers," Dr. Howard K. Koh, assistant secretary of health for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, said in a written statement. "The suffering behind these statistics is unbearable and unacceptable."

Smoking causes lung cancer and emphysema and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the world's #1 killer. Every day, more than 440,000 Americans die preventable deaths from tobacco-related diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the health effects of cigarette smoking.

News Source : CBS News

Earthquake 101

2011-04-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

an earthquake is a sudden clash between the rocks beneath the earth’s surface. It is caused by faulting which is a facture underneath the earth. Earthquakes that are extremely dangerous and regressive occur mostly in the Rocky Mountains and hills. Furthermore, the hills and Rocky Mountains are formed by tectonic plates, and these tectonic plates push each other and crash down. In addition, it is believed that earthquakes occur every 11 seconds. The instrument that measures earthquakes is called the seismograph. It was invented by a man named Chang Heng in 136 AD from China.

Historically, there have been many earthquakes around the world that have caused many tragedies. For example, the earthquake of 1993 in India resulted in nearly 20,000 deaths and more than 30,000 people were injured.

What causes an earthquake?

As I have mentioned in above paragraph, earthquakes are caused by faulting. However, there are other important factors that contribute to the cause. For example, the underground explosions of nuclear power plants and volcanic eruptions are the causes some of the minor cases of earthquakes.

World’s Most Vulnerable Countries

There is many countries in the world which are vulnerable to earthquakes. Most of these countries are poor and abortive. According to the GeoHazards International, a nonprofit research group, Nepal is one of most vulnerable countries followed by Turkey. Moreover, it is estimated that 6.0 Magnitude earthquakes will kill more than 69,000 people in Kathmandu.

How does one survive an earthquake?

There are many resources on how to save a life during an earthquake. It is important to find a safe place to go when earthquake erupts. Educate yourself and your family about local emergency numbers, keep first aid materials in your home, and make an emergency plan of action. In conclusion, one negative impact that an earthquake can have are fatalities. It is vital to one’s safety to remain knowledgeable about emergency disasters like earthquakes to keep your family from harm.

Credit : ( This report is based on research )

Connecting Nepal.

2011-04-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

BANKE, APR 21 -

A five-year-child was abducted in Banke district last evening.Shunka Adhakari, a UKG student of Kohalpur Bagyashowri Academy, was abducted while he was playing near his home, said family members.An unidentified person made a phone call to Adhikari’s family last night using an Indian sim card and owned up the abduction.

Narayan Adhakari, father of the abducted child and proprietor of Kohalpur-based Adhakari Agrovet, said an unknown man a month ago had telephoned him and demanded money. He suspected that the abductor might be the same person.

The District Police Office, Banke, has beefed up security in the district after news about the child’s abduction spread like a wildfire.The abduction comes at a time when criminal activities are on the rise in Banke district lately.

New Source: Ekantipur Nepal.

2011-04-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

A moving car caught fire at Srijana Chowk in Pokhara,Nepal on Sunday morning.

It is learnt that a Toyota car (Ga 1 Ya 220) of a hotel in Lakeside Pokhara caught fire while it was in motion.

What triggered the mishap is yet to be ascertained, police said.

The car has been completely gutted although the fire brigade was called immediately.

Further investigation is underway.

News Source : Ekantipur,Nepal

2011-04-14T03:41:00.000-07:00

U.S secretary of the state Hillary Rodham Clinton wishes happy New Year 2068 to all Nepalese people on Tuesday 13^th 2011. On her statement Clinton describe the “United States hopes that the coming year will see fulfillment of the peace process and a new constitution that will keep Nepal on the path toward progress and prosperity”. In addition, US embassies in Kathmandu have also wishes Nepali people a happy and prosperous new year.

2011-04-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

"U.S military and Japanese force found nearly 70 dead bodies from earth quake and tsunami in Japan ", authorities announced on Sunday. According to Japan's National Police Agency 12,087 where dead, 15,552 are missing and more than 2,876 were injured. The 9.0-magnitude has hit Japan last March 2011 at 14:46 JST in the western Pacific Ocean.

News Source: CNN with Summarizing By Lila Siwakoti.

japan news

2011-03-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

TOKYO —The loss of life and destruction caused by Friday’s catastrophic earthquake in Japan grew Saturday, with the combined number of people who have died or remain unaccounted for expected to exceed 1,800, while an explosion occurred at a nuclear power plant injuring four workers.

But the number of victims could increase as authorities struggle to grasp the extent of the devastation in the face of continuing aftershocks and the large areas affected.

The death toll exceeded 687 as of Saturday midnight, a police tally showed, while a further 200 to 300 unidentified bodies were transferred to Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. About 650 people were noted as missing following the 2:46 p.m. quake with a magnitude of 8.8, the strongest ever recorded in Japan.

On top of that figure, Miyagi prefectural officials said Saturday night that there has been no contact with about 10,000 people in Minamisanriku, more than half of the town’s population.

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said about 3,000 people have been rescued since the quake jolted the area. But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said, ‘‘It is believed that more than 1,000 people have lost their lives.’‘

The number of evacuees reached some 300,000 in five prefectures, including Iwate and Fukushima, the National Police Agency said. The figure included about 80,000 people living near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, where one of the reactors partially melted, and the No. 2 plant, which lost its cooling functions.

The Defense Ministry is mobilizing 50,000 personnel for relief operations. The Ground Self-Defense Force dispatched a special unit to deal with accidents at the nuclear plants and to help the evacuation of nearby residents.

For rescue and other operations to relieve the suffering of quake-hit areas, all available SDF resources, including personnel, vehicles, aircraft and vessels, have been mobilized.

Some 190 aircraft and about 45 vessels have so far been dispatched or are preparing for deployment to quake- and tsunami-stricken areas mostly in the country’s northeastern region, according to the Defense Ministry.

Ground Self-Defense Force, Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Air Self-Defense Force helicopters continued airlifting people stranded in buildings or vessels at sea, including about 200 residents stranded within a 10-kilometer radius from the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

ASDF C-130 transport planes carried more than 100 antidisaster medical personnel to areas where the disaster struck, according to the ministry.

GSDF personnel trained to deal with nuclear, chemical and biological terrorism and their vehicles arrived at a location near the Fukushima No. 1 power plant and are monitoring radioactive substances around the plant.

The SDF is making arrangements with the U.S. military to transport Ground Self-Defense Force troops and vehicles by U.S. vessels in what would be the largest-ever domestic antidisaster operation involving U.S. forces, the ministry said, adding that it could occur on Monday or later.

The SDF is also making arrangements for the MSDF and the U.S. 7th Fleet to conduct joint search and rescue operations off the Pacific coast in northeastern Japan.

SDF liaison officers have been sent to the offices of Hokkaido, Miyagi, Iwate, Akita, Aomori, Fukushima and Yamagata prefectures to coordinate with local officials in providing relief efforts.

Fires in residential areas broke out, with Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture experiencing three large-scale fires including one stretching for up to 1 kilometer.

The number of destroyed buildings reached some 3,400, according to the fire agency. The welfare ministry said 181 welfare facilities, including nursing homes, have been damaged.

In Iwate Prefecture, most areas of the coastal city of Rikuzentakata were submerged and tsunami reached as high as the third floor of the city hall. The coastal area of Miyako and almost all of the town of Yamada, both in Iwate, were also submerged.

A municipal official of the town of Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture said, ‘‘More than 90 percent of the houses in three coastal communities have been washed away by tsunami. Looking from the fourth floor of the town hall, I see no houses standing.’‘

Around 5.57 million households had lost power, while more than 1 million households in 18 prefectures had had their water supply cut off.

Meanwhile, strong quakes, one with a magnitude of 6.7 at 3:59 a.m., rocked an inland area on the Sea of Japan coast northwest of Tokyo in the morning, hitting Nagano and Niigata prefectures.

Several aftershocks from the devastating earthquake occurred Saturday night, rocking wide areas of the Tohoku and Kanto regions.

East Japan Railway Co said it will continue the suspension of bullet train services on the Tohoku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen lines, while resuming train operations in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Nine expressways were closed as of Saturday, while 676 domestic flights were canceled.

The quake has created problems for the manufacturing sector, with Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor Co and Honda Motor Co planning to suspend production at all their domestic plants on Monday due to difficulties in procuring auto parts.

Tokyo police said more than 120,000 people in the capital were unable to return home Friday evening due to the suspension of train operations and because of traffic jams.

‘‘It is the first time in postwar Japan that developed areas such as Sendai Airport have been hit by tsunami,’’ said Norio Maki, associate professor at Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute. ‘‘What is distinctive about this earthquake is that it caused a wide variety of damage in many areas simultaneously—something that modern Japan has never faced.’‘

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, miles away from the directly stricken regions, people experienced wild vertical tremors which gradually grew to terrific, persistent sways. Skyscrapers were making noises as they moved and some of buildings caught fire.

The Meteorological Agency reported the quake caused a 400-meter long, 200-meter wide fault.

The Earthquake Information Center of the University of Tokyo said the energy of the latest quake was 180 times stronger than the 1995 Kobe earthquake which killed nearly 6,500 people and injured 44,000 others.

Keiichi Tadokoro, an associate professor at Nagoya University, said the power of the quake was close to that of the quake which devastated Chile in February last year.

Miyagi and Iwate prefectures have long been known as quake-prone regions but the scale of damage this time has far exceeded the expectations of municipalities, researchers agree.

Kyoto University’s Maki said the disaster could affect Japan as a whole, including its economy and people’s lives. ‘‘Damage has occurred over an unprecedented area. The government has to make all-out efforts and coordination in supporting the people.’’

News Source ( www.japantoday.com)

About Black History Month.

2011-02-26T11:42:00.001-08:00

Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African Diaspora. Black history month was start by Dr Carter G. Woodson to recognize the black people contribution on the American history. Black history month was establishing on 1926 and celebrate on the month of February in United state of America and Canada while United Kingdom celebrate on the month of October.

Black People Contribution

When we talk about black history month, we usually remember Martin Luther King, jr who was the civil right moment leader .He was also known for his Speech “I Have a Dream “. Luther received a Nobel peace prized on 1964 for his outstanding performance on the Civil Right Moment.

Another African leader was Maya Angelou. Angelou was Grammy award winner. In addition, she was famous for being a poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.Angelou was author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”.

Other African leader Include Ralph David Abernathy, rederick Douglass, Ella Fitzgerald, And Jackie Robinson, also play key role on changing the society that we live today.

As we all celebrating Black history month let us not forget those good work and achievement that are made by African People. Let us all not forget “I have a Dream “speech, let us not forget Ella Fitzgerald jazz music And let us all not forget the 44th president of the united state of America.

Lila Siwakoti
Date- 02-19-2011

Meeting Report: ( Jan 1st 2011 )

2011-01-09T12:24:00.001-08:00

Today the date Friday, December 31, 2010 Our Second Online Conference from yahoo. First I want to well come our all executive post holder. And thanks for you all participation. Today we all are discussing on important issue and plan for 2011 event. This Plan Include

Ø How to Manage Our Blog Properly.

Ø How to Increase Member On Our Face Book Page

Ø About Our Meeting Plan For 2011 Session

1) On the first agenda we discus about How to manage our blog properly. For this all member are publishing news article from on now on blog for issue related to children. The weekly quote, book and magazines will publish on Sunday. Every Group Member Are Responsibilities For Blog Management.

2) On Second Agenda we Discus about how to Increase people on Our Face book Page and On Site. For this Every Children star group Post holder will suggest their Friend to Join Our Group. Children star group executive Hope to have 1000 member on next one month in face book page.

3) For last agenda we all discuss about meeting plan for 2011 year. The meeting plan might be change if needed. The meeting for 2011 was scheduled for

Feb 20^th 2011 at 3:00 Pm

March 27 2011 at 2:00 Pm

May 28^th 2011 at 2:00 Pm

June 19^th 2011 4^th Anniversary Plan at 3:00 Pm

Aug 28^th 2011 at 3:00 Pm

Oct 30^th 2011 at 2:00 Pm

December 19^th 2011 at 3:00 Pm

December 31th 2011 at 3:00 Pm

For every meeting there will be notification for executive member on our site and on our face book page. Like this children star group finished its second conference on yahoo.

Child Protection

2010-10-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Child Protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability. According to UNICEF child protection means, preventing and responding exploitation and abuse against children. According to children star group child protection means Protection of child from war, danger etc Child Protection include protect child from danger, war, abuse or any kind of bad activities.

How to Protect Children

In order to protect children we have to first teach them about the personal safety. Personal safety included sidewalk, fire, road crossing etc. Teach them how to used electronic device such as oven, telephone, radio, computer etc.

Yearly lot of children dies because of inappropriate safety. So teach your children about the personal safety, which can help you and your Communities

2010-10-31T14:57:00.001-07:00

Child Abuse

Child Abuse Is the Physical, sexual, or emotional mistreatment of child. . Child Abuse Was gave By Specific Group of People, Adult, or their Community. Today more than thousands of Children are suffering From Child abuse Through the World. Child Who Was Suffering from Child Abuse Try to Stay Lonely and Feel Hopeless. Also, They Feel Like Angry And Depressed.

What Is Physical/sexual and Emotional Mean?

Ø Physical: Physical Child abuse Contain Giving Physical Injuries Such as biting a child, burning hitting etc. This Was Mostly Happening on Remote and Village Area.

Ø Sexual: This includes Using Child as Sex Material; Ask Them to Touch on Un-appropriate Place Of a body. This was mostly Happen on Town and village Area.

Ø Emotional: this Means yelling the child. Make them feel shame. This Was Mostly happens on society or community.

You Can Stop Child Abuse

We can Stop Child abuse. By conducting different Social activity on the community related to children. If you think child in your community is abuse give 24 hrs notification to local agencies or dial your local telephone number. Give an equal respect chance and freedom to all children. Which help them to grow easily on our community Children are the world so have loved and care of them.

Voice Against Domestic Worker

2010-10-08T17:13:00.001-07:00

In Kuwait, it's against the law for a domestic worker to run away from an employer----even if the employer hits her, locks her up, or refuses to pay her wages.

A new Human Rights Watch report shows how domestic workers in Kuwait, even those trapped with abusive employers, face criminal charges and deportation if they leave their jobs without their employer's permission.

Tilkumari Pun, a 23-year-old domestic worker from Nepal, worked for 13 months without getting paid. She repeatedly asked the family employing her for the wages she was owed so she could return to Nepal, where her father needed a heart operation. Ultimately, she went to the police. But the officers detained her because her employers had reported that she ran away.

Kuwait recently announced it would abolish its sponsorship system, which binds migrant workers to their employers. But the government didn't indicate whether this step would cover domestic workers.

Chinese dissident wins Nobel Peace Prize

2010-10-08T03:41:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Liu Xiaobo, a leading Chinese dissident who is serving an 11-year prison term, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday.

Liu was sentenced in 2009 to 11 years in prison for inciting subversion of state power. He is the co-author of Charter 08, a call for political reform and human rights, and was an adviser to the student protesters at Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Liu's wife, Liu Xia, told CNN she could not wait to visit him in prison in northern China and tell him the news. She said Friday she was packing under the surveillance of police officers who have promised to take her to visit her husband the next day.

"I am totally shocked and feel so happy," she said. "I've never dreamed about this. Friends have asked me to prepare for a speech, but I've only prepared one for Xiaobo not winning the prize."

"It's an affirmation of what he has fought for," she said.

His lawyer, Shang Baojun, said the win may mean Liu will have to spend longer in prison.

"I hope that he'd be released earlier because of the prize, but in reality, that will not happen," Shang told CNN.

The human rights group Amnesty International called on the Chinese government to release all "prisoners of conscience" following the win.

"Liu Xiaobo is a worthy winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. We hope it will keep the spotlight on the struggle for fundamental freedoms and concrete protection of human rights that Liu Xiaobo and many other activists in China are dedicated to," said Catherine Baber, the deputy Asia-Pacific director at Amnesty International.

"This award can only make a real difference if it prompts more international pressure on China to release Liu, along with the numerous other prisoners of conscience languishing in Chinese jails for exercising their right to freedom of expression."

It was unclear whether Liu Xiaobo had learned of his prize from prison, but he was the favorite of many around the world to win.

"From my personal angle, I feel in a dictatory society if you want to be a person with dignity, if you want to be a honest person, fight for human-rights improvement, fight for free speech, being ... [in prison] is part of what you are undertaking, and there is nothing to complain," he told CNN in 2007, while he was between a series of house arrests.

"Since you chose to do this, you must have a preparation for being in prison," he said. "Entering the prison you must face these things peacefully, not complain [about] others. I even don't complain [about those ... who arrested me, because this is their inevitable action. I can also not let them arrest me if I chose other way."

Liu's name and the term "Nobel Prize" were censored on the Twitter micro-blogging site, but users still managed to react to the award.

"I am so excited when I heard this news! Finally good people is recognized by the world!" wrote one Twitter user.

"They censored what I've just posted on micro blog! Can you really stop people in this Internet age!" wrote another.

At least two foreign television networks -- CNN and BBC -- were temporarily blacked out as the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the winner.

Residents in the country were once again able to see CNN coverage when the announcement ended and the channel returned to regular programming.

His sentencing prompted a groundswell of support for him from former Peace Prize laureates and perennial contenders.

Vaclav Havel, the hero of Czechoslovakia's 1989 Velvet Revolution (who never won the Nobel Prize), retired South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu (who did, in 1984), and the Dalai Lama (1989) were among a group of intellectuals who publicly urged the Nobel Committee to give the prize to Liu shortly after he was sentenced.

American writer Kwame Anthony Appiah, the head of the American PEN center, a literary and human rights organization, nominated Liu in January, he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported in February that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said it would be "totally wrong" for "such a person" to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and that the comment was later scrubbed from the official transcript of the briefing.

The Irish bookmaker Paddy Power had already paid out on bets for Liu to win the prize, it announced Wednesday, after a surge in betting led it to suspect that information had leaked.

"It is people's affirmation of his 20 years' work," Liu's wife, Liu Xia, told CNN in September in response to his nomination. "It means many people in the world believe that China needs change in its political system and people's freedom of speech," she said in Chinese.

Of his condition in prison, she said, "He is doing OK spiritually and physically. The hospital has been giving him stomach pills. His stomach is not very good. They also said he might have some problem with his liver, hepatitis B maybe. I worried about it. He reads, runs, and writes every day. He runs one hour every day.

"There is nothing else we can do. The judicial procedure is to the end already," she said.

"I know that some friends wish Liu Xiaobo to win this award more urgently than himself," she added. "They believe it is an opportunity for China to change." Source CNN

12 dead in bus crash in Germany

2010-09-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Twelve people were killed and 19 severely injured Sunday in a bus crash near Berlin, Germany, police told CNN.

The collision occurred on the A10 in Brandenburg when the bus tried to avoid a vehicle coming onto the motorway, police spokesman Jens Quitske said. The bus lost control and collided with the column of a bridge.

Among those severely injured was the driver of the other vehicle. In addition, 20 more suffered minor injuries.

The bus was a Polish holiday bus making its way from Spain back to Poland, Quitske said. He could not confirm whether all those on board were Polish, but said all the fatalities were adults.

"I was shocked to hear of the tragic bus accident near Berlin in which so many Polish nationals lost their lives," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said. "This accident doesn't just concern our Polish friends, it also affects us. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and friends of those who died."

German emergency services were doing everything in their power to save the lives of the injured, he said.

2010-09-21T15:26:00.001-07:00

Question ?? Comment ?? or Concern ??

Please Feel Free to write us @

Children Star Group

childrenstargroup@live.com

Children Star Group facebook page :

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/children-star-group/116654788354942)

Lilasiwakoti9@gmail.com ( Executive director )

At least 17 dead in Russian republic after suicide car bombing

2010-09-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded Thursday in the Russian republic of North Ossetia, killing at least 17 people -- including an 18-month-old baby -- and wounding up to 123 others, local health officials said.

The vehicle blew up near a market in the city of Vladikavkaz, the republic's leader, Taimuraz Mamsurov, told the Interfax news agency.

"Information that I possess indicates that the explosion in Vladikavkaz was organized by a suicide bomber, who drove a Volga 3102 car to near the entrance to the market," Mamsurov said.

The injured included 10 people in critical condition and 90 in serious condition, health officials said.

Investigators said the explosive device contained the equivalent of 40 kilograms of TNT.

The bomb was placed inside a vehicle parked at the entrance to the central market in downtown Vladikavkaz, with a suicide bomber sitting inside the car, said the Investigative Committee of the Russian Prosecutor's Office, which qualified the attack as a "terrorist act." The device detonated at 11:20 a.m. (3:20 a.m. ET).

The committee also said the bomb was stuffed with various pieces of metal to increase the human damage. A natural gas canister, stored in the car's trunk, also detonated, the committee said.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is sending special medical planes to Vladikavkaz to airlift heavily injured patients to Moscow's leading trauma clinics.

Friday was declared a day of national mourning in North Ossetia, according to a local government decree. Flags on all regional buildings will fly at half-staff and all entertainment programs on local TV will be cancelled as well as concerts and theater performances.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking on national TV, pledged that all organizers of the deadly bombing will be identified and punished -- or killed.

"We will do all we can to catch these monsters and animals ... who have committed a terror attack, a barbaric terror attack, against ordinary people. We will do all we can to find and punish them in accordance with the laws of our country, and we will destroy them if they offer resistance or in other circumstances," Medvedev said.

Meanwhile, the owner of the car used in the bomb attack has been identified and arrested, a local police official told the Interfax news agency. The detainee claims that he sold it to an unknown buyer on Wednesday, the policeman said.

The Russian government announced each family of those killed will receive 1 million rubles in compensation (more than $32,000).

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also condemned the bombing, saying, "The crimes like the one that was committed in the North Caucasus today are aimed at sowing enmity between our citizens. We have no right to allow this."

North Ossetia and the rest of the Caucasus region have been plagued with violence and political instability.

The market has seen other terrorist attacks in the past.

In November 2008, a suicide bomber blew up a bus at a nearby bus station, killing 12 people and wounding more than 40. An explosion killed more than 50 people and wounded 300 in March 1999. source : CNN

13-year-old becomes mom

2010-09-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

A 13-year-old dalit girl has given birth to a baby girl at the District Hospital, Tamghas on Saturday A 13-year-old dalit girl has given birth to a baby girl at the District Hospital, Tamghas on Saturday.

Nirmala Nepali, a sixth grader at the Panchayan Higher Secondary School, said she had consensual sex with a brahmin boy studying in the ninth grade in the same school with an understanding of inter-caste marriage in the future.She gave birth to a daughter after being admitted at the hospital in the morning. The hospital said both the mother and the daughter are in good health.

The new mother said she was in love with son of Tamlal Pandey -- Ramchandra, 18 -- of Dhurkot Bastu-3 and entered into physical relationship with understanding of getting into wedlock.

Her teacher had first known about her pregnancy and informed her mother. "I knew only after the teachers came to our home and told me," Nirmala´s mother Sumitra said. A test done in Sandhikharka, Arghakhanchi in May had confirmed her pregnancy. "The family of the boy tried to buy us into going for abortion but we refused," Sumitra added.

The boy has been absconding since May but his family had promised to accept Nirmala as daughter-in-law. But Dhurkot Police Post said the whole family has left the village locking their house since Friday.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Parshuram Aryal said the new mother will be helped by collecting financial assistance from various organizations. news source: www.myrepublica.com

Happy 25th Birthday to the Buckyball!

2010-09-04T11:23:00.001-07:00

Carbon is a remarkable little atom. When it’s arranged in sheets, it’s soft as pencil lead. Arrange it in crystals, and it’s hard as diamonds. On September 4, 1985, three scientists trying to figure out the structure of a carbon molecule known as C60 began playing around with toothpicks and jellybeans. One of them began sticking his jellybean atoms together in the shape of alternating pentagons and hexagons. Interestingly, his structure began to curve into a ball.

To the scientists, the sphere created this arrangement of candy and sticks looked an awful lot like the geodesic dome built by visionary architect R. Buckminster Fuller in 1967 for the world’s fair in Montreal. As it turned out, the jellybean model of C60 was correct, and the molecule discovered was named “buckminsterfullerene” after its inspiration.

The exhibit "Molecules That Matter" used dog toys as buckyballs. Image: Kathy Ceceri

This was not some esoteric finding. The advent of the fullerene, which can be round, ellipsoid or tube-shaped, led to the entire nanotech industry. Today fullerenes show up in everything from ultra-light, ultra-strong bicycle frames and tennis rackets to “nanopants” that are soft and breathable yet repeal water and stains. And they make great desk toys, too.

You can still visit Bucky Fuller’s geodesic dome in Montreal, too. Today it houses the Biosphere, a museum about the region’s ecology. There’s an exhibit about Fuller inside.

Thanks to the Tang Museum’s exhibit Molecules That Matter, which introduced my family to Buckyballs. Curator Ray Giguere noted that dog toys made very good models. And thanks to Google, which today has an animated doodle honoring the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the Buckyball.

Kindergartens see more Hispanic, Asian students

2010-08-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

The kindergarten class of 2010-11 is less white, less black, more Asian and much more Hispanic than in 2000, reflecting the nation's rapid racial and ethnic transformation.

The profile of the 4 million children starting kindergarten reveals the startling changes the USA has undergone the past decade and offers a glimpse of its future. In this year's class, for example, about one out of four 5-year-olds will be Hispanic. Most of today's kindergartners will graduate from high school in 2024.

More Hispanic children are likely in the next generation because the number of Hispanic girls entering childbearing years is up more than 30% this decade, says Kenneth Johnson, demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. "It's only the beginning.

A USA TODAY analysis of the most recent government surveys shows:

• About 25% of 5-year-olds are Hispanic, a big jump from 19% in 2000. Hispanics of that age outnumber blacks almost 2 to 1.

• The percentage of white 5-year-olds fell from 59% in 2000 to about 53% today and the share of blacks from 15% to 13%.

"This is not just a big-city phenomenon," Johnson says. "The percentage of minority children is growing faster in the suburbs and in rural areas."

In Lake County, Ind., a Chicago suburb, the under-20 population went from 51.8% white in 2000 to 47.1% in 2008, Johnson's research shows. In rural Nebraska's Colfax and Dakota counties, the share of Hispanic youths is rising while young whites are down from 60% to about 45% in the same period.

• Schools face linguistic challenges. The share of 5-year-olds who speak English at home slipped from 81% in 2000 to about 78%. The share of Spanish speakers grew from 14% to 16%.

"That makes issues of language development and how to teach them even more important than 10 years ago," says W. Steven Barnett, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. "In some districts, 40% of their kids are Latino, and 4% of their teachers are. It's a huge gap."

Educators are grappling with the challenge, and "we really have a long way to go before we understand what the best methods are," says Lisa Guernsey, director of the Early Education Initiative at the non-profit New America Foundation. Today's kindergartners are tomorrow's high schoolers, and "we need to know what their needs are."

• Kindergarten enrollment is up, from 3.8 million in 2000 to about 4 million. source : USA Today