Nepal on Yahoo! News Photos

Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as 'Prachanda' ...

(AFP/File) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:33:41 GMT

(AFP/File) - Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as 'Prachanda' greets his supporters on his arrival at a mass meeting during an anti-government protest rally in Kathmandu on November 13. Nepal's opposition Maoist party on Saturday announced a fresh, month-long round of anti-government protests, accusing the new administration of failing to address its demands.(AFP/File/Prakash Mathema)

FILE - In this May 8, 2007 file photo, Dr. Jay Chapman holds ...

(AP) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:13:38 GMT

(AP) - FILE - In this May 8, 2007 file photo, Dr. Jay Chapman holds a human skull from Nepal that has been hand decorated with silver at his home in Napa, Calif. The man considered the father of lethal injection in the United States says he never gave much thought to how many fatal drugs should be used in the process, only that it worked efficiently. Dr. Chapman, now semiretired in California, said Ohio's decision to adopt a one-drug protocol, the first such system in the country, fits that goal. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

A Newar girl ponders as she holds a fruit of a wood-apple tree ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:58:46 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl ponders as she holds a fruit of a wood-apple tree after she was pronounced married to the fruit during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A Newar girl gets ready for her first marriage ceremony as part ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:56:33 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl gets ready for her first marriage ceremony as part of Ihi rituals in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A father prepares to give away his daughters, who are virgins, ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:55:22 GMT

(Reuters) - A father prepares to give away his daughters, who are virgins, during their first marriage ceremonies as part of Ihi rituals in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A father whispers to his daughter during her first marriage ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:51:04 GMT

(Reuters) - A father whispers to his daughter during her first marriage ceremony as part of Ihi rituals in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A Newar girl gets the final touches from her mother before the ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:48:50 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl gets the final touches from her mother before the Ihi rituals of her first marriage ceremony in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A Newar girl takes part in Ihi rituals during her first marriage ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:47:42 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl takes part in Ihi rituals during her first marriage ceremony in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A Newar girl looks at a fruit of a wood-apple tree after she ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:46:36 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl looks at a fruit of a wood-apple tree after she was pronounced married to the fruit during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Newar girls start to arrive for their first marriage ceremony ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:44:31 GMT

(Reuters) - Newar girls start to arrive for their first marriage ceremony as part of Ihi rituals in Kathmandu November 21, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Nepal's former king Gyanendra Shah, pictured in 2008, has ...

(AFP/File) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:07:56 GMT

(AFP/File) - Nepal's former king Gyanendra Shah, pictured in 2008, has been given his first passport aged 63, a year-and-a-half after stepping down from the throne, the government said Friday.(AFP/File/Prakash Mathema)

Nepalese women walk past police prior to a Unified Communist ...

(AFP/File) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:06:22 GMT

(AFP/File) - Nepalese women walk past police prior to a Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) sit-in protest in front of the district administration office in Kathmandu in June 2009. International envoys to Nepal said Friday they are "increasingly concerned" by the slow progress in the country's peace process, three years after the end of a bloody, decade-long civil war.(AFP/File/Prakash Mathema)

Supporters of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a Nepalese teenager revered ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:13:51 GMT

(AP) - Supporters of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a Nepalese teenager revered by many as a reincarnation of Buddha, offer prayers as they protest against the slaughter of animals during the Gadhimai festival in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. A Hindu festival in which hundreds of thousands of animals are expected to be sacrificed will go ahead as scheduled in southern Nepal despite protests, organizers said Friday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Supporters of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a Nepalese teenager revered ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:10:58 GMT

A Nepalese girl participates in the Ehee festival in Katmandu, ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:49:07 GMT

(AP) - A Nepalese girl participates in the Ehee festival in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Ehee is a ceremony in which pre-adolescent girls are married to the bel fruit tree, symbolizing a Hindu God, considered as the first marriage of girls of the Newar ethnic community. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Representatives of various religious faith light butter lamps ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:05:35 GMT

(Reuters) - Representatives of various religious faith light butter lamps during a peaceful protest in Kathmandu against the forthcoming ritual of mass sacrificing of animals at Gadimai Temple November 20, 2009. Nepal Tamang National Organization is organizing the protest by lighting lamps by various religious groups pleading to stop the killings of animals. The mass sacrifice of animals (mostly buffalos, goats and chickens) will take place coming week in the Hindu temple in south Nepal at Bara district about 300 km (186 miles) from Kathmandu. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL SOCIETY RELIGION)

A Newar girl takes part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:16:58 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl takes part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 20, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A Newar girl shows her palms decorated with henna to the camera ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:15:52 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl shows her palms decorated with henna to the camera during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 20, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A stray dog looks on near a group of street children sleeping ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:44 GMT

(AP) - A stray dog looks on near a group of street children sleeping on a pavement in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Children eat a meal at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:33 GMT

(AP) - Children eat a meal at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Children perform exercises at a shelter for street children ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:56:59 GMT

(AP) - Children perform exercises at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A volunteer dresses the wound of a street child, as others await ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:56:30 GMT

(AP) - A volunteer dresses the wound of a street child, as others await their turn at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Children eat a meal at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:56:11 GMT

Street children sleep on a pavement in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:55:06 GMT

(AP) - Street children sleep on a pavement in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Children meditate at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:54:41 GMT

(AP) - Children meditate at a shelter for street children in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A street child warms himself near a bonfire made out of garbage, ...

(AP) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:40:12 GMT

(AP) - A street child warms himself near a bonfire made out of garbage, in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Newar girls take part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:23:29 GMT

(Reuters) - Newar girls take part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 20, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL SOCIETY)

Newar girls take part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:21:24 GMT

President Ram Baran Yadav poses for photos with children on ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:20:16 GMT

(Reuters) - President Ram Baran Yadav poses for photos with children on Universal Children's Day in Kathmandu November 20, 2009. REUTERS/ Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL POLITICS)

A Newar girl takes part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:16:56 GMT

A Newar girl takes part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:14:52 GMT

Newar girls take part in a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:13:44 GMT

A Newar girl performs a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:08:18 GMT

(Reuters) - A Newar girl performs a ritual during an Ihi ceremony in Kathmandu November 20, 2009. Girls aged odd years before puberty are married to Bel, the fruit of an wood-apple tree in the ceremony. Ihi is a two-day ceremony which begins with purification rituals and ends with "Kanyadan" (giving away the virgin) of the girl by her father. In this way, a Newar girl is married thrice in her life first with a wood apple tree fruit. A second time with the sun and finally with a human later in life. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar (NEPAL SOCIETY)

Bystanders watch as soldiers prepare to sacrifice a buffalo ...

(AFP/File) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:57:17 GMT

(AFP/File) - Bystanders watch as soldiers prepare to sacrifice a buffalo during a Hindu festival in Kathmandu. The legendary French movie star turned animal rights campaigner Brigitte Bardot has written to Nepal's president urging him to stop a mass animal sacrifice from going ahead next week.(AFP/File/Prakash Mathema)

A street child displays acrobatic skills with the help of an ...

(AP) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:48:20 GMT

(AP) - A street child displays acrobatic skills with the help of an iron ring during a street show in Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, fewer youngsters are dying and more are going to school, but an estimated 1 billion still lack services essential to their survival and development, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A street child sleeps next to a stray dog, as another looks ...

(AP) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:23:07 GMT

(AP) - A street child sleeps next to a stray dog, as another looks for fleas in his clothes, in Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, fewer youngsters are dying and more are going to school, but an estimated 1 billion still lack services essential to their survival and development, UNICEF said Thursday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A street child rests his head on a stray dog in Katmandu, Nepal, ...

(AP) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:43:17 GMT

(AP) - A street child rests his head on a stray dog in Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, a day before Universal Children's Day. Nearly 200 million children in poor countries have stunted growth because of insufficient nutrition, according to a UNICEF report. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Street children display acrobatic skills with the help of an ...

(AP) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:40:45 GMT

(AP) - Street children display acrobatic skills with the help of an iron ring during a street show in Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, a day before Universal Children's Day. Nearly 200 million children in poor countries have stunted growth because of insufficient nutrition, according to a UNICEF report. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A boy shouts to attract bus passengers in Kathmandu November ...

(Reuters) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:29:11 GMT

(Reuters) - A boy shouts to attract bus passengers in Kathmandu November 19, 2009. Women's World Summit Foundation, a non-profit organisation to help women and children, has marked November 19 as a World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY)

A street child (R) sniffs glue while activists rally for prevention ...

(Reuters) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:25:51 GMT

(Reuters) - A street child (R) sniffs glue while activists rally for prevention of child abuse in Kathmandu November 19, 2009. Women's World Summit Foundation, a non-profit organisation to help women and children, has marked November 19 as a World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY CONFLICT IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A street child (R) walks past with a bag of garbage while activists ...

(Reuters) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:24:48 GMT

(Reuters) - A street child (R) walks past with a bag of garbage while activists rally for prevention of child abuse in Kathmandu November 19, 2009. Women's World Summit Foundation, a non-profit organisation to help women and children, has marked November 19 as a World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. REUTERS/Shruti Shrestha (NEPAL SOCIETY CONFLICT)

Amateur astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteor ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:17:36 GMT

(AP) - Amateur astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteor shower at a hilltop near the village of Nagrakot, 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Katmandu, Nepal, early Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009. Forecasters define a meteor storm as 1,000 or more meteors per hour expected to streak across the sky during the shower's peak. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Amateur astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteor ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:17:06 GMT

Amateur astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteor ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:16:08 GMT

Prayer flags blow in the wind as Nepalese and tourists gather ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:38:33 GMT

(AP) - Prayer flags blow in the wind as Nepalese and tourists gather at dawn on a hilltop to observe the sunrise over the Himalayan range of mountains near Nagrakot, 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

The Himalayan range of mountains are seen at dawn from Nagrakot, ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:34:27 GMT

(AP) - The Himalayan range of mountains are seen at dawn from Nagrakot, 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Nepalese commuters lineup for fuel at a petrol station in Katmandu, ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:08:48 GMT

(AP) - Nepalese commuters lineup for fuel at a petrol station in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. A strike in southern Nepal by a breakaway faction of Maoists has cut off fuel supplies to the capital much of which comes from India. (AP Photo/Binod Joshi)

Supporters of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a Nepalese teenager revered ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:45:30 GMT

(AP) - Supporters of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a Nepalese teenager revered by many as a reincarnation of Buddha, carry his photograph as they protest against an upcoming Hindu festival in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. Bamjan has asked organizers to stop the upcoming Gadhimai festival scheduled to begin Nov. 24 where thousands of animals are expected to be slaughtered. (AP Photo/Binod Joshi)

Supporters of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a Nepalese teenager revered ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:43:48 GMT

Armature astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteors ...

(AP) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:18:32 GMT

(AP) - Armature astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteors shower at a hilltop near the village of Nagrakot, 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Katmandu, Nepal, early Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009. Forecasters define a meteor storm as 1,000 or more meteors per hour expected to streak across the sky during the shower's peak. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)