Here are the headlines of the day:
In Copenhagen, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal that the term of the United Nations Mission to Nepal will only be extended by one more term.
International human rights defenders are asking donors to exert pressure on the government to prosecute Major Niranjan Basnet. Meanwhile, Ministry of Defence isn’t too pleased with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping for expelling Basnet without consulting them and is going to lodge a formal complaint seeking an explanation.
Apparently, the Defence Minister also wants to promote Toran Jung Bahadur Singh, while the Chief of Army Staff Chhatraman Gurung and most of the cabinet members are out of the country.
Maoists have declared two more federal states: Bheri-Karnali and Bhote-Lama. They have also intensified their land grabbing campaign throughout the country. Nepali Congress and UML leaders have called both acts a violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Now, news from the rest of the country:
The police refused to assist a woman, Jugmani Devi Chaudhary of Kailali, accused of being a witch saying: “This is a social matter. You should fix it within the society.” Republica reports:
“Jugmani was stripped naked in front of the entire village for allegedly practising witchcraft. It all started with the death of one Darbari Chaudhary on November 14.
“Darbari's son Balaram and his wife came to my house after completion of the two-week mourning rituals and accused me of practicing witchcraft. They reasoned that I missed the mourning feast because I had killed Darbari,” an emotional Jugmani said.
When Mayaram [her husband] returned home [from India], he went to the Area Police Office, Pahalwanpur to lodge a complaint. But the police team, which visited after a couple of days asked to solve the case locally.
A Dalit man has been forced to flee his village in Bhaktapur after receiving death threats for marrying a non-Dalit girl. Kanitpur reports:
Sagar Pariyar and Sangita Thapa Chhetri got married last August after a 4-year-long relationship. Pariyar said he had received death threats from Chhetri’s relatives. “They have said they will kill me on the spot if they see me,” Pariyar said.
On Monday, four children accused of theft were tied to an electric pole for several hours in Chandranigahapur, Rautahat.They were accused of stealing Rs 20,000 and some goods from a shop in Rautahat.
That's all the heart-breaking news we read in the national newspapers today.
(Posted by Indu Nepal)