MALANGAWA: A woman in Sarlahi was assaulted yesterday and force-fed human excreta for practising ‘witchcraft’. According to police, Deuli Kunwar (40) of Hariwan-4, Danuwarbasti, was assaulted by her neighbour Sheetal Dhami yesterday for casting a spell on the ‘spirit’ of his sister-in-law Chandriya, who committed suicide two years ago. “He yanked me out of the house to a public place, sheared my hair on four sides and forced me to eat human excreta,” Deuli said. Following the incident, Deuli’s family has been displaced from the village and is takin...
Published On: 2011-06-04

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal today said he will take the initiative to implement the May 28 five-point deal that made way for the extension of the Constituent Assembly’s term by three months. The prime minister, inaugurating a park at the Dallu Residential Area, urged political parties to focus on implementation of the deal, which “thwarted conspiracies to dissolve the CA and revive the 1990 constitution.” According to the agreement, the prime minister is to resign to facilitate the formation of a national unity government. The PM said he was optimistic t...
Published On: 2011-06-04

MIRSA: Sixty-one years after the first successful ascent of Mt Annapurna I, people of Mirsa, located on the lap of the peak, marked the historic event by organising the Annapurna Day in collaboration with tourism entrepreneurs. Held on Friday and Saturday, the event was aimed at putting Mirsa, a picturesque settlement in Machhapuchre VDC, on the tourist map. According to Som Thapa, western regional chairman of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal, which joined hands with locals, Nepal Tourism Board, Himchuli Development Bank and Pokhara Tourism Council to mark the day, about 60 tourism...
Published On: 2011-06-04

KATHMANDU: Unified CPN-Maoist vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai today warned that regression may raise its ugly head if peace and constitution-making processes are not taken to a logical conclusion on time. Addressing the inaugural session of the third conference of Jagaran Media Centre — a Dalit organisation working for the betterment of the Dalit community — Bhattarai said the regressive forces that were for dissolving the Constituent Assembly were defeated with the signing of the five-point deal. “Still, various forces opposed to political change might have been attempting ...
Published On: 2011-06-04

JANAKPURDHAM: Two UCPN-Maoist functionaries in Dhanusha district have started collecting donations in the name of the party in Janakpur. Maoist district secretary Asarfi Bhinawar and the party’s self-styled Dhanusha in-charge Ramchandra Mandal have started collecting funds in the name of the party. The Dhanusha DDC had removed Bhinawar as its board member after his involvement in a dispute related to political mechanism at the DDC. While the party’s ‘Dhanusha in-charge’ Mandal has another cadre, Roshan Janakpuri, to lay claim on the post. Mithila Madhes State Comm...
Published On: 2011-06-04

BENI: Academic activities have come to a halt in Bal Jagriti Primary School in Pulachour, Myagdi district, following a dispute over the selection of school management committee chairman.The dispute ensued after the teachers moved the District Education Office against the villagers’ decision to select Dirgha Bahadur Baniya as committee chairman. The teachers maintain that Baniya’s selection is against the existing education rules as neither his children nor grand-children are studying at the school. In the complaint, head teacher Bhakta Karki and others said Baniya’s selecti...
Published On: 2011-06-04

OKHALDHUNGA: The ferry operation in the Sunkoshi river came to a halt today, affecting thousands of people of Okhaldhunga, Khotang and Solukhumbu districts. Uttam Pradhan, chief of the Harkapur-Okhaldhunga Road Project, said the services had to be halted as the pulley attached to the barge’s cable broke. He said the services will resume in a few days. The halt in services means that people will have to walk for hours to cross the river. Kesav Kumar Udas, chairman of the Okhaldhunga Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the frequent disruption in ferry services and lack of a bri...
Published On: 2011-06-04

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) on Saturday organised a one-day workshop at the party central office, Sanepa, Lalitpur, to begin a schooling campaign on party policy and principle, and strengthen the party organisation. The workshop was organized to disseminate the NC's vision passed by the 12th general convention up to the village level, said the party vice president and chief of party training foundation department Ram Chandra Poudel. Party central leaders, NC lawmakers, representatives of the party's sister organizations, lawyers, professors, teachers, doctors and others were prese...
Published On: 2011-06-04

KATHMANDU: Australian Embassy in Nepal, in partnership with the National Media Development Centre, has organised a two-day workshop for media personnel working in eastern districts. Australian Ambassador Susan Grace inaugurated the workshop in Dharan of Sunsari district on Saturday. According to the Embassy, altogether 20 journalists from Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa and Ilam are participating. Speaking at the workshop, Grace stressed on the importance of independent press in democracy. “A strong and free press is a vital element of a democratic society. Australi...
Published On: 2011-06-04

PARSA: A primary school situated at Jhauguthi in Parsa district has remained closed for the past two years because of a dispute over the nomination of school headmaster. Shree Nepal national Primary School has been caught up in the war between Hari Narayan Sah and Kaniyaha Sah, both of whom claim they are the headmaster of the school. When the then headmaster retired two years ago, Kaniyaha was declared himself as the acting headmaster. The appointment row started flaring after Hari Narayan was sent there as the acting headmaster. The school building constructed with UNICEF support of Rs 4 ...
Published On: 2011-06-04