COLD WAVE KILLS TWO IN RAUTAHAT

GOVT. LIMBUWAN TALKS FRIDAY

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Government and seven-member talks team of Limbuwan Federal State Council are holding talks Friday on council demand for representation in state reorganization commission.
An indefinite strike of the council closing down nine districts in the
East was withdrawn of the fourth day this week after a formal written requet for negotiations.
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COLD WAVE KILLS TWO IN RAUTAHAT

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: A cold wave has killed two persons in Rautahat overnight
Shyam Thakur, 45. of Laxmipur and Upendra Jha of Dharmapur-3 froze to death.
Severe cold has hit the Himalayan, hill and terai districts for the last seven days.
Low visibility has prevented the landing and takeoff of flights from airpots in the terai.
Mininun temperature in the capital hovers round 2 degrees Celsius
Water in taps have also become cold.
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PM UNDERGOES MEDICAL CHECK-UP AT GOVT. HOSPITAL khp

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.:Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai underwent a medical check-up at the Chinese-built Civil Service Hospital at Naya Baneshwor Thursday.
The premier Wednesday cut short his visit of home district and was airlifted to the capital after vomiting and complaining ofiziness.
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25-HOUR LONGEST NON-STOP MOTORCYCL RIDE RECORDED

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Nepal Police Constable Shamsher Lamsal set a new world record 21 November for the longest non-stop two-wheeler ride without setting his foot on the ground. Syakar Trading Company, authorized agent of Honda Motorcycle said.

Lamsal rode a Honda CB Twister for 25 hours, covering a distance of 957 km from Ratnapark 20 November an ended his ride 25 hours later at Bhajuratna Engineering and Sales, Narayanghat on November 21.

"The necessities such as fuel, food and water were coordinated without disrupting his attempt," a statement said.
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MEDIA GOOGLE


"I cannot comment on the matter right now. But, in his capacity of chairman [Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai) of the Constitutional Council, it would be better if
the prime minister settles the dispute [Communication Minister Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta’s] membership of the constitutional council from his own level at the earliest."

(Chief Justice Khem Raj Regmi 16 Dec.)
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UNITED DEVELOPMENT BANK BEING LIQUIDATED

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Preparations are afoot to liquidate United Development Bank after declaration for the second time by Nepal Rashtra Bank the development was troubled in six months , Nagarik reports.
The bank is the third to go for liquidation after Nepal Bikash
Bank and Samjhana Finance Ltd.
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CA ASKING SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW JUDGMENT SAYING THE SIX-MONTH EXTENTION WILL BE LAST
Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: The Constituent Assembly (CA) is preparing to request the Supreme Court to review its recent order that has barred the assembly from extending its tenure beyond May 28, Phanindra Dahal writes in The Kathmandu Post..
Informed sources said the Parliament Secretariat is preparing to file a review application in the apex court through the Office of the Attorney General. It is learnt that top leaders of the three major parties and CA Chairman Subas Nembang have agreed to make the request.
“Officials of the Parliament Secretariat are studying the Supreme Court’s verdict. We are preparing to draw the attention of the Supreme Court to the fact that the amendment of the constitution is the right of the parliament,” a highly-placed source at the CA said.
Ahead of the expiry of the CA’s tenure in November, the SC had issued bold directives giving the government and the CA ‘a last chance’ to extend the term by a maximum of six months. A full bench led by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi had stated that the CA would automatically dissolve if it failed to unveil a constitution within the extended time frame.
The verdict created a turf war between the legislature and the judiciary over each other’s jurisdiction. While the Maoists and UML leaders came down heavily on the apex court for breaching its jurisdiction and attempting to disrupt the principle of separation of powers in the trinity of judiciary, legislature and the executive, Nepali Congress had said it honours the court decision.
“There have been pressure from various quarters that we should not remain silent over the judiciary’s uncalled-for intrusion into what is purely the legislature’s affairs,” said a source at the CA. “We are making preparations to put our point before the apex court.”
The apex court had suggested that a referendum or a fresh mandate or any other constitutional method were alternatives to the CA if it failed to deliver the constitution within the extended deadline.
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OHCHR-N CROSSED LIMITS

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Senior government officials on Thursday said the OHCHR-Nepal, whose term and mandate expired on December 8, has “crossed its limits” by organising a public function on Wednesday, The Kathmandu Post reports..
The UN body on Wednesday released a report on caste-based discrimination and untouchability titled ‘Opening the Door to Equality: Access to Justice for Dalits in Nepal’ amid a public function.
The programme was part of the UN rights body’s 100-day campaign against caste discrimination launched in partnership with the National Dalit Commission on September 16.
“It is not acceptable,” a senior government official said. “The expiry of the term and the mandate means a non-functional nature of the UN body.”
The OHCHR-N report charged the police, the courts, district attorneys and local bodies with undermining the graveness of crimes related to caste discrimination by treating the registered cases lightly.
“Who gave them [OHCHR-N] the right to advocate (for the dalits’ rights) after the completion of their term?” the official said.
The officials also said they will seek an explanation as to why the chief of OHCHR-N Jyoti Sanghera attended the public function without prior approval from the government, given the expired mandate of her office.
OHCHR officials, howerver, argue that the government has already agreed in writing to let the UN body remain active for an additional six months from the date of termination of the contract.
Senior officials at the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are scheduled to meet OHCHR-N officials on Monday. The officials are likely to tell the UN rights body to wrap up its mission within 2-3 months.
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