MUSLIM GIRL WITH FIRST DEGREE BURNS DEAD Kathmandu, 12 Dec.:Siba Hasmi, 16, who suffered first degree burns after a suitor set her alight in Bardia died Wednesday at Kathmandu’s Bir Hospital while undergoing treatment at government expense. Family said she will be taken back her district for final rites. First reports saud Indian national Babu Khanset her alit in a fit of anger for being spurned. But Damodar Bhandari from Nepalgunj reports in Annapurna Post reported she may been set alight by her familay. Hasmi was airlifted to capital for treatment three days ago. nnnn UPDATE PRACHANDA CONSULTS PRESIDENT Kathmandu, 12 Dec.: Maoist Chairman Prachanda Wednesday morning consulted President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and sought another extension of a presidential deadline to find a successor of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and a consensus government. The Maoist chief briefed the president on efforts to meet a deadline that ends Wednesday. Prachanda told the president efforts will be made Wednesday to break a deadlock. MORE SUDDEN COLD EXPERIENCED Kathmandu, 12 Dec.: The Himalayan and hilly regions Wednesday experienced heavy snowfall. Smog has hit the terai. Temperatures have dropped in most parts of the country with the sudden cold. Nnnn RECRUITED MAOIST FIGHTERS LEAVING ARMY Kathmandu, 12 Dec.:A number of ex-Maoist combatants newly recruited by the Nepal Army (NA) have expressed their interest to switch to voluntary retirement. Around 30 former rebel soldiers have asked the Special Committee Secretariat and the Nepal Army to revise their choice. The Nepal Army started training for 1,442 former fighters, including 70 officer recruits, from November 25. The recruits cited indecision over ranks, family matters and their health for preferring retirement. Special Committee Secretariat Coordinator Balananda Sharma said that some fighters had telephoned his office expressing their dissatisfaction at the integration process. “The Special Committee had decided earlier that combatants would be allowed to change their option only ahead of training. The committee needs to take a new decision if they are to be granted the opportunity to switch,” said Sharma. Of the 1,460 combatants selected by the Nepal Army , 18 opted for retirement before the training commenced. The Nepal Army , meanwhile, has formed a probe committee to look into the matter. “The committee will investigate the reason behind their desire to leave training,” said Army spokesperson Suresh Sharma. Like the Army’s regular recruits, the ex-combatants too were barred from returning or contacting home for the first three months of training. More than 50 ex-combatants opting for voluntary retirement have yet to collect the second installment of their cash package. The Special Committee Secretariat had asked the retired fighters to collect the package by December 10. Coordinator Sharma said that his office was preparing to wrap up and suggested that Prime Minister and Special Committee Secretariat coordinator Baburam Bhattarai refer any additional tasks to the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction. The term of the Special Committee and its secretariat expires on December 15. Prime Minister Bhattarai and Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun are not in favour of extending the term further, claimed a source. However, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is in favour continuing with the Special Committee to avoid any future controversies. The Nepal Army leadership also expressed the need to continue with the Special Committee as a mechanism to deal with any conflict that may arise during the training period. Such concerns have been conveyed to the PM by the military leadership, according to a Special Committee member. Govt, unverified fighters cut deal The agitating unverified former Maoist combatants withdrew their protest programme declared last week following a 10-point agreement with the government on Tuesday. The deal signed by Peace Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and representatives of the Discharged Peoples’ Liberation Army commits to reaching a decision on providing cash package after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the case. On November 6, the apex court stayed the government’s move to provide Rs 200,000 to each of the unverified combatants. The agreement pledges initiatives for cash package such as the one provided to over 16,500 retired combatants or unverified combatants. It also vows to issue identity cards to the discharged fighters, payment for medical costs of those with disabilities and injuries, and release of the arrested cadres. nnnn INDIA SAYS DOWNLINK REGULATION VIOLATED Kathmandu, 12 Dec.:In an attempt to clear the air, India has said that it does not harbour any intention of blocking foreign television channels, including Kantipur TV and Nepal TV, but has argued that the down-linking of these channels is “against the law of the Land, Mahesh Acharya wrtes in The Kathmandu Postfrom New Delhi.”. At a press briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, official spokesperson of the India n Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Syed Akbaruddin said that the broadcast of those TV channels is “illegal” as “they have not sought permission from the India n government for down-linking”. This official clarification comes amid media reports of the India n government preparing to block 24 foreign television channels, including the two Nepali channels, for “illegal down-linking and anti- India n content”. “Under our laws, permission is required for down-linking TV channels to India and any foreign channel which has not sought such permission is technically and theoretically in violation of our norms and regulations,” Akbaruddin said. According to the data provided by the MEA, more than 90 TV channels of foreign origin are legally down-linked in India as of now. In response to the reports of the Nepali channels broadcasting anti- India n content, Akbaruddin said that it would be incorrect to draw that conclusion as India n intelligence agencies believe that only some of those 24 TV channels carry anti- India n sentiments. “Some of these TV channels are, in the view of some of our agencies, considered to carry anti-national information. They have not listed any names,” he said. “I don’t think it is correct to infer from that information that it was directed towards one or the other of those 24 listed channels.” Akbaruddin claimed that India was not targeting any specific channel or indicating that they are anti- India n. “The issue is not whether they are anti-national or not. The issue is that they do not conform to India n regulations,” he clarified. However, it is not clear what action the India n government will take against the down-linking. According to reports in the India n media, the government is mulling over strong action against cable operators for down-linking foreign channels that have not been granted permission to be aired in India . nnnn