Nepal's+Life

=New Energy Minister Gokarna Bista is stabbed:= Gokarna Bista, who was appointed minister on Monday, was stabbed a few hours later outside his house. Mr Bista received injuries to his head and neck and was taken to hospital. Medics said his condition was critical, but stable. Police said the motive for the attack was not known. More than 50 people have been detained for questioning.

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=Nepal Christians demand designated burial grounds:=

Last month Christians were prevented from burying their dead in the grounds of the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple - which they have done for decades. They say that there are only a few places where they can bury their dead in predominantly Hindu Nepal. The government has pledged to find land near Kathmandu for Christian burials. So far no progress has been made in resolving the issue. Temple authorities have said that there is no space left for new graves. Most bodies in Nepal are cremated in keeping with Hindu tradition. [|For more information go on:]

=Uncertainty in Nepal as UN mission ends:=

The mission is closing after Nepal's warring political parties agreed not to extend its mandate last September. In a last-minute compromise deal, the government and the Maoists have agreed to take over the UN's monitoring duties. But there is still some uncertainty over how the peace will continue. Unmin was established under a peace deal following a 10-year conflict between the Maoists and the army Established in 2007, Unmin monitored the arms and personnel of the Maoist army and the Nepalese Army under a peace deal that brought 10 years of conflict between the Maoists and the state to an end.

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=Nepal arrests officer for civil-war murder of girl:=

They detained Maj Niranjan Basnet as he arrived at Kathmandu airport after being expelled from the African state of Chad by UN peacekeepers there. He had been serving with the UN force, Nepalese media report. More than 13,000 people died during Nepal's conflict but no one has been prosecuted for human rights abuses. Maj Basnet was expelled by the UN force responsible for Chad and the Central African Republic (Minurcat) reportedly because of the charges levelled against him in Nepal. A Nepalese army spokesperson told the Nepalese news website myrepublica.com that the army had begun an investigation into the cause of his repatriation, and he would not be handed over to the civil authorities until it was completed.



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=:= Since 2 November 2011, domestic flights across Nepal have been cancelled or delayed due to seasonal weather conditions. The high mountain areas have been badly affected. On 25 September 2011 a Buddha Air flight crashed in the Lalitpur district, south of Kathmandu. 19 people died in the accident. Although the 18 September earthquake affecting Nepal and Sikkim caused limited damage, Nepal is still considered to be at high risk of a major earthquake.

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=Travel Warning U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Consular Affairs:=

Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the potential risks of traveling to Nepal and urges caution when traveling in that country. The Department of State remains concerned about the security situation in Nepal. U.S. citizens are urged to obtain updated security information before traveling and they should be prepared to change their plans on short notice. This replaces the Travel Warning for Nepal dated June 15, 2010, to update information on the security and political situation, and to advise travelers about the continuing possibility of political demonstrations, unrest, and concerns about travel in Nepal by road and air.

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