1. Nepal and India Set to Boost Legal Cooperation
Nepal and India are getting closer to signing a major agreement that will strengthen their legal and security cooperation. Senior officials from both countries have finalized the wording of a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement—a deal that will help them work together on extraditions, criminal investigations, and legal processes across borders.
The agreement still needs to be approved by the cabinets of both nations and formally signed at the ministerial level. But once it’s in place, it will make it easier for the two neighbors to tackle cross-border crime, share evidence, and support each other in legal matters.
2.Wild Animal Attacks Claim 11 Lives in Chitwan This Year
In a troubling reminder of the growing tensions between humans and wildlife, 11 people were killed by wild animals in and around Chitwan National Park during the fiscal year 2024/25, park authorities have confirmed.
These tragic incidents—mostly involving tigers, elephants, and rhinos—underscore the ongoing struggle faced by communities living near the park’s borders. As human settlements expand and wildlife habitats shrink, encounters between people and wild animals are becoming more frequent and dangerous.
Conservation officials say they are working to reduce the risk through measures like electric fencing, awareness programs, and rapid response teams, but locals believe more needs to be done to protect lives while preserving wildlife.
3 Freed, But Forgotten: Haliya Families Still Left Out of Government Support
It’s been years since Nepal declared the end of the Haliya system, a practice that trapped generations in a cycle of bonded labor, mostly in the western hills. But for many former Haliya families, freedom on paper hasn’t translated into a better life.
The government had promised a resettlement package to help them start over—with land, housing, education, and access to healthcare. But today, around 217 families, who were verified and certified at the local level, say they’ve been left out of the official program entirely.
“We were told we were free, but we are still struggling every single day,” says one Haliya man from Bajura, who now works as a daily laborer to feed his family.
Without proper support, many of these families are stuck in the same cycle of poverty and insecurity, while others are forced to migrate to India in search of jobs. Their children often drop out of school, and access to basic healthcare remains a distant dream.
Activists say the government’s promises ring hollow if they don’t reach every family. The freedom from bondage was supposed to bring dignity—but for hundreds, it has brought only disappointment and continued hardship.
“This is not just a delay. It’s an injustice,” said a representative of the Haliya rights movement. “The government must act now to include every single family that has been left behind.”
