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N E PA L’ S L A R G E S T S E L L I N G E N G L I S H D A I LY
Vol XXIV No 170 | 12+4 Pages
page 5
page 7
page 8
As it is
money
When
words fail
We are art
The time
of our lives
Vizag port ‘ready’ for
Nepali cargos
Features
Expression
PM takes initiative to
honour 3-point deal
Rio ready
for Olympic
carnival
agence france-presse
RIO DE JANEIRO, aug 5
The carnival capital of Rio de
Janeiro will host a glittering
Olympics opening ceremony
party on Friday, hoping to
draw a line under a turbulent
seven-year build-up dogged by
recession, drugs scandals,
crime and infrastructure
stumbles.
The
iconic
Maracana
Stadium will host a pulsating
gathering for more than 70,000
fans, 10,400 athletes and dozens of world leaders as the
first Olympics to be staged in
South America gets under
way. The four-hour ceremony
in the teeming Brazilian city
sets off two weeks of sporting
excellence and drama featuring the likes of Usain Bolt and
Michael Phelps that wraps up
on August 21.
Yet the giddy euphoria that
invariably accompanies the
opening of an Olympic Games
has been notably absent as
Brazil grapples with a tanking
economy and a grim litany of
social problems.
“I hope the opening ceremony can be a kind of anti-depressant for Brazil,” said one
of the show’s creative directors, the acclaimed “City of
God” film-maker Fernando
Meirelles. The ceremony
would craft a message of tolerance and care for the environment to a troubled planet,
Meirelles said.
“The world is very tense,”
the director added, citing the
rise of US presidential contender Donald Trump and
Britain’s recent shock decision to leave the European
Union. “The whole world feels
this tension.”
“In a way the Olympics is
good for Brazil to help us
develop, but the country is
very sad, full of violence and
unemployment,”
Carlos
Roberto, 56, a dockyard worker
told
AFP
as
the
Olympic flame passed through
the city.
SATURDAY,AUGUST 6, 2016 (22-o4-2073)
Govt decides to provide Rs 1m each to those killed during Tarai protests
TIKA R PRADHAN
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
n Brazil’s former volleyball player Isabel Barroso Salgado (right) and Rio de Janeiro’s Archbishop Orani Joao
Tempesta hold the Olympic torch in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on
Friday. A total of 10,500 athletes are taking part in the Games from 206 nations and a refugee team are in
Brazil to compete for a total of 2,102 medals in 28 sports. An estimated three billion people will watch the
ceremony, which has taken five years to produce and includes 300 dancers, 5,000 volunteers and 12,000
costumes. With 554 athletes, the United States has the largest Olympic team, but 100m runner Etimoni
Timuani is the only athlete from the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. The Games will be the first to feature
Olympians born since the year 2000—and the youngest is 13-year-old Nepali swimmer Gaurika Singh.
AP
Cabinet withdraws Oli
govt’s envoy nominees
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
The government on Friday
withdrew names of the 14
ambassadorial nominees recommended by the erstwhile
KP Sharma Oli-led government under the political
quota.
The decision, which came a
day after a new government
under the CPN (Maoist
Centre) and the Nepali
Congress (NC) was formed,
will mean the Pushpa Kamal
Dahal-led government would
pick new names for different
missions abroad.
The earlier recommendations will be reviewed and
new names will be picked
after a foreign minister is
appointed, Cabinet sources
told the Post.
The erstwhile Oli-led government had recommended 22
persons as ambassadors for
various missions. Names of
eight persons, who were
selected from among career
diplomats, have been already
cleared by the Parliamentary
Hearing Special Committee.
On Friday, during a meeting of the PHSC, UML lawmakers objected to the government decision of with-
drawing the decision of earlier government, saying that it
was a wrong move on the part
of the new government at a
time when the House panel
had
already
made
an
announcement about the
hearing of the 14 ambassadorial nominees.
But Maoist and NC lawmakers argued that hearing was
yet to start and that only an
announcement to that effect
had been made.
The Maoist Centre is likely
to stake claim to ambassadorial position for the person of
its choice either for India or
China.
Honouring the three-point
deal signed by the CPN
(Maoist Centre), the Nepali
Congress (NC) with the
Sanghiya Gathabandhan, an
alliance of Madhesi and
Janajati parties, the government on Friday decided to provide Rs 1 million each to the
families of those who were
killed during the protests in
the Tarai.
The compensation will be
provided to the families
through respective District
Administration Offices.
The Maoist Centre, the NC
and the Gathabandhan had
signed a three-point deal on
July 4, just before Maoist
Chairman Pushpa Kamal
Dahal was elected the prime
minister by Parliament. The
quid pro quo deal meant the
Gathabandhan would support
Dahal’s prime ministerial
candidacy and the subsequent
government formed under
Dahal would address the concerns raised by the MadhesiJanajati alliance.
The deal also calls for the
government to register a constitution amendment proposal
in Parliament, and for this the
governing parties have also
agreed to form a task force to
do the necessary preparations. The governing parties—
Maoist Centre and the NC—
have also agreed to form a
judicial commission within a
week to probe into the incidents that occurred during
the Tarai protests.
More than 50 people, including police personnel, were
killed during the protests
after the promulgation of the
constitution in September last
year. Declaring those killed
during the protests martyrs
and bearing medical expenses
for those who were injured
were other demands of the
Gathabandhan.
However, the Cabinet did
not take any decision in this
regard, as there “is still some
dispute over the number of
people killed during the protests”, said Minister for
Agriculture Gauri Shankar
Chaudhary. “It may take some
time to take a decision regarding declaring those killed
[during protests] martyrs.”
According to Minister
Chaudhary, the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MoHA) will do
necessary documentation of
the
injured,
damage
caused and arson and all the
incidents, including in Kailali
district.
Friday’s Cabinet meeting
has tasked MoHA with compiling data of those injured
and clearing all the dues at
hospitals where they were
treated.
On Friday’s development,
Gathabandhan Coordinator
Upendra Yadav said the commitment made by the ruling
parties “is a good gesture”.
Raman Shrestha recommended as AG
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister
Pushpa Kamal Dahal has
recommended
Raman
Kumar Shrestha, former
general secretary of the
Nepal Bar Association, for
the post of the attorney general (AG). PM Dahal on
Friday informed the Cabinet
about the recommendation
of Shrestha for the post AG.
Born in Baglung, Advocate
Shrestha has been
practising law for
the last three decades. Shrestha will
take the oath of
office either on
Sunday or Monday.
Following
the
resignation of KP Sharma
Oli as the prime minister on
July 24, Hari Phuyal had
stepped down as the attor-
ney general on
August 3, the day
the country elected
Dahal as the new
prime minister. The
attorney general is
the chief
legal
adviser of the government and is appointed by
the President as per the recommendation of the prime
minister. (PR)
OYSTER PERPETUAL
DATEJUST 41
school education
Study paints bleak picture of
learning achievement
BINOD GHIMIRE
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
Learning achievement of
third and fifth graders in
English,
Nepali
and
Mathematics subjects has
been below 50 percent, says a
government study, calling
into question how well
schools, both public and private, are imparting education to the children.
The findings were made
public on Friday by the
Education Review Office
(ERO) under the Ministry of
Education, which had carried out the study among
over 78,000 students—both
from public and private
schools—of 23 districts.
The ERO has been carrying out the performance
study of school level students since 2011, and it has
been found that learning
achievement of students has
decreased by 14 percentage
points in the last three years.
The first such report was
made public in 2012.
Among the third graders,
33,863 students from 1,542
public and private schools
were involved in the study,
and the results show their
learning achievement in
Nepali to be 52 percent and
45 percent in Mathematics.
In 2012, learning achievement of third graders was
found to be 63 percent in
Nepali and 60 percent in
student performance (percent)
60
50
2012
63
60
60
54
52
46
45
40
2015
47
53
48
30
20
10
0
Nepali
Mathematics
Nepali
Grade III
Mathematics. The findings
paint even a bleaker picture
for the fifth graders who
were involved in tests of
Nepali, Mathematics and
Mathematics
Grade V
Girls outdo boys
KATHMANDU: A study by
the Education Review
Office (ERO) may have
found learning achievement of students to be
poor, but when it comes to
girl students, their performance was comparatively
better, “which is quite an
encouraging sign”, said
ERO Director Lekhnath
Poudel on Friday.
“We have seen quite an
improvement in the performance of girl stu-
English
dents,” said Poudel. “Girl
students of Grade III and
Grade V have outdone
boys this time,” added
Poudel.
Average
lear ning
achievement of girl students of Grade III in
Nepali has been found to
be 54 percent whereas it is
51 percent among boys.
For fifth graders, girls’
learning achievement in
Maths is 50pc compared to
48pc among boys. (PR)
English subjects.
Learning achievement of
40,015 students from 1,543
schools was found to be 46
percent in Nepali, 48 percent
in Mathematics and 47 percent in English.
“This shows the teaching-learning process in
schools has not been as effective as desired,” said ERO
Director Lekhnath Poudel on
Friday at a programme
organised to make public the
findings of study.
According to the report,
students from the MidWestern
Development
Region fared the worst while
those from Kathmandu
Valley performed the best.
“We also found that children of educated mothers
are far better compared to
those whose mothers are
illiterate,”
said
Gopal
Bhattarai, deputy director at
ERO.
Annapurna Arcade – Durbar Marg
Kathmandu, Nepal
C M Y K
thekathmandu post 02
news
Saturday, August 6, 2016
SC asks CIAA
to stop action
against doctors
vale veiled, revealed
MANISH GAUTAM
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
n
A view of the Kathmandu valley as seen from Pharping, Kathmandu, on Thursday. Post Photo: Hemanta Shrestha
The Supreme Court on Friday
issued an interim order
against the Commission for
Investigation of Abuse of
Authority to stop action
against seven doctors of the
Institute of Medicine (IoM),
Tribhuvan University.
Responding to a writ filed
by the doctors, a single bench
of Justice Ananda Mohan
Bhattarai ruled that such
action against the doctors is
beyond the CIAA’s constitutional jurisdiction. The apex
court also asked the CIAA to
furnish written clarification
within 15 days.
On Thursday, the doctors
had filed a writ at the apex
court arguing that the CIAA
overstepped its jurisdiction
while taking the “prejudiced”
decision. They include Acting
IoM Dean Dr Bimal Sinha, Dr
Sarad Onta, Dr JP Agrawal,
Dr Dinesh Binod Pokhrel, Dr
Madhu Devkota, Dr Krishna
A single bench rules that
taking action against
doctors is beyond CIAA’s
constitutional jurisdiction
KC and Raj Devi Adhikari.
The university, after directives from the CIAA, on June
16 recorded statement of
the doctors. On July 31,
clarification was sought from
them again.
The CIAA claims that during one of the inspections at
the Gandaki Medical College,
the doctors did not verify the
total faculty members while
allocating seats.
Against the claim of 135
MBBS seats by the GMC, the
IoM faculty board had allocated 90 seats. Nepal Medical
Council later increased the
seats to 95 before it was
allowed to admit undergraduate medical students.
“The CIAA tried to defame
us on irrelevant issues. We
allocated seats less than what
was demanded after verification,” said one of the doctors.
On May 15, the CIAA wrote
to the TU asking it to take
action against the doctors
“because the seats were allocated without verification of
the faculty members”.
Sources said the real reason
behind the action is something else. One of the CIAA
commissioners, Raj Narayan
Pathak, had asked Dr Sinha
and Dr Onta to make sure that
his daughter is selected for a
PG programme. After the IoM
office bearers denied such
favour, Pathak had warned of
consequences. Immediately
after, the CIAA wrote to the
TU in a retaliatory move
against the doctors, a high-level source at the IoM said.
The CIAA cannot take
action against officials for
their “wrongful deeds”.
Article 239 of the Constitution
of Nepal states that the CIAA
has the right to investigate
only into corruption charges.
Flood menace continues Women Commission in care of lone member
POST REPORT
DOLAKHA, AUG 5
A flooded stream at Jagat
Bazaar
in
Lamabagar,
Dolakha, has destroyed a settlement.
Police said at least 15
houses were destroyed by the
flood and landslides in
Lamabagar-9.
Madan
Shrestha, a local, said people
living close to the Tamakoshi
river are in terror after the
river started eroding its banks
on Wednesday. Floodwaters
swept away six shops and
affected dozens of houses, he
added.
The villagers have left in
search of safer locations
after the flood entered the set-
tlement. Assistant Chief
Aulakh
District
Officer
Bahadur Ale said they are collecting details about the damage. Meanwhile, locals said
they had not got any help from
the authorities.
In Pokhara in western
Nepal, two students were
swept away, with a swimmer
missing in the Seti river on
Thursday evening. Police said
they found the bodies of
17-year-old Shankar GC
and Abhishek Baruwal, 17,
of Nadipur 1km downstream.
Police identified 17-year-old
Samir Malla as another
missing.
In Dang, traffic along the
Ghorahi-Holeri road has been
obstructed for two weeks by a
Six tuins replaced
with suspension
bridges since Oct
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
The government has replaced
six dilapidated tuins (wire
crossings) with suspension
bridges since October when a
decision to replace the dangerous means of used to get
across the rivers.
The first Cabinet meeting
of the erstwhile KP Sharma
Oli-led government in October
last year had announced
that all 171 tuins would be
replaced with suspension
bridges within two years.
Rs 3.25 billion was also allocated for the purpose.
Construction of nine suspension bridges is underway
while process to invite the bidding for the building additional 42 suspension bridges is in
final stage, said Kedar
Bahadur Bhattarai, secretary
at the Office of the Prime
Minister and Council of
weather watch
Forecast: Light to moderate rains at
some places of the Centre and the West
and at a few places of the eastern region
Places
Max MIN Rainfall
Temp (0C) Temp (0C)(mm)
Dadeldhura26.2 19.0 0.0
Dipayal 35.425.44.5
Dhangadi 36.0 28.0Traces
Birendranagar33.6 24.4 0.0
Nepalgunj 36.527.00.0
Jumla 26.1 15.823.8
Dang
33.8 23.5Traces
Pokhara 34.024.014.8
Bhairahawa37.4 27.9 0.0
Simara 35.427.00.0
Kathmandu31.5 21.4 0.0
Okhaldhunga27.3 18.8 0.0
Taplejung 27.619.20.0
Dhankuta 30.221.00.0
Biratnagar33.527.62.8
Jomsom 24.013.01.0
Dharan 33.025.95.6
Source: Meteorological forecasting Division, Department of
Hydrology and Meteorology, Kathmandu
Of the 171 tuins identified
across the country, 22 are
not considered feasible
for replacement
Ministers. According to
Bhattarai,
though
the
initial number of tuins provided by the Ministry of
Federal Affairs and Local
Development was 171, it was
later found that 146 needed
replacement with suspension
bridges.
Out of the total 171 tuins
identified across the country,
22 were not considered feasible for replacement given the
difficult geography and rough
terrain. Three were repeated
on the list.
The government aims to
replace all the tuins with suspension bridges by the end of
March 2017.
landslide at Saugha-2. Due to
recurring landslides, vehicles
cannot ply the route even
though the Divisional Road
Office constructed an alternative way.
In Helambu, Sindhuplchok, people are living under
constant threat of flood and
landslide after a swollen
Timbu stream started eroding
a section of the Helambu
Highway. Syalgen Holmo, a
local, said the whole of
Helambu Bazaar is at risk of
flood. A section of the road
used by the Melamchi
Drinking Water Project was
swept away, said police.
(With inputs from our local
correspondents)
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
At a time when the country
boasts of three women in leading positions, the National
Women Commission, a government entity formed to
work for women, has been left
in the care of a single member
in the past five months.
The new constitution recognises the NWC as a constitu-
tional body. Bhagwati Ghimire
is the lone member of the
commission. In the absence of
officials, the commission has
been dysfunctional as it cannot take any decision. The
NWC can have a maximum of
six members.
Rights defenders argue
that the absence of officials
has seriously hampered the
commission’s
day-to-day
activities.
After the tenure of
Commission
Chairperson
Shekh Chandtara ended,
Spokesperson
Manu
Humagain worked as its acting chief for a month. After
the four-year tenure of
Humagain and two other
members--Ur mila
Devi
B i s h wo k a r m a
and
Dhaneshwori
Kumari
Chaudhari--ended in March,
Ghimire has been designated
impeachment
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
n
A newly built animal shed in Gauda-4, Lamjung. POST REPORT
LAMJUNG, AUG 5
Earthquake-affected families
in six VDCs of Lamjung
have got pens and sheds for
their cattle.
Most of the villagers were
compelled to keep their
cattle under the open sky
after the devastating quakes
last year destroyed their
houses and sheds. Aasharam
Gurung of Gauda-4 said he
shifted his cattle to a
shed after a donor agency
helped them to construct the
structures.
Samarth-NMDP, a five-year
DFID-funded
programme,
helped villagers construct
sheds
in
Bichaur,
Dudhpokhari, Illampokhari,
Gaunda, Pachok and Kolki.
Engineer Keshari Prasad
Bhatta said 300 pens and sheds
Post photo
were built for the needy
people in remote villages
by following the government-prescribed designs and
standards.
Rishiram
Duwadi
of
Bichaur-1 said they used locally available materials to construct pens and sheds. “We
have been relieved after the
donor agency helped us
construct
the
sheds,”
said Duwadi.
NSU gen convention set to start tomorrow
Nepali Congress student wing is holding its general convention after a decade-long gap
Sarin Ghimire
Kathmandu, Aug 5
After a decade-long hiatus, the
Nepal Student Union is set to
hold its 11th general convention in the Capital from
Sunday.
Over 3,300 representatives--more than half of them
already
reached
have
Kathmandu--will attend the
three-day jamboree of the
Nepali Congress’ student
wing at Bhrikutimandap, confirmed NSU Spokesperson UP
Lamichhane.
This is the first NSU convention since the unification
of the NC faction led by Sher
Bahadur Deuba with the
mother party in 2007. Despite
announcing polls on seven different occasions, the biennial
event has been held off due to
deep factionalism, high number of aspirants and tradition
of nominating the president
from “leadership’s pocket”.
After being elected to the
NC top post in March, Deuba
had urged all of sister organisations of the party to hold
their general conventions
within the next six months. To
that effect, the party formed a
five-member panel under central committee member
Prakash Sharan Mahat to
ensure the convention is held
within the stipulated time.
Student leaders said all
preparations for the convention were in the final stages.
sion is to formulate policies
and programmes for women’s
welfare and to forward them
to the government for implementation.
The commission also conducts research on gender
equality, women’s empowerment and provides legal
assistance to women suffering
from gender-based violence
and other harmful social
practices.
300 quake-hit families Dr KC supporters
press for Karki’s
get animal sheds
BPKINF web
site, info
journal
launched
Indian
Ambassador
Ranjit Rae on Friday
launched a website for
the BP Koirala IndiaNepal Foundation and
“Saransha”, an information journal, amid a programme organised at
Taragaon Museum in the
Capital.
The website www.bpkf.
org.np is a platform to
disseminate information
about the BPKINF as well
as about the various programmes undertaken by
the foundation and the
bi-monthly information
journal is a compilation
of activities undertaken
by different wings of the
Embassy of India in
Kathmandu, according to
a statement issued by the
Indian embassy.
the
acting
chairperson.
Ghimire said that the absence
of commissioners has crippled the NWC so much so that
women who come up with
cases seeking legal support
had not been looked after.
She, however, claims that
the commission has completed its major task of amending
laws in line with the constitution adopted last year.
Chief work of the commis-
More than 3,300
representatives will attend
the three-day jamboree
at Bhrikutimandap
“Hotels, venue, food and lodging; everything has been
arranged. No one should be
sceptical about the polls now,”
said the NSU spokesperson.
Though the union has completed district conventions in
64 of the 75 districts, student
leaders say the remaining disputed districts will also have
representatives through consensus. “We are confident that
the 11 districts will also send
names in consensus so that we
will have representatives from
all 75 districts,” said NSU central committee member Moti
Lal Bhandari. The convention
is estimated to cost around
Rs2 million which will be
funded by the mother party,
leaders said.
According to the new NSU
statute, it will have one chairperson and 13 vice-chairpersons--one each from seven provincial states, four from inclusive quota and two nominations--and three general secretaries, two elected and one
nominated.
Meanwhile, the committee
has set an age bar of 32 years
to participate in the NSU general conventions. However,
the directive will only come
into effect in the 12th general
convention. The central committee will be dissolved automatically if it fails to hold the
next convention in the next
two years, according to the
committee.
Even though individual
aspirants
have
already
announced their candidacy
to lead the union, official
panel candidates would only
be announced after the convention
begins,
said
Lamichhane.
Kshitiz Bhandari, Manoj
Acharya, Nain Singh Mahar,
Jit Jung Basnet, Shuvaram
Basnet, Kundan Kafle and
Deepak Bhattari, among others, have announced their
candidacy for presidency.
An alliance supporting Dr
Govinda KC on Monday submitted a memorandum to
Mohan Singh Rathor, president of Good Governance and
Monitoring Committee of
Parliament,
demanding
impeachment of Commission
of Investigation of Abuse of
Authority (CIAA) chief Lok
Man Singh Karki.
The “Solidarity for Dr KC
Alliance” submitted a 30-page
document showing CIAA’s
repeated interferences into
the medical sector and called
for the CIAA chief ’s ouster
from his position.
Rathor assured that the
committee would take necessary action if the CIAA was
Submit memorandum
to Mohan Singh Rathor,
president of the Good
Governance and Monitoring
Committee of Parliament
found acting beyond its jurisdiction. “We have no reason to
be afraid of CIAA,” the alliance quoted Rathor as saying
in
its
statement.
“We
are the one to monitor and
inspect CIAA.
All the charges against
CIAA will be investigated.”
The alliance has demanded
that
the
investigation
horizon on the CIAA should
not be limited to medical
education.
People with HIV
snub medicines
in Bajhang
BASANTA PRATAP SINGH
BAJHANG, AUG 5
More than half of the people infected with the
Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) in Bajhang do
not take their medication
due to discrimination and
stigma attached to it.
According to the District
Health Office (DHO), only
44 people out of the total 92
HIV-infected people in the
district are taking anti-retroviral drugs. Chief of the
DHO Dr Bishnu Khatiwada
said many of them do not
take ART services for fear
of being humiliated in the
society. “They dread being
identified as HIV infected
after using the drug,” said
Khatiwada, warning, “This
has raised a risk of further
transmission of the virus
that causes Aids.”
“There are 2-3 HIV infected persons in our village,”
said an HIV-infected woman
in Rayal VDC, adding. “But
they could not muster
courage to reveal their
condition because of the
fear of being outcast by
the society.”
Kopila Malla, the chairperson of Bajhang plus, an
organisation working with
the HIV-infected people in
the district, said HIV infection is more prominent
among women than men in
this fart-western district.
“There are 52 women living
with HIV here,” she said.
At least 11 people have
died
of
AIDS-related
illnesses in the district
since the DHO started
keeping data of the HIVinfected people. “Villagers
in the remote areas do not
like to have their blood
drawn. And there is no
blood testing facility in
the whole of the district,”
said Khatiwada.
C M Y K
03
thekathmandu post
Nepal-China
FS level
dialogue
postponed
KATHMANDU: Two days after
the former rebel party formed
the government, Gangamaya
Adhikari, who has been
demanding action against
the murderers of her son,
news
Gangamaya’s 5-day ultimatum to govt
has given a new five-day
ultimatum to implement the
court order.
At a press on Friday,
Gangamaya told reporters
that she would resume fastonto-death if her demands are
not met. “I don’t care if I live
Saturday, August 6, 2016
or die, I want to see my son’s
murderers behind the bars,”
she said. In 2004, her son
Krishna Prasad Adhikari was
allegedly abducted and killed
by Maoists cadres. (PR)
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
Nepal-China
Finance
Secretary level meeting has
been postponed for indefinite
period after the Chinese side
expressed their inability to
attend the event citing other
“important engagements”.
The meeting was scheduled
for August 24 in Kathmandu
to discuss on the progress
towards implementing the
agreement reached between
the two nations during former
prime minister KP Sharma
Oli’s visit to Beijing in March.
The meeting was scheduled to discuss implementation of the deals reached
between the two nations
The meeting, initially
planned for March, was postponed due to a meeting of the
Chinese People’s Congress.
Amid speculation about
whether the new government
would take implementation of
the agreement with China
seriously, the meeting has
been postponed. However, a
senior Finance Ministry official said the Chinese team,
which was scheduled to visit
Bangladesh and Nepal on a
single trip, postponed its
Nepal visit after the cancellation of the Bangladesh trip.
During former PM Oli’s
visit to China, the two countries signed landmark agreements including transit and
transport deal. The two sides
agreed to conclude a commercial deal on the supply of
petroleum products from
China to Nepal. Besides,
Beijing also agreed to consider on providing financial and
technical support for the feasibility study and the preparation of a detailed project
report of the proposed
Rashuwag adi-Kathmandu
and
Kathmandu-PokharaLumbini Railway Project,
among others.
C M Y K
thekathmandu post 04
variety
Saturday, August 6, 2016
AstralReflections
B
ARIES [March 21-April 19]
Sunday/Monday is for relationships, though they won’t be easy
Sunday until after 5 pm—not a day for co-operation, or for seeking a
partner. You veer into deeper waters (good depths) Tues/Wed. You
can succeed in finances, investments, debt reduction. You can
change your lifestyle, get deep medical advice, and find a therapist or
counsellor. A sweet, understanding mood flows over you Thurs
morning to Sat night. Legal, ethical, international, media, cultural,
intellectual, travel and love matters are highlighted—unfortunately
not well; you could run into multiple barriers.
i
g
S
TAURUS [April 20-May 20]
c
Tackle chores and protect your daily health Sun/Mon. Proceed
carefully. Monday’s a bit stressful. Don’t buy machinery.
Relationships fill Tues/Wed—if married, you’ll know you’re still in
love. If single, prospects appear—but DON’T even approach anyone
new before Saturday night, as it will end in frustration. (This person
might even marry you, but will refuse to love you.) That said, ordinary
co-operation thrives these two days, in work, friendship and practical
affairs. Thurs midday to Sat night steer you toward finances, depths,
research and intimacy, medical and lifestyle actions—but not easily
nor successfully—be careful!
r
e
e
GEMINI [May 21-June 20]
This week and next continue the accent on short trips, siblings and
casual friends, errands, messaging, writing, media, paperwork and
details. Although you’ll experience pleasure and spy beauty Sun/
Mon, romantic approaches won’t go far. A sudden, unexpected
attraction might spring up Mon morning but it contains a long-term
disappointment. Tackle chores and improve your vitamins Tues/
Wed. Relationships fill Thurs morning to Saturday night. You’ll feel
you’ve found a good friend (and maybe a flirty one) Thurs eve, but
after this obstacles prevail. Be diplomatic, don’t push others, and be
sceptical of “opportunities.”
CANCER [June 21-July 22]
Sunday/Monday are domestic, focusing on home, children, garden,
security, retirement plans, etc. However, hindrances and unexpected
reactions counsel stepping carefully. Romance, beauty, art, pleasure,
charming kids, self-expression, love, creativity and risk-taking consume you Tues/Wed—very fortunately! Oddly, the one thing that
might not work during this lucky little romantic interval, are
man-woman relations Wed morning. Otherwise, enjoy! Tackle chores
Thurs late morning to Sat night. Work on mechanical or “male”
chores Thurs. After this, Fri/Sat offer few avenues to success—be
careful, slow, pre-think every move (measure three times before
cutting, etc).
n
1
Jason Bourne
T
2
Star Trek Beyond
o
3
Bad Moms Lights Out
p
4
The Secret Life of Pets
5
Ice Age: Collision Course
6
Lights Out
S
p
T
e
7Ghostbusters
R
r
8Nerve
I
s
9
Finding Dory
10 The Legend Of Tarzan
P
(Source: IMDb)
S
LEO [July 23-August 22]
Sunday/Monday are for errands, trips, visits, calls, messaging,
paperwork, siblings and casual acquaintances: but the terrain is
rough, so proceed with caution. Best time: Sunday eve. You could
meet a stunning member of the opposite sex Mon morning. Leo, be
careful—any new love started this week is sure to fail, in a bad way.
Get domestic Tues/Wed—home, kids, garden, Mother Nature, etc.
This short interval is splendid for progress and projects, so start
repairs, landscaping, a child’s college fund, your own retirement
fund, etc. Romance enters like a blowing breeze Thurs mid-day to Sat
night.
VIRGO [August 23-September 22]
Remain restful, Virgo, for two more weeks. Try to clean up all the
neglected chores that have accumulated over the years/months.
Use the week ahead to examine all factors, then create a plan of
action…let it come naturally, think about it, jot any ideas down, then
go away and ponder again, etc. Chase money—or I should say, protect money—Sunday/Monday. Errands, casual friends, paperwork,
details, trips and communications fill Tues/Wed. You speak/write
very well these two days. Be patient, restful: the less you attempt, the
better you’ll fare.
A
i
r
w
LIBRA [September 23-October 22]
Your energy, charisma and effectiveness sail high Sunday/Monday.
This can make you a bit testy with spouse/kids—you also might
“see” that you have more work to do than you thought. Chase money
on a fortunate Tues/Wed—you’re likely to catch it! Errands, messaging, details, media, casual friends and short trips fill Thurs morning
to Sat night. You could make a good male friend Thurs. afternoon/
eve, perhaps start a friendly romance (remember my warning
above!). After this, you’ll meet numerous obstacles Fri and Sat, so
proceed with caution and take an easy, slow pace.
a
SCORPIO [October 23-November 21]
o
Spend Sun/Mon quietly, restfully. Contemplate, examine your life,
where you have been and where you’re going…then make plans.
Avoid action, commitments, as your luck’s low. Be charitable,
spiritual. Your energy and charisma surge upward Tues/Wed—luck
rides with you, so get out, mingle, make contacts, start significant
projects, especially in the business or career realms. Chase money
Thurs midday to Sat night—but carefully, as many obstacles and
irritants exist. Work makes money Thurs. Once note: don’t fall in/
start a new love this week: bad results.
Sagittarius [November 22-December 21]
You’re optimistic, flirtatious, popular and social Sun/Mon. However,
circumstances are awry, so you’ll accomplish little. Instead, steep
yourself in enjoyment! Retreat Tues to midday Thurs—be charitable,
spiritual, approach government agencies, rest, plan your future. Your
energy, effectiveness and clout soar Thurs midday to Sat night. You’ll
be the star, the leader. As many factors go against you as favour you,
so be nimble. Thursday can bring hot love, romance. A lucky stroke
around late morning Sat. might bring an “electric” attraction—if so,
go ahead, this one’s safe.
CAPRICORN [December 22-January 19]
Be ambitious Sun/Mon, but keep a “safety margin,” as some things
might fail. You might be forced to decide between career and home.
Good luck returns Tues/Wed. Your popularity will rise (mildly)—you’ll
feel social, flirty and light-hearted. A legal, far travel or scholastic
matter might contain good news. Jumbled luck returns Thurs
midday to Sat night—retreat, rest, avoid competitive situations and
people. Contemplate, plan, be calm and forgiving. You might stumble
upon some good earnings news Sat morning.
v
e
T
p
K
A
N
T
I
P
U
R
T
V
5:00 Shuvprabhat
+Bhaktisur
5:30 Kundali+ Aatma
Gyan
6:30 Jyotish+
Manthan
6:40 Sky Shop
7:00 Kantipur
Samachar
8:00 Kantipur News
8:30 Rise N
Shine
9:00 Headline News
9:05 Quiz Mania 3
10:00 Kantipur
Samachar
10:30 Score Board
11:00 Headline News
11:05 Samakon 2
12:00 Kantipur
Samachar
12:30 Music Mela
1:00 Headline News
1:05 Ditha Sab
1:30 Frame By Frame
2:00 Movie
5:00 HeadlineNews
5:05 Call Kantipur
Reloaded
6:00 Kantipur News
6:30 Countdown
Kantipur (Pop)
7:00 Kantipur
Samachar
7:30 Infoplus
8:00 Kantipur
Samachar
9:00 Uddhyam
9:30 Pariwartan
10:30 Kantipur News
11:00 Kantipur
Samachar
11:30 Countdown
Kantipur (Pop)
12:00 Call Kantipur
REPEATED
1:00 Kantipur News
Repeated
1:30 Countdown
Kantipur (Pop)
2:00 Kantipur
Samachar Repeat
2:30 Uddhyam
3:00 Kantipur
Samachar Repeat
3:30 Pariwartan
4:30 Feature
K
A
N
T
I
P
U
R
F
M
F
I
L
M
Sunday/Monday are deep, mysterious, lure you toward a sexy situation or toward making an investment. Do neither, as your luck’s poor.
What you want is not what you need. Wisdom, gentle love, a broader
outlook—these visit fortunately Tues/Wed, and could nudge you to
apply for school, buy travel tickets, bury from yourself in a cultural
endeavour, or fall in love with a precise, practical person. Be ambitious Thurs noon to Sat night. You could earn/find extra money
Thurs. You might strike it lucky in money, pay scale, Sat morning.
E
N
T
O
G
R
A
P
H
16:00 Quick Fix
17:00 Kantipur Diary
17:05Health
Hot Line
18:00 Maitiko Sandesh
(Maiti Nepal)
18:30 Kantipur Diary
18:55Khoj
19:00Nep-Hop
20:00 Kantipur Diary
20:05Abhimat
The Vertic
21:00 Kantipur Diary
21:30 Rum Pum Hello
Mithila
23:00 Rock Machine
p
e
r
s
(Source: Billboard)
LIGHTS OUT
PISCES [February 19-March 20]
V
Traffic Update
Basi Biyalo
Kantipur Diary
Pepsodent Games
People Play
11:00 Kantipur Diary
11:05 Hit List
12:00 Kantipur Diary
12:10 Celebraty Hour
13:00 Kantipur Diary
13:05Century
Top Ten
14:00 Kantipur Diary
14:05Postmortem
15:00 Kantipur Diary
15:15 The Game Show
QFX LABIM Mall: 8:00/8:30/11:30/14:00/16:45/17:00/19:45
QFX Civil Mall: 8:00/8:45/11:00/14:45/16:15/19:15
QFX Kumari: 8:15/11:15/14:15/19:30
Sunday/Monday bring a wise, mellow mood, an interest in justice,
international affairs, higher learning, far travel, and the meaning of
life. Love grows gentle. However, difficult aspects hint you’ll accomplish little. Be ambitious Tues/Wed—now your luck rises, so take
advantage—submit a proposal to the boss, tug a VIP’s sleeve, etc.
A management position or good investment awaits you. Steer toward
happiness Thurs mid-morn to Sat night. This interval isn’t so easy,
either—but you’ll hardly notice little frustrations, barriers and
let-downs, as your mood’s so happy. Be joyful, but cautious.
Thursday’s busy socially, with a romantic twist. Friday’s yuck. Sat’s
lively, successful around mid-morning.
E
09:10
09:15
10:00
10:05
Cheap Thrills by, Sia
featuring Sean Paul
2 Cold Water by, Major Lazer
featuring Justin Timberlake
& MO
3 One Dance by, Drake
featuring WizKid & Kyla
4 This Is What You Came For
by, Calvin Harris featuring
Rihanna
5 Can’t Stop The Feeling! by,
Justin Timberlake
6 Don’t Let Me Down by, The
Chainsmokers featuring
Daya
7 Ride by, twenty one pilots
8 Needed Me by, Rihanna
9 Send My Love (To Your New
Lover) by, Adele
10 Panda by, Desiigner
SUICIDE SQUAD
AQUARIUS [January 20-February 18]
Savour the cardamom and saffron spice,
slow-cooked kebabs and kormas at Indian
restaurant serving Awadhi cuisine.
contact: 427399, at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
00:00 Non – Stop Songs
01:00 Non – Stop Hindi
Songs
02:00 Non – Stop Nepali
Pop/Adhunik
Songs
04:00Bhajan
05:00 Bhakti Anusthan
06:30 Kantipur Diary
07:00Bihani
07:30 Ica Door
Sikchha
08:00 Kantipur Diary
08:05 Bigyan Prabidhi
08:30 Cyber Time
09:00 Kantipur Diary
1
S
QFX LABIM Mall: 8:45/11:15/16:30/20:00
QFX Kumari: 11:30/17:15/20:00
QFX Civil Mall: 14:00/17:45/20:15
DISHOOM
QFX Civil Mall: 8:30/11:30/14:15/20:00
QFX Jai Nepal: 9:00/12:00/15:15/18:30
QFX LABIM Mall: 13:30/19:00
QFX Kumari: 13:45
SUNTALI LAI BHAGAI
LAGYO JHILKELEY
QFX Kumari: 8:00/16:45
QFX Civil Mall: 11:45
KABALI
QFX Civil Mall: 17:00
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE 3D
QFX LABIM Mall: 14:30
Dip yourself at probably the best pool in the
town at Park Village Resort. Rate: Rs. 1500
for adults & 1300 for children and includes
french fries, free Wi-Fi & 20% discount on
Food & Beverage. Contact: 9801033114
Weekends brunch @ Hyatt Regency—treat
yourself with a lavish buffet lunch, splash by
the swimming pool or laze around outdoor,
Jacuzzi, all for just Rs 2300 plus taxes per
person. Contact: 4491234
Sandwich and Crepes: Taste the sandwiches and crepes at The Lounge from 11 am to 6
pm everyday. For further details call Hyatt
Regency at 4491234.
Enjoy live DJ nights, on every Sunday chill out/
ambient, Wednesday tech/ funk house & Friday
psy/ proggy/ full on from 6:00 pm to 10 pm at
garden and 7:00 pm onwards at club at Funky
Buddha Resturant & Bar, contact: 4700091
Krishnarpan—a specialty Nepali Restaurant
at Dwarika’s, 6 courses to 22 courses Nepali
meal served. Opening Time: 6 pm-11 pm. Prior
reservations required, contact: 4479448
China Garden offers delectable dishes from
across Asia, including Japanese, Korean,
Vietnamese and Chinese. Timings: Lunch:
1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs,
contact: 427399 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
Relax and Unwind this summer at
Waterfront Resort, Sedi Height, Pokhara @
Rs. 6000 Nett per night on Bed & Breakfast
basis. Contact: 9801133378 / 9849143552
We serve nothing but the finest Arabica
coffees at great value prices at Barista
Lavazza Coffee Restaurant, Lazimpat,
Contact: 4005123/4005124
Rosemary Kitchen and Coffee shop,
Thamel, opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:00
pm offers an International cuisine in reasonable prices. Contact 01-4267554
Enjoy snacks and drinks from 4:00 pm to
11:00 pm every day and nightly live music
from “The Corner Band” except Tuesday and
Saturday from 7 pm to 11:00 pm at Corner
Bar, Radisson Hotel. Contact: 4411818
Set within the historic Garden of Dreams, the
Kaiser Cafe Restaurant and Bar, Thamel, offers
a continental menu and serves as an atmospheric
venue for anything from a quiet coffee or intimate
meal. Contact: 442534
Jasmine Fitness Club and Spa, Fully
equipped gym and spa; Zumba, aerobics and
cardio classes; therapeutic massage; beauty
parlour and men’s salon. Tripureshwor;
Contact: 4117120
The Italian restaurant serves authentic
Italian cuisines in an elegant ambience for
both lunch and dinner. Timings: Lunch:
1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs,
Contact: 427399, at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
Garden Terrace offers an authentic world
cuisine, providing diners with the unique
experience of observing their selected dishes being prepared by chefs. Contact:
427399 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
Mako’s offers traditional Japanese food
served. Don’t miss out on Mako’s special
Tempuras, and green tea ice cream, Time: 11:
30-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, contact: 4479448
Bourbon Room, Lal Durbar Marg is open for
lunch from 12 noon. Enjoy affordable and delicious meals starting from Rs 99! We are currently offering Indian & chinese combos along
with momos. Call: 4441703
Out-of-Africa Lunch amid rural splendor:
Sat & Sun from 1130 to 1630 hours at The
Watering Hole, Indrawati River Valley.
For prior reservation contact: [email protected]
Every Friday BBQ from 7:00 pm at Fusion
Bar & Pool side at Dwarika’s Hotel with live
band “Dinesh Rai and Sound of Mind”. Price Rs
1600/ includes BBQ dinner and a can of beer
or a soft drink. Contact: 4479448
Trisara offers food and drinks along
with good music and great times. Sunday- Live
Music by Barbeque Night, Monday, Wednesdayby Positive vibes, Tuesday, Saturday-By Jyovan
Bhuju, Friday-Live Music by Dexterous
Ayurveda Health Home has been providing
ayurvedic treatments/ massages,
sirodhara & counseling for stress, detox &
rehabilitation. Dhapasi, Kathmandu:
01-4358761, Lakeside Pokhara 061-463205
Every Friday evening enjoy Starry Night
BBQ from 7 pm onwards at Shambala
Garden Café at Hotel Shangri La with live
musical performance by Ciney Gurung.
Contact: 4412999
Kaiser Cafe Restaurant & Bar at The
Garden of Dreams, opening time: 9 am till 9
pm, offers an international cafe menu serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, specialty tea’s,
coffees and pastries, contact: 4425341
Manny’s Eatery and bar introduces a special lunch package that is affordable, tasty,
nutritious and quick enough to fit your lunch
break, Jawalakhel, Shaligram complex,
5536919
Enjoy a Barbecue Buffet at the Radisson
Hotel, wide selection of mixed fresh grills and
vegetables together with a choice of salads and
a delicious dessert buffet at a rate of Rs. 1,350
plus taxes per person. Contact: 4411818
Make your weekend more exciting with
family and friends with sumptuous Satey,
Dimsums, Mangolian Barbecue and Pasta at
The Cafe from 12:30 noon to 4:00 pm. Call:
Hyatt Regency, at 4491234
Hotel Narayani Complex, Pulchowk, Lalitpur
presents Shabnam & Cannabiz Band every
Wednesday and Rashmi & Kitcha Band every
Friday, 7:30 PM onwards @ Absolute bar P Ltd;
Contact: 5521408
Enjoy Bubbly Brunch every Saturday from 11
am to 3 pm at Shambala Gardena and Club
Sundhara. Contact: 4412999
Embers Bar, Pulchowk, in all its sophistication and glory is happy to announce
Happy Hours every 6-7pm. It will be
hosting a Barbeque night every Friday from
6:30-9:30pm
The Toran, an ideal location for all day lounging and informal dining offers multi-cuisines.
Contact: Dwarika’s Hotel, 4479488
Latin—Gypsy Jazz at The Corner Bar,
Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu with Hari
Maharjan feat Monsif Mzibiri, 7 pm onwards,
Wednesdays & Fridays. Contact: 4411818
The most delightfully awesome chicken
momos & yummy rich chocolate cake on this
part of the planet @ Just Baked Bakery &
Cafe, Battisputali, offering much more specialties at affordable price.
Starry Night BBQ—every Friday Evening from
7:00 pm at Shambala Garden Café, Hotel,
Shangri~La only @ Rs 1799 net per person
and live performance by Ciney Gurung.
Contact: 4412999
Revolution Cafe, AmritMarg, Thamel, away
from busy crowed street, offers great
music, fast wi-fi and wide menu with reasonable prices. Operation hours: 7 am to 10
pm, contact: 4433630
Learn cardio, gym, aerobics, zumba, spa,
boxing, kick-boxing, b-boying, bollywood
dance at Oyster Spa and Fitness Club,
Sinamangal. Time: Sunday to Friday from 5
am to 8 pm. Contact: 4110554
Experience The Last Resort, the perfect
place for family fun adventure and relaxation.
Special packages for residents. Contact:
4700525/ 4701247 or mail us at
[email protected]
Asia World Travel Pvt Ltd presents fascinating luxury escapades to amazing destinations:
Prague, Ladakh, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala
Lumpur, Mount Kailash and Panchpokhari in
North East Nepal. Contact: 6222604
Jungle Safari Lodge, Sauraha Chitwan
offers 2 Nights 3 Days package only for Rs
6500 per person. Suman 9851008399
Much needed getaway—1 night/2 day package
@ Hyatt Regency. Enjoy luxury stay of a five
star hotel for a couple with breakfast and
access to spa facilities for just Rs 9999 plus
taxes per person only. Contact: 4491234
Experience the Gyakok @ Shambala
Garden, Hotel Shangri~la only @ Nrs.1700
Nett per person and Nrs.3000 Nett for couple. For more details and reservation:
4412999
Enjoy Gourmet Saturday Brunch with
your family and friends at the Sunrise
Restaurant , Hotel Yak & Yeti from 12-7 pm
every Saturday. Contact: 4248999
Escape, relax and get in shape @ Hyatt
Regency. Embark on a personal well-being at
Club Oasis. Remember us for Tennis, sauna,
Jacuzzi, swimming, fitness centre and Beauty
Salon. Contact: 4491234
Yoga detox and Ayurveda treatments and
retreats every day at Himalayan Peace &
Wellness Centre, Park Village Hotel. Get 10%
discount on all Ayurvedic treatments.
Contact: 980106661
C M Y K
onsaturday
kathmandupost.ekantipur.com
page 5 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 (22-04-2073)
When
Words
Fail
Using art as a catalyst for healing in a
society that continues to stigmatise
mental health issues
Sujan G Amatya
A
t Dr Lajja Dixit’s art therapy
and counselling clinic, clients
literally draw out their feelings. Tucked behind verdant
greenery aflush with chirping
birds, the clinic is a veritable
oasis where patients begin to unpack
their thoughts and channel them as
meaningful expression. Yet far too
often, their words fail them—their
traumas run too deep and the sceptre
of stigmas loom overhead like a mariner’s albatross.
“Even in this day and age, therapy
is not widely-sought after in Nepal,”
says Dixit, who has 15 years of experience in the field, “There still is a
strong misconception that only ‘crazy
people’ go to therapy. Just the thought
of seeking out professional help is
treated as admission to madness.”
Popular media like the movies One
Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and
Good Will Hunting paint an unrealistic picture of what therapy sessions
look like. Therapy doesn’t have to be
an intense back-and-forth punctuated
by Eureka moments. Instead, it is
mostly as simple as talking about
your day and the little things that
bother you. When done in a safe and
non-judgemental environment, these
simple acts alone can go a long way.
But when even that fails, Dixit turns
to something even simpler—art.
Today art therapy is practiced
around the world in a wide variety of
settings, including hospitals, psychi-
n
atric and rehabilitation facilities,
wellness centres, forensic institutions, schools, crisis centres, senior
communities, private practices, and
other clinical and community settings. From refugees stranded in
Europe, to victims of sex trafficking
in Chile, art therapy has been helping
people express themselves, explore
their emotions, deal with traumas,
manage addictions, and improve
their self-esteem. Decades of continued research have shown that art can
have a profound impact on a person’s
physical and psychological well-being. It helps alleviate stress and anxiety, releases anger, induces calm, and
enhances mindfulness. Researchers
have found that colouring within an
outlined structure help contain and
organize feelings of distress and
helplessness. Art historians believe
that even the revered Vincent Van
Gogh painted some of his most memorable pieces while in therapy, where
it helped ease his depression.
Despite the social stigmas attached
to mental health and therapy, Nepal
too is slowly making inroads into
using arts as a means for therapy and
counselling. During the True Stories
Project,
undertaken
by
the
Siddhartha Arts Foundation, victims
of trafficking, for a change, were
asked to draw about their lives. And
though the beginnings were laboured,
the series of paintings done by the
participants almost always followed a
format—first they painted about conflict, then almost invariably they
A set of drawings done at the True Stories Project charts how art can heal.
n
Gatlang students paint a mural as part of a workshop organised by Srijanalay. painted of happy endings. The drawings may or may not have been accurate to their lives and experiences,
but it gave valued insight into their
thought processes.
“It will always come out sub-consciously”, says Dixit. According to
her, almost always patients begin
with chaotic and disturbed scribbles
but as they continue to process their
inner thoughts through the drawings, even slight changes in expression and demeanour of the characters being drawn speak volumes
about their inner and outer journeys. “It is particularly helpful for
those who have undergone massive
traumas that oftentimes can be hard
to express through words,” she says.
Following last year’s quakes, many
organisations recognised how important art could be in healing a scarred
nation. If aid organisations went
into devastated communities with
truck loads of food and tarps, other
Therapy doesn’t have to be an
intense back-and-forth punctuated by Eureka moments. Instead, it
is mostly as simple as talking
about your day and the little
things that bother you
organisations, like Srijanalaya, travelled to schools and villages armed
with paint brushes and musical
instruments. “Everyone needs to be
aware that there are more ways of
communicating than just writing
and talking,” states Sunita Maharjan,
one of the artists with Srijanalaya,
who through their work in struggling communities like Gatlang,
Rasuwa are promoting the inclusion
of visual and performance arts into
school curriculums.
According to her, the effects were
Photo Courtesy: Sanjeev Maharjan
immediate. Through art, survivors
of the earthquakes addressed the
loss of their loved ones and shared
stories of their grief. “Art adds a new
layer of perception and perspective”,
says Maharjan, since some do not
have extensive vocabulary to express
themselves or are introverted by
nature. It gives them a much needed
outlet, which is creative and effective.
Sharareh Bajracharya, founder of
Srijanalaya, adds: “This is not official
art therapy, but at least there were
smiles in a place plagued by grief.”
The process of art therapy is so
simple that anyone might call themselves an “expert” and administer it,
to varying degrees of success. But
Dixit warns that “art therapy is like
opening a can of worms, and even
the deepest feelings, hidden from the
patients themselves, come to the surface. That is what the therapy has to
address and provide closure to.” An
experienced therapist, says Dixit,
would also know to not discriminate
against issues and value all inputs
equally.
A true art therapy session begins
with calming the individual down. In
Dixit’s case, she utilizes classical
music of David Nevue, and gives a
theme for the client to draw. The
therapist continues talking, even
during the drawing period. The session can last up to three hours, and
can even be continued for weeks,
until the latent issues have been
addressed. Professionals can pinpoint the tacit undertones and start
the healing process.
“We must continue practicing and
talking about it,” states Kailash K
Shrestha, founder of Artudio and a
strong advocate of art therapy, “but
before that, mindsets must change.”
He adds that people must stop thinking that they are damaged if they
undertake art therapy, and must
acknowledge the help it has given
them. It is through this word-ofmouth that the stigma can be broken,
even after policies are made. This
acknowledgment can also help the
client gain closure with their problems, which according to Dixit is the
quintessential goal of any therapy.
But even as art therapy continues
to help countless people across the
world, Nepal still lags far behind.
The latest iPhones may get shipped
to the country within weeks, but
breakthroughs in mental health do
not. Advocates like Dixit and
Shrestha believe that given the trial-and-tested benefits of art therapy,
there needs to be concerted conversations at the national level about the
value of art as therapy and its inclusion in the education system. And if
the conversations are too complicated, stakeholders can always sit
together and draw about it. v
Amatya is the founder of Collab
Inc, and a Project Associate at the
Siddhartha Arts Foundation
Service above all else
Dr Moin Shah was a firm believer in community-based medical education and urged doctors to come out and serve the society they practiced in
Manish Gautam
orbituary
D
r Moin Shah, founding dean of
the Institute of Medicine, who,
despite seemingly insurmountable odds, spearheaded undergraduate medical education in
the country, passed away on
July 25. A visionary leader who
strongly believed in exposing young
students to community service, Dr
Shah died after his health rapidly
deteriorated from an unknown complication. He was 82.
Dr Shah is remembered for his
invaluable contribution to the development of medical education in the
country. A staunch believer of community-oriented medical education,
Dr Shah’s approach has gained particular prominence as the country
debates over the sub-par quality of
medical graduates and the ever
mushrooming medical colleges
around the country.
Until 1972 there were no medical
schools in Nepal, with aspiring doctors having to pursue their studies in
India and beyond. That year, the
Institute of Medicine (IoM) under the
Tribhuvan University, heralded a
new dawn for medical education,
allowing students to train as health
professionals at home. Dr Shah upon
his appointment as the dean immediately initiated courses for Auxiliary
Nurse Midwives and Community
Medical Assistants. Six years later, in
1978, he admitted 22 students as the
first batch of MBBS students at the
IoM. It was far from smooth sailing; a
small hospital and a limited number
of faculty members meant that many
of his detractors questioned whether
such an undertaking was even feasible. Yet, some forty years later, the
foundations that Dr Shah laid during
his tenure have withstood the test of
time and IoM has transformed itself
into a centre of excellence, sought
after by students from Nepal and
abroad alike.
In his book, Nepal’s Quest for
Health, Dr Hemang Dixit, who succeeded Dr Shah as the dean at IoM,
writes, “When the MBBS course at the
Institute of Medicine started in 1978,
there was a great deal of opposition.”
He also states that people believed
what Dr Shah had envisaged for Nepal
was impractical, non-traditional and
shunned by the world at large. “What
has happened instead is that the concepts that were then advocated—
community medicine, problem solving, systematic instruction and integrated teaching—have now been
widely accepted the world over.”
An avid reader who maintained
sound understanding of the trends
in global medical education, Dr
Shah and his team conducted surveys at health facilities in Bara,
Nuwakot, Dhankuta and Surkhet to
understand disease patterns and the
core health needs of the society.
These findings were eventually
incorporated into the curriculum
developed by the IoM.
“He hired professionals from the
World Health Organisation to
develop the curriculum for the
MBBS courses that would be
offered at the IoM. But Dr
Shah would always contextualise the courses. He
strongly believed that doctors need to
look beyond the hospital and observe
what the needs were in particular
community that they were serving
in,”remembers Dr Dixit.
Dr Dixit credits Dr Shah for ensuring that the medical education in
Nepal was soundly based on tenants
of community service and collaboration. According to him, at the time
IoM had come up with a modality
that only allowed community-level health
workers—health
assistants, lab
assistants and
others—to
enrol into its
M B B S
courses.
nnn
Dr Shah
was
born
into a merchant family
i
n
Chettrapati,
Kathmandu. A
diligent student
from the onset,
he secured the
top honours
in
the
School Leaving Certificate—the coveted Board First—in 1949, before pursuing his higher education at TriChandra College in the Capital. Upon
completion, he enrolled at the
Osmania Medical College in
Hyderabad and returned to Nepal in
1958 with an MBBS degree. Dr Shah
would also go on to be a fellow at the
Royal College of Surgeons in London,
Glasgow and then Edinburgh, all
revered medical institutions that
specialise in surgery.
His contemporaries at
medical school remember him as an extremely sharp student who
left a lasting impression on the faculty
members and students alike. Dr
Madan Upadhyay,
the
founding
vice-chancellor of
the BP Koirala
Institute of Health
Sciences,
joined
Osmania
Medical
College two years after
Dr Shah graduated,
and says he was fondly
remem-
bered by many. “I think he was the
first Nepali MBBS graduate from the
college, and he was remembered on
campus even though he had already
graduated,” Dr Upadhyay says.
During his year of clinical studies
in 1955, Dr Shah would visit his
friends who were posted in rural districts of Andhra Pradesh in India.
“Our training was based on the
undergraduate
curricula
of
Cambridge and Harvard but my
friends had to practise under deplorable conditions,” Dr Shah wrote in
Kathmandu University Medical
Journal, 2009. The situation was no
different in Nepal. An article, titled
Bringing
Health
to
the
Himalayas,written by Joseph Hanion
in June 1978, describes that half the
babies born in Nepal at the time died
before the age of five, while only six
percent of the population had access
to clean drinking water. “There are
now 356 doctors, compared with 12 in
1956. But until this year, all doctors
had to go to India for training, and
less than one-third returned to
Nepal,” Hanion wrote in the New
Scientist magazine.
Far ahead of his contemporaries,
Dr Shah continually fought to have
these important facets taken into
account as the country moved to
institutionalise medical education.
Yet, for all his contributions, Dr
Shah’s foresight would go largely
unheeded.
If he had been universally
lauded while dean at IoM;
after serving his term, the
visionary leader and
peerless surgeon, would
go on to be ostracised by the very
institute that he helped found. “He
was bypassed by his colleagues at the
IoM because he had unshakeable morals and work ethics, which made him
hard to work with,” says Dr Arjun
Karki, former vice-chancellor at the
Patan Academy of Health Sciences,
“he was eventually forced to move to
Saudi Arabia in 1981 in order to be able
to continue plying his trade.”
Even when in Saudi Arabia, Dr
Shah retained a keen interest in
Nepal’s medical education. “Dr Shah
returned from Saudi Arabia to apply
for a vacant position in the IoM faculty. He waited for over nine months for
the results to be published,” says Dr
Karki. But to no avail.
One of Dr Shah’s first students at
the IoM, Dr Baburam Marasini, now
the director of Epidemiology and
Disease Control Division, says his
mentor had even offered to teach
without pay. Even that request was
inexplicably declined. Despairing
and frustrated, Dr Shah would once
again depart for Saudi Arabia,
returning to Nepal only in 2006.
A quiet and reserved man, Dr Shah
never sought to hog the lime lights in
his lifetime, instead choosing to tirelessly contribute what he could, from
where he could. “He never wanted
any attention, that is perhaps why
not too many people outside the medical community know of him,” says
Dr Karki, “but he was a true pioneer.
He helped shape Nepal’s medical sector and we can only wonder what he
would have helped accomplish had he
been allowed to fully implement his
visions.”v
C M Y K
the arts
Saturday, August 6, 2016
thekathmandu post 06
Charming
Madhavi
Theatre Pragya’s rendition of Madhavi
has all the elements that make theatres
entertaining: sumptuous sets, vibrant
acting and a stellar theme
When in
doubt, punch
PREENA SHRESTHA
T
he buddy-cop movie has long
been a staple in both
Hollywood and—albeit to a
lesser extent—in Bollywood.
It’s simple: take two contrasting personalities—typically
where one is a stone-faced sourpuss
and the other a bit of a good-natured
goof—contrive to somehow get them
working together on the same case,
mix it all up thoroughly in a big,
colourful bowl, and you have yourself a recipe for the sort of bromantic
tomfoolery that actors like Chris
Tucker have pretty much built their
careers on.
Given these by-now very familiar
broad strokes of the genre, it’s clear
that the only way to avoid falling into
the predictability trap is on the back
of chemistry between the leads and,
of course, as much humour as you
could possibly pack in. It is in this
vein that director Rohit Dhawan’s
new Dishoom, starring John
Abraham and Varun Dhawan as the
mismatched couple in question, falters: in hewing too close to convention, and failing to inject either personality or wit into the proceedings,
the film proves little more than a
tedious, although pretty good-looking, patchwork of buddy-cop clichés.
Less than a day to go before an
all-important match between the
Indian and Pakistani cricket teams is
to kick off as part of a series being
held in an unnamed Middle Eastern
country, and star Indian player Viraj
Sharma (Saqib Saleem) has gone
AWOL. Soon, the vest-over-saree-clad
Minister of External Affairs (Mona
Ambegaonkar) receives a video file
from someone purporting to be a
Pakistani fan, and who claims
responsibility for the disappearance.
In order to avoid public outcry, the
decision is made to keep the news
under wraps for the moment while
the kidnapper is caught and Viraj
hopefully rescued. And who better qualified to lead the march
than Kabir Shergill (Abraham),
officer of the Special Task
Force of the Indian police, a
hot-headed but ultimately
effective douchebag who has
not cracked a smile since he
discovered his girlfriend was
The second half of Dishoom is particularly shoddy, and reason just
plain flies out the window, as we’re subjected to one stylish action
set-piece after another, none of it making much sense together
cheating on him—not that he seems
like he was much of a cuddler before
then either.
After travelling to the unnamed
country with no baggage to his name
except a can of deodorant, Kabir
quickly manages to wrangle a sidekick, an Indian-born desk-worker at
the local police station named Junaid
Ansari (Dhawan) who might not be
the brainiest pick of the pile, but is at
least a decent chauffeur and that’s all
Kabir needs at the moment. And so
the unlikely team heads out to discover what exactly happened to
Viraj, with only the vaguest of
clues—and an inexplicably resourceful and extremely comely pickpocket
(played by Jacqueline Fernandez)—
to rely on.
Although the overall premise
probably sounds interesting enough
on paper, what prevents Dishoom
from taking off is inattention to
detail and poor execution. For one, it
is never quite able to transcend the
inevitability that creeps in early on—
if you’ve watched a few Rush Hours,
Bad Boys or Lethal Weapons, you’ll
know that our leads will eventually
learn to work together and the baddy’s days will be numbered. So whatever the “specifics” of their initial meeting, and however they might seem to
clash, it’s not too convincing: you
know Kabir and Junaid are en route
to becoming best buds and dancing off
into the sunset at the end of the day.
That inevitability could’ve possibly been moderated had the two been
allowed to show some personality,
given some more backstory and
depth besides these skeletons of
characters that we see here. As it is,
reel run
1.5/5
Dishoom
Director: Rohit Dhawan
Actors: John Abraham, Varun Dhawan
Genre: Action-adventure comedy
we know little of who they are and
why they are the way they are—
except for the purposes of filling preset “type” requirements, and this
renders them very difficult to believe.
The acting is another issue: Abraham
relies on a single expression to get
him through the entire film—I mean,
we know he’s supposed to be stern, but
that should hardly equate to frowning
his way through every scene and talking in monotone; Dhawan, meanwhile,
is a tad more nuanced, but it’s the same
cheery, clueless, cute-fella shtick he’s
done in almost all his films, and that’s
really beginning to wear thin. As for
Ms Fernandez, although starting out
fairly strong, is quickly reduced to
the usual shimmying around in
skimpy clothing and needing
frequent rescuing.
The second half of Dishoom is
particularly shoddy, and reason—
although not especially well-founded
in the first half either—just plain
flies out the window at this point, as
we’re subjected to one stylish action
set-piece after another, none of it
making much sense together, even by
the standards of the film’s own twisted
internal logic. There’s also a cheap,
and completely pointless, early attempt
at pushing a patriotic angle, which is
thankfully forgotten by the end. It
would’ve maybe helped had the film
been sharper with its humour; unfortunately, the jokes—bar a few such as
the running gag involving Satish
Kaushik’s voice on a long-distance
call—feel inorganic and forced.
The film does have some high points,
although you could probably count
these on one hand: the cinematography is stylish and confident overall,
and some of the action sequences
well-crafted. I’m also thankful for the
lack of unnecessary songs, and the
commitment to noise and movement
does occasionally work to distract one
from the gaping holes in the plot—the
none-too-protracted running time is
another bonus in this regard. There
are also a number of cameos scattered
throughout, and among these—though
it’s yet another instance of the
Bollywood tendency to paint
non-heteronormative
folk
as
predatory—Akshay Kumar’s stint as a
mega-wealthy boy-crazy socialite is
actually pretty funny at times in its
sheer absurdity.
To be fair, Dishoom doesn’t really
ask to be taken too seriously; director
Dhawan doesn’t appear to have any
illusions about what he’s offering
here—frothy, mindless fare that’s
more about over-the-top style and
posturing (there are so many
dramatic, slow-mo entrances
here, you’ll lose
count) than
any connection to the
real world. But
the film isn’t
nearly
silly
enough
or
funny enough
to be worth
all the time
and resources
that have no doubt been
poured into its making, or
indeed even the price of
admission. v
I
scapes
Rohit Dhawan’s new
Dishoom hews too
close to buddy-cop
convention, and
failing to inject either
personality or wit into
the proceedings,
proves little more than
a tedious, although
admittedly pretty
good-looking, retread
of clichés
Timothy Aryal
ndian playwright and author
Bhisam Sahni’s adaptation of
the famous tale from the
Mahabharata,
Madhavi,
translated into Nepali and
directed
by
Tanka
Chaulagain, is currently on at
the Shilpee Theatre in the
Capital. The play has been presented by Theatre Pragya.
The play is based on the classic tale from the Mahabharata
where masculine egos are rampant and misogyny is commonplace—women are treated as if
they are inanimate objects.
Theatre Pragya’s rendition of
the epic tale of love, lust and
egos lives up to its source material and, if anything, only adds
to further the narrative.
Madhavi is charming to sit
through and with is flawless execution punches well above its
weight.
At the onset, we are greeted
by religious chants, transporting the audience to the bygone
days where the play is set. The
ambience is lifted by the smell
of incents, and the set, one of
the most creative designs I have
seen in recent times, foreshadows what is to come. The set—
shaped like a swastika and with
an Om sign placed centre-stage—
not only works as a multi-chambered regal palace but also sums
up the motifs the play revolves
around.
In King Yayati’s palace, a
yagya is taking place. Hence the
all-enveloping smoke. Priests
are chanting lines. Enter the
lead character, Munikumar
Ghalab (played by Ghimire
Yubaraj), and the story lurches
forward—the rest is a rollercoaster tail-spin. Ghalab is in
big trouble. He once insisted to
his guru King Vishvamitra that
he would present him with
whatever gurudakshina he
wished for. The guru wants a
total of 800 Ashwamedhi horses
from Ghalab. Then starts
Ghalab’s desperate quest to
meet his promise; which is why
he happens to visit King Yayati’s
palace. Yayati, renowned across
the state for his generosity,
informs Ghalab that he has no
horses, but instead he vows to
give him his daughter, the beautiful Madhavi, who may help
him get what he wants.
Bewitched by Madhavi’s
grace and charm, Ghalab quickly falls in love. But love is not
what is important for him at the
moment, it is the gurudakhsina.
Putting his own desires on hold,
Ghalab embarks on another
odyssey to collect the horses.
Fate leads him to King
Haryescha’s palace. They make
a deal: Haryescha (played by
Pradeep Regmi) will keep
Madhavi for a year until she gives
birth to a son and in exchange
Ghalab will get 200 Ashwamedhi
horses. One year later, once
Madhavi has been released,
Ghalab makes yet another deal
with King Divodaas (played by
Saroj Aryal). (It’s interesting to
watch how Aryal plays his role.
It might remind you of his role
in last year’s Sandaju Ko
Mahabharat. He is the same
mean, stingy guy, and here he is
also the lecherous King.)
After yet another deal with
King Tapak, Ghalab collects 600
horses. Madhavi is free and back
with him, but that is the least of
his concerns. The prospect of
his failure to fulfilling the
gurudakshina nauseates him. It
is then that Madhavi visits King
Vishvamitra and asks the king
to take her and forgive Ghalab.
The text, an interpretation of
an
episode
from
the
Mahabharata, boasts parallels
to modern times as well. Theatre
Pragya’s rendition not only lives
up to the original text but perhaps also enlivens it. The credit
goes to its stellar cast—comprising seasoned actors such as
It’s the lead Yubaraj who shines through
the play. His role as a self-obsessed,
arrogant Ghalab could not have been
carried out better. Archana Panthi as
Madhavi is also as vibrant but she could
have done better had she given some
effort in adjusting her tone and body
language to the shifting them
Ghimire Yubaraj, Ram KAC,
Saroj Aryal, Archana Panthi,
Pradeep Regmi, Sabin Kattel,
Kishor Kumar Chaulagain and
Jeevan Baral. The cast has been
very thoughtfully chosen and
they live up to the director’s
vision.
It’s the lead, Ghimire Yubaraj,
shines through the play. His role
as a self-obsessed, arrogant
Ghalab could not have been
carried out better. Archana
Panthi as Madhavi is also as
vibrant but she could have done
better had she given some effort
in adjusting her dialogues and
demeanour to the shifting
themes.
All in all, Theatre Pragya’s
Madhavi comes as a much-needed treat for the Capital’s theatregoers. It has got almost all the
elements that make theatres
entertaining: sumptuous sets,
vibrant acting and a stellar
theme. v
C M Y K
07
expression
thekathmandu post
n Anju Shrestha (as Aoi Kunieda from Beelzebub) and Puja Rai (as
Baby 5 from One Piece). Both Shrestha and Rai have been
cosplaying for over three years. They met when cosplaying and have
been good friends ever since. They consider the art as passion and a n A young man dressed as Hidan, an antagonist
medium to express and, at the same time, make new friends.
from Naruto.
n
A young cosplayer at the event.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Puza Tamang and Rohit Shrestha pose as Bulma and Vegeta from Dragon Ball
Z—two of the most celebrated characters in anime history. Puza and Rohit met
as cosplayers and have been together since.
n
We are art
NHOOJA TULADHAR
C
A cosplayer takes time out to flip through the pages of the first volume of Daemon
Ignition—a manga series released during the event—by Anish Raj Joshi.
n
n
Competing cosplayers flaunt their costumes and props on stage.
Indie rock band Plebian perform while the music video for their new single Anoutho Mann
screens in the background. The video, which features cosplayers from Otaku Club Nepal, was
released during the event.
n
Rohit Shrestha poses as Vegeta from Japanese pop-culture
classic, Dragon Ball Z.
n
osplay is now a global
sub-culture. Brought to
the limelight by enthusiasts in the US and Japan,
the art form is based on
characters
from
comics,
live-action and animated films
and series and video games.
While the Nepali entertainment industry hardly produces
any material for fans to base
their cosplays after—I am
hopeful of the future. In the
past two years, Nepal has seen
a huge surge in cosplayers—
predominantly those who are
Japanese manga and anime
Otaku and some American
comic bookfans.
On July 30, Otaku Next—a
community of enthusiasts who
support comic/manga art—
organised the biggest cosplay
convention in Nepal, till date.
Hundreds of young women and
men flocked the venue at
Alliance Française in Teku;
some posing as their favourite
fictional pop-culture characters and others simply there to
look at those who were dressed
for the occasion.
Alongside the launch of the
first volume of Daemon
Ignition, a comic by Anish Raj
Joshi, the convention also saw
stalls selling merchandise featuring popular anime characters. All the while, participants
were taking turns going up on
stage and performing as the
characters they were dressed
as. A few bands, including the
rock act Plebian, played some
numbers for the crowd, including some original soundtracks
from animes—some of them
even sang Japanese lyrics!
But what was most interesting about the entire affair was
the fact that the crowd felt as if
it was one big cult. Everybody
seemed to be getting along—
talking and sharing. I was
walking around talking, taking
pictures of some of the cosplayers and in almost every
cosplayer, I found an unshakable passion towards the character and the comic or anime it
was based on. And while I
talked to these cosplayers,
there were others who would
pass by, stop, and take a picture
with their fellow performers.
As I continued walking
about, making small talk with
these comic/video game/animation characters—some getups I could recognise, some
newer ones I was alien to—I
realised how important it was
to be passionate about the
things you love and enjoy.
Sometimes, we have got to
let the child within just be. v
Mrigaja Bajracharya, a professional illustrator, flaunts her
Inu Yasha costume.
n
n
n Senmi Rai poses as Ryu from Street Fighters. Rai has always been a lover of video games. She says, “I chose Ryu because he is
such an iconic character. And besides, it is fun to cosplay; I’m not very outspoken and this has helped me interact with other Otakus.”
n Wataru Ram Shrestha (third from right)— Himura Kenshin of
the Rurouni Kenshin manga series—poses with his friends from
Otaku Club Nepal. The club had 40 cosplayers participating in
the festival. Shrestha is a fine-art student in KU and manages
Otaku Store Nepal, located in Jamal.
n
Otaku Club Nepal members take a group picture.
n
Fellow cosplayers try out and teach each other moves and poses.
A woman in a kimono rests after a busy day.
n A young girl dressed as Harley Quinn, an original character from Batman: The
Animated Series.
C M Y K
as it is
Saturday, August 6, 2016
the kathmandu post
08
The time of
our lives
In Nepal, everything intersects, except for high politics, which
continues with its tug-of-war no matter what might be at stake
PRANAYA SJB RANA
L
think(in)ink
ife in Nepal can become one
long unending blur. Relations,
social, personal, professional
and political, bleed into each
other. There are no boundaries
sectioning off identities and preferences into discrete units. Existence,
for the commoner, is an amalgam. It is
seemingly only the powerful who can
afford to seal themselves away in
hermetic chambers. For the rest of
us, everything intersects.
First intersection:
Dr Govinda KC got off his hunger
strike a few weeks ago. What was it
the fifth, sixth or seventh time? It’s
hard to keep track when the good
doctor goes on a protest fast every
few months because the government
simply pays lip service and promises
him the world. No one wants blood on
their hands, especially Dr KC’s, who’s
essentially a saint.
After a long time, civil society
mobilised itself behind Dr KC and I
am certain the mass of people behind
him had a lot to do with how the then
Oli government dealt with him. Still,
the polarisation that has cleaved
Nepali (or rather, Kathmandu) civil
society into two ever since the promulgation of the constitution was painful to see. On the one side, a number
of Dr KC supporters adopted aggressive rhetoric, portending doom and
gloom should Lokman Singh Karki
(who Dr KC was protesting against)
be allowed to have his way. On the
other, a number of Madhesis
refused to support Dr KC because they
saw his cause as disconnected from
them and they found little reason to
support the doctor when he hadn’t
supported them.
This was just one of the ways in
which the divide was manifest. The
Madhesi movement last year was no
aberration and it certainly hasn’t
been extinguished. It would be a
grave mistake on new Prime Minister
Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s part to follow
former PM KP Oli’s belligerent example. To Dahal’s credit, he has already
reached an agreement with the
Madhesi parties to amend the constitution. But sadly, Lokman Singh Karki’s
position continues to look unassailable
and he remains as obstinate as ever.
There is little hope that the new
Prachanda government will take any
real steps to circumscribe Karki’s power.
Second intersection:
So while the game of musical
chairs continues in Kathmandu,
thousands continue to leave
the country and thousands
more languish in their temporary
post-earthquake shelters
that have all but become
permanent homes
Every conversation about our outgoing PM Oli again divides people into
two distinct camps. There are those
who think Oli was the last great
nationalist leader, who bravely fended off India and was unceremoniously tossed aside by that vile instigator
of war and conflict, Pushpa Kamal
Dahal. Then, there are those think
Oli was a populist rabble-rouser, who
pointed to the external enemy so as to
distract from the very serious internal problems he had inherited and
who, instead of healing these rifts
through dialogue, sought to exacerbate them through open dismissal
and outright hostility. Whenever I
have had this particular conversation, those in favour and those
against tend to migrate towards each
other, forming two physically distinct
sides, seeking comfort in those who
think the way you do.
For me, it is difficult to find much
merit in the man, possibly as difficult
as it was to find much merit in Sushil
Koirala or now in Pushpa Kamal
Dahal. (But that remains to be seen
and I’m willing to give Dahal his
chance. His last time as prime minister was cut painfully short.) But
Koirala was a layabout who was
never particularly interested in politics and Dahal, no doubt, is still beset
by the paranoia of having lived
underground for 10 years with a price
on his head. Oli’s psyche, though, is
one of his own making. His ties to the
goons who rule Kathmandu’s streets
are no secret and he brought the
same brawny approach to the executive, attempting to railroad anything
that counteracted his way of doing
things. There was little time to listen
when he was almost always spouting
a crass witticism or two. Those who
had little to gain or lose from Oli supported
him
and
tweeted
#IAmWithKPOli, but those who had
a lot to lose are happy to see him go.
Still, I cannot help but feel perturbation at the joy with which Indian
media exploded when Oli was ousted.
Editorials were deliberately muted in
excitement but opinion pieces were
celebratory. Certainly, Oli was a pain
in the backside and this kind of exuberance only served to entrench in
Oli’s supporters his image as a
redoubtably nationalist leader of the
Mahendra ilk.
Third intersection:
Two weeks ago, at the Consular
Section of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Tripureshwor, a woman,
middle-aged and dressed in a flower-patterned top, came up to me as I
stood in line with a number of men
(and a few women) to get our documents attested so we could present
them to an embassy or an employer
and leave the country. The woman
asked for my last name, very casually.
I asked her why she needed my last
name and she brushed it off, asking
me again. I replied and she laughed,
“Oh, I thought you were a Muslim”,
referring to the unruly full beard I
have cultivated for the past four
years. “I was worried you were going
to blow us up,” she added as an afterthought. A few of the men who’d been
listening in laughed with her. I didn’t.
I hectored her, asking first why she
thought anyone would deign to blow
up the Consular Section of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal.
She didn’t have an answer.
As I stood in line, I spoke with a
number of young men trying to leave
the country. Most were from outside
Kathmandu and complained about
having had to come to Kathmandu to
get their documents signed and
stamped. Most had been here over a
week, living with friends and trying
to contend with the bureaucracy.
When I made a passing comment
about this was why we needed federalism, they only gave strained smiles.
Many of them had had their homes
destroyed in the earthquake. They
had come back, tried to rebuild, failed
at that and were now going back.
Later, as I sat in the waiting area,
listening to an officer sitting behind
glass and barking orders into a shoddy microphone, a name was called.
“Saddam Hussein.” There was a ripple of laughter and even the officer
made a joke, asking why the man
needed documents when he was the
former president of Iraq. More
chuckles. The man named Saddam
Hussein had no facial hair at all.
So while the game of musical
chairs continues in Kathmandu,
thousands continue to leave the country and thousands more languish in
their temporary post-earthquake
shelters that have all but become permanent homes. In Kathmandu, those
with the means can afford to laugh at
the political charade. After all, who’s at
the top does not seem to affect those at
the bottom. In Nepal, everything intersects, except for high politics, which
continues with its tug-of-war no matter what might be at stake.
This, then, is the time of our lives.
Or so it goes. v
thinkinink.wordpresss.com
Back in the game again!
Our Emperor is back in Baluwatar. Will things be different
the second time around? Nope
Guffadi
O
I learned to live out of a backpack very early.
There was a way of packing and unpacking that
became a part of my life
Subhaaya Shakya
voices
T
his is what I remember of my childhood: I used to live out of a backpack.
My parents were divorced when I was
eight, and I think they worked out an
arrangement of some sort, according
to which I would be shuttling between my
father’s and my mother’s house every other
month. My mother had moved back with her
parents after the divorce. And my father still
lived with his parents.
Every time I arrived in the other house,
each set of my grandparents would fuss over
me, mostly telling me I had been under-fed or
hadn’t been well looked after. They would
say it out loud enough to make sure my parent, whichever of the two I happened to be
staying with at that time,heard the comments. It passed like ceremony—those first
few moments of raining complaints soon
after my arrival. And then it would come up
now and then at dinner time or when someone was giving me a bath.
Anyway.
I learned to live out of a backpack very early.
There was a way of packing and unpacking
that became a part of my life. I always travelled with two bags. One for my text books, and
the other for my clothes. My school bag had
the regular arrangement of a large main compartment for text books and notebooks, then
a smaller one in the front where I would slip
my geometry box as well as my tiffin-box.
Then there were two side pockets which
came in handy for toffees and bubblegum.
The backpack, however, served a different
function. It had one big compartment, where
I had learned to fit my clothes in snugly. The
trick was to fold each one into little rectan-
gles, with the sleeves and the sashes tucked
toward the inside of the garment so that
they only appeared like cloths folded to look
like rectangles. I always spent a lot of time
making the perfect rectangle. I would stack
them against each other and then slip them
all at once into the bag. The white shirts I
wore to school everyday were a little tricky
to fold because the collar had to be spread
out flat so that they didn’t look like humps. I
preferred them spread out flat and smooth so
the rectangle didn’t have to look like it had
an uneven secret hidden within.
For my undergarments, I used a plastic
bag that had once carried a watch Father got
me from one of his trips abroad. The white
plastic bag said HnM in black letters. They
The trick was to fold each one into little
rectangles, with the sleeves and the
sashes tucked toward the inside of the
garment so that they only appeared like
cloths folded to look like rectangles
were always five pairs of underwear in five
different colours to pack. Sometimes, I would
have to slip wet underwear in the bag
because it would already be time to go to the
‘other’ house and my knickers would still be
hanging on the clothesline, waiting to dry.
There were small disasters related to such
an incident because the moisture always
found a way to seep into the dry ones as well.
If I was going to Mother’s house with the
soaking paraphernalia, she would bring all
of them out and put them in the terrace to
dry. Father usually forgot to help me with
heads and tales
The trick behind
folding clothes
such things because he was always busy
talking to his business partners on the
phone. And I guess that was how I figured
that I had to take care of such things myself.
Going back to my backpack,there would
always be a pair of Bata slippers to pack.
They went into another plastic bag with the
white Keds I wore on PT days. In winter, the
bag would bloat with sweaters knitted by my
two grandmothers. And if I happened to be
wearing the one knitted by the other one in
the presence of this one,this one always
fussed about the pattern or the quality of the
wool of the one knitted by the other one. I
used to wonder what it was that my grandmothers were constantly fighting about in
one another’s absence.
I became an expert at packing and unpacking over the years. Sometimes, Mother interfered because she thought I took too long to
fold things. Father would just let me be.
When my period started, I was staying
with Father, and it was the one time I wished
they had been in the same house. It would
have been less messy trying to fix myself
something to keep from staining my underwear. And that was when the side pockets of
the backpack came in handy. They could be
stuffed with items such as packets of sanitary pads and trainer bras. Folding bras, by
the way, were an entirely different story.
They didn’t work the way the rest of the
garments did. Even socks were easier than
bras. The bras needed to have their halters
tucked in first. It was the only way I could
make them look maybe not exactly like a
rectangle, but a pumped-up rhombus.
Eventually, I outgrew my backpack and
graduated to a duffle bag, and then a suitcase, and then I just moved out to share a
place with a classmate. Once I had a job, it
made sense to stop being the go-between my
parents. Besides, Father had a wife now. And
Mother got busier and busier attending to
my grandparents, who appeared paler by the
day. There was resistance at first. Why would
I do something like that? Mother wept.
Father and his wife were outraged at the
idea. But I stood quietly both times, listening
to their respective monologues and then I
moved out.
All my bags have been shoved into the
drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe now.
Inside, under the shadow of suspended jackets and shirts,you will find little piles of
folded garments. Some of them are skirts
Mother bought me. And there is a pink face
towel Father gave me. I sit down some days,
just unfolding and folding them over and over
again, thinking about Mother’s fast-graying
hair and father’s failing eyesight.v
ur great Emperor is once again back into
the power game as our 39th Prime
Monster. If the man had not joined politics he would certainly be one of the
country’s finest actors today. He knows
when to laugh, when to cry, when to grind his
teeth and show his rage and when to fall flat
and just smile and wait for another day to cook
up another coalition to get back into power
I think it’s time we banned garlands, khatas,
abirs and what not inside the House. Yes, you
are now our Prime Monster but don’t prance
around with garlands suffocating your neck
and wearing abir on your forehead as if you
just came from Rio with a gold medal.
Our Emperor should hire an astrologer and
appoint him as his spiritual advisor or something. The number ‘9’ seems to be the number
for our Emperor. He was our Prime Monster
earlier for nine months until he resigned
because he did not get what he wanted which
was to fire the Army Chief. Yes, our politicians
have different priorities. They are busy figuring out whom to promote or transfer to lucrative postings rather than finding ways to curb
inflation, minimise corruption and make sure
that everyone follows the laws of the land.
Now, after nine years, our Emperor is back
in Baluwatar and he will be hanging there for
the next nine months. Will things be different
the second time around? Nope. As usual, there
will be ministries to be divided among the coalition partners. And every top government
positions will be divided among their loyal
cadres as well. It’s funny that we have a quota
system when it comes to our government jobs.
They tell us that we live in a democracy and we
are now a federal republic but instead of promoting meritocracy, our politicians continue to follow the ‘afno manchey’ formula so that they can
continue to make some moolah from those that
they have appointed to lucrative postings.
Our Emperor tells us that he is a changed
man. Yes, he is. He now plays ping pong everyday to keep himself fit. Politics has been good
for our man. From a skinny fellow, living in a
dark room in Patan and riding a rusty bicycle
around town, he is now an obese old man who
rides in a luxury vehicle and lives in a rented
house where the monthly rent is more than
what an average Nepali makes in a year. Life is
good for our politicians.
After all, they have sacrificed their lives to
fight the system, spent years in jail or underground so that one day, if they got lucky and
came into power, then they could exploit the
system to earn illegal riches rather than working together to bring reform in the system.
That has been the story of all our politicians in
this land. Yes, their kids are now better off and
live a luxurious lifestyle while millions of our
kids have no opportunity in this land and have
no option but to go overseas and work in inhumane conditions to make a few Dinars more.
The new government is busy making sure
they keep our Madhesi parties happy by declaring those killed by the state in the Madhes
Andolan as martyrs and providing a million
Rupees each to the victims’ families. But in reality, the victims’ families will get peanuts while
local leaders will take most of it for their own
kharcha! Let us hope our government will also
provide for the families of our security personnel who were murdered during the andolan and
also take action against the perpetrators as well.
Our Prime Monster tell us that his government will be ‘the government for the poor’ or
whatever that means because so far our politicians and civil servants have stolen from the
state treasury and made the government, the
country and the people poor. When our government talks about livelihood, it means providing contracts to cadres and slimy contractors
so that they can make some dough.
When they talk about education, it means
providing scholarships and grants to children
of near and dear ones so that they can study in
foreign lands and settle there. When they talk
about health, it’s about making sure our government buys medical equipment for millions
and let it rust and buy another one just for the
sake of commission.
When our government talks about food security, it means providing security to our byaparis
who sell adulterated products and not taking
action against them even when they jack up the
prices by 30% every year while the farmers who
sell the produce don’t event make enough to provide for their families. When our government
talks about self-employment, it means providing
loans to their own cadres while millions of youth
neither get any loans nor get any training to
develop their skills to earn a decent living.
Our Emperor tells us that the government
will first identify the poor people and then only
roll out programs to make their lives better.
Yes, carry out the study, waste millions while
the poor will at most get identity cards and
nothing else. We know very well that things
will not change for good. Our politicians will
continue to play the ‘share the loot’ game and
will do nothing for the poor and the needy. After
all, we cannot only blame our Emperor alone. He
is just another player who had a vision to change
this country for good but once he got into the
system, our civil servants and his coalition partners have changed him for good. Now, he is just
another politician who spends his time making
sure he finds ways to make money so that he
can keep his near and dear ones happy. What
about the country and the people? Well, for our
politicians neither exists. v
C M Y K
09 thekathmandu post
books
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Through the looking glass
With his recently-released anthology Fulani, Khagendra Lamichhane proves that he is no one-trick-pony
CP Aryal
T
here are certain qualities that
Khagendra Lamichhane infuses into everything he does.
Simple but layered storytelling; straightforward dialogues
imbued with vernacular
nuances and tales that lucidly unpack
the lives of the everyday Nepali.
Lamichhane, who has been successfully plying his trade in the Nepali
theatre and film industry, to critical
acclaim, has now come up with an
anthology of short stories—Fulani.
Delightfully simple, yet surprisingly
Fulani
Khagendra Lamichhane
Bookhill
NEW BOOKS
moving, the book is yet another
plume on the author’s already illustrious hat. Pashupati Prasad is not a
one-trick-pony.
Lamichhane’s prose is simple and
lucid, without any ornamentation
that often distract rather than inform
the story arc. As you page through
the stories, you find a strong connection to the author’s roots in western
Nepal, which inform the colloquial
tone and the quaint settings of his
stories. In the book, Lamichhane
picks
his
characters
from
diverse walks of life. They may not be
your larger-than-life characters, but
for that exact reason they are instantly relatable to the readers—like the
pensioner Bude and the widow
Naina Kumari.
In that particular story, Bude and
Naina Kumari have both lost their
spouses. After serendipitously crossing paths at a chautari, their innocent back-and-forth about life’s joys
and troubles give seed to love. Yet the
two ageing would-be lovers struggle
to move past stigmas and convince
the society that two lonely people in
the dusk of their lives can conceive
of seeking solace in each other.
Another story of unrequited
desire, Bar Love, narrates the predicament of a naive boy who visits a
shady dance restaurant for the first
time; tries to woo a bar dancer and
fails miserably. While, Bausaab ko
Cycle lays bare the everyday realities
of the crumbling feudal modalities
the society once functioned under.
The titular character, Bhuwaneswor,
loses his “privileged” status, wealth
and social esteem because of the
sweeping political changes in the
country. As they dwell in the
slums of a city, Bhuwaneswor’s family is now mocked by the very society
that once held them in such high
esteem. Yet, the Bausaab is not ready
to give up his cultural values or his
moral high-ground.
Author Lamichhane’s theatrical
aptitude comes to life in the story
Atal Bahadur ko Aatanka, which had
been previously staged as a play in
the Capital to critical acclaim. The
story presents not only the rowdy,
chaotic character of Atal Bahadur,
but also the ironic lifestyle of a village where people continue to live in
their myth-like past rather than in
the present—spending their time
swapping stories of their youth and
bygone days rather than confronting
the real problems that plague them in
the here-and-now.
With tales like these—of a society
flirting with modernity but clogged
up in its own past—the book is a
mixed bag that touches upon a host
of socio-political issues, crammed
together with motifs of love and
gender roles. The book also examines
the fallout of the decade-long
Maoist insurgency and the effect it
had on a wide cross-section of the
Nepali society. The voices of myriad
different characters have been
weaved into the plots which make the
author’s intentions apparent: he
wants the book to resonate with all
the voices of the society, muffled or
otherwise.
That said; storytelling on paper is
markedly different from performance
arts. On stage or on screen, it is possible to convert lukewarm scripts into
Num Village
by Eric Berta
n
Having aptly conquered movies, theatre and
now writing, there is no telling what surprise this
talented artist will cook up next
sizzling hours of entertainment
based on performance alone. Short
stories and novels, however, hinge on
how the writer is able to execute the
plot and make the character come to
life. It comes as little surprise that in
Lamichhane’s stories you find traces
of his exploits as an actor and director. Yet, without the bright lights and
stoic performances, Fulani oftentimes falls flat—failing to capture the
reader’s imagination as it perhaps
would have on the silver screen.
At times the stories are in want of
further exploration and the author’s
simple prose could have been
improved for the better. And
owing to its sometimes drab prose
and rigid storylines, the book is certainly not the pageturner that it
could have been.
In the first story, Fulani, for
instance, the titular, enigmatic character is introduced. Yet we are not
offered a lot of information about
her, and neither about the narrator
Bibhor. The two fall in and out of love
for the majority of the story without
it really leading anywhere. Fulani
supposedly represents a character
vehemently against the age-old patriarchal domination. However, the
reader is left grasping at straws as
the author does not provide enough
details to amply portray this rebellious quality.
In another story, Pradhyapak Ko
Car Biyog, the character Nanda
Prasad is a well-to-do educator. He
owns a car but he can’t drive or
afford to hire a driver. The writer’s
satire of the opulent middle-class
is obvious here and in the end, Nanda
Prasad willingly wrecks his car
into the Trishuli River before
writing a self-deprecating poem to
Colin Hancock is giving his second
chance his best shot. With a history of
violence and bad decisions behind him
and the threat of prison dogging his
every step, he’s determined to walk a
straight line. Maria Sanchez, the
hardworking daughter of Mexican
immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. A chance encounter on
a rain-swept road will alter the course
of both Colin and Maria’s lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about
each other and ultimately, themselves.
It Ends with Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s
never stopped her from working hard for
the life she wants. She’s come a long way
from the small town in Maine where she
grew up—she graduated from college,
moved to Boston, and started her own
business. So when she feels a spark with
a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle
Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life
suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
The Cartel 6: The Demise
Author: Ashley and JaQuavis
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Las Vegas. A city built on obscene wealth
and corrupt deals, cunning entrepreneurs,
and the ruthless mob. The Cartel’s plan to
open a casino will rake in cash, but comes
with great sacrifice. The stakes have never
been this high, and rules of the game have
never been this hard to manipulate. And
when one dead girl, one scorned wife, and
one hole in the desert launch a chain of
catastrophic events, The Cartel is sent on a
downward spiral as they battle the Arabian
mob and fight traitors within their circle.
See Me
Author: Nicholas Spark
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Sending fictional characters abroad
Why writers keep treading on the Henry James formula of taking characters from their roots and casting them overseas
Charles McGrath
ex libris
N
ovelists send their characters
abroad for the same reason we
send ourselves: for a change of
pace, to get out of a rut, to
shake off the rust. Henry
James built a whole career on exploring the theme of Americans traveling abroad and being transformed
by the experience. You could argue
that James himself left America prematurely, before he gave it much of a
chance. He concluded, on not a whole
lot of evidence, that this country
lacked sufficient history and complexity to nurture a serious novelist.
But his books also make a powerful
case for the erotics of travel, or of
novelistic travel anyway—the idea
that Americans away from home can
find themselves culturally bewildered but also sexually as well as
geographically liberated. His discovery has proved immensely durable.
You can see traces of it, for example,
in Diane Johnson’s smart, funny and
charming novels about American
The impulse behind books
is not touristic, not even in the
literary sense, but something
more profound. They bear witness
or bring information about
something new
women trying to make their way in
the Frenchest parts of France. More
recently, there have been novels, like
Caleb Crain’s Necessary Errors and
Darryl
Pinckney’s
Black
Deutschland, that work a gay variation on the theme, suggesting that to
be out in Europe (in Crain’s case, the
early ’90s in Prague; in Pinckney’s,
Berlin in the ’80s) is, if not easier
than being out in America, at
least very different.
But maybe because the
Jamesian formula is so reliable
as to seem practically foolproof, two of the better
American novels in recent
years—Anthony Doerr’s
Pulitzer Prize-winning
All the Light We Cannot
See
and
Anthony
Marra’s remarkable
debut, A Constellation
of
Vi t a l
Phenomena—abandon it in favour of
something
much
more
radical.
They’re not novels
of
Americans
abroad, but rather
novels
about
Europeans,
requiring
full
immersion in another place and culture.
Doerr’s book is set during
World War II and is about a blind
French girl and a young German
radio technician whose paths eventually intersect. Marra’s is about
Chechens during the anti-Soviet
rebellion, mostly from 1994 to 2004.
There are no American characters,
no American themes, no particularly
American sensibility. There’s nothing American about them, unless it’s
the prose. In effect, they’re European
novels that don’t read as if they’ve
been translated.
All the Light We Cannot See was
inspired by a visit Doerr made to
Saint-­
Malo, an old port city in
Brittany, and part of its success may
owe to how beautifully he evokes that
landscape. There are even guides
now for enthusiastic readers who
want to visit the places described in
his novel. But Marra, who was still
in writing school when A
Constellation of Vital Phenomena
was published, had never been to
Chechnya until after he finished a
draft, and the country he describes,
where unexploded shells are covered by old toilet bowls, would not
be on most people’s bucket list.
The impulse behind both books is
not touristic, not even in the
literary sense, but something
more profound. They bear witness or bring information
about something new in a
way that American novels
seldom
do
anymore,
because novels are no
longer where we look to
get our news about ourselves. Increasingly, we
read them to be reminded of what we already
know.
At this point, it’s
early to tell whether
these two books are
just a happy coincidence—two very good
himself. Though it has ample shock
value, the story hardly offers anything new in terms of storytelling
and once again reminds the reader of
the plot’s lost potential.
Infused with subtle humour, the
anthology is no doubt a deft look at
the society the writer is writing out
of. Yet, the book could have been
exponentially better had it boasted a
tad more fluid prose and had the plots
been thought-out more carefully.
While it might not intrigue readers
as much as his plays and movies
have, Fulani is an important marker
for Khagendra Lamichanne’s career.
Having aptly conquered movies, theatre and now writing, there is no telling what surprise this talented artist
will cook up next. v
American novels, coming seemingly
out of nowhere, that happen to be
about other people and other places—or an indication of something
else: a novelistic weariness with
America and Americans, a sense that
our native ground is not too thin, as
Henry James would have it, but too
played out. The paradox is that the
same ground can seem inexhaustibly
fertile to writers from elsewhere. One
of the best novels about America in
recent years is Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie’s
Americanah,
which
deploys the Jamesian formula in
reverse. It’s about a young Nigerian
woman who comes to this
country in search of the usual—love,
happiness, adventure—and finds
them in a way that makes the reader
see our country (and its race relations in particular) in a wholly new
and unexpected light. v
Charles Mc Grath was the editor of
the Book Review from 1995 to 2004,
and is now a contributing writer for
The Times. Earlier he was the deputy
editor and the head of the fiction
department of The New Yorker.
Besides The Times, he has written for
The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The
New Republic and Outside. He is the
editor of two golf books—The
Ultimate Golf Book and Golf
Stories—and is currently working on
an edition of John O’Hara’s stories
for the Library of America.
—©2016 The New York Times
Best-seller List
Hardcover fiction
1 The Black Widow
by, Daniel Silva
2 The Girls by,
Emma Cline
3 First Comes Love
by, Emily Giffin
4 The Woman In
Cabin 10 by, Ruth
Ware
5 Magic by, Danielle
Steel
Hardcover nonFiction
1 Crisis of
Character by, Gary
J Byrne with Grant
M Schmidt
2 Hillary’s America
by, Dinesh D’ Souza
3 Hamilton: The Revolution by, Lin-Manuel Miranda and
Jeremy McCarter
4 Armageddon by,
Dick Morris and
Eileen McGaan
5 When Breath
Becomes Air, by
Paula Kalanithi
For the week ending August 5
C M Y K
world
Saturday, August 06, 2016
thekathmandu post
10
Fifa walked away from Brazil with
a reported $4bn profit from the 2014
World Cup in Brazil, accused of leaving little behind in tangible benefits.
Is Brazil ready for the Olympics?
L
Wyre Davies
competitors, visitors and the press.
ocals in Rio de Janeiro sometimes refer to their city as “a
cidade
maravilhosa”—”the
marvellous city”.
With its forest-clad mountains, famous long beaches and
diverse communities living cheek-byjowl, there has probably never been a
more stunning backdrop for an
Olympic Games.
Those who backed its bid for the
2016 Olympics against much more
“established” and “stable” venues in
the northern hemisphere say Rio is
now a city transformed.
‘Going to be a party’
But what about the locals?
It’s an almost criminal abrogation
of responsibility, say many critics
including Christopher Gaffney, now a
professor of urban planning at
Zurich University but a long-time
student of and specialist on big projects in Brazil. “It’s going to be a
party, just like the World Cup was,
and people will say they pulled it off,”
Prof Gaffney tells me.
“Millions of the city’s residents live
in favelas that have had no improvement, so when we see the equivalent of
$15bn (£11.3bn) being spent on the
Olympics, that money should have
been directed to attend the basic needs
of the citizens of Rio.” Rio 2016 organisers and supporters, like Mr Paes,
are quick to counter. Their strongest
defence is that Rio has spent much
less public money than either London
or Beijing to put on the Games.
There has, instead, been a heavier
reliance on private spending by big
construction firms that stand to
make substantial profits from
Olympic spaces and buildings once
the Games are over. Olympic officials
often say the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) should not be compared to Fifa, the governing body of
world football.
Regeneration
A city that had almost been in a state
of decay, since it lost its status as
capital of Brazil in 1960, has been
reborn and rediscovered its pride.
Cheerleader-in-chief for Rio is its
charismatic and controversial mayor,
Eduardo Paes. I’ve met him many
times over the last three years and
have always been struck by his ability to defend the sometimes questionable decisions made in putting on the
2016 Olympic Games.
Mr Paes’ strongest argument is
that much of the regeneration in
areas like Rio’s old port zone would
simply not have happened had it not
been for the impetus of the Olympics.
New museums, urban light rail
and sports venues have appeared in
recent years. The odd project has
missed the Olympic deadline but in
time-honoured Brazilian fashion,
most work is being finished before
Friday’s opening ceremony and the
arrival of more than half a million
Republicans fear
Trump derailment
Republicans are reportedly considering
whether to confront Trump amid his
increasingly outlandish behaviour
Ben Jacobs
D
onald Trump has insisted all
is well with his campaign
even as Republicans grow
increasingly worried about a
candidate who seems to have
gone permanently off-track.
Republican National Committee
chairman ReincePriebus is reportedly among a handful of high-profile
Republicans considering whether to
confront Trump about his approach
to his presidential campaign.
“There is great unity in my campaign, perhaps greater than ever
before,” the Republican candidate
tweeted on Wednesday.
But in recent days, as Trump has
continued to pursue a feud with the
parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in combat in Iraq, pointedly refused to endorse Republican
House speaker Paul Ryan and 2008
GOP nominee John McCain in their
primary elections and suggested that
November’s election would be rigged,
his conduct has led to a number of
reports that top Republicans may be
attempting an intervention and that
top Trump campaign staffers have
been “frustrated”, “suicidal” and
now “mailing it in”.
The Trump campaign aggressively
pushed back against the reports, with
spokesman Jason Miller boasting on
Tuesday night: “Our campaign just
finished our strongest month of fundraising to date, we’re adding talented
and experienced staffers on a daily
basis and Mr Trump is turning out
bigger, more enthusiastic crowds
than Hillary Clinton ever could.”
However, campaign chair Paul
Manafort struck a slightly more
resigned note in an interview with
Fox News on Wednesday, saying: “I’m
in control of the things that the candidate wants me to control.”
According to the Associated Press,
citing a Republican official with
direct knowledge of Priebus’ plans,
the RNC chairman may join a small
group of well-respected Republicans
to confront Trump in the coming
days. The plan is not final, but the
official says the group may include
former House speaker Newt Gingrich
and former New York mayor Rudy
Giuliani, both Trump allies.
Priebus has already been speaking
with Manafort and the billionaire’s
children, who are said to agree that
Trump needs to stop picking fights
within his own party and back off his
criticism of the Khan family.
tourists. Indeed, in those areas where
tourists congregate there is a palpable sense of anticipation that the
Games are almost upon us. Concerns
about Rio’s extraordinarily high levels of crime are allayed by the presence of 85,000 soldiers and police on
the streets.
The new metro line linking the
hotel zone to the main Olympic Park
has just been inaugurated and, for
the duration of the Games, will only
be used by Olympic officials, journalists and those with tickets for the
events. It’s been tight but all is just
about coming together—at least for the
Trump’s vice-presidential candidate, Mike Pence, told Fox News he
backed Ryan. Last week, he issued a
statement calling Capt Humayun
Khan an “American hero” following
Trump’s criticism of his parents.
Although there had long been the
belief among party elders that
Trump, whose success as a candidate
has been attributed to outlandish
statements and a yen for courting
controversy, would pivot in a general
election and somehow become a more
sober, focused political figure, that
expectation increasingly seems like
wishful thinking on their part. Instead,
top Republicans are expressing growing regret that they have hitched their
wagon to such a flawed candidate.
Now, GOP figures are trying to
make peace with the fact that Trump,
who even seemed to pick a fight with
a bawling infant at a campaign rally
on Tuesday, is not becoming more
“presidential”. Instead, the Trump
RNC chairman may join a small
group of well-respected
Republicans to confront Trump in
the coming days. The plan is not
final, but the group may include
former House speaker Newt
Gingrich and former New York
mayor Rudy Giuliani
who is bashing McCain as having
“not done a good job for the vets” is
the same erratic candidate who
prompted party elders to roll their
eyes in the summer of 2015 when he said
John McCain “was not a war hero”.
Trump’s unusual behaviour is also
prompting
some
prominent
Republicans to jump ship. While
many top GOP figures have insisted
that they would not vote for Trump
under any circumstances, including
Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush, this week
marked the first time outside of
national security circles that any
explicitly said that they would support Hilary Clinton.
On Tuesday, Richard Hanna, a
retiring GOP congressman from
upstate New York, announced that he
would be voting for Clinton in
November. In an op-ed in the Syracuse
Post-Standard, Hanna wrote: “While I
disagree with her on many issues, I
will vote for Mrs Clinton. I will be
hopeful and resolute in my belief that
being a good American who loves his
country is far more important than
parties or winning and losing.”
Hanna has been joined in his support for Clinton by former top staffers for Jeb Bush and Chris Christie
as well as former California gubernatorial candidate and top Republican
donor Meg Whitman, who told the
New York Times that she would raise
Lofty commitments
With the Olympics, there is a clear
social dividend, say officials like
Tania Braga, the Head of Legacy and
Sustainability at Rio 2016.
“In the Deodoro area (where some
Olympic events are located), they
now get access to basic sanitation,
clean water and better public transport—many things that these poorer
areas didn’t have before the Games,”
says Ms Braga.
There probably isn’t an Olympic
city that, somewhere along the line,
hasn’t come up short in delivering
some of the lofty commitments it
made during the bid process. But in
some areas Rio has failed miserably.
Guanabara Bay is the huge, wineglass-shaped lagoon around which
this “marvellous city” is built. Tales,
some from not that many years ago,
talk of its abundant marine life and
stunning scenery. Today the Bay is a
stinking mass of sewage, household
rubbish and industrial pollutants.
Treating 80 percent of the sewage
that enters the bay, from the favelas,
towns and industries that feed into
its many tributaries, was a key Rio
pledge when it won the right to host
the Games.
Brazil, a technologically gifted
nation, certainly had the expertise
and finances to meet the challenge.
The impetus was there too because
surely Rio wouldn’t allow hundreds
of the world’s top Olympic yachtsmen and women to compete in its
mucky, stinking waters? City and
state officials admit that they have
failed to keep this key promise. They
claim to be treating about 50 percent
of the sewage, whereas several scientists who monitor the water quality
daily say the real figure is about 20
percent. Corruption, a worsening
economic situation and poor political
leadership mean the waters are still
teeming with sewage, bacteria and
viruses harmful to humans. It’s a
travesty that could have an impact on
Olympic sailors in coming weeks but,
more importantly, on the city’s residents for years to come. While the
failure to clean Guanabara Bay is an
embarrassment to Rio’s politicians,
whose responsibility it remains, the
IOC and Rio 2016 organisers say their
obligations have been met and the
Games are ready.
Maybe, as a fellow correspondent
says, we should “cut Brazil some
slack”. After all, the sporting venues
are complete and while many of the
country’s problems will remain after
the visitors have gone, Brazilians
love sport and they love a party.
And, despite everything, for the
second time in two years, Brazil is
hoping to show the world it can successfully stage a global sporting
mega-event. v
—©2016 BBC
money for the former secretary of
state. Others are delivering rebukes
in more guarded terms. At a fundraiser for Ohio senator Rob Portman
on Tuesday, former president George
W Bush criticised Trump’s policies
of “isolationism, nativism and protectionism” without mentioning the
nominee by name.
The criticism comes as Trump is
collapsing in the polls in the past week
as whatever gains the Republican nominee saw from his party’s convention
in Cleveland have been erased by
both the Democratic convention in
Philadelphia and the controversy
over the Khan family. Clinton has
built up a steady lead in national
polls and is even ahead in traditionally Republican states such as Arizona.
Further, despite the Trump campaign boasting that fundraising
for the month of July was strong,
leaving the candidate with $37m on
hand to spend, Trump has built
almost no political infrastructure in
many key states and is trying to run
for president with an understaffed,
threadbare campaign. The result is
that he is left relying almost
entirely on the organising efforts of
the Republican National Committee
for basic campaign functions like
voter contact.
The crisis for Trump isn’t unprecedented. Trump went through a similar period of controversy in June,
shortly after clinching the Republican
nomination, when he suggested that
the federal judge Gonzalo Curiel was
biased against him because Curiel is
“of Mexican heritage”. Although the
controversy caused Republican senator Mark Kirk to withdraw his
endorsement of Trump and Ryan to
say that Trump’s comments were the
“textbook definition of a racist comment”, Republicans stuck by him
then, before he was the party’s official nominee.
The question is whether anything
Trump has said about Paul Ryan or
about the Khan family will cause a
different reaction now. v
—©2016 The Guardian
C M Y K
sports
kathmandu post
the
PG 11
Saturday,August6,2016
kathmandupost.ekantipur.com
Norway’s Hangeland retires
Napoli splash out on Zielinski
Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland has
announced his retirement from football. The
35-year-old Hangeland, who was capped 91
times and captained his country, played much
of his 16-year career in England with Fulham
and Crystal Palace, who released him at the
end of last season.
Napoli have signed Poland attacking midfielder Piotr
Zielinski from Serie A rivals Udinese. Napoli, runners-up to Juventus last season, announced the transfer in a statement on Thursday. No fee was disclosed
but media reports put it at 14 million euros. Zielinski,
22, played for Poland at Euro 2016 in France and has
won 16 caps, scoring three goals.
Sevilla sign defender Mercado
Sevilla have signed Argentina right-back Gabriel
Mercado from River Plate for an undisclosed fee
on a three-year contract, the Europa League
champions have said. The 29-year-old represented Argentina at the Copa America
Centenario in June where they lost to Chile
on penalties in the final.
Neymar flops in South Africa draw
n Brazil’s Neymar (eight) battles for the ball with South Africa’s Abbubaker Mobara during their Rio 2016
Olympic Games Group ‘A’ match at the Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia on Thursday. AFP/RSS
Agence France-Presse
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 5
Brazil
captain
Neymar
slammed his side’s goalless
draw with South Africa to
start their Rio 2016 campaign
as “a defeat” and insisted
there would be no easy path to
a maiden Olympic gold.
Neymar and Brazilian football’s newest golden boys
Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel
Barbosa attracted a nearly
capacity 70,000 crowd in
Brasilia. However, instead of
launching the Games in style
as expected, Brazil stumbled
against a side reduced to 10
men for the final half hour.
“For us the draw is a
defeat,” said Neymar. “The
team went on the field to win,
we know our responsibility,
we know it isn’t going to be
easy. It is not just a case of
turning up and winning the
gold medal.” The scene was
set for Neymar to heal the
wounded pride of Brazilian
football just two years after a
7-1 defeat suffered at the hands
of Germany in the semi-finals
of their own World Cup.
Football gold for Brazil is
also seen as a key to winning
the hearts and minds of a
Brazilian public divided by
the funds needed to host the
greatest show on earth at a
time of huge financial crisis.
Yet, once again Brazil failed to
live up to expectations despite
also having the talents of
Barcelona’s Rafinha and
Marquinhos of PSG.
“We are going to come
across difficulties,” added
Neymar, who skipped the
Copa America in June to lead
his nation’s bid for a first ever
football Olympic gold. “We
need to know how to overcome
them, but we need to remain
calm and do things well.”
Next up for Brazil are Iraq,
who also drew 0-0 with
Denmark in their Group ‘A’
opener. Brazil’s troubles were
slightly eased as eternal rivals
Argentina also suffered an
opening game to forget as they
lost 2-0 to Portugal. Both sides
are on the lookout for fresh
talent for the post Cristiano
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi era.
Messi’s only honour at international level came in the 2008
Nepal keeps low expectations
POST REPORT
Kathmandu, Aug 5
Football results
Iraq
Brazil
Sweden
Nigeria
Mexico
Fiji
Honduras
Argentina
0-0Denmark
0-0 South Africa
2-2Colombia
5-4 Japan 4
2-2Germany
0-8 South Korea
3-2Algeria
0-2Portugal
Olympics when he led a richly
talented team including Angel
di Maria, Sergio Aguero and
Javier Mascherano to gold.
Men’s Olympic sides are
comprised of players 23 or
under with each country
allowed three overage players.
However, clubs aren’t compelled to release players as
they are for World Cups or
major regional tournaments.
And with the seasons in
Europe’s major leagues due to
start in the next few weeks
both Portugal and Argentina
are lacking even their best
U-23 players for the tournament in Brazil.
Nepal will once again try to
make the most of its wild
card entries into the
Olympics with the country’s athletes, at best, expect
ing to improve on their personal records at Rio Games
that began on Friday.
Nepal has fielded seven
athletes in five disciplines—
all of them through wild
cards. In a medalless journey of their Olympics history, Nepal will seek to gain
a mere exposure. Swimmers
Gaurika Singh (100m backstroke) and Sirish Gurung
(100m freestyle), runners
Saraswati
Bhattarai
(1,500m) and Hari Rimal
(5,000m), judoka Phupu
Lhamu Khatri, Nishal
Rawal of taekwondo and
archer Jit Bahadur Moktan
will be trying their luck in
the ultimate extravaganza
of world sports.
Athletics chief coach
Sushil Narsingh Rana says
expecting big from Nepal
athletes would be a far cry
at the Olympics. “There is a
huge gulf between us and
the rest of the world at the
Olympic. At a time when we
are even struggling in the
South Asian Games, expecting anything at Olympics
will be a far cry,” said Rana.
Moktan enters
second round
KATHMANDU: Nepal’s
Jit Bahadur Moktan
entered the individual
recurve second round
in archery at the Rio
Olympics on Friday.
Moktan, who finished
60th, was one of the 64
archers to make it to
the elimination round.
Moktan earned 607
points. Nepal is participating in archery for
the first time in the
Olympics. (PR)
“If we come up with personal best mark, it will set
us a good foundation for
regional meets,” he said.
Dhruba
Bahadur
Pradhan, a former president of the Nepal Olympic
Committee, said Nepal can
expect to see a quality performance in judo and swimming, particularly the
13-year old Gaurika Singh
who is the youngest athlete
at Rio. “Judo’s Phupu had a
good preparation after
undergoing training in
Hungary under the IOC
scholarship and Gaurika
also had better preparation
sin London under quality
coaches,” said Pradhan.
Man City get
Steaua in
playoff
Agence France-Presse
PARIS, Aug 5
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester
City got a relatively easy tie as
the Champions League group
phase playoffs were drawn on
Friday as they landed
Bulgarians Steaua Bucharest.
The other British side in
the draw Scotland’s 1967
European Champions Celtic
play Hapoel Beer-Sheva of
Israel,
while
Ireland’s
Dundalk take on Polish
Champions Legia Warsaw.
The plum ties cast 2004 winners Porto against Italy’s
Roma while Spain’s fourth
placed side last season
Villarreal take on French
third placed side Monaco.
Two time Uefa Cup winners
Borussia Monchengladbach
take on Young Boys of Berne
while Salzburg drew Dinamo
Zagreb. Ajax face Russian
club Rostov, Copenhagen take
on APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus
and Bulgaria’s Ludogorets
take on Viktoria Plzen of the
Czech Republic.
CL draw
Steaua (ROM) vs Man City (ENG)
Porto (POR) vs Roma (ITA)
Ajax (NED) vs Rostov (RUS)
Young Boys (SUI) vs Gladbach (GER)
Villarreal (ESP) vs Monaco (FRA)
Ludogorets (BUL) vs Plzen (CZE)
Celtic (SCO) vs Hapoel (ISR)
Copenhagen (DEN) vs APOEL (CYP)
Dundalk (IRL) vs Legia (POL)
Dinamo (CRO) vs Salzbourg (AUT)
Infantino cleared in Fifa ethics probe
Agence France-Presse
GENEVA, Aug 5
Fifa’s
ethics
committee
cleared president Gianni
Infantino of ethics violations
after investigating him over
his use of private jets, personal expenses, hiring methods
and a contract dispute.
“After conducting both preliminary and formal investigation proceedings, the investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee
has decided to conclude its
investigations concerning
Fifa
President
Gianni
Infantino. It was found that no
violation of the Fifa Code of
Ethics had been committed”,
a statement on Friday said.
Infantino was “pleased”
with the finding, a Fifa statement said, which also thanked
“all those who cooperated
with the Ethics Committee to
ensure that the facts were
heard and the truth prevailed.” The statement from
Fifa investigators marked the
first confirmation that a
probe had been opened targeting Infantino, who replaced
Sepp Blatter in February vowing to crack down on widespread corruption in Fifa.
The ethics committee,
which serves as Fifa’s in
house court, said it found
“prima facie” evidence of
wrongdoing, but that the formal
inquiry
proved
innocence.
Infantino’s
Questions
surrounding
Infantino’s conduct emerged
within months of him taking
charge as the most powerful
man in world football.
An Fifa internal memo listed concerns about Infantino’s
lifestyle, as well as possible
conflicts of interest, such as
the use of private jets, which
it said were paid for by Russia
and Qatar and estimated at
between $115,000 and $150,000.
The memo further noted
that Fifa has made two company cars and a driver available
to Infantino. The second car
which is used primarily by
Infantino’s family cost $20,140
in March and $13,800 in April.
Fifa insiders have also voiced
concern about Infantino’s
refusal to sign his employment contract amid disputes
about compensation.
There has been further
unease about the process that
led to the hiring of Fifa’s new
general secretary, Fatma
Samoura of Senegal, with
some suggesting that proper
vetting procedures were not
followed. Lead investigator
Vanessa
Allard
cleared
Infantino on any misconduct .
C M Y K
sports
Saturday, August 6, 2016
(C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053
thekathmandu post
Chinese firm
take over West
Brom Albion
sports digest
Ronaldo, Bale vie
for Uefa award
PARIS: The Uefa Best
Player in Europe award
for 2016 is destined for
Madrid after Real pair
Cristiano Ronaldo and
Gareth Bale plus
Atletico’s Antoine
Griezmann were named
as the three contestants
on Friday. Bale led Wales
on a wonderful run to
the Euro 2016 semi-finals
and also won the
Champions League, and
while Griezmann was a
beaten finalist in both
those tournaments he
was however the top
scorer at the Euros.
Portuguese star Ronaldo
is tipped to pip both of
them to the award however after helping
Portugal stagger to their
first ever International
tournament win in
France in July. (AFP)
Agence France-Presse
LONDON, Aug 5
Everton’s Besic
out for 6 months
LONDON: Everton’s
Bosnian midfielder
Muhamed Besic is facing
six months on the sidelines with a knee injury,
he revealed on Friday.
Besic was forced off by
injury 12 minutes after
coming on in Wednesday’s testimonial match
for Wayne Rooney
against Manchester
United at Old Trafford. It
is the latest in a series of
injuries to have befallen
the player, who joined
the Merseyside club from
Turkish side Ferencvaros in 2014. A hamstring injury sidelined
him for four months last
season and a recurrence
of the problem kept him
out until March. (AFP)
Sane leaves
Bordeaux
BORDEAUX: Senegal
defender Lamine Sane
left Bordeaux to join
Werder Bremen, the
French club announced
on Thursday. Bordeaux,
where the 29-year-old has
been since the start of
his career, confirmed
that he had passed a
medical and penned a
contract, although the
length of the deal was
not disclosed. Sane, who
won the French Cup with
Bordeaux in 2013, is the
elder brother of Salif,
who played alongside
him in France and
moved to Hannover
three years ago. (AFP)
Toulouse sign
striker Toivonen
TOULOUSE: Sweden international Ola Toivonen
has joined Toulouse on a
three-year contract from
Ligue 1 rivals Rennes,
the buying club
announced on Thursday.
Toivonen, 30, spent the
past season on loan at
Sunderland but struggled
to make an impact, failing to score a single goal
as he was limited to 12
Premier League appearances. The Swede is
Toulouse’s fourth signing of the transfer window and has been
brought in to try and
help fill the void left by
the sale of Wissam Ben
Yedder to Sevilla. (AFP)
Roma loan in
Szczesny
ROME: AS Roma have
signed Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on
loan for a second year.
“After a good season last
year I had the possibility
of coming back and I
was very happy the
coach (Luciano Spalletti)
wanted me,” Szczesny
told Roma’s official TV
channel. The Polish
international, capped 27
times, made 34 league
appearances last season
for the Serie A club and
played eight times in the
Champions League. The
26-year-old Arsenal youth
product made his
Premier League debut
for the Londoners in
2010. (REUTERS)
12
n
Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath (left) celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia’s Peter Nevill during the second day of their second Test match in Galle on Friday. AFP/RSS
Sri Lanka sniff series victory
n Australia 25-3 chasing 413 runs n Herath becomes 2nd Sri Lankan to claim Test hat-trick
Agence France-Presse
of the day before Herath scored for Sri Lanka with 64
sri lanka-australia 2nd test over
GALLE, Aug 5
took his first wicket by clean and he received good support
Sri Lanka took three late
wickets as they tightened the
screws on Australia in the second Test in Galle Friday after
setting the tourists a daunting
target of 413 to save the series.
At the end of an actionpacked second day, which saw
21 wickets tumble and a hattrick from Sri Lanka’s
Rangana Herath, Australia
were 25-3 in their second
innings—still 388 runs short
of their target. David Warner
was unbeaten on 22 while
skipper Steve Smith will
resume on Saturday on
one as the tourists face an
uphill struggle to avoid an
embarrassing loss within
three days at the Galle
Summary
Australia 106 & 25-3 (D warner 22*; D Perera 2-9, R Herath 1-16) need 388 runs for
victory against Sri Lanka 281 & 237 (D Perera 64, A Mathews 47; M starc 6-50,
N Lyon 2-80) at stumps on second day
International Stadium.
Although Mitchell Starc
took six wickets as Australia
restricted Sri Lanka to 237 in
their second innings, the tourists were effectively undone in
the first session of the day
when they were skittled out
for 106. It was their lowest
total in 28 Tests against Sri
Lanka who are on a high after
winning last week’s first Test
in Pallekele. Victory in Galle
would ensure the Sri Lankans
win the three-match series
england-pakistan 3rd test
Pak hang on to
build modest
lead over hosts
Agence France-Presse
BIRMINGHAM, Aug 5
Pakistan captain Misbah-ulHaq’s measured fifty and
Sarfraz Ahmed’s 46 not out
left Pakistan in a strong position at tea on the third day of
the third Test against England
at Edgbaston on Friday.
Pakistan were bowled out
for 400 in reply to England’s
first innings 297, a significant
lead of 103 runs. The tourists
kept England in the field for
nearly 10-and-a-half hours in
total. England’s cause was
hampered
when
James
Anderson, their all-time leading Test wicket-taker, was
barred from bowling again in
the innings after receiving a
third warning for running on
the pitch from the umpires,
with Pakistan then on 368-8.
Chris Woakes led England’s
attack with 3-79, while fellow
paceman Stuart Broad took
3-83. With the four-Test series
all square at 1-1, Pakistan
resumed on 257-3 after Azhar
Ali had been dismissed for 139
off the last ball of Thursday’s
play, following partnerships
of 181 and 76 with Sami Aslam
(82) and Younis Khan (21 not
out), respectively.
Younis was joined in the
middle by fellow veteran
Misbah. Woakes, who had dismissed Azhar, struck again
when he had Younis caught
behind for 31 glancing down
the legside. Misbah got on to
the front foot to ease Broad for
four through the covers—his
first boundary on Friday taking him 40 balls. But two balls
later Misbah, showing the
value of patience and good
judgement, drove Broad down
the ground.
Broad though found his
range when a full-length delivery smashed into Asad
Shafiq’s off stump for an
18-ball nought to leave
Pakistan 296-5.
At lunch, Pakistan were
336-5, a lead of 39 runs. Misbah
was 44 not out and Ahmed a
typically brisk 20 not out off
27 balls. After lunch Misbah—
who scored a century during
Pakistan’s 75-run win in the
first Test at Lord’s—posted his
third fifty this series when he
drove Anderson for a sixth
four in 93 balls. But on 56 he
was bowled playing down the
wrong line to Anderson to end
a useful stand of 62 with
Ahmed.
Pakistan’s
358-6
soon
became 361-7 when Yasir Shah
was run out. England then
saw Anderson receive a third
warning from West Indian
umpire Joel Wilson, having
been twice cautioned in the
one over by Australia’s Bruce
Oxenford, the other standing
umpire, on Thursday.
Summary
Pakistan 400 (A Ali 139, M Haq 56; S
Broad 3-83, C Woakes 3-79) lead
England 297 (G Ballance 70; S Khan
5-96) 103 runs at tea on third day
with a game to play.
The 38-year-old Herath was
the star performer after picking up only the second Test
hat-trick by a Sri Lankan.
Australia, who resumed at
their overnight score of 54-2,
struggled throughout the
morning session against both
Herath and his fellow spin
bowler Perera, the duo sharing eight wickets between
them. Off-spinner Perera
bowled overnight batsman
Usman Khawaja in his second
Reds to stop
key players
from leaving,
says Klopp
bowling the Australian skipper Steven Smith.
But it was Herath’s seventh
over of the innings which
proved decisive as he dismissed Adam Voges, Peter
Nevill and Starc off consecutive deliveries to put Australia
on the mat. Only Mitchell
Marsh, who was the last man
out for 27, offered much resistance for the Australians during the morning’s play.
The visitors also struck
early in the Sri Lanka second
innings as the paceman Starc
bowled his heart out on a flat
pitch. The left-arm paceman
took 6-50 but the Sri Lankans
were still able to set what
should be a match-winning
target. Dilruwan Perera top-
from his skipper Angelo
Mathews who followed up his
half-century in the first
innings with 47.
Australia’s response got off
to a dreadful start when Joe
Burns became Herath’s fifth
victim of the day in the opening over of the Australian second innings. And the decision
to send in Nathan Lyon as a
night-watchman backfired
when he was bowled for a
duck before Usman Khawaja
followed him back to the pavilion one ball later. Australia,
the world No 1 team, had only
ever lost one Test against Sri
Lanka before the current
series. The final match is due
to be held in Colombo from
August 13.
West Bromwich Albion have
agreed to sell the club to
Chinese investment group
Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai)
Sports Development Limited,
the Premier League side
announced on Friday.
No financial details have
been announced, but former
chairman Jeremy Peace was
reportedly looking for £150
million ($197.1 million) when
he put the club on the market
last year. The deal is subject to
approval from Britain’s
Financial Conduct Authority
and the Premier League.
“I am proud that I will be
the first mainland-Chinese
owner of a Premier League
club,” said Chinese entrepreneur Guochuan Lai, who will
become West Brom’s new
owner, in a statement. “This
historic deal will result in a
rapid and significant increase
in interest in the club in
China, which should lead to
attractive commercial opportunities.”
In an effort to reassure fans,
Lai vowed that he had
“no intention of changing
the club’s ethos”. Former
owner Peace, who had held
an 88 percent stake in the
club, has resigned as chairman and will be replaced by
former Blackburn Rovers
chairman and chief executive
John Williams. The deal is
the latest in a series of
inroads made by China in
English football.
Second-tier clubs Aston
Villa and Wolverhampton
Wanderers—both of whom
play in the same Midlands
region as West Brom—were
both taken over by Chinese
investors in recent weeks.
Wolves were bought last
week by Fosun International,
while Chinese businessman
Tony Xia took charge of
Villa in June. Birmingham
City, another Midlands clubs,
are currently in talks with
Deal to sell Milan
on cards: Source
MILAN: A deal to sell
Italian football club AC
Milan to a consortium of
Chinese investors is likely to be signed on Friday,
a source close to the matter said. “Today will be
an important day for the
possible sale of the club,”
the
source
said.
Fininvest, the holding
company
of
the
Berlusconi family which
owns AC Milan, entered
exclusive talks with the
consortium in May.
Sources have previously
said the consortium’s
offer for AC Milan values
the club at between 700
million and 750 million
euros ($834 million)
including debt. (REUTERS)
Asian investors seeking to
buy the club from Hong Kong
businessman Carson Yeung,
who was jailed for money-laundering
in
2014.
Meanwhile, Manchester City
announced a £265 million
investment deal with Chinese
consortium
CMC
last
December.
Lai built up landscaping
firm
Palm
Eco-Town
Development
Company
Limited before retiring in
May 2014 to focus on private
investment. Palm is listed on
the Chinese Stock Exchange
as being worth £1.8 billion.
West Brom, English champions once in 1920 and fivetime FA Cup winners,
were close to being sold to a
Chinese consortium last year,
before Peace broke off negotiations. The club, who
announced pre-tax profits of
£7.6 million in April, have
been playing in the Premier
League since 2010. They finished 14th under manager
Tony Pulis last season.
farewell
Reuters
London, Aug 5
Liverpool are determined to
end the trend of selling their
best players during the close
season in order to build a
squad capable of challenging
for major honours, manager
Juergen Klopp said.
Liverpool have sold a host
of high-profile players, including strikers Luis Suarez and
Fernando Torres, midfielders
Javier Mascherano and Xabi
Alonso, and winger Raheem
Sterling to rival clubs in
England and other European
countries in recent years. The
Merseyside club have already
had to fight off advances from
French champions Paris St
Germain to keep influential
midfielder Philippe Coutinho.
When asked if it was possible to stop key players leaving
the Premier League club,
Klopp told the Liverpool Echo:
“Yes, I think we can do this.
It’s one of the targets for the
coming years. There hasn’t
been a successful team in
world football who change
their squad every year...We
say that same squad and consistency creates success.”
Klopp has brought in several players including goalkeeper Loris Karius, attacking
midfielder
Giorginio
Wijnaldum and forward Sadio
Mane in the close season, and
sold midfielder Joe Allen to
Stoke City last month.
Liverpool, who face Barcelona
in a friendly at Wembley on
Saturday, begin their new
Premier League campaign
with a tough trip to Arsenal
on August 14.
n Nepali national team cricketers with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Kathmandu on Friday on the eve of their departure for the
Netherlands. Nepal will play the Netherlands in the ICC World Cricket League Championship matches on August 13 and 15. Post Photo
Mourinho confident on Pogba chase
Agence France-Presse
MANCHESTER, Aug 5
Jose Mourinho expressed confidence on Friday that
Manchester United will sign
Paul Pogba in time for the
Premier League season and
criticised rival managers’
reactions to the mooted
world-record transfer.
United and Juventus are
believed to be putting the finishing touches to a deal for the
France midfielder expected to
exceed £100 million ($130.4
million). Mourinho described
other managers, such as
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and
Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, as
“unethical” for talking openly
do that. They like to
about the Pogba fee
speak about my club
and questioning his
and my players. “I
colossal price tag.
am very pragmatic
Whatever
the
on this. All that matvalidity of their
ters is what happens
claims,
Pogba’s
in my house and not
arrival
at
Old
in neighbour’s.”
Trafford
appears
“The market closimminent
and
es on August 31, but I
Mourinho is hopeful
think my club is trythat his squad will n Paul Pogba
ing to do everything to
be complete in time
for
United’s
trip
to close our market before the
Bournemouth a week on 14th. Normally, next week, we
Sunday. “Yes, we have 22 play- will have our squad closed.”
ers and we are going to have Wenger described the poten23,” said Mourinho when tial Pogba fee as “completely
asked if a signing was close. “I crazy”, while Klopp said he
don’t like to speak about other wanted no involvement in
clubs or players from other such an inflated transfer marclubs. Other managers like to ket—comments that clearly
did not sit well with United’s
manager. “I only speak about
us,” said Mourinho. “I heard
already two of my colleagues
from other clubs speaking
about us. I do not like that. It
is not ethical.”
With those signings—Eric
Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
and Zlatan Ibrahimovic—
already in at United ahead of
Pogba, certain players will
find themselves surplus to
requirements
under
Mourinho. One of those is
thought to be Germany veteran Bastian Schweinsteiger,
with reports Mourinho has
discarded the respected midfielder, opening the United
manager up to criticism.
Published and Printed by Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd., Central Business Park, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal, P. B. No. 8559, Phone: 5135000, Fax: 977-1-5135057, e-mail: [email protected], Regd. No. 32/048/049, Chairman & Managing Director : Kailash Sirohiya, Director : Swastika Sirohiya, Editor-in-Chief : Akhilesh Upadhyay
money
kathmandupost
the
F ORE X
cross currency
US Dollar
USDEUR JPY GBP CHF CAD AUD INR NR
INR 66.752474.4460 0.6603 87.7780 68.5730 51.2234 51.1120
GBP0.7603 0.8479 0.0075
JPY 101.0600112.7100
EUR0.8967
USD
finance&economy
0.6244
0.7802 0.5835 0.5817 0.0114 0.0071
133.3333 103.7600 77.5700
77.3600 1.5145 0.0943
0.0089 1.1794 0.9213 0.6888 0.6863 0.0134 0.0084
1.1152 0.0099 1.3153
107.68
Euro118.79
NR 107.1700119.440010.6100 140.9600 110.0700 82.3600 82.0800 1.6015
1.0281 0.7679 0.7659 0.0150 0.0093
How to read the table
The chart shows the rates of nine world currencies. Move across the table to find rates of exchange between any two
currencies. One unit of the currency mentioned vertically is worth that amount in the currency mentioned horizontally.
Pound Sterling
141.72
Japanese Yen
109.35
Chinese Yuan
80.57
Qatari Riyal
29.43
Australian Dollar
82.08
Malaysian Ringit
26.61
Saudi Arab Riyal
28.57
Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank
SATURDAY,AUGUST 6, 2016 (22-04-2073) kathmandupost.ekantipur.com
Philippine bank handed record fine
Inside
NIBL to acquire Ace
Development Bank
Nepal Investment Bank Limited
(NIBL) and is set to acquire Ace
Development Bank. The two financial
institutions signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to this effect on
Friday. With Nepal Rastra Bank
(NRB) directing commercial banks to
increase their paid-up capital to Rs8
billion through the balance sheet of
the current fiscal year, they have been
exploring merger and acquisition as
well as issuing right’s shares and further public offerings (FPO) to meet
the capital requirement. NIBL, which
recently conducted an FPO, aims to
raise its capital to the required level
through this acquisition.
Pg: II
Oil enters bear market,
mauled by supply glut
Chronic oversupply sent oil prices
slumping this week into a so-called
bear market, losing 20 percent from
recent June peaks above $50. In
tumultuous trade on Wednesday, US
benchmark West Texas Intermediate
(WTI) struck $39.19—which was the
lowest level since April 18. And on
Tuesday, Europe’s main contract
Brent North Sea crude slid to $41.51—
which was also a trough last reached
on that same day. Oil industry experts
argue that the market got caught up
in forecasts that supply and demand
would shift into balance in 2016. The
IE Agency had forecast in April that
oil was expected to almost balance out
in the second half of the year. Pg: III
Internet-based television
slowly gaining popularity
Internet-based television is gradually
gaining popularity in the country,
with a number of internet service
provider (ISP) racing to roll out the
service. Broadlink, an ISP, recently
launched its Internet Protocol TV service (IPTV)—“Broadtv”—which can
be watched on smart televisions
through a set-top box. It has fixed subscription charges at Rs4,000 and
Rs6,000 and customers will be able to
enjoy a one-month and six-month free
schemes depending on the nature of
the subscription. Broadtv is also
available on both Apple iOs and
Google Android platforms.
Pg: IV
Page III The Philippines Central Bank on Friday handed a local bank a record $21 million fine after it was used by hackers to channel
millions of dollars stolen from Bangladesh into local casinos.
Vizag port ‘ready’ Nepal-China railway
‘technologically and
for Nepali cargos economically feasible’
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUGUST 5
Indian officials have said the
Vishakhapatnam port is now ready
to serve Nepal-bound cargos, with
the authorities concerned fixing the
tariff rate and allotting space for
setting up a Nepali Consulate
General office.
During former Prime Minister KP
Sharma Oli’s visit to India in
February, the southern neighbour
had agreed to allow Nepal to use the
deep-sea port in southern India.
Speaking at Trade Meet 2016 on
Friday, Sushil Mulchandani, chief
operating officer of Vishakhapatnam
Container Terminal, said the
Container Corporation (CONCOR)
fixed the tariff rate for Nepal-bound
containers after holding consultations with Indian authorities concerned.
CONCOR—a subsidiary of the
Indian Railways—is responsible for
ferrying Nepal-bound cargo under
the Railway Service Agreement
between the two countries.
India had agreed in principle to
allow Nepal to use the port in 2009,
but a final agreement was delayed
after Nepal opposed the double-lock
system India imposed on Nepalbound cargos.
Vishakhapatnam port has two harbours with an average depth of water
of 17 meters which allows large ships
to dock, said Mulchandani, adding
the port is situated just 12km away
from the main highway.
The port has a fully computerised
system to facilitate cargo movement.
Munchandani said Nepali importers
could track their containers, even
remotely from Nepal. He said the
post authority plans to launch a
smartphone application to facilitate
traders in this regard.
Currently, Nepal uses a single sea
transit route—Kolkata’s Haldiya
Port—for its trade with countries
other than India. Nepali traders have
been complaining about an old railway system, inadequate yard area,
SANJEEV GIRI
BEIJING, AUG 5
Indian authorities have fixed tariff rate for Nepal-bound cargos and
have allotted space for setting up a Nepali Consulate General office
traffic congestion and labour problems, among others, at the Kolkata
port, resulting in higher transit
costs.
The
operationalisation
of
Vishakhapatnam port is expected to
minimise transit costs for traders.
Rajan Sharma, past president of
Nepal
Freight
Forwarders
Association (NEFFA), said the cost
of import through the port would
less compared to that through the
Kolkata port. “Procedures related to
shifting and forwarding of cargos,
release of goods by ships and customs clearance, among other, are relatively cheaper,” he said.
According to a NEFFA study conducted five years ago, the cost of
third-country trade can be slashed by
15 percent while doing trade through
Vishakhapatnam port.
Traders have to undergo lengthy
procedures while transporting their
goods through the Kolkata port.
They have to cross 34 hurdles just to
complete the clearance process,
according to NEFFA. “At KOlkata
port, it usually takes 42 days for the
clearance done, while shipping companies allow only 28 days of turnaround time for containers. This has
forced traders to pay detention
charges, raising their cost of doing
business,” said Sharma.
He claimed the clearance process
takes just nine days at the
Vishakhapatnam port. “In addition,
less traffic congestion will help avoid
detention charges,” he said.
Container movement at the
Kolkata port has been increasing at
20 percent annually, according to
Gautam Gupta, traffic manager at
Kolkata Port Trust. He admitted
inadequate yard space has been
resulting in problems for traders
while unloading goods.
Gupta, however, added the Kolkata
port authority has been considering
expanding the yard capacity and
simplifying procedures to facilitate
traders. “Recently, we have hired a
consultant to recommend the customs clearing process for Nepali
traders. We are also working to introduce online documentation process.”
Posh Raj Pandey, executive chairman of South Asia Watch on Trade,
Economics and Environment, highlighted the need for establishing a
dedicated government office at
Vishakhapatnam port to look after
Nepal-bound cargoes.
“In addition, a warehouse facility
and revision of the bilateral transit
treaty are essential for smooth operation of the new port,” he said.
Chinese experts have said the
much-touted railway link
between Nepal and China
through the Himalayan highland “is economically and
technologically feasible”.
A report carried by China
Daily on Friday says the country has accumulated technology and experience to build a
rail link between the Tibet
autonomous region and the
South Asian subcontinent.
According to the newspaper,
a Himalayan train ride at
more than 100kmph speeds at
the foot of the world’s highest
snow-capped mountains is no
longer just a dream.
“The construction of a railway crossing the Himalayan
Mountains is now economically and technologically feasible,” the newspaper quoted
Zong Gang, deputy director of
the Science and Technology
Department
at
Beijing
University of Technology, as
saying.
The Gyirong (Kerung) port
lying at the Nepal-China border stands at an altitude of
2,800 meters above the sea
level. The Gyirong mountain
pass to Nepal lies at around
1,800 meters, making the railway geographically feasible.
Lhasha and Xigaze, the two
major cities of Tibet lying at
an altitude of 3,700 meters and
3,800 meters above the sea
level respectively, already have
railway connectivity.
According to the news
report, while Nepal hopes that
China can connect the port
with Kathmandu, for China,
the railway line will help boost
economic, cultural and religious communications with
China has accumulated technology and experience
to build a rail link between Tibet and South Asian
subcontinent, a report carried by China Daily says
Nepal as part of the Belt and
Road initiative proposed by
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Although China has more
than 19,000km of high-speed
railways with a capacity to
travel at speeds up to 350kmph,
the railway line starting from
Xigaze in Tibet to a land port
in Gyirong will not be a highspeed one. The Xigaze-Gyirong
railway line, whose construction is supposed to be completed by 2020, will have up to
100kmph speed.
Building rail links is the
most powerful way to help
Tibet open up to South Asian
countries, the same news
report quoted Chairman of
the
Tibet
Autonomous
Region government Losang
Jamcan as saying.
According to the report,
Zhou Yuhui, a professor at
Beijing Jiaotong University,
said: “While bringing tourists
and businesses to Gyirong,
which will help local people to
escape poverty, the ChinaNepal railway will also help to
make people more willing to
integrate into modern life.”
Zhou had recently made a
field visit to the Nepal-China
border.
Former Prime Minister KP
Sharma Oli and Chinese
Premier Li Keqiang had
agreed to cooperate in several
areas, including the transportation sector, during the former’s official visit to Beijing
in March this year.
‘Nepal second most vulnerable in SAsia’
tourist attraction
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
n Tourists visit the Zhanqiao Pier in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on Friday. The
landmark Zhanqiao Pier was closed earlier due to an invasion of enteromorpha, a type of algae. Xinhua
Nepal is the second most vulnerable country in South Asia
to money laundering risks,
according to the Basel AntiMoney Laundering (AML)
Index, an annual ranking of
countries assessing their
money laundering risk.
Out of 149 countries, Nepal
with a score of 7.57 points
ranks 12th, trailing behind
Afghanistan in South Asia. In
2014, Nepal was ranked 14th
on the AML Index featuring
162 countries.
The 2016 edition of the
index, published last week by
the Basel Institute on
Governance, shows that Sri
Lanka with a score of 7.16,
Pakistan with 6.62, Bangladesh
with 6.40 and India with
5.69 are behind Nepal in
the region.
money laundering risk
2016 Basel AML Index
SOUTH ASIA
Global RankingRisk score
Country
Afghanistan 2nd
8.51
Nepal 12th
7.57
Sri Lanka 23rd
7.16
Pakistan 45th
6.62
Bangladesh 54th 6.40
India 78th 5.69
To assess a nation’s money
laundering risk, the AML
index assigns each country a
score on a zero-to-10 scale
based on a framework that
aggregates and weights data
from sources such as the
World Bank, the Financial
Action Task Force and the
World Economic Forum. High
scores indicate a country is
more vulnerable to money
laundering.
The index does not assess
the amount of illicit financial
money or transactions but is
designed to assess the risk of
money laundering to indicate
the vulnerability of a country
to money laundering and terrorism financing.
The Basel Institute said that
although a majority of countries legally comply with
international standards, they
fall short in the implementation and enforcement of their
laws.
The 10 countries posing the
highest risk for money laundering, according to the 2016
Basel AML index, are Iran,
Afghanistan,
Tajikistan,
Guinea-Bissau,
Mali,
Cambodia,
Mozambique,
Uganda,
Swaziland
and
Myanmar. Finland is the safest
country, followed by Lithuania
and Estonia.
Recently, the US Department
of State in its annual report
titled “Country Reports on
Terrorism 2015” has expressed
concern that terrorists might
use informal money transfer
systems such as hundi and
hawala--rampant in Nepal--for
money laundering and terrorism financing.
The report also mentioned
that Nepal’s open border with
India and weak security controls
at
Kathmandu’s
Tribhuvan
International
Airport continued to underpin
concerns that international
terrorist groups could use
Nepal as a transit and possible
staging point.
In April, the Department of
Money
Laundering
Investigation (DoMLI) and the
Metropolitan Police Crime
Division of Nepal Police
signed a memorandum of
understanding for effective
coordination to control money
laundering and terrorist
financing activities in the
country.
They also formed a coordination committee, represented
by DoMLI Director General,
chief of MPCD and information officers of DoMLI and the
Crime Division.
b i d t o b o o s t e ff i c i e n c y
A car cocktail: Ford, tequila-maker mix for auto parts
Agence France-Presse
MEXICO CITY, Aug 5
Booze and driving are a bad
combination, but US auto company Ford and Mexico’s tequila
maker Jose Cuervo have found a
way to mix together.
The two companies have
joined forces to explore the possibility of transforming fibers
from agave, the plant used to
make tequila, to create bioplastic that could replace fiberglass
or caulk. Researchers are testing the material’s durability and
resistance to heat to see if it can
be used in components such as
wiring harnesses, air conditioning units and storage bins.
The bioplastic could help
reduce the weight of a vehicle
and cut energy consumption,
while slashing pollution by
using less petrochemicals.
“Agave is a good replacement
and it’s lighter in weight,”
Debbie Mielewski, the senior
technical leader at Ford’s
sustainability research department, told AFP.
Mielewski has worked on
finding renewable materials for
vehicle components since the
1990s, helping Ford find alternatives to petrol-based products,
whose costs are affected by global oil prices. In 2001, she and her
team designed soy-based foam,
which is used to make car seats
that made their debut seven
years later in the legendary
Ford Mustang.
Now the seats of all Ford
vehicles produced in North
America are made of biomaterials. “The average vehicle contains about 400 pounds (180
kilos) of plastic and our goal is
to replace as much as possible
with sustainable biomaterials,
further reducing our use of
petroleum-based plastic,”
Mielewski said.
The company uses materials
found in the regions where
vehicles are manufactured. In
Asia, Ford uses kenaf, a tropical
plant. In the United States, it’s
cotton fiber. And in Canada,
wheat straw.
Mielewski realized that agave
could be used at Ford’s factory
in Hermosillo, in the northwestern state of Sonora. She thought
of the first tequila company that
came to mind, Jose Cuervo. “I
think it will be a revenue stream
for them and agave farmers,”
she said.
To make tequila, the heart of
agave—a plant with tall, thick
and pointy leaves—is harvested,
roasted and ground before its
juices are squeezed for distillation. More than 700,000 tonnes
of agave are used every year to
make Mexico’s famous drink,
and 40 percent of the husk is
discarded, according to the
Tequila Regulation Council.
Jose Cuervo, which has been
making tequila since 1795, uses
some of the fibers as compost
for its fields while local artisans
make crafts and paper from the
byproduct.
Cristobal Mariscal, Jose
Cuervo’s director of institutional relations, said the company is
exploring the possibility of
using agave for the large-scale
production of paper.
Ana Labourde, founder of
Biosolutions, a Mexican
company that makes bioplastics
with agave, told AFP that
“more and more automobile
companies are interested in
incorporating natural fibers
into their auto parts.”
Labourde’s firm, which is not
working with Ford, makes bags
and packages but it is also
experimenting with polymer
that could be used for vehicles.
She said making such materials
for cars would be a commitment
toward the environment instead
of profits because there is no
large market for it for now. “By
reducing the weight of a car, it
uses less fuel and it pollutes
less,” Labourde said.
n The
two companies have joined forces to explore the possibility of transforming
fibers from agave, the plant used to make tequila, to create bioplastic that could
replace fiberglass or caulk.
C M Y K
news digest
money
economy
Saturday, August 6, 2016 | thekathmandupost
NIBL to acquire
Ace Dev Bank
tourist spot
Dutch inflation
rate negative
THE HAGUE: Inflation
in The Netherlands
dipped into negative
territory in July for
the first time in nearly
three decades, slipping
to -0.30 percent, according to official statistics
published Thursday.
“The last time that
inflation was below zero
was in December 1987,”
the Central Statistics
Office said. The news
came after three
months of stagnation
when the country’s
inflation rate had
remained unchanged at
zero percent in April,
May and June. The negative inflation rate means
that last month “for the
first time since Dec 1987
goods and services were
cheaper for consumers”
than in the same period
a year earlier, the CBS
said. Weakening oil prices and the falling cost of
holidays helped push the
rate down, aided by
lower prices for clothing
in the July sales, the
office said. (AFP)
Hainan buys
stake in Azul
SHANGHAI: Chinese
carrier Hainan Airlines
has completed a
$450-million purchase
of nearly a quarter
stake in Brazil’s third
largest airline Azul,
according to a statement
issued Thursday, as its
parent HNA embarks
on an overseas investment binge. The deal,
originally announced
in November, gives
Hainan Airlines a 23.7
percent stake in Azul,
making the Chinese company the Brazilian firm’s
single largest shareholder, the statement said.
“We view Azul as a
strong and lasting partner for HNA to explore
further expansion and
capital investment in
Latin America,” Adam
Tan, chief executive of
Hainan Airlines’ parent
HNA Group, said in the
statement. HNA, a conglomerate with interests
in aviation and tourism,
said in May it was buying a 13 percent stake in
airline Virgin Australia.
It also announced the
same month that it was
taking a share of
Portuguese national airline TAP. (AFP)
British trader
charged in Kenya
NAIROBI: A British sugar
trader appeared in a
Kenyan court on
Thursday charged with
trafficking 100 kilos (220
lbs) of cocaine from
Brazil to the port of
Mombasa. Jack Marrian
denied the charges stemming from the $3-million
(2.7 million-euro) seizure
of drugs found hidden in
containers of sugar last
Friday. The businessman, who is managing
director of Kenya and
Uganda-based Mshale
Commodities, was
remanded in custody
pending a bail hearing
on Monday along with a
Kenyan suspect, Roy
Francis Mwanthi, who
also denies the charges.
Three men including
Marrian were questioned
in recent days by a special team of US anti-narcotics agents and their
Kenyan counterparts following an Interpol tipoff
about the shipment. (AFP)
II
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
n
Foreign tourists are seen in the Pashupati area in Kathmandu on Friday. POST PHOTO: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA
Nepal Investment Bank
Limited (NIBL) and is set to
acquire Ace Development
Bank. The two financial institutions signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
to this effect on Friday.
With Nepal Rastra Bank
(NRB) directing commercial
banks to increase their paidup capital to Rs8 billion
through the balance sheet of
the current fiscal year, they
have been exploring merger
and acquisition as well as
issuing right’s shares and further public offerings (FPO) to
meet the capital requirement.
NIBL, which recently conducted an FPO, aims to raise
its capital to the required level
through this acquisition. Ace
Development Bank has a paidup capital of Rs1 billion.
After the acquisition completes, NIBL and Ace will provide consolidated service
under the name of Nepal
n A handout
photo shows officials of Nepal Investment Bank and Ace
Development Bank exchanging MoU documents on Friday.
Investment Bank Ltd, according to the bank’s statement.
The two sides aim to complete
the acquisition process by
January 2017. NIBL and Ace
have agreed to maintain a
share swap ratio at 1:042,
according to a senior NIBL
official.
As per fourth-quarter
results for 2015-16, NIBL has a
deposit base of Rs108.63 billion and lending of Rs87.01
billion. It earned a net profit
of Rs2.55 billion, while total
assets amount to Rs131.33 billion. NIBL has a customer
base of more than 700,000
being served through its 46
branches and 43 branchless
banking locations nationwide,
the bank said.
As per Ace’s third-quarter
report, its deposits stand at
Rs7.4 billion and lending at
Rs6.53 billion. It earned a net
profit of Rs143 million as midApril last fiscal year.
India sets inflation target Gold inches up on weaker dollar
REUTERS
MUMBAI, AUG 5
India on Friday formally
implemented its central inflation target of 4 percent, an
important confirmation of
the inflation-fighting policies
championed by Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) Governor
Raghuram Rajan, who steps
down next month.
Junior finance minister
Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled a
notification in parliament’s
upper house that confirmed
the target at 4 percent, plus or
minus 2 percent, in line with
the goal the government originally agreed with Rajan.
Candidates are also being
shortlisted for the six-member
Senior economists have
urged India not to fixate
on an inflation target
monetary policy committee
(MPC), a senior government
official said earlier, but the
panel was unlikely to be
formed in time for next
Tuesday’s RBI policy meeting.
“All I can say is that we are
currently shortlisting candidates (for the MPC). And it
won’t get formed before the
Aug. 9 policy,” the official told
Reuters, requesting anonymity, adding it may be in place in
time for Rajan’s departure.
Rajan,
a
for mer
International Monetary Fund
chief
economist
highly
regarded by financial markets, will step down on Sept. 4
after three years at the helm
of the RBI during which his
policies helped to cut inflation
in half.
He dropped a bombshell in
June by announcing he would
not seek a second term, but
has sought to cement his legacy by completing the shift to
formal inflation targeting and
staffing up the six-member
MPC before he steps down.
Some senior economists,
including Rajan’s predecessor
at the RBI Duvvuri Subbarao,
have urged India not to fixate
on an inflation target given
the need to ensure growth and
financial stability.
REUTERS
LONDON, AUG 5
Gold edged higher on Friday
on a lower dollar as investors
waited for clues on the Federal
Reserve’s next policy move
from a pivotal US labour
report due later in the day.
Spot gold was up 0.1 percent
at $1,361.77 an ounce by 1143
GMT. It has risen about 1 percent so far this week, boosted
by a weaker dollar after the
Fed gave no hints of any nearterm interest rate rise at its
monthly policy meeting last
week. Gold is highly sensitive
to rising US interest rates, as
the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding asset
increases while boosting the
Airbus closes on rival Boeing
REUTERS
PARIS/NEW YORK, AUG 5
Airbus virtually closed the
gap with Boeing in their
intense battle for airliner
orders in July after booking
about half of the 197 firm
sales unveiled at last month’s
Far nborough
Airshow,
according to the latest data
from both companies.
Amid a broad slowdown in
purchases, the European
planemaker said it had sold a
total of 373 jets between
January and July, or 323 after
adjusting for cancellations.
That compares with 383 airplane sales, or 333 after cancellations, by US rival Boeing.
Combined orders at the
world’s dominant planemakers fell 17 percent from the
same period last year, weighed
by concerns over the economy
and relatively low oil prices,
which have taken the edge off
demand for new fuel-saving
models.
Both planemakers are
struggling to book new sales
in a market that is seen as
somewhat oversupplied with
jets, especially larger widebody models, industry experts
said. The slowdown has raised
some questions about whether the companies will maintain plans to boost output
later this decade.
Both have also faced a slew
aircraft order race
Airbus sells 373 jets between January and July, or 323
after adjusting for cancellations. That compares with 383
airplane sales, or 333 after cancellations, by Boeing
of order deferrals in recent
weeks, while insisting the
trend of postponements is stable. Two industry sources said
Indonesia’s Lion Air, one of
the largest jet buyers with
hundreds on order from
Boeing and Airbus, is weighing the deferral of about 25
Airbus jets.
Airbus declined comment
and Lion Air was not available. Airbus was also hammering out details of an order for
100 more planes from Lion
Air’s regional rival AirAsia,
announced in a shower of
publicity at Farnborough.
After a slow start to the
year, Airbus had looked set to
end the Farnborough Airshow
with 380 net orders for the
year to date including the
AirAsia deal, which it
described as a firm order. The
deal did not make it into the
new tally, however, and an
Airbus spokesman said paperwork was being finalised. A
person close to the talks said
this only involved tying up
loose ends.
Latest Airbus data also suggested that another order
secured at the height of an
industry boom in 2012 had
been trimmed back. Mexican
low-cost carrier Interjet has
canceled five of 40 A320neo
jets it has on order, according
to the monthly update.
An airline spokeswoman
said the change was part of an
“operational swap,” without
giving further details. The
cancellation emerged as
Mexican consumer confidence dropped to its lowest
level in two years amid a weak
economy.
While Boeing remains
ahead by a whisker in the race
for new orders, it maintains a
solid lead on deliveries which
drive revenues, handing over
432 jets between January and
July. Airbus delivered 339 jets
between January and July,
down 4 percent on the year,
due in part to a shortage of
Pratt & Whitney engines for
its newly revamped A320neo.
It delivered just three of
those jets in July, including
two powered by Pratt &
Whitney and the first to be
delivered with alternative
engines
from
CFM
International. So far this year
it has delivered 11 A320neos
and 15 of its widebody A350s,
another model suffering
delays due in part to problems
with suppliers. It aims to
deliver 50 A350s this year.
Industry sources say that
besides widely reported problems with cabin equipment
such as toilets, the A350 has
faced other glitches including
quality problems with wing
spoilers from Austrian parts
maker FACC. An Airbus
spokesman said these problems had been resolved. FACC
declined to comment.
dollar, in which it is priced.
“The Fed will be possibly
waiting for a couple of nonfarm payrolls releases before
deciding on rates,” Natixis
analyst Bernard Dahdah said.
“There is no reason for gold to
fall below the $1,300 level in
the short term, especially if
European economy deteriorates, but prices could come
off in the third quarter in
anticipation of a Fed rate cut
in December.”
Economists polled by
Reuters are looking for US
nonfarm employment to have
risen by 180,000 in July. The
numbers are due at 1230 GMT
on Friday. Data this week
showed that US private
employers added 179,000 jobs
in July, above economists’
expectations, while the number of Americans filing for
unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week.
The dollar was down 0.2
percent against a basket of six
major currencies. European
shares rose following global
stock markets after the Bank
of England cut interest rates
to next to nothing on Thursday
and unleashed billions of
pounds of stimulus to cushion
the economic shock from
Britain’s vote to leave the
European Union.
“There’s a lot of money in
the market (after BoE easing).
So, the downside for the gold
price is limited and it’ll be
higher in the next few
months,” a Tokyo-based gold
trader said.
Physical
gold
sales
remained sluggish in Asia
this week as higher prices
kept buyers at bay, but appetite is expected to pick up with
festive seasons approaching
in top markets India and
China. Holdings of SPDR
Gold Trust, the world’s largest
gold-backed exchange-traded
fund, rose 0.37 percent to
973.21 tonnes on Thursday.
Among other precious metals, spot palladium was down
0.2 percent at $702.30 an
ounce. The metal, used in
autocatalysts and as an
investment, was heading for
its first weekly loss after six
weeks of gains.
famous yacht
Russia’s famous yacht Pallada docks at the Olympic Sailing Center of Qingdao, east China’s
Shandong Province, on Friday. The Pallada, a star sailing vessel in Russia, arrived here to attend
the coming 2016 Qingdao International Sailing Week.
Xinhua
n
relaxed lifestyle
Britons lead ‘dream life’ in EU’s poorest country
Agence France-Presse
ALINO, Aug 5
Every year, hordes of Britons
move to Spain’s Costa del Sol or
southern France in search of a
sunnier, more relaxed lifestyle.
But several thousand have
found their paradise in a most
unlikely place—Bulgaria, the
poorest member state of the
European Union. With its low living cost, the nation of seven million has become the bloc’s bestkept secret for British citizens
wanting to retire or reinvent
their existence.
At least 10,000 are estimated to
now live here either part-time or
permanently, although the actual
figure could be much higher: a
majority don’t register with local
authorities. Among those to call
the ex-Communist country home
are Tina and Kevin Brassington,
two university lecturers who
ditched their well-paid jobs in
Kent in 2011 and run a small
organic farm in the heart of
rural Bulgaria. “Fancy a cuppa?”
chirps Tina as she opens the
green gates to the estate, set on a
dusty road in the small village of
Alino, 50 kilometres (30 miles)
south of the capital Sofia.
Behind the petite brunette,
baby goats bounce around a leafy
garden drenched in sunshine.
Rows of vegetable beds sit amid
fruit trees and flower bushes.
They also have chickens, geese
and pigs. The couple, both in
their 40s, say Bulgaria has
allowed them to fulfil their
“dream of self-sufficiency”.
“It’s taken us several years to
turn the derelict house and garden into somewhere beautiful
n A file
photo shows Britain’s Tina and Kevin Brassington walking after their
goats on a street in the small village of Alino, Bulgaria.
AFP/RSS
where we grow our own food,”
said Kevin, taking a sip from a
Union Jack mug. “We’ve learnt to
be happy with less,” added Tina,
who at one point worked as a
marketing expert for banks in
London. When they’re not selling
their produce at a farmer’s mar-
ket, they herd village goats, meet
neighbours for coffee and
improve their Bulgarian. “This
isn’t Spain where you can live as
an English person in an English
community. The adventurous
ones come to Bulgaria,” said
Kevin. News of Britain’s recent
vote to quit the EU proved upsetting even to this jovial pair. “I’m
proud to be British but I also love
living here. I don’t think the two
are mutually exclusive.”
Britain’s romance with
Bulgaria began in 2004 when
Sofia launched a massive tourism
campaign in Britain to draw foreign investment. The Bulgarian
entry into the EU single market
three years later further eased
rules to live and work here.
Brits bought around 60,000
homes between 2004 and 2008,
according to Rumen Draganov of
the Institute for Analysis and
Assessment in Tourism. The
boom even inspired a now-defunct comedy TV series on
Bulgarian state TV, “The English
Neighbour”, about a British pensioner who moves to a fictional
Bulgarian village.
The influx ebbed off with the
financial crisis but people are
still coming, Draganov said, especially “young-spirited” pensioners. “Surprisingly, a lot don’t opt
for resort places but remote, unusual spots. They seek a community feel and starry nights,”
Draganov told AFP.
Kim Sayer from Norwich was
one of the first Brits to settle in
the village of Marcha in central
Bulgaria. Many are drawn to the
region because of its mountains,
lakes, and medieval heritage.
“I saw an article on Bulgaria 12
years ago. I always wanted to go
abroad and after my divorce I
decided to make the move,” the
56-year-old trained plumber and
construction expert told AFP.
His vast property features
several self-built houses and a
luxurious swimming pool over-
looking a lush valley. “I couldn’t
live like this back home,” he
said with a grin.
In the nearby traditional town
of Dryanovo, British accents can
be heard on every cafe terrace.
“Ten years ago, we thought Brits
were exotic but now there are so
many that you hardly notice
them,” said resident Yanko
Stefanov. “I know them all
around here. They call me
Jacob,” he laughed.
His British “mates” include
retired Belfast musician Stephen
Mulhern and his partner
Catherine who own a plot of land
off a dirt track in the village of
Turkincha. They left London
three years ago after realising
their pensions would go a lot further in Bulgaria, where big
homes can be bought for less
than 15,000 euros (£12,600).
C M Y K
III
money
world
the kathmandu post | Saturday, August 6, 2016
news digest $81 billion bangladesh cyber heist
Siemens hikes
profit forecast
BERLIN: German industrial giant Siemens lifted its
annual earnings forecast
Thursday after booming
demand for renewables
fattened order books in
the second quarter, but
warned of increasing
geopolitical risks. For
the financial year ending
September, the group
said it expected profits
per share between 6.50
and 6.70 euros ($7.247.46), compared with
the 6.0 to 6.40 it had
previously predicted —
the second upward revision since March. Chief
executive Joe Kaeser
said in a statement that
Siemens “delivered
excellent performance,
especially with regard to
growth, in an increasingly difficult market environment”. (AFP)
P’pine gaming
‘oligarch’ resigns
MANILA: The head of
prominent Philippine
online gaming firm
Philweb Corp. resigned
Thursday, a day after
President Rodrigo
Duterte threatened to
“destroy” him and
accused him of being an
oligarch. Speaking to
members of an election
watchdog on Wednesday,
Duterte called Ongpin an
oligarch, saying the company’s chief got rich
thanks to his close connections with four previous presidents, including
the late dictator
Ferdinand Marcos.
Duterte, who has
launched a controversial
crackdown on crime that
has left hundreds dead,
called on the country’s
legislature to amend the
constitution, in part to
curb individual influence
of wealthy residents over
the government. “My
order to the (assembly):
Destroy the oligarchs
that are embedded in
government now. Those
are the ones. I’ll give you
an example, publicly, in
front of the nation:
Ongpin, Roberto.” (AFP)
Euro boots
Adidas sales
BERLIN: A year of
high-profile sports sponsorship has so far paid
off for Adidas, with sales
at its core brand up 25
percent thanks to events
including the Euro 2016
football tournament.
Higher sales of items
branded with the
Bavarian firm’s famous
three stripes were “mostly due to two-digit
increases in the important categories of running, football and training, as well as Adidas
Originals and Adidas
neo,” two fashion
branches, the firm said
in a statement. “We’re
inspiring our consumers
with one-of-a-kind experiences,” chief executive
Herbert Hainer said,
“and that will continue
onwards.” While the
final in Paris pitted two
Nike-sponsored teams,
France and Portugal,
against one another,
Adidas markings were
visible on other strong
performers including the
German Mannschaft and
the Spanish national
team. Following the
boost from Euro 2016,
Adidas-sponsored athletes and teams will be in
the spotlight again at the
Rio Olympics from
August 6. (AFP)
Philippine bank
handed record fine
Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Aug 5
The Philippines Central Bank
on Friday handed a local bank
a record $21 million fine after
it was used by hackers to channel millions of dollars stolen
from Bangladesh into local
casinos.
In February, unidentified
cyber criminals shifted $81
million from the Bangladesh
central bank’s account with
the US Federal Reserve to a
Manila branch of the Rizal
Commercial Banking Corp
(RCBC), from where it was
funnelled into local casinos.
The central bank said in a
statement it had approved the
record one billion pesos ($21
million) fine after a “special
examination” of the bank and
its role in the audacious cyber
heist. The fine was part of its
“supervisory enforcement
action on RCBC”, the central
bank said in a statement.
The move shows the central
bank’s “strong commitment to
ensure the stability of the
country’s financial system
through strong and effective
Bangladesh Bank lawyer Ajmalul Hossain (right) gestures with John
Gomes, a Bangladesh ambassador to the Philippines, during a press
conference in Manila, Philippines, on Friday. REUTERS
n
regulation,” it added.
Bangladesh welcomed the
imposition of the fine. “It’s
positive,” Bangladeshi ambassador to Manila John Gomes
told a news conference.
RCBC said separately that it
had made provisions for the
fine and would pay it in two
instalments over a one-year
period. The total was equivalent to more than 38 percent of
the 2.6 billion pesos it earned
in net profits during the first
half of 2016. But it added:
“The payment of the amount
will not affect the operations
of RCBC, and capital ratios
will continue to be strong.”
The brazen cyber heist
highlighted
how
the
Philippines’ banking loopholes and anti-money laundering laws have made the impoverished and corruption-weary
Southeast Asian nation a dirty
money destination.
Philippine law exempts
casino transactions from scrutiny by the country’s anti-money laundering council without
a case filed in court. Filipino
authorities now say they have
tracked down all but $21 million of the loot, but have only
recovered a fraction of it.
The Philippines’ AntiMoney Laundering Council
has filed a suit to gain control
of the alleged stolen funds
from RCBC, the casinos, and a
Manila-based Chinese casino
operator. But the process is
expected to take years, with
Bangladesh voicing frustration at the slow pace of the
return of surrendered funds.
Bangladeshi ambassador
Gomes announced Friday that
Dhaka was sending a high-level delegation to Manila late
next month to press for the
return of the funds.
The Bangladesh theft was
one of a series of spectacular
cyber attacks against banks
this year that have heightened
fears the industry is becoming
an increasingly attractive target for hackers.
Oil enters bear market,
mauled by supply glut
Agence France-Presse
LONDON, AUG 5
Chronic oversupply sent oil
prices slumping this week into
a so-called bear market, losing
20 percent from recent June
peaks above $50.
In tumultuous trade on
Wednesday, US benchmark
West Texas Intermediate
(WTI) struck $39.19 — which
was the lowest level since
April 18. And on Tuesday,
Europe’s main contract Brent
North Sea crude slid to $41.51
— which was also a trough last
reached on that same day.
Oil industry experts argue
that the market got caught up
in forecasts that supply and
demand would shift into balance in 2016. The International
Energy Agency had forecast in
April that oil was expected to
almost balance out in the second half of the year.
“Crude prices have re-entered bear market territory,”
said analysts at London-based
consultancy Energy Aspects
in a research note. “The problem has been that the market
priced in a full rebalancing too
quickly and discounted the
scale of the inventory overhang, which has left many disappointed.” The market had
nosedived from above $100 in
In tumultuous trade on
Wednesday, US benchmark
West Texas Intermediate
struck $39.19—the lowest
level since April 18
mid-2014 to 13-year lows of
around $27 in February,
plagued by the supply glut, but
have since rebounded somewhat. That collapse was triggered by a glut that was worsened by rising unconventional
oil production, mainly from
booming US shale crude,
alongside the OPEC cartel’s
reluctance to cut output.
This week, meanwhile, the
US government’s Department
of Energy (DoE) revealed that
crude reserves rebounded by
1.41 million barrels in the
week ended July 29. That confounded analysts’ forecasts for
a drop of 1.75 million barrels,
and left total stockpiles at 522.5
million. That was 14.8 percent
more than was recorded at the
same point last year and
marked the highest seasonal
level in decades. Data showing
an increase in inventories
tends to heighten worries
about oversupply and push the
market lower.
However, prices rose over
Wednesday and Thursday on
signs of rebounding demand
for motor fuel amid the
peak-demand driving season,
when many Americans hit the
road for vacations.
“The DoE inventory data
(provided) further evidence of
a supply overhang returning
to the market,” XTB analyst
David Cheetham told AFP,
adding gasoline demand was
nevertheless weak. “Supply
disruptions from the Canadian
wildfires and the geopolitical
situation in Libya have failed
to manifest themselves to the
degree that they were feared.”
“When taken alongside disappointing demand from the
US for gasoline in the driving
season, this demonstrates an
altogether less supportive fundamental outlook for oil than
just a few months ago.”
Average US daily domestic
crude production was meanwhile down 55,000 barrels at
8.5 million. Later Friday,
investors will be watching the
release of US July jobs data,
which will give a fresh look at
the world’s top economy and
oil consumer.
In trading on Friday at 1045
GMT, WTI for September
delivery was down 42 cents at
$41.51 a barrel compared with
the close on Thursday.
RBI seen holding rates World Bank adopts new social,
REUTERS
BENGALURU, AUG 5
Outgoing Reserve Bank of
India Governor Raghuram
Rajan is likely keep interest
rates on hold on Tuesday, leaving it to his successor to decide
if inflation is subsiding
enough after the monsoon season to make another cut,
according to a Reuters poll.
All but five of the 43 economists polled this week said the
RBI would leave rates
unchanged at 6.50 percent at
Rajan’s last policy review
before he steps down on Sept.
4. The other five economists
expected a 25-basis-point cut.
The RBI was likely to leave
the cash reserve ratio
unchanged at 4.00 percent,
according
to
the
poll.
Expectations were running
high, however, for a 25 basis
point cut in the repo rate
to 6.25 percent in the final
three months of this year,
with the RBI holding steady
thereafter until at least the
end of 2017.
But for now, inflation popping up toward the upper end
of RBI’s 2-6 percent target
range spoiled Rajan’s chances
of delivering a valedictory
rate cut, according to most
economists.
Consumer prices rose 5.77
percent in June, putting inflation above the RBI’s March
2017 target of 5 percent for a
third consecutive month.
“The RBI will maintain the
status quo until a clearer picture emerges with respect to
the impact of the monsoon
and wage hikes on inflation,”
said Dipanwita Dutta, economist at Punjab National Bank.
Above-average monsoon
rains, critical for India’s vast
agricultural sector, are expected to increase farm output and
rural income, which should
help both cool food prices, and
boost economic growth. But a
recent wage hike for government employees will also spur
demand and push inflation
higher.
In response to a separate
question, 26 of 33 economists
said the RBI would not change
the medium-term inflation
target of 4 percent, that was
introduced by Rajan, after he
departs.
“The target was suggested
after a detailed analysis on
real rates and keeping in mind
the long-term fundamentals of
the economy. Nothing much
has changed on that front,”
said Tushar Arora, economist
at HDFC bank.
The government has yet to
name a successor to Rajan and
future rate decisions could be
taken by a monetary policy
committee, rather than the
RBI governor.
environmental framework
Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON, Aug 5
The World Bank on Thursday
adopted a new set of policies
aimed at preventing its projects from harming people and
the environment.
The global lender dedicated
to fighting poverty — whose
commitments rose to more
than $60 billion this year —
said the new environmental
and
social
framework
had involved the “most extensive consultation ever conducted” by the bank.
“These new safeguards will
build into our projects
updated and improved protections for the most vulnerable
people in the world and our
environment,” World Bank
President Jim Yong Kim said
in a statement.
The Bank last year acknowledged that its projects had
sometimes resulted in forced
The new rules are to take effect in 2018 and will require
client states to conduct a broadened social assessment
and management of environmental and social risks
population displacements.
World Bank projects in regions
around the world have been
accused of underwriting
human rights abuses.
The new rules are to take
effect in 2018 and will
require client states to conduct a “broadened social
assessment and management
of environmental and social
risks,” to guarantee labour
rights and prohibit any form
of forced labour.
Projects will have to reduce
environmental harm and
US trade deficit rises to
10-month high in June
economic talks
REUTERS
WASHINGTON, AUG 5
n
avoid large-scale population
displacements, according to
the new policy. While welcoming some improvements,
Nadia Daar, head of the
Washington office at Oxfam
International, said in a statement that her organization
was “frustrated and disappointed” that the new policy
had not gone further.
The Bank Information
Center, an organization which
lobbies to improve World Bank
policies, said the new rules
lacked “the strength and clari-
ty that people negatively
impacted by development so
profoundly depend upon”.
As the latest version of the
rules became public last
month, Human Rights Watch
likewise said it “does not
require the bank to respect
human rights”.
Kim, the Bank president,
said the framework represented “the best possible compromise”. “We had to find a path
down the middle where we can
both ensure that abuses didn’t
happen and at the same time
make it possible for borrowers
to borrow,” Kim told reporters
in a conference call.
Overly strict criteria risked
harming the economic prospects of poor countries, he
said. The Bank currently faces
a growing number of other
actors in global development,
including China, seen as placing fewer conditions on
financing.
Delegates pose for a group photo during the 15th China-ASEAN (10+1) economic ministers’ meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday. Xinhua
The US trade deficit rose to a
10-month high in June as rising domestic demand and
higher oil prices boosted the
import bill while the lagging
effects of a strong dollar continued to hamper export
growth.
The Commerce Department
said on Friday the trade gap
increased 8.7 percent to $44.5
billion in June, the biggest
deficit since August 2015.
May’s trade deficit was revised
slightly down to $41.0 billion.
June marked the third
straight month of increases in
the deficit. Economists polled
by Reuters had forecast the
trade gap widening to $43.1
billion in June after a previously reported $41.1 billion
shortfall. When adjusted for
inflation, the deficit rose to
$64.7 billion from $60.9 billion
in May.
The government in its snapshot of second-quarter gross
domestic product published
last week said trade had contributed two-tenths of a percentage point to the 1.2 percent annualized growth pace
during the period.
The dollar’s sharp rally
against the currencies of the
United States’ main trading
partners between June 2014
and December 2015 has undercut export growth. With the
dollar weakening this year on
a trade-weighted basis, some
of the drag on exports had
started to ebb. But the dollar
has been regaining strength in
the wake of Britain’s June 23
vote to leave the European
Union, and economists say
that could renew pressure on
exports.
Exports of goods and services edged up 0.3 percent in
June. Exports to the European
Union jumped 7.8 percent,
with goods shipped to the
United Kingdom soaring 18.2
percent. China bought more
US-made goods in June, with
exports to that country rising
3.6 percent.
Imports of goods and services increased 1.9 percent to
$227.7 billion in June.
s i n g l e g o o d s - a n d - s e r v i c e s ta x
Business hopeful as India overhauls complex web of taxes
Agence France-Presse
NEW DELHI, Aug 5
When trader Vivek Mehra buys
artwork from the remote corners
of India, he braces himself for a
world of pain as he navigates the
country’s notoriously complex
tax system.
But Mehra, who makes and
sells furniture, is among throngs
of business owners hopeful
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
moves this week for a new, single
national sales tax will make life
much easier. At the moment,
Mehra has to pay different rates
of sales tax in different states, a
policy that means endless holdups when crossing interstate borders. “You can be stranded
behind 300 trucks at the border
and even one single piece of
paper missing can mean your
load is confiscated,” he told AFP
in his New Delhi workshop.
Lawmakers have voted in
favour of scrapping India’s jumble of federal and state taxes and
introducing a single
goods-and-services tax (GST), creating a common market for the
first time. The government said
the move, hailed as India’s most
significant economic reform in
decades, would reduce double taxation, cut red tape and make the
system more efficient.
Experts said the tax could
eventually help boost India’s
already strong economic growth
by up to two percentage points.
“Consumption will go up, production will go up, investments will
go up, investment into production
will go up, so this is a great development,” said Adi Godrej, chairman of consumer goods giant the
Godrej Group. “To my mind it is
the biggest economic reform after
the liberalisation of 1991,” he
said, referring to historic moves
to open up India to international
trade. Modi has battled fiercely to
introduce the tax after facing
criticism for being too slow to
introduce much-needed reforms
after storming to power in 2014.
The main opposition Congress
party, which first proposed a GST
a decade ago, blocked the current
one in parliament for 12 months
before finally agreeing to an
amended version.
But experts say the changes
needed to win political support
may have blunted the overall
boost to the economy. States will
still be allowed, for example, to
separately tax alcohol, petrol and
other products that are likely to
be excluded from the GST.
Shopkeepers wait for customers at their jewellery stall in Amritsar, India, on
Thursday. AFP/RSS
n
The government also faces a
race against time to introduce the
tax by its deadline of next April,
when the new financial year
starts. Half of India’s states have
to now ratify the move in their
parliaments before it can be
enshrined in law. Thousands of
tax officials must also be trained
in the new regime, government
IT systems overhauled and companies themselves briefed on
complying with the changes. “It
is always good to set stiff targets
and try meet them, rather than
have no targets at all,” Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley said of the
deadline, which many experts
believe is optimistic. The main
rate of the GST must also still be
thrashed out by a council of state
and central officials. Congress
says it wants the rate capped at 18
percent of any purchase of goods
or service to avoid what it calls
“creeping taxation”.
States with lots of manufacturers may battle to push the rate
higher. They stand to lose revenues because the money collected
would now go to the state where
the product is consumed,
although New Delhi has pledged
to reimburse them for the first
five years. “We need to wait for
details and tax rates to come out
before speculating about the
GST’s effectiveness,” warned
Sujan Hajra, chief economist at
Anand Rathi Securities.
But Prakash Tulsiani, chief
operating officer with Allcargo
Logistics based in Mumbai, is
confident the move means
increased productivity, with less
paperwork and faster delivery of
goods. “Now, we don’t have to
worry about multi-level taxation
levied by different states.”
About 150 countries have some
form of GST, according to OECD.
Mehra, who employs
around 200 artisans and others
at his workshops and showrooms
in Delhi and neighbouring
Rajasthan state, hopes the
changes will also mean fewer
headaches.
C M Y K
bizline
Royal Enfield Heritage Ride today
KATHMANDU: Dugar Brothers
and Sons, the authorised dealer of Royal Enfield motorcycles in Nepal, is organising
‘Royal Enfield Heritage Ride’
on Saturday aimed at promoting two-wheel tourism and
world heritage sites. Royal
Enfield riders will be participating in the ride which will
begin from its Naxal showroom and pass through
Durbarmarg, New Road,
Ratna Park, Tripureshwor, Kupandol, Jawalakhel,
Pulchowk, Mangalbazaar, Gwarko, Balkumari,
Koteshwor, Thimi, Sallaghari and Bhaktapur Durbar
Square, the company said in a press release. (PR)
MoneyGram, City Express join hands
KATHMANDU: MoneyGram, a leading global money transfer company, is expanding its reach in Nepal in partnership with City Express Money Transfer Private Limited,
a local payment services company, it said in a statement.
The expansion will increase points and covenience for its
consumers to collect money remitted by their families
and friends from abroad, it added. “MoneyGram is committed to making its services easy and convenient for all
of its customers in Nepal and the thousands of expatriates that remit money back home,” said Sheshagiri
Malliah, MoneyGram’s Regional Director for South Asia.
“By partnering with City Express, our customers in
Nepal will have more choices and extended working
hours, benefiting especially for transfers from the Middle
East.” City Express Managing Director Chandra Tandan
said, “We are excited to partner with MoneyGram, one of
the largest moneytransfer companies in the world with a
strong brand presence in Nepal and serving the diaspora
around the globe. We are sure that this partnership will
enhance the money transfer services in Nepal and give
better service to the customer base.” (PR)
money IV
bazaar
Saturday, August 6, 2016 | thekathmandupost
Internet-based television
slowly gaining popularity
VegetablesUnit Price (Rs)
PRALHAD RIJAL
KATHMANDU, AUG 5
Internet-based television is gradually gaining popularity in the
country, with a number of internet service provider (ISP) racing
to roll out the service.
Broadlink, an ISP, recently
launched its Internet Protocol TV
service
(IPTV)—“Broadtv”—
which can be watched on smart
televisions through a set-top box.
It has fixed subscription charges
at Rs4,000 and Rs6,000 and customers will be able to enjoy a onemonth and six-month free
schemes depending on the nature
of the subscription.
Broadtv is also available on
both Apple iOs and Google
Android platforms. Customers
can download the Broadtv app
from Google’s Playstore and
Apple’s Appstore and can view
contents on laptops, smartphones
and tablets. They can record contents as well as rewind, pause play
and forward, the company said.
Another ISP, Vianet is following
suit. The company is all set
to launch its IPTV service in
collaboration
with
NITV
Streamz, which is already selling
television contents through a
mobile-based application named
“NET TV Nepal”.
Vianet officials said they will
provide the service through settop boxes and optical fibre connection. Customers will be able to
subscribe to high definition
digital contents like television
channels, movies and YouTube,
among others.
Vianet is currently pilot-testing
the IPTV system and will launch
the product bundled with existing
internet service. “Our unique selling proposition will be the quality
of the broadcast and other interactive features,” said Vianet CEO
Binay Bohora.
“The product will be a value
addition to the internet service as
customers will be able to enjoy an
entertainment package comprising TV channels, YouTube, movies on demand and other third
party contents too.”
He said features like “Capture
TV” will enable users to access
digital contents as per their preference. “The technology is challenging to execute and equally
exciting,” Bohora said, adding
subscription charges and billing
will be overseen by NITV
Streamz—the developer of the
software. “In the initial days, we
will provide the service to selected customers and roll out a commercial scheme later.”
Currently, Broadlink and NITV
Streamz are providing the service
through optical fibre connection
and mobile-based application.
The “NET TV Nepal” app has features live television, movies, TV
shows, YouTube Plus and online
games. Payment can be made
through e-sewa and SCT npay.
luxury wheels
market watch
RETAIL PRICE
Red Potato
Kg
Rs55
White Potato
Kg
Rs45
Onion (Indian)
Kg
Rs38
Tomato Small
Kg
Rs85
Carrot
Kg Rs125
Tomato Big
Kg
Rs85
SquashKg Rs35
CabbageKg Rs45
Brinjal Long
kg Rs65
Cow Pea
Kg
Rs75
Fruits Unit
Price (Rs)
Apple Kg
Rs155
PomegranateKg
Rs215
Mango kgRs110
Pineapple1Pc Rs105
CucumberKg
Rs65
PapayaKg Rs73
BananaDoz Rs85
Lime
100 Pcs
Rs475
daily commodities
Ncell presents bike to retailer
Commodities Unit
Price (Rs)
KATHMANDU: Ncell has presented a motorbike to Dinesh
Dura of Lamjung Communication, authorised retailer
Ncell products at Mitranagar in Naya Bus Park,
Kathmandu, under its Channel Loyalty project. Lamjung
Communication is one of the 10,000 authorised Ncell
retailers extending the Ncell services like sales of SIM
cards, recharge cards and other Ncell products to customers, the company said in statement. Ncell started the
loyalty project in 2014 to gratify and motivate retailers
for promoting Ncell products based on their sales performance. Dura is the first retailer to have won a motorbike
under this project. (PR)
Pokhreli Rice
Kg
Rs70
Jeera Masino Rice
Kg
Rs70
Indian Basmati Rice Kg
Rs100
Mansuli Rice
Kg
Rs55
Sona Rice
Kg
Rs50
Beaten Rice (Taichin) Kg
Rs125
Beaten Rice
Kg
Rs60
Big Mas
Kg
Rs270
Small Mas
Kg
Rs250
Big Mung
Kg
Rs180
Musuro (No 1)
Kg
Rs170
Musuro (No 2)
Kg
Rs150
Dubar Special Teej Festival from Aug 11
KATHMANDU: Women’s Creation Center, a nonprofit
organisation, is organising the ‘15th Dabur Special Teej
Festival 2016’ from August 11-15 at Tripureshowr in the
Capital. Organised since 2002, the exhibition has been
providing a platform for women entrepreneurs to share
their creation and promote their products of women. It
has also been offering opportunities for visitors to shop
for Teej under one umbrella, Dabur Nepal said in a statement. Dabur Special Hair oil is the main sponsor of the
event. All essential items for Teej celebrations such as
puja items, handicraft, apparels, gift items, henna, home
appliances, among others, will be available at over 90
stalls during the exhibition, the company said. (PR)
Rahar KgRs250
Nike stops making clubs, bags and balls
NEW YORK: American sports equipment maker Nike
will no longer produce or sell golf clubs, bags or balls,
it announced Wednesday, as sales for the gear slip.
The company plans to concentrate instead on shoes
and clothing for golfers, and on its partnerships with
stars like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Michelle Wie.
It will offer, for example, a new line of Tiger Woods
golf wear. “We’re committed to being the undisputed
leader in golf footwear and apparel,” said Trevor
Edwards, president of Nike Brand, in a statement on
the company website. He promised “sustainable profitable growth for Nike Golf.” The announcement comes
after Nike in June posted an 8.2 percent drop in sales of
golf articles to $706 million during the fiscal year that
ended in May. (AFP)
Rs220
Chana (Small)
Kg
Rs210
Chilli Powder
Kg
Rs400
gasoline watch
Amazon ‘Prime’ plane takes flight
Associated Press
Argentine court blocks electricity hikes
BUENOS AIRES: A federal court in Argentina on
Wednesday blocked the government’s move to slash electricity subsidies, an unpopular policy that has sent customers’ bills soaring. Judge Martina Forns suspended
President Mauricio Macri’s much-hated rate increases
indefinitely, in a nationwide ruling. It is just the latest
legal setback for Macri’s move to eliminate subsidies for
electricity, gas and water implemented under his predecessor, Cristina Kirchner. A flurry of court challenges
had already forced the government to cap the rate
increases for gas at 400 percent for homes and 500 percent for businesses. The cases were filed after
Argentines’ utility bills initially shot up an average of
700 percent. (AFP)
Seattle-based Amazon is unveiling
its first branded cargo plane, one
of 40 jetliners that will make up
the e-commerce giant’s own air
transportation network as it takes
more control of its delivery process.
The latest push to speed delivery of its products comes as the
company ships an increasing
number of packages worldwide.
Amazon’s parcel volume was an
estimated 1 billion packages in
2015—the same number that
FedEx delivered three years earlier for hundreds of thousands of
customers.
Amazon has had issues with the
reliability of air freight services.
In 2013, it offered refunds to customers who got their Christmas
orders late after bad weather and a
jump in online shopping caused
delays for UPS and FedEx.
Analysts say it makes sense for
Amazon to use an air fleet it controls as another way to get its
products to online shoppers drawn
BRUSSELS: The European Union on Thursday hit China
and Russia with anti-dumping duties on cold rolled steel
imports after complaints by EU producers they were
being forced out of the market. The European
Commission said the levies, announced provisionally in
February, will run for five years as Europe tries to cope
with a global steel glut largely driven by massive Chinese
output. “In the wake of the global steel overcapacity crisis, the Commission is applying the trade defence instruments to re-establish a level-playing field between EU
and foreign producers,” it said in a statement. (REUTERS)
Kg
n Rolls-Royce Regional Sales Manager - Asia Pacific Sven J Ritter (left) and Kun Group of Companies Director Vasanthi Bhupathi pose during the launch of
the Rolls-Royce ‘DAWN’ in Chennai, India, on Friday.
AFP/rss
SEATTLE, AUG 5
EU hits China, Russia with steel duties
Chana (Big)
n
Amazon’s ‘Prime Air’ plane is put on display in Seattle on Thursday. to fast, no-extra-cost delivery.
“They’re such a big online
retailer,” said Satish Jindel, president of shipping consultant
ShipMatrix. “There’s so much volume that if you have to add transportation for yourself, why would
you pay a retail price when you
can get wholesale? It makes
sense.”
Amazon will reveal its first
branded “Prime Air” cargo plane,
designated Amazon One, on
Friday at the annual Seafair Air
Show. The plane will buzz over
Seattle’s Lake Washington just
AP/RSS
before the Navy’s Blue Angels take
to the skies, an official said.
Amazon leased 40 Boeing jets
from Atlas Air Worldwide
Holdings and Air Transport
Services Group Inc., which will
operate the air cargo network.
Eleven of the planes already are
delivering packages for Amazon’s
annual Prime loyalty program,
which offers free two-day shipping
and other perks. The remaining
freighters will be rolled out in the
next couple of years.
Aircraft like Amazon One allow
the company to “continue to main-
tain our fast delivery speeds and
lower our costs as our Prime base
and our Prime member growth
continue to soar,” said Dave Clark,
Amazon’s senior vice president of
worldwide operations. Despite its
growing fleet of aircraft, Amazon
said it plans to continue to use
FedEx, UPS and other transportation partners. “Because of our
growth and the sheer amount
of packages, we are supplementing our transportation needs,”
Clark said.
The company has been furiously building out distribution centres, where workers and robots
pull products off shelves and
package them for delivery, as well
as smaller sorting plants, which
arrange packages by ZIP code for
faster delivery. It has a network of
more than 125 fulfilment centres
worldwide.
Amazon recently reported
a second-quarter profit of $857
million on $30 billion in revenue.
The company doesn’t yet have
plans to carry packages for others
but says it’s constantly evaluating
its situation.
bullion
Price Per tola
Hallmark Gold
Rs59,500
Tejabi Gold
Rs59,250
Silver
Rs910
Source: FENEGOSIDA
s p o i lt f o r c h o i c e
Korean cosmetics shine in China, draw investors
REUTERS
SEOUL, AUG 5
At an Innisfree cosmetics store
in Seoul’s popular Myeongdong
shopping district, a saleswoman
helps 21-year-old Chinese tourist
Yang Hui carry her shopping
baskets to the pay desk in front
of a large display showing
K-Pop star Yoona.
“There’s a lot to choose
from,” said Yang, confessing to
having bought more than she’d
planned from the store’s range
of around 900 products.
South Korea’s top cosmetics
company Amorepacific Group
launches some 400 new
Innisfree branded products a
year, about half of which are no
longer available a year later.
It’s one of dozens of Korean
mass cosmetics brands with a
short product development
cycle—a “fast beauty” approach
that is increasingly popular
among Chinese and other Asian
millennials, gaining exposure in
the United States and Europe,
and attracting high-profile foreign investment.
South Korea has become a
hot-bed for applying to cosmetics the “fast fashion” principles
of shifting designs quickly from
catwalk to Main Street to capitalise on new trends. Thousands
of small cosmetics firms compete to get their new products to
market, with third-party manufacturers cutting the time on
testing and recipe alignment
and providing the capacity for
swift market launch.
Korean brands have cut product development cycles to as little as four months, compared to
over a year for global brands,
industry experts say. “When we
received an eyeshadow order
from a major global client in
2004, it took us two years to
begin production. Now it takes
n
A file photo shows a customer trying a lipstick at a shop in Seoul. us one year from the word go,”
said Lim Dae-gyu, a director at
Cosmax Inc, a cosmetics manufacturer with annual sales of
close to $500 million. “For South
Korean mass brands, it takes
less—just 4-6 months from planning to market launch is average,” Lim added.
South Korea last year overtook the United States and
REUTERS
Japan to become the No. 2 cosmetics exporter to China after
France. It shipped $1.1 billion
worth of skincare creams, facial
masks, compacts and other cosmetic products to the world’s
second-largest economy, according to the Ministry of Food and
Drug Safety. South Korea’s total
cosmetics exports were worth
$2.59 billion, up 44 percent from
2014, with Hong Kong and the
United States its second- and
third-biggest markets, a long
way behind China. Sales are
boosted by South Korea’s dutyfree market—the world’s biggest—which caters especially to
big-spending Chinese tourists.
Cosmetics accounted for nearly
half of the country’s record
duty-free revenue of 5.8 trillion
won ($5.1 billion) in the first
half of this year, data showed.
The trade is not without its
downside. To counter unofficial
re-sales, Korea’s Customs
Service is considering setting a
50 product limit for duty-free
buyers, a customs official said.
Analysts say this could dent
sales by smaller firms, but note
that bigger companies already
limit duty-free purchases to control store inventory. “New ingredients, new packaging, new formulas come on the market continuously, and when something
does well Korean brands
respond quickly,” said Jang Junkee, managing director of the
Korea Cosmetics Foundation, an
industry group.
Amorepacific’s 2008 hit product, the cushion compact—a
multifunctional sponge applicator for anything from liquid
facial cover and sun protection
to make-up base and moisturiser—inspired follow-up products
from global brands such as
L’Oreal’s Lancome and Estee
Lauder’s Clinique.
Innovative, often cute, packaging also helps. The Face Shop,
a mass brand from South
Korea’s second-ranked cosmetics firm LG Household & Health
Care, said last month it sold out
of its initial 130,000 cushion
compacts featuring Disney characters—costing 20,000 won—in
just two days. It said it expects
to launch about 600 new products this year.
Int’l market
EnergyPrice (US$)%Change
Brent Crude Futr (Bbl)
Gas Oil Fut (Ice) (Mt)
Gasoline Rbob Fut (Gal)
Natural Gas Futr (Mmbtu)
44.29
384.5
137.33
2.79
0.00
3.01
0.39
-1.62
AgriculturePrice (US$)%Change
Cocoa Future (Mt)
Coffee ‘C’ Future (Lb)
Corn Future (Bu)
Cotton No. 2 Futr (Lb)
Rough Rice (Cbot) (Cwt)
Soybean Future (Bu)
Soybean Meal Futr (T)
Soybean Oil Futr (Lb)
Sugar #11 (World) (Lb)
Wheat Future (Cbt) (Bu)
Industrial Metals
Copper Future (Lb)
Precious Metals
Gold 100 Oz Futr (T Oz)
Silver Future (T Oz)
3,022.00
143.45
332.5
73.56
9.39
967.25
328.2
30.81
19.92
406.75
1.04
0.95
0.45
-0.57
0.64
1.10
1.30
-0.71
1.12
0.87
Price (US$)%Change
216.2
-0.55
Price (US$)%Change
1,352.90
19.99
-1.06
-2.22
C M Y K