Bhattarai wants package deal to step down

Nepal’s No. 1 

English Daily 

www.thehimalayantimes.com 

Printed simultaneously from 

Kathmandu and Itahari 

Opening heaven’s gate for the deceased Page 7 Finding Shakespeare Page 9 UN sees battle for Aleppo looming Page 11 Surviving urbanisation Page 13 

The Himalayan 

T I M E S 

Vol. XI No.257 • Kathmandu, Saturday, August 4, 2012, Shrawan 20, 2069, Nepal Sambat 1132 

SHORT TAKES 

Reuters 

Hungary's Nora Barta performing a dive 

during the women's 3m springboard 

preliminary round at the London Olympic 

Games at the Aquatics Centre on Friday. 

NEPAL 

Cholera kills two in Doti 

DIPAYAL: Cholera has claimed two more 

lives in Baglek VDC of Doti, taking the death 

toll since the outbreak of the disease about a 

month-and-a-half ago to 12. According to 

the District Public Health Office, ninemonth-old 

Bipana Kunwar and 70-year-old 

Saluwa Bhul succumbed to the disease on 

Thursday night. Cholera is sweeping across 

neighbouring VDCs as well, putting more 

lives at risk. Majority of those succumbing to 

the disease are children and elderly. Locals 

accused the government of failing to understand 

the gravity of the situation . — HNS 

SPORTS 

Federer wins epic match 

LONDON: Roger Federer is one victory away 

from filling the last space in his creaking trophy 

cabinet after beating Argentine Juan 

Martin del Potro in a four-hour 26 minute 

epic to reach the Olympic men's singles final 

at Wimbledon on Friday. The 30-year-old 

Swiss survived a record-breaking scrap to 

win 3-6 7-6 19-17 in the longest men's threeset 

match played in the professional era. The 

third set alone took an astonishing 163 minutes 

with Federer, who served for the match 

at 10-9 but was broken to love, claiming victory 

when his exhausted opponent fired an 

attempted backhand pass into the net. — Reuters 

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs) SELLING (in Rs) 

Indian Rs 100 160.00 160.15 

Chinese Yuan 1 13.90 13.99 

US Dollar 1 88.57 89.17 

Euro 1 108.02 108.76 

Pound Sterling 1 137.54 138.48 

Japanese Yen 10 11.32 11.40 

The foreign exchange rates are fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank 

Keshav P Koirala 

Kathmandu, August 3 

Three months ago, Indra 

Mani Kafle, 24, was preparing 

for PhD in Sanskrit 

grammar in Varanasi, when 

he received a leaflet from 

Swami Bishnu Prappannacharyaji 

Maharaj that 

proposed an exciting opportunity. 

The leaflet, distributed by 

Shree Human Welfare Spiritual 

Charitable Federation 

of Nepal on the premises of 

a Nepali temple in Lalita 

Ghat on the banks of 

Ganges in Varanasi, talked 

about a 29-month religious 

marathon in the USA for 

which it was seeking 108 experts 

from Nepal and India. 

“It was an exciting opportunity 

for people like me, so 

I was tempted to apply,” 

says Kafle. He came all the 

way to Kathmandu and took 

along this correspondent to 

meet the saffron-clad swami. 

During the meeting at 

his residence in Kalanki on 

July 27, Swami Bishnu, who 

claims to be 25 years old 

and a resident of Gulmi, 

said a visa to enter Canada 

would be issued from India, 

and since International Democratic 

Educational Conference 

was sponsoring the 

meet, Nepalis didn’t need a 

US visa to enter USA. Swami 

Bishnu, however, refused to 

show any authoritative documents. 

Kafle thought it was too 

good to be true, but many 

other Sanskrit students and 

scholars have already paid 

up Rs 1 lakh each for the 

trip. The receipts issued by 

the federation and signed by 

Swami Bishnu mention that 

the fee is for the “World Gita 

Marathon, April 2013 to August 

2015.” The leaflet 

claims the federation is 

leading several rituals, in- 

Himalayan News Service 


Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai 

today reaffirmed his 

stance to stay in power, saying 

that he will not step down until 

parties agreed on a package 

deal, which he described as an 

agreement on the next prime 

minister and a process to promulgate 

a new constitution. 

Talking to reporters at his 

residence in Baluwatar, the 

prime minister said the parties 

are left with only two alternatives 

— agree on a process to 

promulgate a new constitution 

and leadership of the next government, 

or support the incumbent 

government for fresh 

Constituent Assembly polls — 

and that an agreement in a 

package was a must. 

But how likely is such 

a package deal? 

Opposition parties, 

particularly the 

Nepali Congress 

and CPN-UML, 

have already 

made their 

stance clear 

that any further 

deal 

was possible 

only if there was 

an agreement on 

change of guard. A 

five-point agreement 

reached 

among the major 

parties — 

the ruling Unified CPN- 

Maoist and United Democratic 

Madhesi Front and NC and 

UML — on May 3 had called 

for handing over the 

government leadership 

to NC just 

before the constitution 

was 

promulgated, 

and riding on 

the same deal, 

NC and UML 

have been asking 

the prime minister 

to step down. The deal 

said a new government 

under NC’s leadership 

would then hold 

general elections 

for a new Parlia- 

THT ment within a year of 

the promulgation of the 

constitution. But Prime Minister 

Bhattarai today dismissed 

the relevance of the five-point 

deal. “(That) deal lost its relevance 

after the CA failed to 

promulgate the constitution,” 

said Bhattarai. “Now in the 

changed context, a new deal in 

a package is required to resolve 

all national issues. Then only 

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Capital ★ 16 pages Rs 3 

Bhattarai wants package deal to step down 

Says parties must come to terms on process to promulgate constitution and new govt leadership 

A participant being offered milk during a parade organised to mark the Gai Jatra festival in 

Basantapur, Kathmandu, on Friday. 

Dodgy users cloud Facebook growth 

Of 95.5 crore members,8.7 pc suspected to be fake 

Agence France Presse 

Washington, August 3 

Facebook’s latest figures showing 

growth in global users also 

suggest as many as 83 million 

may come from dubious 

sources — duplicate accounts, 

pages for pets and those designed 

to send spam. 

Facebook members grew to 

955 million at the end of the 

second quarter, but some 8.7 

per cent may be dodgy, the 

company said in its quarterly 

filing with the US Securities and 

Exchange Commission. 

There are ‘inherent challenges’ 

in measuring usage ‘despite 

our efforts to detect and 

suppress such behaviour’, the 

social network stated. 

It adds duplicate accounts — 

when a same user maintains 

more than one account — may 

represent some 4.8 per cent of 

active users. Another 2.4 per 

cent may be for a business, 

group or ‘non-human entity 

such as a pet’ and 1.5 per cent 

Swami luring scholars for religious meet in US 

• Charging lakhs making tall claims Organisers deny link with him 

Swami Bishnu 

cluding World Gita 

Marathon, in association 

with World Welfare Bhagawat 

Trust, IDEC and International 

Society for Krishna 

Consciousness. 

He claims he has not 

raised a lot of money. ‘I have 

just raised money from several 

well wishers,” he told 

THT. “I am working under 

the direction of Swami Nitya 

Bihari Das based in New 

Accounts that 

are dubious 

Duplicate accounts: When a 

same user maintains more 

than one account. These 

may represent some 4.8 per 

cent (45.8 million) of active 

users 

Misclassified accounts: Personal 

profiles that have been 

made for companies, groups 

or pets. These may represent 

2.4 per cent (22.9 million) 

of active users 

Undesirable accounts: Using 

the accounts for spam or 

other malicious activity and 

these may represent 1.5 per 

cent (14.3 million) of users. 

This group is the smallest 

but most troublesome 

are likely ‘undesirable’ accounts 

that use the accounts for spam 

or other malicious activity. “We 

Delhi, and raising funds.”He 

is the final authority to decide 

on the participants,” he 

said. When contacted, IDEC 

2013 officials said they had 

nothing to do with Swami 

Bishnu, his organisation or 

Swami Nitya Bihari Das and 

suspected it could be a 

fraud. “I have not heard of 

this individual’s name before 

and there is no relationship 

with the 2013 IDEC 

conference in Boulder 

whatsoever,” Isaac Graves of 

the Steering Committee 

wrote to The Himalayan 

Times. 

According to people who 

recently met him to inquire 

about the event, Swami 

Bishnu showed them his 

photographs with the VIPs 

and influential people at religious 

functions and felicitations, 

and tried to win 

their trust. 

“Swami jee has told us 

that besides Rs 1 lakh here, 

THT 

believe the percentage of accounts 

that are duplicate or 

false is meaningfully lower in 

developed markets such as the 

United States or Australia and 

higher in developing markets 

such as Indonesia and Turkey,” 

Facebook has stated in its filing. 

“We are continually seeking 

to improve our ability to identify 

duplicate or false accounts 

and estimate the total number 

of such accounts, and such estimates 

may be affected by improvements 

or changes in our 

methodology.” 

The number of real users is 

critical for Facebook as it seeks 

to secure advertising revenues 

from the world’s biggest social 

network. Graham Cluley of the 

British security firm Sophos 

said fake accounts are a fact of 

life but could affect Facebook’s 

bottom line. “Clearly all Facebook 

users are interested in the 

site becoming a safer place, and 

the level of spam and malicious 

links being minimised,” Cluley 

said in a blog post. 

we would have to pay him 

Rs 6 lakh each when we 

reach the US and start making 

money there,” another 

student in Kathmandu said. 

“He has said there would be 

two lots of participants; 

people who would deposit 

money early would be sent 

to the US in the first lot and 

they could make at least Rs 2 

lakh a month and the ones 

who would be in the second 

lot would earn up to Rs 1 

lakh a month.” 

Kafle is now wary of the 

proposal. So is Pitriraj Adhikari, 

who met the swami 

on behalf of his younger 

brother who lives in 

Varanasi. “Swami Bishnu 

said he would take 108 people 

to the USA without visa 

via Canada,” Adhikari said. 

“I have discouraged my 

brother and his friends, who 

came all the way from 

Benares in the hopes of going 

to US, to pay the sum.” 

‘CA polls best option’ 

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister 

Baburam Bhattarai told 

reporters on Friday that 

holding fresh elections for a 

new Constituent Assembly 

was the best alternative that 

the parties had. “Electing a 

new CA for three to six 

months to promulgate a new 

constitution is the best option 

we have now,” said 

Bhattarai. On demands from 


Gulmi/Dang, August 3 

Rain-triggered floods and 

landslides have claimed at 

least 11 lives across the country 

in the past two days, with 

scores missing and hundreds 

of others rendered homeless. 

Four deaths were reported 

in Gulmi, three in Dang and 

one each in Bajura, Darchula, 

Lamjung and Parbat. Gulmi 

police said Ghanshyam Biswokarma’s 

wife Bhumi, 39, 

son Umesh, 13, daughters 

Muna, 11, and Bipana, 6, of 

Dhungechale, Thulolumphek 

were buried to 

death when a landslide 

struck their house today. 

Ghanashyam and his 11year-old 

son were rescued 

from the debris by locals. 

In Dang, Ram Bahadur 

Rana of Dailekh Chisapani, 

Gyan Bahadur Pun Magar, 

40, of Gobarhida, Dang, and 

Khairun Nisha of Bhagawanpur, 

Sisahaniya, Dang, died 

when a swollen Rapti River 

swept them away. Kamrun 

some quarters that the dissolved 

CA be revived for 

some time, just to promulgate 

the constitution, Bhattarai 

said he would have no 

objection to it if parties 

agreed for it. “However, I am 

not sure if the Nepali Congress 

and CPN-UML would 

agree,” said Bhattarai. “So 

going for fresh CA polls is the 

best choice.” — HNS 

Nisha of Bhagawanpur has 

gone missing. A Nepali Army 

chopper rescued 13 stranded 

people. Hundreds of locals 

have been left in the lurch after 

the flood swept their 

houses away. Dang CDO 

Madhusudan Burlakoti said 

the details of damage and 

human casualty were yet to 

arrive. Locals of Lalmatiya 

VDC Wards No 6 and 7 have 

been moved to safer places. 

Armed Police Force personnel 

rescued three people 

who had rushed to their 

rooftops after their houses 

were flooded at Sisahaniya, 

Dang. Transport services 

along the Ghorahi-Lamahi, 

Ghorahi-Tulsipur and 

Lamahi-Bhalubang sections 

have been halted. 

In Darchula, landslide 

killed 10-year-old Damanti 

Dhami and injured three others 

last night. Two locals — 

Parbal Saud, 47, and Bal 

Chandra Saud, 60, — of 

Bandhu VDC, Bajura went 

missing in Baddikhola river 

this evening. 

will I step down,” said Bhattarai. 

“The person on whom all 

the parties agree will lead the 

next government.” 

Stating that the ruling parties 

were ‘very much keen to 

hold dialogue with political 

parties’ for consensus, Bhattarai 

said, “Formation of a 

three-member talks team on 

Wednesday was part of that 

endeavour.” 

Bhattarai reiterated that the 

journey the parties began by 

signing the 12-point agreement 

on 22 November 2005 

had not ended yet and warned 

that reactionary forces could 

try to make efforts to take advantage 

if parties kept on 

wrangling when the country 

was at a critical juncture. 

Floods, landslips claim 11 lives 

In Kailali, as many as 55 

families of freed kamaiyas of 

Shaktinagar have been displaced 

after rain battered the 

region. Around 100 houses 

have been inundated at 

Chaumala of Mangalpur 

VDC after floodwaters from 

Gauriganga river gushed into 

the settlement. 

Four-and-a-half-year-old 

Prabesh Kuwar of Devisthan 

VDC, Parbat and Prem Bahadur 

Karki, 70, Bhorletar, 

Lamjung were swept away by 

rivers today. 

Tak Bahadur Dhungana, 

60, of Malagiri, Tanahu has 

gone missing in Kyangdikhola 

river. 

In Kapilvastu, more than 

1,000 houses in several villages 

were inundated after 

water from rain-fed Banganga 

and Sotawa river gushed 

into the settlements. 

In Banke, six houses were 

destroyed by heavy rainfall 

and several houses have 

been inundated. 

(With inputs from district 

reporters)

PAGE 2 



A joint meeting of eight 

youth wings of the opposition 

parties today announced 

protests, including 

a Singha Durbar gherao, at 9 

am on August 10 to press 

Prime Minister Baburam 

Bhattarai to step down for 

the sake of a national consensus 

government. 

The agitated youth are 

from the Youth Federation 

Nepal, Nepal Tarun Dal, Ras- 

triya Jana Swayamsewak 

Sangathan, Madhesi Yuba 

Forum Nepal, Pragatisheel 

Yuba Sangha Nepal, Krantikari 

Yuba Sangha, Rastriya 

Prajatantrik Yuba Sangha 

and Janashakti Yuba Sangha. 

In a press release, YFN 

General Secretary Niraj 

Acharya said the eight youth 

wings will hand over a memorandum 

to President Ram 

Baran Yadav on August 5, 

seeking a way out of the crisis. 

The meeting expressed 

solidarity with the anti-gov- 

ernment protests the YFN 

has been organising. YFN today 

staged a half-hour 

chakkajam in 15 places in 

the Kathmandu valley. With 

the government bent on remaining 

in office, opposition 

parties have mobilised sister 

organisations for anti-government 

protests. As part of 

its protest,Nepal Student 

Union cadres had staged a 

protest to make Prime Minister 

cancel his visit to Rio 

the Janeiro for participation 

in a climate meet. 

www.thehimalayantimes.com THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012 

CAPITAL 

Humour, satire in free flow as Valley celebrates Gai Jatra 



Gaijatra, a Newar festival 

dedicated to dead family 

members, was observed in 

the Kathmandu Valley today 

with comedians and 

satirists enthralling the 

crowds in various places. 

TV serial comedians are 

putting up shows featuring 

social malpractices and the 

doings of political figures as 

part of the festival, a public 

holiday in the valley. 

Prakash Dahal, who 

eloped with Bina Magar, 


Bhattarai and heroine 

Rekha Thapa are among the 

major characters in these 

shows. 

Legends have it that King 

Pratap Malla initiated the 

festival in the 17th century, 

asking the subjects to come 

out with cows and mimicry, 

particularly to make the 

queen come over the grief 

over their son’s death. Comedy 

shows kicked off yesterday 

at Pragya Bhawan and 

will continue forr a couple 

of weeks. Teams for Tito 

Satya and Jire Khursani 

comedy shows are among 

the performers. Gaijatra 

falls a day after Janai Purnima. 

Oppn youth to gherao Singha Durbar 

1 

1. An artiste performing a dance as part of Gai Jatra in Bhaktapur on Friday. 

2. Participants staging a funny parade in Basantapur, Kathmandu. 

3. A cultural troupe playing the flute in Basantapur. 

4. Revellers taking a dig at the government in Bhaktapur. 

5. A child with a cow during a procession in Basantapur. 

6. A festive crowd on a high in Bhaktapur. 

6 5 4 

PM aide’s vehicle seized 

KATHMANDU: YFN 

cadres on Friday seized six 

government vehicles, including 

the one carrying 


Bhattarai’s press adviser, 

Ram Rijhan Yadav, in 

Baneshwor as part of their 

‘effort to control misuse of 

government vehicles’ on 

public holidays and other 

occasions. They handed 

Deuba parts with 

stately ride, finally 



Former prime minister 

Sher Bahadur Deuba has 

returned the state-provided 

Toyota Prado (Ba 6 Ch 

1026) to the government. 

Before Deuba, former 

prime ministers Pushpa 

Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar 

Nepal, Jhalanath 

Khanal and Lokendra Bahadur 

Chand and some 

former speakers and chief 

justices had returned their 

vehicles in view of outrage 

against an ordinance that 

the government had introduced 

to provide state facilities 

to former VIPs, who 

were in office after the 

restoration of democracy 

in 1990. The former PM’s 

New varsities seek more govt funds 

Say increased funding a must for quality education 



Purbanchal University (PU) 

officials today urged the 

government to allocate 

more budget to new universities 

and enable them to 

improve the quality of education. 

Speaking at an interaction, 

Prof Maheshwor Man 

Shrestha, PU vice-chancellor, 

said new universities are 

unable to provide quality 

education to the students 

due to lack of funds required 

to develop infrastructure. 

Frequent changes in university 

leadership have also 

2 

Photos: Bal Krishna Thapa / Nimesh Jang Rai / Uma Bista / THT 

over the vehicles to police. 

YFN chairman Mahesh 

Basnet confirmed the 

seizure. However, Yadav 

said YAN intercepted his 

vehicle while he was returning 

after observing Gai 

Jatra festivities. “Fearing 

vandalism, I myself called 

police and handed over 

the vehicle,” according to 

Yadav. — HNS 

personal secretary Bhanu 

Deuba said his boss returned 

the vehicle on 

Wednesday, adding he had 

not received fuel and secretariat 

allowance he was 

entitled to. Bhanu said the 

former PM decided to part 

with the vehicle after the 

Supreme Court stayed the 

ordinance. Dahal returned 

the vehicle in response to 

increased pressure from 

his own party, becoming 

the first beneficiary to part 

with the stately ride. 

Civil society has opposed 

the government 

move saying it will bleed 

the state coffers. Among 

the former prime ministers, 

only Surya Bahadur 

Thapa is yet to react to the 

controversial ordinance. 

hampered efforts to upgrade 

the performance of 

the educational sector, 

Shrestha observed. 

He said, “Tribhuvan University, 

the country’s oldest 

and the largest varsity, gets 

around 90 per cent of its total 

budget from the government, 

while Purbanchal 

and Pokhara universities, 

among others, get nominal 

budget. Therefore, it is useless 

to compare the Tribhuvan 

University and other 

universities in terms of 

physical infrastructure and 

quality of education.” 

He urged the students to 

question the government’s 

decision to establish foreign 

American students 

receiving youth 

leadership training 



South Asia Youth Summit 

(SAYS) 2012, a United States 

team comprising 10 students, 

two adult facilitators 

and two staff members of 

Magee Womancare International 

(MWI) and 

Amizade Global Service 

Learning, are participating 

in a youth leadership training 

in Nepal. 

The SAYS programme, 

the first of its kind in Nepal, 

engages a diverse group of 

motivated youth aged between 

15 and 17 years — 18 

South Asian students and 

10 American students, who 

are interested in becoming 

leaders and decision makers 

in their own lives and 

communities. The main 

goal of the programme is to 

build individual and collective 

leadership, problemsolving 

skills and teamwork. 

As an implementing local 

partner for MWI, Nepal 

Break Dance Foundation 

(NBF) is organising the 

training, which began on 

August 1 and will conclude 

on August 7. 

An NBF press statement 

said the training programme 

in Nepal will focus 

on Kathmandu, Bhaktapur 

and Kavre districts. 

It said that since 2010, the 

university-affiliated colleges 

at a time when the 

country’s own universities 

are in dire straits. 

Shrestha informed that 

the new universities will introduce 

an improvised education 

policy next year, urging 

the government to increase 

funding. 

He said they will grant 

scholarship in all streams. 

Currently, these universities 

are providing freeship in 

medical science and engineering 

education only. 

The improvement of the 

PU is impossible without 

reviewing education policies, 

Himal Sharma, president 

of the UCPN-Maoist- 

government of the United 

States of America has been 

organising the South Asia 

Youth Summit: Developing 

Leadership in Young People 

to Transform Communities, 

annually. 

Every year, students from 

various schools of three 

countries — Nepal, the 

Maldives and Sri Lanka — 

are selected to go to the US 

to build individual and collective 

leadership qualities. 

The programme receives 

funding from the US Department 

of State, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs. 

According to the statement, 

the US students will 

visit different places such as 

Namo Buddha Thrangu 

Tashi Choling Institute of 

Buddhist Studies in Kavre, 

Gahate Community Forest 

Users’ Group in Kavre, ICI- 

MOD Godavari Training 

Centre and other places for 

training on community 

leadership, volunteerism, 

environment and many 

other aspects at the highest 

level. 

In addition to the training, 

the youth team plans to 

visit local places of interest 

in the Capital city such as 

Thamel, Hanuman Dhoka, 

Boudhanath and 

Swayambhu Stupas, Pashupatinath, 

reads the statement. 

aligned All Nepal National 

Independent Students’ 

Union-Revolutionary, the 

programme organiser, said. 

Sharma threatened to 

launch a series of protests if 

university officials fail to 

improve the quality of education, 

conduct exams and 

publish results on time. 

Sanu Tuladhar, Model 

Campus principal, urged all 

stakeholders to join hands 

to improve the academic 

calendar and follow it thoroughly. 

Officials of PU-affiliated 

campuses also stressed the 

need to improve the academic 

calendar and implement 

it in full. 

3 

‘Institute 

fund for 

victims of 

disasters’ 



The government has 

stepped up preparations 

to manage the Civil Servant’s 

Contribution Fund. 

Sources at the Ministry 

of General Administration 

said civil servant’s fund 

had already been established 

some years ago and 

they had also collected 

some funds. 

According to the 

sources at the ministry, 

there must be more than 

two lakh rupees in the 

fund. 

Since last month, MoGA 

has been preparing to institute 

the contribution 

fund to help victims of 

natural disasters and to 

provide health education 

to people living in remote 

areas. 

MoGA has already forwarded 

Civil Servants’ 

Contribution Fund Operation 

Rules-2012 to the 

Cabinet for its final approval. 

As per the proposed 

rules, around 80,000 civil 

servants will voluntarily 

contribute at least Rs 100 

from their salary every 

Shrawan. 

The rules envision contributions 

from retired civil 

servants and national 

and international organisations 

as well. 

They also aim to work 

with other governmental, 

non-government and 

community organisations 

for the utilisaton of funds 

in the sectors of health, 

education and environment. 

Acting Chief Secretary 

Leela Mani Poudyal has 

directed the general administration 

ministry to 

expedite preparations for 

the Civil Servant’s Day, 

which falls on September 

7. Every year, MoGA conducts 

programme like 

cleaning campaign and 

health awareness to celebrate 

the day. However, 

this year the ministry 

plans to provide a day’s 

service to the people by 

visiting the target communities, 

Begendraraj Sharma 

Poudel, MoGA 

spokesperson, said.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

CAPITAL 

• IN BRIEF 

Four sustain burns 

KATHMANDU: Four members of a 

family, including two children, suffered 

burns when a fire broke out in 

their Kirtipur-based house in the wee 

hours of Friday. Of the victims, Krishna 

Lal Maharjan (55) and Hiramati 

(52) have suffered third-degree burns 

and have been undergoing treatment 

at the Maharajgunj-based TU Teaching 

Hospital. Police informed that the 

other victims — Suwana (7) and Sulabh 

(13) — are out of danger. They 

are receiving treatment at the Maharajgunj-based 

Kanti Children's 

Hospital and Kirtipur Model Hospital. 

Investigators said the short circuit-caused 

fire engulfed the house 

around 3.05 am when the family 

members were asleep. Police, fire engine 

and locals had rescued the family 

member and extinguished the 

blaze in two hours. The house has 

suffered extensive damage in the inferno. 

— HNS 

Held for knife attack 

KATHMANDU: Police on Friday arrested 

Nil Lama (19) of Sindhupalchowk 

for stabbing Raju Magar of 

Kathmandu. Investigators said Lama 

had attacked and injured Magar at 

Manmaiju around 3 am. He has been 

undergoing treatment at a hospital in 

Gongabu. Police have launched an 

investigation to establish the motive 

behind the attack. — HNS 

Gold chain snatched 

KATHMANDU: Two motorcycleborne 

people snatched a gold chain 

from a woman at the Pepsicola Town 

Planning on Thursday. According to a 

compalint, the two robbed Nirmala 

Koirala (56) of a gold chain weighing 

one tola around 3.50 pm when she 

was heading to Khichapokhari, 

where she lives. The snatchers are at 

large. The gang is said to have covered 

the bike's plate number with a 

piece of cloth. — HNS 

Waste disposal talks 

KATHMANDU: Garbage disposal, obstructed 

for the last four days due to a 

row between truck drivers and people 

living around the Sisdole landfill 

site, is likely to resume from Sunday. 

According to chief of the Environment 

Management Division of Kathmandu 

Metropolitan City, Rabin Man 

Shrestha, efforts are on to resume disposal 

from Sunday. "We will settle the 

problem as soon as possible," he said 

adding that they have a meeting with 

trade unions at 7 am on Saturday. 

Rain-triggered mudslides in and on 

the way to Sisdole have made 

garbage disposal more difficult. According 

to Shrestha, they removed 

debris on the way to Sisdole on 

Friday. — HNS 



The Kathmandu-based 

Paropakar Maternity Hospital 

has established One-stop 

Crisis Management Centre 

(OCMC) on its premises to 

provide integrated services 

to the victims of Gender- 

Based Violence (GBV). 

The centre established in 

line with the National Plan 

of Action for 'year against 

gender based violence 2010' 

aims to facilitate GBV victims 

of all help they need in 

one place, director of the 

hospital, Dr Sheela Verma, 

said. 

The plan had directed the 

government to establish a 

separate centre in the district 

hospital to provide 

health care service, security, 

psychological counselling, 

legal support and rehabilitation 

to GBV victims. 

As public awareness 

grows, more women will 

come to OCMC for help, 

rather than suffering in silence 

and communities will 

be less tolerant of GBV and 

more likely to report cases, 

Dr Verma said. 

Established two weeks 

ago, the centre will follow a 

holistic approach focusing 

on the needs of women by 

Shielding themselves from the rain, pedestrians heading to their destinations, in Kathmandu on Friday. A brief shower affected life in the City. 



Crime spiralling up in 

Kathmandu Valley 



Crime is on the rise in the Kathmandu 

Valley, records at the 

Kathmandu District Court show. 

“Cases related to economic 

transaction, passport forgery, illegal 

land registration and divorce 

have increased in the fiscal 

year 2011-2012" compared to 

the fiscal 2010-11, according to 

district court Judge Bishnu 

Prasad Koirala. 

Cases registered in the court 

are a reflection of the society, 

Koirala pointed, adding that the 

court has been dealing with new 

kinds of cheating and burglaries. 

Lately, the court has settled 

some unique cases that the 50year-old 

Muluki Ain had not 

forseen, he added. 

A total of 1070 dacoity, theft 

and murder cases were registered 

in the country's busiest 

court from mid-July last year to 

this July, KDC registrar Bharat 

Lamsal informed at an interaction 

between court officials and 

Stand united for your rights, 

leader tells indigenous peoples 

Former chairman of the Nepal 

Federation of Indigenous Nationalities 

(NEFIN), Pasang 

Sherpa, today said indigenous 

nationalities should unite 

sooner than later for the protection 

of their rights. 

Addressing an indigenous 

youth gathering, organised in 

Sundhara to discuss the 

prospects of a new indigenous 

party, Pasang Sherpa, also a former 

Constituent Assembly 

member, said it’s high time that 

all indigenous nationalities 

joined hands regardless of their 

political affiliation for the sake 

of their rights. Sherpa, who had 

quit the CPN-UML accusing it 

of standing against indigenous 

peoples, claimed that UML 

leaders have been alluring to 

promote him to a politburo 

journalists in the Capital today. 

As per the record, a total of 

1959 fraud cases were filed in the 

last fiscal against 300 cases of the 

preceding fiscal. 

In the last fiscal, 1745 divorce 

cases were filed against the preceding 

fiscal's 1245 cases. 

Lamsal said that the divorce 

cases have increased by almost 

seven times compared to 200 

cases a decade ago. 

The court disposed 58.57 

cases in the last fiscal settling 

8,533 of the 14,568 registered 

cases, he said. 

According to the registrar, 

KDC shares 18 per cent work 

load of the total 75 district courts 

but has only 7.6 per cent staff 

and 5.9 per cent judges' of the 

total district courts' strength. 

"There are only 14 judges to 

deal with the work load in this 

court and infrastructure and human 

resources are also insufficient,” 

he said, adding that they 

need more human resources to 

provide prompt justice to the 

public. 

Centre to help victims of gender violence 

respecting their privacy and 

confidentiality, said the hospital 

director, adding that 

they have also made 

arrangements for physical 

health care, referral for psychological 

counselling and 

referral services. 

Padam Raj Bhatta, chief 

of the Population Division 

at the Ministry of Health 

and Population, said the 

main purpose of the centre 

is to minimise the effect of 

physical, psychological and 

sexual violence against 

women. 

Besides the wide range of 

integrated legal, health, welfare 

and counselling ser- 

member if he returns to the party. 

Sherpa said returning to the 

UML was out of the question, 

adding that he would rather 

join Janamukti Party or some 

other pro-indigenous party. 

Sherpa said thousands of 

people have been pressing him 

to form a new party, though indigenous 

leaders have not 

shown enough enthusiasm. 

“We have been holding talks 

with several organisations and 

communities, including Muslims, 

Dalits and Madhesis," he 

said. Describing the talks as 

positive, Sherpa said they will 

make some announcement on 

August 9 and urged all participants 

to support the endeavour 

to empower the indigenous 

peoples. 

Sherpa said he is against the 

NC and UML’s stance on indigenous 

issues, adding that he 

found most lower-rung cadres 

vices in one location, the 

centre aims to bring down 

GBV cases, said the chief. 

The government has provided 

two lakh as financial 

assistance for operating the 

centre. Last year, the ministry 

had established the 

centres at seven district hospitals, 

namely Makwanpur, 

Bardiya, Kanchanpur, Doti, 

Baglung, Panchthar and 

Sunsari. 

The ministry plans to establish 

such centres in eight 

more districts -- Kavre, 

Solukhumbu, Sarlahi, 

Tanahu, Nawalparasi, Jumla, 

Saptari and Dang -- this 

fiscal year. According to 

of the Maoist party were willing 

to join the new party as they 

could not 'trust their Brahmin 

leaders'. 

“One caste has been running 

dozens of political parties, so 

why can’t we lead one party that 

stands for more than 60 per 

cent of the population,” he 

asked. At the gathering, Janajati 

leaders, including Chandra 

Narayan Chaudhary, Rabindra 

Thing and Om Gurung, stressed 

the need to form a brand new 

party that is different from conservative 

parties. Suvash Palunga, 

who presided over the gathering, 

said all indigenous 

youths are ready to sacrifice for 

the sake of equity. 

The discussion is part of political 

training programmes that 

some senior Janajati leaders are 

organising for politically indoctrinating 

youth throughout the 

nation. 

Con artists in police net 

They had pledged to provide a Prado 

at cheaper rate through auction 



Three swindlers landed 

in jail as detectives from 

the Metropolitan Police 

Commissioner's Office 

thwarted a plot to cheat 

an unsuspecting man of 

hefty cash. 

Janak Prasad Adhikari 

aka Prakash (41) of 

Solukhumbu, Bidur 

Dhungana (33) and Bimal 

Pakhrin (33) of 

Kavre had cheated Tulanath 

Kunwar (42) of Rs 

3.34 million in course of 

a month, promising to 

make a Prado jeep available 

to him through a 

Department of Customs 

auction. 

Police rounded up the 

three from separate 

places in Kathmandu 

yesterday, investigators 

said, identifying Ad- 

hikari, accused of defrauding 

a number of 

people in the Kathmandu 

Valley and in Kavre, 

as the brains behind the 

plot. 

"Adhikari and his associates 

lured Kunwar of 

Kavre into giving him 

the amount pledging to 

make available an embassy's 

Prado jeep, on 

auction, at a cheaper 

rate," an investigator informed. 

A preliminary investigation 

suggests that Adhikari 

had assured Kunwar 

of making the vehicle 

available for Rs 4.5 

million and collected 

the cash from the 

'prospective buyer' in 

installments. 

The three had showed 

a number plate bearing 

Ba 9 Cha 9734 to make 

Kunwar believe that the 

vehicle of the diplomatic 

mission had got that 

licence plate for auction. 

The MPCD said it 

confiscated Rs 2.15 million 

that the three had 

collected from Kunwar. 

It handed over the three 

to the Metropolitan Police 

Range, Hanumandhoka, 

for further action. 

The Kathmandu District 

Court remanded 

Adhikari, Dhungana 

and Pakhrin to seven 

days in police custody 

for further investigation. 

According to police, 

Dhungana was with 

Khojtalas, a Nepali daily. 

He is also said to be a 

former Nepal Police employee. 

Keshav Basnet, an accused 

in the fraud case, 

is at large, MPCD informed. 

Bhatta, the centre will provide 

better access to legal 

support to strengthen the 

position of GBV victims and 

increase their confidence. 

Nepal Demographic 

Health Survey (NDHS)-2011 

showed that more than two 

in 10 women in Nepal suffer 

from physical violence at 

some point since age 15. 

More than 60 per cent of 

women, who have ever experienced 

physical or sexual 

violence, were found to 

have never told anyone 

about the violence, whereas 

23 per cent have sought 

help from some sources, the 

survey reported. 

Prank calls flooding 

police control room 

Cops found flirting with women over phone 



The police control room is 

finding it hard to deal with 

prank calls and this is affecting 

the performance of the 

police force. 

According to the Metropolitan 

Police Commissioner's 

Office, Metro Control entertained 

5,09,540 calls in the 

fiscal 2011-12, of which 26 

per cent turned out to be 

prank calls. 

Ten per cent and 64 per 

cent of calls at 100 were 

meant for prompt action and 

enquiries, respectively. 

Officials say the control 

room gets prank calls mostly 

at night. According to the 

MPCO, the users' unfettered 

access to mobile phone is 

mainly to blame for the situation. 

Most of the hoax 

callers are children and 

drunken men. 

It is not possible to track 

down every hoax caller and 

take action against them, police 

said, informing that they 

had arrested some of the offenders 

for serious false 

alarms. 

Machendra Rai (38) of Ilam 

is one of them. On December 

10, police arrested Rai and 

charged him with public offences. 

Rai had called up the 

control room at around 9 pm 

the same day to report a 

'scuffle' in Chhetrapati. 

A police team rushed to 

the scene, only to find that 

Rai had raised a false alarm. 

The MPCO pointed that 

PAGE 3 

THT 

hoax calls affect other emergency 

responses, appealing 

to all not to make such calls 

and enable police to fight 

crime. Interestingly, police 

have come across instances 

of staff at the control room 

flirting with women callers 

over the phone. 

With a view to keeping a 

tab on control room staff, the 

MPCO has installed a voice 

recorder to analyse the calls 

and verify them every day. It 

has warned receivers against 

indulging in unnecessary 

telephonic conversation. 

The MPCO has classified 

calls at the control room in 

three categories — A, B 

and C. A stands for immediate 

police response, B for enquiries 

and C for hoax/prank 

calls.

PAGE 4 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

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BEETLE BAILEY Mort Walker 

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ENGAGEMENTS 

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Baithak allows you to be a part of the Feast of the Rana Maharajas,experience 

the Authentic Nepali food along with the culture programme with the historic 

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Cafereena a multi-cuisine restaurant located in the heart of city with the terrace 

beer garden turned up with the motto "Feed Your Passion",Cafereena aims to 

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Live sufi and Hindi gazals by Rajesh Khadga and Pooja Sunwar at one of the finest 

Indian Restaurant in town at Maharaja,Grand Hotel,Soaltee mode.Contact: 

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facilities contact us on 6680080,6680083,E-Mail : Club@mos.com.np 

Good Music at Tamarind Restro and Bar, Dharmendra Sewan every Friday 

acoustic live,sufi evening with Hemanta Rana every Wednesday,acoustic live 

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Escape the hustle & bustle of Kathmandu and enjoy peace and tranquility,good 

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For listing in this column, mail your events to 

engagements@thehimalayantimes.com 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

9 10 

Across: 1 Japanese sashes (4) - 4 

___ up : disposed of; completed; finished 

? (6) - 7 A signed document 

bearing these letters is an acknowledgement 

of a debt (3) - 9 A young 

horse or a famous revolver ? (4) - 10 

Punctuation mark that indicates the 

end of a sentence (4-4) - 11 Throw a 

__ blanket on : dampen the spirits of 

? (3) - 12 ___ Noire : person or thing 

one particularly dislikes ? (4) - 13 Inform 

about, make known indirectly (8) 

- 16 A jumbled cluster or mass of varied 

parts (13) - 19 Most convenient 

7 8 

11 

12 13 14 15 

16 17 18 

19 20 21 22 23 

25 26 

24 

27 

28 29 

Quick Clues 

• WHAT’S ON 

NTV 

0700 News 

0730 Triveni 

0800 The News 

0830 Janachaso 

0900 News 

0905 Suseli 

0930 Lok Suseli 

1000 News 

1005 Clapboard 

1030 Sangeet Taranga 

1100 The News 

1130 Sarthak Pahal 

1200 News 

1230 Gupchup 

1300 The News 

1330 Sangeet Mala 

1400 The News 

1405 London Olympics 

1500 News 

1505 London Olympics 

1600 News 

1700 News 

1705 Bigyan Prabidhi 

1730 Platform 

1800 News 

1805 Apangata Sarokar 

1825 Hamro Kathmandu 

1838 Krishi Telefilm 

1900 News 

2000 The News 

2050 Sisno Pani Jhyammai 

2130 Pahichan 

2210 Songs 

2330 News 

NTV PLUS 

1830 Trade Cycle 

1900 Telefilm 

2000 Youth TV Show 

2030 Hamro Nepal 

2100 Documentary 

2130 Sangeet Sargam 

2200 World Sports 

STARPLUS 

1115 IIFA Awards 2012 

1345 Diya aur Baati Hum 

1615 Ra.One 

1915 Yeh Rishta Kya... 

(8) - 23 A flower girl ? (4) - 24 Over 

there, poetically contracted ? (3) - 25 

Exposed or humiliated ? (6,2) - 26 A 

present one receives at Christmas or 

birthday ? (4) - 27 Elevation abbr. (3) 

- 28 Young and beautiful maidens ? 

(6) - 29 A feudal slave (4). 

Down: 2 Branch of biology that deals 

with the distribution of plants and animals 

(12) - 3 Osbert ____ : Poet 

Edith’s brother (7) - 4 Civilian dress 

(5) - 5 Flier or helmsman (5) - 6 English 

Derby venue (5) - 8 ______ his 

boots : became very conceited ? 

(3,3,3,3) - 14 Necessities or wants (5) 

2215 Satyamev Jayate 

2345 Ek Hazaaron Mein 

Meri Behna Hain 

STARWORLD 

0915 Masterchef Australia 

1015 The Front Row 

1045 The Simpsons 


1715 Criminal Minds 


2115 Glee 

2215 New Girl 

ZEE TV 

0915 Afsar Bitiya 

1215 Punar Vivaah: Zindagi 

Milegi Dobara 

1615 Movie 

2115 Dance India Dance 

L'il Masters (Season 

2) 

2245 Fear Files 

TENSPORTS 

1915 Basketballography 

1945 ICC Cricket 360 

2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball 

Swatch 2012: Stare 

Jablonki 

2045 New Zealand Tour of 

West Indies 2012: 

2nd Test Day 3 

2245 WWE: Superstars 

2345 ATP 500 

1815 ON CINEMAX 

Series 2012: 

bet-at-home Open: ... 

STARSPORTS 

0745 London 2012 Olympic 

Games 


Games 


Games 


Games: Day 7 


Games: Day 8 

SETMAX 

1045 Parvarish 

1400 Kaala Patthar 

1750 Mujhse Dosti Karoge 

2115 Don No. 1 

2400 Andar Baahar 

HBO 

1020 Fast Five 

1230 Kangaroo Jack 

1400 Grown Ups 

1545 The Chronicles ... 

1745 True Blood S504: 

We'll Meet Again 

1845 True Blood S505: 

Let's Boot And Rally 

1945 Transformers: Dark Of 

The Moon 

2220 Halloween: H20 

2345 Girls S104: Hannah's 

CINEMAX 

0945 Hanna 

1135 Epad On Max 174 

1155 Faster 

1355 Superman/batman: 

Apocalypse 

1515 Dragonheart 

1655 Red Skies 

1815 Supershark 

1945 Clash Of The Titans 

2135 Green Zone 

2330 The Evil Dead 

DENNIS Hank Ketcham 

HOCUS FOCUS Henry Boltinoff 

Himalayan Double Crossword — 5675 

- 15 Girl’s name (3) - 17 A religious 

belief of African origin involving witchcraft 

and sorcery (3) - 18 Sharp sensations 

of pain (7) - 20 Marriage portion 

(5) - 21 Keep one’s ___ __ : sustain 

one’s part in an undertaking ? (3,2) - 

22 Does a secretary’s job in the office 

? (5). 

Cryptic Clues 

Across: 1 New labs block (4) - 4 Stick 

together or split apart (6) - 7 Small 

picture not well received (3) - 9 Drink 

son, that goes to one’s head (4) - 10 A 

Latin is possibly one of these (8) - 11 

Point up to where the dust is (3) - 12 

How to change a halting expression 

(4) - 13 Main income recorder encountered 

amid wild rages (3,5) - 16 

Crop is to get an incorrect forecast 

(13) - 19 Inches my way up the 

smokestacks (8) - 23 There could be 

some percentage in getting broke over 

this (4) - 24 What belongs to the man 

from Chislehurst (3) - 25 Bugs Bunny 

started a race, it emerges (8) - 26 

Food served in here at suppertime (4) 

- 27 For this one became out of one’s 

mind, perhaps (3) - 28 Clutches the 

decorations (6) - 29 No doubt an 

American might agree (4). 

Down: 2 Sudden move to swallow bad 

chow making a person evanglical (3- 

9) - 3 Explosion of cosmological theory? 

(3,4) - 4 Many fish act like limpets 

(5) - 5 Sir Hugh at Windsor introducing 

a girl to the Poles (5) - 6 There’s a terrible 

hole in the material (5) - 8 I vote 

ratings be reassessed by an examiner 

(12) - 14 When taking, for instance, an 

examination (5) - 15 Foreign girl returning 

after midnight (3) - 17 Girl 

seen in the company of Conan, the 

Barbarian ? (3) - 18 Stays in different 

sectors (7) - 20 Put time into dinner 

from tin (5) - 21 Most pearls are kept 

by the nobility (5) - 22 Roughens up 

an old broad aboard (5). 

Yesterday’s Solution 

P A C T A P P E N D E D 

O Y R O A R O 

S U N S E T S T O O T S 

T I V S N P E 

P I C T U R E H O U S E 

O E R I S 

N O B S E S S I O N T 

E W R N I 

I L L T R E A T M E N T 

F L U L E L C 

A L I G N B O R O U G H 

R K E O S D E 

E Y E B R O W S J E T S 

QUICK 

S U P S O N T A R G E T 

O L S E C I U 

C O U N T E R R A V E R 

R C R A I E F 

A C K N O W L E D G E S 

T L N A B 

E S A L T W A T E R R 

S E U O I 

S L A U G H T E R I N G 

S L N E C N A 

T R O O P A L A S K A N 

E U E R P E D 

M I T I G A T E I D E S 

CRYPTIC 

FLIGHT SCHEDULE 

FROM-TO 

AGNI AIR 

NATIONAL 

DEPARTURE 

ARRIVAL 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0900/1010 AG701/702 



KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 0900/1030 AG801/802 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1230/1400 AG805/806 

KTM-LUK-KTM DAILY 0630/0745 AG101/102 

KTM-LUK-KTM 

BUDDHA AIR 

DAILY 0800/0915 AG103/104 

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1050/1250 U4951/952 

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1335/1535 U4953/954 

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 0920/1030 U4851/852 

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 1350/1520 U4855/856 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 0750/0930 U4703/704 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1000/1150 U4705/706 

KTM-DHI-KTM DAILY 1100/1335 U4251/252 

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 0930/1040 U4501/502 

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 1530/1635 U4505/506 

KTM-NPJ-KTM DAILY 0800/1020 U4451/452 

KTM-NPJ-KTM DAILY 1610/1840 U4405/406 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0730/0850 U4603/604 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0830/0950 U4605/606 

KTM-SIM-KTM DAILY 0930/1005 U4551/552 

KTM-SIM-KTM 

GUNA AIRLINES 

DAILY 1030/1105 U4553/554 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0940/1105 GNA051/052 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 1105/1220 GNA053/054 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1100/1235 GNA041/042 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1615/1750 GNA043/044 

KTM-SIF-KTM DAILY 0855/0940 GNA011/012 

KTM-SIF-KTM DAILY 1500/1545 GNA013/014 

KTM-BWA-KTM 

NEPAL AIRLINES 

DAILY 1250/1415 GNA071/072 

KTM-PPL-KTM SUN, FRI 0700/0825 RA117/118 

KTM-KDN-KTM WED 0700/0835 RA137/138 

KTM-TMK-KTM SUN 1020/1155 RA113/114 

KTM-LDN-KTM TUE 1020/1145 RA135/136 

KTM-LDN-KTM WED 0850/1155 RA135/136 

KTM-KGL-KTM MON 0840/1005 RA107/108 

KTM-SKH-KTM WED 1210/1515 RA153/154 

KTM-PKR MON,TUE 1500 RA167 

PKR-KTM TUE, WED 1225 RA168 

KTM-TMI-KTM 

YETI AIRLINES 

SAT 1000/1130 RA191/192 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0800/0910 NYT671/672 

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0900/1010 NYT675/676 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 0900/1040 NYT787/788 

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1220/1400 NYT791/792 

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1010/1200 NYT921/922 

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1410/1600 NYT923/924 

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 0840/1000 NYT891/892 

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 1610/1730 NYT893/894 

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 1110/1140 NYT571/572 

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 1540/1650 NYT573/574 

KTM-TMI-KTM DAILY 1030/1200 NYT751/752 

KTM-DHI-KTM DAILY 1230/1510 NYT231/232 

**Please check with airlines for any change in schedule 

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012


NATIONAL 

President to meet leaders tomorrow 

To seek a possible way out of political deadlock facing the country 



President Dr Ram Baran Yadav 

is going to consult with 

top leaders of major political 

parties on Sunday, seeking 

for a possible way out to 

the present political and 

constitutional deadlock facing 

the country. 

“The President has rescheduled 

to begin parleys 

as political parties have 

failed to reach consensus to 

end the current impasse, 

Rajendra Dahal, Press Advisor 

to the President told The 

Himalayan Times. 

According to him, the 

Head of the State will seek 

the leaders’ feedback and 

their views on the way out of 

the present crisis. 

The President have been 

holding meetings from 

time-to-time following the 

dissolution of the Constituent 

Assembly on May 



Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra 

Nidhi today proposed 

senior leader Sher 

Bahadur Deuba’s name as 

the party’s prime ministerial’s 

candidate should there 

be a consensus government. 

“The Congress,” he said, 

“one year ago, had decided 

that Deuba would be the 

candidate for a consensus 

government and Ram 

Chandra Paudel would be 

the candidate for a majority 

government. I think, the decision 

is still relevant even 

now as there has been no 

other decision regarding the 

matter,” he told reporters in 

the Capital. 

He, however, said that it 

was a matter of consensus 

among the top three leaders 

of the Congress. 

The Congress, he made it 

clear, would announce the 

candidate for prime minister 

only after President Dr 

Ram Baran Yadav called on 

the parties for consensus 

government. 

On the new constitution, 

Nidhi said that it should be 

27, but neither the government 

nor the political parties 

were able to find suitable 

solution of the crisis in 

the last two months. 

“The President is worried 

so he wants to seek the 

promulgated from the Constituent 

Assembly itself. “If 

we opted for any other ways 

than the CA, which was the 

preference of the people for 

the last 60 years, the new 

constitution could not be 

sustainable,” Nidhi told reporters 

during an interaction 

session in the Capital. 

There are only two alternatives 

– either to revive the 

CA for a short period after 

forging consensus on the 

disputed issues of the new 

constitution or to go for 

fresh CA polls. 

Although, the establishment 

side of the Congress 

has been lobbying for fresh 

polls for Parliament, which 

can also function as CA, senior 

leader Sher Bahadur 

Deuba-led faction has been 

stressing for CA revival. 

Stating that amending the 

Interim Constitution by using 

the President’s right to 

remove the difficulties is not 

the proper way, Nidhi said, 

adding that, the CA revival 

was imperative even for 

making the fresh polls legal 

and legitimate. 

The Congress leader rejected 

the idea of going for 

parliamentary polls and 

views from leaders across 

the political spectrum,” Dahal 

added. He also said that 

during the meeting, the 

President will seek their 

stances on the election, formation 

of the government 

‘Deuba to lead consensus govt’ 


Dulegaunda, August 3 

Seti River’s continual land 

erosion has put over a 

dozen government offices 

and more than 500 houses 

at risk in Tanahu’s Khirenitar 

and Dulegaunda VCDs. 

Sources said that rainfed 

Seti has kept offices of 

the Area Police Office 

Belchutara, Janakalyan 

Secondary School, Western 

Regional Police Office, 

Bhanubhakta Campus, 

Red Cross Dulegaunda, 

Setiganga Community and 

Livestock Sub Health Post 

Fulegaunda at peril. 

Area Police Office Belchautara 

said that Seti’s 

flood has put 500 houses 

located from Kotre to 

Bhuimad Bazaar in danger. 

Similarly, Bhanubhakta 

Campus chief Ramesh Adhikary 

said that the Seti 

had eaten away 50 ropanis 

of land situated around the 

KATHMANDU: President 

Ram Baran Yadav today 

made it clear to the district 

presidents of the Nepali 

Congress that he would 

only abide by the constitution 

and desist from doing 

anything other than the 

powers enshrined in it. 

President Yadav told this 

to the district presidents 

who called on him in Shital 

Niwas and urged him to 

make efforts for giving an 

outlet to the country in his 

capacity as the patron of 

the constitution. 

Members of the Newari community taking a procession around the Dhankuta Bazaar 

on the occasion of Gai Jatra festival, on Friday. 

Land erosion puts 

500 houses at risk 

campus. “The increasing 

activity of extracting sand, 

boulders and others, from 

the Seti has added additional 

risk to the campus,” 

he added. 

People living on the banks 

of the Seti River fear that 

the river might deluge their 

shelters any time. Adhikary 

said that their pleas to the 

Water Induced Disaster 

Control Regional Office, 

Pokhara, for river control 

had fallen on the deaf ears. 

A local said that people 

are compelled to spend 

sleepless night when there 

is thunderstorm. 

Sumanbandhu Bhandari, 

a local journalist, said 

that the Seti River has put 

over 100 houses at risk in 

Bhimad Bazaar. “Seti may 

wash away the human settlement 

any time,” he 

warned. Meanwhile, residents 

of the Bazaar have 

demanded for construction 

of an embankment. 

‘I will not cross constitutional limits’ 

“The caretaker government 

is prolonging its 

tenure and taking the decisions 

of long-term nature 

against the spirit of the Interim 

Constitution. So, the 

President, in his capacity as 

the patron of the constitution, 

should take initiatives 

to implement the constitution,” 

the district presidents 

told President at the 

meeting according to 

Nuwakot president Jagadish 

Narsingh KC. 

In response, President 

Yadav said, according to 

THT 

said, “A new constitution 

should be promulgated first 

even before the parliament 

polls as it needs to mention 

about the structure and size 

of the parliament in the new 

statute.” 

Stating that the Congress’ 

Sindhupalchok conclave 

suggested the Congress for 

fresh polls, he said, “As all 

other parties, the Congress 

is also divided on whether 

the polls should be held for 

CA or parliament. The 

Barahbishe conclave was 

also divided on this.” 

Nidhi opined that the 

fresh CA could be downsized 

to 311-member CA as 

the parties already agreed 

for the 311-member House 

of Representatives at the 

centre. 

He said that the Congress 

should be ready for a package 

deal on the issues of 

process of promulgating the 

new constitution and formation 

of a national consensus 

government. 

Nidhi expressed discontent 

with party President 

Sushil Koirala’s way of forming 

the party’s 42 departments 

unilaterally without 

consulting Deuba side. 

him, that he would never 

cross the constitutional 

limitations and would initiate 

steps as per the consensus 

among the parties. 

“Neither me nor the political 

parties not the government 

have any right to 

cross the constitutional 

limitations. So, I will proceed 

as per the spirit of the 

Interim Constitution, that 

is respecting consensus 

among the political parties,” 

KC quoted the President 

as saying. 

The district presidents 

and other matters including 

ordinances on the pipeline. 

The Office of the President 

has invited Pushpa Kamal 

Dahal and Baburam 

Bhattarai of the UCPN-M, 

Sushil Koirala, Sher Bahadur 

described the current political 

situation and expressed 

regret over the 

state of affairs that the 

caretaker government was 

ruling on the basis of ordinances. 

“How long a caretaker 

government should 

exist on the basis of ordinance?” 

the district presidents 

asked with President. 

The district presidents 

also requested President 

Yadav to stop the government 

from taking decisions 

without political consensus. 

— HNS 

Deuba and Ram Chandra 

Paudel of the NC, Jhalanath 

Khanal, Madhak Kumar 

Nepal and KP Sharma Oli of 

the UML and other Madheshi 

leaders to discuss on 

the current issues. 

UCPN-M CONVENTION 

Discontent over 

inclusion of new 

members deepens 

Himalayan News Service organising committee to 

Itahari, August 3 

251-member which is deplorable,” 

one of the par- 

Irate Kochila and Limticipants said. 

buwan State Committee A participant preferring 

leaders of the Unified CPN- anonymity said that it 

Maoist have warned of sev- was erroneous to increase 

ering ties with the centre if the members of conven- 

the party leadership did tion organising committee 

not put right its decision of giving shelter to factional- 

including junior party ism and groupism in the 

members into the national party. He urged the party 

convention organising leadership to rectify their 

committee. 

modus operandi. 

A participant at a hush- Another disgruntled 

hush meeting held at Ita- leader complained that 

hari-based hotel, on Fri- party leadership had failed 

day, urged the party leader- to make the correct assessship 

to correct its mistake, ment of the work perfor- 

or include the left out party mance of party members. 

members into the conven- “Juniors have been includtion 

organising committee ed in the convention or- 

or not to violate mandate ganising committee, 

given by the seventh whereas seniors have been 

plenum. 

sidelined,” said another 

“We have decided to sev- dissatisfied leader. 

er our ties with the centre if Disgruntled leaders of 

the party leadership does Kochila and Limbuwan 

not rectify its decision,” a state committee have re- 

disgruntled participant quested the party leader- 

said. “We shall not put up ship not to make any arbi- 

with party injustice. Intrary decision breaching 

stead, we shall go ahead the established party 

through internal struggle,” norms. 

he warned. 

The meeting also decid- 

Majority of the district ed to submit their points of 

in-charges and acting in- discontent to the centre 

charges of the Kochila with signatures. 

and Limbuwan State Com- UCPN-Maoist has inmittee 

participating the secluded Dharmashila Chacret 

meeting flayed the pagain and Purna Singh 

party leadership for in- Chapagain of Kochila State 

creasing the members of Committee and Shree 

national convention or- Jawegu of Limbuwan State 

ganising committee violat- Committee into national 

ing seventh plenum’s man- convention organising 

date. 

committee. 

UCPN-Maoist’s seventh Dambar Subedi, who is 

plenum held in Kathman- ranked second after Dhardu 

had decided to form mashila in Kochila is not 

175-memebr national con- incorporated into the convention 

organising comvention organising committee. 

“The party leadermittee. It has been learnt 

ship unilaterally increased that Subedi had led the se- 

the number of convention cret meeting. 

A youth showing illegal drugs after being arrested in Bhairahawa, on Friday. 

UCPN-M decision draws flak 

Leaders picked from their coterie 

Tika R Pradhan 


The decision of three top 

leaders of the Unified CPN- 

Maoist, who have been leading 

their respective factions 

in the party, to pick the 

names of the cadres of their 

coterie in the National Convention 

Organising Committee 

(NCOC) has drawn severe 

criticism. 

Sources claimed that the 

cadres of Baburam Bhattarai 

had expressed dissatisfaction 

over the selection process 

through various means of 

communication. “We have 

given our whole life to you 

but that all went in vain,” one 

of the cadres expressed his 

frustrations to Bhattarai. 

A large number of cadres 

have become frustrated after 

knowing the names in the list 

of NCOC. They have claimed 

that the leadership ignored 

those who have become party 

whole timers long ago but 

have embraced the opportunists 

and those who were 

in their coterie. 

Some 11 leaders of Bhojpura 

State Committee including 

Rautahat district incharge 

Devendra Patel, Bara 

district in-charge Hari 

Chaulagain ‘Lalkiran’, former 

MP Satya Narayan Bhagat, 

former minister 

Jwala Kumari Sah and Uddhab 

Pokhrel were preparing 

to quit the party by organising 

a press conference at Birgunj. 

Leaders must have been 

aware about the frustration 

while selecting a secretary of 

a district instead of its incharge. 

Anyone can feel the frustrations 

of Amar Mandal- the 

in-charge of Saptari when his 

secretary Asarfi Sada has 

been elevated to National 

Convention Organising 

Committee member. 

Even the joint in-charges 

of Mahottari and Dhanusha 

Tulsi Dhungana and Asarfi 

Yadav have been selected respectively. 

The Madhesi leaders have 

been demanding the leadership 

to elevate Raju Harijan 

of Nawalparasi, Chinak Kurmi 

of Nawalparasi, Paramananda 

Barma of Banke, 

Binod Upadhyay of Rupandehi 

and Aktar Hussain in the 

NCOC. 

Following the news reports 

regarding that the cadres 

have been preparing to quit, 

Chairman Pushpa Kamal Da- 

PAGE 5 

THT 

hal and Vice-chairman Baburam 

Bhattarai had summoned 

Madhesi leaders 

Pravu Sah and Ram Kumar 

Sharma and had assured 

them to fulfill their demands 

and therefore stop the press 

conferences being organised 

at different state committees 

of Madhes. 

A large number of cadres 

had organised a gathering at 

Kochila State Committee and 

has vehemently criticised the 

party’s list of NCOC members. 

Madheshi leaders have 

said that the 19 members out 

of 251 strong National Convention 

Organising Committee 

counts to be only seven 

per cent which is very low 

and have demanded proportional 

representation. 

All the in-charges of the 

Dahal’s panel including 

Rautahat in-charge Ashok 

Jaiswal, Bara in-charge Jayaram 

Dahal and Parsa incharge 

Chhatra Bahadur 

Shrestha were selected but 

the in-charges of Bhattarai’s 

panel including Rautahat 

in-charge Devendra Patel, 

Bara in-charge Hari Chaulagain 

and Parsa in-charge 

Yogendra Sah were not selected.


NATIONAL 

• ONCE-OVER 

Kamaiya women taking their 

belongings to safer place after the 

rainwater entered their houses in 

Tikapur, on Friday. 

Three children dead 

CHARIKOT: Three dead bodies of 

children were found on Friday at 

Kaileswor-based Gaurimudi VDC-5 

in Charikot. Sonam Tamang (13), 

Laxman Tamang (14) and Ram 

Tamang (14) died after they drowned 

in a pond, said police. The water 

was collected in the pond to irrigate 

the field. According to temporary 

Police Post Gaurimudi, the children 

went to irrigate the field on Thursday 

noon, but they didn't return home. 

They might have died while they 

were swimming in the pond, police 

suspected. The pond is about seven 

feet deep. Futher investigation into 

the causes of their death is underway, 

said police. – HNS 

Chakkajam enforced 

BIRATNAGAR: CPN-UML affiliated 

youth wing, Yuba Sangh Nepal, on 

Friday enforced an one hour long 

chakkajam in different cities and 

towns of eastern Nepal including 

Dharan, Biratnagar, Damak, Itahari, 

Dhankuta, Lahan, Rajbiraj and Birtamod. 

The transport strike was 

imposed from 4 pm to 5 pm today 

demanding the Prime Minister 

Baburam Bhattarai to step down 

for consensus government, informed 

Yuba Sangh central member Parsuram 

Basnet. The protesters have 

put forth various demands including 

prime minister's resignation, annulment 

of ordinance that provides 

lifelong facilities to the former VIPs 

among others, said the Yuba Sangh’s 

memorandum. – HNS 

WEATHER 

FORECAST: Partly cloudy in the country, temporary rain 

or thundershowers likely to occur at few places in the 

country, mainly over the hilly regions. 

PLACES MAX. TEMP. MIN. TEMP. 

Kathmandu 26.3 20.3 

Dadeldhura 20.4 18.2 

Dipayal 29.4 25.2 

Dhangadi 27.1 24.6 

Birendranagar 29.5 24.2 

Nepalgunj 28.8 24.8 

Jumla 24.8 17.0 

Dang 24.8 23.5 

Pokhara 25.3 22.5 

Bhairahawa 27.6 25.0 

Simra 32.5 25.0 

Okhaldhunga 25.8 14.6 

Taplejung 25.9 17.5 

Dhankuta 31.4 20.5 

Biratnagar 34.8 25.0 

Jiri 23.0 17.6 

Jomsom 18.3 13.5 

Rajbiraj 34.0 24.5 

Janakpur 33.8 26.2 

THT 

Source: Meteorological Forecasting Division, 

Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Kathmandu. 

Lekhanath Pandey 


The process of integration of 

the Unified CPN-Maoist’s remaining 

combatants has been 

reduced to a state of suspended 

animation as there was no 

clear direction either from the 

government or the Special 

Committee to the Nepali Army 

on how to address the dispute 

over combatants’ age. 

“Without the government’s 

direction, we cannot resume 

the integration works all 

alone,” said a senior NA officer. 

The selection process of integrating 

3,123 former fighters 

was commenced formally in 

the first week of July, but was 

immediately halted on July 6, 

following the age dispute, 

which was arisen after more 

than a quarter combatants 

were seen unfit for integration 

as per their newly procured citizenship 

cards. 

The combatants demanded 

to recognise the age verified by 

the UNMIN in 2007, which NA 

says was against the spirit of 

the seven-point agreement. 

The integrating fighters 

protested, and urged for a ‘respectable’ 

integration to which 

the NA had to ‘temporarily’ 

halt the process all together. 

NA immediately sent a letter 

to the government, seeking its 

clear direction. “We are waiting 

decision the government’s response 

to this effect,” said Ramindra 

Chhetri, spokesperson 

of the NA. “Without this, we 

cannot resume the process.” 

The Ministry of Defence had 

forwarded the NA’s letter to the 

office of the Prime Minister 

Baburam Bhattarai, who is also 

the Chairman of the Special 

Committee (for Supervision, 

Integration and Rehabilitation 

of Maoist combatants). 

“As we cannot directly write 

to the Special Committee, we 

have put forward the NA’s 

complications to continue the 

integration works to the PM’s 

Office,” said MoD spokesperson 

Dwarika Prasad Acharya, 

who is also a member of the selection 

board formed under 

the Acting Chief of Public Service 

Commission to determine 

the eligibility of the integrating 

fighters. 

On PM Bhattarai’s part, either 

he can direct the Army to 

continue the process as per the 

seven-point agreement or he 

needs to take a new decision 

from the Special Committee to 

bring any changes if any into 

the agreement as per the com- 

batants demand. 

“We are ready to attend the 

Special Committee meeting if 

PM so wishes,” a NC leader 

and SC member Ram Sharan 

Mahat told THT. 

The PM has neither called 

the committee meeting to adopt 

a new decision nor has given 

any direction to the NA to 

resume the process as per past 

agreements. In the meantime, 

there are voices about sending 

all the remaining combatants 

for the voluntary retirement. 

Finance Minister and Maoist 

member to the Special Committee, 

Barshaman Pun said 

that the voluntary retirement 

could be an option if “respectable 

integration” is not ensured. 

Similarly, Chandra Dev 

Khanal, a Maoist Politburo 

member and a member of the 

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012 

No integration till govt takes decision, says Army 

Chepang youth dreams 

of becoming doctor 

Ratna Prasad Acharya 

Dharan, August 3 

“But I, being poor, have only my 

dreams,” WB Yeats. Shibaraj 

Praja has somehow imbibed 

this famous lines of Yeats, 

though inadvertently. 

At 21, this inspiring youth 

from the Chepang community 

of Dhading, Dhusa VDC-8, 

Bhoomidanda, is a bright ray of 

hope that makes him standout 

in his entire community. 

It's not the riches that he 

could, however, imagine being 

a member of this extremely 

backward community. 

But more than that he has a 

strong underlining desire to become 

a doctor – something he 

always dreamt since his early 

childhood – to serve his community 

and his countrymen. 

As a first step towards realizing 

his dream, he has come 

all the way to Dharan to appear 

for the MBBS entrance examination 

slated to be held at the 

BP Koirala Institute of Health 

and Sciences on Saturday. 

A brilliant student from his 

early childhood, Shibaraj got an 

opportunity to study from 

Grade IX to Grade XII from the 

Pokhara-based Step By Step 

Higher Secondary School, 

thanks to a Dutch national who 

out of compassion financed for 

his studies after The Himalayan 

Times and the Annapurna Post 

carried a news report about 

him about seven years ago. He 

secured 78 and 65 per cent in 

SLC and ISC respectively. 

Years after, he is now a second 

year student of Microbiology 

Bachelors level at the Kathmandu-based 

Tri-Chandra College. 

"I wanted to be a doctor from 

my early childhood. As a doctor 

I will serve the poor and helpless 

people of my country," said 

Shibaraj, lamenting he could 

not compete from the government 

quota as he did not do his 

schooling from a government 

school. 

"Since 1994, when the institute 

began MBBS entrance, 

Shibaraj is the first Chepang 

student appearing for the 

entrance," said Prof Umesh 

Thapa of the BPKIHS Education 

Department, adding that, a 

total of 135 students have applied 

for three Jaanajati quota 

seats. 

The institute is conducting 

the entrance examination on 

Saturday for 100 quota students 

for MBBS and 40 for BDS this 

year. For the exams, five exam 

centres have been fixed in Dharan 

and Biratnagar. 

According to the BPKIHS Education 

Department chief 

Deepak Shakya, a total of 2,115 

examinees, including 186 from 

India are appearing for the entrance 

exams. 

Locals helping the rescue team at a landslide site, where a house was buried in Thulolumpek VDC 

of Gulmi, on Friday. 

SC Secretariat, told that the integration 

matter has been fallen 

into a conundrum, which 

can only be cracked through 

broader political consensus. 

“We are compelled to respect 

the seven-point agreement,” 

he said. “But, NA tried 

to recruit PLAs, instead of integrating 

them, attributing its 

standard norms and agreement.” 

He said even, the PM himself 

is not in a position to resolve 

the issue. “Chairman Dahal 

has assured us that he would 

urge other political parties to 

address the age issue soon,” he 

said, adding that, “We hope 

that would bear some fruit in 

the integration front.” 

With the prolonged stay at 

the camps under the command 

of the Nepali Army since 

April, lately many combatants 

have expressed preferred to go 

rather for voluntary retirement. 

But at this stage they can 

go for this option only if they 

are unfit for the integration. 

Khanal said, “Due to they are 

encamped under the NA’s 

command, we need a Special 

Committee decision to send all 

of them for retirement.” 

Balananda Sharma, coordinator 

of the Secretariat under 

the SC, said integration should 

be done as the matter has already 

been mentioned in the 

Interim Constitution. 

“It will be a breach of the 

statute if we fail to integrate 

the former rebels into the national 

force,” he said, adding 

that, “Number does not matter. 

At least we have to integrate 

those fighters who are eligible 

as per the agreed norms 

and standard.” 

Participants of the Third International Gai Jatra Festival organised by the Blue Diamond Society in Pokhara, on Friday. 

10 SLC invigilators expelled in Achham 


Achham, August 3 

Ten invigilators were expelled 

on the third day of 

School Leaving Certificate 

(SLC) Chance Examination 

in Achham district today. 

Nripa Rawal from the 

Shivaniwas Lower Secondary 

School Examination 

Centre, and Tikhada and 

THT 

Janak Rawal from Achham 

Multiple Campus Examination 

Centre were accused of 

cheating and helping examinees 

cheat during the Mathematics 

examination. 

Similarly, Tirtharaj Neupane, 

Tapendra Swar, Hemraj 

Tiwari, Prakash Bohara, 

Hamsa Bhatta, Asharam 

Dhakal, Rajan Singh and Siddharaj 

Bhandari from So- 

DAO asks doctors to resume duty 


Pokhara, August 3 

Despite its frequent calls and 

talks to bring around the 

striking doctors of the Manipal 

hospital to withdraw 

their agitation, District Administration 

Office, Kaski today 

issued a notice, ordering 

the hospital administration 

to resume its services at the 

earliest. 

Stating that the public 

health was severely affected 

by the ongoing doctors' agitation, 

CDO Chetnath Bhattarai, 

invoking the Local Administration 

Act today issued 

the notice in the name 

of the hospital administration. 

The administration, in 

its notice, has also pledged to 

take action against any person 

or group if they created 

dasha Higher Secondary Examination 

centre were also 

expelled for the same reason 

today. 

They were expelled within 

15 minutes of the examination 

time by a team of 

Deputy Secretary of the District 

Education Office Ramsuresh 

Yadav, Acting Chief 

District Officer Chhabilal 

Nepali, District Education 

any obstruction in resuming 

the day to day function of the 

hospital on Sunday. 

According to the hospital 

human resources department 

chief Birendar Yadav, 

they will resume all the hospital 

services from Sunday as 

per the administration’s instruction. 

The hospital administration 

also thanked 

everyone who had helped to 

reopen the hospital. 

The administration, issuing 

a statement in the 

evening today said the agitating 

doctors gave two 

hoots to the CDO and the 

civil society even when the 

hospital management was 

ready to adjust their remuneration 

as per their demand. 

Meanwhile, even after receiving 

the notice, the doc- 

THT 

Officer Shyamsingh Dhami 

and Police Inspector Mahendrasingh 

Kalouni. 

Some invigilators were 

writing on the answer sheets 

while some were openly allowing 

the students to cheat, 

said Dhami. All the invigilators 

were banned from SLC 

Examination in the coming 

years, said the District Education 

Committee. 

tors have shown no sign to 

return to work anytime soon. 

"We won't return to work 

until our demands are met," 

vowed All-Nepal Progressive 

Public Health Workers Association 

Manipal Unit chairperson 

Dr Krishna Koirala, 

warning of a possible clash 

on Sunday should the hospital 

administration to use 

force. 

"We won't return to work 

unless the hospital administration 

assures the increment 

in our salary," he said. 

Health services and teaching 

activities at the hospital 

have been affected after doctors 

affiliated to All Nepal 

Progressive Public Health 

Workers' Union began their 

agitation from Sunday demanding 

increment in their 

salary.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, AUGUST 4, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

Opening 

heaven’s gate 

for the deceased 

Sangita Shrestha 

Kathmandu 

With a hope to 

ease the 

journey of 

deceased’s 

soul to heaven, 

relatives 

of dead persons take out a procession 

in the year of their 

demise, a day of after Janai Purnima, 

that is known as Gai Jatra. 

As the name suggests, it is the 

festival of cows that is celebrated 

every year in Kathmandu Valley, 

especially by the people of the 

Newar community. On the day 

of Gai Jatra, relatives of the deceased, 

on the year of the death, 

take out a gai (cow) in Gai Jatra 

where all relatives participate in 

it and visit local temples. It is believed 

that the deceased will 

reach heaven easily with the 

help of a cow. 

Besides its religious significance, 

Gai Jatra is one such occasion 

when people can come out 

and express themselves in whatever 

way they want all dressed 

up and even donning a mask. It 

is also known as the day of humour 

and satire. 

The Gai Jatra festival was celebrated 

on August 3 this year. 

TheHimalayan 

ON S A T U R D A Y 

Procession around 

Kathmandu 

Long processions, where people 

following the gai — either a 

real cow or young boys decorated 

with various accessories resembling 

a cow was a common 

scene of this year’s Gai Jatra. 

Young boys who had not yet 

completed their ritual of bratabandha 

had turned into a cow 

during the procession. Adorned 

in attractive, eye catching bright 

red clothes along with apt makeup, 

the young boys walked the 

streets symbolising the cow. Also 

one could see other boys dressed 

as various Hindu Gods like Krishna 

or Shiva (in yellow dhoti 

with or without shoes). 

Some of the processions were 

accompanied by musical bands 

— be it traditional or modern, 

and in some people marched 

singing holy hymns along with 

the music. 

Nati Kaji Dongol, who was 

heading one of the processions 

at Basantapur accompanied by 

cultural band shared, “It’s my sister-in-law’s 

procession and we 

are from Tangal.” 

There were around 50 men including 

the musician who were 

playing Taa Khin Baja but did 

not have the cow. About this Laxmi 

Narayan Maharjan, son of the 

deceased Laxmi Maya Maharjan 

for whom the procession was 

taken out informed, “It is not 

necessary for us to have gai as 

we have musical band from our 

Guthi. And along with the relatives 

we have our Guthi members 

in the procession.” 

Laxmi Narayan, who was carrying 

numerous incense sticks 

explained the ritual, “Very close 

relatives of the dead person carry 

these sticks and place them in 

temples they visit during the Jatra. 

It also creates a pleasant 

smell on the way.” 

All the processions taken out 

in Kathmandu district start from 

their respective houses and 

march along the same route of 

Kumari Rath Parikrama (that 

passes through Ason, Basantapur, 

Jaisideval, Lagaan and Humat 

Tole) during the Kumari festival 

in Indra Jatra. 

In another procession, nineyear-old 

Sashant Shrestha and 

eight-year-old Nitesh Shrestha 

had become cows.The boys were 

wearing red blouses and skirts 

with a white cloth tied around 

their waist and the end of the 

white cloth hung on both sides 

of their waist. Also they wore 

small basket made of bamboo 

on their head like a helmet. And 

the picture of Lord Ganesh on 

white paper was stuck on the 

front and back of that basket 

along with two colourful paper 

fans on their head. 

Keshav Shrestha, father of 

Nitesh explained, “The bamboo 

head gear and white cloth 

symbolise cow’s horn and tail 

where after the procession these 

are taken to a nearby Lord 

Ganesh’s temple.” 

Sashant and Nitesh who 

were walking happily accepting 

the daan (offerings given by 

people from other processions) 

expressed that they were 

happy to be gai as they were 

having a good time roaming 

around drinking juice, milk and 

taking daan. 

Spectators’ views 

While the processions were 

heading towards their destination, 

some people just sat outside 

their houses and watched 

the procession. Some fed the 

gais with milk and juice and offered 

daan as well. 

Seventy-five-year old Kanchi 

Prajapati, who was watching 

the procession at Wana Dhe, 

near Lagaan Tole explained 

about daan as, “Those who 

have lost their mother feed milk 

to the gai. And those providing 

daans are the ones from whose 

houses the processions have 

been taken out.” 

As per Prajapati, foods like 

Malpuwa, Swari, peas, fruits and 

others must be given as daan to 

360 gais or other people walking 

in the procession. The 360 daan 

resembles providing each day’s 

food to the deceased ones who 

are roaming around their homes 

for a year as mentioned by Prajapati. 

It is believed that dead 

one would get the offerings provided 

as daan on this day only. 

And the music played during 

Gai Jatra makes the spectators 

emotional. 

Prajapati being emotional 

shared, “The music I hear during 

Gai Jatra reminds me of my deceased 

close ones and my heart 

PAGE 7 

Photos: Bal Krishna Thapa / THT 

just aches remembering those 

old days.” 

Meanwhile, for 18-year-old 

Sushant Shrestha of Lagaan, Gai 

Jatra is all about bidding goodbye 

to the dead relatives and 

opening heaven’s gate. He said, 

“Gai Jatra is Nepali’s traditional 

culture and is a big festival where 

dead relatives are remembered 

and given respect on this day.” 

On the other hand, Lisa Kapali, 

a foreigner married to 

Nepali and who has been living 

in Humat Tole since the last one 

year, was busy taking photographs 

of the procession. 

“I liked the story behind this 

festival. I heard that during the 

Malla period, a king in order to 

make his lamenting queen happy 

asked his country people to 

take out procession from houses 

whose relatives had died that 

year. He also declared that those 

who will be able to make the 

lamenting queen smile will get 

reward,” she shared her knowledge 

about the festival. 

And she added, “The festival 

is special and I find little babies 

walking as cows very cute. I 

think this festival brings the people 

together.” 

A modern touch 

Even though everyone 

claimed that the religious rituals 

are followed as per the old days, 

Prajapati opined, “These days 

people have started to use readymade 

packets of food as like biscuits, 

juice, chocolate and more 

instead of homemade Malpuwa, 

Swari, etcetera for daan.” 

On the route of procession 

few local clubs distributed 

drinking water to the participants 

of the processions. Also 

one could see the litter like 

tapari being cleaned from the 

road in a few areas. 

Before the procession headed 

on to the streets, people were 

busy taking photos, maybe to 

keep the memory of the day alive 

while opening the gate of the 

heaven to the deceased.


New moon discovered 

orbiting Pluto 

THE WORLD THIS WEEK 

Scientists studying data from 

the Hubble Space Telescope 

have found a fifth moon 

orbiting the dwarf planet Pluto. 

It was seen in images taken in 

June and earlier this month. The 

new moon is just a speck in images, 

so scientists will only get 

more information when NASA’s 

New Horizons probe sends 

back detailed images of the Plu- 

to system in 2015. Until 2006, 

Charon was Pluto’s only known 

moon. That year, Nix and Hydra 

were discovered, followed by 

P4, in 2011. — Agencies 

JUST FOR YOU 

Bob the burrowing owl 

is just one of the animals 

at ZSL London Zoo 

getting into the Olympic 

spirit during the Olympic 

games. His species burrow 

underground and 

have adjusted to living on 

the ground, making them 

natural sprinters. Bob has 

been training to run the 

100 centimetres and 

every day he tries to beat 

PICK OF THE WEEK 

London Zoo throws animal Olympics 

WALTER WINCHELL A FRIEND IS ONE WHO WALKS IN WHEN OTHERS WALK OUT 

Garter snakes are very 

small and thin snakes 

with three longitudinal 

stripes in many 

different colours. The 

name ‘Garter’ comes from the 

comparison of these snakes to the 

fancy garters that were used years 

ago to hold men’s socks. These 

snakes are fast, alert and 

intelligent. 

Garter snakes are docile and 

harmless to people, though they 

may bite in self-defence. When 

alarmed, they may coil and strike, 

many flatten their bodies, making 

the stripes on their back more 

prominent. They also discharge 

musk, which has an unpleasant, 

sweetish odour, from glands at the 

base of the tail. 

Characteristics 

Garter snakes have slim and agile 

body. They have dark and distinguishable 

head. These snakes 

can differ in appearance from region 

to region. Their colouring 

can be of many shades of green, 

blue, yellow, gold, red, orange, 

brown, and black. But generally, 

they have three stripes on their 

backs, one down the centre and 

one on either side of it. These 

stripes run the length of the 

snake’s body and can be blue, 

green, yellow or white. Garter 

snakes have hard, dry scales and 

are cold-blooded. Underneath 

their scaly skin, snakes have internal 

organs and bones like those of 

other vertebrates. The backwardpointing 

teeth and throat muscles 

are used to work the prey slowly 

down into the stomach. 

The red and black, forked 

tongue of these snakes is used as a 

detection device. They pop out 

animal 

stories 

their tongue to collect chemicals 

in the air. They then place their 

tongue back into mouth and insert 

the fork into a special organ, 

called the Jacobson’s organ, on the 

roof of their mouth. The snake 

uses this process to detect scents 

like pheromones from other 

snakes and their next meal. They 

also gather information about 

their environment from their 

sense of smell. 

Garter snakes are one of the few 

snakes that give birth to live 

young. Females give birth to 

about 20 to 30 young, but 85 have 

been born in one litter. The young 

snakes are on their own immediately 

after birth. They are 7.5 to 9 

inches long and are fully capable 

GARTER SNAKES 

of hunting. They reach maturity in 

three years. 

Size 

The length of garter snakes 

ranges from 20 to 30 inches although 

some may be longer. 

Feeding Habits 

Garter snakes are opportunistic 

hunters. They will eat almost any 

animal that they can catch. Their 

main foods are earthworms, frogs, 

fish, leeches, tadpoles and sometimes 

mice. They also eat snails, 

crickets, grasshoppers and birds. 

Venom of these snakes is neurotoxic, 

slowing down the movement 

of a prey animal while it is 

consumed. 

Habitat 

Garter snakes are most commonly 

found in Canada and central 

United States. They are found 

in parks, meadows and woodlands, 

wherever there are ponds 

and streams nearby. They live in 

colder temperatures and they 

need to hibernate in winter. They 

will find shelter in cracks in the 

ground where the frost doesn’t 

reach. 

Lifespan 

Garter snakes live for two years 

in the wild and six to 10 years in 

captivity. — Agencies 

God’s gift 

You loved me even when 

I felt rotten 

With you my sadness is always 

shortened 

You were with me even 

when I was wrong 

You are the reason I feel so strong. 

You have always helped me 

in sorrow and strife 

You my friend, is the biggest gift of 

my life 

I am sure you will be with me in any 

era following this trend 

You are my biggest gift my dear 

friend. 

— Jasmine Acharya,Class VIII, 

GEMS 

Childhood days 

Many years ago 

When we were in junior class 

How we used to play 

together 

In the playground everyday. 

It seems like yesterday 

Our childhood world 

Of ice-creams and cotton 

candies 

In the hot summer days 

That we wished never to 

end. 

When we played cricket all 

day long 

And those talks 

About our dreams and future 

Until we get tired. 

But all those days have 

passed so fast 

And we are left alone 

But still I want those days 

back again 

Can’t those days return? 

— Saurav Singh,Class VIII, 

LRI School 

his personal best. 

The penguins are expert 

divers, the monkeys 

are whizzes at gymnastics 

and the bugs are 

super-strong 

weightlifters, lifting many 

times their body weight. 

The abilities of the animals 

are being showcased 

in the Animal Athletes 

exhibition at ZSL 

London Zoo. — Agencies 

The Chronicles of Narnia 

sold for £30,000 

An original copy of a book 

from The Chronicles of 

Narnia signed by the author 

CS Lewis has been sold at 

an auction. The winning bidder 

paid £30,000 for the 

book which was one of the 

first to have been printed 

around 1950. It was signed ‘Jack 

Lewis’ which is rare — Jack was 

the nickname CS Lewis used with 

close friends and family. The stories 

of Peter, Susan, Edmund and 

Lucy were bestsellers for over 50 

years. 


In the first story — 

The Lion, The Witch 

and The Wardrobe 

— they find their 

way into a magical 

land called Narnia 

through the back of 

a wardrobe. They 

have to battle a 

witch, but are saved 

by Aslan the lion. 

The story was made into theatre 

productions, TV dramas, and in 

2005 became a Hollywood movie. 

Two more Narnia movies were 

made — Prince Caspian in 2008 

and Voyage of the Dawn Treader 

in 2010. — Agencies 

My best friend 

Resha is very naughty but a little 

haughty 

Very talented, it’s a guarantee 

Beautiful with her nose big 

Handwriting so nice and loving to 

cheat 

She always shouts at others 

But never bothers 

She has a clever sister and no 

brother 

Talking too much with her big 

mouth 

With her two best friends who cry 

when she leaves 

Without her the class is silent 

Waiting for laughter when she is 

upset 

Her hair is curly which remains 

short all the year 

But when her sister pulls it, it 

becomes bare 

Then, Resha realises that she 

should never pull others’ hair 

She always stands first in her class 

with her nose red 

But never compromises to become 

late 

She is always ready who is never 

slow and steady 

She is very hard-working and 

sometimes funny 

Who asks ideas for others to make 

her hair a stare 

She plays games by sitting and 

loves chatting 

And always dreams of being 

successful 

She does not need her legs to run 

When she is caught by a don. 

— Jeneen Adhikari,Class VII, 

GEMS 

Missing friends 

When we are together 

Making fun of each other 

When we are in trouble 

Sharing and helping each other 

When we know nothing 

Then, discussing and teaching 

each other 

The days which we spent together 

I’m missing all my beloved friends. 

— Tenzin Dhadon,Class X, 

Arya Tara School


DUBBY’S DVDISCUSSION 

Dubby Bhagat 

Kathmandu 

Finding Shakespeare 

Controversy rises 

from time to 

time about who 

Shakespeare 

was. This is the 

suggestion being that the 

name was given to a barely 

literate buffoon when the 

real playwright was the Earl 

of Oxford, Sir Francis Bacon, 

the 6th Earl of Derby or 

Christopher Marlowe. 

Anonymous argues the case 

for Edward de Vere, the 17th 

Earl of Oxford. 

Very few commoners of 

his time are as well-documented 

as William Shakespeare. 

If he had been an ordinary 

playwright, there 

would be no controversy 

over their authorship. But 

he was the greatest of all 

writers in English, in some 

ways the engine for the language’s 

spread around the 

world, and one of the 

supreme artists of the human 

race. 

Because of the ingenious 

screenplay by John Orloff, 

precise direction by Roland 

Emmerich and the casting 

of memorable British actors, 

you can walk into the theatre 

as a blank slate, follow 

and enjoy the story, and 

leave convinced — if of 

nothing else — that Shakespeare 

was a figure of com- 

pelling interest. 

The character of Shakespeare 

(Rafe Spall) is drawn 

a notch of two above the village 

idiot. Witless and graceless, 

there is no whiff of brilliance 

about him, and indeed 

the wonder is not that 

this man could have written 

the plays but that he could 

articulate clearly enough to 

even act in some of them 

(about which there seems to 

be no doubt). 

Edward de Vere, the Earl 

of Oxford (Rhys Ifans), however, 

seems the very template 

of genius. His manner, 

his bearing, his authority, 

his ease in the court of Elizabeth 

all conspire to make 

him a qualified candidate. 

He was so well-connected 

with the crown in fact that 

the movie speculates he 

may have been the lover of 

the young Elizabeth (Joely 

FIVE FRIENDS 

LONDON: One just needs 

five trusted people in 

their lives, to cope with 

modern life, a new study 

has revealed. 

To deal with the stress of our 

fast paced life we want an agony 

aunt, an emotional support, 

someone good with money, a 

practically minded person and a 

colleague we can ask for work 

advice. 

The research demonstrates 

that a minimum of five friends 

and colleagues are now required 

to share out our problems and 

get useful advice from. 

An agony aunt figure with 

whom we can share our problems, 

tops the list. 

Secondly, we need some loved 

one who would put an arm 

around us and provide the quintessential 

emotional support. 

The third most important 

friend is someone who can help 

us out with financial matters and 

advise us how to save money. 

And fourth is a knowledgeable 

friend or family member we can 

turn to for advice on life’s practical 

matters. 

The fifth most important person 

one should have is a colleague 

we can look to for help 

and advice in the workplace, according 

to the study by Nationwide 

Building Society. 

However, the research revealed 

that despite the average 

Facebook user having 190 

friends, 32 per cent of Britain 

population still doesn’t feel they 

really have anyone on their side. 

WASHINGTON: 

Dermatologists 

have revealed 

that how you 

wash your hair and the products 

you use could go a long 

way in maintaining smooth 

and shiny hair. 

Board-certified dermatologist 

Zoe D Draelos, MD, 

FAAD, has also given tips on 

how to keep your crowing 

glory healthy and beautiful. 

“When shampooing, concentrate 

on cleaning primarily 

the scalp, rather than the 

entire length of the hair, as 

washing only your hair can 

create flyaway hair that is dull 

and coarse,” Dr Draelos said. 

Richardson) or the son of 

the older Elizabeth (Vanessa 

Redgrave). Not both. 

The film also plunges us 

into the rich intrigue of the 

first Elizabethan age, including 

the activities of the 

Earl of Essex (Sam Reid), 

whose plot to overthrow the 

queen led to the inconvenience 

of beheading. Incredibly, 

for a film shot 

mostly on German sound 

stages, Anonymous richly 

evokes the London of its 

time, when the splendour of 

the court lived in a metropolis 

of appalling poverty and 

the streets were ankle-deep 

in mud. It creates a realistic, 

convincing Globe Theater, 

which establishes how intimate 

it really was. The 

groundlings could almost 

reach out and touch the 

players, and in the box seats, 

such as Oxford himself 

could witness the power of 

his work, which was credited 

to the nonentity 

Shakespeare. 

All of that makes Anonymous 

a splendid experience: 

the dialogue, the acting, the 

depiction of London, the 

lust, jealousy and intrigue. 

But I must tiresomely insist 

that Edward de Vere did not 

write Shakespeare’s plays. 

Apparently Roland Emmerich 

sincerely believes he 

did. Well, when he directed 

2012, Emmerich thought 

there might be something to 

the Mayan calendar. 

In a New York Times article, 

the Shakespeare scholar 

James Shapiro has cited a 

few technicalities: (a) de 

Vere writes and stars in A 

Midsummer Night’s Dream 

when he was nine years old, 

and (b) “he died in 1604, before 

10 or so of Shakespeare’s 

plays were written.” 

Why then does this question 

arise from time to time? 

I feel it’s because of the distance 

from then to now and 

I believe that there is such a 

thing as ‘scholar speak’ 

where in Ivy draped university 

students who have chosen 

Shakespeare as a thesaural 

subject must dismiss 

other contenders to the title 

of the genius of William 

Shakespeare and only then 

may they proceed with their 

thesis then it’s easy. 

LIFESTYLE 

FOR SMOOTH, SHINY TRESSES 

“When using a conditioner, 

the recommendation is different. 

Conditioners should 

only be used on the tips of the 

hair and not on the scalp or 

length of the hair since conditioners 

can make fine hair 

look limp,” Dr Draelos said. 

To maintain healthy hair, 

firstly Dr Draelos recommends 

people to wash oily 

hair more frequently. How often 

you wash your hair 

should be based on how 

much oil your scalp produces. 

Secondly, use conditioner 

after every shampoo unless 

you use a “2-in-1” shampoo, 

which cleans and conditions 

hair. Using a conditioner can 

significantly improve the 

PROFILING FROM YOUR FB PIX 

look of damaged or weathered 

hair by increasing shine, 

Choosing a Facebook 

profile photo is very serious 

business. It’s the 

visual that will greet 

high school acquaintances, jealous 

exes, and your parents’ 

friends when they search you 

out. The image you project is entirely 

determined by your photo 

choice. 

While people think the photo 

they choose is some sort of individual 

statement, they’re usually 

wrong. Here are the 10 most misguided 

approaches that people 

take when picking out a profile 

photo. Each sends out 

all sorts of information 

that the person 

may not have intended. 

While there 

are some sub-genres 

and lesser known 

variations, most pictures 

on social networking 

behemoth fall into 

one of these categories. 

The Portrait: A clear photo 

of the subject from the waist 

(or higher) up and includes the 

entire face. 

What it says about you: That 

you are a normal, well-adjusted 

adult who is confident in your 

appearance. Basically, you’re 

pretty boring. However, if it is a 

headshot, author photo, or other 

promotional material, it means 

you are a narcissistic careerist. If 

it is a self portrait, you are slightly 

annoying. If the photo is of you 

in your bathing suit, you are 

probably hot and insecure. 

The Far and Away: The subject 

is so far from the camera that 

you can discern there is a person 

in the frame, but can’t pick out 

details of his face or appearance. 

What it says about you: You 

are a private person who doesn’t 

want any old gawker knowing 

what the hell you look like. You 

That’s all one needs to cope with modern life pressures 

Men are twice as likely to feel 

they have no one to turn to (42 

per cent) in their daily lives as 

compared to women (23 per 

cent). Those over the age of 55 

felt they had fewer trusted 

friends (40 per cent) than any 

other age group. 

The research highlighted the 

needs for someone to listen to 

our problems (23 per cent), to 

provide emotional support (18 

per cent) and to ease the pressures 

of everyday life (18 

per cent). 

The current economic climate 

has also affected people’s minds, 

with money issues now one of 

the main reasons they feel the 

need for a support network. One 

in six (16 per cent) say they need 

someone to help them save 

money or get rid of debt, according 

to the study of 1,047 UK 

adults. 

Meanwhile, 15 per cent of the 

Britain’s population confides in 

work colleagues and one in 20 (5 

per cent) look to their boss for 

help and advice. 

The research shows support at 

work is more important to men, 

with 11 per cent looking for advice 

in this area compared to just 

decreasing static electricity, 

improving strength and offering 

some protection from 

harmful UV rays. 

Thirdly, choose a shampoo 

and conditioner formulated 

specifically for your hair type. 

For example, if you colour 

your hair, use a shampoo designed 

for colour-treated 

hair. If your hair is damaged 

or chemically treated, consider 

a “2-in-1” shampoo. 

Regardless of cost, many 

shampoo and conditioner 

brands provide the same 

benefits. 

Lastly, protect hair when 

swimming. Protect your hair 

from the damaging effects of 

are slightly shy and reserved until 

people get to know you. 

The Up Close and Impersonal: 

The subject is so close to the 

camera that you can only see 

part of her face or appearance. 


want people to think that you 

don’t want to be recognised on 

Facebook, but you really do and 

you mask that in pseudo arti- 

ness. You had an imperfection 

when you were younger (lazy 

eye, acne, irredeemably bad 

haircut) and still haven’t gotten 

over being teased. Now you’re 

the kind of person who is alone 

at parties not because you’re shy, 

but because once people talk to 

you, they get annoyed. 

The Scrapbook Photo: A picture 

of the subject when he was 

in his childhood, whether a candid 

shot or a school picture he 

made his mother dig out of a box 

in her attic. 


are the type of person who 

thinks that everything in the past 

is better than it is now. You still 

listen to the same music, wear 

five per cent of women. In contrast, 

15 per cent of women say 

they need someone they can 

turn to help them manage family 

relationships. 

“No matter how strong and independent 

people are, we all 

need someone to lean on at key 

stages in life,” the Daily Mail 

quoted Susan Quilliam, relationship 

psychologist, as saying. 

“It could be an ear to listen, a 

wise head to provide some advice, 

a shoulder to cry on or 

someone who is completely removed 

from the situation you 

are in. 

“Strong support networks are 

essential to help alleviate the 

pressures of life, decision-making 

and ultimately, stop people 

from feeling like they are on their 

PAGE 9 

chlorine by wetting and conditioning 

your hair before 

swimming. Wear a tight-fitting 

swim cap and use a specially 

formulated swimmers 

shampoo and deep conditioner 

after swimming to replace 

lost moisture. 

“Be sure to see a dermatologist 

if you are experiencing 

unexplained hair loss as this 

may be a sign of a serious 

medical condition,” Dr Draelos 

said. 

These steps have been 

demonstrated in Tips for 

Healthy Hair, a video posted 

to the Academy website and 

the Academy’s YouTube 

channel. — Agencies 

the same clothes, and love the 

same things you did back in high 

school/college, and you’ll probably 

never change. 

Family Photo: A photo of the 

subject’s children and/or baby 

usually without the subject. 

What it says about you: The 

only thing you have accomplished 

in your adult life is having 

children. You used to be fun 

and fabulous and have lots of 

friends, but now all you can talk 

about is play dates, potty training, 

and Dora the Explorer. But 

don’t worry, being a mother/father 

is the most important job 

there is. 

The Wedding Photo: You 

know a wedding picture when 

you see it. 


want everyone to think that you 

are a grown-up. You have settled 

down to a life of calm normalcy 

and Family Guy reruns. You’re 

not playing the field anymore. 

No, you are married! Also, you 

are entirely defined by your relationship 

and don’t have any 

friends of your own anymore. 

The Pop Culture Reference: 

This comes in many forms: a picture 

of a fictional character, 

concert, a movie poster, a 

book cover, reality star, musical 

act, or picture of a 

celebrity. Basically, it is 

anyone who is not the 

subject. 

What it says about 

you: You have no personality 

of your own. 

You define yourself 

(and others) completely 

by their entertainment choices, 

whether they be television, 

music, sci-fi, literary, or otherwise. 

Talking to you is like reading 

a list of movie quotes and 

you are full of useless knowledge 

on your favourite subjects. 

The Party Picture: The subject, 

often with someone else, 

clearly at a party. She may be 

holding a drink, drinking a drink, 

smoking a bong, holding a joint, 

playing beer pong, dancing on a 

banquette, or giving duck lips 

and gang signs. 


are young and stupid and will be 

fired from at least one job for 

something you posted on Facebook. 

You are susceptible to peer 

pressure. You will one day regret 

this picture and replace it with a 

wedding picture, and then pictures 

of your children. — gawker.com 

own,” she said. 

Quilliam said that talking to 

different people and seeking advice 

may provide fresh perspective 

and impartial points-ofview 

helps one think and decide 

in a clearer manner. 

“No-one should or can make 

decisions for you but the knowledge 

that someone else is on 

your side can make all the difference 

when it comes to your wellbeing,” 

she added. — Agencies


Step Up Revolution 

Genre: Drama and dance 

Cast: Ryan Guzman and 

Kathryn McCormick 

Director: Scott Speer 

Being screened at theatres 

near you 


Kathmandu 

GLITTERATI 

Dimensional dance 

The films of Step 

Up franchise has 

been all about 

dance and this 

edition is no exception. 

Driving dance to 

another level, Step Up Revolution 

has used dance as a 

performing art as well as a 

Kats to sing for 

Rahman-Gulzar 

MUMBAI: Bollywood beauty Katrina 

Kaif’s singing aspirations is 

getting bigger by singing a song 

in music maestro AR Rahman’s composition 

for Yash Chopra’s untitled directorial 

movie. 

Initially, Kaif was all set to give her voice 

to Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom 3. Now, she has 

put her original plan on hold, and will be 

instead singing in a romantic number 

penned by Gulzar and composed by Rahman 

for Chopra’s directorial comeback. 

It looks to be an ideal project for Kaif to 

make her musical debut in Bollywood as 

she is working with the Oscar-winning 

duo of Rahman and Gulzar. 

While this romantic number marks 

Kaif’s debut as a playback singer in Bollywood, 

this is not the first time the actress 

will hit the recording studio. She had earlier 

lent her voice for nursery rhymes that 

Rahman composed for a charity album. 

Sources say Kaif had enjoyed singing for 

Rahman in the charity album. The music 

composer too was impressed by her passion 

for singing. 

Information from a friend of her said 

earlier, Kaif had a persistent offer from Ali 

Zafar to sing with him for his private album. 

He was interested to rope her in but 

she begged off. 

The Yash Chopra’s untitled directorial 

comeback movie also stars Shah Rukh 

Khan and Anushka Sharma along with 

Kaif. Kaif has teamed up with SRK for the 

first time. — Agencies 

form of protest, just not an 

art. It will rob you with the 

mob of dancers executing 

varied dance acts with attitude 

and precision. 

Sean (Ryan Guzman) 

and his dance team known 

as Mob organise dance 

flash mobs to win a contest. 

He is the leader of the 

group where dancers of different 

backgrounds come 

together to create an act, 

upload them on the Internet 

to get as many likes as 

possible. Then comes Emily 

Anderson (Kathryn Mc- 

Cormick) into Sean’s life. 

She wants to be a professional 

dancer. In order to 

find originality in her 

THT TALKIES 

dance, she joins the Mob. 

However, along the way, 

the street where Sean, his 

friends, family are living is 

threatened by a wealthy 

businessman and his development 

project that is to 

destroy their homes and 

their culture. They vow to 

save their neighbourhood 

through the art of dance. 

From the beginning till 

the end, the dance sequences 

just get better and 

better. In fact, you want to 

know what is the Mob going 

to do next. It motivates 

you to watch the movie. 

Hats off to the choreographers 

Jamal Sims, Travis 

Wall and Chris Scott. They 

have put up very innovative 

and creative act up on 

the screen. The last scene 

where many dancers perform 

is the best of all. It 

takes us through many 

dance from hip-hop to robotics 

to contemporary to 

street dance to salsa. And 

they dance with the backdrop 

of Miami. It is all siz- 

JLo, beau to sue 

over gay reports 

WASHINGTON: Jennifer Lopez is reportedly taking legal 

action against magazines, which claimed that her 

backing dancer and boyfriend Casper Smart was 

“caught” in a “gay sex club” and an exotic massage parlour. 

Their high-powered attorneys, Shawn Holley and Howard 

Weitzman, have teamed up and allegedly sent letters to American 

publications Star Magazine and In Touch, warning them the 

“reports” are “false, malicious and defamatory” 

and will cause “immense damage” 

to the couple’s careers and reputations, 

Contactmusic reported. 

The reports include snaps of Smart 

outside a XXX peep show in New York 

City in July. Star magazine claims that 

the place is a “well-known cruising 

spot for gay men looking for instant 

hookups.” 

While In Touch magazine 

claims that Smart 

was “caught” with an 

“exotic masseuse” at 

Hell’s Kitchen, which 

he visited for 10 

minutes — the day 

before he helped 

host his singer girlfriend’s 

43rd 

birthday. 

In their letters, 

the lawyers have 

each demanded 

that both the magazines 

print a full retraction, 

further 

warning that Smart 

and Lopez will “immediately 

file a lawsuit” if 

the magazines fail to do 

so. — Agencies 

THT-DOKU-1161 

SUDOKU-1351 

Idol puts Carey’s marriage on rocks 

LONDON: Mariah Carey’s marriage 

is on the rocks — thanks her new 

gig as an American Idol judge. 

According to American tabloid that 

National Enquirer, Carey’s husband 

Nick Cannon — who hosts Idol rival 

America’s Got Talent — is furious that 

the 43-year-old Grammy winner ignored 

his wishes and decided to star on 

a direct competitor of his show. 

“Privately, Nick’s gritting his teeth and 

dead-set against her taking the job,” a 

source said. 

“Nick was tossing around outrageous 

salary figures in hopes of pricing Carey 

out of the market. 

“Right until the eleventh hour, he was 

begging her to pass on the offer. 

“He was dangling incentives — diamond 

jewellery, a luxurious spa vacation, 

even promising to pay her a onetime 

‘gift’ of $15 million for saying no. 

“Nick wants her to be a stay-at-home 

mum to their twins, at least until they 

turn five. He was even hoping to have 

another baby, but Carey has effectively 

scorched that dream.” — Agencies 

zling and cool. 

However, as a 3D movie, 

there is no great 3D effects 

that would wow you except 

for a few effects in two or 

three scenes, which are 

okay. It does enhance the 

illusion of depth perception 

which gives dimension 

to the dance moves highlighting 

them. 

Supporting the dance is 

the storyline that is very ordinary 

where both leads 

are pursuing their dreams; 

they face obstacles which 

they have to confront and 

which they pass with flying 

colours. With the movie being 

more focused on dance, 

there is not much scope for 

acting. Guzman and Mc- 

Cormick have done an 

okay job but they are great 

dancers. Their chemistry 

onscreen is interesting to 

watch. 

Director Scott Speer has 

moved the movie in a simple 

manner while the 

dance sequences have 

been captured well from 

different angles making 

them look beautiful. The 

storyline might not appeal 

to you, but you will be 

awed by the dance moves 

and choreography. 

Watch the movie for the 

love dance. 

Wife bans 

Sanders from 

direction 

LONDON: Rupert Sanders 

has been banned from directing 

Snow White and the 

Huntsman 2 — by his poor, 

cheated wife, Liberty Ross. 

Ross has warned Sanders — 

who was lined up to return to the 

helm for the sequel — to stay 

away if he wants to save their 

marriage following the revelation 

he cheated on her with the film’s 

star Kristen Stewart. 

A source said, “Liberty let it be 

known in no uncertain terms that 

Rupert can’t direct the sequel to 

Snow White and the Huntsman. 

They are trying to work things out 

after he was caught having an affair, 

and that is one of the sticking 

points. She just doesn’t want him 

to ever work with Stewart again. 

“Rupert is disappointed because 

Snow White and the Huntsman 

was his directorial debut, 

and he had hoped on building on 

that with a follow-up after some 

decent reviews. He knows his actions 

were inexcusable, and he’s 

going to have to bite the bullet 

and listen to his wife on this one. 

“When Rupert signed up for 

the movie, he didn’t know he was 

going to get a chance to direct a 

sequel. His contract with Universal 

was only for one movie. 

“It was a verbal agreement that 

he was to take the reigns on the 

sequel, nothing was ever signed. 

Kristen, as the film’s lead, will get 

preference over Rupert and Universal 

will just find another 

director.” — Agencies 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

HOW TO SOLVE THT-DOKU: Place numbers into the puzzle cells in such a way that each row and 

column contains each of the digits from 1 up to 4. Like a Sudoku puzzle, no number is 

repeated in any row or column. Each bold-outlined group of cells contains a hint consisting of a 

number and one of the mathematical symbols — + x - /. The number is the result of applying the 

mathematical operation represented by the symbol to the digits contained within the domain. 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

HOW TO SOLVE: Every number from 1 to 9 must appear in each of the 9 

vertical columns, in each of the 9 horizontal rows and in each 

of the 9 boxes 


YOUR LUCK 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: You often feel as if you have too much on your 

plate. A key person, or persons, in your life will be there to pitch in. 

Clearly you are not by yourself. If you are single, you will long for a 

relationship that has meaning. You are likely to meet this person 

through a friend. If you are attached, the two of you bond more 

tightly together. You have each other’s backs and show immense 

caring. Make sure you have an old-fashioned date every so often. 

PISCES has more imagination than you, if that is possible. 

A baby born today has a Sun in Leo and a Moon in Pisces all day. 

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You have a lot to consider 

before you take off to make a purchase. When you’re 

with others, make sure to keep much of this process to 

yourself.A neighbour or family member wants to catch 

up on your news. You may be at a party before you know it. Tonight: 

Hang out. ✹✹✹✹ 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Join your friends as soon 

as possible. Much is going on around you. Wherever 

you are, make sure you are with people. Do not make a 

big deal about spending; just let go. A friend comes up 

with an inspirational idea. Tonight: Your treat. ✹✹✹✹ 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your optimism and upbeat 

attitude help others get past a problem. Still, you 

might need to take the lead in a key situation. Be honest 

if you feel you just do not want to handle things 

anymore. An older friend or relative plays into your plans. Tonight: 

Try not to go to extremes. ✹✹✹✹✹ 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You could be pushed to 

your limit with so many thoughts and so much to do. 

Once you detach, you will understand exactly what is 

needed and how to do it. Evaluate the pros and cons of 

this particular situation. Tonight: You might need a break from the 

here-and-now. ✹✹✹✹ 

LEO (July 23-Aug 22): Others want you to join them. 

Whether watching a sport or participating in one, you’ll 

enjoy yourself. Nevertheless, a close friend or loved 

one wants to spend some time with you.Why not bring 

everyone together? Tonight: Having fun wherever you are. ✹✹✹✹ 

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22): Others seem to want 

to lure you away from whatever you are doing. Handle 

your responsibilities before you touch base 

with an older relative, friend or boss. Take a stand in a 

heated discussion if you can avoid someone’s anger. Tonight: Sort 

through invitations. ✹✹✹✹ 

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 22): It seems important to 

handle a project or complete a task around your 

home before you take off. Whether you’re on a picnic 

or taking a drive to a favourite area, you lose yourself 

outside your normal setting and come back invigorated. Tonight: 

Make it different. ✹✹✹ 

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): Allow your creativity to 

emerge when dealing with a fun project involving a 

partner. Together, you’ll come up with a unique concept 

that delights many people. Your ideas might only 

relate to a birthday or making a birthday party more fun. Tonight: Let 

your hair down. ✹✹✹✹✹ 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): You might feel 

pressured to set aside your plans in order to do 

something for a partner or a close family member. 

You could be taken aback by how much your company 

is desired. As a result, you probably will decide to join in. Tonight: 

Having a ball. ✹✹✹✹ 

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): You speak your mind 

even when you’re just chatting with a casual acquaintance. 

You have a way of presenting your ideas so that 

the other person receives the full, blunt meaning. 

Check in with neighbours and those you rarely have time for. 

Tonight: Till the wee hours. ✹✹✹✹ 

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): You cannot seem to find 

any reason not to go to extremes and overindulge a bit. 

You are full of spirit and get-up-and-go. A new friend, 

loved one or child cheers you on. Your independence 

often breeds mischief. Such is the case today. Tonight: Whatever 

suits your pleasure. ✹✹✹✹ 

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): You might be pushing the 

line with family members or roommates without realising 

it. Not everyone is as clear as you are. Don’t 

count on someone’s smiling nod to continue if you 

know what you are doing could irritate him or her. Still, go for what 

you want. Tonight: Your call. ✹✹✹✹✹ 

Born today: 44th President of the United States Barack Obama (1961), 

actor Wesley Snipes (1962), composer David Raskin (1912) 

By Jacqueline Bigar 

Note: Bigar’s Stars is based on the degree of your sun at birth.The sign 

name is simply a label astrologers put on a set of degrees for convenience. 

For best results, readers should refer to the dates following each sign. 

Rob is like brother to Reese 

LONDON: Reese Witherspoon looks 

at Robert Pattinson like a little 

brother — that’s why she decided to 

let the actor hide out at her mansion. 

Rob is currently reeling after reports 

surfaced his girlfriend, Kristen Stewart, 

cheated on him with director Rupert 

Sanders. 

“Reese went through a very public 

cheating scandal herself when Ryan 

Phillippe went outside their marriage 

and hooked up with Abbie Cornish, so 

her first thought when she heard 

about Kristen and Rob was to reach 

out to him and make sure he was 

okay,” a source said. 

“Reese knows what it’s like to be 

on display when your heart is broken, 

so she felt like opening up her 

home to Rob was the right thing to 

do. 

“She’s not trying to lead Rob one 

way or the other regarding his future 

with Kristen. 

“Reese and her husband (Jim Toth) 

are giving Rob the space he needs and 

a place to stay that’s far away from the 

prying eyes of the paparazzi. — Agencies


INTERNATIONAL 

• THE WORLD OVER 

Reuters 

Men are silhouetted in an archway 

framing Lahore's Badshahi mosque 

after Friday prayer during the holy 

month of Ramadan. 

P’pine typhoon toll 39 

MANILA: Philippine officials say the 

bodies of 13 more drowning victims 

have been recovered, raising the 

death toll from a typhoon that left the 

country days ago to 39. Office of Civil 

Defence Administrator Benito Ramos 

says two bodies were retrieved Friday 

from Manila Bay. Eleven others were 

recovered late Thursday from various 

parts of the country. Several of the 

dead were children, including a 6month 

old baby. Typhoon Saola 

dumped torrents of rain as it swept 

past the Philippines earlier this week. 

It moved Wednesday to Taiwan, 

where it left at least five people dead 

and two others missing. — AP 

Pak court nullifies law 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani state TV says 

the country’s Supreme Court has 

struck down a law recently passed by 

Parliament and aimed at protecting 

the prime minister from being 

charged with contempt of court. The 

report says the court on Friday declared 

the law unconstitutional. Pakistan’s 

parliament passed the law in 

July after the court convicted former 

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of 

contempt and ousted him from office 

for failing to reopen an old corruption 

case against President Asif Ali 

Zardari. The aim of the law was to 

prevent the new premier, Raja Pervaiz 

Ashraf, from suffering the same 

fate. — AP 

German prosecuted 

BERLIN: Prosecutors say they have 

charged a 26-year-old German with 

membership in an Islamist terror organisation 

and helping prepare attacks 

in Afghanistan. The Federal 

Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement 

Friday that the German national 

travelled in 2009 to the border region 

between Pakistan and 

Afghanistan to learn to use weapons 

and explosives. They say the suspect, 

identified only as Thomas U., took 

part in an attack on a joint US-Afghan 

military base in Afghanistan later that 

year and subsequently praised the 

so-called German Taliban Mujahedeen 

group’s violent actions in at 

least two online propaganda videos. 

Prosecutors say he also tried to raise 

funds and recruit new members online 

for the group. He was arrested in 

July 2010 in Turkey and was extradited 

to Germany earlier this year. — AP 

Clinton urges détente 

JUBA: US Secretary of State Hillary 

Rodham Clinton on Friday urged 

leaders of South Sudan and their 

counterparts in the north to quickly 

reach agreements on oil revenue and 

other pressing issues to resolve festering 

differences that threaten to reignite 

a decades-long conflict. Clinton 

flew to South Sudan’s capital of 

Juba for a brief visit to congratulate 

the nascent nation on its anniversary 

and offer U.S. support, but, more importantly, 

to stress the urgency of 

ending disputes with Sudan over oil 

and territory. Those disputes have led 

to clashes between the two countries 

which many fear could crater the 

2005 peace deal that ended what was 

then Africa’s longest-running civil 

war. “While South Sudan and Sudan 

have become separate states, their 

fortunes and their futures remain inextricably 

linked,” Clinton said at a 

news conference. “Now it is urgent 

that both sides, north and south, follow 

through and reach timely agreements 

on all outstanding issues. The 

people of South Sudan expect it.” — AP 

Mongolia jails ex-prez 

ULAN BATOR: A Mongolian court has 

jailed former president Nambaryn 

Enkhbayar for four years for corruption, 

a move that could threaten the 

government’s fragile coalition and increase 

uncertainties for foreign investors. 

Resource-rich Mongolia is in 

the middle of a mining boom that is 

set to transform its tiny economy, but 

political uncertainties have threatened 

to overshadow its efforts to attract 

the foreign investment needed 

to develop mines and build vital infrastructure. 

— Reuters 

UN sees battle for 

Aleppo looming 

• Expects assault on the largest city soon 

Russia said to be sending navy ships 

Reuters 

Aleppo, August 3 

A long-expected Syrian 

army onslaught to drive 

rebel forces out of Aleppo is 

imminent, following a military 

build-up around the 

country’s biggest city, a senior 

United Nations official 

said. President Bashar al- 

Assad’s forces killed more 

than 80 people in a series of 

attacks across the country 

today and late yesterday, 

opposition sources said, reporting 

intensified fighting 

in several cities. 

The violence came within 

hours of former United Nations 

Secretary-General Kofi 

Annan quitting as international 

peace envoy for Syria 

and underlined the impotence 

of mediation efforts in 

the 17-month-old uprising 

against Assad. 

The fighting has spread to 

Aleppo from Damascus after 

a bomb attack on Assad’s 

security headquarters in the 

capital on July 18, which 

killed four of the president’s 

senior aides and encouraged 

rebels to step up hostilities. 

The Syrian army has 

reinforced its positions in 

and around Aleppo over the 

past two weeks, while conducting 

daily artillery and 

aerial bombardments of 

rebel forces in the city. “The 

focus two weeks ago was on 

Damascus. The focus is now 

on Aleppo, where there has 

been a considerable buildup 

of military means, and 

where we have reason to believe 

that the main battle is 

about to start,” Herve Ladsous, 

the Under-Secretary- 

General for Peacekeeping 

Operations, said. 

As fighting in Syria wors- 

Associated Press 

Seoul, August 3 

North Korea’s new leader hosted 

a dinner in Pyongyang for senior 

political officials visiting from 

China, state media said today, in 

what marked Kim Jong Un’s 

diplomatic debut and a sign that 

he is turning his attention to foreign 

affairs. 

Kim talked with a Chinese delegation 

led by Wang Jiarui, head 

of the Communist Party’s international 

affairs office, and then 

invited the group to a dinner attended 

by North Korea’s political 

elite, according to the Korean 

Central News Agency. 

Kim told Wang that the North 

Korean government is focused 

on boosting the economy, according 

to China’s official Xinhua 

News Agency. The meeting marks 

Kim’s first official diplomatic foray 

since he took over as leader 

following the December death of 

his father, Kim Jong Il. 

Kim, who is believed to be 29, 

has been swift in moving to build 

loyalty among North Korea’s 24 

million people and to establish 

control over key institutions such 

as the military and ruling Workers’ 

Party. 

UNGA to damn 

crackdown 

UNITED NATIONS: 

With the UN Security 

Council deadlocked 

over the Syrian crisis, 

the General Assembly 

prepared on Friday to 

denounce Syria for unleashing 

tanks, artillery, 

helicopters and warplanes 

on the people of 

Aleppo and Damascus, 

and demand that the 

Assad regime keep its 

chemical and biological 

weapons warehoused 

and under 

strict control. The anti- 

Syria resolution was expected 

to easily pass in 

the 193-member General 

Assembly after its 

Arab sponsors defanged 

two key provisions 

in the original 

draft — a demand that 

President Bashar Assad 

resign, and a call for 

other nations to place 

sanctions on Syria over 

its civil war. UN peacekeeping 

chief Herve 

Ladsous, meanwhile, 

told the UNSC on 

Thursday that UN military 

observers in Aleppo 

are seeing ‘a considerable 

buildup of military 

means, where we 

have reason to believe 

that the main battle is 

about to start’.— Reuters 

ened, Moscow was reported 

to be sending three large 

landing ships to a Russian 

naval maintenance facility 

at the Syrian port of Tartus 

in the Mediterranean. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (right) and the head of the 

International Liaison Department of China's Communist Party 

Wang Jiarui (left) raising a toast in Pyongyang on Thursday. 

North’s Kim makes 

diplomatic debut 

Tells China economy a priority 

He also has been quick to show 

his rule will differ in focus and 

style from that of his father, who 

kept his personal life out of the 

state media, rarely travelled 

abroad and met only selectively 

with foreign dignitaries. 

After gaining the new title of 

marshal and shuffling the military 

leadership last month, Kim 

Jong Un made the surprise introduction 

of his wife, Ri Sol Ju. 

At yesterday’s talks with the 

Chinese, he reiterated his government’s 

focus on building the 

economy, according to Xinhua. 

Seated next to him was Vice Premier 

Kang Sok Ju, the seasoned 

diplomat who accompanied 

Kim’s father to China last year. 

“Developing the economy and 

improving livelihoods so that the 

(North) Korean people lead happy 

and civilised lives is the goal 

the Workers’ Party is struggling 

towards,” the news agency reported 

Kim as telling Wang. 

Photos showed the two men 

standing shoulder to shoulder as 

they posed for a group portrait, 

Wang in a Western-style suit and 

Kim in a dark blue Mao jacket 

with the pin bearing his father 

and grandfather’s portraits affixed 

to his chest. 

Annan quits as 

peace envoy 

BEIRUT: Kofi Annan 

announced his resignation 

on Thursday as 

Syria’s peace envoy and 

issued a blistering critique 

of world powers, 

bringing to a dramatic 

end a frustrating sixmonth 

effort that failed 

to achieve even a temporary 

cease-fire. 

Speaking to reporters 

in Geneva, Annan 

blamed the Syrian government’sintransigence, 

the growing militancy 

of Syrian rebels 

and a divided the Security 

Council that failed 

to forcefully back his effort. 

Since he took on 

the job, Russia and China 

have twice used 

their veto power to 

block strong Westernand 

Arab-backed action 

against President 

Bashar Assad’s regime. 

“It is impossible for me 

or anyone to compel 

the Syrian government 

and also the opposition 

to take the steps to 

bring about the political 

process,” said Annan. 

“As an envoy, I 

can’t want peace more 

than the protagonists, 

more than UNSC or international 

community 

for that matter.” — AP 

The naval ships, each carrying 

up to 120 marines, 

would reach Tartus in the 

next few days to resupply 

the base, Russian news 

agencies quoted a source. 

Reuters 

China to hold Gu murder trial on Aug 9 

Reuters 

Beijing, August 3 

China will open the murder trial 

of Gu Kailai, the wife of ousted 

Communist Party Politburo 

member Bo Xilai, on August 9, 

two sources said today, a case at 

the centre of a scandal that has 

rocked the government and 

could bring Gu the death penalty. 

Both sources requested 

anonymity, citing the sensitivity 

of the case, and provided no other 

details. China only last week 

formally announced Gu’s indictment 

on charges of murdering a 

British man in November. 

Gu will face trial in Hefei, 

provincial capital of Anhui in 

eastern China, though she is accused 

of murdering businessman 

Neil Heywood in 

Chongqing, a southwest municipality 

that her husband Bo 

turned into a showpiece 

for his controversial 

policies. British diplomats 

have requested access 

to the trial. CNN reported 

that two family 

members would be allowed 

to attend and that 

the trial was expected to 

be speedy. Bo, who was 

dismissed as chief of 

Chongqing in March, has not 

been named as a suspect in the 

murder case, but he is separately 

under investigation by party authorities 

and could also face trial 

at a later time. 

Political observers have said a 

failure to forge a unified stance 

on handling the divisive Bo case 

could affect the Communist Party’s 

focus on working out leadership 

changes that will be decided 

at the 18th national congress later 

this year. Bo, 62, was widely 

PAGE 11 

Visitors running away as they avoid waves whipped up by winds near Qiantang River in Hangzhou, 

Zhejiang province, in China, on Friday. 

Gu Kailai 

Reuters 

seen as pushing for a 

spot in that new leadership 

until felled by the 

scandal brought to light 

by his former police 

chief, Wang Lijun. Bo, 

also a former commerce 

minister, had used his 

post in Chongqing since 

2007 to recast the 

sprawling, haze-covered 

municipality into a showcase 

for his mix of populist policies 

and bold investment and 

spending plans. 

Wang, 52, spearheaded Bo’s 

controversial campaign against 

organised crime, a plank in Bo’s 

barely concealed campaign to 

join the topmost ranks of the 

party. Critics said the campaign 

involved widespread abuses of 

police powers. But Wang said he 

came to fear for his own safety 

after a split with Bo in January.


Business 

• BIZ BRIEFS 

Toyota’s net profit up 

AFP / RSS 

A file photo shows boxes of 

Heineken beer at a store in 

Singapore. Heineken said on Friday 

it has reached a deal to buy Asia 

Pacific Breweries for $ 4.1 billion. 

TOKYO: Toyota said on Friday that its 

quarterly net profit skyrocketed to 

$3.71 billion and it upped sales targets, 

as the Japanese auto giant recovered 

from last year’s quake-tsunami 

disaster. The company said it earned 

290.3 billion yen in the fiscal first 

quarter to June, up from just 1.16 billion 

yen a year ago — the first full 

quarter after Japan was devastated by 

the March 11 natural disasters that 

dented production and demand. 

Sales in the period shot up by nearly 

60 per cent to 5.50 trillion yen, the automaker 

said. Its operating profit 

reached 353.14 billion yen, swinging 

back into the black after an operating 

loss of 107.96 billion yen a year ago. 

The company also lifted its global 

sales forecast, saying it now expected 

to sell 9.76 million vehicles — up 

from 9.58 million vehicles — this calendar 

year, while producing a total of 

10.05 million vehicles. — AFP 

SilkAir places order 

SINGAPORE: SilkAir, the regional 

wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), said 

on Friday it would buy 54 new Boeing 

planes in a deal worth $4.9 billion, 

with an option to buy a further 14 aircraft. 

The airline said the order is the 

largest in its history and “remains 

subject to the negotiation of a final 

purchase agreement”. SilkAir said the 

firm orders will cover 23 Boeing 737- 

800s and 31 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. The 

deal for the 54 aircraft is worth $4.9 

billion based on Boeing’s current list 

prices. The B737-800 is the best selling 

variant of Boeing’s popular next 

generation family of single-aisle aircraft, 

and the 737 MAX is currently in 

development. “Deliveries are due to 

begin in 2014 and continue to 2021, 

by which time the airline’s fleet will 

have more than doubled in size,” 

the carrier said. SilkAir currently operates 

21 Airbus A319s and A320s, 

with three more A320s due for delivery 

by the end of 2013. It said the new 

orders will cater for both growth and 

fleet renewal. — AFP 

RBS losses drop in Q2 

EDINBURGH: Royal Bank of Scotland’s 

net losses narrowed in the second 

quarter, the state-rescued lender 

said on Friday as it awaited the financial 

consequences of its role in the Libor 

rate-rigging scandal. RBS, 82-per 

cent owned by the British government 

after a massive bailout amid the 

global the financial crisis, said losses 

after tax stood at £466 million in the 

April-June quarter. The Edinburghbased 

bank had posted a loss after tax 

of £897 million in the first quarter of 

2011, the lender said in a statement. 

RBS was hit in the quarter by charges 

totalling £310 million partly linked to 

an IT meltdown in June that left millions 

of clients without access to their 

accounts. It also took a hit on funds 

set aside to compensate clients who 

were mis-sold various products. — AFP 

FOREX RATES 

The foreign exchange rates for August 4 as fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank are as follows: 

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs.) SELLING (in Rs.) 

Swiss Franc 1 89.93 90.54 

Australian Dollar 1 92.99 93.62 

Canadian Dollar 1 88.13 88.73 

Singapore Dollar 1 71.01 71.49 

Saudi Arab Riyal 1 23.62 23.78 

Qatari Riyal 1 24.33 24.49 

Thai Bhat 1 2.80 2.82 

UAE Dihram 1 24.11 24.28 

Malaysian Ringit 1 28.26 28.45 

Swedish Krona 1 13.05 

Danish Krona 1 14.52 

Hong Kong Dollar 1 11.42 

Note: Under the present system the open market exchange rates quoted by 

different /commercial banks may differ. 

Country’s first credit rating agency soon 



Nepal’s first credit rating 

agency — Icra Nepal — will be 

able to start operations before 

the month is over as the regulator 

is in the final stage of 

granting it a licence. 

“We have finished examining 

the infrastructure and set 

up of Icra Nepal and will be 

submitting the report by next 

week,” said director of Securities 

Board of Nepal (Sebon) — 

the capital market regulator of 

Nepal — Niraj Giri. 

The regulator gives a final 

Irregular 

monsoon 

hits paddy 

plantation 



The late and irregular 

monsoon has affected 

paddy plantation across 

the country. Farmers 

have not planted paddy 

in more than 30 per cent 

paddy fields due to insufficient 

rain as of mid- 

Shrawan (August 1). 

Paddy plantation has 

been completed in about 

65 per cent fields, said 

spokesperson of Ministry 

of Agriculture Development 

Dr Hari Dahal. 

“Paddy plantation has 

been affected across the 

country,” he said, adding 

that there is less chance 

of good crops this year 

due to late plantation. 

Eastern terai districts, 

east of Bagmati river, 

have been severely affected 

due to low rain. 

Paddy plantation in Siraha, 

Sarlahi and Dhanusha 

has been completed 

in only 20 per cent, 

25 per cent and 58 per 

cent of land, respectively. 

The high rice yielding 

district of Jhapa has completed 

plantation on 75 

per cent of land. 

“It is a serious issue. It 

may cause significant decrease 

in the production 

of the major cereal crop,” 

he said. “Not a single district 

has cent per cent 

plantation till date.” Last 

year, the country had 

witnessed cultivation in 

more than 85 per cent 

land at this time. 

The ministry has not 

yet calculated the loss 

arising due to the late 

and irregular monsoon. 

However, it said that production 

will definitely 

decrease due to the late 

and irregular monsoon, 

as well as scarcity of fertilisers. 

Farmers have 

been facing acute shortage 

of chemical fertilisers 

for the last three months. 

Low plantation may 

cause food insecurity in 

the country and there 

may be a repeat of the situation 

faced three years 

back. At that time, the 

country had witnessed 

about 17 per cent price 

hike in cereal foods when 

the shortfall was 332,000 

metric tonnes. Similarly, 

mid-western and far 

western hill districts were 

in the acute shortage list. 

Thanks to good monsoon, 

the country had a 

bumper harvest last year 

with more than 400,000 

metric tonnes of rice in 

stock. Rice production 

will come down this year 

as only 58 per cent land 

has been planted till date 

in the food basket of the 

country — terai. 

Productivity of rice is 

also estimated to decrease 

due to fertiliser 

shortage. Last year, rice 

productivity was 3.3 metric 

tonnes per hectare, 

up by 0.4 metric tonnes 

from the previous year. 

approval after inspecting the 

infrastructure and only then 

can the rating agency start operations. 

“If everything is 

found to be satisfactory then 

the licence can be granted in 

the next few weeks,” he added. 

The agency had applied for 

the final licence about three 

months back after completing 

its set up. Icra Nepal was granted 

Letter of Intent to undertake 

the process to start a credit 

rating agency here in Nepal 

by Sebon in August 2011. 

India’s Icra will have 55 per 

cent stake in the rating agency 

while the remaining stake is 



Exporters here have urged the 

central bank to allow at least 

one-year payback period for 

refinancing facility. According 

to exporters, sufficient payback 

period along with proper 

monitoring of commercial 

banks will undoubtedly improve 

the export sector within 

a couple of years. 

“The monetary policy this 

year has certainly provided relief 

to exporters with a number 

of adjustments in refinancing 

facility,” said president of Garment 

Association — Nepal 

Uday Raj Pandey. However, 

the central bank should have 

mentioned at least one-year 

payback period for the loan allowed 

to exporters under refi- 

held by Credit Information Bureau, 

Himalayan Infrastructure 

Fund, and a few Nepali 

banks. The Credit Rating 

Agency Regulation 2068 states 

that a Nepali credit rating 

agency needs to have a minimum 

of 25 per cent stake of a 

foreign credit rating agency. 

“We will start operations 

within a fortnight of getting 

the licence,” said managing director 

and CEO of Icra Nepal 

Dipal Kafle. 

Credit rating agencies rate 

the credit worthiness and financial 

soundness of an entity 

— individual, company or 

nancing facility, he said. 

According to the current 

regulation, the payback period 

of loans under refinancing facility 

is only six months, which 

is insufficient for exporters. 

“The export cycle needs at 

least one year to complete and 

with only six months time, we 

will not be able to pay back the 

loans,” said Pandey. 

“The monetary policy has 

relaxed refinancing facility but 

unless Nepal Rastra Bank provides 

enough time to pay back 

the loans, exporters will not be 

able to take advantage of the 

facility,” he said. 

According to the central 

bank, the refinancing facility 

regulation has mentioned a 

time of only six months to pay 

back the loans. Therefore, it is 

not in a position to allow a 

country — based on their financial 

indicators. The credit 

ratings are supposed to be a 

simple yet effective indicator 

aiding the ordinary investors 

to understand the risks involved 

in investment process. 

The agency analyses a company 

based on the comparison 

of a certain financial ratios 

with chosen benchmarks, and 

an analysis of corporate governance 

along with focusing on 

the legal, political and economic 

environment. 

In the initial phase, Icra 

Nepal plans to focus on rating 

firms issuing shares, bonds 

one-year period for exporters. 

However, exporters have 

urged the central bank to allow 

renewal of the loan payback 

time after six months. 

“The main setback in the refinancing 

facility is its payback 

time,” said Pandey. He also focused 

on the need to review 

the regulation and develop a 

new one with additional payback 

time for the loan payment. 

Besides payback time, 

the monetary policy for the 

current fiscal year has taken 

care of most of the issues 

raised by the various exporter 

associations. 

The monetary policy has 

also allowed exporters to receive 

refinancing facility on 

the basis of contract paper 

and working capital. “If the 

central bank allows a period of 

and preference shares, as per 

the regulator’s directives but 

we will also rate mutual funds 

and other such investment instruments 

once they come 

into existence, said Kafle. 

According to Credit Rating 

Agency Regulation 2068, companies 

planning to issue ordinary 

shares, bonds, debentures, 

and preference shares 

exceeding Rs 30 million in value 

have to be rated by a rating 

agency. The rating agencies 

also have to continue rating a 

company for the next two consecutive 

years once it has rated 

the concerned company. 

Employees of ATEbank at a demonstration in Athens on Friday. Bank of Greece Governor George Provopoulos deflected 

criticism for the breakup of state lender ATEBank, noting that the bank was 4.9 billion euros in the red and beyond salvation. 

Exporters seek time to clear refinancing loans 

Samsung to unveil new mobile device 

Plans just weeks before the likely debut of iPhone 5 


Seoul, August 3 

South Korea’s Samsung 

Electronics said on Friday 

it would unveil a new mobile 

device this month, 

just weeks before the likely 

debut of the iPhone 5 from 

arch-rival Apple. 

A spokesman for Samsung, 

the world’s largest 

smartphone maker, declined 

to give details of the 

device to be shown in 

Berlin, Germany on August 

29, two days before 

the opening of Europe’s 

largest consumer electronics 

show IFA. 

Analysts said it was likely 

to be an upgraded version 

of the Galaxy Note. 

The announcement 

comes as the two tech giants 

are embroiled in a 

major courtroom battle 

in California over patents 

for smartphones and 

tablet computers. 

Apple is seeking more 

than $2.5 billion after accusing 

the Korean firm of 

infringing designs and 

other patents. Samsung 

denies this and countercharges 

that Apple infringed 

its patents for 

wireless communication. 

The rivals have 

launched dozens of legal 

actions against each other 

in 10 countries worldwide. 

The Note, which has a 

5.3-inch (13.5 centimetre) 

screen larger than a 

smartphone but smaller 

than a tablet, is positioned 

one year under the refinancing 

facility, the export sector 

will pick up within two years,” 

said Pandey. 

Though the central bank 

had brought the refinancing 

facility about four years back, 

the facility remained unused 

due to ineffective policy and 

lack of enthusiasm among the 

commercial banks to allow refinancing 

facility to exporters 

at the interest rate fixed by the 

central bank. 

The loan floated to export 

industries, sick industries, and 

cottage and small industries 

will be refinanced by Nepal 

Rastra Bank at 1.5 per cent interest 

rate, states the monetary 

policy. The financial institutions 

can charge up to 4.5 

per cent interest for these 

loans at maximum. 

between the firm’s flagship 

Android-equipped 

Galaxy smartphone and 

Galaxy Tab. “It’s highly 

likely to be Galaxy Note 2,” 

said Greg Roh, senior analyst 

from HMC Securities 

Investment, commenting 

on the device to be unveiled 

in Berlin. 

But he said he did not 

see a particular correlation 

between the launch 

and the release date of the 

iPhone 5, widely expected 

in September or October. 

“I think Samsung is trying 

to maintain its reputation 

as number one 

smartphone company 

with a public image that 

they always have something 

to show to consumers, 

and that they carry 

out what they’ve 

promised to show.” 

Market researcher Strategy 

Analytics said last 

week Samsung increased 

its share of the global 

smartphone market in the 

second quarter to 34.6 per 

cent, compared with 17.8 

per cent for Apple. 


AFP / RSS 


New Delhi, August 3 

Australian 

opposition 

eyes FDI 

scrutiny 


Sydney, August 3 

Australia’s conservative opposition 

today earmarked 

tighter scrutiny of foreign investment 

in agriculture as a 

priority if the party is elected 

to government next year, as 

recent polls suggest. 

Rural conservative politicians 

have warned against 

selling valuable agricultural 

land to foreign investors, 

particularly China which is 

its top trading partner due to 

bullish exports of resources. 

Opposition leader Tony 

Abbott said while he welcomed 

foreign investment, 

Australia needed to improve 

oversight when it came to 

farmland and agribusiness. 

“I want to make it absolutely 

crystal clear that the 

(opposition) coalition unambiguously 

supports foreign 

investment in Australia,” 

Abbott said as the 

party released a policy paper 

on the subject. “We need it, 

we want it, it is essential for 

our continued national prosperity. 

“What’s very important 

though is that the public 

have confidence that the foreign 

investment we need 

and want is in Australia’s national 

interest. 

“All we are saying with this 

paper is there needs to be a 

sufficient level of scrutiny.” 

The paper called for the 

Foreign Investment Review 

Board to consider any proposed 

foreign acquisition of 

agricultural land valued at 

more than Aus$15 million 

($15.7 million). It also demands 

any proposed foreign 

purchase of an agribusiness 

of more than Aus$53 million 

be scrutinised and argues for 

a national registrar of ownership 

of farmland. 

It notes “growing community 

and industry concern 

that some types of acquisitions 

may be contrary to the 

national interest and that a 

strengthening of the regime 

may be advantageous to the 

long-term prosperity and 

food security of Australia”. 

A government study into 

ownership of Australian agriculture 

in January found that 

foreign firms controlled 

about half of the nation’s key 

food industries but offshore 

investors owned just 11 per 

cent of its farmland. 

The opposition paper follows 

a speech by Abbott in 

China last month in which 

he said it would rarely be in 

the national interest to allow 

a foreign government to control 

an Australian business. 

India’s car makers 

post mixed sales 

India’s largest passenger carmaker Maruti 

Suzuki, struggling to recover from a deadly 

labour unrest problem at one of its plants, 

posted a nine per cent rise in monthly sales. 

Its rivals showed mostly weak sales, amid 

hefty taxes, elevated fuel prices and stubborn 

inflation that has kept interest rates high, 

pushing up the cost of vehicle loans. 

Maruti Suzuki India, majority-owned by 

Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp, said passenger 

car sales in July rose by 9.2 per cent to 82,234 

vehicles thanks to a low base effect from 

last year when sales were down due to protracted 

labour troubles. 

Meanwhile, the local unit of Hyundai Motor, 

which mostly sells petrol vehicles, reported 

a 1.5 per cent decline in local sales to 

49,667 vehicles in July. Ford India domestic 

sales slid by 16.8 per cent to 6,236 vehicles in 

July, while General Motors in India fell by 23.3 

per cent to 7,285 units. 

Tata Motors, which owns British luxury 

brands Jaguar and Land Rover, bucked 

the trend, as its July car sales surged by 53 

per cent to 26,240 units, with growth seen 

across all segments. 

The Society of Automobile Manufacturers 

(SIAM) forecasts car sales will grow by nine to 

11 per cent in the current financial year, 

which ends next March, on hopes that possible 

interest rate cuts will make auto loans 

cheaper and spur demand.


THTproperty 

Loans for homes 

www.thehimalayantimes.com PAGE 13 

Kai Weise 

Kathmandu 

Some 10,000 years ago, people 

began to settle down and 

build permanent shelters. 

The complex transformation 

from the early settlements 

to urban society took place 

independently in various regions 

over the next few millennia. Early 

cities developed along the shores 

of rivers such as the Tigris and 

the Euphrates, the Nile, the Indus 

and the Yangtze Kiang. 

The phenomenon of city 

was recently highlighted in the 

Economist as a book review of PD 

Smith’s City: A Guidebook for the 

Urban Age. It was sometime in 

2008 that according to the United 

Nations, humans turned to being 

a predominantly urban society. 

More than half the world population 

now live in urban areas. 

Furthermore, it is estimated that 

by 2050, three-fourths of the world 

population will be living in cities. 

Bad design is smoke, 

while good design is a mirror 

— Juan-Carlos Fernàndez 

Potential remains untapped due to unfriendly policies 

Surviving urbanisation 

and economic turmoil 


Kathmandu 

The increase in individual 

incomes and the desire to 

own a home is leading to a 

slow but steady growth of 

clients of home loans. The 

facilities and services offered, 

though, have yet to match up — 

particularly due to the lack of 

client-friendly policies. Agreeing 

to this fact, Upendra Poudyal, 

vice president of Nepal Bankers 

Association, says, “Although the 

number of home loan 

seekers hasn’t 

increased as expected, 

there 

is certainly a 

remarkable growth.” 

The latest data for 

June-July also shows 

a positive development 

in the land 

and housing sector. 

Poudyal, also the 

CEO of NMB 

Bank, maintains, 

“The major reason 

people are not 

purchasing houses 

as per our estimations 

is because 

potential home 

buyers are still 

withholding their investment 

in property, 

expecting the 

prices to further 

recede.” He opines 

that to boost the 

realty sector and 

change its stagnant 

scenario, 

all the stakeholders 

— 

bankers, 

developers 

and government 

— should 

work in tandem with 

each other. Poudyal adds, 

“Potential home buyers are also 

deterred by the fact that banks and 

financial institutions (BFIs) have 

not lowered interest rates for home 

loans, prices of individual homes 

have become unaffordable, and the 

government is not deducting tax in 

income taxable amount in EMIs.” 

According to Poudyal, if the 

government deducts the tax in EMI 

installments, developers construct 

low-end homes targeted at middleclass 

and lower-middle class clients 

and bankers provide home loans at 

lower interest rates, then customers 

could afford to purchase houses 

and the whole industry will be 

mobilised into action. Optimistic 

about the current fiscal year, 

Poudyal says, “The scenario this 

year is promising, as genuine home 

buyers will not wait for next year 

to invest in houses.” As the major 

chunk of home seekers are professionals 

and salary-based, he opines 

that the government could boost 

their confidence and purchase 

capacity by implementing the 

system of interest only loan — or 

paying back merely the interest for 

certain time period. 

Commenting on the state of 

home loans, Sashin Joshi, CEO at 

NIC bank, says, “There are no 

particular changes in the home 

loan facility, perhaps due to the 

uninspiring political and economic 

scenario.” Stating that the home 

loan service is beneficial to 

professionals and salary-based 

middle-class clientele, Joshi says, 

“Home loan facility has great 

potential in the Nepali market, but 

the industry hasn’t been able to tap 

it fully yet.” 

Contrary to the other opinions, 

NIC Bank has reportedly witnessed 

considerable growth in the 

fiscal year 2011-12 compared to 

the last one. According to the bank, 

clients are taking loans on the 

basis of requirements rather than 

speculation, which is quite good 

in terms of business. The main 

increase in clients is because of 

remittance, as the families relying 

on it are eager to purchase houses, 

especially in the urban areas. 

Easy banking access has also 

played a role in expanding this sector. 

On average, loan seekers deal in 

amounts between Rs 2.5 million to 

Rs three million. “As the demand is 

on need basis, low-end houses, in 

the range of Rs 5.5 million, are most 

preferred,” a source at the bank 

informs. Stating that previously 

people only dealt in home loans to 

invest in second properties but now 

even first time buyers are taking the 

loans, the source says, “It is a positive 

sign and increases the potential 

of home loans. We are hopeful 

that we will receive a considerable 

number of applications for home 

loans during the current fiscal too.” 

It is necessary to break away from statistics 

and standard procedures to create visions for cities 

In this respect, Nepal is a late 

bloomer. According to the 2011 

census, about 17 per cent of the 

26.6 million population of Nepal 

lives in urban areas. However, considering 

that the urban population 

was 13.9 per cent in 2001 and 9.2 

per cent in 1991, the increase has 

been dramatic. While the annual 

national growth rate stands at 

around 1.4 per cent, the urban 

population growth is around 3.4 

per cent. The population of Kathmandu 

district has increased by 

60.93 per cent over the last decade, 

while the household size remained 

the smallest in the country 

at 3.71. This clearly shows internal 

migration to the urban centres 

and changing demography. For 

some two million Nepalis, though, 

even the urban centres have not 

provided sufficient possibilities 

and they have moved abroad. 

These statistics provide enough 

incentive to seriously contemplate 

on addressing issues arising from 

the rapid urban growth in Nepal. 

The establishment of 

the Ministry of Urban 

Development has been 

an important step in this 

direction. It would now 

be necessary to break 

away from the statistics 

and standard procedures 

and create visions 

for the urban areas. 

The urban-rural 

divide is a clear simplification 

of the reality of 

development. There are 

no clear lines that can 

divide the cities from the 

farmlands. The concept 

of ‘urban’ being areas of 

non-agrarian activities 

and ‘rural’ being under- 

• ARCHITECTURE 

File photos: THT 

stood as agrarian is not valid any 

more. The municipalities in Nepal 

are politically defined areas which 

often make no sense in respect 

to planning. The provisions in the 

Local Self Governance Act 1999 

defining the responsibilities and 

authority of the municipalities, the 

district development committees 

and the village development 

committees are random lists. 

In a recent article, I read that 

Kathmandu Metropolitan City is 

trying to enforce the building 

code. The article goes on to 

mention that in Durbar Marg 

only three-storied buildings are 

allowed. It was probably meant to 

read Hanuman Dhoka Durbar 

Square. Additionally, the confusion 

between ‘building code’ 

and ‘building by-laws’ epitomises 

the problem that we all face: 

confusion in laws and regulations, 

in responsibilities and in procedures. 

There are surely those 

who are content with the present 

status quo of confusion. 

The utopian image of the global 

village where we take our cows to 

graze every morning, to the cowpooling 

meadows, while nodding 

and waving and cheerfully saying 

good morning to all the neighbours, 

and then donning our suits 

to rush to the corporate boardrooms, 

is rather kitsch. The reality 

is that we build storm water drains 

that are filled with sewage that 

is swept into the rivers. We shut 

our windows and turn on the air 

conditioning to escape the fumes 

when driving over the bridge. 

Urbanisation is taking over and 

we need to learn to survive it. 

(The author is an architect 

and can be contacted 

at paharnepal@hotmail.com)


You might be looking 

calm on the outside 

but inside you are 

broiling. Be it on the 

day of your examination 

result or interview or making 

a speech on the stage, you try 

your best to look confident without 

showing your nervousness. 

But you are either shaking, your 

hands are trembling and legs become 

weak or your heart is racing. 

That is your anxiety speaking 

out. 

Similar is the situation of any 

artiste who comes onstage to entertain 

you. Though they are 

meant to be there, these artistes 

go through the same panic attacks 

before or during their 

shows, which is known as music 

performance anxiety. 

No exception 

It is no different from any other 

anxiety and it is a condition but 

not disorder. 

“Music is a living art and it is 

related with emotions. An artiste 

has to perform which is why they 

go through music performance 

anxiety. People from other fields 

too come across intense tension 

but in our field, the anxiety can 

be seen immediately,” expresses 

composer and singer Aavaas. 

Be it senior singer Kunti Moktan 

or contemporary singer like 

Hemanta Rana, almost every 

artiste is stressed before their 

shows. 

Moktan says, “Before any show 

I am in fear and praying.” 

Due to her anxiety, she never 

goes to perform in the beginning. 

“I am in a queue.” 

Another extremely nervous 

person is Yogeshwor Amatya 

whose “heart beats like crazy. It 

can be heard outside. It is the 

hardest waiting period”. He expresses, 

“If artistes who have 

spent their 40 years doing music 

and performing are nervous, 

then anyone can be!” 

rhythm THT 

pulse 

Performance anxiety 

Shaky legs, racing heartbeats, sweaty palms — 

Jessica Rai talks to our musicians talks about 

stage fright and how they’ve coped with this scourge 

She stepped on the Nepali music 

stage with her debut album 

Silver Lining. Singing the 

lyrics of Durga Lal Shrestha 

tuned by Nhyoo Bajracharya, she 

has become one of the voices of 

the younger generation. She has a 

background in Western classical 

music and with her chart topping 

number like Jaun under her belt, 

Dikyi Ukyab at 21, has many more 

gigs to perform 

Major influences: I have 

many different inspirations and 

Broadway star Idina Menzel is one. 

I listen to varied genres of music to 

experiment with them. However, 

pop music has influenced me a lot. 

It is always changing and includes 

other genres as well. Lastly, 

artistes like Adele, India Arie, Josh 

Stone and Norah Jones are other 

influences as they are able to portray 

emotion in songs. 

Musical journey: I remember 

my first CD which was of Shania 

Twain when I was a second 

grader. I played it over and over to 

sing along. That was when I realised 

I wanted to sing. I started my 

musical journey with musical theatre. 

In high school, I was in a choir 

which motivated me to take up 

And Rana states, “One may 

look very confident on the outside, 

but everybody is worried 

about their act.” 

This anxiety is common for 

human beings, according to Dr 

Mita Rana, Clinical Psychologist 

and Professor at Department of 

Psychiatry and Mental Health, 

Tribhuvan University Teaching 

Hospital (TUTH). 

As music is related with emotions, 

“musicians and singers are 

more vulnerable to performance 

anxiety than anyone else which 

is shown in research,” she informs. 

Any performance anxiety can 

Ratna Sagar Shrestha / THT 

be felt due to apprehension on 

how they would be thought of or 

how the audience would anticipate 

his/ her performance. 

Anxiety effects 

When Aavaas experienced 

music performance anxiety to a 

high degree, he had to leave his 

concert after singing just three 

songs. His voice got shaky and he 

couldn’t sing in tune. 

If this anxiety hits an artiste 

badly, his/her performance is affected, 

pushing them to “indulge 

in alcohol or drugs,” Aavaas 

points out. 

“Michael Jackson’s drug use 

close 

ENCOUNTER 

Uma Bista / THT 

and behaviour might be due to 

performance anxiety,” he expresses 

adding “If you observe, 

there are lots of bands using 

drugs in the western music industry 

and even our revered 

artistes have the history of alcohol 

which is due to this anxiety.” 

Revealing his encounters with 

such incidents Amatya adds, “I 

have seen artistes consuming alcohol 

before performances.” He 

also divulges that he himself 

takes three pegs of whiskey before 

his performance. “It might 

be due to music performance 

anxiety.” 

And when one feels the pressure 

to impress the crowd, anxiety 

develops resulting in physical 

symptoms — shaking knees, 

shaking hands, sweaty palms 

and racing hearts — developed 

due to psychology related 

with emotions. 

Even personality traits of an 

artiste provoke such anxiety, explains 

Dr Rana. 

Meanwhile, Aavaas describes 

himself as an introvert which 

makes him suffer from performance 

anxiety more than others. 

Nevertheless, this anxiety to 

some level is believed to be helpful 

to the artistes. “It doesn’t allow 

an artiste to be arrogant due to 

the apprehension,” cites Aavaas 

while Moktan points out “the 

fear in you makes you aware and 

helps to perform well on the 

stage”. 

Dr Rana agrees with Moktan. 

Also, overconfidence also leads 

to bad performance. 

Coping with it 

With the increasing 

number of performing 

years, Hemanta believes 

he has overcome his anxiety, 

except for the days 

“when the audience can’t 

connect with him”. No 

more heavy feet and forgetting 

of lyrics for him 

anymore. 

“There used to be 

times, four or five years 

ago, when the crowd 

used to throw stones at 

the artistes. Performing 

in outdoor venues was 

fearsome then,” Hemanta 

recalls. 

On the other hand, 

Aavaas is of opinion that 

“music performance anxiety 

is a habit and thus, its 

rate can be decreased, but 

cannot be eradicated completely”. 

As it is related with confidence, 

he overcame his fears 

with frequent appearances on 

stage. 

Meanwhile he adds “If I am to 

take a break from performances, 

my anxiety would increase in future 

performances.” 

Though, Moktan is engulfed in 

worries before her performance, 

she forgets once she is in front of 

the microphone. So is the case 

with Amatya and Hemanta, 

“Everything falls into place,” 

adds Amatya. 

And Dr Rana suggests, “Face 

the anxiety rather than avoiding. 

The level of anxiety is more 

among new performers; it decreases 

with experience.” 

Nervousness also can also be 

minimised or cut with practice or 

training before a show. 

SPREADING HER WINGS 

Western classical music that I did 

for a semester. Now, I am in a cappella 

group. 

I have been writing music for a 

long time. I started with abstract 

poetry since middle school. I write 

about life and emotions I feel which 

I express metaphorically. During 

high school, I started writing lyrics 

and then music from Class XI. 

Vocalist to be trained under: 

It would be Adele, Norah 

Jones and Lady Gaga. Adele and 

Jones’ voices are beautiful and 

subtle. They convey emotions 

powerfully. That’s what I want to 

do. And Lady Gaga is seriously talented. 

She has great knowledge of 

music and plays the piano beautifully. 

I like her confidence. 

Treasured instrument: I 

have a baby guitar that I can’t let 

go off. It grew up with that guitar. 

Dream instrument: I play 

guitar, but not very well. I want to 

know the basics of most instruments 

and master guitar. I want to 

have a big grand piano and learn to 

play it — it is in my bucket list. This 

instrument is the basic and is required 

for compositions. 

Best gig and one you 

wouldn’t want to recall: I 

have performed less than a handful 

of times. This year’s musical in 

New York where I played a caterpillar 

in Alice Unravels was a new experience. 

It was the modern but 

darker version of Alice In Wonderland. 

The character was confident. 

And two years ago, I was performing 

Rolling In The Deep at an 

event in New York, I was daring 

both — singing and playing — but I 

forgot the lyrics while the chords 

were going in the wrong direction. 

Best compliment: As a 

singer, I have faced a lot of rejections. 

I auditioned twice to be in a 

cappella group. I failed in the first 

audition but I got through in the 

second time. During the second 

audition, they were supposed to 

recruit a couple of girls but took 

only me to fill the places. 

Constructive criticism: I 

failed the first audition for a cappella 

group three years ago. And 

during the training of Western 

classical, I received a lot of verbal 

criticism. But I learnt to open up 

while singing and understood my 

vocal ability. 

Favourite song to perform: 

Gravity by Sara Bareilles 

and Collide by Howie Day are my 

favourite songs to perform. These 

songs show my vocal range and 

Collide is easy to play and a pretty 

song. 

One artiste to perform 

with: I probably would like to perform 

with Adele. My music is closest 

to hers. 

Great venue or a huge 

crowd: Venue is important in regards 

with how it throws sound but 

for me the crowd is important that 

is responsive and can be evoked to 

emotions. As this is how I sing. 

If had one super power... 

I want to have X-Men’s Mystique’s 

power. I could be anyone and walk 

around in other people’s shoes. 

When not doing music 

you are doing... I am busy 

studying and working in New York. 

I work as a student life assistant in 

my college. On weekends, I meet 

friends. I am a workaholic. Ninety 

per cent of my time is taken by music 

and work. 


— HNS 

r p 

PLAYLIST 

PLAYLIST 

August 

offerings 

KATHMANDU: You favourite 

musicians are back this 

August to give you a full musical 

blast. It is going to be blues, 

jazz, reggae, funk and what not. 

A little bit of different genres of 

music, find a place at your 

favourite venues. 

August 2 to 9 

• Eight days of non-stop flute 

music, day and night at Yalamaya 

Kendra. Ph: 5522113 

August 4 

A ‘Drummers Day’, presentation 

of Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory 

(KJC) at Moksh. Ph: 

5013554 

August 9 

An evening with KJC family 

in KJC Concert featuring Irish 

Music by Raquel Costa and 

Federico Divina at Moksh Auditorium. 

Ph: 5013554 

Paleti Utsav with Amber 

Gurung at Buddha Hall, DAV 

School, Jawalakhel. Ph: 

4412469; 9818192569 

August 10 

Feel the reggae in the 

house of Moksh with Joint 

Family Internationale. Ph: 

984132007 

Paleti Utsav with Phatteman 

Rajbhandari at Buddha 

Hall, DAV School, Jawalakhel. 

Ph: 4412469; 9818192569 

August 11 

KJC Presents Workshop on 

Jazz/Soul Vocals by Natalia 

Calderon from Spain at Moksh. 

Ph: 5013554 

Paleti Utsav with Shanti 

Thatal at Buddha Hall, DAV 

School, Jawalakhel. Ph: 

4412469; 9818192569 

Augus 12 

Paleti Utsav with Aavaas at 

Buddha Hall, DAV School, 

Jawalakhel. Ph: 4412469; 

9818192569 

August 17 

Rocking performance by 

Jindabad featuring Astha 

Tamang Maskey at Moksh. Ph: 

984132007 

The students of Nepal Music 

School (NMC) will perform 

at NMC, Pingalasthan. Ph: 

4465463 

August 24 

What The Funk — We are 

Soul’D Out, Nirakar Yakthumba’s 

funk band will perform at 

Moksh. Ph: 984132007 

August 25 

KJC Concert Series with 

Natalia Calderon at Moksh. Ph: 

5013554 

August 31 

Pre-promotion album tour 

of Mukti and Revival at Moksh. 

Ph: 984132007

The Himalayan Times, Saturday, August 4, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

London 2012 

Page 15 


London, August 3 

Michael Phelps 

won the 200meterindividualmedley 

for his first 

individual gold of the London 

Olympics on Thursday, 

bringing his haul of career 

Olympic medals to 20, while 

track cycling got off to a 

speedy and tumultuous start 

with a string of world records 

and last-minute relegations. 

The host nation gathered 

gold medals in shooting, canoe, 

and cycling, while China 

predictably won another 

gold in table tennis. In the 

pool, Phelps clocked 1 

minute, 54.27 seconds, just 

ahead of American teammate 

Ryan Lochte, who 

touched in 1:54.90 to take 

the silver medal. Laszlo Cseh 

of Hungary finished in 

1:56.22 to take bronze. 

Another American teammate, 

Rebecca Soni, set a 

second world record in as 

many days to defend her 

200-meter breaststroke, 

touching in two minutes, 

19.59 seconds. Ranomi Kromowidjojo 

of the Netherlands 

won the 100-meter 

freestyle, clocking 53.00 to 

improve on her own 

Olympic record set in 

Wednesday's semi-finals. 

Aliaksandra Herasimenia 

of Belarus touched in 53.38 

to take the silver medal and 

Tang Yi of China finished in 

53.44 to take bronze in 

swimming's signature event. 

Track cycling saw a dramatic 

first day, with the 

women's team sprint world 

Reuters 


Britain's Jessica Ennis had 

a full house at the Olympic 

Stadium on its feet today 

when she ran the fastest 

heptathlon 100 metres 

hurdles of all time on the 

first day of athletics at the 

London Games. 

The former world 

champion followed up 

with a solid 1.86 metres in 

the high jump to top the 

standings after two events 

with 2,249 points, 25 

ahead of Beijing silver 

medallist Hyleas Fountain 

of the US. Olympic champion 

Nataliya Dobrynska 

was 12th on 2,056 and 

world gold medallist 

Tatyana Chernova equal 

16th on 2,031. British 

teenager Katarina Johnson-Thompson 

was a surprise 

third on 2,146. 

Running in the fifth and 

final heat of the hurdles, 

the first of seven events in 

the heptathlon, Ennis 

stormed down the track 

towards the Olympic cauldron. 

Soaring across the 

hurdles with the fullthroated 

roar of the 80,000 

crowd driving her on, the 

26-year-old crossed the 

Magnificent Phelps 

completes milestone 

record falling three times in 

rapid succession. Home 

favourites Victoria Pendleton 

and Jessica Varnish of 

Britain clocked 32.526 seconds 

over the two laps of the 

Velodrome during qualifying 

to improve on the previous 

Reuters 

China’s Yihan Wang shakes hands with India’s Saina 

Nehwal after defeating the latter during the women’s 

singles badminton semi-finals in London on Friday. 

line in 12.54 seconds, the 

same time Dawn Harper 

ran to win 100m hurdles at 

the Beijing Olympics. 

"I still can't believe I ran 

that time to be honest. 

Stepping into the stadium, 

the crowd just really lifted 

me," UK Athletics tweeted 

Ennis as saying. Canada's 

Jessica Zelinka was second 

behind Ennis in 12.65 and 

Fountain third in 12.70. 

Dobrynska won her heat 

convincingly in 13.57 seconds, 

while Chernova, finished 

last in Ennis's heat 

in 13.48. 

With music pumping 

out of the stadium speakers 

and an enthusiastic 

crowd, the high jump 

competition had a party 

atmosphere despite a 

heavy downpour that 

briefly interrupted proceedings. 

Chernova was 

the first of the big three to 

go out of the high jump, 

knocking the bar off on 

her third and final attempt 

at 1.83 to the distinctive 

beat of Queen's 'We Will 

Rock You' despite generous 

crowd support. Dobrynska 

cleared 1.83 before 

failing at 1.86. 

Ennis went on to clear 

that height on her third at- 

mark of 32.549 set by Germany 

in April. But British 

cheers were quickly silenced 

by the Chinese pairing of 

Gong Jinjie and Guo Shuang, 

who went on to beat the 

record twice. And in a huge 

upset for the home fans, 

Michael Phelps of the US holds up three 

fingers after winning the men’s 200m 

individual medley final at the Aquatics 

Centre in London on Thursday. 

Pendleton and Varnish saw 

their medal hopes vanish 

when they were later relegated 

for making an early 

change in the first round. 

More controversy erupted 

in the final when China won, 

but were then relegated to 

second place, giving gold to 

Germany, which had already 

seen defeat turn to victory 

against Britain. 

The news was better for 

the hosts in the men's team 

sprint event, with Philip Hindes, 

Jason Kenny and Chris 

Hoy breaking its own team 

world record to reach the final 

against France, then 

breaking it again in the final 

to take gold. The victory 

brought Hoy his fifth gold 

medal over three Olympics. 

France won the silver and 

Germany beat Australia to 

claim the bronze medal. 

Table tennis saw its second 

all-China final in two 

days, with Zhang Jike defeating 

Wang Hao 4-1 in the 

men's singles. Li Xiaoxia beat 

teammate Ding Ning in 

Wednesday's women's final. 

In tennis, Andy Murray set 

singles semi-final clash with 

Novak Djokovic, who saw off 

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 

6-1, 7-5. Serena Williams also 

reached semi-finals, beating 

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 

6-0, 6-3. Maria Sharapova 

won a matchup of firsttime 

Olympians, beating 

Kim Clijsters 6-2, 7-5. Sharapova's 

next opponent will be 

compatriot Maria Kirilenko, 

who beat German Petra Kvitova 

7-6 (3), 6-3. 

Italy won gold medal in 

fencing, with Elisa Di Francisca's 

45-32 victory over defending 

champion Russia in 

the final of the women's foil 

team event. South Korea 

won bronze with a 45-32 victory 

over France. 

American gymnast Gabby 

Douglas won the women's 

all-around title, becoming 

the third American to win 

gymnastics' biggest prize. It 

was her second gold medal 

of the London Games, two 

nights after she and her 

teammates gave the United 

States its first gymnastics 

Olympic title since 1996. 

Yihan dumps Nehwal out in semis 


she won't against Li, who can al- points to lead 8-3, and the second 


most match her at eye level. Li can 

certainly match her on court. Li 

was competitive for longer. The 

crowd was behind Nehwal but 

World champion Wang Yihan burst into Olympic contention from 11-12 down Wang won 10 of 

thumped Saina Nehwal of India to only this year, and suddenly the next 11 points and victory 

ensure the Olympic badminton turned into a gold-medal tip as when Nehwal's cross-court smash 

singles final was an all-Chinese she won 30 successive matches was wide. 

contest against the only woman from February to June, including "Because I won the first (game) 

she fears, Li Xuerei. 

wins over Wang in the All England there was more pressure on the In- 

Wang Yihan rolled over Nehwal Open final, Asian Championships dian side and I still had confidence 

21-13, 21-13 on Friday. Then Wem- final and Indonesia Open semi-fi- so I believed I could win," Wang 

bley Arena became subdued as the nals. Wang has topped the rank- said. She immediately hugged her 

crowd had no underdog to inspire ings for at least 18 months, but not coach, the Olympics' only two- 

in the second semi-final, where Li played like the No 1 this year. time women's champion Zhang 

edged Chinese teammate Wang Still, being taller and quicker Ning, whom she can follow into 

Xin 22-20, 21-18. The final be- was good enough for Wang to history on Saturday. 

tween the first-time Olympians blunt Nehwal's grit and tactical Nehwal was naturally disap- 

will be on Saturday, as will the pre- nous. Nehwal, whose confidence pointed, as the pressure was put 

ceding bronze-medal playoff be- was high having beaten Wang Xin under forced her into errors. "I 

tween Nehwal and Wang Xin. Ne- and Li Xuerui in her 14-match didn't make her move so much 

hwal could still earn India's first winning streak, did her best to and was struggling to return some 

badminton medal, while Wang Xin move Yihan to corners and drop shots," she said. "I wasn't so free in 

will seek her first medal and an all- shot her, but Wang's speed didn't my movement and was in too 

Chinese podium. 

leave the court open for long. much of a hurry. She was hitting a 

Wang had a distinct advantage The first game was effectively lot of smashes that were pretty 

in height and reach on Nehwal but over after Wang won five straight strong." 

Ennis delights crowd with early heptathlon lead 

Nepal’s Pramila Rijal (second from right) competes 

during the women’s 100-metre preliminary at the 

Olympic Stadium in London on Friday. 

tempt after brushing the 

bar off with her bottom on 

her previous go. The bar 

fell after she had hit the 

crash mat which cut the 

crowd's cheer short. A 

groan resounded around 

the stadium and the relief 

was evident on Ennis's 

face when she finally 

jumped the height. 

Lithuanian Austra Skujyte 

won the high jump 

with a personal best of 

1.92 ahead of Johnson- 

Thompson, who has fast 

become a crowd favourite. 

The 19-year-old had appeared 

overwhelmed before 

the start of the hurdles, 

mouthing the words 

"oh wow" at the noise 

when her name was announced 

but by the high 

jump she had got to grips 

with the occasion, finishing 

with a personal best of 

1.89 metres. 

The heptathlon continues 

with the shot put and 

200 metres later on Friday 

before the long jump, 

javelin and 800-metre on 

Saturday. 

Reuters 

Pramila crashes out 



Nepali sprinter Pramila 

Rijal crashed out of the 

heats of the women’s 

100m at the Olympic 

Stadium today. 

Not much was expected 

from Pramila after 

her back problem, 

which she was suffering 

for the last three weeks, 

kept worsening just 

days before her event. 

She competed in the 

Heat 4 injecting 

painkillers and timed 

13.33 to finish sixth 

among the participating 

nine runners. 

Pramila even failed to 

improve on her personal 

best of 12.60. She was 

way behind the national 

record of 12.19 seconds 

set by Devi Maya Paneru 

during the 1999 South 

Asian Federation (SAF) 

Games in Kathmandu. A 

total of 10 athletes qualified 

for the next round 

from the 43 runners. 

Nepal’s only remain- 

ing athlete in the London 

Games, Tilak Ram 

Tharu, will compete in 

the men’s 100m sprint 

on Saturday. Tilak will 

attempt to break the national 

record of 10.71 

seconds set by Ram Krishna 

Chaudhary during 

the 1999 SAF Games. 

Tilak’s personal best is 

11.00 which he had 

achieved during the 

Onta Sprint last year. 

Only swimmer Shreya 

Dhital so far has managed 

to make some impact 

among the five 

Nepali participants. 

Shreya set a new national 

record in the women’s 

100m freestyle clocking 

1:10.80 seconds on 

Wednesday. She had 

broken her own previous 

best mark of 1:10.82 

which she set during the 

14th FINA World Championships 

in Shanghai, 

China last year. 

Swimmer Prasiddha 

Jung Shah and shooter 

Sneh Rajya Laxmi Rana 

also made early exits. 

Britain won gold medals in 

men's canoe double and in 

shooting. The host nation 

swept the two top spots in 

men's canoe slalom, with 

Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott 

winning gold, and David Florence 

and Richard Hounslow 

taking silver. Slovakian twins 

Pavel and Peter 

Gezzar fails to 

overturn ban 

Officials punished after 

night of shame 

Reuters 


A Turkmen boxing referee 

and an Azerbaijani technical 

official were expelled 

from the London Games 

on Thursday after a night 

of controversy plunged the 

sport back into the mire. 

The focus should be 

turning to women boxers 

competing at an Olympic 

Games for the first time on 

Sunday but instead the International 

Amateur Boxing 

Association (AIBA) has 

had to deal with the type of 

scandals that dogged it almost 

a decade ago. 

Turkmen referee Ishanguly 

Meretnyyazov 

and Azerbaijani International 

Technical Official 

Aghajan Abiyev were sent 

home with immediate effect, 

while a second referee, 

Frank Scharmach of 

Germany, was suspended. 

"I deeply regret that we 

had to take these decisions," 

AIBA President Wu 

OLYMPICS DIARY 

Reuters 

Britain’s Marie Gerbron is challenged by Angola’s Marcelina 

Kiala in their women's handball preliminary Group A match at 

the Copper Box in London on Friday. 

LONDON: The Court of Arbitration 

for Sport (CAS) rejected a 

bid by French athlete Nour-Eddine 

Gezzar to overturn his exclusion 

from the Olympics on 

Thursday, dismissing his argument 

that there had been errors 

in the testing process. The 

steeplechaser tested positive for 

erythropoietin at the French 

Championships in June and was 

withdrawn by the French Athletics 

Federation. The ad hoc division 

of CAS said it had rejected a 

challenge to Gezzar's temporary 

suspension after a hearing in 

which the athlete's agent testified 

by telephone. — Reuters 

Martynov breaks 

record in rifle win 

LONDON: Belarus collected 

their first gold medal of the London 

Games on Friday when 

shooter Sergei Martynov won 

the men's 50m prone rifle with a 

world-record score. The 44-yearold 

scored 705.5 to finish ahead 

of Belgium's Lionel Cox (701.2) 

with Slovenia's Rajmond Debevec 

third (701). The mark bettered 

that of previous world 

record holder Germany's Christian 

Klees (704.8) at the 1996 Atlanta 

Games. Martynov, who 

won bronze at the 2000 Sydney 

and 2004 Athens Games, had 

equalled the world record in the 

60-shot qualifiers where he 

scored a maximum 600. — Reuters 

Ching-Kuo said in a statement. 

"However, our main 

concern has been and will 

always be the protection of 

the integrity and fair-play 

of our competitions. I will 

take all possible steps to 

reinforce this." 

Meretnyyazov failed to 

stop a men's bantamweight 

bout on 

Wednesday despite fighter 

Magomed Abdulhamidov 

being knocked down six 

times in the final round. 

The referee was expelled 

and AIBA said he was on 

his way home. Japan's 

Satoshi Shimizu, who 

went into the last round of 

the bout against the Azerbaijani 

trailing by seven 

points, lost the contest by 

five when all three rounds 

were scored. AIBA later 

overturned the verdict saying 

Meretnyyazov should 

have given the Azerbaijani 

"at least" three standing 

counts which would have 

resulted in the contest being 

stopped. 

Hochschorner, who were attempting 

to win their fourth 

straight gold medal in the 

event, had to settle for 

bronze. Another British gold 

came in shooting, with Peter 

Wilson winning the double 

trap. In kayak, France's Emilie 

Fer won the women's 

kayak slalom. 

Indian gatecrasher 

regrets parade 

NEW DELHI: The woman who 

gatecrashed India's parade at 

the Olympic opening ceremony 

apologised for her "error of 

judgement" and said she did not 

breach security at the London 

Games. Madhura Nagendra 

irked Indian officials in London 

by her unauthorised presence 

alongside flag-bearing wrestler 

Sushil Kumar. "In an error of 

judgement I resulted in walking 

with the Indian contingent," Nagendra 

said in Bangalore. "...I 

understand it was a mistake and 

I apologise," she added. — Reuters 

Powell complains 

over dope test 

LONDON: Jamaican sprinter 

Asafa Powell has complained to 

the International Olympic Committee 

(IOC) after being woken 

from his sleep for drug testing, 

the former 100m world record 

holder's manager said on Friday. 

Manager Paul Doyle said Powell, 

who will run in the 100m heats 

on Saturday, was woken at 2215 

local time on Thursday to undergo 

the test. "We love the fact that 

they are testing but we wish they 

would be more sensitive to his 

preparations," Doyle said. It was 

the third time in five days that 

blood had been drawn from the 

Jamaican sprinter with a total of 

seven vials taken, Doyle added. 

Doyle said the testing was wearing 

on Powell mentally. — Reuters

PAGE 16 

• TIME OUT 

Action in the match between GEMS 

(right) and Ace during their second 

Ace Inter-college Basketball 

Tournament match on Friday. 

Saipal, GEMS win 

THT 

KATHMANDU: Saipal Academy and 

Graded English Medium School 

(GEMS) won their respective matches 

of the second Ace Inter-college (A 

Level) Basketball Tournament here 

on Friday. In the girls’ round robin 

league, Saipal defeated Rupy’s International 

20-4 and GEMS edged hosts 

Ace 16-13. In the boys’ section, Ace 

defeated Rato Bangala 24-15, Trinity 

routed GEMS 45-27, Rupy’s hammered 

Xavier International 41-23 and 

Modern Indian School trounced 

Kathmandu University (KU) High 

School 39-8 to enter the quarter-finals. 

KU, meanwhile, have crashed 

out of the tournament. — HNS 

Nepal in Nehru Cup 

KATHMANDU: Nepal are participating 

in the Nehru Cup International 

Football Tournament to be held in 

New Delhi from August 21 to September 

2. Apart from Nepal and hosts India, 

Syria, Cameroon and Maldives 

will also take part in the tournament, 

said All Nepal Football Association in 

a release. Nepal, who were invited following 

Kenya's withdrawal, are making 

their first appearance in the tournament. 

The Nepali team will begin 

its preparation under chief coach Krishna 

Thapa and his assistants Hari 

Khadka and Upendra Man Singh 

from Sunday. — HNS 

Sampdoria penalised 

ROME: Newly-promoted Sampdoria 

will start the first season back in Serie 

A with a one-point penalty for matchfixing 

after their plea bargain was accepted 

on Friday. The Italian Football 

Federation’s disciplinary committee 

accepted all of the deals agreed with 

prosecutor Stefano Palazzi, which 

also sees the club pay a $37,000 fine. 

Serie B’s Bari have been deducted five 

points and fined $98,000. Atalanta 

defender Andrea Masiello has been 

banned for 26 months for offences 

during his time at Bari. Former teammates 

Alessandro Parisi, who is now 

with Torino, and Marco Rossi, now at 

Cesena, have been suspended for 24 

and 20 months, respectively. — AP 

Winter named coach 

MELBOURNE: Former Tasmania 

state fast bowler Ali de Winter has 

been chosen ahead of Pakistan great 

Waqar Younis as Australian cricket’s 

new bowling coach, replacing Craig 

McDermott. Cricket Australia team 

performance general manager Pat 

Howard said de Winter had been chosen 

from a wide field of international 

candidates, including Younis. The 44year-old 

de Winter is currently assistant 

coach of Tasmania and head 

coach of the Hobart Hurricanes in 

Australia’s Big Bash T20 league. Mc- 

Dermott stepped down in May after a 

year as bowling coach. — AP 

Romero takes lead 

NEVADA: Argentina’s Andres Romero 

shot seven birdies in a bogey-free 

round of 65 for a one-point lead after 

the first round of the Reno-Tahoe 

Open at the Montreux Gold and 

Country Club in Nevada on Thursday. 

The tournament has altered the scoring, 

making it the only event on the 

PGA Tour to use the modified Stableford 

points system. The system gives 

two points for a birdie, nothing for 

par, a minus point for a bogey, five for 

an eagle and minus three for a double-bogey 

or worse. While Romero 

earned 14 points, South Korea’s Noh 

Seung-yul was a point further back 

after a round of seven birdies and a 

bogey. Two-time major championship 

winner John Daly was one of a 

quintet of players on 10 points. — Reuters 

West Indies 

pacemen 

dominate 

Reuters 

lor got their heads down and 

Kingston, August 3 

put on a much-needed 103run 

partnership, taking the 

New Zealand’s miserable sting out of the West Indies 

form in the Caribbean con- attack and proving that the 

tinued as they were bowled track was comfortable 

out for 260 on the first day of enough to bat on. 

the second Test in Kingston, But Best, generating real 

Jamaica on Thursday. pace, got the crucial break- 

Paceman Kemar Roach through when Taylor (60) 

took 4-70 and fellow quick tried to cut a rising delivery 

Tino Best chipped in with 2- and thick edged to Denesh 

40 as West Indies removed Ramdin behind the stumps. 

the tourists for a modest Guptill has been one of the 

score on a decent track at few bright elements in a 

Sabina Park. 

poor tour for the Kiwis, who 

It was a poor batting dis- were also convincingly beatplay 

from the Kiwis, who had en in the one-day series, and 

been 161-3 before a collapse he moved on to his third 

that leaves them with a real consecutive half-century. 

fight to avoid a whitewash in But at the other end, Kane 

the two-Test series. 

Williamson was teased into 

West Indies openers Chris edging spinner Narsingh De- 

Gayle and Kieran Powell had onarine to Sammy and then 

to negotiate five overs before Dean Brownlie was caught 

the close and they reached behind off the impressive 

11-0 by stumps. Darren Sam- Roach.The pressure was on 

my’s decision to ask New Guptill to carry the innings 

Zealand to bat was rewarded but, attempting a second 

with two early wicket, BJ run, he found himself short 

Watling (2) the first to go of his ground as some fine 

when he edged Roach to fielding from Best ran him 

Gayle at slip. 

out for 71. 

Brendon McCullum (0) There were some aggres- 

soon followed when he was sive shots from the tail as the 

caught behind off a fine de- tourists attempted to salvage 

livery from Best, who was in a decent total at the end of 

for the injured Ravi Ram- their innings but West Indies 

paul, leaving New Zealand head into day two trailing by 

struggling at 11-2. Martin 249 runs and with all their 

Guptill and skipper Ross Tay- first innings wickets intact. 

www.thehimalayantimes.com 

Sports 


(From left) Ram Naresh Giri, assistant coach Jagat Tamatta, umpire Buddhi Bahadur Pradhan, Saurav Khanal and Avinash 

Karn before their departure to Australia to take part in ICC U-19 World Cup in Kathmandu on Friday.The three seamers missed 

the conditioning camp in Brisbane and were forced to join the team late because of delay in visa procedures. 

Real outclass LA Galaxy in exhibition match 


Carson, August 3 

Real Madrid scored early 

and often in outclassing the 

Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday, 

opening a four-game 

US exhibition tour with a 5-1 

victory over Major League Soccer’s 

champions. 

Angel Di Maria set up Gonzalo 

Higuain’s opener after just 85 

seconds and made it 2-0 nine 

minutes later for the Spanish 

champions, who added goals 

through Jose Maria Callejon 

in the 36th minute, Alvaro 

Morata in the 49th and Alex 

Fernandez near the finish. 

Brazilian defender David Ju- 

nior Lopes scored the Galaxy’s 

goal in the 23rd, from a David 

Beckham free kick which 

was headed toward the goalmouth. 

The game drew 30,317, 

a record for a football game at 

Home Depot Center. 

Real Madrid manager Jose 

Mourinho called the match a 

“training session for us and for 

them.” He added: “Galaxy is 

a kind of team that is not too 

worried about losing, 4-1, 

or losing 1-0. They’re just worried 

about playing, playing 

well. Play their game, let us 

play, and in this moment of 

the season, it’s the most important 

thing for us.” 

The Spaniards brought on 

SA flay England attack 

Reuters 

Leeds, August 3 

Alviro Petersen scored 182, 

his highest in a Test match, 

to steer South Africa to a 

commanding 419 all out at 

tea on the second day of the 

second Test against England 


His innings surpassed his 

previous best of 156 against 

New Zealand as he punished 

England for dropping 

him on 29 on the first 

morning when Alastair 

Cook spilled a straightforward 

chance at second slip. 

JP Duminy scored an unbeaten 

48 at No 8, shepherding 

the tail to see 

the Proteas past the 

morale-boosting mark of 

400. Petersen was finally 

caught behind off Stuart 

Broad, but only departed 

after an England review 

when umpire Rod Tucker 

initially gave him not out. 

South Africa had to survive 

a testing morning, as 

England began the day with 

six maidens and they took 

25 minutes to score their 

first run against very accurate 

and threatening bowling 

from Broad and James 

Anderson. But the Proteas 

came through to maintain 

their advantage. 

The first wicket of the day 

was left-hander Jacques 

Rudolph, who was stumped 

from a ripping turner by 

part-time spinner Kevin 

Pietersen after the decision 

was sent to third umpire 

Asad Rauf. 

American Jim Furyk watches his tee shot on the fifth 

hole during the first round of the WGC-Bridgestone 

Invitational in Akron, Ohio on Thursday. 

Reuters 



The ICC U-19 World Cup 

preparing Nepali team today 

defeated Northern Territory 

(NT) Strike Team by three wickets 

in a practice match in Darwin 


Electing to bat first, the local 

team was restricted to 195-9 in 

50 overs. Left arm spinner 

Rahul Kumar BK took four 

wickets for Nepal. 

The visitors then reached the 

target for the loss of seven 

wickets after Naresh Budhayer 

Furyk in charge,Woods 

seven strokes back 

Reuters 

several of their biggest stars — 

including Cristiano Ronaldo, 

Karim Benzema and Mesut 

Ozil — for the second half, but 

LA’s defense limited their 

chances. The Galaxy also 

changed their entire team for 

the second half, with Beckham, 

Landon Donovan and Robbie 

Keane among those departing. 

Higuain provided the early 

lead when Di Maria’s pass from 

the right flank caught Lopes 

flat-footed, and Di Maria made 

it 2-0 in the 11th, cutting inside 

from the right flank and blasting 

a left-footed shot between 

rookie Bryan Gaul’s legs and 

past LA goalkeeper Josh Saunders. 

Lopes halved the deficit 

Akron, August 3 

Experienced American Jim Furyk 

outshone the biggest names in 

the game as he took control of the 

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 

with a dazzling seven-under-par 

63 in Thursday’s opening round. 

On a firm and fast-running layout 

at Firestone Country Club, 

Furyk piled up seven birdies, an 

eagle at the par-five second and 

two bogeys to end a sun-splashed 

day two ahead of Britain’s Lee 

Slattery. 

World No 1 Luke Donald was a 

further stroke back on 66, level 

with fellow Englishman Simon 

Dyson, Americans Ben Crane and 

Masters champion Bubba Watson, 

Australia’s John Senden and 

Spaniard Rafael Cabrera Bello. 

Second-ranked Tiger Woods, bidding 

for a record eighth Bridgestone 

Invitational title, made a 

solid start but bogeyed three of 

his last six holes for a 70 to finish 

seven shots off the pace. 

Furyk, who clinched the most 

recent of his 16 PGA Tour victories 

at the 2010 Tour Championship, 

has always relished playing at 

Firestone and he made the most 

of the fast-running conditions on 

Thursday when there was hardly 

a breath of wind. “I just did a good 

job of keeping the ball in front of 

me,” the 2003 US Open champion 

said. “I gave myself a lot of good 

starred 

with a 93 

not out. 

Skipper 

Prithu Baskota 

contributed a significant 

29, while 

Hashim Ansari was 

the next best scorer 

with 16 runs after 

openers Subash Khakurel (six) 

and Pradeep Airee (five) lost 

their wickets cheaply. Faizlur 

Rehman made eight runs. 

Nepal had lost their first 

practice match against the 

same team by 98 runs, while 

but Callejon finished from 

Higuain’s defense-splitting 

pass to complete a three-pass, 

full-field sequence. 

Alvaro Morata tallied four 

minutes into the second half 

from an Esteban Granero chip, 

and Fernandez added a fifth 

with six minutes to play. Ronaldo 

nearly added another in the 

86th, but his shot was cleared 

off the line. Real Madrid’s 

tour continues with games 

against Mexican champion 

Santos Laguna in Las Vegas on 

Sunday, against Italian runnerup 

AC Milan at Yankee Stadium 

on Wednesday, and against 

Scottish titlists Celtic in 

Philadelphia on August 11. 

opportunities and had good angles 

into pins. I hit some crisp, 

good iron shots, hit some close 

where I had three or four very 

short birdie putts, and it was nice 

to see some (longer) putts go in 

today. I love the golf course.” 

The highlight of Furyk’s round 

came at the 526-yard second 

where he rolled in a 20-foot putt 

for eagle. “I hit a pretty good drive 

and I was in between whether to 

hit a two-iron or three-wood up 

there on the green,” the 42-yearold 

said. “I knocked a three-wood 

up, it took a pretty nice kick to the 

left and got up there about 20 feet 

from the pin.” 

Woods birdied the second, 10th 

and 11th to close within three 

shots of the early lead in the elite 

World Golf Championships 

(WGC) event before his round unravelled. 

He bogeyed the 13th, lipping 

out from five feet, the 16th, 

where his tee shot sailed right into 

trees, and also the last, where he 

three-putted from 24 feet. 

Australian Adam Scott, who 

won last year’s Bridgestone Invitational 

by four shots to land his 

first WGC title, opened with a 

one-over 71, while British Open 

champion Ernie Els played a 

round of 73. PGA Championship 

winner Keegan Bradley carded a 

67, while former US Open champions 

Rory McIlroy and Graeme 

McDowell of Northern Ireland 

shot matching 70s. 

they had crushed 

Kormilda College 

by a huge 

255 runs on 

Wednesday. 

Nepal — who 

were in Darwin 

for a week-long 

conditioning camp — left for 

Brisbane today. Before the 

World Cup starts on August 11, 

Nepal will play official warm up 

matches against Papua New 

Guinea on August 7 and New 

Zealand the next day. 

Meanwhile, three seamers 

Avinash Karn, Saurav Khanal 

Nepal U-19 Team Manager and Member of Cricket 

Association of Nepal Kiran Rana (right) receives a 

memento from General Manager of Northern Territory 

Cricket John Stock in Darwin on Friday. Nepal wrapped 

up their eight-day conditioning camp in Brisbane with 

two wins and a loss against local sides. 

Inter, Liverpool win 

Published by: International Media Network Nepal (Pvt) Ltd, APCA House, Baidya Khana Road, Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, PO Box 11651 Phone: 4771489, Fax: 977-1-4770701 / 4771959, E-mail: editorial@thehimalayantimes.com Regd No 143/051/052 Postal Regd. 66/067-068 Printed at: Sama Printers (Pvt) Ltd, Sainbu VDC, Lalitpur. Editor: Ajaya Bhadra Khanal 

Reuters 

Berne, August 3 

Wesley Sneijder set Inter Milan 

on their way to a comfortable 

3-0 win away at Hajduk 

Split in Europa League 

qualifying on Thursday, 

giving the Italian Serie A 

side a successful start in their 

first competitive game of 

the season. 

Dutchman Sneijder rifled 

Inter ahead after 18 minutes 

and Japan’s Yuto Nagatomo 

put them 2-0 up against 

the Croatian side just before 

the break. Brazilian Philippe 

Coutinho completed the 

scoring in the second half 

of the third qualifying round 

first-leg tie. 

“It’s a good result but what 

Udipt Singh Chhetry / THT 

Nepal end Darwin stay with victory over NT 

and Ram Naresh Giri left for 

Brisbane today along with assistant 

coach Jagat Tamatta to 

join the national squad. 

The players had to join the 

team late because of the delay 

in visa procedures. Nepal will 

play hosts and defending 

champions Australia, England 

and Ireland in Group ‘A’. 

ICC Associate and Affiliate 

Panel umpire Buddhi Bahadur 

Pradhan of Nepal also left for 

Australia to officiate the matches 

of the ICC Under-19 World 

Cup, scheduled for August 11- 

26 in Queensland, Brisbane. 

EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFYING 

I liked was the fact that we 

never stopped trying to play 

football and we gave very little 

away,” Inter coach Andrea 

Stramaccioni said. Inter are 

hoping to recover from a difficult 

last season when Stramaccioni, 

initially given the 

job on an interim basis, became 

the third coach to be 

employed by club president 

Massimo Moratti. 

Also, Stewart Downing 

scored only his third goal for 

Liverpool as the Premier 

League side laboured to beat 

FC Gomel of Belarus 1-0 in 

Brendan Rodgers’ first competitive 

match in charge. In 

other tie, last season’s beaten 

finalists Athletic Bilbao beat 

Croatia’s Slaven Belupo Koprivnica 

3-1 at home.

Bhattarai wants package deal to step down

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