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Nepal’s No. 1<br />

English Daily<br />

www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

Printed simultaneously from<br />

Kathmandu and Itahari<br />

INTERNATIONAL<br />

Tamang, a true Gandhian Page 6 Pakistan seizes 14 tonnes of explosives Page 9 Three Star edge Friends; JYC triumph Page 12<br />

The Himalayan<br />

T I M E S<br />

Vol. XII No.11 • Kathmandu, Monday, December 3, 2012, Mangsir 18, 2069, Nepal Sambat 1133<br />

• SHORT TAKES<br />

Reuters<br />

Children riding sledges down a hill as the<br />

first snowfall of the season hits Brussels<br />

on Sunday.<br />

Highway tunnel collapses<br />

OTSUKI: Japanese rescuers found five<br />

charred bodies in a highway tunnel that collapsed<br />

on Sunday, crushing cars and triggering<br />

a blaze, and sparking fears of another<br />

cave-in. At least seven people were missing<br />

inside the nearly five-kilometre-long tunnel.<br />

Witnesses spoke of terrifying scenes as at<br />

least one vehicle burst into flames, sending<br />

out clouds of blinding, acrid smoke. For several<br />

hours rescuers were forced to suspend<br />

their efforts to reach those believed trapped<br />

under the more-than one tonne concrete<br />

ceiling panels. (Details on Page 7)<br />

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs) SELLING (in Rs)<br />

Indian Rs 100 160.00 160.15<br />

Chinese Yuan 1 13.89 13.99<br />

U.S. Dollar 1 86.50 87.10<br />

Euro 1 112.31 113.09<br />

Pound Sterling 1 138.51 139.47<br />

Japanese Yen 10 10.49 10.56<br />

The foreign exchange rates are fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Local Development Secretary<br />

Shanta Bahadur<br />

Shrestha today questioned<br />

the integrity of Village Development<br />

Committee secretaries,<br />

who represent the<br />

government at the grassroot<br />

level.<br />

Speaking at a press meet,<br />

he said they can no longer<br />

accept pay slips coming<br />

from these secretaries without<br />

a grain of suspicion.<br />

Secretary Shrestha informed<br />

that secretary of<br />

Saptari district’s Bairawa<br />

VDC, Dev Narayan Shah,<br />

had furnished pay slips of<br />

Rs 1.47 lakh, the social security<br />

allowance meant for 49<br />

widows aged below 60 years<br />

in January last year. Later, a<br />

team under Deputy Prime<br />

Minister Narayan Kaji<br />

Shrestha, which monitored<br />

the district on November<br />

20-24, found that the widows,<br />

entitled to a monthly<br />

pay of Rs 500, had not received<br />

the sum.<br />

Secretary Shrestha<br />

showed documents that 20<br />

widows, including Jogida<br />

Khatun of Bairawa, Saptari,<br />

had furnished to show they<br />

did not receive any allowance<br />

last year.<br />

SC split on picking judges<br />

sans parliamentary hearing<br />

PM promises ordinance or consensus to tide over crisis<br />

Ananta Raj Luitel<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

The Supreme Court today<br />

issued a split judgment on<br />

whether to appoint justices<br />

in the apex court without<br />

parliamentary hearing as<br />

Parliament does not exist.<br />

With the division bench of<br />

justices pronouncing a split<br />

judgment, it is clear that five<br />

ad hoc judges will retire on<br />

Wednesday and one on January<br />

21 when their contracts<br />

finish.<br />

The bench transferred the<br />

case to a full bench of more<br />

than three justices as they<br />

could not settle the issue.<br />

The tenure of ad hoc<br />

judges Baidhya Nath Upadhayay,<br />

Tarka Raj Bhatta,<br />

Gyanendra Bahadur Karki,<br />

Kamal Narayan Das and<br />

Bharat Bahadur Karki is expiring<br />

on December 5, while<br />

Prakash Osti will retire on<br />

January 21. Ad hoc judge<br />

Bharat Raj Upreti has already<br />

resigned.<br />

Sources said some ad hoc<br />

judges are considering resignation<br />

before their term<br />

expires. Justice Osti, however,<br />

said he is not worried<br />

about the consequences. “I<br />

don’t care what should be<br />

done and what the JC will<br />

do,” Osti told The Hi-<br />

The ministry today suspended<br />

Shah and three other<br />

VDC secretaries, three engineers<br />

and an overseer<br />

based in Saptari after finding<br />

their involvement in irregularities.<br />

It found that<br />

Dandha VDC secretary<br />

Narayan Yadav, Banainiya<br />

VDC secretary Dev<br />

Naryayan Yadav and Didhawa<br />

VDC secretary<br />

Baladev Yadav had misappropriated<br />

social security<br />

allowance and other funds<br />

in their VDCs, according to a<br />

press release.<br />

Deputy spokesman for<br />

the ministry, Dhan Bahadur<br />

Shrestha, informed that an<br />

Full bench not possible: JC member<br />

KATHMANDU: JC member<br />

Khem Narayan Dhungana<br />

said the Supreme<br />

Court verdict has further<br />

complicated the issue.<br />

“We were waiting for the<br />

bench to give a way out<br />

but it did not. Instead the<br />

crisis has worsened because<br />

the apex court cannot<br />

decide the case,”<br />

Dhungana added. There<br />

must be three justices to<br />

test the issue, but Chief<br />

Justice Khil Raj Regmi and<br />

senior justice Damodar<br />

Prasad Sharma cannot<br />

test the issue because they<br />

represent the JC, which it-<br />

malayan Times. An informal<br />

emergency meeting of the<br />

JC at Chief Justice Khil Raj<br />

Regmi’s residence, which<br />

Prime Minister Baburam<br />

Bhattarai attended, discussed<br />

the matter. “The PM<br />

assured us he would try to<br />

issue an ordinance and also<br />

forge consensus among political<br />

parties,” JC member<br />

Khem Narayan Dhungana<br />

said. Regmi, however, re-<br />

in-depth investigation into<br />

fake pay slips is on.<br />

Engineers Laxmi Prasad<br />

Chaudhari, Tej Narayan Bajpeyi,<br />

Kishor Shah and subengineer<br />

Khursed Ikram, all<br />

based in Saptari, got suspended<br />

after the probe<br />

found their involvement in<br />

multiple cases of substandard<br />

road construction.<br />

A similar monitoring in<br />

Dhanusha had led to suspension<br />

of 18 VDC secretaries<br />

and referral of their<br />

cases to the Commission for<br />

the Investigation of Abuse of<br />

Authority for a further<br />

probe. Secretary Shrestha<br />

said the team had sought an<br />

self is the defendant in the<br />

case. Justices Ram Kumar<br />

Prasad Shah and Girish<br />

Chandra Lal cannot share<br />

the bench either because<br />

they have expressed their<br />

opinion in Sunday’s verdict.<br />

The remaining two<br />

justices Kalyan Shrestha<br />

and Sushila Karki are not<br />

sufficient to form a threemember<br />

full bench. Constitutional<br />

expert Tikaram<br />

Bhattarai said the issue<br />

has become more complicated<br />

and no authority<br />

can decide when the case<br />

is referred to the full<br />

bench. — HNS<br />

• APEX COURT APPOINTMENTS<br />

fused to elaborate. “We are<br />

still considering what<br />

should be done,” he added.<br />

Stating that Article 155 (1)<br />

of the Interim Constitution,<br />

according to which parliamentary<br />

hearing prior to<br />

appointment of Supreme<br />

Court justices is mandatory,<br />

Justice Shah declined to issue<br />

mandamus order to the<br />

JC to appoint judges without<br />

parliamentary hearing.<br />

The funeral procession of late Nepali Congress leader Bhim Bahadur Tamang at Kalanki on<br />

Sunday.Tamang died of cardio respiratory arrest on Saturday.<br />

Local govt representatives’ integrity in question<br />

Four VDC secys of Saptari suspended for gobbling up widows’funds<br />

investigation in all 91 VDCs<br />

of Dhanusha anticipating<br />

rampant corruption there.<br />

It is not a case of one or<br />

two districts, though.<br />

During its monitoring,<br />

the team found that Kathmandu<br />

Metropolitan City<br />

and Kathmandu District<br />

Development Committee to<br />

have awarded tenders for<br />

parking lot management<br />

without public notice and<br />

renewed the contracts without<br />

adhering to KMC rules.<br />

Deputy spokesman<br />

Shrestha cited the absence<br />

of elected local bodies as the<br />

major reason behind rampant<br />

corruption.<br />

He also pointed out errors of<br />

the writ petitioner who demanded<br />

the order but did<br />

not make the Chief Justice,<br />

who is the appointing authority,<br />

defendant. Besides,<br />

he stated that both the demands<br />

for tenure extension<br />

for ad hoc judge or appointment<br />

without parliamentary<br />

hearing were unconstitutional.<br />

“Since the Judicial Council<br />

itself is competent<br />

enough to decide, there is<br />

no need to issue order in the<br />

name of JC,” Shah said. According<br />

to him, the JC can<br />

decide to recommend.<br />

Justice Lal, however, issued<br />

a directive order in the<br />

name of JC to fill vacancies<br />

in the Supreme Court by informing<br />

the Parliamentary<br />

Hearing Special Committee,<br />

keeping in mind the qualifications<br />

of the ad hoc judges<br />

and other qualified persons<br />

to take decisions.<br />

In his dissenting opinion,<br />

Justice Lal stated there was<br />

no possibility of parliamentary<br />

hearing in the absence<br />

of parliament and there was<br />

no guarantee a new parliament<br />

would be formed at<br />

the earliest. Hence, the provision<br />

of parliamentary<br />

hearing as per Article 155<br />

cannot be effective.<br />

THT<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Amid the opposition parties’ increasing<br />

rancour against the Baburam<br />

Bhattarai-led government and<br />

clamour for a <strong>national</strong> unity government<br />

under a different leadership,<br />

the Nepali Congress and the<br />

CPN-Maoist today announced at a<br />

joint meeting that they will topple<br />

the incumbent government<br />

through street protests.<br />

The opposition<br />

parties’ stance<br />

notwithstanding,<br />

the Unified CPN-<br />

Maoist, the main<br />

constituent in the<br />

ruling coalition, reiterated<br />

that the opposition<br />

parties will<br />

ultimately join the<br />

incumbent government<br />

and give it a<br />

<strong>national</strong> shape, saying<br />

removing Prime<br />

Minister Baburam Bhattarai is<br />

against the constitution.<br />

While UCPN-M spokesman<br />

Agni Sapkota echoed this at a regular<br />

press briefing today, Maoist<br />

sources claimed that party Chairman<br />

Pushpa Kamal Dahal has<br />

been doing spadework to replace<br />

Bhattarai and hold the mantle<br />

himself. They claimed Dahal is<br />

forcing the opposition to support<br />

him by defaming PM Bhattarai.<br />

Though the President-set deadline<br />

for naming the consensus candidate<br />

for a consensus government<br />

ends in four days, major parties are<br />

busy locking horns over the government<br />

leadership.<br />

The meeting of the UCPN-M of-<br />

Weather: Partly cloudy<br />

Max: 18-20 o<br />

C Min: 02-04 o<br />

C<br />

Sunrise 06:38 Sunset 17:09<br />

Capital ★ 16 pages Rs 3<br />

NC, CPN-M to topple govt<br />

through street protests<br />

fice-bearers held at Dahal’s Lazimpat<br />

residence this morning decided<br />

to take initiatives for transforming<br />

the incumbent government<br />

into a unity dispensation.<br />

Following the meeting with<br />

CPN-M leaders CP Gajurel and<br />

Dev Gurung, NC president Sushil<br />

Koirala clarified that a <strong>national</strong><br />

unity government is not possible<br />

under any leader of the ruling<br />

coalition. “We decided to pick<br />

leader for such a government, who<br />

is not part of the<br />

coalition,” he told<br />

reporters after a<br />

meeting at his Maharajgunj-based<br />

residence this<br />

morning. CPN-M<br />

secretary Gurung<br />

said the two parties<br />

have agreed to<br />

launch street movements<br />

to topple the<br />

government as<br />

Bhattarai is bent on<br />

clinging to power.<br />

Meanwhile, CPN-UML Chairman<br />

Jhala Nath Khanal today said<br />

turning the Bhattarai-led government<br />

into a consensus dispensation<br />

is out of the question, taking<br />

exception to the President’s suggestion<br />

that it will be better if the<br />

parties join the incumbent government.<br />

“I reiterate it is not possible<br />

to form a consensus government<br />

under Bhattarai’s leadership,”<br />

Khanal told reporters at his Dallu<br />

residence this morning.<br />

He said the incumbent government<br />

is the stumbling block on the<br />

path of consensus, without which<br />

holding fresh elections in May will<br />

be next to impossible.


PAGE 2 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

CAPITAL<br />

NVC finds 709 officers<br />

on wrong side of law Himalayan<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

In a surprise check at 11<br />

public corporations today,<br />

National Vigilance Centre<br />

(NVC) today found as many<br />

as 709 officials, including a<br />

general manager and a director<br />

on the wrong side of<br />

the law<br />

Eleven separate NVC<br />

monitoring teams had carried<br />

out surprise checks to<br />

see whether or not government<br />

officials were complying<br />

with office time, dress<br />

code and sanitation rules in<br />

accordance with the existing<br />

Corruption Prevention Act.<br />

Krishna Prasad Paudyal,<br />

National Vigilance Centre<br />

spokesperson, said Nepal<br />

Telecom Central Office,<br />

Nepal Water Supply Corporation,<br />

Kathmandu Upatyaka<br />

Khanepani Ltd, Civil Aviation<br />

Authority of Nepal,<br />

Dairy Development Corporation,<br />

Radio Nepal, Nepal<br />

Electricity Authority, Rastirya<br />

Samachar Samiti,<br />

Nepal Television, Gorkhapatra<br />

Corporation and Nepal<br />

Oil Corporation were chosen<br />

for monitoring.<br />

During the surprise check,<br />

433 officials were found to be<br />

absent without leave. Nepal<br />

Electricity Authority tops the<br />

list of officials playing truant<br />

with 133 of them not present,<br />

followed by Gorkhapatra<br />

Corporation (62) and Civil<br />

Aviation Authority of Nepal<br />

(50). In Nepal Drinking Water<br />

Supply Corporation, employees<br />

including the gener-<br />

NEFIN burns census<br />

report in protest<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Alleging that the latest census<br />

report was unscientific<br />

and had eliminated<br />

around a dozen indigenous<br />

<strong>national</strong>ities, the umbrella<br />

organisation of indigenous<br />

<strong>national</strong>ities today<br />

burnt copies of the<br />

Census-2011 report on the<br />

premises of Central Bureau<br />

of Statistics (CBS), Thapathali,<br />

today.<br />

Addressing the sit-in<br />

protest of Nepal Federation<br />

of Indigenous Nationalities<br />

(NEFIN) held for two<br />

hours on the premises of<br />

CBS, its chairman Raj Kumar<br />

Lekhi alleged that the<br />

Bureau had intentionally<br />

reduced the number of indigenous<br />

<strong>national</strong>ities to<br />

weaken the federalism<br />

agenda.<br />

Lekhi handed over a<br />

memorandum to CBS Director<br />

General Uttam<br />

Narayan Malla. The federation<br />

had yesterday announced<br />

a monthlong<br />

protest across the nation.<br />

Many indigenous<br />

groups, including the Gurung<br />

community, have<br />

claimed that their total<br />

population has been decreased<br />

in comparison to<br />

the 2001 census. “How can<br />

the population decrease in<br />

ten years? This is not possible,”<br />

commented Om Gurung,<br />

a protester.<br />

NEFIN’s 71 district coordination<br />

committees will<br />

hand over memorandum<br />

to their respective district<br />

administration officers<br />

and hold sit-in protests on<br />

every working day.<br />

Lekhi said the federation<br />

will also hold an interaction<br />

in Kathmandu after a<br />

week and devise further<br />

protest plans since they<br />

have only launched publicity-based<br />

protest programmes.<br />

• DRIVING LICENCE TRIAL<br />

Candidates<br />

found hiring<br />

doctored bikes<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Racketeers were found<br />

renting mechanically<br />

modified motorcycles to<br />

persons applying to the Office<br />

of Transport Management<br />

for driving licence.<br />

The motorcycles were<br />

modified in such a way<br />

that the engine would not<br />

shut off ignition if the rider<br />

failed to properly handle<br />

the clutch system.<br />

This came to light after<br />

traffic police impounded<br />

five motorcycles with their<br />

speed and gear fixed, from<br />

the trial venue at<br />

Ramshahpath last week.<br />

DIG Upendra Kant Aryal,<br />

MTPD in-charge revealed<br />

that the speed-fixed motorcycles<br />

had for long been<br />

hired to obtain licence for<br />

two-wheelers. “It is part of<br />

MTPD’s drive to keep vigil<br />

and make the driving licence<br />

issuance process<br />

transparent and scientific,”<br />

he informed. Earlier, traffic<br />

police had impounded<br />

seven modified bikes.<br />

Earlier, more than 70 per<br />

cent of applicants used to<br />

get through the practical<br />

test against 40 per cent in<br />

the past three weeks<br />

thanks to ‘pro-active traffic<br />

policing’.<br />

“We found many people<br />

renting the doctored motorcycles<br />

for practical test.<br />

The speed of the bikes was<br />

so meticulously fixed that a<br />

person appearing in the<br />

trial did not have to accelerate<br />

or decelerate or shift<br />

gears. The speed was fixed<br />

in such a way that one<br />

could easily pass the trial,”<br />

DIG Aryal informed.<br />

Traffic police said they<br />

were interrogating bike<br />

owners to proceed with legal<br />

action. Meanwhile,<br />

MTPD has started mobilising<br />

traffic cops in uniform<br />

on the trial venue to announce<br />

‘pass’ or ‘fail’ result<br />

on the spot. Earlier, there<br />

used to be traffic cops in<br />

civvies making it difficult<br />

for the examinees to identify<br />

them.<br />

With the MTPD deciding<br />

to announce on-the-spot<br />

result, we hope such malpractice<br />

will become a<br />

thing of the past, a traffic<br />

police source said. Traffic<br />

cops will display a flashcard<br />

reading ‘PASS’ if an<br />

examinee clears the practical<br />

exam and ‘FAIL’ if<br />

he/she does not manage to<br />

make it.<br />

al manager were absent<br />

without leave.<br />

Ten employees including<br />

the director at Radio Nepal,<br />

28 at Dairy Development<br />

Corporation, 12 at Rastriya<br />

Samachar Samiti, 39 at<br />

Nepal Television and eight<br />

employees at Nepal Oil Corporation<br />

were absent from<br />

office, virtually paralysing<br />

service delivery and daily administrative<br />

business of the<br />

offices. Some employees had<br />

been absent for the past 16<br />

days without leave approval.<br />

Likewise, 276 employees<br />

at public corporations were<br />

not in uniform. NVC, said it<br />

would direct the concerned<br />

body to take departmental<br />

action against employees<br />

found on wrong side of the<br />

law.<br />

Tamang cremated with<br />

full state honours<br />

News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

The final rites of late<br />

Nepali Congress (NC)<br />

leader Bhim Bahadur<br />

Tamang were performed<br />

with state guard of honour<br />

in Swoyambhu, today<br />

afternoon.<br />

Senior NC leader and<br />

former Minister for Law<br />

and Justice Tamang<br />

breathed his last at 8:45<br />

am yesterday while being<br />

rushed to Norvic Hospital.<br />

Tamang, (78), died<br />

due to cardio-respiratory<br />

arrest.<br />

His son Deepak<br />

Tamang and a priest of<br />

the Tamang community<br />

(Dharma Guru) lit the funeral<br />

pyre as per Buddhist<br />

tradition in the presence<br />

of hundreds of grieving<br />

NC leaders and cadres.<br />

Before the pyre was lit,<br />

NC President Sushil<br />

Koirala draped his colleague’s<br />

body with the<br />

party flag.<br />

Tamang’s mortal remains<br />

have been kept at<br />

party headquarters in<br />

Sanepa for well wishers to<br />

pay their last respects.<br />

Unified CPN-Maoist<br />

Chairman Pushpa Kamal<br />

Dahal, Vice Chairman<br />

Narayan Kaji Shrestha,<br />

Spokesperson Agni Sapkota<br />

and CPN-Maoist<br />

General Secretary Ram<br />

Bahadur Thapa, Vice<br />

Chairman CP Gajurel and<br />

Secretary Dev Gurung<br />

paid their last respects to<br />

late Tamang this morning<br />

at NC headquarters.<br />

Dahal hailed late<br />

Tamang as the icon of<br />

dedication and simplicity,<br />

who has made unforgettable<br />

contributions to<br />

Nepal’s politics.<br />

School textbook prices fixed<br />

‘Move will check unscrupulous practices’<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

The Textbook Price Fixation<br />

Committee (TPFC) today endorsed<br />

the government decision<br />

on price of school textbooks.<br />

Last year, publishers and<br />

distributors had put stickers<br />

on the books and pasted the<br />

price arbitrarily. The government<br />

banned the use of<br />

stickers on textbooks and<br />

made it mandatory to print<br />

the price on the cover so that<br />

the guardians and students<br />

were not cheated. Textbooks<br />

must also be priced the same<br />

all over the country.<br />

In March, TPFCprepared a<br />

report with price ceiling of<br />

textbooks and sent it to the<br />

Ministry of Education for fi-<br />

nal approval. Publishers had<br />

urged the ministry to increase<br />

the price from 20 to 25<br />

per cent, but the committee<br />

increased the price by only<br />

five per cent. The ministry<br />

then sent the increased price<br />

ceiling to the committee,<br />

which approved it and decided<br />

to implement it with effect<br />

from today.<br />

If the text has a single<br />

colour, each page of the book<br />

will cost 89.25 Paisa. Each<br />

page with texts in two<br />

colours will cost Rs 99.75<br />

paisa and each page with text<br />

in multi-colour will cost Rs<br />

1.15 paisa. The cover page,<br />

acknowledgment, table of<br />

contents and pages without<br />

page number will be free.<br />

Suprabhat Bhandari, president,<br />

Guardians Association<br />

PAGE 3<br />

of Nepal said this would help<br />

check black-marketing of<br />

textbooks.<br />

He said publishers would<br />

have to publish the price of<br />

school textbooks in one of<br />

the daily newspapers before<br />

the academic session.<br />

The report said if the book<br />

had 64 pages, its cover would<br />

have to weigh 100 grams and<br />

if it had more than 64 pages,<br />

the cover would have to<br />

weigh 250 grams. The size of<br />

textbooks would be the same<br />

(18x25 cm) as recommended<br />

by the committee.<br />

“The price ceiling is only<br />

for the new fiscal year<br />

2070/71, it will be revised<br />

next year” Bhandari said,<br />

adding, “The books will be<br />

published by mid-November<br />

every year.”


PAGE 4<br />

BLONDIE Dean Young and Denis Lebrun<br />

HAGAR Chris Browne<br />

BEETLE BAILEY Mort Walker<br />

BEAU PEEP Andrew Christine and Roger Kettle<br />

• ENGAGEMENTS<br />

EXHIBITION, CLASS AND WORKSHOP<br />

Korea Alternative Hospital announces Winter Massage Package.The Rs 1500<br />

package includes a 2 hour massage and a complimentary hot coffee.Therapists<br />

are trained by Korean professional Jong Gwon Kim in deep tissue massage<br />

for rebalancing, improved health and general well being. Specialised<br />

medical massage Rs 3000. Bagdol 4, Ring Road Tel ++ 977 (1) 2298259,<br />

Mobile 9813 595563<br />

Meditation Session and Satsang<br />

Benefit yourself and friends with free meditation session to heal your body<br />

and mind, and discover the right path towards the ultimate fulfillment of life.<br />

Every Saturday morning at 8am Mind Body Library, Babarmahal,<br />

Ph 4102025 more info at www.fb.com/mindbodylibrary<br />

FINE CUISINE<br />

“Oriental Night”: Enjoy the true Asian mouth watering Cuisines of the region<br />

.Every Friday evening from 7:00 pm Onwards at Café Horizon, Hotel Himalaya<br />

@Rs 1099/- plus taxes per person. For more information contact :<br />

5523900<br />

Escape the hustle & bustle of Kathmandu without having to travel too far and<br />

enjoy peace and tranquility, good food, cool breezes and fresh air at Shivapuri<br />

Heights Cottage. Rs 3500.00 per person per night inclusive of dinner<br />

and breakfast or come up just for a walk and a lunch. Advance booking required.<br />

Contact Sohan: 9841371927 or e-mail info@shivapuricottage.com<br />

“Bubbly Brunch”: Every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm @ Shambala Garden &<br />

Club Sundhara where you can enjoy Live Shawarma & Pasta only @ Rs.1100<br />

Nett per person ( Includes a glass of Sparkling Wine). For further details call<br />

Hotel Shangri~La, Kathmandu at 4412999 Extn. 7520,7515.<br />

“Starry Night BBQ”: Every Friday Evening from 7:00 pm onwards at Shambala<br />

Garden Café, Hotel Shangri~La only @ Rs.1299 Nett per person and live performance<br />

by Ciney Gurung. For more details and Reservation: 4412999<br />

Extn. 7520,7515.<br />

Bar-Be-Que Brunch Bazaar - Make your gourmet journey memorable for lifetime<br />

with all live counters serving in one place. Every Saturday at poolside<br />

garden of Gokarna Forest Resort, Kathmandu from 12 noon to 2:30PM at<br />

NRs. 1999 NET per person. For more information contact: 4451212<br />

EVENTS<br />

It is pleasure to inform you that EL MEDITERRANEO (first spanish restauant in<br />

Nepal) is going to organise “*TAPAS FESTIVAL*” (about 12 tapas including :<br />

famous jamon serrano, chorizo, queso manchego etc.) on this “SATURDAY<br />

24th November 2012” at jhamshikhel, patan from 12.30 to 15.00 so who<br />

would like to reserve the TAPAS plate, please call BIBHUSHAN RAJ JOSHI<br />

9849157445 or mail to elmediterraneo.nepal@hotmail.com for reservation.<br />

For listing in this column, mail your events to<br />

engagements@thehimalayantimes.com<br />

1 2 3 4 5 6<br />

8<br />

11 12<br />

16 17<br />

21<br />

23<br />

15<br />

Quick Clues<br />

Across: 1 Representatives, brokers<br />

or realtors (6) - 7 A corpse or a<br />

dead body (7) - 8 Keep a stiff ___<br />

___ : show fortitude ? (5,3) - 9 Examining<br />

or trying (7) - 11 ___ on<br />

the lips of : listens to very very attentively<br />

? (5) - 12 Kinds, types or<br />

sorts (4) - 13 ___ by night : unreliable<br />

? (3) - 15 Evil spirit (5) - 16<br />

First in short (3) - 18 Solid, stony<br />

part of earth’s crust ? (4) - 20 Make<br />

butter by agitating cream or milk (5)<br />

- 21 Early evening meal (4,3) - 22<br />

• WHAT’S ON<br />

NTV<br />

1700 News<br />

1705 Mission Point<br />

1730 Bimbha Pratibimbha<br />

1800 News<br />

1805 Sangharsha<br />

1825 Hamro Kathmandu<br />

1838 Krishi<br />

1900 News<br />

1925 Paribartan<br />

2000 News<br />

2050 Jeeray Khursani<br />

2130 Aaja Ko Bigyan<br />

2200 Ujyalo Tira<br />

2230 News<br />

STARPLUS<br />

1745 Arjun<br />

1845 Veera: Ek Veer Ki Ardaas<br />

1915 Saath Nibhana<br />

Saathiya<br />

1945 Mujhse Kuch<br />

Kehti...Yeh<br />

Khamoshiyan<br />

2015 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya<br />

Naam Doon?<br />

2045 Ek Hazaaron Mein<br />

Meri Behna Hain<br />

2115 Diya aur Baati Hum<br />

2145 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata<br />

Hai<br />

2215 Pyaar Ka Dard<br />

Meetha Meetha Pyara<br />

Pyara<br />

STARWORLD<br />

1515 Two And A Half Men<br />

1545 Modern Family<br />

1615 Two And A Half Men<br />

1815 Greys Anatomy<br />

1915 Two And A Half Men<br />

1945 Modern Family<br />

2015 The New Normal<br />

2045 How I Met Your<br />

Mother<br />

2115 Junior Masterchef<br />

Australia<br />

2315 Two And A Half Men<br />

2345 Modern Family<br />

7<br />

9 10<br />

18 19 20<br />

22<br />

24<br />

13 14<br />

Corrective remedy (8) - 23 On ___ :<br />

without premeditation ? (7) - 24<br />

County in Southern England (6).<br />

Down: 1 Capital of United Arab Emirates<br />

? (3,5) - 2 A symbol or index<br />

or power in algebra ? (8) - 3 Grows<br />

weary (5) - 4 Facing of jacket (5) - 5<br />

A man of many ___ : a versatile<br />

personality ? (5) - 6 Edible part of<br />

nut (6) - 7 Orson Welles’ classic<br />

(7,4) - 10 Slip sideways (4) - 13 Unbelievable<br />

or astonishing (8) - 14 Of<br />

least age, not the oldest ? (8) - 15<br />

Terminal part of the leg (4) - 17<br />

ZEE TV<br />

1915 Afsar Bitiya<br />

1945 Sapne Suhane<br />

Ladakpan Ke<br />

2015 Rab Se Sona Ishq<br />

2045 Hitler Didi<br />

2115 Pavitra Rishta<br />

2145 Qubool Hai<br />

2215 Mrs. Kaushik Ki<br />

Paanch Bahuyein<br />

2245 Punar Vivaah<br />

2315 Phir Subah Hogi<br />

TENSPORTS<br />

1245 UEFA Europa League<br />

2012/13 HLs<br />

1415 Arsenal TV<br />

1715 WWE Experience<br />

2012<br />

1815 WWE Vintage Collection<br />

1945 FIH Mens Hockey<br />

Champions Trophy<br />

2012 HLs<br />

2145 FIM Speedway 2012<br />

2245 WWE Experience<br />

2012<br />

2345 WWE Vintage Collection<br />

STARSPORTS<br />

1615 Best Of The Cship<br />

Wimbledon 2012<br />

1515 ON HBO<br />

1715 FIA Asia Pacific Rally<br />

Cship 2012<br />

1745 Game 2012<br />

1815 1st Jet Ski Pro Asian<br />

Grand Prix<br />

1915 MotoGP World Cship<br />

2012<br />

2015 Best Of The Cship<br />

Wimbledon 2012<br />

2115 Score Tonight 2012<br />

2145 Motorsports @<br />

Petronas 2012<br />

2215 Italian Serie A<br />

2012/13 HLs<br />

2315 Best Of The Cship<br />

Wimbledon 2012<br />

SETMAX<br />

0815 Daata<br />

1115 Aur Ek Ilzam<br />

1415 Aaina<br />

1715 Waqt Hamara Hai<br />

2115 Don No.1<br />

HBO<br />

0945 Green Lantern<br />

1145 Thor<br />

1345 Bean<br />

1515 28 Days<br />

1700 The Nutty Professor<br />

1835 Fast Five<br />

2045 Freddie Roach<br />

2115 Eastbound & Down<br />

2145 Ironclad<br />

2345 Tyler Perry’s Why Did I<br />

Get Married Too?<br />

CINEMAX<br />

0900 Jonah Hex<br />

1020 Red Water<br />

1150 Killer Elite<br />

1345 To Catch A Thief<br />

1600 The Long Kiss Goodnight<br />

1805 Semper Fi<br />

1945 Tactical Force<br />

2110 True Blood S401:<br />

She’s Not There<br />

2205 Hideaway<br />

2350 Recreator<br />

www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

POTPOURRI<br />

DENNIS Hank Ketcham<br />

HOCUS FOCUS Henry Boltinoff<br />

Himalayan Double Crossword — 5787<br />

Mark of infamy (6) - 18 Watery discharge<br />

from the nose (5) - 19 ___ -<br />

fire : halt in hostilities ? (5) - 20<br />

Capital of Egypt (5).<br />

Cryptic Clues<br />

Across: 1 Country lovers (6) - 7 One<br />

isn’t covered this way (7) - 8 Show<br />

disdain for Winnie’s duplicity (4,4) -<br />

9 Mistake the method where a flotation<br />

may be in prospect (7) - 11<br />

Raises backs (5) - 12 Sound of a<br />

trumpet, any way you look at it ? (4)<br />

- 13 He deals with beastly complaints<br />

(3) - 15 For Summits, speak<br />

out of order (5) - 16 Heaven being<br />

the end of many a Russian in South<br />

Kentucky (3) - 18 The woman’s a<br />

goddess (4) - 20 Recognition received<br />

and given (5) - 21 Grab with<br />

the intention of maybe making a<br />

killing (4,3) - 22 The point of punctuation<br />

(4-4) - 23 Represents half<br />

side as being people from the north<br />

(7) - 24 Different people from parents<br />

losing their heads (6).<br />

Down: 1 Don’t let it be known you<br />

drink with reporters (8) - 2 Casually<br />

place arm round love and her<br />

friend, in an unprincipled manner<br />

(8) - 3 Back when necks where last<br />

seen on gorillas (5) - 4 Mexican<br />

painter to want out of walkathon<br />

round (5) - 5 Skipped the French<br />

army physical training (5) - 6 Liquid<br />

lost in purposeful lager production<br />

(6) - 7 Astrologer number on violin<br />

before a morning with you and me<br />

(11) - 10 Letters of credit (4) - 13<br />

Get vat in trouble and receive a decoration<br />

(8) - 14 Drawing lines?<br />

(3,5) - 15 Turn pale when making a<br />

request (4) - 17 Dishonest cards?<br />

(6) - 18 Sounds like what the kid<br />

does with a candy (5) - 19 Unusual<br />

first results of splits (5) - 20 Vacation<br />

time for composer (5).<br />

Yesterday’s solution<br />

A S T I F I E S T A<br />

E N C O N I B<br />

E V E S R U S T L E R S<br />

E T U G U T E<br />

I N C A O V E R H E A R<br />

H N A I K<br />

P U T T I N G U P W I T H<br />

N R U A H<br />

E D U C A T E S T E E N<br />

R A U L A C N<br />

N E W D E L H I H E E L<br />

D G L C U E W<br />

B E D E C K D U S T<br />

QUICK<br />

A D D S M I F F E D<br />

I E A U L N K<br />

A V O N M O U N T A I N<br />

O T I P F E N<br />

P R O F S U F F R A G E<br />

C O N O S<br />

S E C R E T S E R V I C E<br />

C L A E O<br />

H O L I D A Y S G U L P<br />

U N L T I E L<br />

A R M A D I L O T O E D<br />

T I B K E A G<br />

D R Y I C E L I E S<br />

CRYPTIC<br />

• FLIGHT SCHEDULE<br />

FROM-TO<br />

AGNI AIR<br />

NATIONAL<br />

DEPARTURE<br />

ARRIVAL<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0900/1010 AG701/702<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 1145/1250 AG703/704<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 1430/1535 AG705/706<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 0900/1030 AG801/802<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1230/1400 AG805/806<br />

KTM-LUK-KTM DAILY 0630/0745 AG101/102<br />

KTM-LUK-KTM<br />

BUDDHA AIR<br />

DAILY 0800/0915 AG103/104<br />

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1050/1250 U4951/952<br />

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1335/1535 U4953/954<br />

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 0920/1030 U4851/852<br />

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 1350/1520 U4855/856<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 0750/0930 U4703/704<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1000/1150 U4705/706<br />

KTM-DHI-KTM DAILY 1100/1335 U4251/252<br />

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 0930/1040 U4501/502<br />

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 1530/1635 U4505/506<br />

KTM-NPJ-KTM DAILY 0800/1020 U4451/452<br />

KTM-NPJ-KTM DAILY 1610/1840 U4405/406<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0730/0850 U4603/604<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0830/0950 U4605/606<br />

KTM-SIM-KTM DAILY 0930/1005 U4551/552<br />

KTM-SIM-KTM<br />

GUNA AIRLINES<br />

DAILY 1030/1105 U4553/554<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0940/1105 GNA051/052<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 1105/1220 GNA053/054<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1100/1235 GNA041/042<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1615/1750 GNA043/044<br />

KTM-SIF-KTM DAILY 0855/0940 GNA011/012<br />

KTM-SIF-KTM DAILY 1500/1545 GNA013/014<br />

KTM-BWA-KTM<br />

NEPAL AIRLINES<br />

DAILY 1250/1415 GNA071/072<br />

KTM-PPL-KTM SUN, FRI 0700/0825 RA117/118<br />

KTM-KDN-KTM WED 0700/0835 RA137/138<br />

KTM-TMK-KTM SUN 1020/1155 RA113/114<br />

KTM-LDN-KTM TUE 1020/1145 RA135/136<br />

KTM-LDN-KTM WED 0850/1155 RA135/136<br />

KTM-KGL-KTM MON 0840/1005 RA107/108<br />

KTM-SKH-KTM WED 1210/1515 RA153/154<br />

KTM-PKR MON,TUE 1500 RA167<br />

PKR-KTM TUE, WED 1225 RA168<br />

KTM-TMI-KTM<br />

YETI AIRLINES<br />

SAT 1000/1130 RA191/192<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0800/0910 NYT671/672<br />

KTM-PKR-KTM DAILY 0900/1010 NYT675/676<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 0900/1040 NYT787/788<br />

KTM-BIR-KTM DAILY 1220/1400 NYT791/792<br />

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1010/1200 NYT921/922<br />

KTM-BDP-KTM DAILY 1410/1600 NYT923/924<br />

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 0840/1000 NYT891/892<br />

KTM-BWA-KTM DAILY 1610/1730 NYT893/894<br />

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 1110/1140 NYT571/572<br />

KTM-JKP-KTM DAILY 1540/1650 NYT573/574<br />

KTM-TMI-KTM DAILY 1030/1200 NYT751/752<br />

KTM-DHI-KTM DAILY 1230/1510 NYT231/232<br />

**Please check with airlines for any change in schedule<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

NATIONAL<br />

Landless people staging a sit-in in front of the District Inland Revenue Office,<br />

Sindhupalchowk, on Sunday.<br />

Nepal says CA poll best option<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Birgunj, December 2<br />

CPN-UML senior leader<br />

Madhav Kumar Nepal today<br />

said the country has no<br />

choice but to hold fresh<br />

election to the Constituent<br />

Assembly to extricate the<br />

nation from the political<br />

stalemate.<br />

Addressing the party’s<br />

mass meeting in Mirjapur,<br />

Birgunj, Nepal said, “As the<br />

new poll to the CA is the<br />

best option available to bail<br />

the country from the political<br />

stand-off, parties have to<br />

join hands for the polls at<br />

the earliest.”<br />

Coming down heavily on<br />

the government, the UML<br />

leader made it clear that<br />

Bhattarai-led government<br />

had lost the constitutional<br />

and ethical grounds to conduct<br />

the election.<br />

“The current government<br />

cannot and will not hold the<br />

election. Even if it holds the<br />

election, it cannot be free<br />

and fair,” Nepal added.<br />

‘President can’t<br />

ignore small parties’<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Nawalparasi, December 2<br />

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-<br />

Nepal senior leader Keshar<br />

Bahadur Bista today said<br />

his party has serious objection<br />

to the President consulting<br />

only major parties<br />

about the issues pertaining<br />

to the country.<br />

He described the measures<br />

initiated by both the<br />

President and Cabinet as<br />

unconstitutional, at least<br />

in the present context.<br />

Bista was speaking at a<br />

press meet organised in<br />

Kawasoti to inform about<br />

the chariot procession for<br />

the demand to make Nepal<br />

a Hindu state.<br />

The RPPN leader went<br />

on to add that given the<br />

present circumstances<br />

there is no party which can<br />

called as big or small. He<br />

said RRPN wants a government<br />

under the leadership<br />

of an independent person<br />

rather than a consensus<br />

government to hold the<br />

election.<br />

Stating that RPPN favours<br />

a monarchical government,<br />

he said Nepal<br />

should be declared a Hindu<br />

state for the simple fact<br />

that 81 per cent of its population<br />

is Hindus.<br />

Khadka is new secy of Dahal<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Meeting of the office bearers<br />

of the UCPN-Maoist today<br />

decided to make<br />

changes in the personal<br />

secretariat of party Chairman<br />

Pushpa Kamal Dahal.<br />

Earlier, Dahal’s nephew<br />

Shamir Dahal was assisting<br />

him in the capacity of personal<br />

secretary, but after<br />

Nation to<br />

get new PM<br />

soon: Bista<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Syangja, December 2<br />

Magarat State Community<br />

Coordinator and former<br />

minister Lokendra<br />

Bista today said the selection<br />

of the prime minister<br />

will be announced soon.<br />

Speaking at an interaction<br />

programme on<br />

‘Identity-based federalism<br />

today’s need’ organised<br />

by the Joint Ethnicity<br />

Morcha, Bista said the selection<br />

of the PM will be<br />

declared soon.<br />

He went on to say that<br />

the PM might be Baburam<br />

Bhattarai, Sushil Koirala<br />

or any one from the<br />

Madhes-based parties or<br />

from other parties too.<br />

He said leaders should<br />

rise above partisan interest<br />

and stop saying that<br />

‘our party is the best’ as it<br />

already caused political<br />

insecurity in the country.<br />

Bista requested the<br />

voters to opt for a party<br />

that promises federalism.<br />

He accused some parties<br />

wanted to revive the Constituent<br />

Assembly and to<br />

announce the new structure<br />

as the 95 per cent<br />

works were completed.<br />

much criticism from the<br />

participants, the party had<br />

decided to make changes<br />

in the personal secretariat<br />

of the top leaders.<br />

The party today decided<br />

to appoint National Convention<br />

Organising Committee<br />

member Chudamani<br />

Khadka to replace<br />

Shamir Dahal. Dahal has<br />

been transferred to Newa<br />

State Committee.<br />

THT<br />

He reiterated that a consensus<br />

government was not<br />

possible unless the Bhattarai-led<br />

government put in<br />

its papers.<br />

The former prime minister<br />

also urged Bhattarai to<br />

surrender power and make<br />

the way for a <strong>national</strong> unity<br />

government.<br />

“Though Bhattarai had<br />

good thinking during the<br />

time of assuming power, his<br />

vision has regrettably<br />

changed over the time,”<br />

Nepal added.<br />

Land victims<br />

stage sit-in in<br />

Sindhupalchok<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Sindhupalchok, Dec 2<br />

Land victims of Sindhupalchok<br />

district today staged a<br />

sit-in protest in front of the<br />

District Land Revenue Office<br />

demanding to change<br />

Guthi land into Raikar<br />

land.<br />

They have been demanding<br />

to convert the<br />

Guthi land where they<br />

have been living for years<br />

into Raikar, however no<br />

initiatives have been taken<br />

so far.<br />

Hundreds of land victims<br />

from different villages<br />

have arrived in the district<br />

headquarters Chautara to<br />

participate in the protest<br />

led by the National Land<br />

Rights Forum (NLRF).<br />

The agitation will continue<br />

till Tuesday.<br />

“I don’t have high hopes.<br />

I don’t think the government<br />

will fulfill our demands,”<br />

said Bhagwati<br />

Pariyar, a land victim.<br />

Meanwhile, some victims<br />

said they were still<br />

hopeful.<br />

Last May, the government<br />

had published a notice<br />

through Gazette to<br />

probe into the issue. A<br />

probe committee was<br />

formed under the coordination<br />

of the Chief District<br />

Officer.<br />

The probe committee is<br />

learnt to have collected the<br />

applications from the affected<br />

farmers on the matter.<br />

As many as 2,926 people<br />

from 34 VDCs of the district<br />

have submitted the applications,<br />

a source said.<br />

However, District Land<br />

Revenue Officer Shree Ram<br />

Sharma said that the<br />

Supreme Court and the<br />

Commission for Investigation<br />

against Abused of the<br />

Authority (CIAA) had already<br />

given a clear verdict<br />

that Guthi land cannot be<br />

changed into Raikar under<br />

the existing legal provisions.<br />

“A verdict has already<br />

been pronounced. We,<br />

therefore, cannot solve the<br />

problem unless the existing<br />

law is changed,” Sharma<br />

added.<br />

According to NLRF, there<br />

are over 27,000 land victims<br />

in the district. While,<br />

as many as 3,000 families<br />

are landless, Land Rights<br />

Agitation Coordinator Hari<br />

Timalsina said.<br />

Wife shot dead<br />

DHANGADI: Tilak Sarumagar, a resident of<br />

Kailali’s Sahajpur VDC, shot dead his wife<br />

PAGE 5<br />

Kopila, 21, on Saturday night. The deceased<br />

was perpetrator’s first wife. Locals surmised<br />

that Tilak might have shot Kopila walked out<br />

on him. – HNS


PAGE 6 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

NATIONAL<br />

Orphans get Nepali citizenship<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Dharan, December 2<br />

Two orphans, who were taking<br />

shelter in Dharan-based<br />

Saraswati Orphanage, got<br />

citizenship cards from the<br />

Area Administration Office,<br />

Dharan, today.<br />

Sushma Tamang, 17, and<br />

Aaita Bahadur Tamang, 16,<br />

received the citizenship<br />

cards following a recommendation<br />

made by the orphan-<br />

age. Under-secretary at the<br />

administration office, Ram<br />

Mani Pokharel said the citizenship<br />

was provided as per<br />

the Citizenship Act 2063’s<br />

clause 3’s sub-clause ‘Ka’,<br />

adding, the fact that they<br />

were born in Nepal was also<br />

considered.<br />

Both Sushma and Aaita<br />

thanked the orphanage for<br />

its support. They are studying<br />

in Grade XI.<br />

Sushma said she wants to<br />

be a banker and Aaita Bahadur<br />

shared that he wishes<br />

to join civil service.<br />

There are altogether 24<br />

children taking shelter in the<br />

orphanage.<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Charikot, December 2<br />

Veteran Nepali Congress<br />

leader Bhim Bahadur Tamang,<br />

who passed away yesterday,<br />

had traits of a true<br />

Gandhian who believed in<br />

working for the nation selflessly.<br />

While other NC leaders<br />

who became ministers have<br />

bungalows in the Capital<br />

and have amassed wealth,<br />

late Tamang had nothing<br />

except a land he inherited<br />

from his father at Dolakha’s<br />

Jhule VDC.<br />

Born to a middle-class<br />

family, Tamang had to<br />

struggle to manage even<br />

two meals a day. Family<br />

sources say Tamang never<br />

thought of amassing wealth<br />

and property using his political<br />

leverage. “I want to<br />

serve the country and people.<br />

If you want to do something<br />

for the society, do remember<br />

me,” Bal Bahadur<br />

Pakhrin recalls his brother<br />

Tamang as saying.<br />

Born and brought up in<br />

India’s Kurseong, Tamang<br />

had returned to his village<br />

at the age of 16. Since then,<br />

he devoted himself to social<br />

service. He never demanded<br />

money even when he<br />

taught at a school in his vil-<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

Tamang, a true Gandhian<br />

‘Cultural progress<br />

key for overall<br />

growth of Madhes’<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha<br />

Thakur said Madhesis’ struggle with<br />

the state for identity and existence was imperative<br />

for Madhesis to explore and enrich its<br />

history, language, culture and civilisation of<br />

the region.<br />

Addressing a seminar on Saint Meira, a Muslim<br />

mystic idolised in Hindu houses, organised<br />

by the Madhes Initiative, Thakur said Madhesis’<br />

heightened political awareness was contributing<br />

positively to the promotion of all aspects<br />

of life-culture, language, history, religion<br />

and social harmony.<br />

Researcher Govind Sah had presented a paper<br />

on Saint Meira.<br />

Thakur said development of culture was<br />

necessary to attain the goal of overall development<br />

of the region.<br />

Various faiths, he said, have lived in harmony<br />

in Madhes, and it is a positive development<br />

that such awareness is increasing in all aspects<br />

of the Madhes region.<br />

“We are rich in history and culture, yet we<br />

are backward. Our scholars should look into<br />

the causes that relegate us,” he added.<br />

Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi)<br />

President Sarita Giri said researcher Sah’s work<br />

was the beginning of the writing of social harmony.<br />

“Madhes suffered numerous attacks in<br />

the past, yet the fabric of Madhes remains intact.<br />

Researchers should bring forth the<br />

strengths of Madhes people,” she added.<br />

Likewise, former minister Dambar Narayan<br />

Yadav said all Madhes issues should be linked<br />

to the development of the region.<br />

Researcher Sah said there were many historical<br />

aspects of Madhes that were not adequately<br />

addressed, written or preserved in the <strong>national</strong><br />

archives or library, and therefore, he decided<br />

to study on the Muslim saint who was<br />

being revered in Hindu houses.<br />

He said Meira was a symbol that binds Hindus<br />

and Muslims together like Tajiya and<br />

Daha.Some Hindu castes revere Meira as<br />

Kuldevta like Teli, Sudi, Baniya, Kalwar and<br />

Haluwai.<br />

lage. “We used to help him<br />

when he was in need, but he<br />

never asked for money,”<br />

Tamang’s student Lal Bahadur<br />

Yonjan recounted.<br />

Tamang had urged his relatives<br />

to cremate his body<br />

in his village after his death.<br />

“His wish remained unfulfilled,”<br />

Dhan Kumari said.<br />

She had been taking care of<br />

the late leader for the past<br />

37 years. “I have lost my<br />

guardian,” she added.<br />

Tamang’s relative Rajendra<br />

Yonjan has urged the<br />

government to blacktop<br />

Bhirkot-Jhule-Chhaude<br />

and name it after late Bhim<br />

Bahadur.<br />

When the former leader<br />

had become law minister in<br />

1994, he had visited his village<br />

and donated all the<br />

money he received from<br />

Parliament Development<br />

Fund to the village school.<br />

The school buildings of<br />

Jan Prabhat Secondary and<br />

Amar Higher Secondary<br />

School were constructed<br />

with Tamang’s financial<br />

support.<br />

Teachers Union Dolakah’s<br />

Chairman Shankarlal<br />

Shrestha said they have lost<br />

their guardian. He said all<br />

the schools in Dolakah were<br />

shut today to pay respect to<br />

late Tamang.<br />

Seven-year-old killed in fire<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Pokhara, December 2<br />

A minor was killed and two others<br />

injured, all in one family, in a<br />

massive fire that broke out at a<br />

squatters’ settlement at Patneri,<br />

Pokhara, on Saturday night.<br />

Devi BK’s seven-year-old son<br />

A student with hearing disability delivering speech in sign<br />

language at an oratory competition in Itahari, on Sunday.<br />

29 inmates shifted<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Pokhara, December 2<br />

As many as 29 prisoners of the<br />

District Prison, Kaski, have been<br />

shifted elsewhere since prisoners<br />

clashed two weeks ago.<br />

The clash over a minor issue<br />

left 25 injured. Of them, 19 were<br />

shifted a week ago, four on Friday<br />

and six today to other districts'<br />

jails.<br />

Jail administration said the<br />

jailbirds have been shifted to<br />

other districts for the security<br />

purpose.<br />

Jailer Sunil Adhikari said the<br />

Santosh died when the fire engulfed<br />

the house. Her other son<br />

Buddhi, 9, and daughter Bina, 3,<br />

were hurt in the incident.<br />

The house caught fire from the<br />

taper when there was power outage.<br />

Santosh breathed his last<br />

while undergoing treatment at<br />

the Manipal Hospital.<br />

THT<br />

leader of inmates, Chandra Gurung<br />

has been shifted to Birgunj,<br />

eight to Rautahat, 10 to Palpa,<br />

four to Kathmandu, three each<br />

to Parbat and Myagdi jails.<br />

A probe committee formed after<br />

the clash under the leadership<br />

of Assistant Chief District<br />

Officer Antar Bahadur Silwal<br />

along with Jailer Sunil Adhikari<br />

and Inspector Rabindra Nath<br />

Poudel had suggested shifting 20<br />

inmates from the jail.<br />

The prison with the capacity of<br />

60 jailbirds has 354 prisoners.<br />

The committee has also suggested<br />

installing CCTV in the prison.


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

PAGE 7


PAGE 8 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

TheHimalayan<br />

T I M E S<br />

A THOUGHT FOR T ODAY<br />

What does not kill me makes me stronger.<br />

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe<br />

Towards justice<br />

The Nepalese authorities have been accused of<br />

continuing to deny the victims’ rights to truth and<br />

justice. The United Nations says that the envisaged<br />

transitional justice mechanisms in Nepal are not sufficient<br />

to deal with the past human rights violations.<br />

This evaluation should be taken seriously, as the ruling<br />

goes that what the Nepal Government has come<br />

up with does not meet the human rights standards<br />

that has been set by the Universal Declaration of Humans<br />

Rights which advocates the guaranteeing of<br />

basic human rights. The state is not sensitive to its<br />

duty to guarantee law and order and justice. The<br />

United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) has<br />

rejected the arguments on a case of enforced disappearance<br />

and has hoped that the case be declared inadmissible.<br />

This is indeed a serious allegation and<br />

the HRC will keep a close watch on the case examining<br />

its merits. Meanwhile, the government of Nepal<br />

requested that the case be declared inadmissible by<br />

the HRC insisting that since the case occurred during<br />

the conflict period when human rights were violated,<br />

it should be investigated by the transitional justice<br />

mechanisms, in this case Truth and Reconciliation<br />

Commission and Enforced Disappearance Commission.<br />

In this context, the government has said that the<br />

criminal investigations are ongoing .<br />

Meanwhile, it was found that Nepal had failed to<br />

demonstrate that it was<br />

indeed carrying out the<br />

The Nepalese criminal investigations<br />

authorities have on the alleged crime. The<br />

first action against the en-<br />

been accused forced disappearance<br />

of continuing to was taken only in 2007, 11<br />

years after the event, and<br />

deny the<br />

so far very little progress<br />

victims’ rights has been made in the investigations.<br />

This is just<br />

to truth<br />

one case of injustice and<br />

and justice<br />

an instance of the perpetuation<br />

of the overall state<br />

of immunity that serves to tarnish the image of Nepal<br />

in the inter<strong>national</strong> arena for failing to meet its inter<strong>national</strong><br />

obligations. This case has aroused much<br />

concern for it projects that Nepal is not heading in<br />

the correct direction. The immediate need is to implement<br />

a policy that would aim to uphold the victims’<br />

rights to truth and justice. What it all points to is<br />

that the HRC report is right in assessing that the potential<br />

transitional justice mechanisms cannot be<br />

sufficient for guaranteeing the victims the rights to<br />

justice and truth.<br />

What is recommended now is that Nepal stop<br />

breaching its inter<strong>national</strong> obligations, and for the<br />

authorities to take the necessary steps to carry out investigations<br />

without further delay on the grave human<br />

rights violations that took place during the conflict<br />

period. It also calls for further steps to identify<br />

the responsible people and judge them before capable<br />

ordinary courts where necessary punishment is<br />

meted out according to the gravity of the crimes that<br />

they had committed. Despite much discussions<br />

about such instances of human rights violations, it is<br />

a pity to observe that the government-formulated<br />

transitional justice mechanisms have only been a<br />

cover-up to let the guilty escape, thereby, sabotaging<br />

the fight against impunity. Herein, the UN body’s assessment<br />

must be the guideline in keeping with the<br />

inter<strong>national</strong> obligations.<br />

Gloomy scenario<br />

The Fourth National AIDS Conference kicked off<br />

Saturday when there are allegations of abuse of<br />

funds meant for the victims. It may be disheartening<br />

to note that since 1995 Rs. 5 billion has been invested<br />

in the HIV sector in the far western region but there<br />

are no results to justify the massive investment, all<br />

which have come from foreign donations. It is quite<br />

shocking that the funds meant for the HIV/AIDS victims<br />

have disappeared. This obviously points to the<br />

fact that funds have poured in but no commensurate<br />

works have been undertaken. This is outright abuse<br />

of the money that the foreign donors had made available<br />

for creating succour to the victims. Such misappropriation<br />

of funds meant to tackle the scourge of<br />

the modern times is condemnable in the harshest of<br />

terms. Moreover, the plans and programmes against<br />

HIV/AIDS seem to be moving on an ad hoc basis.<br />

It has come to light that many NGOs working in the<br />

HIV/AIDS sector do not submit their reports as to<br />

how the foreign donations have been used leaving<br />

enough room for them to abuse the funds to their<br />

own advantage. It is high time for transparency and<br />

accountability as regards the use of foreign donations<br />

in anti-HIV/AIDS campaign.<br />

• LETTERS<br />

For better<br />

managed TIA<br />

This is with reference to the<br />

news article “Tribhuban Int’l<br />

Airport to restart visitors’ deck<br />

today” (THT, Nov. 26 Nov,Page<br />

10). It sounds good, as it will<br />

mean a continuous flow of<br />

money for the TIA, which will<br />

be in millions in a year’s time.<br />

This is the gross negligence of<br />

the TIA authorities to stop the<br />

visitors’ deck for almost 15<br />

years. This money could have<br />

been well used for the<br />

improvement of the<br />

inter<strong>national</strong> airport, which is<br />

now pathetic. The restrooms<br />

are in the worst condition but<br />

the TIA authorities are not<br />

doing anything for their<br />

improvement. Only last year,<br />

TIA publicly announced that it<br />

would introduce 300 new taxis<br />

for the passengers as in other<br />

inter<strong>national</strong> airports. But,<br />

nothing has happened so far.<br />

The harassment of the tourists<br />

continue by the taxi drivers<br />

which gives a very bad image of<br />

the country and the airport<br />

authorities. There had been<br />

drastic lack of law and order at<br />

the TIA. The only inter<strong>national</strong><br />

airport remains the main<br />

DR UMESH SHARMA<br />

The risk of death after<br />

surgery is a combination<br />

of the risks associated<br />

with the operation, the illness<br />

that necessitated the<br />

operation, and other factors<br />

causing death (that is independent<br />

of the operation) in<br />

patients who undergo<br />

surgery.<br />

The use of routine statistics<br />

to analyze death rate as<br />

an indicator of hospital care<br />

has been advocated worldwide<br />

for at least several<br />

years. Hospital fatality<br />

rate is most readily available<br />

measure of postoperative<br />

mortality. It is influenced<br />

by length of stay in<br />

hospital and can be hard<br />

to interpret.<br />

Fatality rates after particular<br />

operations are sometimes<br />

compared with fatality<br />

rates in the general population<br />

by calculating standardized<br />

mortality ratios.<br />

Most deaths related to operations<br />

are likely to be concentrated<br />

in definable periods<br />

shortly after operation.<br />

The health and underlying<br />

risk of death of surgical patients<br />

are likely to differ<br />

from those of the general<br />

population and between<br />

operations.<br />

Fatality rates are higher<br />

after emergency admissions<br />

than after similar operations<br />

undertaken selective-<br />

• TOPICS<br />

DR.SAMLEE PLIANBANGCHANG<br />

Ten years ago, the idea of<br />

elimination of HIV would<br />

have sounded like a pipedream.<br />

However, this is now considered<br />

a realistic goal due to substantial<br />

progress made through years of<br />

commitment, investment and<br />

collective action. New HIV infections<br />

now show a declining trend<br />

globally. All eleven countries in<br />

WHO’s South-East Asia Region<br />

showed a decline by 34% in the<br />

past decade.<br />

The overall decline in the Region<br />

is cause for increased optimism,<br />

however complacency<br />

now could become our greatest<br />

enemy. Those most “at risk” of<br />

HIV are disproportionately affected<br />

by the disease and are also<br />

gateway to Nepal for air<br />

travellers. Mismanagement of<br />

the airport and the failure to<br />

give a good impression will not<br />

be liked by the tourists coming<br />

in. And, let’s not forget that<br />

tourism is one of our main<br />

sources of income. Therefore,<br />

the Tribhuvan Inter<strong>national</strong><br />

Airport has to go improvements<br />

in a big way if it wants the<br />

ly. Fatality rates in the first<br />

years after emergency operations<br />

can be higher than<br />

that in the general population.<br />

By contrast, patients<br />

who are selected for elective<br />

surgery for restoring different<br />

functions may be<br />

healthier than the average.<br />

The death rate among<br />

Irish patients after surgery is<br />

among the highest in Europe.<br />

Ireland ranked near<br />

the top of the table for rates<br />

of unexplained post-surgical<br />

deaths. Latvia has the<br />

highest rate.<br />

The study, published in<br />

the “Lancet” journal, found<br />

that post-surgical death<br />

rates varied widely. Iceland<br />

does best at 1.2 per cent,<br />

while the rate is 21.5 per<br />

cent in Latvia. Britain’s rate<br />

is 3.6 per cent. The study<br />

found nearly three quarters<br />

of patients who died were<br />

never admitted to intensive<br />

care.<br />

Failure to allocate critical<br />

care resources to patients at<br />

greatest risk of death is a serious<br />

public health concern<br />

for patients undergoing<br />

surgery in Europe. It said<br />

“there are several possible<br />

reasons, including rising legal<br />

costs, high patients expectations<br />

and the increased<br />

risks associated<br />

with advances in technology<br />

and complex care”.<br />

Variations in mortality<br />

between countries suggest<br />

HIV testing critical to ending AIDS<br />

among the least empowered.<br />

They include the youth, those<br />

who inject drugs, female sex<br />

workers, men who have sex with<br />

men (MSM), transgender people<br />

and migrants. Zero new HIV infections<br />

and zero AIDS-related<br />

deaths by 2015 can be achieved<br />

through greater efforts directed<br />

towards “at risk” populations to<br />

encourage increased testing.<br />

HIV prevention services for<br />

these people need to be expanded<br />

to battle the concentrated<br />

epidemic found in this Region.<br />

The role of HIV testing and<br />

counselling is extremely important<br />

to ensure knowledge of a<br />

person’s HIV status. It is also the<br />

entry point to HIV care and<br />

treatment services. Furthermore<br />

it offers access to HIV prevention<br />

• BLOG SURF • CARTOON<br />

How much...???<br />

ROSHAN<br />

When two flowers cuddled, people believed<br />

that the actor and actress in the<br />

mainstream cinema were romancing. People<br />

blushed with that very imagination. Women<br />

showing their ankle were termed bad ‘coz they<br />

were supposed to be well covered. It was the<br />

matter of then. Things have completely<br />

changed now. A single girl hangs out with numerous<br />

boys and vice-versa. A gender issue<br />

doesn’t arise in friendship anymore. Similarly,<br />

the comfort zone has been upgraded to the<br />

next level too. Sex has been the need of the<br />

body and individuals doesn’t have to be tangled<br />

with the procession of marriage for that.<br />

Maslow’s Hierarchy of need portrayed “Love &<br />

Affection” as one of the need too where we<br />

studied in our class that SEX is an important<br />

part of it.But the question arises, how much is<br />

too much??? Smooching passionately in public,<br />

making love & similar XYZ stuffs of course<br />

that is kinda too much... But if individuals are<br />

having a private affair behind the closed<br />

doors...respect their privacy... —www.stuffsforall.com<br />

tourists to remember the country<br />

to return again.<br />

Rajendra Gurbacharya,<br />

Tahachal Bagaicha,<br />

Kathmandu<br />

Danger<br />

Caretaker Prime Minister Dr<br />

Baburam Bhattarai is reported<br />

to have remarked in Baglung in<br />

Western Nepal very recently<br />

that the country would face a<br />

catastrophe if the President<br />

tried to cross the constitutional<br />

limits, and acted as the<br />

executive. In India they have<br />

Presidential rules whenever<br />

they require to do so. Such<br />

Presidential rules have saved<br />

Indian democracy. Such<br />

Presidential rules are fully<br />

constitutional according to the<br />

Indian Constitution. It is very<br />

hard to understand why the<br />

Postoperative mortality<br />

A health concern<br />

The increasing number of specialty<br />

services, addressing the infrastructure<br />

needs and upgrading the facilities at<br />

government hospitals in the districts can<br />

definitely reduce post-operative mortality.<br />

This is because pre-existing ailments can<br />

be prevented even before they<br />

become more complicated<br />

the need for <strong>national</strong> and<br />

inter<strong>national</strong> strategies to<br />

improve care for this group<br />

of patients. Clinical outcomes<br />

after major surgery<br />

are poorly described at the<br />

<strong>national</strong> level. Evidence of<br />

heterogeneity between hospitals<br />

and health care systems<br />

suggests potential to<br />

information which can persuade<br />

people who are at-risk to change<br />

their behaviour and reduce the<br />

risk. Today a person infected<br />

with HIV can remain healthy<br />

and live long with antiretroviral<br />

therapy. They can also take measures<br />

to prevent spreading the<br />

virus to others. However most<br />

at-risk populations are reluctant<br />

to approach HIV testing and<br />

counselling services.<br />

Addressing the health needs of<br />

at-risk populations can be challenging<br />

when laws and practices<br />

criminalize populations at highest<br />

risk for HIV, and deter them<br />

from HIV prevention and care<br />

services. We know what needs to<br />

be done for halting and reversing<br />

the HIV epidemic among the<br />

vulnerable and those at highest<br />

President should not rule in<br />

Nepal when the interim<br />

constitution has<br />

constitutionally bestowed all<br />

the executive and the legislative<br />

powers on him. If Presidential<br />

rules in India does not cause<br />

catastrophe, certainly Nepal<br />

need not fear its (catastrophe’s)<br />

risk. On the contrary, there<br />

seems to be a very big risk of<br />

catastrophe in the country if the<br />

President is unconstitutionally<br />

obstructed to exercise his<br />

executive and legislative<br />

powers accumulated on him<br />

since the demise of the<br />

CA/Parliament.<br />

Megha Nepal, Kathmandu<br />

Reason<br />

Having read Ajay Risal’s piece<br />

“Meeting Buddha in Sri Lanka:<br />

Deep devotion and faith” (THT,<br />

improve care of the patients,<br />

but the potential remains<br />

unconfirmed.<br />

No such study on post operative<br />

mortality has been<br />

carried out in Nepal and this<br />

could vary depending upon<br />

the health-care facilities in<br />

different hospitals and regions.<br />

The causative factor<br />

risk. There is an urgent need for<br />

scaling-up services. We need to<br />

expand HIV testing and counselling;<br />

involve affected and infected<br />

communities for spreading<br />

awareness about knowing<br />

one’s HIV status and enrolment<br />

into care for those who test positive.<br />

Ongoing support and care is<br />

critical as more and more HIVpositive<br />

people on treatment live<br />

longer. WHO continues to advance<br />

and update evidence on<br />

newer technologies and treatment<br />

initiatives in collaboration<br />

with country programmes and<br />

other stakeholders to ensure<br />

that we move together and faster<br />

towards the end of AIDS.<br />

Dr. Plianbangchangm<br />

is Regional Director,WHO<br />

South-East Asia Region<br />

Nov. 30, Page 8) on Sri Lanka, it<br />

brought back my memories<br />

when I was there. Our boastings<br />

about Buddha and Sagarmatha<br />

are just hollow and gives a<br />

notion as if both were our<br />

creations! It was indeed a<br />

humbling experience to see a<br />

Sri Lankan showing his feeling<br />

towards someone from a<br />

“Buddha Country”. It was<br />

enough reason for him to waive<br />

entrance fee while I was visiting<br />

the sprawling Kandy Tooth<br />

temple in central Sri Lanka. Will<br />

we ever learn to be modest and<br />

caring?<br />

Armugam,<br />

via e-mail<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

for the mortality would not<br />

be that much different, but<br />

to address or manage the<br />

evolving or unexpected<br />

complications is something<br />

where the hospital with sophisticated<br />

facility has an<br />

advantage.<br />

Any surgery is a team<br />

work of clinicians, surgeons,<br />

anesthesiologist, nursing<br />

and paramedical staffs. The<br />

result depends upon the efficiency,<br />

experience, working<br />

environment, and workload<br />

of the concern medical<br />

team or doctors. The<br />

surgery performed in the<br />

mornings with fresh minds<br />

may differ from the surgeries<br />

performed later in the<br />

day or at odd hours. This is<br />

because fatigue also comes<br />

to become a concerned,<br />

particularly in countries<br />

that lack adequate human<br />

resources.<br />

In the past few years there<br />

has been remarkable development<br />

in the healthcare<br />

system in urban Nepal. This<br />

has been made possible by<br />

the establishment of a number<br />

of medical colleges and<br />

private hospitals.<br />

Nepal is also one of those<br />

countries where there is<br />

high fatality in road traffic<br />

accidents, floods and other<br />

natural disasters compared<br />

to that taking place in health<br />

care institutions. However,<br />

the public interest or concern<br />

about these fatalities<br />

Letters to this column should be addressed to<br />

Letters C/o Edit Page Editor,The Himalayan Times,<br />

Post Box 11651,APCA House,<br />

Baidya Khana Road, Kathmandu, Nepal<br />

email: edit@thehimalayantimes.com,<br />

Fax 0977-1-4771959<br />

are placid compared to a<br />

few deaths that take place at<br />

hospitals, where the institutions<br />

have been vandalized<br />

and doctors have been harassed<br />

or threatened and<br />

even beaten up. Given that<br />

hospital deaths sometimes<br />

take place for reasons beyond<br />

the control of doctors,<br />

the public reaction is unfair<br />

to say the least, and almost<br />

disproportional when compared<br />

to fatalities taking<br />

place due to accidents and<br />

natural disasters that are<br />

preventable.<br />

The increasing number of<br />

specialty services, addressing<br />

the infrastructure needs<br />

and upgrading the facilities<br />

at government hospitals in<br />

the districts can definitely<br />

reduce post-operative mortality.<br />

This is because pre-existing<br />

ailments can be prevented<br />

even before they become<br />

more complicated.<br />

The public anger shown towards<br />

the final health-care<br />

providers (with specialized<br />

services) is not in any<br />

way going to influence the<br />

overall outcome if due attention<br />

that is very<br />

much needed at the government<br />

run institutions, particularly<br />

in the districts, is<br />

ignored.<br />

Dr. Sharma is Associate<br />

Professor, Kathmandu<br />

Medical College and B&B<br />

Hospital<br />

• THT 10 YEARS AGO<br />

UML game for<br />

referendum: Nepal<br />

Rastriya Samachar Samiti<br />

Birgunj, December 2, 2002<br />

The CPN-UML is ready even for a referendum<br />

on the issue of preserving the<br />

constitution and settling the Maoist<br />

problem. Speaking at a press meet organised<br />

by the Press Chutari, general secretary<br />

of the party Madhav Kumar Nepal<br />

said here today that his party is even<br />

ready to join the government if the King<br />

makes an attempt to constitute a government<br />

in accordance with the article 128<br />

of the constitution. The present government<br />

does not have any authority for formulating<br />

policies and making the 10th<br />

five-year plan, he said. It has turned a<br />

deaf ear to resolving the problems of violence<br />

and terror in the country and conducting<br />

general election, he said. He said<br />

the Maoist problem is a political one and<br />

hence it should be settled through negotiations.<br />

In Bara, addressing a meeting of<br />

UML cadre, he urged the Maoists to shun<br />

violence. He said the Maoists would not<br />

achieve any constructive objective by<br />

killing those who did not agree with<br />

them. “In fact by misusing the name of<br />

Mao they have violated the noble objective<br />

of communist movement,” said<br />

Nepal. Himalayan News Service reports<br />

from Kathmandu: The CPN (UML) is<br />

finding it difficult to control its cadre, as<br />

they are demanding more violent street<br />

protests than what what ht is being done<br />

now, says party general secretary Madhav<br />

Kumar Nepal.<br />

WLL introduced in<br />

three districts<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2, 2002<br />

With an attempt to extend telecommunications<br />

service in rural areas,<br />

Nepal Telecommunication Corporation<br />

Rural Development has installed Wireless<br />

Local Loop (WLL) in three districts of<br />

the western development region. The<br />

project, especially focussed in the terai<br />

for now, is said to be implemented in the<br />

whole of western development region. At<br />

present, the WLL has been implemented<br />

in Kapilavastu, Nawalparasi and Rupendehi<br />

districts.<br />

“We will increase the lines to 5,000 if<br />

the pilot project sees success,” said Vesh<br />

Raj Kanel, director at the NTC rural secretariat.<br />

If all goes well, the project would<br />

be completed within three to four years,<br />

said Kanel. The agreement of the 423 million<br />

telecom project was made between<br />

NTC and Telkon NV Rural Telecommunications<br />

of Belgium on October 31. “The<br />

agreement has been made for 5,500 WLL<br />

lines,” Kanel said. The project, according<br />

to Kanel, is being implemented under the<br />

Special Rural Telecommunications Programme<br />

(SRTP) of the government in a<br />

bid to extend telecommunications facilities<br />

who are deprived of it in an effective<br />

way. Likewise, the SRTP has already received<br />

60 V-sat terminals and V-sat<br />

phones from STM, an American company.<br />

The V-sat phones, especially targeted<br />

for the hilly and mountainous regions,<br />

have already been installed in five districts<br />

– Dhading, Jumla, Humla, Gulmi,<br />

and Lamjung.


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

INTERNATIONAL<br />

Japan highway tunnel<br />

collapse kills five<br />

Smoke billows out of the Sasago Tunnel on the Chuo<br />

Expressway in Koshu, Japan, after a part of the tunnel<br />

collapsed on Sunday morning.<br />

Agence France Presse<br />

Otsuki, December 2<br />

Japanese rescuers found five charred bodies<br />

in a highway tunnel that collapsed today,<br />

crushing cars and triggering a blaze,<br />

NKorea<br />

gearing up<br />

for rocket<br />

launch<br />

Reuters<br />

Seoul, December 2<br />

North Korea said it would<br />

carry out its second rocket<br />

launch of 2012 as its<br />

youthful leader Kim<br />

Jong-un flexes his muscles<br />

a year after his father’s<br />

death, in a move<br />

that South Korea and the<br />

United States swiftly condemned<br />

as a provocation.<br />

North Korea’s state news<br />

agency announced the<br />

decision to launch another<br />

space satellite yesterday,<br />

just a day after<br />

Kim met a senior delegation<br />

from China’s Communist<br />

Party in the North<br />

Korean capital of Pyongyang.<br />

China, under new<br />

leadership, is North<br />

Korea’s only major political<br />

backer and has continually<br />

urged peace on<br />

the Korean peninsula,<br />

where the North and<br />

South remain technically<br />

at war after an armistice,<br />

rather than a peace<br />

treaty, ended the 1950-53<br />

conflict.<br />

China’s Foreign Ministry<br />

said it was deeply<br />

concerned, but urged<br />

calm.<br />

“North Korea has a<br />

right to the peaceful use<br />

of space, but this right<br />

has been restricted by<br />

United Nations Security<br />

Council resolutions. China<br />

hopes all sides can do<br />

more to benefit peace<br />

and stability on the<br />

peninsula, and hopes all<br />

sides handle it calmly to<br />

avoid the situation escalating,”<br />

ministry<br />

spokesman Qin Gang<br />

said in a statement.<br />

In Washington, the<br />

United States Department<br />

of State spokeswoman<br />

Victoria Nuland<br />

condemned the launch<br />

plan as a provocative<br />

threat to the Asia-Pacific<br />

region that would<br />

violate United Nations<br />

resolutions imposed on<br />

Pyongyang after past<br />

missile tests.<br />

“A North Korean<br />

‘satellite’ launch would<br />

be a highly provocative<br />

act that threatens peace<br />

and security in the<br />

region,” she said in a<br />

written statement.<br />

AFP / RSS<br />

and sparking fears of another<br />

cave-in.<br />

At least seven people<br />

were missing inside the<br />

nearly five-kilometrelong<br />

tunnel. Witnesses<br />

spoke of terrifying scenes<br />

as at least one vehicle<br />

burst into flames, sending<br />

out clouds of blinding,<br />

acrid smoke.<br />

For several hours rescuers<br />

were forced to suspend<br />

their efforts to<br />

reach those believed<br />

trapped under the morethan<br />

one tonne concrete<br />

ceiling panels that<br />

crashed from the roof as<br />

engineers warned more<br />

debris could fall.<br />

Emergency crews who<br />

rushed to the Sasago tunnel<br />

on the Chuo Expressway,<br />

80 kilometres west of<br />

the capital, were hampered<br />

by thick smoke billowing<br />

from the entrance.<br />

Dozens of people<br />

abandoned their vehicles<br />

on the Tokyo-bound section<br />

of carriageway, and<br />

ran for one of the emergency<br />

exits or for the<br />

mouth, where they huddled<br />

in bitter winter<br />

weather.<br />

Emergency crews<br />

equipped with breathing<br />

apparatus battled around<br />

a third of the way into the<br />

tunnel, where they found<br />

110 metres of concrete<br />

panels had come crashing down, crushing<br />

at least two vehicles.<br />

Hours after the collapse, engineers<br />

warned the structure could be unstable,<br />

forcing rescuers to halt their work as a<br />

team of experts assessed the danger.<br />

Pakistan seizes 14<br />

tonnes of explosives<br />

Agence France Presse<br />

Quetta, December 2<br />

Pakistani authorities seized<br />

nearly 14 tonnes of potassium<br />

chlorate, a key ingredient<br />

in bomb-making, from<br />

a bus in the country’s violent<br />

and unstable southwest<br />

today, officials said.<br />

The haul was made when<br />

officials acting on a tip-off<br />

stopped a bus just outside<br />

the city of Quetta loaded<br />

with the volatile substance<br />

hidden under cartons of<br />

food, an official with the<br />

government paramilitary<br />

force said.<br />

“We have seized some<br />

13,900 kilograms of potassium<br />

chlorate from a bus and<br />

arrested five people,” Frontier<br />

Corps Captain Johar<br />

Sarwar said.<br />

“The substance was hidden<br />

in sacks under various<br />

food items.” Frontier Corps<br />

spokesman Murtaza Baig<br />

confirmed the haul and<br />

said the substance could be<br />

used to make bombs and<br />

was so dangerous that only<br />

a simple detonator was<br />

needed to make a deadly<br />

device.<br />

The bus was bound for<br />

the remote town of<br />

Naushki, around110 kilometres<br />

west of Quetta, he<br />

said.<br />

The bomb disposal officers<br />

were summoned to<br />

check for detonators, but<br />

they found none, he added.<br />

Baluchistan province, of<br />

which Quetta is the capital,<br />

is frequently hit by bomb<br />

attacks.<br />

The oil and gas-rich area<br />

borders Iran and<br />

Afghanistan, and suffers<br />

from sectarian violence,<br />

attack by Taliban militants<br />

and a tribal insurgency.<br />

Baluch rebels rose up in<br />

2004, demanding political<br />

autonomy and a greater<br />

share of profits from the<br />

region’s mineral resources.<br />

Man braves death to save lives<br />

Associated Press<br />

Casper, December 2<br />

Gravely wounded by an<br />

arrow fired into his head, a<br />

college instructor still managed<br />

to wrestle with his 25year-old<br />

son who carried<br />

out the attack and gave his<br />

students time to flee the<br />

classroom, say police who<br />

hailed the actions as heroic.<br />

Gruesome details of the<br />

murers came to light yesterday,<br />

a day after the young<br />

man killed his father’s livein<br />

girlfriend, then barged<br />

into his father’s computer<br />

science class and shot him<br />

in the head with a highpowered<br />

bow and arrow.<br />

As James Krumm, 56,<br />

fought with son Christopher<br />

Krumm to save himself,<br />

the handful of students<br />

in the Casper College classroom<br />

fled the classroom.<br />

Christopher Krumm had<br />

stabbed 42-year-old Heidi<br />

Arnold to death at her<br />

home that she shared with<br />

James Krumm.<br />

Police found Christopher<br />

Krumm bleeding from self-<br />

PAGE 9<br />

inflicted knife wounds.<br />

“I can tell you the<br />

courage that was demonstrated<br />

by Krumm was<br />

absolutely without equal,”<br />

he said, adding that the<br />

instructor’s actions could<br />

offer some measure of<br />

comfort to those affected by<br />

the killings. Authorities believe<br />

“around six” students<br />

were in the classroom when<br />

Christopher Krumm entered,<br />

Casper police<br />

spokesman Justin Smith<br />

said. None of the students<br />

were hurt.


PAGE 10 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

Business<br />

• BIZ BRIEFS<br />

Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal<br />

during the inauguration of<br />

Anugraha Cooperative Ltd’s AGM ,<br />

in Kathmandu, on Sunday.<br />

NOC seeks loan<br />

THT<br />

KATHMANDU: Nepal Oil Corporation<br />

(NOC) has asked the government<br />

to release a loan of Rs 1.60 billion<br />

to maintain smooth supply of<br />

petroleum products. NOC’s estimated<br />

loss has increased to Rs 560 million<br />

every month, according to the<br />

December 1 price list sent by its sole<br />

supplier Indian Oil Corporation<br />

(IOC). “The loss estimation was Rs<br />

204 million every month, as per the<br />

price list of IOC, 15 days back,” said<br />

chief of the distribution department<br />

of NOC Shiva Prasad Pudasaini. The<br />

loss-making corporation has asked<br />

the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies<br />

to manage the loan to maintain<br />

smooth supply, he said. The loss in<br />

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and<br />

diesel has increased, based on the<br />

December 1 price list, he informed.<br />

The loss in every cylinder of LPG has<br />

increased to Rs 656 from Rs 508, he<br />

said, adding that the loss to the corporation<br />

in diesel has increased to Rs<br />

3.52 from Rs 1.91. — HNS<br />

Spain’s public deficit<br />

MADRID: Spanish prime minister<br />

Mariano Rajoy said in remarks published<br />

on Sunday it would be difficult<br />

to meet the goal of cutting public<br />

deficit to 6.3 per cent of gross domestic<br />

product this year in line with European<br />

Union demands. “It is very<br />

complicated to reduce the deficit<br />

by 2.6 points in a context of recession,<br />

with as many problems with revenue<br />

and such high financing costs,” Rajoy<br />

told La Razon newspaper. “Spain<br />

was asked to make a very difficult effort,<br />

to go from 8.9 per cent to 6.3 per<br />

cent in only one year,” said the Spanish<br />

prime minister Rajoy, who has<br />

until now pledged to respect the<br />

country’s deficit target. “Our goal is<br />

to do things well and we will see<br />

what will happen at the end of the<br />

year,” Rajoy pointed out. — AFP<br />

Starbucks tax review<br />

LONDON: Global coffee giant Starbucks<br />

said on Sunday it was reviewing<br />

its tax affairs in Britain after it<br />

took a roasting from lawmakers and<br />

campaigners who accuse the chain of<br />

paying too little. The Seattle-based<br />

firm admitted that ‘we need to do<br />

more’ although it would not confirm<br />

a report in Britain’s Sunday Times<br />

newspaper that it will promise this<br />

week to increase the amount of corporation<br />

tax it pays. “We have listened<br />

to feedback from our customers<br />

and employees, and understand<br />

that to maintain and further<br />

build public trust we need to do<br />

more,” Starbucks said in a statement.<br />

“As part of this we are looking at our<br />

tax approach in the United Kingdom.<br />

The company has been in discussions<br />

with HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue<br />

and Customs) for some time<br />

and is also in talks with the Treasury<br />

(Finance Ministry). — AFP<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

National Peasants’ Coalition,<br />

which joined the Agriculture<br />

Development Strategy (ADS)<br />

drafting process a few<br />

months ago, has criticised<br />

the draft of the strategy.<br />

The strategy will not be<br />

successful unless it is able to<br />

protect farmers through accessible<br />

subsidies, expert inputs,<br />

insurance and land reforms,<br />

said the coalition in a<br />

press meet today.<br />

The strategy will meet the<br />

same fate as that of the Agriculture<br />

Perspective Plan<br />

(APP), if it does not include<br />

the necessities of farmers<br />

and the geophysical situa-<br />

tion of the country, said a<br />

representative of the coalition<br />

Prem Dangal. “APP<br />

failed to achieve its targets<br />

because it ignored farmers,<br />

and their involvement in the<br />

production and marketing<br />

process,” he said.<br />

The government had<br />

adopted APP in 1995, with a<br />

vision to make the country<br />

self-reliant on cereal crops<br />

and to commercialise cash<br />

or high value crops in 20<br />

years. However, it completely<br />

failed to achieve its targets.<br />

The government has been<br />

developing ADS to replace<br />

APP from 2015. “We have<br />

corrected our past mistakes<br />

and tried to make it practical,”<br />

said deputy coordinator<br />

Economy to grow by 4.6pc<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has<br />

projected an economic growth<br />

of 4.67 per cent for the current<br />

fiscal year, despite poor harvest<br />

due to the late monsoon and<br />

shortage of chemical fertilisers<br />

during the harvesting season,<br />

and also despite the lack of a<br />

budget that could have helped<br />

the economy.<br />

“Apart from the agriculture<br />

sector, industrial and service<br />

sectors were also not able to<br />

perform better due to the prolonged<br />

political transition coupled<br />

with structural problems<br />

in the economy,” the central<br />

bank said in its study report that<br />

was formulated after a survey of<br />

42 districts of the country.<br />

Despite a 32 per cent increment<br />

of finance in agriculture<br />

in the last fiscal year, major<br />

crops — paddy (-six per cent),<br />

maize (-five per cent), wheat<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

A regional inter<strong>national</strong> airport<br />

is not possible with only<br />

one air entry point, according<br />

to the Civil Aviation Authority<br />

of Nepal (CAAN).<br />

“We are already suffering<br />

from air congestion due to<br />

a single air entry point, therefore,<br />

unless there are multiple<br />

entry points, the concept<br />

of developing a regional inter<strong>national</strong><br />

airport will not<br />

be possible,” said director<br />

general of CAAN Tri Ratna<br />

Manandhar.<br />

It has been a year since<br />

Nepal requested India for<br />

additional air entry points to<br />

reduce the growing air congestion.<br />

Nepal, currently, has<br />

only one air entry point that<br />

is from Simara but has six<br />

exit points.<br />

The Ministry of Culture,<br />

Tourism and Civil Aviation<br />

(MoCTCA) has already requested<br />

India for three additional<br />

air entry points. “We<br />

have asked for two entry<br />

points in the west — Bhaira-<br />

of the ADS technical assistance<br />

team Dr Purushottam<br />

Mainali. According to him,<br />

the strategy has been designed<br />

on a logical base of<br />

four pillars — governance,<br />

productivity, profitable commercialisation,<br />

and competitiveness.<br />

“ADS will achieve its target<br />

through the promotion of inclusive<br />

and sustainable<br />

growth with larger connectivity<br />

and participation of<br />

the private and cooperative<br />

sectors,” he said. The strategy<br />

has a target to increase<br />

land productivity from<br />

$1,600 per hectare to $5,000<br />

per hectare in the next 20<br />

years. Similarly, it has<br />

planned to achieve agricul-<br />

Low confidence of the private<br />

sector has made it difficult to<br />

attract foreign direct investment,<br />

says central bank<br />

(-0.2 per cent) — recorded drop<br />

in production, the report said,<br />

adding that the overall performance<br />

of the agriculture sector<br />

— that contributes around 33<br />

per cent to the gross domestic<br />

product (GDP) — will, however,<br />

be satisfactory.<br />

Likewise, industries were not<br />

able to utilise half their production<br />

capacity in the last fiscal<br />

year. “The industries were able<br />

to utilise only 58 per cent of<br />

their capacity in the last fiscal<br />

year,” the report said, “The production<br />

of cigarettes, soaps and<br />

biscuits have declined. Indus-<br />

hawa, Mahendranagar or<br />

Nepalgunj — whereas in<br />

the east, we have requested<br />

for one air entry point — either<br />

Janakpur or Biratnagar,”<br />

said Manandhar.<br />

Nepal has six air exit points<br />

that are from Simara, Bhairahawa,<br />

Biratnagar, Nepalgunj,<br />

Janakpur, and Dhangadi.<br />

“We have already forwarded<br />

the proposal about the additional<br />

air entry points and we<br />

are now looking forward for<br />

the high level meeting to discuss<br />

on the agenda,” said<br />

joint secretary at MoCTCA<br />

Ranjan Krishna Aryal.<br />

The only inter<strong>national</strong> airport<br />

of the country handles<br />

30 inter<strong>national</strong> flights and<br />

seven regular domestic airlines.<br />

There are generally<br />

around 350 arrivals and departures<br />

at Tribhuwan Inter<strong>national</strong><br />

Airport.<br />

To control the growing air<br />

congestion, CAAN has also<br />

planned to operate the inter<strong>national</strong><br />

airport round-theclock,<br />

but inter<strong>national</strong><br />

airlines have not been very<br />

keen on it.<br />

‘Agriculture development strategy must protect farmers’<br />

Critics say that the projections are unrealistic and unattainable in the present scenario<br />

ture growth of at least five<br />

per cent during the period.<br />

However, critics doubt<br />

whether the strategy will be<br />

able to attract the youth to<br />

the agriculture sector with<br />

the projected income. “How<br />

can we attract youth with a<br />

projected income of $2,000 a<br />

year in 2035,” said a critic<br />

during the programme,<br />

adding that it will not stop<br />

the migration of youth to foreign<br />

job markets.<br />

Currently, migrants have<br />

been earning about $2,400<br />

and they are sending about<br />

$1,600 home annually.<br />

Therefore, the agriculture<br />

sector will remain a business<br />

related to elderly people and<br />

the target will not be<br />

trial lending has also increased<br />

by 16 per cent.”<br />

Increasing labour cost due to<br />

frequent strikes, and rising<br />

prices of raw materials, have<br />

been posing challenges for domestic<br />

products to compete in<br />

the inter<strong>national</strong> market and<br />

bridge the ballooning trade<br />

deficit apart from product and<br />

market diversification.<br />

The low confidence of the domestic<br />

private sector has also<br />

made it difficult to attract foreign<br />

direct investment in the<br />

country, according to the central<br />

bank. “Lack of infrastruc-<br />

People visiting stalls on the third day of the ongoing Nepa Construction Expo 2012, in<br />

Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, on Sunday.<br />

Ministry requests India to arrange<br />

for additional air entry points<br />

THT<br />

“We are waiting for a high<br />

level meeting which will put<br />

forward the agenda which is<br />

necessary to have congestion-free<br />

air transportation,”<br />

said Aryal, adding that the<br />

ministry is waiting for a positive<br />

nod from India.<br />

“The government should<br />

invite India for bilateral talks<br />

and fix the meeting at the<br />

earliest,” said Manandhar.<br />

Nepal and India had the<br />

revised the air service agreement<br />

three years back.<br />

According to the agreement,<br />

three new points were<br />

added for Nepali carriers —<br />

Dehradun, Gorakhpur and<br />

Bagdogra.<br />

The air service agreement<br />

between the two countries<br />

has increased the capacity<br />

to 30,000 seats per side from<br />

earlier 6,000.<br />

Currently, Air India, Jet Airlines,<br />

Jet Lite, Spice Jet, and<br />

Indigo fly on the New Delhi-<br />

Kathmandu route with<br />

around 78 flights a week,<br />

which has significantly increased<br />

the number of Indian<br />

tourists coming to Nepal.<br />

achieved, he said.<br />

Similarly, an officer at the<br />

Ministry of Agriculture Development<br />

said that the target<br />

to achieve 20 per cent<br />

gross domestic product<br />

(GDP) from agribusiness is<br />

unrealistic.<br />

Two decades is a long<br />

time. There is a possibility<br />

that other sectors could<br />

emerge as major contributors<br />

to the GDP, so a target of<br />

20 per cent is unrealistic, he<br />

said. The strategy’s other<br />

weakness is that it has been<br />

based on a sound governance<br />

environment when<br />

political instability and uncertainties<br />

are overwhelming<br />

in the country.<br />

Deputy coordinator of the<br />

ture development has also hit<br />

the industrial sector hard.”<br />

The tourism sector has performed<br />

satisfactorily, whereas<br />

the real estate sector was still<br />

under pressure, though it has<br />

contributed more revenue to<br />

the government coffer as compared<br />

to a fiscal year ago, it said,<br />

adding that transportation,<br />

communication, education and<br />

service sectors have expanded<br />

in the last fiscal year.<br />

The central bank has concluded<br />

that due to the contracting<br />

industrial sector coupled<br />

with the over exposure of banks<br />

and financial institutions in urban<br />

areas, and land and housing,<br />

financial resources could<br />

also not be mobilised efficiently,<br />

which will hurt the economy.<br />

The central bank’s offices located<br />

in Kathmandu, Pokhara,<br />

Biratnagar, Janakpur, Birgunj,<br />

Siddharthanagar, Nepalgunj<br />

and Dhangadi were involved<br />

in the study.<br />

NFC to buy<br />

rice directly<br />

from farmers<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) has<br />

planned to buy rice directly from<br />

farmers to support its profit motivated<br />

business model. Purchasing<br />

rice, wheat, pulses and mustard seeds<br />

directly from farmers will benefit<br />

the corporation.<br />

NFC will buy 34,000 metric tonnes<br />

(MT) of rice from farmers this year,<br />

said general manager of the corporation<br />

Hari Krishna Shah. “We will buy<br />

the rice at the government prescribed<br />

rate,” he said. The government has set<br />

the reference price of mota and masino<br />

rice at Rs 1,650 and Rs 1,725 per<br />

quintal, respectively.<br />

“We will make a profit of Rs 47 million<br />

on rice,” he said, adding that<br />

Nepal Food Corporation will further<br />

process the rice at its rice mills located<br />

in Rajapur of Bardiya district and<br />

Janakpur. “We will also purchase<br />

wheat, pulses and mustard seeds.”<br />

It has planned to establish three<br />

new rice mills in Lahan, Itahari and<br />

Kailali. According to Shah, the direct<br />

purchase plan will be able to generate<br />

profits for the corporation. Earlier,<br />

NFC used to buy rice, wheat and edible<br />

oil from business people through<br />

a local and global tender.<br />

NFC will introduce the Food Exchange<br />

Programme targeting hill districts.<br />

According to the plan, the corporation<br />

will give rice to people living<br />

in hill districts in exchange of millet,<br />

soyabean, buck wheat and uwa<br />

(hordeum himalayense). “We will sell<br />

the food items bought in the hills in<br />

urban areas. Millet, soyabean, buck<br />

wheat and uwa are in good demand<br />

there,” he explained the plan.<br />

NFC has planned to supply about<br />

15,000 MT rice to 23 food deficit hill<br />

districts. “Government has provided<br />

Rs 480 million for it,” said Shah,<br />

adding NFC will also supply subsidised<br />

rice to urban people. “We sold<br />

16,700 quintals of subsidised rice in<br />

urban areas during Dashain, Tihar<br />

and Chhath,” he said. NFC has a stock<br />

of 33,000 MT rice, including 8,000 MT<br />

in the SAARC food bank.<br />

ADS technical assistance<br />

team Dr Prabhakar Pathak<br />

said that the government has<br />

been incorporating two new<br />

programmes — food and<br />

nutrition security, and climate<br />

change effects in agriculture.<br />

“The two components<br />

were not included in<br />

APP. These are new concepts<br />

in the sector,” he said.<br />

The government has been<br />

developing ADS with technical<br />

assistance from Asian<br />

Development Bank and a<br />

dozen other donors including<br />

IFAD, EU, FAO, SDC,<br />

JICA, DANIDA, USAID, and<br />

WFP. It is a $2 million project<br />

where ADB has contributed<br />

$1.5 million and the remaining<br />

by other donors.<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY,DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

Stock brokers<br />

face trading block<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Due to the delay in the settlement<br />

of traded shares, all<br />

brokers at the stock exchange<br />

were suspended<br />

during the first hour of trading<br />

today.<br />

Trading of all 48 stock<br />

brokers was blocked by<br />

Nepse today for the first 45<br />

minutes as their trading<br />

limit with stock exchange<br />

was insufficient due to the<br />

delayed settlement process.<br />

The new mode of operations<br />

implemented by CDS<br />

and Clearing (CDSC), that<br />

requires both selling and<br />

buying brokers to present<br />

documents simultaneously,<br />

has slowed down the pace<br />

of settlements.<br />

“As the trading limit of<br />

all the brokers had become<br />

low due to delayed settlements,<br />

Nepse at first<br />

blocked trading, and later<br />

randomly assigned all of us<br />

additional limits and the<br />

day’s transaction was not<br />

disturbed,” said president<br />

of Stock Brokers Association<br />

of Nepal (SBAN) Anjan<br />

Raj Poudyal during a press<br />

conference today. Brokers<br />

have been opposing the<br />

new operation system, calling<br />

it impractical.<br />

All brokers maintain an<br />

account with the stock exchange,<br />

amounting to Rs 50<br />

million. When a broker<br />

places a buy order, Nepse<br />

deducts the amount required<br />

to buy the shares<br />

from the broker’s account.<br />

And the amount is later restored<br />

to the broker’s account<br />

when the broker submits<br />

the voucher presented<br />

by the buyer.<br />

Nepse suspended brokers<br />

whose limit was over,<br />

due to the delay in settlement.<br />

CDSC started the<br />

manual settlement of share<br />

• STOCK<br />

SN NAME OF THE COMPANY SHARE VALUE IN RUPEES SHARES QTY<br />

Maximum Minimum Closing<br />

1 Ace Dev Bank Ltd 127 127 127 222<br />

2 Agricultural Dev Bank Ltd 207 200 201 4,800<br />

3 Arun Valley Hydropower Dev Co Ltd 326 302 326 7,511<br />

4 Alpine Dev Bank Ltd 90 90 90 20<br />

5 Asian Life Insurance Co Ltd 238 238 238 486<br />

6 Bottlers Nepal (Terai)Ltd 1,038 1,018 1,038 100<br />

7 Bank of Kathmandu 623 603 623 15,768<br />

8 Butwal Power Co Ltd 777 733 733 1,149<br />

9 Bishwa Bikas Bank Ltd 150 145 147 720<br />

10 Business Universal Dev Bank Ltd 115 115 115 30<br />

11 Clean Energy Dev Bank Ltd 180 172 173 3,554<br />

12 Chilime Hydro power Co 1,118 1,102 1,118 2,446<br />

13 Citizens Bank Inter<strong>national</strong> Ltd 245 237 241 6,458<br />

14 Diprox Dev Bank 312 305 305 493<br />

15 Everest Bank Ltd 1,195 1,160 1,183 3,634<br />

16 Excel Dev Bank Ltd 336 334 334 260<br />

17 Global IME Bank Ltd 380 366 370 9,600<br />

18 Guras Life Insurance Co Ltd 149 148 148 40<br />

19 Grand Bank Nepal Ltd 197 193 195 470<br />

20 Gaurishankar Dev Bank Ltd 90 89 89 110<br />

21 Himalayan Bank Ltd 835 818 831 2,607<br />

22 ICFC Finance Ltd 139 137 139 1,525<br />

23 Inter<strong>national</strong> Leasing And Fin Co 106 104 106 3,011<br />

24 Jyoti Bikas Bank Ltd 91 90 90 490<br />

25 Janata Bank Nepal Ltd 150 145 149 4,643<br />

26 Janaki Finance Ltd 417 388 395 2,844<br />

27 Kaski Finance Ltd 105 105 105 62<br />

28 Kumari Bank Ltd 261 250 251 3,820<br />

29 Kasthamandap Dev Bank Ltd 85 85 85 334<br />

30 KIST Bank Ltd 143 138 138 14,175<br />

31 Laxmi Bank Ltd 340 340 340 1,349<br />

32 Lumbini Finance Ltd 174 174 174 100<br />

33 Lumbini General Insurance 134 126 126 560<br />

34 Lumbini Bank Ltd 243 239 241 574<br />

35 Machhachapuchhre Bank Ltd 193 188 190 2,423<br />

36 Malika Bikash Bank Ltd 142 142 142 200<br />

37 Manakamana Dev Bank Ltd 69 68 69 490<br />

38 Muktinath Bikas Bank Ltd 250 250 250 110<br />

39 Nabil Bank Ltd 1,461 1,426 1,445 3,251<br />

40 Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd 231 221 227 55,820<br />

41 Nilgiri Bikas Bank Ltd 138 138 138 10<br />

42 Nepal Investment Bank Ltd 820 800 807 14,149<br />

43 Nepal Life Insurance Co Ltd 1,407 1,380 1,407 1,954<br />

44 NMB Bank Ltd 237 235 236 460<br />

45 Nepal Doorsanchar Co Ltd 659 653 658 2,625<br />

46 Pathibhara Bikas Bank Ltd 95 93 93 80<br />

47 Prime Commercial Bank Ltd 275 266 268 29,836<br />

48 Prime Life Insurance Co Ltd 300 294 300 360<br />

49 Purnima Bikas Bank Ltd 85 83 83 180<br />

50 Sanima Bank Ltd 232 224 229 2,780<br />

51 Sahayogi Vikas Bank 285 285 285 544<br />

52 Nepal SBI Bank Ltd 660 653 653 553<br />

53 Siddhartha Bank Ltd 316 315 315 386<br />

54 Standard Chartered Bank Ltd 1,905 1,900 1,905 404<br />

55 Soaltee Hotel Ltd 320 311 318 4,442<br />

56 Sagarmatha Insurance CoLtd 700 690 690 189<br />

57 Subha Laxmi Finance Co Ltd 82 82 82 20<br />

58 Sunrise Bank Ltd 176 167 169 5,551<br />

59 Subhechha Bikas Bank Ltd 126 126 126 28<br />

60 Supreme Dev Bank Ltd 79 79 79 2,304<br />

61 Swabalamwan Bikash Bank 319 313 313 849<br />

62 Tourism Dev Bank Ltd 122 122 122 10<br />

63 Tinau Dev Bank Ltd 115 115 115 90<br />

64 Unique Finance Ltd 92 92 92 80<br />

65 Western Dev Bank Ltd 97 96 96 96<br />

66 Zenith Finance Ltd 105 105 105 140<br />

Float Index: 34.47 ( -0.333)<br />

Base: 24/08/2008=100<br />

transactions from October<br />

30 of shares traded since<br />

October 17.<br />

“Though CDSC is faster<br />

than what Nepse was in<br />

clearing and settling transactions,<br />

the process itself<br />

has become a bigger problem<br />

even bringing about a<br />

trading block for brokers,”<br />

said Poudyal. None of the<br />

brokers submitted documents<br />

for clearing and settlement<br />

to CDSC today.<br />

“CDSC cannot revise the<br />

mode of operation on its<br />

own, as only the board at<br />

CDSC and Nepse have the<br />

authority,” said chief executive<br />

of CDSC Subodh Sharma<br />

Sigdel.<br />

“Since CDSC took up the<br />

job, we have been settling<br />

transactions quicker. More<br />

than 88 per cent of transactions<br />

done since October 17<br />

have been settled and<br />

cleared,” he added.<br />

Nepse had tried to introduce<br />

the system earlier this<br />

year but it was not successful<br />

following a protest by<br />

the brokers. However, when<br />

Nepse shifted its clearing<br />

and settlement job to CDSC<br />

the new mode of operation<br />

was implemented.<br />

CDSC does not move<br />

ahead with the settlement<br />

even if the buying broker<br />

submits the vouchers and<br />

required documents, if the<br />

selling broker delays in submitting<br />

the documents.<br />

“This provision has benefited<br />

investors, but brokers,<br />

who are careless and deliberately<br />

delay the submission<br />

of documents on time,<br />

are the ones to be blamed<br />

for the trouble,” pointed<br />

out Sigdel. “You cannot<br />

punish a broker because<br />

another broker fails to do<br />

his job properly,” said managing<br />

director of Creative<br />

Securities — broker number<br />

40 — Dipesh Bhatt.<br />

Total Traded Amount Rs: 82,460,570<br />

Total Market Cap Rs: 458,129.44 millions<br />

Total Shares: 224,379<br />

Total Transactions: 1018<br />

Nepse Index: 483.8 (-5.18)<br />

Base: 16/07/2006, (Adjusted on 10/04/2007) = 100 Date: December 2, 2012


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

BUSINESS<br />

• BIZ BRIEFS<br />

IME helps victims<br />

THT<br />

KATHMANDU: Inter<strong>national</strong> Money<br />

Express (IME) has donated blankets<br />

to 28 families hit by the recent windfed<br />

inferno in Chang Thapu Bazaar,<br />

Panchthar district. IME zonal coordinator<br />

and proprietor of IME agent<br />

outlet, New Pathivara Enterprises<br />

Somlal Limbu handed the blankets to<br />

the victim families. — HNS<br />

IPPAN holds AGM<br />

KATHMANDU: Independent Power<br />

Producers’ Association, Nepal (IP-<br />

PAN) held its 11th annual general<br />

meeting in Kathmandu. President of<br />

IPPAN Dr Subarna Das Shrestha presented<br />

the president’s report and<br />

treasurer Narendra Prajapati presented<br />

the treasurer’s report at the AGM,<br />

respectively. The AGM approved the<br />

reports after a floor discussion. — HNS<br />

MBB’s annual meet<br />

KATHMANDU: Kanchanpur-based<br />

Mahakali Bikas Bank (MBB) held its<br />

fifth annual general meeting (AGM)<br />

under its chairman Surendra Kumar<br />

Joshi. It was attended by the president<br />

of Kanchanpur Chamber of<br />

Commerce and Industry Ganesh<br />

Dutta Joshi as chief guest. The AGM<br />

approved the financials of the last fiscal<br />

year and also appointed Sujan<br />

Kumar Kafle and Associates as the<br />

auditing firm for the current fiscal<br />

year. The development bank proposed<br />

to distribute 12 per cent cash<br />

dividend from the profit of last fiscal<br />

year. It also decided to approach the<br />

central bank to expand its banking<br />

area from Kanchanpur to adjoining<br />

Dadeldhura and Kailali districts and<br />

be open for a possible merger with<br />

other financial institutions. — HNS<br />

Sri Lanka’s petro plan<br />

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will purchase<br />

oil from Iraq after the United States<br />

imposed new sanctions on Iran, the<br />

island’s main supplier of crude oil,<br />

a report said on Sunday citing a senior<br />

official. The US Senate unanimously<br />

approved new economic<br />

sanctions on Friday aimed at further<br />

crippling Iran’s energy, shipping and<br />

port sectors, a year after Congress<br />

passed tough restrictions against<br />

Tehran. Sanctions have made it difficult<br />

to procure oil from Iran, prompting<br />

Colombo to turn to Baghdad for<br />

oil purchases, the local Sunday Times<br />

reported. “Oil in northern Iraq is similar<br />

to Iranian crude and could be refined<br />

(domestically), thereby reducing<br />

costs on the import of refined<br />

products,” foreign ministry secretary<br />

Karunatillaka Amunugama told the<br />

newspaper. Sri Lanka has relied<br />

on Iran for 92 per cent of its crude<br />

oil requirements. — AFP<br />

Sahara in trouble<br />

NEW DELHI: India’s giant Sahara<br />

business group, charged with illegally<br />

raising $4.5 billion from millions<br />

of small rural savers, took out huge<br />

ads declaring it never does anything<br />

‘against the law’. The two-page newspaper<br />

adverts appeared before a<br />

Supreme Court hearing set for Monday<br />

on the case which has put the<br />

practices and finances of the conglomerate,<br />

headed by flamboyant<br />

billionaire Subrata Roy, in the public<br />

spotlight. Late in August, the court<br />

said Sahara, whose interests run from<br />

real estate to entertainment to financial<br />

services, had ‘no right to collect’<br />

funds from 29.6 million investors<br />

‘without complying with any regulatory<br />

provisions’. Stating ‘an iron hand’<br />

must be used to deal with such ‘economic<br />

offences’, the court told Sahara<br />

to deposit IRs 240 billion ($4.5 billion)<br />

with the market regulator, the Securities<br />

and Exchange Board of India<br />

(SEBI), by November 30 or risk having<br />

its assets seized. — AFP<br />

• FOREX RATES<br />

The foreign exchange rates for December 3 as fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank are as follows:<br />

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs.) SELLING (in Rs.)<br />

Swiss Franc 1 93.20 93.85<br />

Australian Dollar 1 90.20 90.82<br />

Canadian Dollar 1 87.05 87.66<br />

Singapore Dollar 1 70.84 71.33<br />

Saudi Arab Riyal 1 23.07 23.23<br />

Qatari Riyal 1 23.76 23.92<br />

Thai Bhat 1 2.82 2.84<br />

UAE Dihram 1 23.55 23.71<br />

Malaysian Ringit 1 28.46 28.65<br />

Swedish Krona 1 12.99<br />

Danish Krona 1 15.06<br />

Hongkong Dollar 1 11.16<br />

Note: Under the present system the open market exchange rates quoted by<br />

different /commercial banks may differ.<br />

Nepse re-lists<br />

NBL shares<br />

To be traded from next week<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

After a wait of almost nine years,<br />

shareholders of Nepal Bank Ltd<br />

(NBL) will be able to trade their<br />

shares from next week as the bank<br />

signed an agreement with Nepal<br />

Stock Exchange (Nepse), today,<br />

to re-list its 3.8 million units of ordinary<br />

shares.<br />

“We have finalised the re-listing<br />

of the shares which can be traded<br />

from the coming Sunday,” informed<br />

coordinator of NBL’s management<br />

team Maheshwor Lal<br />

Shrestha.<br />

Following the regulator’s order,<br />

Nepse had de-listed NBL’s shares<br />

from trading as the bank was on<br />

the brink of solvency. Yet, its share<br />

prices were well above face value in<br />

March 2004.<br />

The shares were trading at Rs<br />

175 right before the suspension<br />

and subsequent de-listing, while<br />

its net worth had been negative by<br />

almost Rs 10 billion. Now after going<br />

through almost a decade of restructuring,<br />

NBL’s financial health<br />

has improved but the bank’s net<br />

worth is still negative by about Rs<br />

2.6 billion as of the first quarter of<br />

the current fiscal year.<br />

Nepal Bank is planning to issue<br />

rights shares after waiting for a<br />

couple of months following the<br />

listing in order to increase its capital<br />

base and fulfill regulatory requirements.<br />

The government –– that owns 41<br />

per cent stake in the commercial<br />

bank –– has already injected Rs<br />

1.37 billion for rights shares, which<br />

has increased the bank’s paid up<br />

capital to Rs 1.7 billion.<br />

In October, the government<br />

transferred the bank’s 71,928 unit<br />

shares under its ownership to<br />

Nepal Bank’s 2,664 employees at a<br />

face value of Rs 100 through Over-<br />

The-Counter trading, due to delayed<br />

listing. The bank already had<br />

about 1,000 shareholders.<br />

According to Nepal Bank’s plan<br />

to increase its paid up capital to Rs<br />

four billion, the bank will raise<br />

funds worth Rs 3.62 billion by issuing<br />

rights shares to existing shareholders.<br />

The remaining will be<br />

raised by selling the fixed assets<br />

with the bank.<br />

Shares of NBL will debut at anywhere<br />

between the bank’s net<br />

worth and three times the net<br />

worth as per Nepse’s pricing bylaws.<br />

“Since the bank’s net worth<br />

is still negative, its debut price<br />

at Nepse this time might be low<br />

but the market will decide its price<br />

within a few<br />

days of trading,”<br />

said share<br />

analyst RabindraBhattarai.<br />

The reception<br />

of the<br />

bank’s rights<br />

issue can be<br />

assessed by<br />

looking at how<br />

the investors<br />

take to its ordinary<br />

shares.<br />

“Investors are<br />

aware that<br />

NBL will not<br />

be in a state to<br />

provide dividends<br />

any<br />

time soon due<br />

to its negative<br />

net worth, but<br />

it has speculative<br />

value as<br />

the bank is not<br />

doing bad at<br />

present,” said<br />

Bhattarai.<br />

House and land prices drop by 30 per cent: Survey<br />

| PRICE PERCEPTION |<br />

22%<br />

Prices will go down<br />

35%<br />

Prices will see<br />

no change<br />

43%<br />

Prices to go up<br />

by 15 % to 30 %<br />

(Source: Nepal Rastra Bank)<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

House and land prices<br />

have declined by around<br />

30 per cent as compared<br />

to last year, whereas transaction<br />

has dropped by almost<br />

half, according to a<br />

central bank survey.<br />

Some 43 per cent developers<br />

expect prices of land<br />

and housing to go up by<br />

15 per cent to 30 per cent,<br />

the survey revealed,<br />

adding that a very few —<br />

around 22 per cent of<br />

them — still expect prices<br />

to go down, whereas some<br />

35 per cent expect no<br />

movement in the prices<br />

anytime soon within six<br />

months to a year.<br />

Growth rate of tourist<br />

arrivals by air decreases<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Despite the peak tourist season, visitor<br />

arrivals by air has slowed down in November<br />

due to the government’s apathy<br />

in promoting tourism that has been significantly<br />

contributing foreign currency<br />

to the <strong>national</strong> coffer.<br />

“The upward trend that was briefly<br />

interrupted in October continued again<br />

in the 11th month of the year showing<br />

rising travel demand as the Immigration<br />

Office,<br />

Tribhuwan<br />

Inter<strong>national</strong>Airport<br />

data<br />

revealed<br />

that visitor<br />

arrivals in<br />

November<br />

— as compared<br />

to<br />

the same<br />

month last year — increased by 2.2 per<br />

cent to 59,411 visitors,” said Nepal<br />

Tourism Board.<br />

The aggregate growth for the period<br />

between January to November has<br />

posted a growth of 11.5 per cent as compared<br />

to the same period last year.<br />

Arrivals by air during the peak season<br />

slowed down due to the poor performance<br />

by the SAARC market as it has<br />

declined by 23 per cent as compared to<br />

the same month last year.<br />

“The Indian market — considered to<br />

be a major market — has declined by<br />

21.6 per cent, followed by Bangladesh<br />

and Sri Lanka — negative growth of 37.3<br />

per cent and 24 per cent, respectively —<br />

despite Pakistan registering a growth of<br />

12.8 per cent,” it said.<br />

Arrivals from Asia — except South<br />

Asia — recorded a growth of 20.9 per<br />

cent in aggregate, with China — one of<br />

the fastest growing tourist markets<br />

globally and for Nepal too — posting a<br />

sustained growth of 9.6 per cent as compared<br />

to the same period in 2011.<br />

Similarly, Malaysia (151.4 per cent),<br />

Thailand (97.6 per cent), Singapore<br />

(31.3 per cent) and Japan (12.5 per cent)<br />

also maintained steady growth, though<br />

arrivals from South Korea dropped<br />

by 12.2 per cent.<br />

Europeanmar-<br />

Visitors inflow during peak<br />

season slowed down due to<br />

poor performance by the<br />

SAARC market<br />

ketsregistered a<br />

meagre<br />

growth of<br />

3.1 per cent<br />

as arrivals<br />

from the<br />

UK, Germany,<br />

Italy,<br />

and the<br />

Netherlands increased by 18.3 per cent,<br />

14.7 per cent, two per cent and 17.7 per<br />

cent, respectively. Arrivals from France<br />

and Spain declined by 7.1 per cent and<br />

22.6 per cent, respectively, as compared<br />

to the same month last year.<br />

Arrivals from Australia, New Zealand<br />

and the US registered a growth of 29.5<br />

per cent, 30.50 per cent and 12.6 per<br />

cent, respectively, whereas arrivals from<br />

Canada declined by 10.3 per cent.<br />

Likewise, a total of 84,729 foreign<br />

tourists departed from Tribhuwan Inter<strong>national</strong><br />

Airport in November, which<br />

is an increase of 12.35 per cent as compared<br />

to the same month last year,<br />

whereas 68,977 Nepalis departed from<br />

and some 72,735 Nepalis arrived at the<br />

country’s only inter<strong>national</strong> airport.<br />

President of National Business Initiative Padma Jyoti with other executive members of the organisation during a<br />

programme to celebrate its sixth anniversary, in Kathmandu, on Sunday.<br />

Private sector to focus on<br />

good business practices<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Private sector will promote<br />

good business practices to<br />

create a clean image.<br />

“Our activities for next<br />

year will be focused on<br />

“Similarly, land and<br />

housing transactions have<br />

dropped by 40 per cent to<br />

50 per cent due to lack of<br />

finance that was earlier<br />

easier to obtain from<br />

banks and financial institutions,”<br />

it said, adding<br />

that some 44 per cent developers<br />

expect real estate<br />

business may not see any<br />

remarkable progress any<br />

time soon due to problems<br />

related to bank loans,<br />

tax on capital gain, source<br />

of income verification,<br />

and no basis for price determination.<br />

“The remaining 40 per<br />

cent of the developers expect<br />

transactions to pick<br />

up by around 20 per cent,”<br />

said the central bank’s<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

building a fair business<br />

environment,” said president<br />

of National Business<br />

Initiative (NBI) Padma Jyoti,<br />

during the sixth anniversary<br />

of National Business<br />

Initiative.<br />

“The initiative will also<br />

conduct dialogues<br />

on the<br />

safety of entrepreneurs,”<br />

Jyoti<br />

said, adding<br />

that threats to<br />

entrepreneurs<br />

have been major<br />

obstacles to<br />

development in<br />

the current political<br />

turmoil.<br />

“We will propose<br />

a special<br />

security plan in<br />

a public-private<br />

partnership<br />

model,” Jyoti<br />

added.<br />

More than<br />

one dozen private<br />

sector organisations,includingFederation<br />

of<br />

Nepalese<br />

Chambers of<br />

Commerce and<br />

Industry, Nepal<br />

Chamber of<br />

quick field survey of Land<br />

Offices, municipalities, urban<br />

development agencies,<br />

members of district<br />

chambers, and land and<br />

housing developers in 10<br />

major districts — Morang,<br />

Dhanusha, Parsa, Rupandehi,<br />

Kaski, Banke and<br />

Kailali — including three<br />

districts in the valley —<br />

Kathmandu, Lalitpur and<br />

Bhaktapur — to gauge<br />

the risks due to higher exposure<br />

of banks and financial<br />

institutions in a<br />

single sector.<br />

Land and housing witnessed<br />

a surge in price a<br />

couple of years back instigating<br />

a bubble.<br />

The central bank conducted<br />

the study after<br />

Hulas Steel Industries has launched<br />

the second Continuous Galvanising<br />

Line and Next Generation Colour<br />

Coating Line. A memorandum of understanding<br />

between Hulas Steel and<br />

Berger Becker Coatings (India and<br />

Sweden) was exchanged between<br />

representatives of the companies.<br />

Hulas Steel was incorporated in<br />

1981, as a joint venture between<br />

Golchha Organisation and Comcraft,<br />

to manufacture galvanised sheets for<br />

roofing and to provide the best cost<br />

effective and affordable roofing solution<br />

to the vast majority of the population,<br />

especially in the hilly and difficult<br />

terrain of the country.<br />

From a small start with around 40<br />

workers, and an annual capacity of<br />

only 12,000mt per year, it has now<br />

grown to become one of the largest<br />

steel companies in Nepal with over<br />

900 employees, and an annual capacity<br />

of over 140,000mt per year.<br />

The company has always adopted<br />

Commerce, Hotel Association<br />

Nepal, and Nepal Association<br />

of Foreign Employment<br />

Agencies are<br />

associated with the initiative<br />

that aims to promote<br />

business in the country<br />

and abroad.<br />

In the programme, former<br />

president of Nepal<br />

Chamber of Commerce<br />

(NCC) and the current general<br />

secretary of National<br />

Business Initiative Surendra<br />

Bir Malakar mentioned<br />

that entrepreneurs in the<br />

country have not been able<br />

to get the peace dividend<br />

despite the end of the<br />

armed conflict.<br />

“Therefore, political instability<br />

should end early,”<br />

he said, adding that promulgation<br />

of a new constitution<br />

is a must for peace<br />

and stability that can ensure<br />

an investment friendly<br />

environment by encouraging<br />

the private sector.<br />

National Business Initiative<br />

has been conducting a<br />

study on the security situation<br />

of entrepreneurs —<br />

that could help instill confidence<br />

in the business fraternity<br />

— in Morang, Sunsari,<br />

Bara, Parsa, Kailali and<br />

Kathmandu districts.<br />

most banks and financial<br />

institutions got trapped in<br />

the bubble, posing threats<br />

of a systemic failure in the<br />

financial system, it said.<br />

However, housing entrepreneurs<br />

still believe<br />

that the indifference<br />

shown by the government<br />

in framing a clear and stable<br />

real estate policy has<br />

hit the business hard,<br />

making them struggle to<br />

pay even the interest on<br />

loans taken from banks<br />

and financial institutions.<br />

Likewise, the report<br />

has also revealed that revenue<br />

from land and housing<br />

dropped by 41.89 per<br />

cent in the last fiscal year<br />

as compared to a fiscal<br />

year back.<br />

• BRAND WATCH<br />

Hulas Steel Industries launches<br />

Continuous Galvanising Line<br />

the best available<br />

technology for all its<br />

product lines, as a<br />

result of which, Hulas<br />

Guras brand has<br />

established itself as<br />

a market leader and<br />

the first choice of<br />

users in providing<br />

the best roofing<br />

sheet solution for<br />

over three decades.<br />

Over the years, it<br />

has been continuously<br />

investing in<br />

capacity expansion and upgrading of<br />

technology to keep abreast of latest<br />

developments globally, and to provide<br />

best product at the right price to<br />

consumers all over the country.<br />

Regular investments in bringing<br />

the latest technology to the country<br />

together with a resolute commitment<br />

to inter<strong>national</strong> quality standards<br />

has enabled the company’s Hulas<br />

Guras brand to become the market<br />

leader in roofing sheets in Nepal.<br />

The company also has agreements<br />

of understanding for valuable support<br />

and expertise from global steel<br />

majors like Posco (South Korea) and<br />

JFE (Japan), and for coil coating paint<br />

technology with Becker Coil coatings<br />

(Sweden and India).<br />

In view of increased demand for<br />

roofing sheets as well as rising awareness<br />

among consumers for better<br />

quality products and services, a new<br />

generation colour coating line of<br />

60,000mt per annum capacity, together<br />

with a modern continuous<br />

galvanising line of 80,000mt per annum<br />

capacity has been set up.<br />

PAGE 11<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Colors brings<br />

Fighter F8<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

THT<br />

Company<br />

registrar’s<br />

office goes<br />

online<br />

The Office of Company Registrar<br />

has started the facility<br />

of viewing company profile<br />

and e-file documents online.<br />

In a programme organised<br />

here in the capital, today, the<br />

office demonstrated its new<br />

online system and said it will<br />

help enhance effectiveness<br />

in regulating companies.<br />

All registered companies<br />

will be able to upload many<br />

of their activities online, said<br />

company registrar Toyanath<br />

Adhikari. “The office will<br />

complete the technical and<br />

other processes within a<br />

month though the e-service<br />

was started on November 9.”<br />

Registered companies will<br />

have access to the online<br />

system, Adhikari said,<br />

adding that companies can<br />

upload all updated information<br />

in the system.<br />

Companies can upload information<br />

of annual general<br />

meetings, balance sheets,<br />

change in share structure,<br />

and other necessary documents<br />

in the online system<br />

after its full operation, according<br />

to the office.<br />

Companies will not have<br />

to go through the lengthy<br />

process of bringing each and<br />

every single document to the<br />

office once the system is fully<br />

incorporated, the office said.<br />

The office has developed a<br />

separate e-Services (Office of<br />

Company Registrar Online<br />

Services) user manual to<br />

help companies adopt the<br />

system. “The manual is expected<br />

to assist companies<br />

in working with the user registration<br />

module of e-Services,”<br />

said Adhikari, adding<br />

that the online company registration<br />

module will help<br />

users with online registration<br />

of the company and<br />

view company details.<br />

The system will also help<br />

the office increase vigilance<br />

and update records of every<br />

single company, he said.<br />

Teletalk — the authorised<br />

dealer of Colors Mobile —<br />

has launched its new bar<br />

phone, ‘F8’, under the Fighter<br />

series.<br />

The multimedia handset<br />

comes with 1.77” display<br />

screen along with various<br />

other features. The mobile<br />

has an inbuilt audio/video<br />

player that supports 3gp,<br />

Mp4 and AVI formats.<br />

It comes with a battery of<br />

1000 mAh<br />

for a longer<br />

talk time. It<br />

also works<br />

in ‘dual sim<br />

dual standby’<br />

mode<br />

and its ext<br />

e r n a l<br />

memory is<br />

expandable<br />

to up to<br />

8GB. F8<br />

also has a<br />

torchlight<br />

and sound recorder.<br />

All Colors mobile phones<br />

come with a six-month warranty<br />

on the battery and<br />

charger, and one-year warranty<br />

on the handset.


PAGE 12 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

Sports<br />

• TIME OUT<br />

Russia's Maria Sharapova (right)<br />

and Serbia's Ana Ivanovic share<br />

some light moment during their<br />

exhibition match against Italy's<br />

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, in<br />

Milan on Saturday.<br />

Nepal beat B’desh<br />

AP / RSS<br />

KATHMANDU: Nepal opened the<br />

first Twenty20 World Cup for Blind in<br />

an emphatic note with a nine-wicket<br />

victory over Bangladesh at the LD Srinatham<br />

Stadium in Banglore on Sunday.<br />

It was Nepal’s first ever victory<br />

against Bangladesh. Electing to field<br />

first, Nepal restricted Bangladesh to<br />

154-7 in 20 overs. Surya Prasad Bhattarai,<br />

Ram Prasad Paudel and Amar<br />

Oli took two wickets each for Nepal,<br />

while Bikram Rana had one. Man-ofthe-match<br />

Surya inspired Nepal to<br />

victory with 78 not out helping the<br />

team reach 155 in just 7.3 overs.<br />

Bikram — the only Nepali wicket to<br />

fall — contributed an invaluable 54.<br />

Ram Prasad was unbeaten on 12.<br />

Nepal will take on Sri Lanka in their<br />

second match at the Central College<br />

grounds on Monday. – HNS<br />

Rajbanshi elected<br />

KUWAIT: Nepal Sports Journalists Forum<br />

(NSJF) President Niranjan Rajbanshi<br />

has been elected as the central<br />

committee member of the AIPS-<br />

Asia. The 16th Congress of AIPS-Asia<br />

that began in Kuwait on Saturday<br />

unanimously elected Rajbanshi as<br />

the member of the committee after<br />

the five candidates withdrew their<br />

candidacy. Faisal Al Qanai of Kuwait<br />

was unanimously elected as President<br />

of the 16-member committee.<br />

Kanai was the first vice-president in<br />

the previous committee. – HNS<br />

Gitau wins in Japan<br />

TOKYO: Kenyan Joseph Gitau produced<br />

an upset victory in the Fukuoka<br />

Inter<strong>national</strong> Marathon after former<br />

world record holder Haile Gebrselassie<br />

pulled up after 32-kilometres<br />

of Sunday’s race. The 24-year-old<br />

clocked a winning time of two hours,<br />

six minutes, 58 seconds with Japan’s<br />

Hiroyuki Horibata runner-up in<br />

2:08:24 and Henryk Szost of Poland<br />

third in 2:08:42. Gebrselassie’s latest<br />

failure is set to further fuel speculation<br />

over the future of the man<br />

dubbed the “Emperor” after another<br />

year of disappointment. — Reuters<br />

Tottenham lose Bale<br />

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s<br />

Wales winger Gareth Bale could be<br />

sidelined for up to two weeks with a<br />

hamstring injury, manager Andre-<br />

Villas Boas said on Saturday. Bale was<br />

injured during the 3-0 Premier<br />

League win at Fulham that moved<br />

Spurs up to fourth place. He limped<br />

off after falling awkwardly following a<br />

shot at goal in the second half. Spurs<br />

also lost defender Michael Dawson<br />

with a hamstring strain, though he<br />

could be fit for Saturday’s trip to Everton.<br />

“One (Bale) looks more serious<br />

than the other but nothing too major,”<br />

Villas-Boas told Sky Sports. “Both<br />

players will come in for treatment<br />

very soon.” — Reuters<br />

MARTYRS MEMORIAL A DIVISION LEAGUE<br />

TEAM P W D L PTS<br />

Machhindra 3 2 1 0 7<br />

MMC 3 2 1 0 7<br />

Three Star 3 2 0 1 6<br />

NRT 2 2 0 0 6<br />

RCT 2 2 0 0 6<br />

JYC 3 2 0 1 6<br />

Sankata 3 1 2 0 5<br />

Himalayan Sherpa 2 1 1 0 4<br />

Saraswoti 3 1 1 1 4<br />

APF 3 1 0 2 3<br />

MYA 3 0 2 1 2<br />

TAC 2 0 1 1 1<br />

Friends 3 0 1 2 1<br />

Bansbari 3 0 1 2 1<br />

NPC 3 0 1 2 1<br />

Bouddha 3 0 0 3 0<br />

Three Star edge Friends; JYC triumph<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu, December 2<br />

Lemi Joshna struck a last gasp<br />

winner as Three Star Club<br />

edged city rival NIBL Friends<br />

Club 1-0, while another Lalitpur-based<br />

outfit Samsung<br />

Jawalakhel Youth Club (JYC)<br />

recorded a dramatic 3-2 win<br />

over Mahindra Bansbari Football<br />

Club in the Martyrs Memorial<br />

Red Bull ‘A’ Division League<br />

here today.<br />

In an entertaining match<br />

Lemi, who hails from Sierra<br />

Leone, struck home from almost<br />

25 yards leaving the<br />

Friends goalkeeper Bashir<br />

Ibrahim Toyin merely a spectator<br />

in the 86th minute.<br />

The second successive victory<br />

saw Three Star, who were<br />

stunned 2-1 by Saraswoti Club<br />

in their first match, climb to the<br />

third spot with six points. JYC<br />

also rose to sixth position on<br />

goal difference after tying on<br />

six points with Three Star, New<br />

Road Team (NRT) and Ranpokhari<br />

Corner Team (RCT).<br />

Both NRT and RCT, however,<br />

have a game in hand. Friends<br />

and Bansbari remain at 13th<br />

and 14th places respectively<br />

with one point each.<br />

Three Star coach Pradip Humagain<br />

was a relieved man after<br />

recovering from a disappointing<br />

start to their campaign.<br />

He added the performance<br />

against NRT in the next<br />

round would be<br />

a real test.<br />

Friends made<br />

a blistering start<br />

when Prakash<br />

Budhathoki<br />

forced Three<br />

Star goalkeeper<br />

Kiran Chemjong<br />

to make a spec-<br />

NPS triumph;<br />

Galaxy, SAM<br />

share spoils<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Bhaktapur, December 2<br />

Nepal Police School (NPS) beat Brihaspati<br />

Vidhya Sadan by four wickets,<br />

while another match between<br />

hosts Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya<br />

(SAM) and Galaxy Public<br />

School ended in a draw in a thrilling<br />

day of the sixth CoAS Inter-school<br />

Running Cricket Tournament today.<br />

In an entertaining 18-over-a-side<br />

Group ‘B’ match at the SAM<br />

grounds, Brihaspati made 105-8 after<br />

electing to bat first. NPS then<br />

registered a victory in the last ball of<br />

the day finishing 106-6 with Basanta<br />

Chaudhary playing a precious innings<br />

of unbeaten 18-ball 16. Bhupendra<br />

Oli (22) and Ajay Chaudhary<br />

(20) were other NPS batsmen to<br />

score in double digits. Samriddha<br />

Maharjan took two wickets for Brihaspati,<br />

while Pratik Kant, Ashish<br />

Bhandari and Biraj Tandukar had<br />

one scalp each.<br />

Earlier, Pratik Raj Bhandari’s 34<br />

from 39 deliveries helped Brihaspati<br />

cross triple figure mark. He hit three<br />

boundaries. Pratik Kant made runa-ball<br />

19 with four fours. Man-ofthe-match<br />

Bhupendra also impressed<br />

with the ball returning with<br />

2-10 from four overs. Aryan Deepak<br />

Raut also took two wickets. Prajwal<br />

Ghimire and Ayush Shrestha also<br />

had one wicket apiece.<br />

In another low scoring match,<br />

Galaxy were restricted to 100-9 in 20<br />

overs but did extremely well to stop<br />

SAM on 100-9 to share points. Both<br />

teams are now tied at three points<br />

each in the Group ‘A’ standings.<br />

Akash Bista’s 1-11 and Aditya<br />

Pandey’s 1-14 in their four-over<br />

spells was the turning point for<br />

Galaxy. Rajendra Pal took two wickets<br />

and the other SAM wicket fell to<br />

Nabin Budhathoki.<br />

Gunjan Yadav made 30 runs from<br />

43 balls for SAM with five boundaries.<br />

Dharmendra Rana Magar<br />

chipped in with 12 runs. Man-ofthe-match<br />

Darmendra, earlier,<br />

starred with the ball picking 3-18<br />

from four overs that saw Galaxy restricted<br />

to a low total.<br />

Basu Baniya (2-12) and Sourab<br />

Pela (2-12) shared four wickets between<br />

them. Gunjan also took one<br />

wicket. Dhirendra Raut top scored<br />

with a 29-ball 33 including six<br />

boundaries. Nabin made a 25-ball<br />

36 with three hits to the fence.<br />

Lemi Joshna (centre) of Three Star Club celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Friends Club during their<br />

Martyrs Memorial Red Bull ‘A’ Division League match at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Saturday.<br />

tacular save in the second<br />

minute. Jagjit Shrestha’s header<br />

on a Dodoz cross hit the bar<br />

and Ritesh Malla scored in rebound<br />

only for Referee Bikash<br />

Mahat to rule it offside. The decision<br />

infuriated Friends coach<br />

Dil Kaji Gurung: “Referee<br />

favoured them (Three Star) by<br />

disallowing the goal. It is always<br />

hard to play with 11 play-<br />

Pun wins trophy<br />

KATHMANDU: DIG Niraj Pun won<br />

the first Senior Golf Tournament title<br />

here at the Tribhuvan Army Officers<br />

Golf Club (TAOGC) on Sunday.<br />

Played under stableford format, Pun<br />

accumulated 40 points to claim the<br />

trophy in the 1-12 handicap category.<br />

Brig Gen BB Thapa came second with<br />

39 points. Lt Gen Hikmat Bahadur<br />

Chand won the 13-19 handicap section<br />

trophy with 37 points, while Lt<br />

Gen CB Gurung finished second with<br />

34 points. Likewise, UJ Thapa (38)<br />

and Dr SB Basnet (36) claimed top<br />

two spots in 20-24 handicap category.<br />

Other winners were B Moktan<br />

(longest drive), Shyam Chitrakar<br />

(closest-to-the-pin) and Robin D<br />

Marston (best sportsmanship).<br />

Chairman of TAOGC and Chief of the<br />

Army Staff Gaurab SJB Rana and<br />

Tournament Coordinator Lt Gen KNS<br />

Thapa handed over the prizes. — HNS<br />

MMC set for friendly<br />

KATHMANDU: Six-time ‘A’ Division<br />

League champions Laxmi Hyundai<br />

Manang Marshyangdi Club will play<br />

a friendly match with Ambassadors<br />

Football Club of the USA at the<br />

Dasharath Stadium on December 8.<br />

“The American club comprising of<br />

players from Major League Soccer<br />

and former <strong>national</strong> players from Bolivia,<br />

Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Scotland<br />

and South Africa is set to arrive here<br />

on Monday for a friendly with MMC,”<br />

confirmed ANFA General Secretary<br />

Dhirendra Pradhan. — HNS<br />

BCC enter final<br />

KATHMANDU: Baluwatar Cricket<br />

Club (BCC) defeated Kathmandu<br />

Khel Mandal (KKM) by 54 runs to enter<br />

the final of the Kathmandu Dis-<br />

ers against the 14 of the opponent,”<br />

said Gurung.<br />

Three Star then responded<br />

soon with Lemi, who ended up<br />

hitting inches above the bar<br />

from the edge in the 28th<br />

minute. Bikram Lama had a<br />

chance to put two-time champions<br />

ahead in the 67th minute<br />

but the midfielder only found<br />

the side netting. Friends were<br />

unlucky again<br />

when Ritesh<br />

Malla failed to<br />

score in an<br />

open net after<br />

beating advancing<br />

Kiran in a<br />

one-on-one encounter<br />

in the<br />

88th minute.<br />

• LOCAL BRIEFS<br />

Earlier, Juma Benlee scored a<br />

brace including an injury time<br />

winner in JYC victory. JYC took<br />

a 23rd minute lead with Prabin<br />

Karki making a one-touch<br />

strike off Raj Poudel’s rightflank<br />

cross. JYC made it 2-0<br />

when Juma’s flicked header<br />

found the net following a Jaggu<br />

Nath Khadka’s corner.<br />

Shyam Babu and Nir Kumar<br />

Rai brought Bansbari back<br />

scoring twice within a minute.<br />

Shyam Babu made it 2-1 scoring<br />

from inside the crowded dbox<br />

in the 77th minute and Nir<br />

Kumar levelled the scores a<br />

minute later. Fed by skipper Dil<br />

Bahadur Tamang, Nir Kumar<br />

beat offside trap to score.<br />

Just as it looked like Bansbari<br />

trict Senior Selection Cricket Tournament<br />

on Sunday. With half centuries<br />

from Rabin Joshi and Prakash Bista,<br />

BCC made 193-7 in 40 overs. Prakash<br />

made run-a-ball 56 with six boundaries<br />

and Rabin made 92-ball 54. Niraj<br />

Basnet took three wickets for<br />

KKM, who were packed up for 139 in<br />

35.3 overs. Only Niraj Bhattarai (28)<br />

and Manish Gupta (26) managed to<br />

put some fight against BCC bowlers.<br />

Indra Kamal Manandhar took four<br />

wickets for BCC. — HNS<br />

Selection tourney<br />

LALITPUR: Planet De Sports crushed<br />

Lalitpur Warriors by 138 runs in the<br />

Lalitpur District Senior Selection<br />

Cricket Tournament on Sunday. With<br />

fair contribution from batsmen,<br />

Planet made 299-9 in 38.5 overs. Dipankar<br />

Yonjan then claimed five<br />

wickets as Lalitpur Warriors were dis-<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

had done enouth to secure a<br />

point, Juma scored the winner<br />

in the fourth of the five minutes<br />

of injury time. JYC coach<br />

Kishor KC said his side has not<br />

yet found good coordination.<br />

“Defenders and midfielders<br />

were not up to their mark,” said<br />

KC adding the injury to defender<br />

Suraj Thing was the main<br />

reason they conceded two<br />

quick goals. Bansbari coach<br />

Hari Om Shrestha said his side<br />

has shown improvements.<br />

TODAY’S MATCHES<br />

• Himalayan Sherpa vs TAC<br />

@ 12:30PM<br />

• RCT vs NRT @ 2:30PM<br />

The winners of the first Senior Golf Tournament hold their trophies at the<br />

Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Club in Kathmandu on Sunday.<br />

Reuters<br />

Graeme McDowell hits a shot on the 18th fairway during the<br />

World Challenge golf tournament on Saturday.<br />

Reuters<br />

missed for 161 in 30.5 overs. Kiran<br />

Tamrakar fought a lonely battle for<br />

Warriors with a 57-ball 66. Earlier,<br />

Sudhir Maharjan made a patient 75ball<br />

69 and Samim Akhtar played a<br />

cameo of 33-ball 44 to set a daunting<br />

task for the Warriors. — HNS<br />

NPC still dominant<br />

KATHMANDU: Defending champions<br />

Nepal Police Club (NPC) continued<br />

their dominance in the eighth<br />

Dhorpatan Blue Sky Cup Women’s<br />

Volleyball Double League with double<br />

victory on Sunday. NPC routed<br />

Angels’ Heart 25-12, 25-9, 25-7 and<br />

sidelined New Diamond Academy<br />

25-16, 25-23, 25-16. Unbeaten NPC<br />

lead the standings with 15 points<br />

from five matches. Nepal APF Club<br />

also filed their fourth consecutive<br />

victory easing past Kavre District Volleyball<br />

Association 25-3, 25-11, 25-9.<br />

Thousand Oaks, December 2<br />

Former US Open champion<br />

Graeme McDowell edged<br />

closer to his first win in two<br />

years by ending the third<br />

round of the World Challenge<br />

with a two-shot lead.<br />

The Northern Irishman,<br />

who despite several close<br />

calls has endured a barren title<br />

run worldwide since his<br />

playoff victory at the World<br />

Challenge in 2010, fired a<br />

flawless four-under-par 68<br />

on Saturday to post a 13-under<br />

total of 203.<br />

McDowell’s closest challenger<br />

was first-round leader<br />

Keegan Bradley who<br />

Uma Bista / THT<br />

matched the day’s best<br />

round with a six-birdie 67 to<br />

finish at 11 under. Defending<br />

champion Tiger Woods, bidding<br />

for his fourth victory<br />

this year, was a further three<br />

strokes back after narrowly<br />

missing a seven-foot birdie<br />

putt at the last to card a 69.<br />

Woods failed to birdie any<br />

of the five par-fives on the<br />

hilly course that winds its<br />

way below the Santa Monica<br />

mountains as he ended the<br />

day level with fellow American<br />

Bo Van Pelt, who birdied<br />

the par-four last for a 70.<br />

On a soggy morning, 2010<br />

US Open champion Mc-<br />

Dowell began the third<br />

round with a commanding<br />

Beckham<br />

bids farewell<br />

with title<br />

Reuters<br />

Carson, December 2<br />

Leaving the field draped in<br />

the Union flag and the<br />

Stars and Stripes, David<br />

Beckham bowed out of<br />

Major League Soccer on a<br />

winning note on Saturday<br />

as LA Galaxy retained their<br />

title with a 3-1 victory over<br />

Houston Dynamo in the<br />

MLS Cup final.<br />

The game was a fitting<br />

way for Beckham to end<br />

his six seasons in MLS as<br />

he added another title to<br />

his collection. “This is the<br />

goal we set ourselves at the<br />

start of the season,” said<br />

Beckham. “It is another<br />

special occasion to win a<br />

championship at home, in<br />

front of our fans and our<br />

families.”<br />

The former England<br />

captain received a standing<br />

ovation as he was substituted<br />

in the final seconds.<br />

“I think today was<br />

always going to be an<br />

emotional day for myself,<br />

win or lose. I’ve been here<br />

for six years and part of a<br />

team that has kept the majority<br />

of their players together.<br />

Coming off was<br />

tough but I enjoyed the<br />

win today,” he said.<br />

After the final whistle,<br />

Beckham was joined by<br />

his children as he said his<br />

farewell to the Galaxy fans<br />

after a display in which he<br />

had shown some of the<br />

passing vision and execution<br />

that has been characteristic<br />

of his career.<br />

APF are second with 11 points. In<br />

other matches, Chandeshwori Youth<br />

Club of Ramechhap defeated Dhulabari<br />

HS School of Jhapa 25-12, 25-13,<br />

25-10 and Angels’ Heart overcame<br />

Dhading District Volleyball Association<br />

25-4, 25-7, 25-8. — HNS<br />

National advance<br />

KATHMANDU: Champions National<br />

Campus and Trinity on Sunday<br />

reached the boys’ pre-quarterfinals of<br />

the 10th Prime Cup Inter-college Basketball<br />

Championships. National<br />

humbled Whitefield 59-22 riding on<br />

15 points from Prajun Pokharel and<br />

entered the last 16 as Group ‘A’ winners.<br />

Trinity inflicted humiliating 60-<br />

6 loss to Cabridge to top Group ‘E’. Krishna<br />

Maharjan posted 15 points for<br />

the winning side. In other matches,<br />

Learning Realm Inter<strong>national</strong> edged<br />

Gurukul 38-32, Premier sneaked past<br />

Rosebud 47-45, NASA crushed Ace<br />

52-28 and Orient defeated BernHardt<br />

40-33. In the girls’ round robin<br />

league, Mrinalini Shrestha tossed in<br />

19 points to hand NASA a 50-10 victory<br />

over BernHardt. — HNS<br />

Innovative in final<br />

KATHMANDU: Innovative and<br />

Daffodil Public School set the senior<br />

boys’ title clash of the fourth Golden<br />

Peak Inter-school Basketball Tournament<br />

on Sunday. In the first semi-finals,<br />

Innovative ousted Valley Public<br />

56-36 following a 16-point contribution<br />

from Sudip Shrestha. In a onepoint<br />

thriller, Min Raj Tamang<br />

rolled in a match-high 24 as Daffodil<br />

pipped Deepjyoti 54-53. Neric and<br />

Valley Public entered the junior<br />

boys’ final. Neric defeated Odyssey<br />

29-17 and Valley Public beat Greenland<br />

19-14. Both the finals are slated<br />

for Monday. — HNS<br />

Flawless McDowell stays in control<br />

THT<br />

three-shot lead but that was<br />

swiftly trimmed to just one<br />

after the fast-starting<br />

Bradley birdied two of the<br />

first three holes.<br />

However, McDowell got<br />

his putter working in scintillating<br />

fashion, sinking birdie<br />

putts from 30 feet at the parfive<br />

second and the par-four<br />

fourth to restore his threestroke<br />

advantage.<br />

Though American Bradley<br />

picked up another shot at<br />

the sixth to apply early pressure<br />

on McDowell, the<br />

Northern Irishman maintained<br />

his grip on the tournament<br />

with further birdies<br />

at the ninth and 11th before<br />

parring the last seven holes.


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

Associated Press<br />

Perth, December 2<br />

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers<br />

posted big centuries in<br />

quick time before South<br />

Africa was dismissed for 569<br />

late on Sunday, setting Australia<br />

an unlikely victory target<br />

of 632 in the third Test.<br />

David Warner (29) and Ed<br />

Cowan (nine) survived an<br />

hour before stumps to steer<br />

the Australians to 40-0 on the<br />

third day, cutting the target<br />

to 592 with two days remaining<br />

in a Test that will decide<br />

the No 1 ranking for 2012. After<br />

20 wickets tumbled in the<br />

first five sessions, the topranked<br />

South Africa seized<br />

control in the second in-<br />

nings with Amla scoring 196<br />

and de Villiers hitting 169.<br />

Amla batted for almost six<br />

hours and stroked 20 fours<br />

as he shared stands of 178<br />

with Graeme Smith (84), 81<br />

with Jacques Kallis (37) and<br />

149 with de Villiers until he<br />

gave a return catch to<br />

Mitchell Johnson.<br />

De Villiers continued,<br />

reaching his 14th Test hundred<br />

with three consecutive<br />

reverse sweeps for boundaries<br />

from offspinner<br />

Nathan Lyon and belting 21<br />

boundaries and three sixes<br />

before he was eventually<br />

caught behind off Mitch<br />

Starc for 169. After pounding<br />

the Australian bowlers for<br />

three sessions, the South<br />

Africans lost their last five<br />

wickets for 31 runs with leftarm<br />

pacemen Starc (6-154)<br />

and Johnson (4-110) taking<br />

all the wickets.<br />

The record successful<br />

fourth-innings chase is West<br />

Indies’ 418-7 to beat Australia<br />

at St John’s in 2003. The<br />

South Africans went close to<br />

that here four years ago<br />

when they scored 414-4 to<br />

beat Australia and clinch the<br />

2008 series.<br />

The highest fourth-innings<br />

total was England’s<br />

654-5, from 218 eight-ball<br />

overs, chasing 696 to beat<br />

South Africa in a famous<br />

timeless match at Durban in<br />

March, 1939, when both<br />

captains finally agreed to a<br />

www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

SPORTS<br />

Proteas on brink of clinching series<br />

South African batsman AB de Villiers (right) celebrates with Faf du Plessis after completing his century on the third day of their third Test match<br />

against Australia in Perth on Sunday.<br />

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (left) duels for the ball against<br />

Athletic Bilbao’s Ander Herrera during their Spanish<br />

League match in Barcelona on Saturday.<br />

Associated Press<br />

Reading, December 2<br />

Manchester United prepared<br />

for next weekend’s<br />

derby with Manchester City<br />

by moving three points<br />

clear of the champions with<br />

a frenzied 4-3 win at Reading<br />

in the Premier League<br />

on Saturday in which all the<br />

goals came in the opening<br />

34 minutes.<br />

Hal Robson-Kanu put<br />

Reading in front, but Anderson<br />

equalised and Wayne<br />

Rooney gave United the<br />

lead from the penalty spot<br />

by the 16th minute. Adam<br />

Le Fondre and Sean Morrison<br />

headed Reading back in<br />

front from corners, but the<br />

lead didn’t last long.<br />

United’s second comeback<br />

was begun by Rooney,<br />

with Robin van Persie then<br />

completing the scoring as<br />

the visitors’ fragility at the<br />

AP / RSS<br />

back disappeared. United’s<br />

victory was their seventh after<br />

falling behind this season.<br />

“I thought it might be a<br />

record Premier League<br />

score at halftime,” United<br />

manager Alex Ferguson<br />

said.<br />

“It was really, really bad<br />

defending. That was the absolute<br />

worst it’s been this<br />

season. We deserved to get<br />

battered today. We scored<br />

goals thankfully which rescued<br />

us.” Ferguson will be<br />

hoping the defense is<br />

stronger Sunday week when<br />

they host second-place City,<br />

who were held to a 1-1 draw<br />

by Everton on Saturday.<br />

The first goal in the<br />

thrilling first half at Madejski<br />

Stadium came after eight<br />

minutes when United defender<br />

Jonny Evans could<br />

only head Jobi McAnuff’s<br />

cross into the path of Robson-Kanu,<br />

who volleyed<br />

draw after 10 days of play so<br />

the tourists could get a ship<br />

back to Britain. The South<br />

Africans only need a draw at<br />

the WACA to retain the No 1<br />

Test ranking, while Australia<br />

need a victory to replace<br />

them in top spot.<br />

Amla resumed on 99 with<br />

South Africa at 230-2 and<br />

reached his 18th Test hundred<br />

in the first over. The<br />

Australian attack, missing all<br />

three pacemen who played<br />

in the first two drawn Tests,<br />

had only picked up one<br />

wicket in 3 1/2 hours before<br />

Johnson’s double breakthrough<br />

in one over to remove<br />

Amla and Dean Elgar<br />

as the South African slipped<br />

from 3-436 to 5-436.<br />

Barcelona make<br />

best La Liga start<br />

Associated Press<br />

Barcelona, December 2<br />

Lionel Messi scored twice<br />

on Saturday as Barcelona<br />

made the best start in the<br />

history of the Spanish<br />

League with a 5-1 win<br />

over Athletic Bilbao, while<br />

Real Madrid extended<br />

their dominance over<br />

Atletico Madrid by easing<br />

to a 2-0 victory.<br />

Bara’s 13 wins and a<br />

draw in the opening 14<br />

rounds surpassed Real’s<br />

12 wins and two draws to<br />

begin the 1991-92 campaign.<br />

Barca led 3-0 by<br />

halftime with goals from<br />

Gerard Pique, Messi and<br />

Adriano. Cesc Fabregas<br />

and Messi scored after<br />

halftime.<br />

Real’s ninth straight win<br />

kept alive their run of not<br />

losing to Atletico in 24<br />

straight games, dating<br />

back to 1999. Atletico entered<br />

the game on their<br />

best start ever with 11<br />

wins in 13 rounds. But any<br />

hopes of ending years of<br />

misery were crushed<br />

when Cristiano Ronaldo<br />

past goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard.<br />

But United found their<br />

ruthlessness when coming<br />

from behind. Anderson<br />

picked out Ashley Young<br />

wide on the left and the<br />

Brazil midfielder continued<br />

his run before Young picked<br />

him out and lashed United<br />

level in the 13th.<br />

The visitors were ahead<br />

three minutes later after Jay<br />

Tabb bundled into the back<br />

of Evans, and Rooney<br />

scored from the penalty<br />

spot. Reading were level<br />

three minutes later, Le Fondre<br />

wriggling free of Evans<br />

in the area to head home<br />

Nicky Shorey’s corner.<br />

Moments after Rio Ferdinand<br />

had headed away a<br />

cross at the back post, Morrison<br />

beat Evans to a corner<br />

and powered a close-range<br />

header past Lindegaard. But<br />

United were soon back on<br />

scored an exquisite free<br />

kick in the 16th minute. A<br />

poor clearance by Miranda<br />

in his own half led to<br />

Mesut Oezil scoring Real’s<br />

second goal in the 66th<br />

from a pass by Ronaldo.<br />

Atletico remained in<br />

second place with their<br />

second loss of the season.<br />

But Barcelona are six<br />

points clear, as thirdplace<br />

Real closed to within<br />

five of their city rival.<br />

At Camp Nou, Pique<br />

pounced on the rebound<br />

of Fabregas’ shot from a<br />

corner that keeper Gorka<br />

Iraizoz did well to block to<br />

open the scoring in the<br />

22nd. Messi then struck to<br />

double the lead three<br />

minutes later before Adriano<br />

added another in injury<br />

time. Fabregas took<br />

his goal in the 57th from a<br />

pass by Andres Iniesta.<br />

Ibai Gomez replied for<br />

Bilbao in the 65th. Messi<br />

recorded a double five<br />

minutes later. Also, Valencia<br />

lost 5-2 at home to<br />

Real Sociedad and Getafe<br />

beat Malaga 1-0 for their<br />

third consecutive win.<br />

United go three points clear on top<br />

top. A sublime piece of skill<br />

from Young freed Patrice<br />

Evra down the left, and his<br />

low cross was tucked away<br />

by Rooney to make it 3-3 on<br />

the half-hour.<br />

The second half started<br />

much calmer but it was<br />

Reading pressing forward.<br />

Lindegaard fumbled a simple<br />

catch from Shorey’s corner<br />

before Reading’s appeals<br />

for a penalty were<br />

waved away after Evra won<br />

the ball in a challenge with<br />

Mariappa.<br />

Van Persie wasted a good<br />

chance to put United two<br />

clear when he shot wide after<br />

being picked out by Phil<br />

Jones, although the ball to<br />

the ex-Arsenal striker was<br />

slightly behind him. Van<br />

Persie missed a better opportunity<br />

moments later,<br />

robbing the ball off Federici<br />

but unable to hit the empty<br />

net from a tight angle.<br />

AP / RSS<br />

Johnson took his second<br />

caught-and-bowled dismissal<br />

of the innings, this<br />

time with a reflex, righthanded<br />

grab to dismiss Amla<br />

on the first ball of the 89th<br />

over. Then, he trapped the<br />

rookie South African Elgar<br />

leg before wicket to give him<br />

a pair of ducks on debut.<br />

The South Africans added<br />

69 runs in the six overs after<br />

the tea interval, with de Villiers<br />

and Faf du Plessis (27)<br />

flaying the bowling attack.<br />

Du Plessis shared a 102-run<br />

partnership with de Villiers<br />

on Sunday before his defiance<br />

ended, edging Johnson<br />

to Michael Clarke at slip.<br />

Starc then dismissed the last<br />

three tailenders.<br />

Reuters<br />

Khulna, December 2<br />

Opener Anamul Haque<br />

struck his maiden inter<strong>national</strong><br />

century as<br />

Bangladesh crushed West<br />

Indies by 160 runs in the<br />

second one day inter<strong>national</strong><br />

(ODI) today to record<br />

their biggest win in the 50over<br />

format.<br />

Playing only his second<br />

one dayer, right-handed<br />

batsman Anamul smashed<br />

120 off 145 balls to help<br />

Bangladesh post 292-6 before<br />

the hosts returned to<br />

skittle out West Indies for<br />

132 in 31.1 overs for a comprehensive<br />

win that put<br />

them 2-0 up in the fivematch<br />

series. The victory at<br />

the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium<br />

bettered Bangladesh’s<br />

146-run win against Scotland<br />

in Dhaka in 2006.<br />

Anamul shared 174 runs<br />

with skipper Mushfiqur<br />

Rahim (79), a record for<br />

Bangladesh in third wicket,<br />

which lifted the hosts after<br />

West Indies had put them in<br />

and reduced to 21-2 inside<br />

seven overs. The duo fell<br />

just one run short of<br />

Bangladesh’s highest ever<br />

ODI partnership set by<br />

Habibul Bashar and Rajin<br />

Saleh against Kenya in 2006<br />

when Rahim was out after<br />

his 87-ball knock.<br />

Anamul, the top scorer in<br />

the ICC Under-19 World<br />

Cup in August, had a nervous<br />

wait for his century<br />

that came off with a single<br />

off Ravi Rampaul in the 47th<br />

over of the innings. The<br />

opener, who turns 20 on December<br />

16, took 23 balls to<br />

reach from 90 to 100 but<br />

compensated soon by hitting<br />

Andre Russell for two<br />

sixes and a four in consecutive<br />

balls in the next over.<br />

Rampaul, pick of the West<br />

Indies bowlers with careerbest<br />

figure of 5-49, eventually<br />

dismissed Anamul who<br />

hit 13 boundaries and two<br />

sixes in his 145-ball knock.<br />

West Indies were under<br />

pressure right from the beginning<br />

as the first four<br />

overs produced only five<br />

runs despite the presence of<br />

destructive batsmen Chris<br />

Gayle (15). Opener Lendl<br />

Simmons (nine) fell to offspinner<br />

Sohag Gazi (3-21)<br />

and the visitors’ problem<br />

compounded when Gayle<br />

PAGE 13<br />

Haque hits ton as Bangladesh<br />

record biggest ever ODI win<br />

AP / RSS<br />

Bangladesh’s Anamul Haque acknowledges the crowd<br />

after scoring a century during their second ODI match<br />

against the West Indies in Khulna on Sunday.<br />

was dismissed caught behind<br />

off paceman Mashrafe<br />

Mortaza.<br />

Gazi struck another crucial<br />

blow by removing Marlon<br />

Samuels (16) before leftarm<br />

spinner Abdur Razzak<br />

(3-19) broke the back of the<br />

West Indies batting order.<br />

Both the teams travel to<br />

Dhaka for the third match<br />

on Wednesday.


PAGE 14 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

THThi-tech hi-tech<br />

tech<br />

terse<br />

Apple to sell new iPads,<br />

iPhone 5 in China<br />

CALIFORNIA: Apple Inc on Friday said<br />

its latest iPad models will go on sale in<br />

China on Dec 7, followed by the<br />

iPhone 5 a week later. China is one of<br />

Apple’s largest and fastest-growing<br />

markets. Analyst Brian White at Topeka<br />

Capital Markets said iPhone 5 is<br />

launching roughly but he hadn’t expected<br />

the iPad mini and the fourthgeneration,<br />

full-size iPad to go on sale<br />

in China this year. “Our conversations<br />

during our meetings and casual consumer<br />

interactions tell us that the iPad<br />

Mini will take off like wildfire in China,”<br />

White wrote in a research report<br />

Friday morning. “The smaller form<br />

factor and lower price point, we believe<br />

Apple will be able to sell the iPad<br />

mini in meaningful volumes.” White<br />

said uptake of the iPhone 4S was relatively<br />

slow in China, because the signature<br />

new feature, voice-recognitionpowered<br />

virtual assistant Siri, did not<br />

understand Mandarin Chinese. — AP<br />

Google soon to buy<br />

BufferBox<br />

CALIFORNIA: Signalling an intent to<br />

compete with Amazon in online shopping,<br />

Google announced Friday it is<br />

buying BufferBox. It is a startup that<br />

runs a parcel storage service similar to<br />

Amazon Locker. Both services let you<br />

order online, but in BufferBox, instead<br />

of requiring a key, the locker can be<br />

opened with a PIN code. “We want to<br />

remove as much friction as possible<br />

from the shopping experience, while<br />

helping consumers save time and<br />

money,” said a Google spokesperson.<br />

BufferBox has a major advantage over<br />

its Amazon counterpart — you can<br />

pick up any package in its lockers, including<br />

UPS and Fedex. The company<br />

is currently running a trial service in<br />

Canada. It’s a major coup for the three<br />

founders, who work out of a startup<br />

incubator in Waterloo. “As online<br />

shopping becomes a bigger part of<br />

how you buy products, we look<br />

forward to playing a part in bringing<br />

that experience to the next level,” the<br />

trio wrote on the BufferBox blog.<br />

Amazon began testing its Locker service<br />

a year ago. But it has one distinct<br />

disadvantage : you can only use it for<br />

Amazon packages. — Agencies<br />

Mexican court<br />

to sue Yahoo!<br />

SAN FRANCISCO: A civil court in<br />

Mexico entered a preliminary USD2.7<br />

billion judgment against Yahoo Inc for<br />

breach of contract involving a yellow<br />

pages listings service, Yahoo said on<br />

Friday. Yahoo believes the claims are<br />

without merit and that it will pursue<br />

all appeals. Shares of Yahoo were off<br />

1.7 per cent at USD18.45. The lawsuit<br />

was brought by Worldwide Directories<br />

SA de CV and Ideas Interactivas SA de<br />

CV against Yahoo and Yahoo de Mexico,<br />

Yahoo said. “The plaintiffs alleged<br />

claims of breach of contract, breach of<br />

promise, and lost profits arising from<br />

contracts related to a yellow pages<br />

listings service,” Yahoo said in a<br />

statement. Yahoo said the ruling was a<br />

‘non-final judgment’ by the 49th Civil<br />

Court of the Federal District of Mexico<br />

City.Its most recent 10Q filing, which<br />

lists major ongoing litigation, makes<br />

no mention of the lawsuit. Worldwide<br />

Directories and Ideas Interactivas<br />

could not immediately be reached for<br />

comment. — Reuters<br />

Grand gifts<br />

for grand ceremonies<br />

Himalayan News Service<br />

Kathmandu<br />

Grand ceremonies call for<br />

grand gifts, especially<br />

weddings. But deciding<br />

on a present that is both<br />

unusual and useful for<br />

couples entering matrimony<br />

can be quite a challenge. For<br />

those mulling over the options<br />

available, here are some ideas<br />

to facilitate your decision<br />

making.<br />

SG Global, the sole authorised<br />

distributor of Sharp<br />

products in Nepal plan to<br />

launch new schemes within a<br />

week, targeting the wedding<br />

season. Chiranjibi Dahal,<br />

sales manager for Sharp products<br />

at Teku, says, “Usually it is<br />

the more affluent lot that gift<br />

electronic goods. But most of<br />

our customers are price sensitive,<br />

which is why our sales<br />

have not increased much.”<br />

According to him, Sharp refrigerators<br />

and washing machines<br />

do pretty well during<br />

this season. Refrigerators start<br />

at Rs 22,790 and go as high as<br />

Rs 199,000 while washing machines<br />

are priced between Rs<br />

17,490 to Rs 62,000. However,<br />

SAN FRANCISCO: As<br />

Zynga continues its free<br />

fall into irrelevancy with<br />

layoffs and its hit social<br />

games, the gaming company<br />

has revised its contract<br />

with Facebook (FB) to free it<br />

from being “forced to launch<br />

games exclusively on the FB<br />

platform” and “obligated to<br />

use FB Credits for Zynga<br />

game pages,” according to<br />

AllThingsD. The change of<br />

terms filed with the SEC also<br />

includes a clause that states<br />

“FB will no longer be prohibited<br />

from developing its<br />

own games.” Could FB start<br />

developing its own social<br />

games? Theoretically, yes.<br />

But would FB really jeopardise<br />

its relationships with<br />

game developers? Probably<br />

not. “We’re not in the business<br />

of building games and<br />

he considers 24 to 70 inch<br />

Sharp LED TVs — costing<br />

between Rs 37,900 to Rs 80,000<br />

— to be the best gifting option<br />

this season. The vast range of<br />

Sharp products includes LCD<br />

and LED TVs, refrigerators,<br />

microwave ovens, washing<br />

machines, DVD players, home<br />

theatre systems, air purifiers,<br />

vacuum cleaners, et cetera.<br />

Similarly, CG digital multibrand<br />

showroom at Chabahil<br />

offers different schemes for<br />

different brands to woo all<br />

types of customers. The<br />

multi-brand showroom is<br />

the authorised distributor<br />

of LG, Toshiba, CG, Godrej,<br />

PCL and Kelvinator. Madhav<br />

Malla Thakuri, multibrand<br />

showroom manager<br />

in Chabahil says, “This is<br />

a one-stop solution<br />

for consumers to<br />

choose from a variety<br />

of brands as<br />

they might not<br />

be satisfied<br />

with a particular<br />

one<br />

for the wedding<br />

gifts.”<br />

According to him,<br />

people normally choose wash-<br />

Is FB planning to<br />

develop its own<br />

games?<br />

REVISED ZYNGA TERMS<br />

OPEN THE DOOR<br />

we have no plans to do so,” a<br />

FB spokesman told AllThingsD.<br />

“We’re focused on being<br />

the platform where<br />

games and apps are built.”<br />

AllThingsD’s report says<br />

the change in terms isn’t so<br />

much as a bid by FB to make<br />

its own games, but to shed<br />

its dependence on Zynga to<br />

supply it with hit games. The<br />

new revised terms give FB<br />

more leverage and other<br />

game developers a greater<br />

incentive to create games.<br />

FB is a publicly traded<br />

company chasing profits,<br />

despite what CEO Mark<br />

Zuckerberg says. It might<br />

not be developing games<br />

today, but the new terms<br />

with Zynga now leaves that<br />

door open, should it want<br />

to make its own games<br />

one day. — Agencies<br />

ing machines, micro wave<br />

ovens or vacuum cleaners as<br />

wedding gifts. Electronic appliances<br />

on demand at the<br />

store during wedding seasons<br />

are LCD televisions of 22 to 65<br />

inches from LG worth Rs<br />

28,000 to Rs 400,000 respectively.<br />

Vacuum cleaners from<br />

1. Google Drive update (Free):<br />

This app is worth downloading,<br />

and has the capability of editing.<br />

It made an improvements to<br />

Google Drive documents, better<br />

clipboard support and cutting<br />

and pasting capabilities.<br />

2. Adblock Plus (Free):<br />

The app will block ads, browser<br />

windows, and even in videos,<br />

and doesn’t require Android<br />

device to be rooted. It works<br />

across multiple applications.<br />

3. Littlest Pet Shop (Free):<br />

Littlest Pet Shop offers virtual<br />

pet care opportunities to players.<br />

Mostly the game is about<br />

collecting, and to unlock new<br />

stuff to work with pets.<br />

4. Rdio beta update (Free): It is<br />

an update to the beta version of<br />

Internet radio app Rdio. The app<br />

CG, which are priced between<br />

Rs 3000 to Rs 6000 also hold<br />

potential for promising sales<br />

during this time of the year.<br />

Neerisha Shrestha, a TU<br />

graduate in Sociology,<br />

along with her friends<br />

are planning to gift a<br />

new couple, says, “We<br />

wanted the present to<br />

be special and after<br />

much discussion,<br />

everyone finally settled for<br />

a Philips iron and kitchen<br />

cutlery set.” According to her,<br />

although the trend to gift<br />

electronic appliances is<br />

growing popular, most people<br />

still prefer traditional<br />

presents owing to their cost<br />

effectiveness.<br />

Him Electronics Pvt Ltd,<br />

subsidiary of Golchha Organisation,<br />

has opened its<br />

first multi-brand showroom<br />

at Civil Mall, Sundhara. The<br />

outlet features products from<br />

Bajaj, Times and Himstar<br />

brands. Nikita<br />

Thapaliya, sales<br />

executives of the<br />

multi-brand<br />

showroom, says, “Most<br />

people usually opt for electronic<br />

appliances like rice<br />

allows to build playlists, and also<br />

collaborate with friends to<br />

create joint playlists.<br />

5. PostalPix (Free): PostalPix is<br />

an app that order prints of<br />

the photos with your Android<br />

device, and shred waves and<br />

around buoys in Sailboat Championship,<br />

a boat-racing game<br />

with great graphics.<br />

6. Skype update (Free): Skype<br />

received an update that makes<br />

it better for tablet users. The<br />

updated Skype revamped its<br />

interface specifically designed<br />

to make it easier to use on<br />

tablets. It received a number of<br />

improvements to increase audio<br />

quality, allow the merging of<br />

Microsoft and Skype accounts,<br />

and clean up various bugs. It allows<br />

users to make calls both domestically<br />

and inter<strong>national</strong>ly.<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

The progression of technology<br />

is based on making it fit, so it’s<br />

part of everyday life — Bill Gates<br />

WITH<br />

BRANDS<br />

CASHING<br />

IN ON THE<br />

WEDDING<br />

SEASON,<br />

THERE ARE<br />

PLENTY<br />

OF HI-TECH<br />

OPTIONS<br />

AVAILABLE<br />

TO FIT<br />

EVERY<br />

BUDGET<br />

cookers, irons and mixer<br />

blenders. However, a few<br />

prefer watches as gifts for<br />

weddings.” According to her,<br />

the company is providing 25<br />

per cent discount on Timex<br />

watches and 10 per cent on<br />

both Himstar and Bajaj brands<br />

for the wedding season. She<br />

also informed that the highest<br />

selling items at the outlet are<br />

Timex watches — the sales<br />

number amounting to around<br />

30 per month.<br />

With so many options<br />

available, it is only natural that<br />

people are stepping away from<br />

conventional gifting options<br />

and trying new items. While<br />

brands cash in on the wedding<br />

season, those attending the<br />

special event might just find<br />

the perfect gift that fits<br />

their budget.<br />

7. GTA Radio update (Free):<br />

GTA Radio added content from<br />

the beloved Grand Theft Auto<br />

video game series to bring yousome<br />

hilarious radio shows and<br />

great music.<br />

8. Hyperwave (Free): Arcade<br />

shooter Hyperwave puts players<br />

up against waves of alien invaders,<br />

with tons of enemies to<br />

dodge and destroy. Hyperwave<br />

uses a 2.5-D viewpoint, and<br />

effectively keeps players in the<br />

action all the time forcing them<br />

to dodge incoming economies.<br />

9. Amazon Mobile (Tablet)<br />

(Free): Amazon’s mobile app in a<br />

tablet version, which makes<br />

shopping the massive online<br />

• CELEB’S CORNER<br />

Top 11 Android apps<br />

worth downloading<br />

RAMKRISHNA DHAKAL, is a<br />

popular singer turned actor, who<br />

has released 15 albums and was<br />

featured in a Nepali movie titled<br />

Aashirbad. With his song ‘Orali<br />

lageko harin ko chaal bho’ his popularity<br />

skyrocketed. For Dhakal,<br />

technology is an efficient medium<br />

to connect people. He spoke to<br />

THT Hi-Tech Plus about his choice<br />

of gadgets.<br />

Which is your favourite gadget?<br />

Why?<br />

My favourite gadget is my<br />

iPhone 4 because it is comfortable<br />

to use and is very handy.<br />

Which features do you like the<br />

most?<br />

I like its various available apps,<br />

games, templeman and YouTube<br />

features.<br />

Which is the one gadget in your<br />

wish list?<br />

I would like to own a Samsung<br />

Galaxy S III in the near future.<br />

retailer a lot easier. Amazon’s<br />

app access the retailer’s entire<br />

catalog, and includes features<br />

like the one-click option for<br />

simplified purchasing.<br />

10. Utter! Voice Comman<br />

Beta (Free): It is pretty much ex-<br />

actly what it sounds like, allowing<br />

to control your entire device<br />

with voice commands. Utter!<br />

differentiates itself from other<br />

voice command apps by using<br />

very few resources and running<br />

in the background on your device.<br />

It’s worth noting that utter!<br />

is a beta release, which means<br />

it’s likely to have bugs and that<br />

the developers are looking for<br />

feedback as they test it before its<br />

official release.<br />

11. Speaktoiy Assistant update<br />

(Free): It can launch apps,<br />

surf and answer questions, all<br />

with commands spoken in<br />

natural language. It has undergone<br />

a huge overhaul, bringing a<br />

big redesign to the user interface<br />

and improvements to the app. It<br />

also now features social connectivity<br />

that share Assistant’s<br />

answers to questions with your<br />

friends. At its core, the app<br />

remains all about finding information,<br />

and mirrors similar<br />

technology like Apple’s Siri. The<br />

Speaktoit Assistant is still a<br />

beta release and is undergoing<br />

further improvements. — Agencies


THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

POSITIVE LIVING<br />

Variety<br />

PAGE 15<br />

10 steps<br />

to a happier you<br />

AUTHOR OF THE HUMAN BEING OF THE FUTURE<br />

DANIELE BOIDO BELIEVES THAT PURGING<br />

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS<br />

COULD HELP US CREATE A BETTER AND HAPPIER LIFE<br />

LONDON: A spiritual<br />

teacher has suggested<br />

10 simple steps that<br />

could lead you to a<br />

happier lifestyle.<br />

Daniele Boido, author of The<br />

Human Being Of The Future,<br />

said purging negative emotions<br />

and improving relationships<br />

could helps us create a better<br />

and happier life, the Daily Express<br />

reported.<br />

Here are his top tips on how to<br />

feel upbeat and fulfilled, as revealed<br />

by the Daily Express —<br />

1. Understand<br />

spirituality<br />

To enhance your spirituality,<br />

make sure that whenever you<br />

come across someone with less<br />

understanding and awareness<br />

of particular situations you do<br />

everything in your power to help<br />

them.<br />

“Show compassion, patience<br />

and unconditional love. Don’t<br />

judge and instead share your<br />

knowledge and insights to try to<br />

support and encourage them to<br />

follow their own path,” advises<br />

Boido.<br />

“Work on becoming more<br />

aware and in tune with your<br />

thoughts and actions. This<br />

could be through meditation,<br />

exercise or a healthy lifestyle as<br />

these will help you to achieve inner<br />

strength and a connection<br />

• LIFE SKILL<br />

Balancing act<br />

I wish you bright mornings and<br />

warm, sunny days,<br />

Soft shade to cool you from<br />

sweltering rays,<br />

Raindrops, a few, from some<br />

cloud floating by,<br />

Rainbows thereafter to<br />

colour your sky.<br />

Rambling rivers and great<br />

shining seas,<br />

Mountains and forests with<br />

towering trees,<br />

Hillsides and valleys,<br />

all flower-festooned,<br />

Nature that nurtures<br />

whomever’s attuned.<br />

A faithful companion<br />

who’ll stay by your side,<br />

Children to care for,<br />

to love and to guide,<br />

Enough work to do with enough<br />

time for play<br />

Then restful sleep at the close<br />

of the day.<br />

Friends when you need them and<br />

when they need you,<br />

Something to spend,<br />

just as much as will do<br />

A heart full of laughter;<br />

perhaps a few tears,<br />

A faith you can follow through<br />

all of your years.<br />

Then, fearlessly facing your last<br />

setting sun,<br />

As you contemplate all the deeds<br />

you have done,<br />

Recalling a life that’s been more<br />

than worthwhile,<br />

Perhaps you will pause and give<br />

thanks with a smile.<br />

— Author Unknown<br />

to others,” he adds.<br />

2. Learn to forgive<br />

He says holding on to past<br />

hurts only leads to a destructive<br />

state of mind.<br />

“If someone has hurt you then<br />

you need to let go of your bitterness<br />

and resentment in order to<br />

move on,” says Boido.<br />

“For a few moments repeat in<br />

your mind or out loud, ‘I truly<br />

and freely forgive and let go of<br />

any negative event and person<br />

from my past and anyone who<br />

needs to forgive me now does,”<br />

he said.<br />

3.Take care of<br />

your body<br />

Boido recommends eating<br />

plenty of fresh foods including<br />

fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts,<br />

pulses and wholegrains, suggesting<br />

“these will nourish your<br />

body with vibrant, healthy energy”.<br />

He also advocates taking up a<br />

mind and body exercise such as<br />

yoga, Pilates or tai chi.<br />

4. Release negative emotions<br />

To let go of negative emotions<br />

Boido suggests a simple exercise.<br />

“Sitting comfortably, begin to<br />

inhale and exhale<br />

taking long,<br />

slow, deep<br />

breaths.<br />

“As you exhale imagine releasing<br />

all negative emotions such<br />

as anger, revenge or jealousy. As<br />

you inhale imagine breathing in<br />

the positive qualities you need<br />

in your life such as calmness,<br />

courage and will power.<br />

“Continue this for a few minutes.<br />

With practice you will find<br />

it easier to let go of negative feelings.”<br />

5. Share unconditional<br />

love<br />

Boido says feeling unconditional<br />

love towards yourself and<br />

others creates harmony.<br />

“The more you can open<br />

yourself up to this feeling, the<br />

more peaceful and tranquil you<br />

will feel,” he states.<br />

Perfect, the<br />

way we are<br />

We have all heard that no two<br />

snowflakes are alike. Each<br />

snowflake takes the perfect<br />

form for the maximum efficiency<br />

and effectiveness for its journey. And<br />

while the universal force of gravity<br />

gives them a shared destination, the<br />

expansive space in the air gives each<br />

snowflake the opportunity to take<br />

their own path. They are on the same<br />

journey, but each takes a different<br />

path.<br />

Along this gravity-driven journey,<br />

some snowflakes collide and damage<br />

each other, some collide and join together,<br />

some are influenced by<br />

wind... there are so many transitions<br />

and changes that take place along<br />

the journey of the snowflake. But, no<br />

matter what the transition, the<br />

snowflake always finds itself perfectly<br />

shaped for its journey.<br />

I find parallels in nature to be a<br />

More pancakes<br />

Six year old Brandon decided<br />

one Saturday morning to<br />

fix his parents pancakes. He<br />

found a big bowl and spoon,<br />

pulled a chair to the counter,<br />

opened the cupboard and pulled<br />

out the heavy flour canister,<br />

spilling it on the floor. He<br />

scooped some of the flour into<br />

the bowl with his hands, mixed<br />

in most of a cup of milk and<br />

added some sugar, leaving a<br />

floury trail on the floor which by<br />

now had a few tracks left by his<br />

kitten.<br />

Brandon was covered with<br />

flour and getting frustrated. He<br />

wanted this to be something<br />

very good for Mum and Dad, but<br />

it was getting very bad. He didn’t<br />

know what to do next, whether<br />

to put it all into the oven or on<br />

the stove (and he didn’t know<br />

how the stove worked)! Suddenly<br />

he saw his kitten licking from the<br />

bowl of mix and reached to push<br />

her away, knocking the egg carton<br />

to the floor. Frantically he<br />

6. Find your inner boss<br />

If one moment you feel calm<br />

and in control, yet the next<br />

stressed out and compelled to<br />

binge on chocolate, you might<br />

need to summon your inner<br />

boss.<br />

“If you want to feel more in<br />

control, a simple tactic is to<br />

imagine that you have an inner<br />

chairman,” says Boido.<br />

7. Learn from others<br />

Boido says we can learn a lot<br />

from people we fall in love with.<br />

8. Quiet time<br />

When you’re caught up with<br />

work, looking after family or just<br />

trying to get through the day it’s<br />

easy to slip into an automatic,<br />

beautiful reflection of grand orchestration.<br />

One of these parallels is of<br />

snowflakes and us. We, too, are all<br />

headed in the same direction. We are<br />

being driven by a universal force to<br />

the same destination. We are all individuals<br />

taking different journeys and<br />

along our journey, we sometimes<br />

bump into each other, we cross<br />

paths, we become altered ... we take<br />

different physical forms. But at all<br />

times we too are 100 per cent perfectly<br />

imperfect.<br />

tried to clean up this monumental<br />

mess but slipped on the eggs,<br />

getting his pajamas white and<br />

sticky.<br />

And just then he saw Dad<br />

standing at the door. Big crocodile<br />

tears welled up in Brandon’s<br />

eyes. All he’d wanted to do was<br />

something good, but he’d made<br />

zombie-like state. To come out<br />

of this Boido says, “Find a quiet<br />

place. Relax and starting with<br />

your right thumb mentally isolate<br />

and focus on every single<br />

body part. “Notice how they feel<br />

and work on being aware of how<br />

you are mentally and physically,”<br />

he suggests.<br />

9. Create positive vibes<br />

“You must develop the ability<br />

to focus,” says Boido.<br />

He suggests practising this exercise:<br />

“Draw a large circle. Fill it<br />

with black pen. Place it at eye<br />

level, breathing slowly and<br />

deeply. Focus on it for three<br />

minutes. Use these focusing<br />

skills when summoning positive<br />

thoughts.”<br />

10.Try to connect with<br />

nature<br />

“In the morning spend two to<br />

three minutes focusing on<br />

things such as water (rain),<br />

trees, flowers, grass or fruits. In<br />

the evening focus on inner qualities<br />

including love, peace, kindness<br />

and harmony. This will<br />

help you to create a stronger<br />

connection to these natural<br />

qualities and feel more in tune<br />

with nature,” Boido says. — Agencies<br />

At every given<br />

moment we are absolutely<br />

perfect for<br />

what is required for<br />

our journey. I’m not<br />

perfect for your journey<br />

and you’re not<br />

perfect for my journey,<br />

but I’m perfect<br />

for my journey and<br />

you’re perfect for<br />

your journey. We’re<br />

heading to the same<br />

place, we’re taking<br />

different routes, but<br />

we’re both exactly<br />

perfect the way we<br />

are.<br />

Think of what understanding<br />

this great orchestration<br />

could mean for relationships. Imagine<br />

interacting with others knowing<br />

that they too each share this parallel<br />

with the snowflake. Like you, they are<br />

headed to the same place and no<br />

matter what they may appear like to<br />

you, they have taken the perfect form<br />

for their journey. How strong our relationships<br />

would be if we could see<br />

and respect that we are all perfectly<br />

imperfect for our journey.<br />

— Abstract from the book: Life, the Truth, and Being Free<br />

a terrible mess. He was sure a<br />

scolding was coming, maybe<br />

even a spanking. But his father<br />

just watched him. Then, walking<br />

through the mess, he picked up<br />

his crying son, hugged him and<br />

loved him, getting his own pajamas<br />

white and sticky in the<br />

process.<br />

That’s how God deals with us.<br />

We try to do something good in<br />

life, but it turns into a mess. Our<br />

marriage gets all sticky or we insult<br />

a friend or we can’t stand our<br />

job or our health goes sour.<br />

Sometimes we just stand there<br />

in tears because we can’t think of<br />

anything else to do. That’s when<br />

God picks us up and loves us and<br />

forgives us, even though some of<br />

our mess gets all over Him. But<br />

just because we might mess up,<br />

we can’t stop trying to ‘make<br />

pancakes’. Sooner or later we’ll<br />

get it right, and then they’ll be<br />

glad we tried.<br />

Please pass some of this love<br />

on to others. — Author Unknown<br />

Rajyogi<br />

Brahmakumar<br />

Nikunj ji<br />

We never know<br />

what is around the<br />

corner or what the<br />

next step in our life<br />

is going to be. So<br />

our priority must be<br />

our own inner stability<br />

and our relationship<br />

with<br />

Supreme. If these<br />

are strong and firm,<br />

we would be able to<br />

deal with the circumstances<br />

and<br />

situations life brings<br />

up time and again.<br />

Spiritual knowledge helps us understand ourselves<br />

and keep our emotions and feelings positive<br />

and powerful and that brings us closer to<br />

Supreme. The daily practice of understanding<br />

and reflecting on these truths will enable us to<br />

use whatever situation comes to serve others<br />

and move forward in a way that’s helpful and<br />

meaningful for everyone in general.<br />

Many people have recognised how a situation<br />

of loss has been an opportunity to renew<br />

the self. Illness, for example, can be an opportunity<br />

to have silence and solitude that isn’t possible<br />

in the busy lives most lead today. Losing a<br />

role or responsibility in life can free oneself to reconsider<br />

ones values and priorities and perhaps<br />

take on a new and different one.<br />

Bereavement is more difficult to deal with.<br />

Yet, even then, we can maintain our stability,<br />

when we understand that our vibrations reach<br />

those we love and that, by staying peaceful, we<br />

will bring help and strength to the souls that<br />

have gone. If we come into upheaval, that upheaval<br />

reaches them too and hampers them on<br />

their journey forward. We haven’t suffered the<br />

loss alone — others around us also feel the loss<br />

keenly and our distress would add to theirs.<br />

Hence, our stability will help them cope with<br />

their loss. So by helping others we too will<br />

find strength.<br />

Emotional stability Life<br />

nikunjji@brahmakumaris.in www.brahmakumaris.com<br />

positive<br />

Think outside<br />

the shoe<br />

Born in 1983 in Sierra Vista,<br />

Arizona, USA, Jessica has<br />

learned to live her life with<br />

her feet. Born without<br />

arms and all doctors did not know<br />

why. There were many questions at<br />

the time about whether Jessica<br />

would be able to live a ‘normal’ life.<br />

However, Jessica’s father has said<br />

he never shed a tear about her<br />

birth condition. He had full confidence<br />

in her potential.<br />

With the support of her parents<br />

and family, Jessica became confident<br />

in herself as an adult and continued<br />

to explore the world with<br />

her feet. As a child, Jessica studied<br />

dance in her home town. When the<br />

first performance arrived, she<br />

asked to be put in the back row. Her<br />

dance teacher told her there was<br />

no back row. Tentatively she took<br />

the stage with the other students<br />

and performed her routine. When<br />

she finished, the applause from the<br />

audience gave her encouragement<br />

and the confidence to continue<br />

dancing for 14 years.<br />

Jessica’s parents eventually met a<br />

Taekwondo instructor named Jim<br />

Cunningham. His response when<br />

told of her birth condition was that<br />

she would be more than physically<br />

able and that only her attitude<br />

could hold her back. At the age of<br />

14, Jessica earned her first Black<br />

Belt in the Inter<strong>national</strong> Taekwondo<br />

Federation.<br />

After graduating from high<br />

school, Jessica attended the University<br />

of Arizona where she<br />

earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.<br />

When talking about her<br />

degree, she frequently explains<br />

that psychology credits the way<br />

people think has a greater impact<br />

on their lives than a physical limitation.<br />

Jessica’s most famous accomplishment<br />

was learning how to fly.<br />

It took three states, four airplanes,<br />

two flight instructors and a discouraging<br />

year to find the right aircraft:<br />

a 1946 415C Ercoupe Airplane.<br />

She received the Guinness<br />

World Record for being the first<br />

person certified to fly an airplane<br />

with only their feet.<br />

Jessica now works as a motivational<br />

speaker. She travels the<br />

world sharing her story and encouraging<br />

people to be creative<br />

and innovative with the mantra<br />

“Think outside the shoe.” — Jessica Cox


PAGE 16 www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

VARIETY<br />

Art symposium:<br />

Platform for cultural dialogue<br />

Photos: Courtesy Kailash K Shrestha<br />

YOUR LUCK<br />

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This year interactions with others generally are<br />

very fortunate for you. It is through these contacts that many opportunities<br />

will arise. Impulsiveness works in your favour. You will want<br />

to detach when you feel triggered. If you are single, someone very<br />

special strolls through your door. This person could be very significant<br />

to your life history. Come next summer, you will experience a<br />

greater intimacy than you have in a long time, or possibly ever before.<br />

If you are attached, you could act like young lovers again. Plan<br />

on taking a special vacation this summer. You will remember this<br />

year for a long time. LEO helps you gain perspective.<br />

A baby born today has a Sun in Sagittarius and a Moon in Leo.<br />

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You could feel challenged<br />

by financial news and/or a partner’s reserved attitude.<br />

You have what it takes to break out of this stifling<br />

situation within a few hours. You’ll naturally find the<br />

right approach, which you impulsively will put into action.<br />

Tonight: Let the games begin. ✹✹✹✹<br />

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Someone you usually<br />

count on could be rather cold toward you right now. If<br />

you can’t figure out what gives, it is important that you<br />

find out. You know how to talk this person out of his or<br />

her reticence long enough to tell you what is wrong. Tonight: Happily<br />

at home. ✹✹✹<br />

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You appear to be robust<br />

and quite happy, until a normal encounter becomes<br />

too serious for your taste. You might consider<br />

distancing yourself from this person, as he or she<br />

seems to be the source of a chill in the air. Hang with your more<br />

jovial friends. Tonight: At a favourite spot. ✹✹✹✹✹<br />

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You might not like what a<br />

risk brings, but you are very tempted to find out. Make<br />

an effort to move past the obvious. Consider what<br />

would happen if this idea goes south. If you resist the<br />

temptation, you deserve a pat on the back. Tonight: Treat yourself.<br />

You choose what. ✹✹✹<br />

LEO (July 23-Aug 22): You beam, no matter what you<br />

do. Others respond in a big way to your efforts. A<br />

situation could drain you if you allow it to, but you<br />

won’t. Good news heads your way. A meeting could be<br />

more important than you realise. Tonight: Your wish is someone’s<br />

command.✹✹✹✹✹<br />

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22): Know when to step back<br />

and handle a situation differently. You are on top of<br />

your responsibilities, but you still are mulling over an<br />

important idea. Listen rather than talk. Ask all the<br />

questions you need to. Choose to do a stressbuster. Tonight: Get<br />

some extra sleep.✹✹<br />

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 22): You could feel a bit insecure<br />

and might be left wondering just how much others<br />

expect of you. Regardless, you’ll take the lead in a<br />

meeting. Your opinions make a difference to many<br />

people. Would you present yourself differently if you felt slightly<br />

surer of yourself? Tonight: With pals.✹✹✹<br />

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): You might not feel<br />

energised, with everything that is going on around you.<br />

In fact, you could be stuck on overthinking what has<br />

gone on. Know that you might need to understand the<br />

influence of your own negativity. Share your opinions. Tonight: A<br />

force to be dealt with. ✹✹✹<br />

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): You could be<br />

questioning what you want to do and why. Detach, and<br />

you will see that you need no explanations. It is your<br />

life; choose to live it well. Think more carefully about<br />

what is<br />

happening around you. You do need some feedback. Tonight: Let<br />

your mind wander. ✹✹✹✹<br />

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): Deal with someone directly.<br />

In fact, everyone you deal with would appreciate<br />

your personal attention. Consider the possibility that<br />

everything would run more smoothly if you shared<br />

more one-on-one time with others. Tonight: With a favourite person.<br />

✹✹✹✹<br />

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): Stay on top of surprising<br />

requests or an unexpected financial development.Your<br />

original reaction could be very different from your final<br />

response. Lady Luck increases your options if you tap<br />

into your creativity. This allows you to see situations differently.<br />

Tonight: Return calls. ✹✹✹✹<br />

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): You might want to rethink<br />

recent developments in your daily life. You might need<br />

to let go of a pattern or a certain way of thinking. You<br />

will be much happier in the long run. A child or family<br />

member seeks you out with good news. Tonight: Choose something<br />

relaxing.✹✹✹✹<br />

Born today: Born today: Singer Ozzy Osbourne (1948), actress Daryl<br />

Hannah (1960), author Joseph Conrad (1857)<br />

By Jacqueline Bigar<br />

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

name is simply a label astrologers put on a set of degrees for convenience.<br />

For best results, readers should refer to the dates following each sign.<br />

KATHMANDU: The second<br />

Kathmandu Inter<strong>national</strong><br />

Art Festival<br />

(KIAF) this year has not<br />

only featured art exhibitions,<br />

installation works and performances<br />

but it also presented a<br />

three-day art symposium from<br />

November 26 to 28 at various<br />

venues around the Capital.<br />

The first day of symposium<br />

held at Nepal Tourism Board<br />

focused on discussions on<br />

topics like Urbanisation and<br />

Public Art, Environmental<br />

Art in Iran, Arts and Social<br />

Blues<br />

of life<br />

KATHMANDU: Stories<br />

about life and its moments<br />

were revealed<br />

through songs. It was<br />

bluesy yet comforting.<br />

The music was melodious touching<br />

the hearts, sometimes making you<br />

dance to the groovy beats.<br />

Apparently, it was another song of<br />

life, however it made the venue as<br />

well as time alive musically at the<br />

KATHMANDU: The<br />

mercury is coming<br />

down but the festive<br />

mood is going up with<br />

Christmas around the corner.<br />

And while talking about<br />

Christmas how can one forget<br />

the Christmas cake.<br />

Hotel Shangri-la organised<br />

a cake mixing programme<br />

at its Shambala<br />

Garden, Lazimpat on December<br />

2.<br />

The setting was perfect<br />

where one could enjoy the<br />

warmth of the sun and quiet<br />

ambience of the garden.<br />

Malina Joshi, Miss Nepal<br />

2011 , actress Nisha Adhikari,<br />

Norwegian director<br />

Haukur J Gunnarsson and<br />

Norwegian actress Inga Juuso,<br />

among others were present<br />

at the venue to take<br />

part in the cake mixing.<br />

And they were busy mixing<br />

all the aromatic ingredients<br />

like black currants,<br />

cashew nuts, peanuts, pista-<br />

Change and a lecture on renewable<br />

energy. Various inter<strong>national</strong><br />

artists like Sheba Chhachhi (India),<br />

Priscilla de Carvalho (Brazil), Svetoslav<br />

Nedev (Bulgaria), Jean Antoine<br />

Raveyre (France) and more<br />

were panelists of the day.<br />

The second and third day of<br />

symposium continued at the Patan<br />

Museum. Various inter<strong>national</strong><br />

artists talked on topics like Desire<br />

and Consumerism, Nature and the<br />

Arts: A Historical Perspective, Water,<br />

Geopolitical Landscapes and<br />

Creatures of the Natural World<br />

along with a lecture on How to Appreciate<br />

a Fine Arts Print.<br />

The artists put forth their critical<br />

views on different artworks and<br />

how their particular artwork is related<br />

to a certain topic. For example<br />

the talk on ‘Geopolitical Landscapes’<br />

that also featured presentation<br />

of the artists elaborated how<br />

Jolie to quit<br />

Hollywood!<br />

LONDON: Angelina Jolie has revealed<br />

that she is ready to quit acting to<br />

spend more time with her six children.<br />

The 37-year-old actress said that she<br />

would consider turning her back on Hollywood<br />

as her children enter their teens. Her<br />

oldest, adopted boy Maddox is now 11.<br />

“I think I’m going to have to give up acting<br />

as the children hit the teenage years because<br />

there is going to be too much to<br />

manage,” the Sun quoted her as saying.<br />

“If it went away tomorrow I’d be very<br />

happy at home,” she said. — Agencies<br />

Garden of Dreams, Kantipath on<br />

December 1 at Blues Garden.<br />

With folk tunes with a twist by<br />

Night band, the third day of the Himalayan<br />

Blues Festival (HBF) 2012<br />

ignited the soul of blues. Along with<br />

Nepali folksy tunes, blues from the<br />

USA and Finland echoed through<br />

the venue.<br />

Meanwhile, artiste Amy Hart from<br />

the USA made a special song of her<br />

chio nuts, black raisins, almonds,<br />

dry cherries, mixed<br />

peels, caramelised sugar,<br />

butter, rum cinnamon powder,<br />

fruit juice, beer and<br />

more.<br />

Pramod Aryal, Executive<br />

Chef of the hotel informed,<br />

“The mixing of these ingredients<br />

makes cake rich in<br />

flavour and healthy as well.<br />

It helps to generate heat for<br />

art is affected due to political situation<br />

of a country which further<br />

made impact upon community<br />

and nature.<br />

Meanwhile, in the lecture by<br />

Shahidul Alam, a photographer<br />

from Bangladesh, he elaborated<br />

how contemporary art world has<br />

accepted photography as the part<br />

of fine arts. He also explained that<br />

there could be only one version of a<br />

photo or uniqueness like painting<br />

in photography.<br />

Nameera Ahamed, an artist and<br />

filmmaker from Pakistan and one<br />

of the participants of KAIF shared,<br />

“The festival is very rich because of<br />

cultural dialogue from various<br />

countries. It is also a good platform<br />

for the artists to represent their<br />

work.”<br />

About the symposium, Sangeeta<br />

Thapa, Director of Siddhartha Art<br />

Foundation shared, “In the sympo-<br />

visit to Nepal. She sang Blues At The<br />

Top of The World along with songs<br />

like Red Dress Blues. Other songs<br />

that made the evening warm and<br />

soothing were Rain Of Colours,<br />

Suskera Haru, Himal Song among<br />

others.<br />

All the performances blended<br />

with the ambience of the garden<br />

and made it more wonderful. Tunes<br />

about nature, everyday life, travel,<br />

blues made the evening happening.<br />

Also, from electric blues to rock<br />

blues to the Nepali blues, the third<br />

day of the festival made the audience’s<br />

visit worth the while. And<br />

Wentus Blues Band from Finland,<br />

Sean Carney from USA, Amy Hart of<br />

USA and Steady Matt, USA jammed<br />

up on the stage of Blues Garden. It<br />

was more fun for the artistes as well<br />

as the crowd.<br />

“I am very excited to be here. It is<br />

an exciting experience in Kathmandu,”<br />

musician Carney who has travelled<br />

the farthest till date to perform<br />

shared. He found the audience and<br />

playing experience the same as<br />

everywhere he goes. Nonetheless,<br />

on his first visit, “it is amazing to<br />

know that blues has come this far.<br />

People have their own culture and<br />

music. And we are not sure if people<br />

know about jazz and blues. I met<br />

good musicians here who play<br />

blues. It is great”. On the other hand,<br />

he found the Nepali folk music<br />

“interesting”.<br />

HBF is the place where you find<br />

your own blues is what founder<br />

Samik Kharel opines. For him, the<br />

sixth edition of HBF was “good” with<br />

“a crowd that knew what they are listening<br />

to”. Watching them having<br />

fun and dancing in all the three days<br />

of the festival was memorable for<br />

him.<br />

HBF that started on November 30<br />

was a presentation of Blue Music<br />

Room. — HNS<br />

Hefner-Harris engaged again<br />

WASHINGTON: Hugh<br />

Hefner got engaged to<br />

Crystal Harris again and<br />

the couple will walk down the<br />

aisle at the Playboy Mansion on<br />

New Year’s Eve, according to reports.<br />

The 26-year-old Playboy playmate<br />

had previously cancelled the<br />

couple’s wedding in June, 2011<br />

the body during cold weather.<br />

And the act of marinating<br />

the mixture 25 days to one<br />

month prior, adds much<br />

flavour to the cake.”<br />

Joshi who was taking part<br />

in the cake mixing ceremony<br />

for the second time<br />

shared, “This kind of programme<br />

is meant for celebrating<br />

Christmas and respecting<br />

others’ culture and<br />

just five days shy of the big day,<br />

TMZ.com reported.<br />

According to sources, Hefner<br />

moved back into the Playboy<br />

Mansion earlier this year and the<br />

couple have worked out all their<br />

previous problems and decided<br />

recently that they want to try and<br />

get married again, the website<br />

said. Harris feels the time that she<br />

spent apart from<br />

the Playboy<br />

mogul really<br />

taught her how to<br />

be independent<br />

and stand on her<br />

own two feet<br />

something she felt<br />

she needed, the<br />

sources said.<br />

The marriage<br />

will be an intimate<br />

gathering with<br />

just close friends<br />

and family present,<br />

the sources<br />

added. — Agencies<br />

Heralding Christmas<br />

s i u m<br />

Chhachhi talked about garbage<br />

and community work.”<br />

He added, “And we also came to<br />

know about indigenous communi-<br />

I am happy to be the part of<br />

this overwhelming experience.”<br />

Cake mixing ritual creates<br />

a good feeling of doing<br />

something together which<br />

denotes the arrival of Christmas<br />

and is a good experience,<br />

as per Gunnarsson.<br />

Meanwhile Adhikari, who<br />

hates to shop for all the ingredients<br />

required for making<br />

a cake but loves to make<br />

a cake opined, “This kind of<br />

outdoor activity is a luxury<br />

and together we can enjoy<br />

in the ambience that is lovely,<br />

comfortable and relaxing.”<br />

Moreover, Raju Bikram<br />

Shah, Senior General Manager<br />

of the hotel informed,<br />

“We are in the hospitality industry<br />

and we make sure<br />

that our guests get the taste<br />

of their own culture being<br />

away from home. In addition<br />

the cakes are also<br />

meant for locals.” — HNS<br />

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012<br />

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION<br />

Though many countries have done away with capital<br />

punishment, some still think in its justice. Some feel<br />

that any other sentence other than capital punishment<br />

does not deliver justice. However, many feel that capital<br />

punishment is inhumane and should be<br />

abolished. What is your opinion? Give reasons.<br />

Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday,<br />

December 8 by 2 pm to Features Department, The Himalayan<br />

Times, e-mail: features@thehimalayantimes.com;<br />

Log on to www.thehimalayantimes.com<br />

SUDOKU-1458<br />

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION<br />

HOW TO SOLVE: Every number from 1 to 9 must appear in each of<br />

the 9 vertical columns, in each of the 9 horizontal rows and in<br />

each of the 9 boxes<br />

THT-DOKU-1268<br />

ty of Brazil that<br />

relate to nature. The dialogue between<br />

artists help to learn more<br />

about the art scenario and the festival<br />

has helped global artist connect<br />

with each other.”—HNS<br />

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION<br />

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

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

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

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

mathematical operation represented by the symbol to the digits contained within the domain.<br />

Rad gets ready for Yuletide<br />

KATHMANDU: Christmas<br />

is no fun without<br />

the traditional Christmas<br />

cake but making it is<br />

not a quick and an easy<br />

task. Preparations begin<br />

months in advance.<br />

The first step towards<br />

making the cake is the mixing<br />

process, which is formally<br />

called the cake mixing<br />

ceremony. And Hotel<br />

Radisson, Lazimpat organised<br />

the cake mixing programme<br />

on December 2 at<br />

The Terrace Garden.<br />

The programme was<br />

headed by Pralhad Raj Kunwar,<br />

General Manager of<br />

the hotel along with Head<br />

of Departments and Executive<br />

team. The whole team<br />

was excited and enjoyed<br />

the ceremony. The hotel<br />

has been organising this<br />

annual event since a few<br />

years. The ingredients contained<br />

dry fruits like black<br />

currants, sultanas, raisins,<br />

prunes, dry apricots, almonds,<br />

pistachio nuts,<br />

cashew nuts, candied orange,<br />

glaze cherries, sugar,<br />

et cetera. Litres of wine and<br />

other liquors were poured<br />

to soak all the mixture.<br />

Glycerine was also mixed as<br />

it helps in making the cake<br />

glossy.<br />

Ram Prasad Sapkota, Executive<br />

Pastry Chef of the<br />

hotel said, “These liquors<br />

and sugar are added in the<br />

mixture because they help<br />

to preserve ingredients,<br />

and also help in adding<br />

flavour. This is perfect food<br />

for the cold weather.”<br />

It was informed that<br />

these cakes will be available<br />

for customers at hotel’s Pastry<br />

Shop. — HNS<br />

Published by: Inter<strong>national</strong> 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. 069-070 Printed at: Sama Printers (Pvt) Ltd, Sainbu VDC, Lalitpur. Editor: Ajaya Bhadra Khanal<br />

THT<br />

Photos: THT

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