WI THOUT F EAR O R F A V O U R

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 177 | 10 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, , Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 33.0 C 15.5 C Saturday, August 14, 2021 | 30-04-2078 Dharan Jomsom Deuba has struggled to form the Cabinet. He lacks team of advisers as well In the absence of ministers, role of persons with expertise can be crucial in governance, but Congress leaders say the prime minister is waiting to give government full shape.

ANIL GIRI they provide the prime minister with KATHMANDU, AUG 13 second opinions on crucial issues. When there is a clash of opinions Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba between ministers and the prime min- has his plate full: from addressing the ister, discussions at Cabinet meetings demands of his coalition partners who resolve issues. have their own interests to managing It was Girija Prasad Koirala, who factions within his own Nepali was elected prime minister after the Congress, which is struggling to hold restoration of the multi-party system its general convention; from reviving a in 1990 following the end of the pandemic-hit economy to steering a 30-year-long partyless Panchayat sys- directionless foreign policy. Then he tem, who started the tradition of hav- has to have one eye on the general elec- ing a group of advisers. tions due less than 18 months away. In 1991, he had appointed Krishna Even one month after assuming Khanal, a professor of political sci- office, he has not been able to give the ence at Tribhuvan University, as his full shape to his government. political adviser, Jay Prakash Gupta, a At such a time, a group of advisers journalist, as press adviser, Ramesh well-versed on specific fields of exper- Jang Thapa, a retired defence secre- tise could be helpful. But Deuba tary, as security adviser and Dirgha doesn’t have one yet. Raj Koirala, a former secretary, as his POST PHOTO: KESHAV THAPA “On several technical issues administrative adviser. Workers prepare to paint lane markings on the Maitighar-New Baneshwor road during the morning rush hour in Kathmandu on Friday. like the press, foreign affairs, Appointing a team of advisers is security and the economy, the mostly a Western style of governance prime minister needs regular to make governing and other deci- advice, feedback and consulta- sion-making processes more consulta- tions,” said Umesh Mainali, for- tive whereby heads of state and gov- mer home secretary and former ernment can get the right advice on Inside Telemedicine to the rescue chairman of the Public Service crucial issues related to state affairs. Commission, stressing the need Since the early 1990s, ’s prime for advisers. ministers have continued the tradi- Women still face witchcraft of some migrant workers Although there are ministries tion of appointing advisers and their dedicated to run the country, picks are watched with great interest. charges in Sunsari advisers are important because >> Continued on page 2 ITAHARI: On August 1, a 50-year-old Nepalis abroad face a tough time when they contract the woman was assaulted by three other women who accused her of practising virus, but some organisations have come forward to help. witchcraft. The woman, who asked her identity to be withheld for priva- cy reasons, said the incident occurred at around 5 pm while she was cooking dinner at her home in Ramdhuni Municipality, Sunsari. “Three women whom I’m distantly related to entered the kitchen, pulled me by my hair and dragged me to a temple,” said the victim. The temple is around one and a half kilometres from her house. “Nobody tried to stop them. The whole village just stood by while the women brutally beat me, accusing me of being a witch.” The group of women accused her of using black magic to make people fall ill. According to the victim, there was no one in the house when the incident occurred. (Details on Pg 2)

Experts warn of oversized governments in provinces after Post file photo shift in political dynamics The pandemic brought a series of ordeals to Nepalis working in foreign labour destinations. KATHMANDU: leader Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel on ARJUN POUDEL migrant workers cannot contact the June 13 formed a coalition govern- KATHMANDU, AUG 13 right place for medical help, and get- ment in replacing ting help is not always easy.” CPN-UML’s Prithvi Subba Gurung. Last week, when the health condition It is estimated that nearly 3 million Gurung resigned after his party fell of a Nepali migrant worker in Nepalis are working abroad, a majori- into minority when the assembly deteriorated due to Covid-19, he ty of them based in the Persian Gulf members from the CPN (Maoist sought treatment at a nearby hospital. countries, and . Centre), Rastriya Janamorcha and an The 41-year-old man from Tanahun Last month, a Nepali migrant work- independent member withdrew their district in Nepal had tested positive er in Saudi Arabia, who is in his late support to the provincial govern- nine days before. Doctors at the hospi- 30s, became seriously ill after being ment. As the UML is the largest party tal, however, suggested that he stay in infected with the coronavirus. His in Gandaki with 27 seats, Pokharel home isolation, as the facility was room-mates were transferred to quar- needed the support of all the remain- packed with Covid-19 patients. antine facilities, and he was asked to ing parties including the independent He, however, managed to get in stay in isolation in his room. lawmaker to secure a majority. In touch with Danphe Care, an organisa- “Due to the language problem, the return for support, Pokharel had to tion that runs telemedicine service man was unable to seek medical care. induct ministers from all the parties, from Nepal, according to an associate His health condition was deteriorat- except for Rastriya Janamorcha, with Danphe. ing fast,” said Maleku of Danphe which raised the number of members “When the man contacted us, his Care. “When he came into our contact, in his Cabinet to 11. Gurung had health condition appeared to be in a we helped him get admitted to the hos- seven ministers in his Cabinet for critical state. His oxygen level was low pital. He recovered well.” three and a half years. (Details on Pg 3) and he was suffering from pneumo- The Covid-19 pandemic brought a nia,” Kabin Maleku, programme head series of ordeals to Nepali migrants at Danphe, told the Post. “With the working in various labour destina- Monetary policy prioritises help of the health committee of the tions. As Covid-19 cases started erupt- relief and recovery Non-resident Nepali Association in ing in those countries, Nepali workers , we managed to arrange for the first feared for their safety before suf- KATHMANDU: The monetary policy man’s hospitalisation.” fering job losses, pay cuts, arbitrary 2021-22 presented by the Nepal Rastra The patient was immediately taken breach of contracts and even return- Bank on Friday has sought to help to the intensive care unit, according to ing home empty-handed, often with enterprises and individuals hit hard the organisation. massive loans. by the Covid-19 pandemic by extend- The man in Tokyo was lucky to be Nepali migrant workers make a ing the deadline of paying loans and able to come in touch with the Non- substantial contribution to the coun- offering subsidized loans and refi- resident Nepali Association (NRNA) try’s economy, but the government nance facilities. For the second year through the NGO that runs telemedi- appears to have been nonchalant in a row, the main focus of the mone- cine service. towards their plight. Migrant workers tary policy has been on relief and But not everyone is. were hailed as heroes when they came recovery of economic sectors affected According to the health committee forward to supply hundreds of oxygen by the pandemic amid the looming of the NRNA, around 400 Nepali cylinders and oxygen concentrators to third Covid-19 wave. Tens of thou- migrant workers have died from their home country after it was devas- sands of people lost their jobs since Covid-19-related complications in var- tated by the second wave. Hospitals at the pandemic hit, shaking Nepal’s ious countries and over 70,000 are that time were forced to turn patients economy massively. Central bank gov- reported to have been infected so far away for a lack of beds and oxygen. ernor Maha Prasad Adhikari said the since the start of the pandemic. According to Dr Sanjeeb Sapkota, new policy seeks to balance the need “Not everyone can manage to get coordinator of the health committee of for monetary relaxation to rehabili- timely hospitalisation as the man the Non-resident Nepali Association, it tate the sectors affected by the Covid- from Tanahun did,” said Dr Prabhat is not easy for migrant workers to get 19 pandemic and the need for mone- Adhikari, an infectious disease and medical care in foreign countries when tary tightening to maintain economic critical care expert who provided tele- they are infected with the coronavirus. and financial stability. (Details on Pg 5) medicine service to the patient. “All >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | 02 National

Briefing Telemedicine

Soldier held on charge of suicide abetment to the rescue ... ARGHAKHANCHI: The Area Police Office in Butwal has arrested >> Continued from page 1 a man from Jhirra in Shitaganga Municipality Ward No. 2 on “There are multiple barriers to their the charge of abetting his wife to commit suicide. Deputy access to health facilities, including lan- Superintendent of Police Madan Kunwar said the case will guage and non-cooperation from local authorities,” Sapkota, who is now in be forwarded to the District Court after the completion of the Kathmandu, told the Post. “Even if they investigation. “We are still investigating the case,” Kunwar self-isolate, in faraway countries, they said. Chhetri was working as a Nepal Army soldier in don’t get the care they would have received Gorusinghe-based barrack when his wife committed suicide at home. Multiple factors could lead to on August 5. their reaching hospitals only at a critical stage.” Local unit chief arrested on rape charge The health committee of the Non- resident Nepali Association, formed in BUTWAL: Police on Thursday arrested the chairman of 2017, has been active in over 6o countries Sammarimai Rural Municipality in Rupandehi district on a and ever since the pandemic began, it has rape charge. The rural municipality chief was detained as been extending its support to Nepali per a complaint lodged by a 30-year-old local woman at the migrant workers in need of help. District Police Office. Detailed investigation into the incident Sapkota, a medical epidemiologist who is underway, said Deputy Superintendent of Police has worked for the World Health Satyanarayan Thapa. Organisation and the US public health agency, chairs the Global Health Support of the Non-Resident Nepali Association. Morang administration reissues citizenship Danphe Care, a Dillibazar-based social to Subhash Tamang business organisation that provides online BIRATNAGAR: Subhash Tamang of Belbari, Morang, who for counselling through telecare platform, has the past three years had been trying to prove that he is alive been providing telemedicine services to and not dead as declared by the registration of death certifi- migrant workers for about a year after cate he holds, has been reissued a copy of his citizenship. signing a memorandum of understanding with the Non-resident Nepali Association. Chief District Officer of Morang Kosh Hari Niraula on The association pays doctor’s consulta- Thursday reissued the citizenship certificate of Tamang by tion fee and fee for other services to scrapping his death certificate on the basis of the National Danphe. Identity Card and Vital Registration Act. He had gone to “But migrant workers can get the ser- Saudi Arabia in 2003 on foreign employment. He was vice for free, as the NRNA health commit- declared dead in 2015 while in Saudi Arabia after he and his tee pays the service charge,” said Maleku. three friends had a car accident on July 10 of the same year. The organisation, in which over 70 doc- tors are engaged part-time, is also regis- Barbardiya residents benefit from fully tered in the USA but provides services from Nepal only. facilitated hospital in their village Maleku said that over 200 migrant work- BARDIYA: Residents of Barbardiya Municipality have greatly ers, whose health condition was critical benefited from the establishment of the fully facilitated due to Covid-19, have taken telemedicine Memorial City Hospital at Manikapur in ward 6 of the services from the organisation. The num- municipality. Durga Bahadur Tharu, mayor of the munici- ber of infected people in Nepal taking its pality, said, “People had to go to Gulariya, Kohalpur or services is over 3,000. Nepalgunj for treatment in the past. Now, they can avail of “If the patients who come into our con- various health services in the village.” The hospital, which tact need hospitalisation and doctors in the was established last year, receives around 180 to 200 patients hospital where patients are admitted need on a daily basis. help from experts, consultant doctors pro- vide a second opinion,” said Adhikari, the infectious disease and critical care expert. Doctors at the organisation regularly monitor the health condition of the infect- ed people and give suggestions. Death of 17-year-old “Like in Nepal, a lot of migrant workers, who are our compatriots, are getting infect- ed; a lot of them do not know how to get girl sparks protests help,” said Sapkota. “We have been provid- post Photo: Elite Joshi ing telemedicine services from Nepal and in Udayapur A devotee pours milk as an offering to Naag, a serpent deity, on the occasion of Naag Panchami at Nagpokhari in Bhaktapur on Friday. abroad.” DILLIRAM KHATIWADA UDAYAPUR, AUG 13 Various political parties, rights activists and members of Women still face witchcraft charges in Sunsari Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha, the representative organisation of Tharu indigenous people, have been demanding justice for Krishala Chaudhary, a 17-year-old girl of Mohanpur in Triyuga Rights activists say most of the victims of such allegations are women from marginalised communities. Municipality Ward No. 6 whose body was found in Rajdevi Community Forest on August 3. SUMNIMA CHAMLING “The shaman told me that the woman is in jail for six months,” said Binu Basnet, a tricts, including the headquarters, only 12 According to her family, the girl had been out of contact ITAHARI, AUG 13 responsible for my husband’s declining sub-inspector of Women’s Cell in the cases have been filed by victims of witch- since July 28. health. He has been bedridden for the past District Police Office. craft allegations from the fiscal year After the identification of the body on August 3, police On August 1, a 50-year-old woman was four months,” she said. The woman and her family refused to 2010/11 to the fiscal year 2020/21. arrested seven suspected individuals for further investigation. assaulted by three other women who talk to the Post about the incident for want That only a few cases are being filed with “We are still investigating the incident. The details of the accused her of practising witchcraft. of privacy. the police is indicative of the pressure the incident will be made public after we complete the investiga- The woman, who asked her identity to be The Witchcraft Act was Both women who were beaten on witch- accusers put on the victims and their fami- tion,” said Bed Prasad Gautam, deputy superintendent of withheld for privacy reasons, said the inci- craft allegations are from Dalit communi- lies, activists say. police in Udayapur. dent occurred at around 5 pm while she introduced in 2015 to ties in Sunsari. Rights activists say most of “Only half of the cases are being report- Assembly member of Province 1 Sunita Chaudhary and a was cooking dinner at her home in the victims of such allegations and mis- ed to the police. Most of the witchcraft House of Representatives of the province Suresh Kumar Rai Ramdhuni Municipality, Sunsari. discourage violence treatments are from marginalised commu- allegation incidents are hushed up and have also requested the government to expedite investigation “Three women whom I’m distantly relat- nities, with the perpetrators of the crimes settled in the villages,” said Gajamer. into the case, punish the guilty and provide justice to the ed to entered the kitchen, pulled me by my due to the superstition. coming from a higher socio-economic One can file a complaint of witchcraft deceased’s family. hair and dragged me to a temple,” said the background. allegation within 90 days of the incident. Tharu organisations in Udayapur have also been protesting victim. The temple is around one and a “Women from the impoverished commu- “However, very few witchcraft allegation the death of the girl. half kilometres from her house. “Nobody This was not the first time the victim nities often find themselves at the receiv- cases get reported in the police stations,” “The girl might have been raped and murdered. We demand tried to stop them. The whole village just was manhandled and beaten for allegedly ing end of such accusations and beatings. said Basnet from the Women’s Cell in that the police identify the perpetrators and punish them stood by while the women brutally beat me, practising witchcraft. A decade ago, a sim- One of the most pressing reasons for the Sunsari Police Office. soon,” reads the statement signed by Shivakanta Chaudhary, accusing me of being a witch.” ilar incident took place when her neigh- ill-treatment of women from these strata According to Bigyan Sharma, an associ- district chairman of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha. The group of women accused her of bours got together and beat her, she said. of society is their weak economic stand- ate professor of Sociology in Sunsari, the using black magic to make people fall ill. She did not go to the police at the time ing,” Shanti Gajamer, a human rights fault lies with our society for turning a According to the victim, there was no since the villagers forced her to make activist in Sunsari, told the Post. blind eye to such malpractices at home or one in the house when the incident peace with the perpetrators. “Women need to be financially empow- in our neighbourhood. occurred. “My son and daughter-in-law had Similarly, two years ago, a woman of ered and independent. Superstitious beliefs “Most of the victims of such allegations left the house for work in the morning. The Inaruwa, the district headquarters of accepted by a large chunk of the Nepali are single women and poor people. It’s time women found me alone and assaulted me,” Sunsari, was accused of practising witch- society is another reason why women are that we spread awareness on this issue,” she said. craft by her neighbours. She had filed a still being accused of witchcraft in the 21st Sharma said. Meanwhile, one of the perpetrators of complaint against 58-year-old Pawan century.” The 2015 Witchcraft Act prohibits accu- the crime said that the group beat the Sharma of Inaruwa Ward No. 10 for According to the District Police Office sations of witchcraft and stipulates a jail 50-year-old woman after a local shaman beating her. data in Sunsari, despite several such inci- term of six to eight years and a fine of Rs told them that she practises witchcraft. “The District Court in Sunsari put him dents occurring in most parts of the dis- 5,000 to Rs 100,000 to those found guilty. Deuba has struggled to form the Cabinet. He lacks team ...

>> Continued from page 1 Meanwhile, Deuba is taking advice from sources. personal assistant and an under-secretary The prime minister’s advisers are paid leaders close to him, according to sources Shankar Sharma, former vice-chairman from the Office of the Prime Minister and for by the state and have the status equiva- within the party. They include party of the National Planning Commission, Council of Ministers has been deputed to lent to that of Cabinet minister, state min- General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka, economist Prabhu Budhathoki, and liaise between Deuba’s office at Singha ister, assistant minister, and secretary in Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Law Acharya, the former diplomat, are vying Durbar and his official residence at Post Photo: DILLIRAM KHATIWADA many cases. Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Joint for the post of economic adviser. Baluwatar. Body of the teen was found in Rajdevi Community Forest on August 3. According to Nepali Congress leaders General Secretary Prakash Sharan Mahat, Govinda Pariyar, who served as Deuba’s While it was also said that Oli did not close to Deuba, the prime minister will senior leader Ramesh Lekhak and Bishwa press adviser during his fourth inning as take advice and instead took decisions on choose his team of advisers only after the Prakash Sharma, the party spokesperson. prime minister in 2017-18, is currently his own, Deuba’s former advisers say he Cabinet gets its full shape. When he was Senior party leader Bijaya Kumar advising him on press related matters. listens to his advisers and does not inter- sworn into office on July 13, only four Gachhadar, who was released on bail of “I am assisting the prime minister where fere much in their jobs. Cabinet ministers were appointed. On July Rs1 million for his alleged involvement in necessary, though I am not formally “Although we do not have a culture of 25, Deuba appointed a minister of state for the Baluwatar land scam a day after Deuba appointed,” Pariyar told the Post. taking advisers seriously, I find Deuba a bit health. was sworn in as prime minister, Some journalists close to the Nepali different,” said Khem Raj Regmi, a former Deuba is now receiving flak for failing to Bishowkarma and NP Saud also Congress and those who have worked in secretary who worked as Deuba’s chief appoint even ministers at crucial minis- regularly visit Baluwatar to advise the various capacities in the party’s sister personal assistant in 2005. tries like health and foreign, which can prime minister. organisation, Press Union Nepal, and in “Deuba listened to grievances and play a crucial role in fighting the pandem- Just like for ministerial berths, there is the Federation of Nepali Journalists, the never rejected them outright. He ic. And with no proper team of people with no dearth of aspirants for advisers. umbrella organisation of Nepali journal- listened thoroughly and placed instruc- expertise, governance has been hobbled. “A large number of aspirants are lobby- ists, are also lobbying to become the press tions accordingly. He hardly argued with “The prime minister is worried about ing to become advisers and part of his adviser. his advisers because most of the time, we the delay in Cabinet expansion and forma- advisory and technical teams,” “The role of advisers and team members were given a free hand. That made it easy tion of his team,” Min Bishowkarma, a Bishwakarma told the Post. of the prime minister is crucial and to work. leader close to Deuba, told the Post. “The Sources told the Post that Deuba is look- important. We have told him to learn from But that was nearly two decades ago. In prime minister will constitute his team ing to appoint one chief political adviser the mistakes of the erstwhile prime minis- the interim, Arzu Deuba, the prime minis- once the Cabinet gets full shape.” for which three names are under consider- ter KP Sharma Oli,” a leader close to ter’s wife, has become a force in her own With the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction ation—Mahat, Lekhak and Sharma. Deuba, who did not wish to be named, told right and to be reckoned as the unofficial of the CPN-UML, which supported Deuba’s Former foreign secretaries and ambassa- the Post. chief adviser, according to leaders close to bid to become prime minister, undecided dors Gyan Chandra Acharya and Madhu “The reason behind Oli’s failure was the Deuba. about joining the Cabinet and the coalition Raman Acharya, and Geja Sharma Wagle, poor role and performance of his advisers, “She is always there and she prevails partners--Communist Party of Nepal a political analyst, are also in the race to so Deuba must be cautious while forming over all advisers,” the Nepali Congress (Maoist Centre) and Janata Samajbadi-- become the foreign relations adviser. his team.” leader said. “For her wide range of connec- having too many ministerial aspirants, the Dinesh Bhattarai, who has been foreign At present, Deuba’s relative and his long- tions and exposure in political matters as Cabinet expansion has been delayed. On relations adviser to Deuba and former time aide Bhanu Deuba is scheduling his well as given her professional background top of that, within his Congress party, prime minister Sushil Koirala, and Chief meetings and other managerial issues at [as the operator of educational institutions Deuba has to manage factions led by Ram Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, who is also Baluwatar and he is likely to become chief and leading non-governmental organisa- Chandra Poudel and Krishna Prasad a former foreign secretary, have been advis- personal assistant to the prime minister. tions], Deuba listens to her more than Sitaula. ing Deuba on foreign affairs, according to Birendra Thapa is serving Deuba as a anyone else.”

C M Y K 03 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 National Shift in political dynamics may lead to oversized governments in provinces, experts warn With UML no longer in power at the centre, provincial governments are also undergoing shake-ups. But there is a risk of the new power-sharing deal leading to bloated cabinets.

BINOD GHIMIRE after the KP Sharma Oli-led half years left is clearly a misuse of KATHMANDU, AUG 13 UML withdrew its support to his state resources. government. In the latest incident of new govern- Nepali Congress leader Krishna Like in Gandaki and Karnali, the ment formation, Kul Prasad KC of the Chandra Nepali Pokharel on June 13 other provincial governments are also Maoist Centre took over the office of formed a coalition government in competing to increase the size of their chief minister in Gandaki Province replacing CPN- cabinets after the change in the politi- after UML’s Shanker Pokhrel resigned UML’s Prithvi Subba Gurung. cal dynamics as a result of the March from the post. Gurung resigned after his party fell 7 Supreme Court verdict that split the After taking charge, KC inducted into minority when the assembly then (NCP) seven ministers and he plans to members from the CPN (Maoist and revived its constituents CPN-UML expand his Cabinet in a couple days. Post Photo: Deepak kc Centre), Rastriya Janamorcha and an and CPN (Maoist Centre). The Province 2 government too now A woman carrying a child runs for shelter during rainfall at Shankha Park in Lalitpur on Friday. independent member withdrew their Before the party split, the Nepal has 12 ministers after the Congress support to the provincial government. Communist Party (NCP) led six of the and the Maoist Centre joined the As the UML is the largest party in seven provinces, except for Province 2. Janata Samajbadi Party government Gandaki with 27 seats, Pokharel need- And prior to the merger between the last month. ed the support of all the remaining UML and the Maoist Centre in May “This is unfortunate. The provin- parties including the independent 2018, the former led the governments cial governments don’t need more Nepal secures 4 million doses of lawmaker to secure a majority. In in four provinces and the latter in two than five ministries,” said Khim Lal return for support, Pokharel had to with each other’s support. Devkota, a National Assembly mem- induct ministers from all the parties, Even after the party break-up, the ber and an expert on federalism. “The except for Rastriya Janamorcha, UML remains the largest party in all very constitutional provision that Moderna vaccine through COVAX which raised the number of members the six provinces. The only way to allows 20 percent of the provincial in his Cabinet to 11. form governments in these provinces assembly members to become minis- Gurung had seven ministers in his without the UML’s support is to get all ters is wrong. We have to raise our Delivery of vaccine, procured through COVAX cost-share option and with World Bank Cabinet for three and a half years. other parties to come together but this voices to revise it to 10 percent.” The Constitution of Nepal allows a could lead to an increase in the size of Devkota says billions of rupees will financing, is expected to start by March 2022. The jabs could be used among children. provincial council of ministers to the council of ministers as in the case be spent in administrative costs if all have up to 20 percent of the total pro- of Lumbini and Karnali. the provinces start having bloated POST REPORT 2022 and could be used for children project while seven oxygen generation vincial assembly members. Article 167 “There is unhealthy competition governments in the name of power KATHMANDU, AUG 13 aged 12 to 17 years of age for whom it plants are being established, one in (2) of the statute says the chief of among the provinces in increasing the sharing. is deemed safe and effective. each province. state shall, on the chief minister’s size of their cabinets in order to man- According to him, the internal Nepal has reached an agreement with “Nepal is an early mover in utilis- “We commend Nepal for being the recommendation, constitute the State age political and power interests of income of is around GAVI, a global health partnership ded- ing the COVAX cost-share scheme, and first country in South Asia, and one of Council of Ministers consisting of a the political parties,” Kashi Raj Dahal, Rs1 billion and it is around Rs2 billion icated to immunisations, to procure 4 I am pleased to note that we have final- the first in the world, to join and tap maximum 20 percent of the total num- former chair at the administrative in Sudurpaschim. million doses of the Moderna vaccine ized the arrangement, despite very into the COVAX cost-share option,” ber of assembly members, including court, told the Post. “This is a result of “A large chunk of the internal through the COVAX cost-share option. challenging circumstances, to bring said Hartwig Schafer, World Bank the chief minister, following the inclu- dirty politics which is ultimately ruin- income will be spent to meet adminis- The vaccine is being bought with safe and highly effective vaccines to Vice President for South Asia, in the sive principle, from amongst the ing people’s faith in the provincial trative costs if the provincial govern- financing from the World Bank. Nepal,” the World Bank’s statement statement. assembly members. governments.” ments keep on increasing the size of “We are honoured to support Nepal, quoted Minister of State for Health Nepal so far has administered The Gandaki provincial assembly The Dahal-led Federalism their cabinets,” Devkota said. along with our development partners, and Population Umesh Shrestha. Covishield, the AstraZeneca type vac- has 60 members, which means the Recommendation Committee had rec- Bagmati, the largest province in by financing the purchase of safe and “Moderna vaccines have helped cine manufactured in , Vero Cell provincial council of ministers can ommended in December 2014 that the terms of provincial assembly mem- effective vaccines through the COVAX expand options for vaccinating of ’s Sinopharm, and Janssen of have 12 members at most. provincial governments shouldn’t bers, has eight ministers including a facility,” said Faris Hadad-Zervos, Nepalis above 12 years of age and fast- Johnson & Johnson to inoculate its The Karnali government has eight have more than seven ministries. state minister. Karnali Province, World Bank Country Director for track Nepal’s progress towards a safer population against Covid-19. ministers, the maximum number per- Until the change in the recent political whose assembly is one third the size Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, in a post-Covid world.” The Moderna vaccine is being pro- mitted by the constitution as the prov- dynamics, most of the provinces had of Bagmati, has the same number of statement on Friday. “This is a key The World Bank has made available cured under a cost-sharing scheme for ince has 40 assembly members. seven ministries. ministers. element of our overall Covid response $104 million to support Nepal’s health the first time. The size of the Karnali Cabinet led Dahal says when the provincial gov- “Bagmati will have 22 ministers if by helping to meet emergency health response to the pandemic, with $67.5 According to the Health Ministry, as by , a Maoist ernments have functioned with seven 20 percent provision of the constitu- needs and strengthening the health- million earmarked to purchase and of Friday, 4.65 million people have Centre leader, increased after he ministries for three and a half years, tion is applied,” Devkota told the Post. care and vaccine delivery system.” deploy Covid-19 vaccines. taken the first dose of the coronavirus inducted the ministers from the increasing their size now when these “We must discourage the ongoing Delivery of the American Moderna Last month, 1,000 oxygen concentra- vaccine and 3.22 million have been Nepali Congress in order to survive governments have hardly one and a competition of adding ministers.” vaccines is expected to start by March tors were procured through the aid fully immunised.

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C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | 04 world Briefing Embassies prepare for evacuations as Taliban advance Six people killed in mass The government has effectively lost most of the country following an eight-day blitz into urban centres that has also stunned Kabul’s American backers. shooting in England AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE PLYMOUTH: Six people, including a KABUL, AUG 13 child, were killed in a mass shooting afghanistan seize in the city of Plymouth in southwest The Taliban seized more major cities England on Thursday evening, in an on Friday as they raced to take full April 14 incident described by the British control of Afghanistan and inched President Joe Biden announc- May 4 Home Secretary as “shocking”. Two closer to Kabul, with the United States es US troops will withdraw Taliban fighters launch a females and three males, including and Britain deploying thousands of from Afghanistan starting on major offensive on Afghan the suspect, died from gunshot troops to evacuate their citizens from May 1 and ending on forces in southern Helmand wounds at the scene of the incident, the capital. September 11, bringing province. They also attack in America’s longest war to a at least six other provinces. the Devon and Cornwall Police said The evacuation orders came as the in a statement. Another female died a close. It was an extension of Taliban took control of Kandahar— the previous withdrawal dead- short time later in hospital, the police the nation’s second-biggest city—in line of May 1 agreed between May 11 added. One of the people killed was a the insurgency’s heartland, leaving the United States and the child under 10 years old, Luke The Taliban capture Nerkh only Kabul and pockets of other terri- Taliban. district just outside the capi- Pollard, a local lawmaker from the tories in government hands. tal Kabul as violence intensi- opposition Labour Party, said in a The Taliban also captured the capi- fies across the country. tweet. The United Kingdom has one tal of Logar province, just 50kms (30 June 7 of the lowest gun homicide rates in miles) from Kabul, with a local law- Senior government officials the world, and mass shootings are maker saying the insurgents were in say more than 150 Afghan June 22 rare. This was the first mass shooting complete control of Pul-e-Alam city. soldiers are killed in 24 hours Taliban fighters launch a as fighting worsens. They add in the country for 11 years. Earlier Friday, officials and resi- series of attacks in the north that fighting is raging in 26 of of the country, far from their dents in Kandahar told AFP that gov- the country’s 34 provinces. ernment forces had withdrawn en traditional strongholds in the Two Russian opposition south, and the UN envoy for masse to a military facility outside the Afghanistan says they have activists jailed on drug charges southern city. July 2 taken more than 50 of 370 : A Russian opposition activ- “Kandahar is completely con- American troops quietly pull districts. ist and her husband were handed quered. The Mujahideen reached out of their main military prison sentences on Thursday on Martyrs’ Square,” a Taliban spokes- base in Afghanistan - Bagram Air Base, an hour’s drive from drug charges they rejected as a sham. man tweeted, referring to a city July 5 landmark. Kabul. It effectively ends US The Taliban say they could A court in Pskov in northwestern involvement in the war. Russia convicted Lia Milushkina and Hours later, the Taliban said they present a written peace pro- posal to the Afghan govern- her husband Artyom Milushkin on had also taken control of Lashkar ment as soon as August. charges of selling illegal drugs, and Gah, the capital of neighbouring Helmand province. July 21 sentenced them to 10 1/2 and 11 years Taliban insurgents control A security source confirmed the respectively. They have dismissed the about a half of the country’s July 26 accusations as politically motivated. fall of the city, telling AFP that the districts, according to the Afghan military and government offi- The United States vows to Milushkina, who was the Pskov coor- senior US general. continue to support Afghan AFP/rss dinator for the Open Russia opposi- cials had evacuated Lashkar Gah troops “in the coming weeks” tion group, and her husband who also after striking a local ceasefire deal A stranded Afghan family waits for the reopening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman after the Taliban took control of with intensified airstrikes to was an opposition activist, have with the militants. the Afghan border town in a rapid offensive across the country. July 26 help them counter Taliban remained in custody since their The government has now effectively The UN says nearly 2,400 attacks. arrest in January 2019. lost most of the country following an sy would remain open. The insurgents have taken over negotiations with the insurgents. Afghan civilians were killed or eight-day blitz into urban centres by “This is not abandonment. This is more than a dozen provincial capitals Pro-Taliban social media accounts wounded in May and June in the Taliban that has also stunned not an evacuation. This is not the in the past week and encircled the have boasted of the vast spoils of war escalating violence. August 6 Malaysia prime minister seeks Kabul’s American backers. wholesale withdrawal.” biggest city in the north, the tradition- captured by the insurgents, posting Zaranj in the south of the The first wave of the offensive was The Pentagon said 3,000 US troops al anti-Taliban bastion of Mazar-i- photos of armoured vehicles, heavy country becomes the first bipartisan support for trust vote launched in early May after the United would be deployed to Kabul within the Sharif, which is now one of the few weapons, and even a drone seized August 13 provincial capital to fall KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime States and its allies all but withdrew next 24 to 48 hours, underscoring they holdouts remaining. by their fighters at abandoned mili- Four more provincial capitals to the Taliban in years. Many Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday fall in a day, including more are to follow in the their forces from Afghanistan, with would not be used to launch attacks In Kandahar, resident Abdul tary bases. Kandahar. In the west, promised political reforms and urged ensuing days, including President Joe Biden determined against the Taliban. Nafi told AFP the city was calm After being under siege for weeks, another key city, Herat, is the prized city of Kunduz in opposition lawmakers to back him in to end two decades of war by NATO was also set to hold an urgent after the government forces pulled out government forces on Thursday overrun and veteran com- the north. an upcoming confidence vote, in a bid September 11. meeting later on Friday about the early Friday. pulled out of Herat—an ancient mander Mohammad Ismail to shore up his government and pre- Biden insists he does not regret his deteriorating situation, diplomatic “I came out this morning, I saw Silk Road city near the Iranian bor- Khan is captured. Western vent an election amid a Covid-19 decision, but the speed and ease of the and official sources told AFP. Taliban white flags in most squares of der—and retreated to a district army countries prepare to send resurgence. Malaysia is in political Taliban’s urban victories in recent Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg the city... I thought it might be the first barracks. troops to help evacuate turmoil after some lawmakers in the days has been a surprise and forced will lead discussions with envoys from day of Eid.” On Thursday, the interior ministry embassy staff from Kabul. (REUTERS) ruling alliance withdrew support for new calculations. Washington and the 30 allies, with one source saying it And in Herat on Friday, the Taliban also confirmed the fall of Ghazni, Muhyiddin. He last week defied calls London announced plans late would focus on evacuation planning. said they had captured the city’s long- opening a corridor along the major to quit and said he would prove his Thursday to pull out their embassy The conflict has escalated dramati- time strongman Ismail Khan, who highway to Kabul from the Taliban In a joint statement, the interna- majority in parliament through a staff and citizens from the capital. cally since May, when US-led forces helped lead the defence of the provin- heartlands in the south. tional community, including the confidence vote. But on Friday, “We are further reducing our civil- began the final stage of their troop cial capital along with his militia As the rout unravelled, three days United States, Pakistan, the European Muhyiddin admitted for the first time ian footprint in Kabul in light of the withdrawal. After months of taking fighters. of meetings between key internation- Union, and China, said they would not he did not have a majority and said evolving security situation,” US State what were considered less strategical- The warlord’s spokesman later con- al players on Afghanistan ended in recognise any government in the vote cannot be passed without Department spokesman Ned Price ly important rural areas, the Taliban firmed Khan had been allowed to without significant progress Afghanistan “imposed through the bipartisan support. (AGENCIES) told reporters, while noting the embas- zeroed in on the cities. return to his residence following Thursday. use of military force.” Turkey combats Black Sea floods, death toll rises to 27 ASSOCIATED PRESS celebrations marking his ruling par- ANKARA, TURKEY, AUG 13 Fresh flooding in central ty’s 20th anniversary, was scheduled to travel to the area. Search-and-rescue crews in northern China kills another 21 people “The destruction is huge,” Kerem Turkey recovered 10 more bodies over- Kinik, head of the Turkish Red night, raising the death toll from the BEIJING: Flooding in central China con- Crescent, told NTV. “I hope that the severe floods and mudslides that tinued to cause havoc in both cities missing are safe and that the number struck the region to 27, officials said and rural areas, with authorities say- of deaths doesn’t increase.” on Friday. Dozens more people were ing on Friday that another 21 people Bozkurt resident Yilmaz Ersevenli believed to be missing. had been killed and another four were told NTV that he left his house to Torrential rains pounded the Black missing. Floodwaters rose to 3.5 move his car to a safe area as the Sea coastal provinces of Bartin, meters in Hubei province’s Liulin waters began to rise, but soon got Kastamonu, Sinop and Samsun on township following heavy rains that swept away by the gushing floods. He Wednesday, causing the flooding that began Wednesday. managed to save himself by holding demolished homes and bridges and The latest deaths add to the more on to a tree that had also washed away. swept away cars. Helicopters lifted than 300 people killed in flooding last “I nearly lost my life trying to save dozens of people to safety from roof- month in Henan province just to the my car,” he said. tops, others were rescued on boats. north. The vast majority of those In Bartin province, at least 13 peo- More than 1,700 people were evacuat- victims were in Zhengzhou, Henan’s ple were injured when a section of a ed across the region and many were provincial capital, where at least 292 bridge caved in. In total, five bridges being temporarily housed at student died, including 14 who were trapped collapsed in the floods while two oth- dormitories. when the city’s subway system was ers were damaged, AFAD said. Dozens In worst-hit Kastamonu, a stream inundated. The new Hubei floods of villages are still without power and burst its banks inundating much of have been relatively small in compari- several roads remain blocked. the town of Bozkurt, where most of son, with just over 8,000 people affect- Erdogan said Thursday that at least the victims were found. One building ed, according to the official Xinhua 4,500 personnel, 19 helicopters and 24 was demolished and two others were News Agency. boats were involved in the search-and- severely damaged amid torrents of rescue operation. floodwaters. Turkey’s Black Sea region is fre- The Disaster and Emergency in Bozkurt, their mother told private quently struck by severe rains and Management Presidency, or AFAD, DHA news agency. flash flooding. At least six people said Friday that crews are still search- Speaking in Bozkurt late Thursday, were killed in floods that hit the east- ing for a woman who was reported Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu ern Black Sea coastal province of Rize missing in Bartin province. Private described the scenes as “the most last month. NTV television said however, that doz- severe flood disaster I have seen.” On The disaster struck as firefighters ens of people remain unaccounted for. Wednesday, he said, flood waters in southwest Turkey worked to extin- AFP/rss They include 12-year-old twin sis- reached three or four meters (10-13 guish a wildfire in Mugla province, an A protester uses a tennis racket to return a tear gas cannister towards security personnel during a protest calling for the resignation of ters and their grandparents who were feet) high in some areas. President area popular with tourists that runs Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha over the Thai government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis, in Bangkok, on Friday. trapped inside an eight-story building Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who cancelled along the Aegean Sea. Olympics now ended, Japan races to vaccinate as coronavirus cases surge

ASSOCIATED PRESS They are urging the government to completed their vaccinations since in charge of vaccinations. TOKYO, AUG 13 put more teeth in its weak state of they started getting shots in mid- Suga said his goal of fully vaccinat- emergency. Japan has managed the April. Suga says high inoculation ing all willing elderly people by the The Tokyo Olympics have ended, but Covid-19 pandemic better than rates among seniors have contributed end of July has been mostly achieved. it’s still vacation season in Japan, and many countries, without the kind of to a significant decline in the number As he pushes to inoculate younger many people are ignoring government restrictive lockdown used in other of elderly patients, serious cases people, Suga aims to fully vaccinate pleas to avoid travel and stay away nations, but some believe that may and deaths, relieving strain on the 40% of all those 12 years and older by from bars and restaurants even as the now be needed. medical system. the end of August, and to complete coronavirus spikes at record levels. Japan’s daily coronavirus cases “This clearly shows the vaccine effi- shots for all those who wish to do so by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is have topped 10,000 for more than a cacy,” Suga said, pledging to acceler- October or November. pinning his hopes on vaccinations, week, and the total has doubled in the ate vaccinations among younger peo- But vaccines alone might not be which started slow but now are mak- past four months to exceed 1 million. ple. “The most effective way to slow enough, experts and officials say. ing good progress. How this race Tokyo’s daily caseloads tripled during the infections and minimise serious “With the ongoing surge accelerat- between shots and disease finishes the Games that ended on Sunday. And symptoms would be to give everyone ed by the delta strain, it is extremely may determine Suga’s political future, as hospitals fill up, nearly 20,000 two shots as soon as possible.” difficult to deal with the infections not to mention the health of tens of infected people are isolating at home, Serious cases are now mostly among just by promoting the vaccines,” Kono thousands. over 10 times more than a month ago. people in their 50s or younger, who are told a recent online programme. He Suga seems optimistic vaccines will On Friday, Tokyo reported 5,773 new still largely unvaccinated. So far, 14 noted that young adults in their 20s win, but with only about 36 percent of cases, surpassing the previous record million—less than 20 percent of those and 30s account for about half of daily the population fully vaccinated, of 5,042 set last week. aged 12 to 64 who are eligible for cases and urged them to stick to AP/rss experts say the virus’s highly infec- More than 80 percent of Japan’s shots—have been fully vaccinated, social distancing, mask wearing and In this July photo, a Tokyo Metropolitan government employee takes the Moderna’s Covid-19 tious Delta variant is pulling ahead. elderly population of 36 million have according to Taro Kono, the minister handwashing. vaccine shot at a vaccination centre in Tokyo.

C M Y K 05 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 Money Monetary policy prioritises relief and recovery for the pandemic-hit Extension of repayment deadline, availability of cheaper interest loans, refinance among the measures announced by the new policy.

PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA & KRISHANA PRASAIN along with economic rehabilitation, KATHMANDU, AUG 13 the demand for credit will rise, result- ing in the prospect of a liquidity The monetary policy 2021-22 presented crunch in the market that may lead to by the Nepal Rastra Bank on Friday a rise in the interest rate. has sought to help enterprises and In the last fiscal year, the interest individuals hit hard by the Covid-19 rate was limited to the single digit as pandemic by extending the deadline desired by the business enterprises of paying loans and offering subsi- and lending to the private sector dized loans and refinance facilities. surged by 26.3 percent against the tar- For the second year in a row, the geted growth of just 20 percent. main focus of the monetary policy The central bank has targeted the has been on relief and recovery of growing private sector credit by 19 economic sectors affected by the pan- percent in the current fiscal year demic amid the looming third Covid- though it has kept the policy-related 19 wave. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Tens of thousands of people have Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR), lost their jobs ever since the pandemic reduced last year sharply, unchanged. began, shaking the country’s economy The CRR has been kept at 3 percent massively. while SLR is at 10 percent. The Central bank Maha unchanged CRR and SLR will help the Prasad Adhikari said that the new banking sector to have adequate monetary policy has sought to balance liquidity for enterprises to get more the need for monetary relaxation [cre- credit. CRR is a certain minimum ating a situation for more credit amount of deposit that banks have to expansion] to rehabilitate the sectors hold as reserves with the central bank. affected by the Covid-19 pandemic SLR is a minimum percentage of and the need for monetary tightening deposits that a commercial bank has to maintain economic and financial to maintain in the form of liquid cash, stability. gold, or other securities. The monetary policy presented But in order to keep interest rates in nearly a month after the new fiscal check, the monetary policy has year began and after the change in the also made provisions that people government, has sought to provide depositing remittance at banks and relief to borrowers affected by the financial institutions will get one per- pandemic with the extension of repay- cent extra interest. ment deadline, reduction of install- The monetary policy has scrapped ment amount, and restructuring and POST FILE PHOTO the existing system of counting core rescheduling of the loans. The monetary policy has allowed credit up to Rs2 million for women entrepreneurs against the collateral of the project to be counted as deprived sector lending. capital plus credit to deposit (CCD) According to the policy, the sectors ratio and adopted only the credit to including restaurants, party palaces, end of the current fiscal year and and business community credit due to the pandemic, up to Rs2.5 mil- dation to the central bank last month, deposit (CD) ratio. But in order not to public transportation, educational no penal interest or fine can be schemes have been continued. With lion who purchase vehicles for self-em- the Federation of Nepalese Chambers allow a reduction in liquidity, the CD institutes, and entertainment venues imposed on such interest. Public the central bank offering to provide ployment, credit up to Rs2 million to of Commerce and Industry had asked ratio that the banks and financial badly affected by the pandemic, can transport operators can get loans up over Rs200 billion in refinance facility, women entrepreneurs against the col- the central bank that the loan repay- institutions should maintain has been get their loans extended by one year if to Rs200,000 per vehicle for repair and it received a massive response from lateral of the project and agriculture ment deadline be extended by three to kept at 90 percent. Last year, the cen- they were required to pay those loans maintenance. borrowers with the central bank pav- credit up to Rs2 million against the five years based on the situation of tral bank had allowed them to main- by mid-January next year. Even in the last fiscal year’s mone- ing the way for small borrowers to get collateral of the project to be counted Covid-19-affected enterprises. tain the CCD ratio at 85 percent. They can also pay the loans in at tary policy too, the central bank had such facility. As many as 48,890 bor- as deprived sector lending. The threshold of refinance facility “The new concept regarding the least four installments, according to extended the deadline for paying loan rowers received Rs148.75 billion in Umesh Prasad Singh, acting presi- for large enterprises that seek refi- credit to deposit ratio will help the central bank. installments by six months, nine refinance which is a mechanism to dent of the Federation of Nepal nance on an individual entity basis increase liquidity in the market,” said Likewise, sectors including tour- months and one year, depending on exchange the borrowers’ loans with Cottage and Small Industries, said the should be increased from Rs200 mil- Golchha. ism, movie, party palaces, public the degree of impact on the particular cheap interest loans. monetary policy has addressed most lion and refinance up to 80 percent Amid concerns over continued transportation and educational insti- sector as the central bank sought to The monetary policy has sought to of the issues of cottage and small- of total loan should be provided growth of the stock market despite the tutes can get their loans restructured ease the pains on businesses caused increase deprived sector lending even scale industries. to borrowers whose enterprises can- Covid-19 disaster affecting the econo- and rescheduled within mid-January by the pandemic. though lending in the sector is also “The loans provided to the agricul- not come into normal operation for my badly, the central bank has sought next year. Even though Governor Adhikari already above the threshold set by the ture and tourism sectors and women three years. to control lending in the sector. According to the central bank’s had hinted at a less facilitative mone- Nepal Rastra Bank. As per the current entrepreneurs have increased the However, Shekhar Golchha, presi- As per the monetary policy, a bor- policy, people who failed to pay the tary policy for the current fiscal year provision, banks and financial institu- access of marginalised people to cred- dent of the federation, welcomed the rower aiming to invest in the stock installment of the lockdown period in a recent interaction organised by tions need to lend at least 5 percent of it,” he said. monetary policy saying that the policy market can get credit up to Rs40 mil- can now pay the loans by mid-January Kantipur, the Post’s sister paper, the their lending in the sector, but as of The monetary policy has fallen has by and large addressed issues lion from a bank or financial institu- next year. monetary policy unveiled on Friday last fiscal year such lending is 7 per- short of the giving facilities as sought raised by the private sector. tion and a maximum of Rs120 million Banks and financial institutions has kept most of the facilitative meas- cent, according to the central bank. by the private sector but addresses “It has provided additional relief to from the entire banking system. need to maintain a separate account ures taken in the last fiscal’s mone- The monetary policy has now their demands to some extent. sectors that have been badly hit by the “We are worried about how the of interest to be paid by hotel, travel, tary policy intact. allowed lending up to Rs1.5 million to The private sector demanded more Covid-19 pandemic,” he told the Post. market will react to this provision,” trekking and aviation sectors till the For example, refinance facilities tourism sector workers who lost jobs though. For example, in its recommen- The central bank estimates that said Golchha.

FOREX India’s retail US Dollar 119.10 Kuwait’s economic makeover under threat Euro 139.92 inflation eases in Pound Sterling 164.37 Japanese Yen 10.80 as small businesses fight for life Chinese Yuan 18.37 July, government Qatari Riyal 32.71 Australian Dollar 87.45 REUTERS “I will not give up,” he said. “The KUWAIT, Aug 13 crisis will subside, God willing.” vows to take steps Malaysian Ringit 28.11 Expatriates, mostly from Arabic Saudi Arab Riyal 31.76 Thousands of small and medium and Asian nations, make up about 70 REUTERS Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank Kuwaiti businesses could go to the percent of the 4.6 million-strong NEW DELHI, AUG 13 wall after being walloped by the pan- population of Kuwait, a small country Price Per tola demic, potentially torpedoing a pri- on the Persian Gulf sandwiched by Indian retail inflation eased in July bullion vate sector central to the country’s bigger regional players Saudi Arabia after holding above 6 percent for two efforts to remake its unorthodox and and Iraq. months in a row, helped by improving Fine Gold Rs 89,700 oil-pumped economy. Kuwait, like other oil exporters, supplies following the lifting of pan- The government, which spends was slammed by the double shock of demic restrictions, and the govern- Silver Rs 1,185 more than half of its annual budget low crude prices and the Covid-19 pan- ment said it would take all necessary on the salaries of Kuwaitis who most- demic, leading to the economy shrink- steps to contain rising prices. Source: FENEGOSIDA ly work in state jobs, has encouraged ing by 8 percent last year. Consumer prices rose 5.59 percent citizens to set up their own businesses On March 30 this year, parliament in July from the same month last year, over the past decade in an effort to passed a law on financing for SMEs, lower than June’s 6.26 percent annual gasoline watch engineer a private sector. but for some business owners it will inflation rate and below a Reuters poll The aim has been to ease state prove too late. forecast of 5.78 percent, data released finances, reduce reliance on the The law gives those affected by the by Ministry of Statistics showed on imported labour of expatriates who pandemic access to funding of up to Thursday. Food prices, which account make up most of the population, and 250,000 dinars, of which the govern- for nearly half of the inflation basket, also help Kuwait diversify away from ment guarantees 80 percent. Many rose 3.96 percent year-on-year in July oil, which brings in 90 percent of state REUTERS SME owners say banks impose oner- from 5.15 percent a month before. revenues but is looking increasingly Kuwaiti entrepreneur Abdulaziz al-Mubarak, head of the Kuwaiti Union of Small and Medium ous financing conditions under the precarious as the world moves away Enterprises, speaks at his children’s clothing store in Avenues mall in Al-Rai, Kuwait. scheme, like proving the operational from fossil fuels. efficiency of projects. The repayment Some economists Yet much of that decade of work to of the Kuwait Federation for Small tory making trucks and smart homes period is five years with a possible foster small and medium-sized enter- and Medium Enterprises, said that from light steel suffered heavy losses additional two years of grace. say the inflation prises (SMEs), which involved about about 8,600 entrepreneurs were cur- due to Covid-19 restrictions. He has A senior government source, who $500 million of state financing, has rently switching from working in the been forced to shrink his staff to just declined to be named, said some SMEs was within the been undone by the Covid-19 outbreak, private sector to the government. three employees from about 60. were reluctant to make use of the law according to many industry experts. He warned that the cash crunch He came up with half of the 800,000- because it offered loans rather than range of the central Most of the 25,000 to 30,000 SMEs in could “end the whole sector”. dinar ($2.7 million) financing to start compensation, the state didn’t fully Kuwait were operating with That’s a major problem for Kuwait, his business four years ago, with the guarantee the financing and the limit bank’s target. limited cash reserves even before the where SMEs generate 11.9 percent of rest coming from a loan from a state on the repayment time. pandemic struck and were unable to GDP by gross value added, employ fund. The 36-year-old now fears he However the official said the legisla- weather a halt in operations due to tens of thousands of people and play could default on the loan, and is hold- tion could be amended to provide The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lockdowns, investment management an important role in sectors like ing out for further support from the more support business owners, if nec- held its repo rate at a record low last firm Markaz said. wholesale and retail trade, food and government such as compensation for essary. “All solutions are available to week, but it raised its inflation fore- In an indication of the scale of the drinks, hospitality and construction. its pandemic losses or exemptions the government to support owners of cast amid signs that policymakers problem, Abdulaziz al-Mubarak, head Take Mohammed al-Blushi. His fac- from certain debts. SMEs,” he added, without elaborating. could be edging closer to tapering pandemic-induced stimulus. But allaying these fears, Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s finance minister, told industrialists on Thursday that the economy had not so far reached Investment banks in Australia shop for talent after raid by startups the level where financial liquidity support could be withdrawn by the central bank. Some economists said REUTERS have already hired more than 100 share of lucrative mandates. Thursday’s July inflation print was , Aug 13 bankers in total this year, their repre- The country has seen $108.7 billion within the range of the central bank’s sentatives said, amid hopes that ultra- in M&A deals this year, a record high 2 percent-6 percent target and that Bulge-bracket investment banks in low interest rates and a recovery from and more than quadruple the year-ear- price pressures appeared to be easing. Australia have ramped up hiring to the Covid-19 pandemic will ensure a lier level, making it the second-biggest “Today’s print provides some rebuild their depleted teams, after strong deals pipeline. market in the region after China. breather to policymakers with infla- audacious talent raids by boutique “There’s been quite a hiring spree Credit Suisse hired 52 staff in the tion falling back within the target rivals in the past year amid record in investment banking and the last first half of 2021, a bank spokesman band,” said Garima Kapoor, an dealmaking activity in the country, year or 18 months has been about as said. The recruitment took place economist for institutional equities at bankers and headhunters told Reuters. good as it’s been in about five or seven across each of its businesses in Elara Capital. Most major banks in Australia, years,” said Graeme Bricknell, Korn Australia, which includes equity and However, she said, the expected tra- including Wall Street firms, have been Ferry head of executive search in debt underwriting and M&A advisory, jectory of inflation was likely to com- scrambling to add bankers since the Australia and New Zealand. he added. pel the central bank to normalise poli- start of the year as part of a campaign Australia’s deal boom and a spike in UBS, which was the main target of cy towards the end of the fiscal year. to defend their market share against investment banking fees—to a three- Barrenjoey’s talent raid, has hired 30 Inflation has heated up this year as new aggressive boutiques Barrenjoey year high of $1.2 billion in 2021, staff across investment banking, equi- many companies passed on rises in Capital and Jarden. Refinitiv data shows—is fuelling ties sales and trading and research in their input costs like steel, cement and REUTERS Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, UBS, the hiring rush among banks and the past six months, according to a fuel to consumers amid a pickup in A file photo of the Central Business District skyline at sunset in Sydney, Australia. and Australia’s Macquarie Group start-up firms aiming for a juicier spokesman. overseas demand.

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | 06

C M Y K 07 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 Sports | Medley Liverpool, Klopp ready for title battle Questions facing the teams The Reds are looking to regain the Premier League title they conceded to Manchester City last season. below elite in Premier League Agence France-Presse LONDON, Aug 13 While the top clubs brace for title race, the outsiders will look to push for

Liverpool will fight “for everything” this season but a place into European competition or solidify their stay in the league. manager Jurgen Klopp expects it to be a really tough battle between several clubs as his side bids to regain Associated Press English football. the Premier League title that Manchester City LONDON, Aug 13 Vieira is promising to bring attacking football reclaimed last term. to the south London club—“I want to see a team Whilst new signings, unlike their main rivals, have Away from the Premier League’s title favourites who is on the front foot,” he has said—but that been kept to a minimum—France Under-21 defender stands a collection of outsiders looking to push contrasts with Palace’s long-held style of playing Ibrahima Konate was announced back in May from into European contention or solidify themselves in the counterattack and being mostly robust Bundesliga side RB Leipzig—Liverpool have focused as established members in the world’s richest defensively. on getting key players to sign new contracts. league. Preseason results have been encouraging, Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander Arnold, Here are some questions facing the teams with star forward Wilfried Zaha seemingly Fabinho and notably, on Friday, Virgil van Dijk all below the elite: in form, but the first real test for Vieira—whose agreed to new deals. only coaching experience has been at Klopp said they will all be essential to Liverpool’s Will Everton and Benitez work? New York City FC and Nice in France—comes title challenge and rediscovering the panache that saw Shaken by the unexpected departure of Carlo in Palace’s opening league match against them crowned champions in 2020 for the first time in Ancelotti, Everton were forced to begin a search Chelsea. three decades. for a fifth manager of the five-year tenure of A tough start sees Palace face Manchester “Last year, the gap was pretty big (City had a majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri. City, Liverpool, Leicester, Tottenham and 12-point advantage over second-placed Manchester He’s landed on his most contentious hire yet. Arsenal elsewhere in their opening 10 games. United and 17 over Liverpool),” said Klopp at Friday’s Appointing Rafa Benitez, the former manager of Vieira will hope Palace’s board shows him more press conference ahead of their opening Premier the club’s fiercest rivals, Liverpool, with a prag- faith than it showed De Boer. League match away on Saturday to newly-promoted matic playing style hardly in keeping with Norwich. “The previous season, the gap between us Everton fans’ preferred adventurous style, is End of the road for Southampton? was pretty big (Liverpool finished 18 points clear of bold and some might say misguided. Southampton have managed to stay in the City). I’m not sure if it can get any more intense for all Some banners were hung outside Goodison Premier League for a decade despite constantly the rest. Park—one read “We know where you live, don’t selling their best assets, which have included “We will see. Chelsea aren’t hiding their ambitions, sign”—in protest at the arrival of Benitez, who Virgil van Dijk, Luke Shaw and Sadio Mane to Man United aren’t, City aren’t. We don’t want to hide in 2007 called Everton a “small club.” name just three. our ambitions, we want to fight for everything.” The Spaniard thinks he can win the fans over Can they continue to survive? This season Klopp, though, said it is not only the top four sides in but it seems there will always be some tension may prove to be one too far, with manager Ralph the league last season who will aspire to being viable there. Winning silverware looks to be the only Hasenhuttl having sold two of their most title candidates. solution for Benitez but that looks way beyond important players in top scorer Danny Ings, “I mention only these four, but it will not be only Everton, who finished 10th in the Premier to Aston Villa, and left back Ryan Bertrand, to these four,” he said. “Leicester made really good busi- League last season and last captured a trophy Leicester. defender Jannik ness again. Arsenal are trying, Tottenham are trying. in 1995. Vestergaard may also be on his way out so There are so many teams. West Ham played their best Some will say it’s a marriage destined for a Hasenhuttl looks to have a massive job on his season for a long, long time last year—they didn’t get divorce. hands. worse over the summer.” Southampton, their fans hate to be reminded, “It will be an interesting league again.” Can Bielsa take Leeds further? have lost games 9-0 in each of the last two sea- Klopp is adamant the manner in which Liverpool Here’s a partnership that’s on a much firmer sons and can often wilt under pressure. The team battled successfully at the end of last season in secur- footing. Leeds supporters cannot get enough of slumped after a strong start to a 15th-place finish ing their Champions League spot will serve them Marcelo Bielsa, their enigmatic Argentine coach and could well find themselves in a relegation well in terms of the spirit it engendered amongst the beginning his fourth season at Elland Road— battle in the months ahead. squad. longer than any other club he has managed in “The last few games we knew it was in our hands his storied career. Which of the promoted teams can survive? and we came through it,” he said. Under Bielsa, Leeds were one of the most Promoted teams Norwich, Watford and “For us, the third place last year was not far off the entertaining teams in the Premier League last Brentford take their place in the Premier League other positions in the two years before to be honest and season and ended their first top-flight campaign looking to emulate Wolverhampton and Leeds, was really special with the problems we had. We found since 2003-04 in an impressive ninth place. who have transitioned well to life in the top a way how to win football games and that’s a really Can Bielsa take them further? The only major flight and managed top-half finishes in their important message. It was obviously a sensational feel- addition has been at left back, where Junior first season. ing and that will help us because it’s another feeling we Firpo has joined from Barcelona to replace the Which of the three looks best positioned to do experienced together”. out-of-contract Ezgjan Alioski. the same? Norwich come up as the Championship Klopp said he is not surprised by Manchester The 66-year-old Bielsa, who famously sits on winners and are likely to have a more rounded City’s spending—they paid £100 million ($130 million) an upturned bucket while watching matches on game plan compared to the attacking approach for England midfielder Jack Grealish and are the sideline, likes to work with a tight-knit group that proved their undoing two seasons ago under believed to be ready to outdo that sum for Spurs’s he can mold into a relentless, hard-working unit the same manager, Daniel Farke. England captain Harry Kane—but he is by Manchester that no opponents relish facing. Watford had comfortably the best defensive United’s. He could do with maybe another central record in the second tier—just 30 goals conceded United have spent over £100 million on Jadon Sancho midfielder if Leeds are to make that next step, in 46 games—but might not have the attacking and Real Madrid’s French international defender but expect Bielsa to carry on squeezing quality to survive. Raphael Varane—the latter is undergoing a medical— everything out of a team greater than the sum of Most of the intrigue surrounds Brentford, a with a central midfielder still on their menu. their parts. team from southwest London competing in the “I’m not surprised (that other teams have spent top flight for the first time since 1947 and who are big), because these clubs don’t depend on this kind of Can Vieira be expansive at Palace? owned by an entrepreneur—a former profession- thing (the impact of the coronavirus pandemic), I The last time Crystal Palace hired a manager al gambler, Matthew Benham—who uses think,” said Klopp. “We all know the situations at with an expansive approach, Frank De Boer last- analytics to unearth talent overlooked by tradi- Chelsea, City, PSG ( Saint Germain). What’s ed four Premier League matches before getting tional scouting methods. happening at United, I don’t know—I don’t know how fired. This “Moneyball” method has finally lifted the they do it.” After four years under the dependable team to the Premier League and will come under Ap/Rss “We have our way and it’s always been the same Roy Hodgson, Palace have chosen to roll the strain against some of the world’s best club Virgil van Dijk (pictured) signed a new deal until 2025 on Friday. Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander since I joined. We can spend, we’re allowed to spend the dice again in hiring Patrick Vieira for the teams. It will be fascinating to see how the Arnold, Fabinho all have agreed to new deals and will ‘all be essential’ to Liverpool’s title challenge. money we earn—that’s what we always did.” France great’s first senior managerial role in experiment turns out. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** The illuminating sun finds itself in a hard aspect Saturday’s skies set your sights on fun and pleasure. The illuminating sun stumbles into an encounter Send your focus towards your community and social with reality-dissolving Neptune, potentially creating The moon’s presence in sensual Scorpio increases with foggy Neptune, creating a low-energy, high-fan- network. The moon’s presence in deep-feeling confusion and haziness around romantic matters or your sex drive and craving for creative action. Luna’s tasy haze over the day. Your focus might shift towards Scorpio encourages you to reach back out to your creative projects. Aim to drift rather than demand hard square with heavy Saturn may put some rela- the state of your finances and untapped talents. people and establish meaningful connections. clarity. tionship hurdles that needs to be dealt with.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** The moon’s presence in your opposite sign of sensu- The moon’s presence in reserved Scorpio encourages The moon meanders through your sign, signaling a The moon’s presence in hyper-focused Scorpio pushes al Scorpio encourages you to devote energy towards you to settle in on the home front and keep a low pressing need to dote on yourself and tend to your you to dig deeper into that story and explore your your current partnership story. The sun’s difficult profile. Your ruling planet, the illuminating sun, unspoken feelings. Luna’s square with heavy Saturn next direction. Luna’s hard square with your ruler, encounter with foggy Neptune may cast a sleepy, locks into a hard aspect with sleepy Neptune—lower- may prompt frustration on the family front when it somber Saturn, can help unblock any unprocessed zoned out atmosphere over the day. ing energy levels and increasing escapist visions. comes to protecting your own space. feelings and let them get some air.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** Even if it’s the weekend, you’re looking to get pro- The deep-feeling Scorpio moon encourages you to The moon’s presence in deep-feeling Scorpio pushes The cosmos are working to help you self-expand in a ductive and do something meaningful. The moon keep busy on your feet and get involved in a variety you to explore the emotional undercurrent in your new capacity today, as the moon moves through slides through sharp-minded Scorpio, sending your of important conversations. Luna’s hard encounter life, of which you’ll need ample privacy and peace to sharp-minded Scorpio. Luna’s square with heavy attention towards your work/life balance and with stifling Saturn can put reality checks on your do. Luna’s hard square with Saturn may highlight Saturn may highlight self-imposed blockages, which increasing your awareness of health. health and work/life balance. this drive for peace versus a hectic schedule. are worth examining. Crossword Sudoku

Yesterday’s Solution

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | 08 Sports Briefing Pressure on Pochettino to deliver glory Anderson Pakistan confirms first England takes 5-62, cricket tour in 16 years With the most frightening front line after Lionel Messi’s arrival, the Paris Saint-Germain coach is now left with no other KARACHI: Pakistan cricket authorities India all out on Friday confirmed that the England option but to give what the Parisians and their Qatari owners covet more than anything—the Champions League crown. cricket team will play two Twenty20 spoke with him. I have known him for internationals in October on their a long time,” he said of Pochettino, for 364 first tour of the country since 2005. who like Messi is Argentinian and “The England men’s side will visit started his career at Newell’s Old Boys Pakistan in October for two Twenty20 in the city of Rosario. “The fact he is internationals. Both matches will be from Argentina means there is a close- played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium ness. I chose to come to Paris because in Rawalpindi on 13 and 14 October,” of the technical staff and the squad said a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that’s here.” release. New Zealand’s cricket team Messi and Neymar, old pals from will also tour Pakistan in September Barcelona, are delighted to team up after a gap of 18 years. Pakistan again but there is speculation that became a no-go area for international Mbappe—with just a year left on his teams after a deadly 2009 attack on contract—is not happy about having the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore. to share even more of the limelight. But a rapid improvement in security PSG do not want to let him go in recent years has gradually seen the though, and Pochettino will have to return of international cricket, with ensure that fielding that all-star front Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the West Indies three, as well as Angel di Maria, does and South Africa touring in the last not overly imbalance the team. six years. That is why PSG’s other summer signings are crucial. Finch targets World Cup return The arrival of Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool adds much-needed SYDNEY: Australian white-ball quality in midfield alongside Marco captain Aaron Finch has undergone Verratti, while Achraf Hakimi was successful knee surgery and is just what they required at right-back. Ap/Rss targeting a return for the Twenty20 Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Jimmy Anderson, England’s record World Cup, officials said on Friday. Donnarumma are luxury options in wicket taker, now has 626 in a Test career. The 34-year-old opener aggravated his defence and in goal. He has 31 five-wicket hauls as well. right knee injury during a T20 clash PSG won their opening game of the in St Lucia last month and missed the league season 2-1 at Troyes last week- Associated Press team’s subsequent ODIs against the end and now host Strasbourg on LONDON, Aug 13 West Indies and their tour of Saturday, when Messi is set to be Bangladesh. He went under the knife paraded before the crowd. The Jimmy Anderson claimed another on Thursday, his first day out of a Argentine, who has not had a pre-sea- five-wicket haul before snaffling the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine son to speak of, will have to wait a catch that saw India dismissed for 364 after returning from Barbados. while yet for his debut. by England midway through the sec- Cricket Australia said the operation It also remains to be seen if Neymar ond session of Day 2 in the second to repair cartilage went well. The will feature this weekend following Test on Friday. World Cup—held in the United Arab his late return to pre-season training The 39-year-old Anderson’s name Emirates and Oman after being after playing for Brazil in the Copa will go up on the famous Honours shifted from India because of America. Board at Lord’s for the seventh time in the pandemic—is due to start on Ramos is not expected to make his his career after compiling figures of October 17. PSG debut at least until next week, but 5-62 at the home of cricket as England Mbappe will play against Strasbourg roared back into the match. Afp/Rss amid ongoing talk of a move to Real India added just 88 runs to their Willock set to join Newcastle Lionel Messi (left), set to be paraded before the crowd when PSG host Strasbourg on Saturday, will have to wait yet a while for his debut. Madrid. dominant overnight score of 276-3, LONDON: Arsenal midfielder Joe losing four wickets before lunch and Willock is set to sign for Newcastle Agence-France Presse have reached the final and then the despite the arrival of the six-time One to watch: Galtier’s return another three in the first hour of the United on a six-year contract, PARIS, Aug 13 semi-finals in the last two seasons. It Ballon d’Or winner on a reported Christophe Galtier led Lille to a second session. manager Steve Bruce said on Friday. also, of course, means reclaiming the salary of 35 million euros ($41m) a stunning title triumph last season but Anderson took two of those wickets British media reported that a deal Lionel Messi’s arrival at Paris Saint- French title after Lille beat them to it year. “We have a great team, but then left to join Nice, a club with lofty after lunch, trapping Ishant Sharma worth 25 million pounds ($34.50 mil- Germain has left the club with the last season—how could a team con- we have not won anything yet,” he ambitions under their owners Ineos, lbw for 8 and getting an edge off lion) including add-ons had been most frightening front line in the taining Messi, Neymar and Kylian added. the group chaired by British billion- Jasprit Bumrah (0) as he was caught agreed for the 21-year-old. Willock, sport, but now coach Mauricio Mbappe not win Ligue 1? PSG quickly emerged as the only aire Jim Ratcliffe. behind. who will become Bruce’s first signing Pochettino is under pressure to “We don’t hide that it’s our objec- obvious destination for Messi after the Nice are hoping Galtier can turn England’s record wicket-taker now this summer, enjoyed a successful deliver the glory on the pitch that tive,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelai- collapse of his new deal with them into contenders for Champions has 626 in a Test career that is show- loan spell on Tyneside last season, their Qatari owners covet more than fi said at Messi’s unveiling when asked Barcelona, and the player himself League qualification and on Saturday ing no sign of slowing down. Anderson scoring eight goals in 14 league anything. about the Champions League. admitted the presence of Pochettino he takes his new team to face his old has 31 five-wicket hauls, too. appearances after arriving at St That means winning the Champions However, he later told sports daily on the bench helped sway him. club in Lille in what promises to be an And he even took a catch to remove James’ Park in January. (AGENCIES) League, a competition in which PSG L’Equipe “it is not an obligation”, “Once the negotiations started I intriguing encounter. Ravindra Jadeja for 40, off the bowl- ing of Mark Wood, wrapping up India’s disappointing end to an innings that looked in great shape at the end of Day 1. Before lunch, KL Rahul—India’s Abbas double strike puts Japan mayor apologises for biting medal overnight century-maker—was out off the second ball of the day, for 129, when he drove a loose shot straight to Associated Press offer of a replacement, according to cover off Ollie Robinson. West Indies on back foot TOKYO, Aug 13 Japanese media reports. Ajinkya Rahane failed to add to his The medal bite has become a staple overnight score of 1 and departed to A Japanese mayor apologised of Olympic photo-ops—but for the the first ball he faced, edging Anderson Thursday for biting the Olympic gold winners themselves, not others. to Joe Root at first slip. medal of a softball player who had The scene broadcast on television That reduced India to 282-5 before paid a courtesy visit after Japan beat prompted thousands of complaints to Rishabh Pant entertained the crowd the United States in the final. city hall. Some Olympians said they with some typically flashy shots—at Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura treat their medals as treasures and one point he ran down the track and had praised pitcher Miu Goto during that it was outrageous for Kawamura flat-batted Wood through extra cover the August 4 visit, but his eyes were to bite one. for four. glued to her medal. He asked her to “I would cry if that happened to But Pant then swatted at pace-bowl- put it around his neck. Kawamura me,” Naohisa Takato, who won gold er Wood and under-edged behind to then pulled down his face mask and for Japan in , said in a tweet. “I Jos Buttler after making 37 off 58 bit into it. handle my own gold medal so gently balls. “I’m really sorry that I hurt the not to scratch it.” Mohammed Shami went in the next treasure of the gold medallist,” Yuki Ota, a silver-medal winning over without scoring, picking Kawamura told reporters Thursday. fencer, said the mayor’s action was out Rory Burns on the leg side off The mayor said the medal was disrespectful to athletes and was a bad Moeen Ali. undamaged, though he offered to pay Ap/Rss idea for Covid-19 measures. The first Test at Trent Bridge was for the cost of a new one. Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura bites the Goto reportedly considered keeping drawn after the play on the fifth and Goto, however, has accepted the gold medal of Miu Goto. The softball player the original but eventually accepted final day was called off due to rain International Olympic Committee’s has accepted IOC’s offer of a replacement. the IOC offer of a replacement. without a ball being bowled.

AFP/RSS Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas claimed two wickets in two balls in the third over of West Indies’ reply before bad light ended the day after West Indies had bowled out Pakistan for 217 runs.

Agence France-Presse tion in the afternoon session for a Reborn Lukaku rejoins Chelsea at his peak KINGSTON, Aug 13 bizarre succession of reprieves via referrals to the television technology Reuters title. The 28-year-old scored 24 league Two wickets in two balls by with four consecutive decisions going ROME, Aug 13 goals and was named Serie A’s Most Mohammad Abbas just before the the way of the batsman. Valuable Player, but the improvement close of play put the West Indies However it was the combined effort Romelu Lukaku is a familiar face to of his overall game was underlined by immediately on the back foot in reply of left-handers Fawad Alam (56) and Premier League viewers, but the play- his tally of 10 assists – second only to to Pakistan’s first innings total of 217 Faheem Ashraf (44) which gave the er who completed a 97.5 million Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi. on the rain-affected opening day of the innings some substance. The pair put pounds ($134.7 million) return to “I have not forgotten how a lot of first Test at Sabina Park on Thursday. on 85 for the sixth wicket only to be Chelsea on Thursday is, by his own people turned their nose up when we At 2-2 going into the second day, separated by a run out when Ashraf admission, not the same one who signed Lukaku and said he was over- with captain Kraigg Brathwaite was found short of his ground by departed England two years ago. rated,” Conte said. “I always said that and Roston Chase set to resume square-leg fielder Chase when seeking “Italy has brought me to another he arrived here with potential and the innings, the home side will be to complete a sharp single. level. I have never felt this strong. I that if he worked hard, he could do mindful of the repeated batting capit- As well as the West Indies bowled on have reached another level, physically extraordinary things. Lukaku has ulations they endured in being the first day pitch, the conditions were and mentally,” Lukaku said in May. made exceptional improvements and thrashed in a similar two-Test duel a bit of a surprise for them. The Belgian hit his peak during two can make even more.” with South Africa two months earlier “It was a little slower than I expect- years at Inter Milan after leaving He also delivered in the big in St Lucia. ed it to be so I had to bowl a lot fuller Manchester United, and was central to moments. Lukaku scored two and set Abbas put the seal on a bowlers’ day and make the batsmen play a lot the Italian club’s first Serie A title in one up in a 3-1 win at home to Lazio in by having Kieran Powell well taken more,” said Holder. 11 years last season. In Italy, he has February that took Inter above AC low at second slip and then trapping “I think it is going to be difficult up developed into one of European foot- Milan and top for the first time in the Nkrumah Bonner leg before next ball front with the bowlers they have avail- ball’s most lethal and reliable goalscor- season. In the following week’s top-of- in a testing final 20 minutes of play. able. We can look at the application ers, while underlining his ability as a the-table Milan Derby clash, he set up It was Bonner’s first Test innings showed by Faheem and Fawad and creator and a leader. Martinez for the opener before sprint- since his brief appearance on the take pattern from that.” Antonio Conte was desperate to add ing half the length of the pitch to fire opening day of the South Africa series On a day when 12 wickets fell, it was Lukaku to his ranks after being named home Inter’s third. when he was forced to retire hurt after the four occasions in quick succession Inter coach in 2019. The Italian would “He does not rely only on his phy- being struck flush on the helmet first when Azhar survived to fight on early not take no for an answer, and eventu- sique. Lukaku has technical skills that ball by fast bowler Anrich Nortje. in the post-lunch period which proved ally a club record 74 million pounds had not been seen so much in Like Abbas, the West Indies fast most memorable. deal was agreed, paving the way for a reuters Manchester. At Inter, he is a man bowlers justified their skipper’s deci- Twice he was reprieved by review- relationship that got the best out of Romelu Lukaku, who was central to Inter Milan’s first Serie A title in 11 years last season, has reborn,” said former Inter striker sion to bowl first with former leader ing the on-field umpire’s decision coach and player. completed a 97.5 million pounds ($134.7 million) return to Chelsea after seven years. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Jason Holder and young pacer Jayden against him and two more times “We talk about the Premier League Inter will badly miss a player who Seales taking three wickets each. Brathwaite was unsuccessful in hav- being physically the toughest league, the best start to a debut season at By the end of 2019-20, Lukaku had has hit his peak in Italy, and returns to Kemar Roach lifted his tally of Test ing not out decisions overturned via but the training sessions that we do - Inter. But even then, his place was not equalled Brazilian great Ronaldo’s the Premier League confident of his wickets to 225 in his 66th match by the available television technology. nobody trains as hard as us. Never. assured. record of 34 goals in a debut season at place among the elite. removing Imran Butt after half-an- Holder was the unfortunate bowler You are really at your fittest,” Lukaku “Conte told me very directly: ‘If you Inter in all competitions, firing the “I’ve taken a big step. (Robert) hour’s play and then added the impor- on the first three occasions while Kyle told Sky Sports in April. do not work in training you will not Milanese club to runners-up finishes Lewandowski, (Karim) Benzema tant wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Mayers was the other man left par- Lukaku altered his diet and play, it is essential that you know how in Serie A and the Europa League. and (Harry) Kane used to be talked Azam. ticularly aggrieved. slimmed down. He made an immedi- to play with your back to goal’,” the In Lukaku’s second season, his part- about as world-class strikers,” Lukaku Babar and former skipper Azhar Ironically, it was Holder who then ate impact, scoring 10 goals in his Belgian told La Tribune. “It is impor- nership with Argentina striker said during Euro 2020. “Well, now Ali put on 47 for the third wicket with held a good low catch at second slip to first 13 Serie A games to equal tant to meet people who tell you the Lautaro Martinez bore even greater I’m world class, too. That was my per- Azhar capturing much of the atten- dismiss Azhar for 17 off Seales. Istvan Nyers’s 71-year-old record for absolute truth to help you improve.” fruit as Inter stormed to the league sonal goal.”

C M Y K 09 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 Culture & Lifestyle China market turns frosty for Taiwan books Taiwanese publishers previously sold a wide variety of books to the mainland.

HUIZHONG WU a shared language and cultural history. that they really wanted to understand TAIPEI “Exchanges in publishing is really the Taiwan,” Chiang said. “What kind of exchange of ideas,” said Linden Lin, the fruit do you guys eat? What’s your art aiwanese author Iris Chiang head of Linking Publishing Co in like? What’s your life like? How do you hardly seems like the type Taiwan. “It’s only through publishing celebrate New Year’s? These small things whose work would be banned that you can have this type of exchange.” in life.” from publication in China. Now, any Taiwanese book has become Now, Taiwanese are also sensitive to Yet four years after being sold harder to publish in China, according to the heightened tensions, highlighted by to a Chinese publisher, her editors, academics, publishers and the debate last year over a children’s Tbook teaching children how to appreciate authors. It is not a blanket ban, and pub- book from China. ‘Waiting for Dad to art has yet to go to press, a victim of lishers blame self-censorship by their Come Home,’ about a boy whose father heightened tensions between China and mainland counterparts rather than any was out of town during the Lunar New Taiwan that are spilling over into the official order. Year holiday treating Covid-19 patients, cultural sphere. Titles that have been frozen out include paints a rosy picture of China’s efforts to It’s not just about losing access to the a Taiwanese-Japanese fusion cookbook, a fight the pandemic. huge Chinese market, authors and pub- self-help book and a book of travel sketch- Some in Taiwan argued China lishers say. It’s also about losing opportu- es from a Taiwanese artist’s travels in was using the island’s open nities to exchange and connect, after Beijing that featured cats roaming environment to spread propaganda. But three decades of growing contact the city’s traditional “hutong” neighbor- a government proposal to vet books from between the two. In recent years, China hoods. the mainland prompted criticism that has cut the flow of Chinese tourists and One sticking point is any content that the island would be falling back on students to Taiwan and blocked its art- suggests a separate Taiwanese identity. authoritarian habits. ists from taking part in Taiwan’s Golden Younger Taiwanese in particular have “If we say we are afraid that the people Horse and Golden Melody awards, developed a distinct identity. A 2020 poll will see fake news, that I will help them regarded as the Oscars and Grammys for found that two-thirds of the respondents filter information … then how can you Chinese-language movies and music. didn’t think of themselves as Chinese. call this democracy?” said Lai Hsiang- “It feels like in these few years, the “In the past, they would censor books wai, a professor of press freedom at flow of exchange is diverging. Taiwan is about religion. … But for example if a National Taiwan University of Arts. going further in one direction and China book’s topic is Taiwan’s food then that’s The government dropped the proposal, is going farther in one direction,” said fine,” said Rosine Liu, an editor at saying it would only censor books James Chao, head of the China Times Taiwan’s Business Weekly, who previous- published by the Communist Party Publishing group, one of the largest pub- ly sold two cookbooks by a Taiwanese or its military, the People’s Liberation lishers in Taiwan. “It’s getting farther author to China. “But now I feel like now AP/RSS A r m y. and farther apart.” if it’s called ‘Taiwan Cuisine,’ even that’s In this photo taken in March this year, Taiwanese author Iris Chiang holds her book ‘Play with Art’ at Liu, the editor, said it was never a pure- China claims Taiwan, a self-governing a little stressful.” the saloon featuring Taiwanese artist YUYU Yang’s work in Taipei, Taiwan. ly commercial exchange for her. She island about 160 kilometers (100 miles) The soft-spoken Chiang thought she enjoyed meeting her mainland counter- off China’s east coast, as its territory. would market her book, “Play with Art,” Then the other side went silent, she Lung Ying-tai, whose essays contributed parts at book fairs and learning about The election of Tsai Ing-wen, who favours toward prosperous parents in China, said. When she reached out more than a to the debate on Taiwan’s transformation their way of doing things. In the current Taiwan’s current de facto independence, where the government was encouraging year later, she was told the review pro- from one-party rule to democracy. political climate, these very basic human as the island’s president in 2016 ushered many people to have more kids—a fact cess was slower than normal. Sanmao, a Taiwanese writer who wrote moments of exchange, which had helped in a period of deteriorating relations. she learned from one of her students “After we got a new president, the stories about her life in the Sahara people forge a connection to each other, China has tried to isolate the island dip- from the mainland. response from the other side—the harsh- desert, captured a generation of Chinese have disappeared. lomatically and pressure it militarily. Things went smoothly with the ness of the situation and the unfriendli- women’s hearts. “For me, in this harsh environment, While China’s ruling Communist Chinese publisher at first. At their ness—has created a lot of tedious things There was also curiosity about the you will also shrink yourself, because Party has long banned books on sensitive request, she agreed to change one chap- that make it inconvenient to have an most basic things, after the two were cut that type of cooperation is mutual,” said issues from religion to the lives of ter that used examples from art muse- exchange,” Chiang said. off for decades following their split in Liu. “Because in the end we are all still Chinese political leaders, Taiwanese pub- ums in Taiwan. A Chinese writer would That’s in sharp contrast to the 1980s 1949 during a civil war in China. carrying this burden of country and this lishers previously sold a wide variety of substitute a chapter based on museums and 1990s, when Chinese readers were “Back then, relations were good and it burden of history.” other books to the mainland, drawing on in China. drawn to Taiwanese writers such as seemed like there was a mood in China — Associated Press Best-sellers | New releases

Fiction

1. The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel 2. Shuggie Bain by Dloulas Stuart 3. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 4. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 5. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Source: Mandala Book Point Source:

Non-Fiction India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Think Like a Philosopher The Great Mathematicians Present Author: Anne Rooney Author: Raymond Flood and 1. The World Below Zero Fahrenheit by Author: Shivshankar Menon Publication: Arcturus Robin Wilson Suhas Publication: Brookings Institution Price: Rs 798 Publication: Arcturus Price: Rs 1118 Price: Rs 798 2. Tiny Habits by B K Fogg Writer Anne Rooney explains about 3. The Border Man of Nepal by Buddhi One of India’s foreign policy experts, the main concepts of philosophy, Why did Florence Nightingale, a nurse, Narayan Shrestha Shivshankar Menon in his latest book showing how the subject has a clear, introduce pie charts? How did Lewis 4. Beyond Order by Jordan B Peterson addresses the many questions and chal- practical and significant purpose to Carroll, a writer, regard Pythagoras? lenges India as a country is facing in the our daily lives. The book sheds light Spanning from the ancient world to the 5. Ayo Gorkahali by Tim I Gurung increasingly complex world of Asian geo- on how the greatest minds of the current times, The Great politics. world have approached the questions Mathematicians tells fascinating and we face on a daily basis. unusual tales of the men and women who transformed mathematics.

New Zealand loses its precious ‘Rings’ series to Britain The production is one of the most expensive in history, with Amazon spending at least $465 million on the first season.

NICK PERRY pete for productions by offering similar, WELLINGTON generous rebates. At the time of the deal, New Zealand’s ew Zealand has long been Economic Development Minister Stuart associated with ‘The Lord Nash said the production would of the Rings’ but with the bring economic and tourism benefits to filming of a major new the country for years to come and television series suddenly create “an enduring legacy for our screen snatched away, the nation industry.” Nhas become more like Mordor than the Nash said Friday the government had Shire for hundreds of workers. found out only a day earlier that Amazon In a major blow to the nation’s small was leaving and he was disappointed but vibrant screen industry, Amazon by the decision. He said the government Studios announced Friday it would film was withdrawing the offer of the extra the second season of its original series, 5 percent. inspired by the books of J R R Tolkien, to Amazon said it no longer intended to Britain. pursue collecting the extra money. But it “The shift from New Zealand to the UK will still walk away with at least $92 mil- aligns with the studio’s strategy of lion from New Zealand taxpayers. expanding its production footprint and “The international film sector is investing in studio space across the incredibly competitive and highly UK, with many of Amazon Studios’ mobile. We have no regrets about giving tentpole series and films already calling this production our best shot with gov- the UK home,” the company said in a ernment support,” Nash said. “However, statement. we are disappointed for the local screen The move came as a blow to many in industry.” New Zealand. The production is one of New Zealand became synonymous the most expensive in history, with with Tolkien’s world of orcs, elves and Amazon spending at least $465 million on hobbits after Jackson directed six movies the first season, which just finished film- in the South Pacific nation. ‘The Lord of ing in New Zealand, according to govern- the Rings’ trilogy and ‘The Hobbit’ trilo- ment figures. gy combined grossed nearly $6 billion at The series employed 1,200 people in the box office. New Zealand directly and another 700 AP/RSS When Amazon Studios first announced indirectly, according to the figures. Some of the costumes, props, and memorabilia created for the ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ movies are displayed in a mini-museum in it would film in New Zealand, it said the “This is a shock to everyone,” said Wellington, New Zealand. pristine coasts, forests, and mountains Denise Roche, the director of Equity NZ, made it the perfect place to bring a union representing performers. “I real- Amazon said the as-yet untitled series Filming began last year but was months after Amazon signed a deal with to life the primordial beauty of early ly feel for all the small businesses, the takes place on Middle-earth during the delayed due to the coronavirus. Post- the New Zealand government to get an Middle-earth. tech people who invested in this for the Second Age, thousands of years before production on the first season will con- extra 5 percent rebate on top of the 20per- The large ensemble cast includes future. Nobody had any inkling.” the events depicted in Tolkien’s ‘The tinue in New Zealand through June cent—or $92 million—it was already Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Morfydd Clark, Roche said people feel let down by Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ books before the show premieres on Prime claiming from New Zealand taxpayers Ismael Cruz Córdova, Sophia Nomvete Amazon, although she added that the and the subsequent films directed by Video in September next year. under a screen production grant. and Lloyd Owen. industry was resilient. Peter Jackson. The move to Britain comes just four Many locations around the world com- — Associated Press

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | 10 Culture & Lifestyle (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Heroines vs female characters In a male-dominated Nepali film industry, many filmmakers might not even know how to show female experiences with much-needed screen time and space.

Shuvangi Khadka going on. It allows the audience to keep in better touch with the sensitiv- recent research report ity of the subject matter.” by Docskool, a network In his movie, ‘Terrorizers’, a mar- based film campaign ried couple pursue success in separate that promotes and sup- fields: husband as a doctor and wife ports best practices in (Zhou) as an aspiring writer. Their South Asian cinema, relationship is defined by the wife’s revealedA that in Nepali films portrayal sacrifice, tailoring her dreams as a of women is reduced to three inter-re- writer to fit the necessities of mar- latable yet distinct templates: women riage, and his anguish at being unable as providers of sexual pleasure (lov- to make her happy. Yang skillfully ers), women as gatekeepers of morali- reveals the underlying tension between ty and culture (wives), and women as traditional and modern ideas of female providers of warmth (mothers). roles and then stretches it to the break- These templates largely have been ing point until Zhou leaves her hus- tropes for generalising female charac- band. Taking a middle shot of Zhou as ters and limiting them on screen. This she confesses to her husband, she even could also be an easy stroke of getting breaks the fourth wall for brief rid of having to deal with female com- moments. As an audience, we may not plexities. In a male-dominated film agree with or respect the character’s industry like ours, many filmmakers choice of escaping a mundane mar- might not even know how to show riage. But we are compelled to listen to female experiences with much-needed her as she takes centre stage. screen time and space. Their patriar- In the modern world, even though chal mindset has often trapped the few women are said to have multiple who have attempted. So, from where choices at their disposal, the fact that do we draw our lessons? they still have to make a single choice A recent Hollywood movie and set a fixed priority is largely over- ‘Nomadland’ created quite the buzz looked. You can’t marry if you have a with the second Oscar win ever for a career. You can’t have a job if you have female director. The film tells the a baby. Sacrifices are considered story of a 61-year-old widow (played intrinsic to female lives. And these are by Frances McDormand) who navi- the lives we see on screen. A female gates her life in the backdrop of a character becomes bound by social crippling recession in a post-2008 Screengrab Via Youtube values and is never explored as an America. She starts living in a recrea- Written and directed by Agnès Varda, ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ was released in 1962. individual. tional vehicle (RV), changing towns Maybe for once, a married woman is every few weeks. She runs into the underlying patriarchal ideals domi- But there is an impending prognosis and their roles are limited by the men it is important to note the settings and shown as an individual instead of wild, away from societal norms. The nated film-making, was French film- of cancer that could strip a woman’s as wives, mothers, and housekeepers. locations they are put in. This helps us portraying her as a bickering house- character is unlike any 60-year-old maker Agnès Varda. One of her most primary function (as recognised by a In ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’, Cléo wanders think about the spaces women usually wife. Maybe filmmakers ought to start woman you have seen in the movies. popular films, ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’, cen- patriarchal society) to remain desira- around the streets of Paris resembling occupy and spaces they do not occupy. looking into what makes that charac- Most of the stories about characters tres on a complex, contradictory ble. This crisis of self-representation an image of a flâneur (a male figure of The way Cléo wanders around the ter act that way and explore her char- seeking adventure or attempting to female singer. Outwardly, the charac- sets the tone for the struggle suffered privilege and leisure) with the time streets makes you question if other acter development. find themselves revolves around ter craves attention and sympathy in silence by cancer-afflicted women and money to roam around the city women too have that privilege to wan- Film critic Laura Mulvey says that young characters. But Nomadland from people, while on the inside, when in the 60’s, wherein Cléo attempts to leisurely, predominantly in the 19th der aimlessly in the streets. Laying by controlling the dimension of time tells such a story from the viewpoint she is alone, she is almost egoistic locate a self in which she is entirely in century. claim to flâneur has enabled women to (editing, narrative) and space (chang- of an elderly woman, offering not just about her beauty. Beauty is fundamen- charge. It has been widely acknowledged reroute the paths they were expected es in distance, editing), cinema cre- excitement but a close melancholic tal to Cléo’s sense of self as she enjoys The French film industry is really that the image of flâneur is rarely to take and disrupt the lives they were ates a gaze, a world, and an object. brush with desperation and death. validation in embodying femininity as concerned about subverting a gaze seen as a female. Despite walking the expected to live. To write or make art In Nepali films, the gaze often For me, the transformation in the an object. Cléo, in a strict sense, may forced by the male narrative that looks same streets, historically, women hav- in those spaces is a way to reclaim reduces women into likeable charac- female character living a nomadic life not seem like a feminist heroine. for voyeuristic pleasure. Particularly, en’t always shared the same privilege them. ters as caring mothers, dutiful wives, almost translated to a coming-of-age Instead, the film is about Cléo negoti- the new generation of female directors of anonymity or drift in the urban Another director recognised for cre- and obedient daughters. This gaze fits movie experience. With women of ating the conflicts and ambiguities has been making rounds for making setting. They are far less free to amble ating quite complex female characters well with the societal mindset. But the such an age group confined to playing women encounter within a patriar- movies from a female point of view. in the streets than their male counter- is Edward Yang. He is especially laud- cinema also carries with it the possi- roles of someone’s mother or grand- chal society. One such example is Céline parts. Part of it is how restricted they ed for envisioning the vast demogra- bility of shifting the look, going mother, it was rare to see the movie’s Simultaneously, Cléo is consumed Sciamma’s film ‘Portrait of a Lady on are owing to their domestic responsi- phy of females as characters. They beyond what is already in the society, elderly female characters sharing by her fellow Parisians as an object Fire’. This movie retells the tragic bilities. At the same time, the other range from teenage girls, middle-aged and exposing alternatives of what their dreams and wisdom based on an and a commodity. Men inside a car try story of Orpheus and Eurydice from more concerning part is safety. As a to elderly women. could be. It is high time filmmakers experience of living and surviving in to catch a glimpse of her while every- the perspective of two lesbian lovers. female, wandering on the streets alone One may wonder if he can stay true see this not only as a possibility but a isolation. one else stares at her on the streets. All three titular female characters in is an act of survival: from dealing to the narrative being a male filmmak- responsibility. A pioneer in building complex Varda plays with the idea that a wom- the film seek a way out from the with the leering looks to handling er. In an interview, Yang answered, female characters during the 1950s, a an’s primary purpose is to be an orna- oppressive patriarchal structures unwanted actions directed at you. “The female perspective provides a Khadka is a spoken word poet and period when male protagonists and mental object—something to gaze at. where women are objects for exchange When films show female characters, better angle for understanding what is freelance writer.

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