WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 98 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, , Bharatpur and 35.8 C 10.0 C Thursday, May 27, 2021 | 13-02-2078 Nepalgunj Jumla Beijing announces vaccine aid amid Kathmandu’s hectic diplomatic push Announcement follows President Bhandari’s requests to her Indian and Chinese counterparts. Respite for as the country battles virus and political crises.

ANIL GIRI opments in Nepal. Five days after KATHMANDU, MAY 26 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved the House of Representatives, Amid no let-up in coronavirus cases, for the second time in the last Nepal’s vaccine needs have just five months, New Delhi said it had grown. Lately, the government, taken note and that it viewed them according to officials, has been as internal matters of Nepal to be trying every possible measure to dealt [with] by Nepal under its own acquire vaccines—from anywhere, at domestic framework and democratic any cost. processes. And on Wednesday came a sudden Immediately after, some Nepali pol- announcement from the north. China iticians—Deputy Prime Minister said that it would provide 1 million Ishwar Pokhrel, National Assembly doses of vaccine to Nepal under grant chair Ganesh Timilsina, former prime assistance. minister and Maoist Centre chair “During today’s phone conversation , Nepali with Nepali President Bidya Devi Congress’ Narayan Khadka, Janata Bhandari, Chinese President Xi Samajbadi Party chair Upendra Yadav, Jinping announced that China will Rastriya Prajatantra Party chair POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI provide 1 million doses of Pashupati Sumsher Rana and Nepal Butter lamps are lit on the occasion of 2565th Buddha Jayanti at Swayambhunath in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Covid-19 vaccines to Nepal under Majdoor Kisan Party chair Narayan grant assistance,” Chinese Man Bijukchhe participated in a vir- Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi tual meeting with leaders of the announced on Twitter. Communist Party of China. There was an uncanny coinci- The Chinese delegation was led dence though. by Song Tao, head of the International INSIDE Bending constitutional Wednesday saw at least Department of the Chinese four high-profile diplomatic Communist Party. events, and initiatives in Discussions revolved around Covid- Absence of contact tracing Kathmandu, New Delhi and 19 related assistance, including get- spells trouble for Lumbini provisions for government Beijing. ting vaccines from China as early as The day began with India’s possible. BUTWAL: A 31-year-old woman from reaction to recent political devel- >> Continued on page 2 Tilottama Municipality-6 in formation, the KP Oli way Rupandehi district suffered from fever and cold on May 9. Her polymer- ase chain reaction (PCR) test con- Constitution drafters failed to foresee that prime minister firmed Covid-19 infection and she was isolated at home. Her family mem- elected under 76 (1) would dissolve the House after three bers, however, did not feel the need to get tested since none of them had years at the helm, as that article clearly ensures full term. been showing symptoms of Covid-19. They continued to move around the marketplaces and mingled with peo- ple in the neighbourhood. A few days later, some of them started showing symptoms of Covid-19. When they got tested, their results came back posi- tive. Around a dozen people from five houses in the community have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last two weeks. A man from Butwal-11 tested positive for Covid-19 on May 6. The 28-year-old government employee says he caught the virus at his work- place. “I immediately informed the local unit. I also requested the sub-metropolis to conduct a PCR test of those who had come in my con- tact,” he said. (Details on Pg 2)

Decision to close groceries triggers panic buying KATHMANDU: When Kabita Sigdel learnt on Tuesday evening about the POST FILE PHOTO government decision to extend the Oli has exhausted all the clauses of government formation under the constitution. prohibitory orders in with more restrictions and big BINOD GHIMIRE Most of the constitutions from the fines, she hurriedly jotted down a list KATHMANDU, MAY 26 democratic countries envision three of essentials she needed to stock up types of government—majority, coali- on for a week. On Wednesday morn- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lately tion and minority. ing, she left her flat at Kupondole at has made some experts on constitu- Article 76 (1), Article 76 (2) and 7:30 for shopping and it was already tional affairs go silent—a case in point Article 76 (3) of Nepal’s constitution 9am when she was back. But she is Subas Nembang—and others take were, according to experts, hence writ- couldn’t buy all the items on the list. pains to explain what the provisions ten accordingly. “I had to stand in queue for nearly an of the Nepal constitution actually Oli was first appointed prime minis- hour to buy the daily essentials and mean. ter in February 2018 under Article 76 another half an hour for green vege- The provision at hand now is Article (2), to lead a coalition government as tables,” said Sigdel, 37, who lives in a 76, which deals with the process of his party, the CPN-UML, which had six-member family that includes her forming a government. There are four won 121 seats in the lower house in the husband, two children, and parents- provisions in the constitution for the 2017 elections, had the backing of the in-law. “This morning, all the grocery appointment of prime minister, and so Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist shops were crowded. I had 10 items far, three have been exhausted. And on Centre), which had won 53 seats. on the list, but when my turn came, all three occasions, Oli was appointed. Three months later, the UML and the shop had already run out of sun- The fourth provision has not come the Maoist Centre merged to form the flower oil and red pulse,” said Sigdel. into play. Just before it could be imple- (NCP), and She returned after the shopkeeper mented, Oli, after seeing little pros- the unified party hence commanded assured that oil and pulse would be pect of returning to the helm, dis- 174 seats in the House, close to two- available on Thursday. (Details on Pg 3) solved the House of Representatives thirds. altogether, in a move constitutional Oli thus became prime minister experts say is unconstitutional, illegit- under Article 76 (1), leading a majori- Vaccine inequality in India lets imate and immoral. ty government. It looked like Nepal’s many fall through gaps Questions are now being asked political stability dream had been whether Nepal’s constitution envi- achieved. Oli was set to govern for the NEW DELHI: As the coronavirus tears sioned the same person as prime min- full five-year term, something that had through India, night watchman Sagar ister under all four provisions. not happened in Nepal in over two and Kumar thinks constantly about get- Experts, unless they are Oli’s close a half decades. ting vaccines for himself and his fam- aides, say “No.” But Oli’s decision to prematurely ily of five amid critical shortages of According to those who were part dissolve the House on December 20 shots in the country. But even if he of the constitution writing process, suddenly set in motion a chain of knew how to get one, it wouldn’t be given a vicious cycle of instability events, raising the spectre of political easy. The main way is to register Nepal had gone through, drafters were instability which the drafters had through a government website. But it extremely careful to write provisions dreaded the most while writing the is in English—a language the 25-year- which would ensure political stability. charter. old Kumar and nearly 90 percent of “That’s how Article 76 (5) was writ- Oli’s December 20 decision on Indians can’t speak, read or write— ten,” said Chandra Kant Gyawali, a March 7 culminated in the invalida- and his family has a single smart- senior advocate who specialises in tion of the Nepal Communist Party phone, with spotty internet service. constitutional law. “Oli, however, mis- (NCP). And even though his state of Uttar used the provisions, as he was bent on After he failed the trust vote on Pradesh gives free shots to those dissolving the House.” March 10, he was once again appoint- under 45, there is no vaccination site Article 76 (5) is the last of the provi- ed prime minister under Article 76 (3) in his village, with the nearest hospi- sions in the constitution for the forma- to lead a minority government. tal an hour away. (Details on Pg 6) tion of a government. >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Beijing announces vaccine aid amid ... >> Continued from page 1 and vaccines. Many say as the government failed Absence of contact tracing Almost around the same time, the What India had started as its “vac- to activate its diplomatic channels to Office of the President said President cine maitri”, providing jabs to its acquire medical supplies and vac- wrote to her neighbours, soon became an albatross cines, countries that are friends of Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind, around its neck, with the Narendra Nepal and those who see strategic sig- requesting the latter to take initiatives Modi government coming under fire. nificance in Nepal have been doing spells trouble for Lumbini to ensure vaccine supplies from India. It’s unclear when vaccines would their bit. Thereafter, President Bhandari held arrive from India, but the announce- Nischal Nath Pandey, director at the talks with Chinese President Xi ment from China is very reassuring Center for South Asian Studies, said Authorities blame lack of resources and high infection rate for their slow response. Jinping, making a similar request— for Nepal. This could pave the way for there is no denying that vaccine diplo- providing vaccines for Nepal. the government to sign agreements in macy is in a full swing among major “The way we are getting attention future with Chinese companies to pro- powers and it would be wrong to view from major powers shows our requests cure more doses. vaccine cooperation in isolation, sepa- are being taken seriously, not only by The Chinese support also comes rating it from geopolitics. India and China but also by countries amid a political upheaval in “Now we realise that there is poli- like the United States and the United Kathmandu, where Oli has dissolved tics in vaccine diplomacy. We must Kingdom,” said Khadga KC, former the House of Representatives and redouble efforts to get access to the head of the Department of declared snap polls in November. The vaccines,” said Pandey. “We need to International Relations at Tribhuvan Nepal Communist Party (NCP), which prod our embassies to work extra University. “It also shows Nepals’ geo- the Chinese are believed to have insti- hours.” political and geostrategic significance tuted by investing a lot, has fallen After the coronavirus brought the for them. And there is no denying that apart—at least into three pieces. world to its knees last year, developed Covid-19 vaccine is not just a global “The way China, after the second countries raced to develop vaccines. public good.” dissolution of the House, took initia- That the Covid-19 vaccine would It was not immediately clear which tives to engage Nepal’s major political become a new diplomatic currency type of vaccine China is sending. parties is indicative of Beijing’s was obvious. Beijing earlier in March-end had sent renewed interest amid changing Until early this year, India was dol- 800,000 doses of Sinopharm’s BBIBP- power dynamics in Nepal,” said Rupak ing out the jabs in donations in coun- CorV (Vero Cell). Sapkota, deputy executive director at tries where it sought its sway. China The Chinese announcement of Institute of Foreign Affairs. did the same. While India faced a set- additional 1 million doses comes at a Nepal’s Covid-19 crisis lately has back after the devastating second time when supplies from India have drawn the world’s attention. Nepalis wave, China continued, increasing its ground to a halt. Nepal became one of have been petitioning to demand that outreach in South Asian countries. On the first countries in the world to the United States provide the jabs to April 27, China held five-country talks launch a vaccination drive against Nepal from around 60 million doses and assured them of full support and Covid-19 on January 27 with the 1 mil- Washington has announced it would cooperation. India, Bhutan and the lion doses of Covishield, the share with the world. Maldives did not participate in the POST PHOTO: MANOJ PAUDEL AstraZeneca type vaccine, manufac- On May 12, in Washington, several talks. This week, China released mil- Covid-19 patients receive treatment on the floor due to insufficient beds at the Kapilvastu District Hospital in Taulihawa. tured by the Serum Institute of India. members of the Congress expressed lions of Covid jabs to Bangladesh, Sri China was quick to announce alarm about the situation in Nepal. Lanka and Pakistan. SANJU PAUDEL IN RUPANDEHI & office has yet to account for cases that units are facing a shortage of neces- 300,00o doses of its vaccine in grants. According to The Washington Post, an For Nepal, while one vaccine power- THAKUR SINGH THARU IN BANKE haven’t been reported in the absence sary equipment to run tests in the It then increased the number of doses official with the US Agency for house in the south is struggling, anoth- BUTWAL, MAY 26 of contact tracing and testing. communities. to 500,000 and later to 800,000. International Development said er powerhouse in the north is there, if “The authorities haven’t been able “Only a few antigen tests have been Nepal meanwhile placed an order “Nepal is now a priority for coronavi- it can act tactfully, analysts say. A 31-year-old woman from Tilottama to carry out mass testing on a larger performed in the district since we for 2 million doses of Covishield and rus-related aid...” “China’s focus has been shifting Municipality-6 in Rupandehi district scale as compared to last year. We have don’t have enough kits,” said Umesh paid in advance. Of the total order, 1 On May 22, some emergency aid towards the South Asian region due to suffered from fever and cold on May 9. asked the local units to prioritise trac- Ghimire, the corona focal person at million doses arrived on February 21. from the US arrived in Nepal. “From Quad, a quadrilateral security dia- Her polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ing and testing but they have cited a the District Health Office in The government did not take initia- the American People: The first of sev- logue between US, Japan, Australia test confirmed Covid-19 infection and lack of resources,” he said. Kapilvastu. tives to bring in vaccines pledged by eral flights w/emergency aid from @ and India, and recent US-India strate- she was isolated at home. Keshav Bhattarai, the corona focal Lal Bahadur Darlami, ward chair- China. Officials had told the Post a few USAID have started arriving in gic ties,” said Sapkota. “So it is pursu- Her family members, however, did person of Tilottama Municipality in man of Rainadevi Chhahara Ward No. weeks ago that there was reluctance to #Nepal. These health supplies will ing very proactive diplomacy in the not feel the need to get tested since Rupandehi, said that the municipal 3 in Palpa, says his local unit has also accept Chinese vaccines, given multi- help protect health care workers and Himalayan region.” none of them had been showing symp- office offers antigen tests to only the stopped contact tracing and testing. ple reasons, including geopolitical, as battle the recent surge in #COVID19 On Wednesday, during his phone toms of Covid-19. They continued to family of Covid-19 patients who suc- “Three weeks ago, we had collected Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli feared cases in the country,” the US embassy conversation with President move around the marketplaces and cumb to the disease, and to those in the swab samples of some returnees antagonising New Delhi. in Kathmandu tweeted. Bhandari, Xi said that Nepal is on mingled with people in the neighbour- emergency situations. from India. Since then, no testing has After wavering for weeks, the gov- However, vaccines have not arrived Beijing’s priority and assured vaccine hood. “The health ministry has asked been done here,” he said. ernment on March 28 sent a Nepal from the US. support and cooperation. A few days later, some of them start- those who come in contact with a Om Prakash Panthi, information Airlines plane to China to bring the In an article for statnews.com on Amid the raging pandemic and vol- ed showing symptoms of Covid-19. Covid-19-infected person to stay in officer at the District Health Office in vaccines. By this time, India had put Wednesday, Gagan Thapa, Nepal’s for- atile geopolitics as well as fluid domes- When they got tested, their results home isolation,” he said. “It is impos- Palpa, says the office distributed over exports of AstraZeneca vaccines on mer health minister, and Duncan tic politics, Nepal, according to ana- came back positive. sible to trace suspects when the infec- 2,200 antigen kits and 450 VTM kits in hold and the Serum had communicat- Maru, an associate professor in the lysts, must tread carefully and pull out Around a dozen people from five tion rate is so high.” various local units. ed to Nepal about its inability to pro- Department of Global Health at the all the stops to secure vaccines. houses in the community have tested The spread of Covid-19 in Banke too “But the local units have not con- vide the remaining 1 million doses. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, “Nepal needs vaccines,” said KC. “It positive for Covid-19 in the last two has gone unchecked even though the ducted any tests. We have an addition- April onwards, India descended called for US help, saying in ‘vaccine must make an aggressive but nuanced weeks. district administration has imposed al 1,000 antigen and 1,500 VTM kits in into a coronavirus crisis, as the coun- apartheid,’ Nepal is ground zero. approach to secure the jabs, steering A man from Butwal-11 tested posi- prohibitory orders for the past month. the District Health Office,” said try started reporting over 300,000 new A few days ago, in Britain’s House clear of any risk of being caught tive for Covid-19 on May 6. The 28-year- Doctors call for an effective contact Panthi, adding that they have request- cases a day. Hospitals ran out of beds of Lords, members questioned Boris between any sides. At present, the old government employee says he tracing of Covid-19 suspects if the ed local units not to stop testing. and oxygen supplies. People started Johnson’s government about what it vaccine is diplomacy, the vaccine is a caught the virus at his workplace. “I curve is to be flattened in the district. In Barbardiya Ward No. 9 of Bardiya dying in huge numbers. India itself was doing to extend support to Nepal soft power tool, the vaccine is a strate- immediately informed the local unit. I “The current data shows erratic district, almost every household has was in dire need of medical supplies— in its fight against the coronavirus. gic commodity.” also requested the sub-metropolis to highs and lows in the number of infec- patients with common cold and conduct a PCR test of those who had tions reported per day. The authorities coughs. No testing has been conducted come in my contact,” he said. must initiate mass testing because the in the area yet. “The health workers came to my current approach to testing leaves out “We cannot conduct testing due to a house to collect my swab sample only a chunk of the population who can’t lack of antigen and VTM kits amid a after four days and the PCR report afford to undergo tests,” Dr Rajan surge of Covid-19 cases,” said Deepa came after 14 days. Fortunately, all my Pandey, a consultant physician at Gautam, vice chairperson of family members tested negative. We Bheri Hospital, told the Post. Badhiyatal Rural Municipality. were all under a lot of stress while “Contact tracing must be expanded Sunil Chapagain, a local resident of waiting for the test results,” he added. to control the disease from spreading Barbardiya, said that people with The health authorities are not further,” he said. Covid-19 symptoms are seen roaming actively contact tracing in communi- Naresh Shrestha, the public health around in the market areas or meeting ties across several districts of officer at the District Health Office in with people. Lumbini Province, say local people. Banke, said contact tracing in the dis- “Since there is no testing done here, Symptomatic patients go to hospi- trict has come to a halt due to the high one wouldn’t know if you are infected tals and health centres to get tested infection rate. or not. This has led to the spread of but those exhibiting no symptoms do “The virus is spreading rapidly the virus locally,” he said. not take the initiative to get tested. across settlements. It is impossible to The situation is similar in The lack of testing and contact trac- trace and test people since the number Madhuban, Rajapur, Bansgadhi and ing has led to the rapid spread of the of positive cases is overwhelming and Thakurbaba municipalities and virus in communities, local people say. we only have limited resources,” Geruwa and Badhaiyatal rural munic- The local units and the health offic- Shrestha said. ipalities of Bardiya. es are not actively working to collect Eight local units in Banke are yet to “We could not expand testing due to swabs for contact tracing. As a result, initiate contact tracing at the commu- a lack of antigen and VTM kits. This the number of people carrying out nity level for a lack of antigen and has increased the risk of Covid-19 PCR tests has decreased. VTM kits, says Ram Bahadur Chand, spread in the communities,” said Meanwhile, Dr Rajendra Giri, chief chief at the Health Section of Ganesh KC, mayor of Madhuban at the District Health Office in Nepalgunj Sub Metropolis. Municipality. Rupandehi, says the infection rate in “We plan to purchase kits and start the district has been on a gradual conducting tests soon,” he said. (With inputs from our correspondents decline. But he also admits that his In Kapilvastu too, several local in Lumbini Province.) Bending constitutional provisions ... >> Continued from page 1 The parties in opposition failed. House after three years at the helm, But without fulfilling the constitu- Whether Oli should have been auto- as that article clearly ensured the tionally mandated condition of confi- matically appointed under Article 76 full term. dence motion, Oli sought to become (3) has become a contentious issue “We wrote the provisions in good prime minister under Article 76 (5). now, as it meant repeating the same faith. We assumed that if all three Those who were part of the consti- person, on whom the House just a few articles failed to produce a govern- tution-drafting process say Oli had days ago had shown no confidence, as ment, Article 76 (5) could, as there already violated the constitution by prime minister. could be someone in the House, a poli- getting appointed repeatedly under Some experts say if the constitution tician with high moral standing, who the first three articles, and staking had been followed in letter and spirit, could independently garner a majori- claim to the government under Article Article 76 (5) should have been ty to lead the government,” Bhandari 76 (5) was out and out illegitimate. invoked, thereby asking any member told the Post. “If that too failed, the Som Prasad Pandey, who was a of the House to stake claim to the House dissolution option was there. member of the constitution drafting prime ministerial post by proving a Oli’s claim to form a government is committee, said the provision [Article majority. A prime minister appointed totally invalid, but Article 76 (5) was 76 (5)] was envisioned to ensure the in this manner needed to seek the vote also not envisioned for any other lead- full term for the House, as it gives of confidence within 30 days, failure er like Sher Bahadur Deuba.” room for formation of a new govern- of which would have led to House After Oli prodded the President to ment after Article 76 (3) fails. dissolution. invoke Article 76 (5), the opposition Article 76 (3)’s relevance comes in Bhimarjun Acharya, a senior advo- led by laid claim to the initial days, immediately after the cate who also specialises in constitu- the government under the party election of the House, when it has to tional law, had told the Post on May 13 chief Deuba. elect a prime minister, according to that the President should have invoked The President, however, declined. Pandey. Article 76 (5) directly without bring- After Oli and Deuba sought to form a Article 76 (5) makes any member, ing Article 76 (3) into play, as it was government, the President on Friday even someone who is the only member unnecessary because it was paving the night said claims made by both of any party or any independent mem- way for the same person to be appoint- were insufficient. Hours later, she ber, of Parliament eligible to lay claim ed as prime minister. dissolved the House on the to the prime ministerial post. But then questions would arise why recommendation of Oli. “The motive behind having the pro- Article 76 (3) was written then. The opposition alliance on Monday vision is to keep the maximum options Those from the drafting committee filed a petition at the Supreme Court open for the House to produce a gov- say the constitutional provisions with the signatures of 146 members ernment,” Pandey told the Post. could have been written in a challenging the House dissolution. “The provision comes into play when clearer way, so as not to let anyone Acharya, the constitutional expert, a government cannot be formed misinterpret it. said there is no doubt that Oli has under Articles 76 (1), 76 (2) and 76 (3) Rewati Raman Bhandari, also a bulldozed the constitution. by parties.” member of the constitution drafting “Oli was by no means eligible to lay After Oli failed the confidence vote committee, said during the drafting claim to a new government under on May 10, the President had given process, they were clear that those Article 76 (5),” Acharya told the Post. until 9pm of May 13 to form a govern- articles would not allow the same per- “The Supreme Court must clearly say ment under Article 76 (2), thereby son to get appointed again and again. that the same person in the same ten- asking any party that could prove a Drafters, however, failed to foresee a ure of the House cannot be repeated majority with the support of two or situation that a prime minister elected as prime minister under all four more parties. under Article 76 (1) would dissolve the provisions.”

C M Y K 03 | THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 NATIONAL Decision to close 1.7 million antigen test kits sent to provinces Everyone with Covid-19 symptoms and those who have come in close contact with the infected to be tested. groceries triggers ARJUN POUDEL quarantine nor could they be placed in tine either. burden, they can focus the measures KATHMANDU, MAY 26 isolation.” Authorities in the Kathmandu and resources in the highly affected Lack of sufficient testing is respon- Valley enforced prohibitory orders areas.” Amid a rapid spread of Covid-19 infec- sible for the current spike in new only after new cases started to spike. Countries, which were aggressive tion in the rural areas and limited cases, doctors say. With two days’ notice given before in testing, contact-tracing, and isolat- panic buying testing, the Health Ministry has rolled After the Health Ministry enforced prohibitory orders first came into ing the infected, successfully stamped out 1.7 million antigen test kits the Cabinet decision dated October 5 force on 29 April many left Kathmandu out the menace of the virus, doctors throughout the country. (last year) to make patients pay (except for their villages. say. They said that early detection and Experts fear virus surge, call decision short-sighted. Officials said they plan to conduct for the poor, single women, disabled, “A lot of people are not getting test- isolation of the infected are the only around 25,000 antigen tests daily. senior citizens above 70 years, front- ed and authorities are considering ways to lessen the infection rate. ANUP OJHA Sunil Dahal, a grocer at Kupondole, “We have already dispatched 1.7 line health workers, security person- that the burden of infection is slowly “Testing helps to figure out the hot KATHMANDU, MAY 26 said he had never seen his shop so million antigen test kits to the prov- nel and cleaning staffers) for Covid-19 declining, without knowing the actual spots and clusters,” said Adhikari. “As crowded in several months. “People inces,” Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, tests and treatment, state-run labora- conditions,” said Deuba, the public we have enforced the prohibition for When Kabita Sigdel learnt on Tuesday are panicked by the suddenly chief specialist at the ministry, said. tories stopped free tests. Health work- health epidemiologist. “Tests are about a month, authorities can loosen evening about the government deci- announced new restrictions. I am not “Tests will be performed at the village ers assigned to carry out contact-trac- essential for knowing the actual con- up the restrictions in the green zone sion to extend the prohibitory orders sure if they will allow me to open my level. Everyone with Covid-19 symp- ing have stopped collecting speci- ditions. General public also becomes and continue the restrictions in the in Kathmandu Valley with more shop from Friday,” said Dahal, 30, who toms and those who came in close con- mens—nasal and throat swabs for pol- sensitised if they know the infection hot zones.” restrictions and big fines, she hurried- has been in the business for the past tact with the infected will be tested.” ymerase chain reaction tests. Only the status and do not let their guard Doctors say when the spread of ly jotted down a list of essentials she seven years. The government had decided to symptomatic individuals and those down.” infection declines, few people will needed to stock up on for a week. The decision to close all groceries expand antigen-based testing after the admitted in hospitals were tested until Increased testing also helps policy- reach the hospital and few will require On Wednesday morning, she left and department stores for a week from country was hit hard by the second a month ago. makers as it helps them assess the oxygen and ventilator support. her flat at Kupondole at 7:30 for shop- Friday has triggered panic buying. wave of infections. However, due to A cabinet meeting held on April 19 scale of infections and allocate “Testing should not be considered ping and it was already 9am when she Throughout Wednesday morning, lack of testing kits, antigen tests were had decided to resume testing and resources accordingly. expenditure, it is an investment, was back. But she couldn’t buy all the department stores and grocery shops being conducted in just hundreds. contact tracing, the decision is yet to “Burden of the infection may vary which saves lives and property,” said items on the list. were overcrowded. “Due to insufficient testing kits, we be implemented due to a lack of test- from place to place,” Dr Prabhat Dr Biraj Karmacharya, an epidemiol- “I had to stand in queue for nearly “The decision to close the groceries were not able to expand testing,” said ing kits. Adhikari, an infectious disease and ogist, who is also the chief of the an hour to buy the daily essentials and is absurd and it should be scrapped,” Shrestha. “Now we have a sufficient Since, authorities are not providing critical care expert, told the Post. Department of Community another half an hour for vegetables,” said a customer, who was in a queue at number of testing kits, provided by free testing, over 80 percent asympto- “When the authorities know the real Programme at Dhulikhel Hospital. said Sigdel, 37, who lives in a six-mem- a mart in Bakhundole on Wednesday international aid agencies.” matic infected people, whose ber family. “This morning, all the gro- morning. Authorities in Nepal have been per- conditions are not severe cery shops were crowded. I had 10 The infection rate in Kathmandu forming around 20,000 polymerase are not tested, which is one items on the list, but when my turn Valley has been gradually slowing chain reaction tests a day after the of the reasons for the coro- came, the shop had already run out of down in recent weeks. second wave of the pandemic hit the navirus to penetrate deep sunflower oil and red pulse,” said Two weeks ago, on May 11, country. Officials say it is the maxi- into society, doctors say. Sigdel. Kathmandu Valley had reported 3,607 mum capacity of the laboratories Health workers serving She returned after the shopkeeper new infections. On Tuesday, 2,613 operating throughout the country. in the districts say that the assured that oil and pulse would be cases were recorded and on Wednesday On Wednesday, 19,030 polymerase case positivity rate is very available on Thursday. the number of new cases in the Valley chain reaction tests and 322 antigen high especially among When Sigdel returned home she had come down to 1,493, according to tests were performed throughout the those residing in the villag- was more worried, fearing Covid-19 the Health Ministry. country. es and what is alarming is infection because the shoppers were With the number of cases falling, The result was 6,677 people tested that most of the people hav- not maintaining social distance. health experts say there was no need positive on polymerase chain reaction ing symptoms are not seek- “Everyone was jostling for essentials,” for the authorities to further tighten tests and 37 positive on antigen tests. ing tests. she said. the lockdown, which seems to be The Health Ministry said that 145 They said that very few Sigdel’s is a representative case of already working effectively. people succumbed to the contagion, people are following the how panicked people have become If anything, Marasini, the former pushing total deaths to 6,845. public health protocol and with the new prohibitory orders. director at the Epidemiology and While active cases stand at 117,077 other measures required for Dr Baburam Marasini, former Disease Control Division said, by throughout the country. So far, 53,5525 containment are almost nil. director at the Epidemiology and tightening the curbs the authorities people have tested positive. As the second wave Disease Control Division, called the have increased the risk of virus trans- There are 91 polymerase chain reac- gripped India, people new orders idiotic as they have caused mission. tion test laboratories operating across returned home in their unnecessary crowding and shortages “There is a high risk of more people the country. thousands, and cases con- in the market. getting infected as they will be out to Public health experts say that tinue to rise. They were But Kathmandu’s chief district shop in hordes on Thursday also since increasing testing is the first step allowed to go to their villag- officer Kali Prasad Parajuli says the the government has decided to com- towards containing the spread of the es directly without having new restrictions are in line with the pletely close grocery shops for a infection. They said that the existing to spend time in quarantine new Covid-19 Crisis Management week,” said Marasini. daily test numbers are insufficient to in border areas like in the Ordinance and introduced with the Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the contain the spread of infections. case of the first wave of the sole aim of controlling the pandemic. Clinical Research Unit at the Sukraraj “Without testing, authorities do not pandemic last year. But Marasini fears infections in the Tropical and Infectious Disease know about the scale of spread of Local governments, Valley could go up again. “In the com- Hospital agrees with Marasini. virus in society, without knowing it which were active during ing two weeks, Covid-19 cases could “Instead local authorities could contact-tracing cannot be started,” Dr the first wave of the rise because of the crowding in the have enforced strict safety protocols Keshav Deuba, a public health epide- pandemic, did not bother market caused by the government’s in grocery shops and department miologist, told the Post. “Neither the to place those returning idiotic decision,” said Marasini. stores,” said Pun. suspected people can be placed in to their villages in quaran-

C M Y K THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL The UK must help Nepal What about the poor? The British Parliament discusses Nepal’s Covid Officials cannot continue to evade responsibility crisis after Nepalis even as people go to bed hungry. organised a petition.

As expected, the prohibitory orders in the Kathmandu Valley have been renewed for a week until June 3. A meeting of the SANYUKTA SHRESTHA chief district officers of the three valley districts decided to enforce an even stricter restriction, including halting all con- struction work, limiting the operating time of grocery shops, and asking people to stock up on food grain for a week. While 12 dozen fully inoculated ex-parliamentarians are crowding the portico of the Supreme Court, administrators have announced By the end of the first wave of Covid- a near-complete ban on public mobility. The administrators 19, Nepal had lost around a thousand have also announced various fines, ranging from Rs100 to lives. This mortality rate was much Rs500,000 and jail time for those violating the restrictions. lower than that of many other coun- tries worldwide. Some attributed it to In theory, we should all stay indoors. Not only do we risk get- chance theory, but many linked it to the ting infected with the coronavirus, we also risk transmitting it immunity of the Nepali people. Even to others if we are infected. Moreover, the dilapidated health Prime Minister Oli proudly acclaimed the strong Covid resistance of the system and the increasing unavailability of cremation ghats Nepali population at large. The truth, mean that it is best for all of us to stay inside and wage a non-co- however, started unfolding to us since operation movement against the virus. Practicality, though, is a the beginning of April when the second different thing altogether. Social media freaks are not posting wave made its way, raising the death toll to an alarming 6,000-plus. pictures of Dalgona coffee and similar culinary experiments The wake of the second wave was not this time. Why? Because the people are not only freaked out by devoid of scientific observations either. the intensity of deaths and hospitalisations around them this Addressing the Britain-Nepal Academic time, but are also sensible enough not to continue posting pic- Council, Prof Sharad Onta of the People’s Health Movement stressed bor- tures of food and merrymaking when the country is going der management as an important strat- through a crisis. egy to break the chain of community But authorities are a different breed altogether, it seems. transmission. Prof Padam Simkhada of Huddersfield University made a time- They survive on the taxpayer’s hard-earned money, but fail to ly address to the Society of Nepalese SHUTTERSTOCK understand that the poor and the marginalised do not have the Engineers in the United Kingdom, illus- to save humanity across borders and count surpasses that of the 2015 earth- happy yet. Prof David Gellner of means to stockpile food grain for a week. They receive monthly trating Nepal’s infection and death rates beyond regions. Steered by Gavi, the quake. Oxford University says, ‘Seeing all the salaries on time, but fail to understand that daily wage labour- as being higher than that of an already vaccine alliance, COVAX is the only Throughout the month of May, aid for Nepal arriving from Spain, the in-focus India. facility that has been established by the Nepal, climbing the peak of its second USA, and elsewhere, I am very disap- ers sustain themselves for just the day they work, and that they At the community level, the UK World Health Organisation towards wave, triggered an unusual movement pointed that the UK government has have to go to bed hungry on the day they fail to get work. The Nepali diaspora is consistently commu- this cause, to which, one of the major among the UK Nepali diaspora. Asking not stepped up and done more.’ pandemic has already devastated the purchasing power of the nicating with field workers, policymak- donors is the UK. the UK Parliament to initiate debate on Prof Surya Subedi of Leeds public. They have been hit hard by the hike in vegetable and ers, potential donors and various other COVAX aims at delivering 2 billion Nepal’s Covid crisis, at least two differ- University says, ‘The situation in Nepal mechanisms to channelise support to doses worldwide by the end of 2021, out ent online petitions gained momentum. is very dire with infections spreading grain prices owing to disruption in the market. Not that the Nepal. Almost all the 300-plus Nepali of which, Nepal is allocated a mere 1 One of them neared 10,000 signatories rapidly in the rural areas. I strongly prices were put under check earlier anyway as the private sec- organisations based in the UK have percent. According to the United including the likes of popular actress appeal to the community to do their tor runs a near monopoly in the distribution chain. But the fundraised remarkably to provide the Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), out Joanna Lumley and actor Michael utmost to assist Nepal by supplying needed financial push to various bene- of the 1,920,000 allocated doses of Palin. Desperate signatories penned Covid vaccines without much delay.’ pandemic has been particularly punishing for the poor, for they ficiaries across Nepal. The diaspora COVISHIELD, an initial consignment messages on the petition emphasising Prof Michael Hutt of SOAS have lost their means of income altogether. has supported various local campaigns of 348,000 doses were received by Nepal the dire need for the UK to support University says, ‘Helping Nepal—the Moreover, it is important to ask not only how the poor are to build oxygen plants and isolation on March 7. Nepal has already adminis- Nepal immediately. Many organisa- only country, I think, whose citizens living from hand to mouth, but also whether they are being wards, but more reliable data on geo- tered two-thirds of the received vac- tions wrote to the state secretary and fight and die for Britain—is the very graphical priority is always a challenge cines, but those receiving full dose are mobilised their members to write to least the UK should be doing interna- compelled to spend all their earnings on food, leaving them for remote administration. still under 2 percent of the population. their local Members of Parliament tionally.’ vulnerable in case of an emergency. Although we never had In response to the oxygen supply cri- At the current rate, Nepal will be need- individually, highlighting the situation The Covid Alliance for Nepal in the robust public distribution, the government could have done sis which emerged early on, NRNAUK, ing the remaining consignment of in Nepal and why it’s high time the UK UK, an informal collective of UK-based much more in the past year to ensure that those at the rock in coordination with the Embassy of 157,000 doses by mid-June, which, even offered some help. Nepalis and Brits, is particularly con- Nepal in London, is on a mission to when delivered in full, nearly 94 per- From May 19 onwards, the represent- cerned about the time the UK has taken bottom of the class hierarchy, who have been hit the hardest by turn the distributed effort to a collec- cent of the Nepali population will be atives of each constituency replied to to respond to the situation in Nepal, the coronavirus crisis, received enough support from the state tive one with an aim to deliver a bigger deprived of full immunisation. As most of these letters individually with whereas the same has not been the case to manage two square meals a day. But no, they have hardly impact. All these efforts are quite wel- such, the existing provision through proper acknowledgement and further with India. Representatives of the UK come. However, what we are lacking so the global alliance is almost negligible, promises of consideration. Eventually, government, both in Nepal and the UK, bothered to care for the common people. far is the UK government’s concrete at least for Nepal. May 20 saw the House of Lords in the have listed the UK’s contribution There is much more officials can do to ensure that their deci- plans to help Nepal with the more dead- As the second wave is nothing sort of UK Parliament stirring with active towards the oxygen generator at Nepal sions do not push the poor to the edge yet again. They do not ly second wave. any end to this pandemic, vaccination debate by Lord Lancaster, Lord Ahmad, Police Hospital and overall COVAX dis- need to be told time and again what they have to do, for they Regardless of their wealth, everyone for the long term and oxygen supplies Lord Campbell-Savors and Lord Popat tribution. Besides being wrongly timed, in the world should be vaccinated to be for the current surge are of the highest which concluded with a commitment to these responses are not even specific to know the technical details already. All they need now is the safe from Covid-19. It is a no-brainer priority. All eyes are hence set on every send an assessment team to Nepal early the current surge. An airplane full of capacity to empathise with the poor and the downtrodden in that by helping to control the virus little progress at the diplomatic level. next week. Some local British media emergency testing and treatment this time of crisis, and act accordingly. While some generous anywhere else in the world, we are stop- Now is the time for the 200-year-old later hinted that this team would com- equipment and vaccines is what Nepal individuals and institutions are sending help in the form of ping the disease to make a potential Britain-Nepal relations to advance to prise the battalion. desperately needs without any delay. impact in our immediate surroundings the next stage. This often-celebrated food, medicines or money to complete strangers in need, gov- too. This pandemic is an answer to why history can translate into a promising Friends of Nepal Shrestha is a researcher of Nepali ernment officials cannot continue to evade responsibility. global alliance is the only way forward future for Nepal before its Covid death Friends of Nepal in the UK are just not history based out of London, UK. Witnessing a crime against humanity

global consensus is badly needed. This is no time for The said global consensus should be made for verifying whether the novel jingoistic propaganda coronavirus was indeed a natural virus or an accidental or intentional when global consensus creation. Equally crucial, the world commu- is badly needed. nity should go into action to intro- spect on its failure to make concerted efforts to counter the deadly virus by ATUL K THAKUR holding ground and routing abundant- ly available resources to save lives and livelihoods across the globe. Undoubtedly, the World Health Organisation has its own share of grave mistakes which calls for a clear explanation. Amidst a crime against humanity, When the entire world except China the need of the hour is not to just was caught unawares by the coronavi- mourn but build broad global consen- rus, it was expected that the largely sus to find out the cause and make at eroded values of science and reason in least some course corrections for the the post-truth era would eventually inhuman indifferences or lapses of find traction and help humanity to governments, intelligence networks recover lost ground with an informed and powerful international organisa- counter-response to the unprecedent- tions. The world should make a way ed crisis. Unfortunately, democracy forward to let no crime against and its disguised custodians fell like humanity go unpunished. During the tenpins the world over. Governments transition, people have no luxury to and multilateral institutions alike believe that they have been witnessing failed in delving deep to decode the World War III. The benefit of the doubt causes of the virus that has reduced is causing an existential crisis for the capacity of humans to exist, act most of us. This is rather blissful to and grow freely. Today is bleak, tomor- incompetent governments as they are row is perilously uncertain. People better placed to survive even are suffering and dying like never when they work against the people’s before in the absence of basic public interest. healthcare facilities, medicines and We have already entered a phase of oxygen, and mysteriously inadequate human history where going forward vaccines—as well as the absence of will need a complete overhaul of the credible governments. More so, sadly, priorities and public policies. The crit- in the case of India and Nepal. ically vital components of human indexes like public healthcare, educa- Let science and reason prevail tion, equitable livelihoods and sus- While the immediate, present and SHUTTERSTOCK tainable practices should get their impending future put limits on a nor- counterparts and a section of the reminds us that the outbreak began at The Australian titled ‘Chinese ral way of genetic modification that real due—wasteful expenditures must mal corollary, a solution to get rid of international media—working under Wuhan, a hub of the top Chinese lab Military Scientists Discussed came from abroad. be stopped. The world has no option the current mess unleashed by the serious risk—to disseminate consum- in charge of studying the coronavirus, Weaponising SARS Coronavirus’ but to get into a reset mode. The road coronavirus will come only by giving a able news and views. without a natural bat population or made public some of the important Concerted efforts under the UN ahead is not easy. A lot depends on chance to science and fair multilateral Among the evoked discussions on ability to find an alternative animal findings contained in a 2015 book writ- The stories and findings are inconclu- how governments act and get their and inter-governmental interven- the Covid-19 origin, Nicholas Wade’s host, unlike during the first SARS ten by a military doctor Xu Dezhong— sive till the world community comes failures into perspective for giving tions. The culture of fair journalism, long-form article in Medium is a must- epidemic. Wade has offered solid The Unnatural Origin of SARS and back to its senses and sits together much-needed hope to people beyond which was endangered by commercial read. Wade, a science writer who has research to establish the origin of the New Species of Man-Made Viruses as under the aegis of the United Nations boundaries. No matter who played the pressure and the necessity to toe the worked on the staff of Nature, Science coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Wade Genetic Bioweapon. Global Times, in to let everyone get a believable chroni- mischief, we have lost our old world. official line, especially in the develop- and The New York Times, made a says that there is no clear evidence fact, twisted it and tried to pacify the cle of the world’s deadliest crisis. This ing countries, has a chance to reclaim strong case for the possibility of a either to support or rule out whether actual findings by suggesting that the is no time to be a prisoner of jingoistic Thakur is a policy analyst and writer its due if the mainline media learns laboratory accident, backing it up the virus came from nature or a lab. 2002 and 2004 SARS epidemics in propaganda under the framework of with a focus on the interface of politics from their home-grown independent with logical and scientific traction. He Prior to this, a story published in China originated through an unnatu- nationalism and regionalism when and economics in South Asia.

C M Y K 05 | THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 MONEY Lockdown disrupts dairy sector as sales suffer, feed becomes scarce With hotels and restaurants shut, farmers can’t sell their milk because there are no buyers. Residents also do not want to come out of their houses to buy milk due to risk of infection.

CHANDANI KATHAYAT IN BIRENDRANAGAR, “My expenses are increasing by the down that has been clamped in most LP DEVKOTA IN JUMLA & BIPLAV BHATTARAI IN ILAM day, but I am left with unsold milk. parts of the country to control the MAY 26 How can I make a living?” Dhital said. second wave of Covid-19. “Milk goes to waste everyday due to Even though the administration has Dairy farmer Chudamani Dhakal of lack of skills and equipment to make not banned the transportation of Lekbeshi Municipality-10 used to sell dairy products out of it,” he said. agricultural products, the rural 300 litres of milk daily to dairies in Bishnu Dhital, who has been rear- municipality has banned the opera- Birendranagar. His buffalo farm hous- ing buffaloes since 2005, was earning tion of vehicles except for urgent es 50 buffaloes, 27 of whom give milk. up to Rs100,000 monthly by selling work. But automobile owners fear to After the government issued pro- milk. “Earnings are down to zero now. drive anywhere because of the risk hibitory orders putting Surkhet dis- Since there are no sales, 50 litres of of infection. trict under lockdown, Dhakal’s milk milk is being wasted daily,” he said. There are 30 dairy factories in the sales plunged to 100 litres daily. He was earning up to Rs3,500 daily by Jamuna area alone, and around 150 With hotels and restaurants shut selling milk and dairy products in factories in Sandakpur Rural and people gone back to their villages, Khalanga. He used to sell milk at Rs70 Municipality. Most of the factories farmers can’t sell their milk because per litre in Khalanga market. process 50 to 200 litres of milk daily. there are no buyers. Local leader Anil Devkota said that As the factory operators are not able Residents don’t want to come out of the lockdown had affected both con- to take their products to market, they their houses to buy milk either sumers and farmers even though it is cannot pay the farmers regularly. because of the risk of catching necessary to consume milk daily to Farmers are also facing problems the infection. “People are too scared to increase immunity. According to him, due to the lack of feed for their go to the grocery stores,” Dhakal said. the farmers had sold milk during last dairy cattle. “The situation is such “Dairy owners ask us to bring only year’s lockdown. that we are able to feed the cows only a small quantity of milk because they Chief District Officer Bhupendra grass, as other types of feed are think they may not be able to sell it,” Thapa said that sales and distribution not available,” said Shila Gurung he said. Dhakal is also having a hard of milk had been prohibited due to the of Sandakpur. time finding feed for his buffaloes deadly second wave of the coronavi- Dairy factories suffered losses dur- because of the stay-home order. rus and steeply rising number of ing last year’s lockdown, and the own- Dairy owner Krishna Chalise of infections. ers worry that their losses may mount Birendranagar-5 said selling milk had “The first thing now is to protect this year if the current lockdown is become difficult with the hotels closed everyone from infection, and that is extended. “It is not sufficient for and fewer consumers. “Due to the why we have stopped the sale and dis- us to buy the milk only. We need to slowdown in sales, we have told farm- tribution of agricultural products to make payment to the farmers by sell- ers to bring less milk,” he said. prevent further infections,” he said. ing our products in the market,” Even though some dairy farmers POST FILE PHOTO The main occupation of Ram Bhattarai said. are having difficulties selling their Dairy operators suffered losses during last year’s lockdown, and the owners worry their losses may mount this year if the lockdown is extended. Kumar Gurung of Jamuna, The ghee produced in the area is milk, Tirtha Parajuli of Darnakot, Sandakpur-5 is making dairy prod- sold in the markets of Kathmandu and Birendranagar-14 says his problem is unsold, Parajuli says he has been tered, the sale of milk has stopped. even though it falls under essential ucts. He used to produce ghee and as far away as Jhapa. The local hard not being able to produce enough to selling milk to seven dairies in “The local administration has pre- services,” he said. “I am left with 50 hard cheese by processing more than cheese has been exported to the United fulfil demand. Birendranagar. vented people from even walking litres of unsold milk in my home 100 litres of milk daily. Now he is wor- States and Japan. But due to the lock- Parajuli’s cows and buffaloes are In Jumla, farmers have not been around,” said Bishnu Dhital, a everyday,” he said. ried how long he will be able to keep down, it has not been possible to take giving less milk as they do not have able to sell their milk for the past buffalo farmer. “People are afraid to Commercial farmers who have his dairy factory going. the products to market. enough grass to feed on due to a three weeks due to the second wave of buy milk because of the pandemic,” been making their living from Gurung’s neighbour Pradip Dairy owners and farmers want the drought. the coronavirus. Sales came to a stop he said. Dhital has been rearing buffa- animal husbandry have been hard hit. Bhattarai is also facing the same prob- agencies concerned to work to keep “We have not been able to obtain after the District Administration loes commercially in the village for Kamal Dhital said that it had become lem. Dozens of dairy producers like the dairy business going, as it has nutritious feed for our cattle due Office imposed a prohibitory order seven years. difficult to meet his basic home Gurung and Bhattarai are suffering become a good source of employment to the restriction order,” he said. “I due to the pandemic. Narayan Dhital of Guthichaur said expenses with milk remaining because they can’t take their products and income in the village. used to take 650 litres of milk to mar- Commercial farmers of Guthichaur that buffalo rearing was a major unsold at his home. His commercial to market right away while they con- A dairy factory produces 5 kg of ket daily, but now I have been taking Rural Municipality-5 had been deliv- source of livelihood for him, and he farm is produces 40 litres of milk tinue to make ghee and hard cheese by hard cheese and 4 kg of ghee daily by only 150 litres.” ering 40-50 litres of milk daily to the lost his income after the pandemic. daily. With no sales and no revenues, buying milk from farmers. processing 100 litres of milk. Ghee is While some farmers are complain- district headquarters Khalanga. But “The administration has banned he has been facing problems feeding Dairy farmers and factories are sold at Rs550 per kg and hard cheese at ing that their milk is remaining after all dairies in Khalanga shut- the distribution of dairy products his buffaloes. finding life difficult due to the lock- Rs900 per kg. Indian state finance chiefs to seek WhatsApp case fuels fears over compensation as tax revenues collapse India’s new social media rules REUTERS lion rupees in goods and services tax ate cash relief, it may look at ways to REUTERS NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, MAY 26 (GST) dues and surcharges for 2020/21. extend a surcharge on GST rates NEW DELHI, MAY 26 “The central government should beyond 2022 and offer soft loans to India’s top finance officials will at a definitely compensate,” T S Singh states that need immediate funding, New rules governing social media meeting on Friday discuss compensa- Deo, finance minister of the central analysts said. companies in India will make it hard tion for states that are already battling Indian state of Chhattisgarh told GST, India’s biggest tax reform, was for the firms to operate and give lower tax revenues while also gearing Reuters ahead of the Goods and introduced in 2017 to replace an array authorities the power to censor inter- up for more expenses linked to Covid- Services Tax Council meeting this of federal and state duties. State gov- net users, campaigners warned after 19 vaccinations, government and week. ernments were promised a surcharge WhatsApp filed a suit against the industry officials said. The GST Council, led by federal on the taxes for five years to make up Indian government. A review of taxes on medical equip- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for any losses incurred due to GST WhatsApp, a unit of Facebook, filed ment and supplies is also likely to be and comprising all states’ finance implementation. a legal complaint in Delhi against the on the agenda as India battles a devas- ministers, will be meeting after a gap A surcharge on GST rates on luxury Indian government, seeking to block tating second wave of Covid-19 infec- of more than seven months. goods may also be extended to com- regulations taking effect on tions, they added. Ministers from West Bengal, Tamil pensate states, said an official with Wednesday that experts say would Centre and state governments are Nadu and Kerala, where Prime direct knowledge of the matter, who compel the firm to break privacy staring at an estimated drop in tax Minister Narendra Modi’s party lost did not want to be named as he was protections. revenues of about 2 trillion rupees state elections this month, and other not authorised to speak to media. The lawsuit asks the Delhi High ($28 billion) in the year to March 2022, opposition-ruled states are expected to Some states plan to seek federal Court to declare one of the rules a three government officials said, while raise questions on state revenues and compensation beyond the current violation of privacy rights in India’s the centre’s directive for states to fund demand better compensation, an offi- June 2022 deadline under the 14 per- constitution since it requires social vaccinations for adults below 45 years cial from one of the states said. cent annual increase in GST media firms to identify the “first orig- will further add to states’ woes. While the federal government may revenue growth guaranteed to them, inator of information” when authori- Also, the centre owes states 630 bil- not be in a position to provide immedi- analysts said. ties demand it. REUTERS “This is probably the most signifi- People pose with smartphones in front of displayed Whatsapp logo in this illustration. cant privacy case in India,” said Nikhil Pahwa, founder of technology including Facebook, Google parent Foundation, a digital rights groups FOREX publication Medianama. Alphabet and Twitter, in one of their in Delhi. “Yes, platforms need to be regulat- key markets. “This will have a chilling impact on Buy now, pay later players ed. But in a manner that gives users The government has demanded that internet users in India as platforms US Dollar 116.74 power over platforms. Not in a man- the firms remove what it has said is will censor more speech under the Euro 142.84 ner that empowers government misinformation on the Covid-19 pan- threat of enforcement,” he told the tackle credit conundrum and allows them to use platforms demic ravaging India, as well as Thomson Reuters Foundation. Pound Sterling 165.35 to control user speech,” he said in criticism of the government’s Across Asia, several countries have a tweet. response to the crisis and to farmers’ introduced a slew of internet and Japanese Yen 10.72 WhatsApp, which has nearly 400 protests earlier. data-use legislation in recent months, million users in India, said it will The new Intermediary Guidelines with human rights group warning Chinese Yuan 18.26 in Mideast’s Gulf “continue to engage with the govern- and Digital Media Ethics Code, that that these measures raise the risk of Qatari Riyal 32.06 REUTERS ment of India on practical solutions was unveiled in February, requires mass surveillance and violations of DUBAI, MAY 26 aimed at keeping people safe, includ- that big social media firms appoint free speech. At least six other peti- Australian Dollar 90.84 The coronavirus ing responding to valid legal requests Indian citizens to key compliance tions have been filed in Indian courts Financial technology start-ups in for the information available to us”. roles, remove content within 36 hours challenging the new social media Malaysian Ringit 28.18 Saudi Arabia and the United Arab pandemic is driving “Requiring messaging apps to of a legal order, and set up a mecha- code, according to the Internet Saudi Arab Riyal 31.13 Emirates offering online short-term a shift in consumer ‘trace’ chats is the equivalent of ask- nism to respond to complaints. Freedom Foundation. - ing us to keep a fingerprint of The firms stand to lose protection The code has raised “major con- Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank credit say they are enjoying exponen tial growth as the coronavirus pan- spending online. every single message sent on from lawsuits and criminal prosecu- cerns around freedom of speech and demic drives a shift in consumer WhatsApp, which would break end-to- tion if they fail to comply. expression and will be detrimental to PRICE PER TOLA spending online. end encryption and fundamentally “This means they will find it very the principle of free and open inter- BULLION Digital buy now, pay later (BNPL) interests on loans, which has deterred undermines people’s right to privacy,” difficult to operate in India as they net”, said Prasanth Sugathan, legal purchasing is relatively new to the some Middle East consumers from WhatsApp said in a statement cited by will be liable in all types of legal cases director of digital rights group SFLC. Fine Gold Rs 93,500 region where consumers have tradi- using credit cards. NDTV news. which will include claims of mone- in, which has filed a petition. tionally been sceptical of paying for Saudi Arabian independent retailer The lawsuit comes amid clashes tary fines or even criminal prosecu- “It is possible that more social Silver Rs 1,350 goods before getting them. Crate, which introduced Tamara on between Prime Minister Narendra tions,” said Apar Gupta, executive media intermediaries will approach But Saudi Arabian-based Tamara its website last August, has found that Modi’s government and tech giants director of Internet Freedom the courts,” he added. SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA and UAE’s Spotii, Tabby and while those checking out with BNPL Postpay all say the take-up has far had become repeat users, most cus- exceeded initial expectations. And tomers preferred to pay by card or GASOLINE WATCH investors are paying attention. cash on delivery. Tamara last month raised $110 Half of all purchases are paid with million in debt and equity, a large card, while cash on delivery accounts amount for an early stage Middle for 40 percent of all online transac- East start-up. tions with BNPL making up 10 per- This week, Australia’s second big- cent, Chief Executive Rayan Fadul gest BNPL player Zip said it was buy- told Reuters. ing the rest of the shares in Spotii it The model varies but BNPL compa- did not already own for $16 million. nies typically allow shoppers to pay Tabby has raised over $30 million for purchases in instalments over sev- including funding from Abu Dhabi eral weeks or months. Gulf providers state fund Mubadala. do not charge interest and instead In the Gulf, BNPL companies pres- earn most revenue by charging mer- ent themselves as an alternative to chants fees. cash on delivery, the most common While shoppers can be charged payment method for online purchases hefty fees if they miss a payment, in many Middle East countries, providers say they cause less financial according to a 2018 report by British burden than credit cards. Users security firm G4S. But Anil Malhotra, can be suspended if they miss a chief marketing officer of digital pay- payment. ments business Bango, said a cultural They also say they help merchants challenge for BNPL in the Gulf was to increase sales as shoppers are able to make sure it “doesn’t look or smell spread out payments over an extended like credit.” period and allow shoppers to buy Islamic customs prohibit charging products they need.

C M Y K THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 | 06 WORLD

BRIEFING Powerful cyclone Vaccine inequality in India sends Yaas destroys homes War-ravaged Syria heads to polls with Assad set to win in India, forces DAMASCUS: Polling stations opened many falling through gaps on Wednesday across Syria for an election where few doubt that airport closure Bashar al-Assad will extend his grip Many experts say the federal policy is a mistake, and it will hit the poorest the hardest. on power for a fourth term, in a REUTERS war-battered country mired in eco- poorest the hardest. BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, MAY 26 nomic crisis. The controversial vote “Vaccinating people is the national is the second election since the start duty of the government and they A powerful cyclone destroyed tens of of a decade-long conflict that has need to vaccinate everyone for free,” thousands of mud houses in eastern killed more than 388,000 people and said K Srinath Reddy, president of the India on Wednesday, forcing the clo- displaced half the pre-war popula- Public Health Foundation of India. sure of the busiest regional airport in tion. With opponents abroad barred “Nobody should be denied a vaccine the city of Kolkata as it brought storm from running and no voting in the because they are unable to afford it or surges to coastal areas, the second swathes of territory outside his con- register for it.” such event within a week. trol, Assad faces just two virtually Vaccine disparity is “not just a Cyclone Yaas was packing gusts of unknown challengers. He faces for- question of inequality but also ineffi- up to 140 kph as it hit land, authorities mer state minister Abdallah Salloum ciency,” said developmental economist said, days after Tauktae tore up the Abdallah and Mahmoud Merhi, a Jean Dreze. western coast, triggering mass evacu- member of the so-called “tolerated If people get sick, Dreze said, they ations and piling pressure on authori- opposition”. will not be able to work. That in turn ties battling a deadly second wave of could push many more into poverty. the coronavirus. Taiwan says China blocked deal Already, the poor have to miss work, Authorities said more than a mil- forgo the day’s wages and travel long lion people had been moved out of the with BioNTech for vaccines distances to get vaccinated. storm’s path, while television broad- TAIPEI: Taiwan directly accused China “We should not just make vaccines cast images of rough seas, strong for the first time on Wednesday of free but also give people incentives to winds and rains lashing the state of blocking a deal with Germany’s get vaccinated,” Dreze said. Odisha. BioNTech SE for Covid-19 vaccines, The national government is seeking Weather officials said the “very in an escalating war of words after to address some of the concerns. It has severe cyclone” was expected to hit Beijing offered the shots to the island said the website to register for shots Odisha and adjacent West Bengal, via a Chinese company. Taiwan has will soon be available in Hindi and with some effects felt even in millions of shots on order, from other regional languages. Still, experts Bangladesh, although the neighbour- AstraZeneca Plc and Moderna Inc, AP/RSS point out half the population lacks ing country is not in the storm’s direct but has received only slightly more In this May 10 photo, people wait to get vaccinated against the coronavirus outside the closed gates of a hospital in Ghaziabad, India. internet access, so the better solution path. than 700,000 to date, and has only would be easier, walk-in registrations West Bengal’s chief minister, been able to vaccinate about 1 percent ASSOCIATED PRESS are falling through the gaps. Amid those challenges, the federal for all. Mamata Banerjee, told reporters that of its population as Covid-19 cases NEW DELHI, MAY 26 That worries health experts, who government also changed its policy on The government also has said it will about 20,000 mud houses and tempo- surge. While Taiwan has previously say vaccine inequality could hamper who can get vaccines and who must alleviate the vaccine shortages, insist- rary shelters had been damaged in the said it had been unable to sign a As the coronavirus tears through India’s already difficult fight against a pay for them. It allotted itself half of ing there will be about 2 billion doses state. final contract with BioNTech, it India, night watchman Sagar Kumar virus that has been killing more than the shots in the country and said it available between June and December. “I have not seen anything like this had only implied that Chinese pres- thinks constantly about getting vac- 4,000 people a day in recent weeks. would give free shots to front-line Experts, however, say the government before,” said another state minister, sure was to blame. cines for himself and his family of “Inequitable vaccination risks pro- workers and those 45 and older. will likely miss that goal. Bankim Hazra, after seawater gushed five amid critical shortages of shots in longing the pandemic in India,” said Individual states and private hospi- India’s health ministry did not into the low-lying areas of Sagar the country. But even if he knew how Krishna Udayakumar, founding direc- tals could then negotiate deals with respond to requests for comment from island in the Bay of Bengal and the Kremlin says does not to get one, it wouldn’t be easy. tor of the Duke Global Health the country’s vaccine-makers for the The Associated Press. tourist town of Digha, where a police expect formal ‘reset’ in ties The main way is to register through Innovation Center at Duke University other half of the shots, the govern- Kavita Singh, 29, was making the station was flooded. a government website. But it is in in North Carolina. “Reducing barriers ment said. That effectively put the equivalent of $250 a month working as “Successive high tides battered the at Biden-Putin summit English—a language the 25-year-old for the most vulnerable populations burden for inoculating everyone a domestic helper in a wealthy part of coastline,” he added. “It is inundation MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Wednesday Kumar and nearly 90 percent of should be a priority.” under 45 on states and the private sec- the capital. But as cases began to all around and villages are cut off.” said it did not expect a formal reset in Indians can’t speak, read or write— India’s vaccination campaign began tor, who often ask members of the surge in April, she lost her job. The state’s Kolkata airport was Russia-US ties at a summit between and his family has a single smart- in January with a goal of inoculating public to pay as much as $20 for a shot. “They were scared I would spread closed to flights until Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin phone, with spotty internet service. 300 million of its nearly 1.4 billion The disparities already are showing the virus and told me to come back evening. and US President Joe Biden next And even though his state of Uttar people by August. So far, however, it in rich states where private hospitals only after I am vaccinated,” Singh Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are month. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pradesh gives free shots to those has fully vaccinated a little over 42 tend to be concentrated. said. common at this time of year, and often Peskov advised against what he said under 45, there is no vaccination site million people, or barely 3 percent of The capital of New Delhi has given She could not afford paying for a roar ashore, bringing death and would be “excessive expectations” in his village, with the nearest hospi- its population. first shots to 20 percent of its resi- shot, so Singh and her three daughters destruction to the coastal areas of of progress at the summit, but said tal an hour away. The government didn’t reserve dents, while Bihar state, one of the returned to her village in Bihar state. both India and neighbouring that the meeting itself was nonethe- “All I can do now is hope for the enough shots for the campaign and it poorest, has only given shots to about There’s no vaccination centre nearby, Bangladesh. less very important. Biden and best,” Kumar said. was slow to scale up vaccine produc- 7.6 percent of its population. And even and Singh said she doesn’t know if Police said they had rescued 10 peo- Putin will meet in Geneva on June 16, The pandemic’s disparities already tion. Then, with the country recording states that are providing free shots she’ll ever be able to return to New ple after their boat capsized near the White House and the Kremlin were stark in India, where access to hundreds of thousands of new infec- often can’t keep them in stock—both Delhi. shore in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur dis- said on Tuesday with ties at post health care is as stratified and une- tions daily, the government on May 1 because of the shortage and competi- “We barely manage to earn enough trict on Tuesday. Naval base Chilka is Cold War lows. Peskov said a huge qual as many other parts of society. opened up vaccination to all adults. tion with the private sector. for our daily means,” Singh said. “If monitoring ships in the area and is amount of problems had built up Now wealth and technology is further That made an already bad shortage Many experts say the federal we use that money for vaccines, then ready for rescue operations, the Indian in bilateral ties. (AGENCIES) widening those chasms, and millions even worse. policy is a mistake, and it will hit the what will we eat?” Navy said. UN body asked to up scrutiny of Israel’s human rights record ASSOCIATED PRESS and human rights law in Israel and GENEVA, MAY 26 Palestinian areas. The move comes The commission would also investi- Member states of the Organisation of gate “all underlying root causes of Islamic Cooperation are calling on the following the latest recurrent tensions, instability and UN Human Rights Council to set up a Israel-Palestine protraction of conflict” including dis- permanent commission to report on crimination and repression. human rights violations in Israel, conflict. A commission of inquiry is the Gaza and the West Bank. highest level of scrutiny that the The move comes in the wake of the council can authorise. Another COI, latest surge in violence in the Israel- violence between Israelis and for example, has been regularly Palestinians conflict. If passed, it Palestinians in the Mideast conflict reporting on Syria’s war nearly since would mark an unprecedented level of that has raged for decades. its inception a decade ago—partially scrutiny authorised by the UN’s top A vote on the draft resolution was in hopes of collecting evidence that human rights body. likely at the end of Thursday’s could be used in court one day. The proposal, formally presented on session, which will be largely virtual. Council spokesman Rolando Gomez late Tuesday, comes ahead of a special UN human rights chief Michelle said passage of the draft resolution session of the Geneva-based council to Bachelet was set to address the would mark the first time that a address “the grave human rights situ- meeting in person. commission of inquiry received a ation” in Gaza, the West Bank and east The draft resolution calls on the “continuing mandate.” Jerusalem. The meeting was sought council to “urgently establish an ongo- Israel—backed at times by the by Pakistan, as the OIC’s coordinator. ing independent, international com- United States—accuses the council of The session at the 47-member-state mission of inquiry” appointed by the anti-Israel bias and has generally AP/RSS rights body paves the way for a day- council president to investigate viola- refused to cooperate with its The moon is partially covered by buildings in Brasilia, Brazil, at the start of a total lunar eclipse on early Wednesday. The eclipse was the first in long debate over the recent deadly tions of international humanitarian investigators. more than two years and coincided with a supermoon.

Defiant Belarus leader accuses West of waging ‘hybrid war’

REUTERS air piracy. “As we predicted, our video of Sophia Sapega, a 23-year- rounding this action cast serious were no longer possible in MOSCOW, MAY 26 ill-wishers from outside the coun- old student arrested with doubts on the respect shown by Belarus, perhaps signalling a fur- try and from inside the country Protasevich. Belarus for international civil avi- ther crackdown on opponents. Belarusian President Alexander changed their methods of attack Belarus denies it mistreats ation rules,” the European Union Most known opposition figures Lukashenko said on Wednesday a on the state,” Lukashenko, 66, told detainees. Rights groups have doc- Aviation Safety Agency said. are now in jail or exile. journalist pulled off a plane that parliament. “They have crossed umented what they say are hun- Western governments have told In power since 1994, Lukashenko landed in Minsk had been plotting many red lines and have aban- dreds of cases of abuse and forced their airlines to re-route flights to faced mass protests throughout a bloody rebellion, and accused doned common sense and human confessions since last year. avoid Belarus’s airspace and have the second half of last year after the West of waging a hybrid war morals.” Europe’s aviation regulator announced plans to ban he was declared the winner of a against him. Belarus has already been sub- issued a bulletin on Wednesday Belarusian planes. The EU says presidential election that his In his defiant remarks, his first ject to EU and U.S. sanctions since urging all airlines to avoid other unspecified sanctions are opponents said was rigged. The in public since he ordered a war- Lukashenko cracked down on Belarus airspace for safety rea- also in the works. protests finally lost momentum plane to intercept a Ryanair flight pro-democracy protests after a sons, saying the forced diversion Lukashenko promised to after a months-long crackdown between EU members Greece and disputed election last year. But his of the Ryanair flight had put in respond harshly to any sanctions. during which thousands of people Lithuania, he showed no hint of decision to intercept an interna- question its ability to provide safe In his remarks to parliament, were arrested. backing down from confrontation tional airliner flying through his skies. “The circumstances sur- Lukashenko said street protests Exiled opposition leader with countries that accuse him of country’s air space and arrest a Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said 26-year-old dissident journalist on Wednesday the opposition was has brought a new level of con- preparing a new phase of active demnation and vows of far more anti-government protests. serious action. “There’s nothing more to wait The journalist, Roman for—we have to stop the terror Protasevich, whose social media once and for all,” Tsikhanouskaya feed from exile had been one of said in a statement on social the last remaining independent media. sources of news about Belarus, The United States and European was shown on state TV on Monday leaders are seeking ways to confessing to organising demon- increase the isolation of strations. British Prime Minister Lukashenko, who has shrugged Boris Johnson called the footage off previous rounds of Western “distressing” and Belarus opposi- sanctions, which mostly consist tion figures said it was proof he of placing officials on black lists. had been tortured. REUTERS The West is also wary of upsetting Late on Tuesday, state TV Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a speech during a meeting in Moscow, which regards Belarus as broadcast a similar confession Minsk, Belarus on Wednesday. a strategically important buffer.

C M Y K 07 | THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 SPORTS | MEDLEY

Alexander-Arnold Dutch look to make up for lost ground in Euro 2020 could play in The Netherlands failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup but have finished second in Nations League and lost only one game in the qualifiers. midfield, REUTERS the league and cup double. Memphis LONDON, MAY 26 Depay, who has 23 goals in 62 interna- Southgate says tionals, leads an attack that some- The Netherlands missed out on the times adds in a classic REUTERS last two major tournaments so they target man role, or prefers wider for- LONDON, MAY 26 will be looking to make up for lost wards like and Steven ground at Euro 2020 but with a side Berghuis. Trent Alexander-Arnold has the pass- who still have an air of inconsistency Van Dijk’s absence in defence is a ing ability and vision to slot into a about them. blow while is not sure of midfield position for England in the Failing to qualify for Euro 2016 in playing either after ankle surgery in future, manager Gareth Southgate France and the World Cup in Russia March. That leaves the defensive bur- said after naming the Liverpool two years later was a blow for a coun- den of responsibility on the 21-year- defender in his 33-man provisional try who were near the top of world old De Ligt, who has had injury prob- squad for the European Championship. football as runners-up at the 2010 lems of his own, and of The 22-year-old right back was World Cup and third in Brazil four . dropped for World Cup qualifiers in years later. “There is pressure on us but we are March but has been brought back into They bounced back by finishing sec- not running away from it. We think we an extended squad that will be ond in the inaugural Nations League can use it to energise our performanc- trimmed to 26 players ahead of the in mid-2019 and lost only one game in es,” said De Boer. June 11-July 11 tournament. the Euro 2020 qualifiers. But perfor- Asked by reporters on Tuesday if mances have been up and down—they THE NETHERLANDS SQUAD Alexander-Arnold could play in mid- have beaten England, France and field, Southgate said: “I think there’s Germany in the last three years but Goalkeepers: (Valencia), no doubt he could. The difficulty is he just months ago lost 4-2 in Turkey (Norwich City), hasn’t had the opportunity to do that after a poor showing. since he was a younger player and Five coaches over the last seven (Ajax Amsterdam) that’s where he came through in years attests to the turmoil, while the Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Liverpool’s academy. He’s a fantastic team has struggled to find replace- Blind (Ajax Amsterdam), passer of the ball and has great pass- ments for the likes of match-winners (Juventus), Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan), Denzel ing vision. So he’s a playmaker from like and Robin van Dumfries (PSV Eindhoven), Jurriem Timber (Ajax right back ... So why wouldn’t that Persie. Amsterdam), (Crystal Palace), lend itself at some point of his career However, a new group of youngsters Joel Veltman (Brighton & Hove Albion), Owen to being in midfield?” including and Southgate also included Manchester Matthijs de Ligt have the potential to Wijndal (AZ Alkmaar) United skipper Harry Maguire, who is ignite another golden period for the : Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten struggling with an ankle injury that team under . REUTERS de Roon (Atalanta), , Davy could force him out of Wednesday’s The tenure of the new coach started Top seeds of Group C, the 2010 World Cup finalists will play Ukraine on June 13, Austria on June 17 and North Macedonia on June 21. Klaassen (both Ajax Amsterdam), Europa League final against badly, underlining the sceptism (AZ Alkmaar), (Manchester Villarreal. The England manager said around his appointment after manage- title—seven matches and a lot of good captain Virgil van Dijk, who has not form and have the ability to beat any United), (Liverpool) he had little information about the rial flops in Italy and England. De fortune,” he said in a recent interview. recovered in time from his horror team,” added De Boer. Forwards: (), Luuk de fitness of the defender, who missed Boer has nonetheless steadied the The Dutch are top seeds in Group C knee injury, they are fancied to Much will depend on the midfield training on Tuesday. ship somewhat and feels they have where they also have home advantage advance to the knockout phase. form of De Jong, stand-in skipper Jong (Sevilla), (Olympique England play friendlies against every chance of winning the tourna- in their matches against Ukraine Dutch sides thrive on confidence Georginio Wijnaldum and Davy Lyonnais), , (both PSV Austria and Romania in June before ment, emulating the Ruud Gullit and (June 13), Austria (June 17) and North and, with a little momentum, there is Klaassen, who has had a strong season Eindhoven), Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow), their Euro 2020 Group D campaign Marco van Basten-inspired team of Macedonia (June 21). Even without then a potential path to glory. “We are for club and country after rejoining (Wolfsburg). begins with matches against Croatia, 1988. “But it is a long route to the the reassuring defensive presence of not far off the favourites, we are in Ajax Amsterdam and helping them to Scotland and Czech Republic. Inter Milan are Italian champions again—so why might Conte leave? REUTERS tic about continuing but when you have a top wants that to continue to achieve his next tar- ROME, MAY 26 coach, he requires a top project too,” Stellini get of making a mark in Europe, following a told DAZN. “The sale of top players could disappointing Champions League group-stage Italian media predicted the imminent end of change things but it’s up to the club to make exit this season. coach Antonio Conte’s time at Inter Milan on clear what the situation is.” However, Inter are now looking to cut costs Wednesday, even as the club basked in the glow Stellini’s comments struck at the heart of after taking a big financial hit during the coro- of becoming champions again after an the issue: Conte would like to stay and Inter navirus pandemic. Club president Steven 11-year-wait. would like to keep him, but his ambitions are Zhang made a plea to players and staff to give Milan-based Gazzetta dello Sport ran the at odds with the club’s financial situation. up two months’ wages this month but it was headline “Conte-Inter divorce” and predicted a Speculation around the manager’s future has rejected. Inter have since secured 275 million separation within the next 48 hours. Corriere been rife for months, to the extent that he euros ($336.35 million) from Oaktree Capital dello Sport wrote that the relationship was stopped attending news conferences towards Management to help stabilise the situation but “finished” and that lawyer Angelo Capellini, the end of the season to avoid fielding awk- cuts will continue. They are now reportedly who deals with contracts and negotiations, was ward questions. looking to trim the wage bill by 15-20% and at the club offices for a second consecutive day Conte’s two seasons at the club have been make 70-100 million euros from player sales to oversee a contract termination. Sky Italia very impressive: he led Inter to runners-up before next season. reported that a mutual agreement for Conte’s finishes in Serie A and the Europa League in Some less-used squad players will go, but it exit, a year before his contract expires, was his debut campaign, before winning the title appears likely that one of the club’s star per- being worked on. this year. Since the former Chelsea manager formers will need to be sold to reach the finan- The reports followed revealing comments took over in 2019, Inter have splashed out on cial targets and Hakimi, Lukaku and Lautaro from Conte’s assistant Cristian Stellini after blockbuster signings of players such as Romelu Martinez are among those being linked with the 5-1 win over Udinese on Sunday when Inter, Lukaku, Nicolo Barella, and moves away. None of this is what Conte, a fero- REUTERS having already sealed the title at the beginning . Investment in Conte’s squad ciously competitive and ambitious character, Antonio Conte still has a year left in his contract but has been at loggerheads with Inter Milan’s Chinese owners of May, got to lift the trophy. “We are enthusias- accelerated their path to success and the coach signed up fo r. over planned cost cutting which would dampen his plan to build team that could challenge at home and in Europe. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) *** Fantasy reigns supreme under Thursday’s You’re in the mood to cross things off your to-do Let yourself coast through Thursday’s enchant- As a Capricorn, you replenish your energy by skies. Let yourself lean into the dream and find list, Cancer. Yet, it may be hard to keep yourself ing skies, Libra. Your ruling planet, magnetic being alone. Aim to reconnect with your need a new way to refresh your perspective. The from drifting off into fantasies. It will be easier Venus, finds herself locked into a reality-melt- for solitude, rest, and peace today, as the moon visionary Sagittarius moon focuses your energy to get lost in disorienting dreams or visions of ing square with Neptune. Get lost in your coasts through pensive Sagittarius. The day can toward experiences that get you outside of your past lovers. favourite artistic craft and float, rather than make for confusing circumstances. comfort zone. struggling to stay grounded.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) **** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) **** It’s okay if you feel like you’re floating off into Labour is becoming increasingly unappealing Keep a close eye on what takes place in your You need to find your community today, outer space today, Taurus. Your ruling planet, under Thursday’s skies, Leo. What you need is a relationships today, Scorpio. You’re likely to be Aquarius. Reach out and reconnect with your magnetic Venus, spends the day in a square good time, one that helps you reconnect with the caught up in a world of romantic fantasies, as cherished friends and let them uplift your spirits with foggy Neptune. Let yourself depart from very things in life that bring you joy and give lover Venus squares off with illusory and inspire you into action. Prioritise your need reality for a bit. you your natural uplifting spirit. Neptune. Today push yourself to actively share for social interaction and your desire to re-exam- your talents. ine goals.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) *** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) *** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) ** PISCES (February 19-March 20) **** Thursday’s skies make it hard to stay grounded You need an uninterrupted, peaceful day at You’re in need of some TLC today, Sagittarius. As a Pisces, you’re one of the true dreamers of in reality, Gemini. Lean into the need to drift home, Virgo. Do whatever you can to make that Let yourself reconnect with your body and the zodiac. Use that natural talent to your advan- and dream, as romance-hungry Venus squares possible for yourself today. It’s best to wait on needs. You’re likely to be feeling wiped out from tage when it comes to career matters today, as off with illusionist Neptune. Luna’s presence in entering into career-oriented partnerships or yesterday’s emotional eclipse in your sign, so the far-seeing Sagittarius moon helps you point excitable Sagittarius promises a day focused on making big financial purchases. take a beat to recover and find your footing. your focus to your ambitions. partnership. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 | 08 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Vatican issues a street art stamp, ends up getting sued Intellectual property law in much of Europe and the United States protects artists’ rights.

BY NICOLE WINFIELD for the Easter stamp in an apparent ROME attempt to appeal to a new generation of stamp enthusiasts. ne night in early 2019, In comments reported by the jour- Rome street artist nalist in the online arts blog Artslife. Alessia Babrow glued a com, Olivieri said he feared Holy See stylised image of higher-ups might resist using a hip, Christ she had made graffiti-style stamp for Easter. onto a bridge near the “Instead, the acceptance was imme- OVatican. A year later, she was shocked diate and convincing,” he was quoted to learn that the Vatican had appar- as saying. ently used a reproduction of the Babrow’s lawyers sent a registered image, which featured Babrow’s hall- letter and an email to the philatelic mark heart emblazoned across and numismatic office identifying Christ’s chest, as its 2020 Easter post- Babrow as the artist, the lawsuit says, age stamp. but there was no written response to Babrow sued the Vatican city-state’s her request to negotiate terms of use, telecommunications office in a Rome prompting her to sue. court last month, alleging it was “I thought they were acting in good wrongfully profiting off her creativity faith, that it was true they were look- and violating the intent of her art- ing for me, like had been written in work. The lawsuit, which is seeking the papers,” she said. “Only it seems it nearly 130,000 euros ($160,000) in dam- wasn’t that way because they never ages, said the Vatican never respond- wanted to meet with me.” ed officially to Babrow’s attempts to Babrow stressed that the lawsuit negotiate a settlement after she dis- wasn’t an attack on the Catholic covered it had used her image without Church or Vatican, but rather an consent and sold it. attempt to protect her rights and make “I couldn’t believe it. I honestly sure her artwork wasn’t being used to thought it was a joke,” Babrow told finance things outside her control. The Associated Press in an interview, Copyright lawyers said the Vatican’s standing steps from St Peter’s Square. status as a sovereign state likely “The real shock was that you don’t wouldn’t protect it from an Italian expect certain things from certain court’s jurisdiction, given the com- organisations.” mercial activity and alleged damage The Vatican is home to some of the to Babrow occurred in Italy. greatest artworks ever made, and it The case is somewhat surprising, vigorously enforces its copyright over given the Vatican is well-versed in everything from the Sistine Chapel to intellectual property rights and has Michelangelo’s Pieta. But now the shown its eagerness to protect its own tables have turned, and the Vatican copyright over everything from the stands accused of violating the intel- pope’s words to its vast art collections. lectual property rights of a street art- Years ago, the Vatican’s publishing ist. house demanded royalties from jour- The Vatican stamp office declined to AP/RSS nalists who wrote books reprinting comment on the lawsuit, said its chief, Artist Alessia Babrow holds the Vatican stamps next to her street art during an interview with the Associated Press. Pope Benedict XVI’s homilies. The Massimo Olivieri. The Vatican press Vatican Museums has long required office also declined requests for com- rights even if a piece was created on An image of a human heart with the suit that by appropriating the image marble wall just off the main bridge media covering news events in the ment. public or private property illegally. words ‘JUST USE IT’ written graffi- to promote the Catholic Church, the that leads to the Vatican, one of a museum to agree to turn over the cop- Copyright lawyers familiar with the “The law considers it irrelevant if ti-style across. Vatican ‘irrevocably distorted’ dozen or so pieces of poster art she yright of their images, lest anyone try case say it is an important benchmark the work is made on paper, canvas or a The work is part of Babrow’s ‘Just Babrow’s message that there are no put up that night around central to reproduce a Raphael without the for Italy and evidence of the increasing wall or a bridge,” Sterpi said. People Use It’ project, which began in 2013 universal truths. Rome. The work bears her scripted pope’s authorisation. appreciation for Banksy-style street who commercialise street art without and has included similar hearts on The Vatican printed an initial 80,000 initials inside the heart. Enrico Bonadio, professor of intel- art. They say it underscores that even making good-faith efforts to find the Buddhas, the Hindu deity Ganesha stamps of the Christ at 1.15 euros She found out it had been used as lectual property law at the University anonymous graffiti or ‘guerrilla art’ artist and negotiate use of the image and the Virgin Mary that can be found apiece, according to the lawsuit. The the Vatican stamp when a well-known of London’s City Law School, said deserves protection against unauthor- “do so at their own risk and peril,” he on walls, stairwells and bridges stamps and a commemorative folder Rome street art photographer saw it street artists can use those same pro- ised corporate merchandising, or, in said. around Rome. A huge version also were still on sale at the Vatican post and immediately recognised it as tections for their own creations. this case, church merchandising. The artwork in question is a 35-cen- graces a palazzo scaffolding. office last week and were prominently Babrow’s handiwork. “The law does not discriminate,” Massimo Sterpi, whose Rome firm timeter-high (13.8-inch-high) printed The concept of the project, Babrow featured at the cashier’s desk as a pro- Olivieri, the Vatican’s numismatic Bonadio said in a phone interview. has represented Banksy’s Pest Control picture of Christ styled on the famous says, is to ‘promote the intelligence motional item for sale. chief, has told an Italian journalist “Copyright laws do not subject the agency in copyright cases, said intel- work by the 19th-century German and the brain of the heart’ in a holis- Babrow says she created the Christ that he took a photo of the Christ protection of an artwork to the fact lectual property law in much of Europe painter Heinrich Hofmann. On tic, non-judgmental way. Lawyer image on February 19, 2019, and glued when he saw it while riding his moped that it is in a gallery or a museum.” and the United States protects artists’ Christ’s torso is Babrow’s telltale tag: Mauro Lanfranconi argued in the law- it soon thereafter onto a travertine one day and decided to use the image — Associated Press

AGRIMOVE Religious artefacts returned Get fresh vegetables, fruits, meat Products & more delivered to Thailand after decades GET NEXT DAY DELIVERY The 680 kilogram antiquities had been stolen and exported Vegetables

from Thailand roughly a half-century ago. Rs. 65 Rs. 110 Rs. 160 Rs. 45 Rs. 140 Rs. 150 Rs. 90 Rs. 60

taken—and did not seek to delay the return of the lintels. “We’re very happy that the Thai lintels have officially returned,” he said. Local Tomato Local CauliFlower Broccoli Nepali Cabbage Capsicum Local Cucumber Carrot Ripe Pumpkin But the museum still main- tains that the lintels may not have been stolen. The artefacts Fruits left Thailand ‘under circum- stances that are very unclear,’ Rs. 340 Rs. 295 Rs. 600 Rs. 380 Rs. 75 Rs. 130 Rs. 128 Rs. 220 Mintz said, and turned up in Europe, where Brundage bought them. No documentation regarding their export from Thailand has ever been found—which US Apple Mango Dragon Fruit Pomegranate Watermelon Papaya Banana Pineapple and Thai authorities say is evi- dence they were stolen. But Mintz says that a lack of evi- Meat Products dence does not mean there is proof that a crime was commit- Rs. 1150 Rs. 1400 Rs. 600 Rs. 850 Rs. 500 Rs. 600 Rs. 450 Rs. 415 AP/RSS ted. Thai dancers perform during a ceremony to return two stolen sandstone The San Francisco city attor- lintels dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries to the Thai government. ney, which represented the museum in litigation, did not STEFANIE DAZIO one of the lintels had been ille- immediately return a request LOS ANGELES gally taken out of Thailand, for comment on Tuesday. Whole Local Chicken Mutton Cut Piece Pork Whole Duck Basa Fish Chicken Keema Egg Buff Sausage the complaint states. Brundage, US officials stressed the Two stolen hand-carved reli- a former controversial presi- importance of repatriating sto- Rice & Flour gious artefacts, sandstone lin- dent of the International len cultural artefacts. The tels dating back to the 9th and Olympic Committee who repatriation ceremony, which Rs. 3200 Rs. 1400 Rs. 2600 Rs. 2800 Rs. 200 Rs. 120 Rs. 160 Rs. 120 10th centuries, were returned donated the art to establish the included Thai dancers and to the Thai government on museum, died in 1975. prayers, was held in Los Tuesday in a ceremony more The museum, however, con- Angeles because the consulate than 50 years overdue. tends that authorities conflated is in the city—which also has The 1,500 pound (680 kilo- the two lintels with a third — the largest Thai population in gram) antiquities had been sto- which Brundage actually the US. Melamchi Basmati - Jeera Masino Melamchi Jeera Basmati - 20kg Phapar ko Pitho Kodo Ko Pitho Jau Ko Chyakhla - 1 Seto Makai Ko len and exported from returned to Thailand in 1970 The Thai ambassador to the 20Kg Brown Rice - 10Kg Masino - 20Kg 1 Kg -1 kg Kg Chyakhla - 1 Kg Thailand—a violation of Thai when he found out it may have US, Manasvi Srisodapol, called law—roughly a half-century been illegally removed from the ceremony part of the lin- ago, authorities said, and the country, according to tels’ ‘sacred journey back for hundreds of more products visit www.agrimove.org donated to the city of San Robert Mintz, deputy director home’ and acknowledged the Francisco, authorities said. of the Asian Art Museum. ongoing illegal trade of Thai Our Guarantee They had been exhibited at the The third lintel was never artefacts in the black market. San Francisco Asian Art part of the San Francisco art “I do wish that the story of Get Next day delivery Museum. collection, Mintz said, and the Thai lintels will help raise PCR Testing done for all delivery person San Francisco, which owns museum officials say there’s no public awareness to prevent the museum, agreed to hand evidence Brundage knew the removal of historic, religious over the ancient sandstone other two lintels may have been and cultural treasures from slabs following a three-year stolen. their original sites in local Safe & contact-less delivery available Digital and card payments accepted investigation by the U.S. The Thai government had communities,” he said. Department of Homeland been trying to get the museum Tatum King, the special Security and a civil lawsuit. to return the other artefacts agent in charge for Homeland The lintels had been structural since 2016. Security Investigations in San Call out hot-line numbers to place your order or get more parts of two religious sanctuar- Mintz said the curators are Francisco, said the case rein- information | Avilable from 8am - 8pm Place your Order Online at ies in northeastern Thailand. entrusted with artefacts held forces the need for museums Records showed that the lin- for the public and it was their and art collectors to inventory NCELL: 9801016851 | 9801016850 Place your order www.agrimove.org GO tels had been obtained by a responsibility to determine if their items and see if any are NTC: 9851216800 | 9851216900 collector in galleries in London any challenges to provenance in fact stolen artefacts. and Paris in the 1960s, accord- are valid. “Museums are often the front We are Also available on Viber and whatsapp ing to the civil complaint. The Mintz said the museum fol- line of this, and we need their collector, Avery Brundage, was lowed its bylaws—which stipu- help,” King said. Accepting Online orders for: Organic Vegetables | Naturally Grown | Fruits | Meat | Fish | Eggs | Dairy & Pickles | Rice & Grains | Super Foods | Other organic local products apparently aware that at least late certain steps must be — Associated Press

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