W I T H O U T F E A R
Nepal’s largest selling English daily
Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj
TODAY
NATIONAL
The government on Tuesday formed
a high-powered committee to probe
an ongoing dispute over payment
dues to be paid by a number of factories
that had been getting power via
dedicated and trunk lines. Pg 3
As many as 115 people have peti-
tioned the government for the rescue
of their relatives currently serving in
the Russian army. As of now, ten Nepali
youths who voluntarily joined the
Russian army have been killed. Pg 3
OPINION
Elections in Pakistan have
become a thriller film, where
the clichéd twists just never
stop, and those watching do not
know whether to be scared or to
laugh at the predictability,
writes Arifa Noor. Pg 4
MONEY
Large cardamom prices have
reached near-record levels, with
one of the world’s most expensive
spices trading at Rs2,150 per kg in the
domestic market this week. It was
Rs1,875 per kg in mid-December. Pg 5
SPORTS
Legend Franz Beckenbauer, who
won the World Cup both as player
and coach and left a unique imprint
on German football, has died at the
age of 78, the German football
association said. Pg 7
O R F A V O U R
Teenage girls in Rukum East live Parties kill National
in terror of outdated traditions Assembly’s spirit
Deep-rooted practices where young girls are forcibly hauled away and abducted
by men for marriage persist in several areas of the western Nepal district.
Members of the Adolescent Girls’ Rights Forum in Putha Uttarganga Rurual Municipality, Rukum East.
q DURGA LAL KC
RUKUM EAST, JAN 9
Last year in June, the locals of Putha
Uttarganga Rural Municipality,
Rukum East, held the Bhume festival
involving shamanistic rituals prac-
tised by the indigenous population. It
is considered a major festival in
Rukum and is celebrated around
mid-July, mid-January and during
Buddha Purnima which falls in April.
Festivals usually are joyous occa-
sions, but for a 17-year-old girl, a grade
12 student, the last Bhume festival left
Nepal asks Covax for 2.5 million doses of Covid vaccines
Infectious disease experts urge the public to follow Covid safety protocol—wear face masks, wash hands and avoid crowds.
q ARJUN POUDEL
KATHMANDU, JAN 9
Amid a risk of the spread of the new
sub-variant of the coronavirus, the
Ministry of Health and Population
has requested the Covax facility for
the supply of 2.5 million doses of
Covid vaccine.
Officials said that the Covax
facility, the United Nations-
backed international vac-
cine-sharing scheme, has agreed
to provide the required number
of vaccine doses, but the date of
supply is yet to be confirmed.
“We will request Covax for
early supply of the vaccine doses
if our demand and uptake of the
vaccine rise,” said Dr Abhiyan
Gautam, chief of the
her scarred for life. A resident of ward
1 of Putha Uttarganga Rural
Municipality, living in a rented
apartment in Bachigaun in ward 10 of
the same rural municipality, was bru-
tally assaulted by four men in public
under the pretext of practising the
age-old tradition of ‘Tani Bibaha’,
which can be loosely translated to
mean ‘hauling a girl against her wish-
es to marry her.’
While the four men dragged the girl
towards them, manhandled her,
assaulted her and forced her to join
them, no one came to the girl’s rescue.
Immunisation Section at the family
Welfare Division under the
Department of the Health Services.
“But despite the rise in risk level and
our request to the risk groups to get
inoculate, the vaccine’s uptake has not
yet increased.”
Nepal on Monday confirmed the
spread of the JN.1 sub-variant of the
coronavirus in the country.
Of the 16 swab samples on which
whole-genome sequencing was car-
ried out at the National Public Health
Laboratory, the JN.1 sub-variant was
detected in seven samples, which is
around 44 percent of the total.
Whole-genome sequencing is a com-
prehensive method of analysing the
entire DNA sequence of an organ-
ism’s genes. Researchers believe that
whole-genome sequencing of the coro-
Vol XXXI No. 317 | 8 pages | Rs.5
Wednesday, January 10, 2024 | 25-09-2080
Among those being elected, there are no field experts.
The post-election upper house will also be less inclusive.
q BINOD GHIMIRE
KATHMANDU, JAN 9
One election at a time, the ruling par-
ties are dismantling the constitutional
spirit of the federal upper house.
As many as 52 candidates from
eight political parties are competing
in the National Assembly elections to
be held later this month to choose a
third of its lawmakers.
While the CPN-UML, Rastriya
Prajatantra Party, Janamat Party and
Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party are
contesting the polls individually on
their own strength, the ruling parties
Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist
Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist) and
Janata Samajbadi Party have fielded
common candidates based on a
seat-sharing deal.
As per the agreement, the Congress,
the largest party in the ruling coali-
tion, has fielded 10 candidates. The
Maoist Centre has fielded candidates
for six positions, while the Unified
Socialist and the Janata Samajbadi
Party have two and one candidates,
POST PHOTO: DURGA LAL KC respectively.
An electoral college of provincial
assembly members, chairs and vice-
A few local women who tried to free chairs of rural municipalities, and
the girl from the men’s grasp were also mayor and deputy mayors of munici-
manhandled. palities, metropolis and sub-metropo-
The person who led the group of lis will vote on January 25 to fill 19 of
men had a wife and two children. He the 20 seats in the upper house that
made his desire public to take the are going vacant from March 3. The
young girl as his second wife and remaining one will be filled through
relied on the outdated tradition to nomination by the President on the
garner support from the locals. government’s recommendation.
The commotion that ensued Among the total vacancies, four are
alerted the local police who reached from the Bagmati Province, three
the incident site and rescued the each from Gandaki, Karnali and
girl from the clutches of the Sudurpaschim provinces, and two
misbehaving men. each from Koshi, Madhesh and
>> Continued on page 2 Lumbini. The upcoming elections will
classifies JN.1 as a separate ‘variant
of interest’ given its rapid spread
around the globe. The UN health body,
however, said that based on available
data, “the additional public health
risk posed by JN.1 is currently evalu-
ated as low”.
Several countries, including China,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia
and Singapore, have reported upticks
in new coronavirus cases. The JN.1
strain, first detected in September in
the United States, is a descendant of
POST FILE PHOTO
BA.2.86, a highly mutated variant of
the Omicron strain of the coronavirus.
India has recently recorded a surge
in new cases of coronavirus infections
navirus could be instrumental in attributed to outbreaks of the sub-var-
tracking the severity and properties iant JN.1 in several states.
of the virus. Health experts attribute the unin-
The World Health Organisation terrupted cross-border movement of
23.6° C -6.1° C
Dipayal Jumla
fill the vacant positions based on pro-
vincial clusters.
As many as 549 provincial assembly
members and 1,498 chiefs and their
deputies of the local units are eligible
to vote in the upper house election.
Their votes have a combined
weightage of 57,559.
A vote of the provincial assembly
member carries a weightage of 53,
whereas it is 19 each for the chief and
deputy chiefs of the local units. As the
ruling parties command a majority in
all the provinces, it is a given that 19
candidates from the four ruling par-
ties will become lawmakers.
Parliament records show that
among the 20 lawmakers who are
retiring, eight (40 percent) are women,
which includes a Janajati and a
Madheshi woman.
The number of
Khas-Arya male
members is increasing
from four to seven.
Three of the 20 are dalits, two are
Janajatis while there is one person
with disability, one Tharu and one
Madheshi male. Only four (20 percent)
are male from the Khas Arya quota.
Bimala Rai Paudyal, appointed by
the President, and Khim Lal Devkota,
elected independently, are considered
experts in their fields.
However, not a single Madheshi male
will be elected this time as the ruling
alliance hasn’t fielded a single candi-
date from the community.
>> Continued on page 2
people to the rise in cases in Nepal.
Thousands of people from both coun-
tries enter each other’s territories
daily on top of the large number of
those using unregulated points along
the porous border.
“Had we carried out gene sequenc-
ing earlier, we could have detected
new sub-variants sooner,” said Dr
Rajiv Shrestha, an infectious disease
expert. “Even in the strict lockdown
period during the first and second
wave of the pandemic, the virus vari-
ant had entered the country within a
month after an outbreak in India. The
JN.1 sub-variant might have entered
Nepal long ago.”
Experts say strict restriction in
public movement is neither possible
nor necessary.
>> Continued on page 2
C M Y K
 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024 | 02

NATIONAL

DISTRICT DIGEST

RPP’s Bista elected Koshi

Speaker unopposed
BIRATNAGAR: Ambar Bahadur Bista of
the Rastriya Prajatantra Party has
been elected Speaker of Koshi
Province unopposed. At the provin-
cial assembly meeting on Tuesday,
Deputy Speaker Srijana Danuwar
announced that Bista had been elect-
ed to the position unopposed as no
other candidates challenged his can-
didacy. The position was vacant since
August 1 after the then Speaker
Baburam Gautam resigned. Bista’s
candidacy was proposed by Rastriya
Prajatantra Party’s provincial assem-
bly leader Bhakti Prasad Sitaula and
seconded by Prem Raj Thamsuhang.
Bista, 70, was elected to the provin-
cial assembly under the proportional
representation system in 2022. The
newly elected Speaker took oath of
office and secrecy from provincial
head Parshuram Khapung.
Men held with 168 kg ganja
PARSA: Birgunj-based border security
of the Armed Police Force arrested
two men and seized 168 kilograms of
marijuana from a pickup vehicle on
Monday. APF Superintendent Kishan
Karmacharya said the vehicle head-
ing for Thori from Birgunj was seized
by security after getting an anony-
mous tip. The marijuana was found
hidden in the vehicle. The seized
drugs, the two men, Rs78,500 cash,
and the vehicle were handed over to
the Nepal Police for further investiga-
tion, said Karmacharya.
Locals march demanding a bridge
BARDIYA: Local residents staged a
demonstration in Gulariya, the dis-
trict headquarters of Bardiya dis-
trict, on Tuesday demanding immedi-
ate reconstruction of Jabdighat
bridge across the Babai river. They
marched through the Gulariya town
and reached the District
Administration Office, where they
submitted memoranda through offi-
cials to the President, Prime Minister,
Minister for Physical Infrastructure
and Transportation and Finance
Minister demanding speedy resump-
tion of the bridge construction work.
Six years ago, a bridge across the
river constructed by Pappu
Construction Company had collapsed
before it could be handed over to the
government.
Villages where girls are coerced into marriage with impunity
>> Continued from page 1
However, when the police tried to
arrest the men and take them to the
local police post, the local leaders
including the people’s representatives
did not let the police take action. The
locals cited the age-old tradition and
protected the men from legal punish-
ment for violating a woman’s body and
dignity.
Chief of the District Police Office,
Deputy Superintendent of Police
Anjana Shrestha, said that although
the distraught girl at first was willing
to file a complaint with the police
against her abusers, she decided
against it fearing backlash from the
locals in her village who had threat-
ened her and her family members of
dire consequences if she took legal
action against the four men.
“Abuse of girls in the name of tradi-
tions such as ‘Tani Bibaha’ happens
more often than one would think. In
far-flung villages of Rukum East, it is
common for men to get away with
such crimes, just because the perpe-
trators are protected by unspoken
local diktats,” said Shrestha. “They
know that the abused girl cannot file a
case with the police as the elders of
her village will stop her from doing so
citing age-old customs. Even if the
girls manage to save themselves, they
suffer from physical and mental trau-
ma and develop post-traumatic stress
disorder.”
Another age-old tradition, whose
corrupt version is still very much in
practice in East Rukum villages, is
‘Chhotti Basne’. According to Megh
Bahadur Shrestha, head of the
District Coordination Committee,
Rukum East, Chhotti Basne is an
ancient custom that has been in prac-
tice in Rukum for generations.
“According to old folk tales and vil-
lage elders, back in the day, a boy
would come to the girl’s house or visit
a public place to woo her into mar-
riage. The boy would sing and dance
and propose to the girl. The girl’s par-
ents would be with her when the boy
arrived for Chhotti. If the girl accept-
ed the proposal, their marriage would
be finalised,” said Megh Bahadur.
However, in the polluted version of
the Chhotti Basne practice, the men
do not seek the girls’ consent. They
strongarm the girl into accompanying
them if they like her.
“When the tradition originated, it
was practised beautifully, whereby
girls had their agency to accept or
reject the man wooing her,” said Megh
Bahadur. “These days, men do not
extend such courtesy to women. They
force themselves onto her and rely on
tradition to protect them from legal
consequences.”
On July 20, 2023, a 20-year-old girl
from Kuchibang in Bhume Rural
Municipality was also assaulted by
four men in the middle of the road.
The girl managed to escape. The men
had recorded a video of the entire
episode and put it up on social media
as a sign of one-upmanship.
The girl, who had to relive the
humiliating experience all over again
since the incident was recorded and
circulated on social media, gathered
the courage to go to the police and file
Taksera village in ward 10 of Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality in Rukum East in this recent photo. Various settlements in the rural
municipality still practice an outdated custom known as Tani Bibaha, where a man forcibly takes a girl to his house against her will for marriage.
a complaint against the perpetrators
on August 13. The police arrested the
four men, all residents of ward 2 of
Bhume Rural Municipality on charges
of indecent behaviour.
The police investigation found the
men guilty, and the district adminis-
tration office made them pay a com-
pensation of Rs20,000 to the girl. No
further legal action was taken against
the men.
Deputy Superintendent of Police
Shrestha said that this is the only case
in the district where action was taken
against men abusing girls in the name
of Tani Bibaha and Chhotti Basne
after a complaint was filed by the
abused girl.
“If society and family members
support the victims of such abuses,
the number of girls registering com-
plaints against their perpetrators will
go up,” said Shrestha. “If legal action
is taken against the guilty, the number
of such incidents will decrease.”
In an independent survey conduct-
ed by the Post among 179 teenage girls
across the nine wards of the Putha
Uttarganga Rural Municipality, 82.68
percent said they had been sexually
abused by men in the name of Tani
Bibaha and Chhotti Basne. The survey
also revealed that the victims of such
abuse were even girls under the age of
11. Similarly, 56.42 percent of girls
have suffered such abuse and violence
at least once, 20.67 percent at least two
to five times, and 5.5 percent more
than five times, the survey revealed.
However, more than 97.20 percent of
the victims have not filed any com-
plaints against their perpetrators and
while some victims have retracted
their initial complaints.
The terror of being abducted on
their way to school or when they are
unaccompanied by adults, has mark-
edly lowered the attendance among
girls of school-going age in local
schools. The survey revealed that 78.77
percent of school-going girls in Putha
Uttarganga Rural Municipality have
low school attendance.
Around 39.10 percent of teenage
girls said their academic performance
is greatly affected by the mental trau-
ma they undergo in fear of being
abducted by men. Among them, 14.52
percent dropped out to avoid being
caught alone and unaware by the men
with sinister intentions.
Fifteen-year-old Nabina Budha from
Bachigaun calls out the patriarchal
misogynist structure of Nepali socie-
ty which emboldens men to commit
such crimes against young girls.
“The people who encourage boys
and men to practice evil traditions
like Tani Bibaha and Chhotti Basne
are the same people who shun an
abused girl when she refuses to accept
marriage to her abuser and wants to
return home after her abduction,” she
said. “If a girl returns after being
abducted, the society rejects and
taunts her. She is then left with no
option but to accept the marriage con-
ducted through Tani Bibaha and
Chhotti Basne.”
Experts say misogynous practices
have adversely affected the lives of
girls and women. “The violence the
young girls are subjected to greatly
affects their health and education.
Such practices even change the course
of their lives,” said Tilak Gautam,
chief of the District Education
Development and Coordination Unit.
Babita Sherpaili, a 16-year-old girl
from Bachigaun, said that as soon as
the boys and men see a girl, they start
teasing and touching them inappro-
priately. “There have been times when
men have followed me and even
entered my house. Some nights we
hear knocks on our door asking us to
POST PHOTO: DURGA LAL KC
let them in,” said Sherpaili. “I can
never rest easy even at home.”
According to Sarita Sherpaili, pres-
ident of Putha Uttarganga Rural
Municipality’s local-level Adolescent
Girls’ Rights Forum, most girls in the
rural municipality get married at 15
or 16. The rise in early marriage is a
direct effect of traditions such as Tani
Bibaha and Chhotti Basne. “Parents
of young teenage girls would rather
marry off their young daughter than
see her subjected to abuse by men in
the village,” she said. “This is also
why early marriage continues to per-
sist in their region.”
Little has been done at the local
level to fight the dehumanising prac-
tices girls are subjected to in East
Rukum. While the vice-chairman of
Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality
Bhupendra Budha Magar admits that
teenage girls are exposed to violation
at the hands of men, she puts the
responsibility of ‘saving’ themselves
squarely on the girls.
“The adolescent girls
themselves should be responsible for
ending the practices. They are easily
influenced by men and give in to the
romantic notion of getting married,”
she said.
Megh Bahadur Shrestha, chief of
the District Coordination Committee,
believes that such deeply-rooted evil
practices can be uprooted through
social awareness and strict legal
action against the perpetrators and
those who condone such practices.
“Rukum earlier had traditions like
Rodhi [a nightly social gathering
where young boys and girls sing and
dance] and cousin marriage where a
man had inherent claims over the
daughters of maternal uncles. Things
are now worse,” said Megh Bahadur.
Child marriage, Tani Bibaha, polyg-
amy and Chhotti Basne practices,
according to Chief District Officer
Madhav Prasad Sharma, are against
the country’s prevailing legal provi-
sions. “We can immediately rescue the
victims and take legal action against
the perpetrators if police are
informed,” said Sharma.
Sections 171, 175, 211, 212, 219 and
224 of the National Penal Code 2017
can be invoked for legal action against
child marriage, Tani Bibaha, polyga-
my and Chhotti Basne practices.
Clause 171 clearly states that no mar-
riage shall be concluded, or caused to
be concluded, without the consent of
the persons getting married. A mar-
riage concluded without the consent
referred to in sub-section shall be void
and a person who commits the offence
shall be liable to a sentence of impris-
onment for a term not exceeding two
years and a fine not exceeding
Rs20,000.
Consent for marriage applies only
to those people who are 20 years of
age. The person who married or
caused to marry the child marriage
shall be liable to a sentence of impris-
onment of up to three years and a fine
of up to Rs30,000.
Similarly, Section 175 says no mar-
ried man shall, during the continua-
tion of the marital relationship, con-
clude another marriage. No woman
shall conclude marriage with a man
knowingly that he is already married.
A person who commits, or abets the
offence shall be liable to a sentence of
imprisonment for a term of one year
to five years and a fine of ten thousand
to fifty thousand rupees.
Sections 211 and 212 of the code
discuss Tani Bibaha. A person who
does or abets any act referred to in
sections 211 or 212 shall be liable to a
jail term of seven to ten years and a
fine between Rs75,000 and Rs100,000.
Most people, however, are unaware
of the legal provisions. “We accepted
to be the wife of the persons who
hauled and snatched us. We thought
that Tani Bibaha and Chhotti Basne
were men’s inherent rights,” said Dil
Jyoti Budha, aged 53, of ward 11 of
Putha Uttarganga. According to her,
many adolescent girls in Rukum East
still believe that their futures are
determined by the men who snatch
them. “Our daughters will be
fortunate if such practices are soon
abolished.”
Senior Sub-Inspector of Police
Dambar Giri, in charge of the Taksera
Area Police Office of the rural munic-
ipality, said that it is difficult for police
alone to control incidents of Tani
Bibaha and Chhotti Basne.
“Due to the interference of leaders
and obstruction by the locals, we have
not been able to detain or take action
against the perpetrators of such
crimes,” said Giri. “This is an evil
practice and must be done away with
or else young girls in Rukum East will
not be able to free themselves from
indignity and inhumanity.”
Sangita Ramjali, a 16-year-old girl
from ward 10 of Putha Uttarganga
Rural Municipality, said that girls in
the villages live in continuous fear of
getting assaulted and abducted by
men in the name of tradition.
“We have to deal with eve-teasing
every day. Men and boys often touch
girls inappropriately in public and
announce their intent to abduct us. It
is scary,” she said. “Nobody under-
stands the fear of being a teenage girl
here. We might be abducted in broad
daylight and forced to be a stranger’s
wife. Everyone protects the boys and
asks the girls to quietly accept misbe-
haviour, misconduct and outright
threats from men.”
(This story has been published in
collaboration with the Centre for
Investigative Journalism-Nepal)

Familiar faces and previously rejected

candidates set to join National Assembly
>> Continued from page 1
Ananda Prasad Dhungana, a Congress leader from Khas
Arya quota, has been fielded from Madhesh Province.
Similarly, only one Janajati male is being elected this time
while there will be no representation of women from the
Janajati cluster. Though the Dalit representation would be
the same, neither a Tharu nor a Muslim is being elected this
time. The number of males from Khas-Aryas is increasing
from four to seven. There are also no field experts among
the new candidates.
Experts say the spirit of the constitution is that the
National Assembly has the representation of reputed per-
sonalities from various walks of life and is inclusive.
However, the current slate of candidates is unlikely to hon-
our that constitutional spirit, they say.
Those represented in the National Assembly either need
to be intellectuals or those who represent marginalised
communities, senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi, who has
expertise in constitutional law, told the Post. “But both
types of representation seem to be missing in the upcoming
elections.”
As per Article 86 of the constitution, 56 out of 59 positions
in the upper house are elected. Each province elects eight
representatives which must have at least three women, one
Dalit and one from persons with disabilities or minorities.
Three are nominated by the President on the recommenda-
tion of the government. As the constitution remains silent
on the representation of Madheshi, Tharu or Muslim, the
ruling parties fielded a Khas Arya candidate even from
Madhesh province.
Som Bahadur Thapa, a former secretary at the parlia-
ment secretariat, said the upper house, worldwide, is con-
sidered the House of intellectuals where the personalities
POST FILE PHOTO
who can vet the work of the House of Representatives are
elected. “But it has turned out to be a place to manage
[employ] leaders and cadres,” he told the Post. “The quality
of representation in the upper house is getting poorer with
time.” He said the composition of those who are retiring
was better than that of those being elected from the upcom-
ing elections.
Most of the candidates picked by the ruling parties are
old faces, many of whom had lost the latest parliamentary
elections. Candidates like Krishna Prasad Sitaula and
Dhungana of the Congress have already held multiple pub-
lic positions and taken up legislative roles.
With 17 seats, the UML is currently the largest party in
the assembly. However, as the ruling alliance is set to win
the nine seats the UML holds, the UML will slip to the third
position. The Maoist Centre with 17 seats is set to become
the largest party in the upper house, followed by the
Congress, which will have 16 seats. The election
results will be published within hours after the polls close
on January 25.

Few vaccine seekers despite JN.1 threat: Official

>> Continued from page 1
What is important is following the
basics—wearing face masks, washing
hands properly and avoiding crowds.
“Elderly people and those with weak
immunity should take extra precau-
tions,” said Shrestha. “Due to the lim-
ited stock of vaccine doses, authori-
ties should administer the doses to
those individuals who have taken only
the first and second doses but not
booster doses.” Over 12,000 people
died and hundreds of thousands were
infected in the first, second and third
waves of the Covid pandemic. Public
health measures have been lifted fol-
lowing the decline in the infection rate
of the Omicron variant in 2021.

C M Y K
03 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024
A vendor basks in the afternoon sun besides stacks of yam at Kalimati vegetable market in Kathmandu recently. Yams hold a special siginificance for the upcoming Maghe Sankranti festival.
115 Nepali families ask government to rescue
their members from the Russian army
Foreign Minister Saud says Qatari officials had pledged that Bipin Joshi would be released when there is another ceasefire in Gaza.
q POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, JAN 9
As many as 115 people have petitioned
the government for the rescue of their
relatives currently serving in the
Russian army, Foreign Minister NP
Saud said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a function in
Kanchanpur on Tuesday, Minister
Saud said that the families of those
who have reached Russia and joined
the army have knocked on the doors
of the Department of Consular
Service of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for their rescue, he said.
As of now, according to the foreign
ministry, ten Nepali youths who vol-
untarily joined the Russian army have
been killed. At least 200 Nepali youths
are estimated to be currently serving
in the Russian army, which recruited
them to fight the Ukrainians.
Scientists map cellular growth
of human limbs
q LI WENFANG
GUANGZHOU, JAN 9
Chinese and British scientists have
mapped the growth and development of
human limbs in utero at the cellular
level, providing insights that could
impact the diagnosis and treatment of
congenital limb syndromes.
A report of the study, conducted by
researchers of China’s Sun Yatsen
University, Britain’s Wellcome Sanger
Institute and their partners, was
published in the international science
journal Nature last month.
As part of the Human Cell Atlas initi-
ative, which aims to chart the types and
properties of all human cells, the
researchers created an atlas character-
ising the cellular landscape and pin-
pointing the exact location of the cells
of early human limbs by applying
single-cell and spatial technologies.
The atlas uncovers new links between
developmental cells and some congeni-
tal limb syndromes, such as short
fingers and extra digits.
Limbs are known to initially emerge
as undifferentiated cell pouches on the
sides of the body, without a specific
shape or function. After eight weeks of
development, they are well differentiat-
ed, anatomically complex and immedi-
ately recognisable as limbs, complete
with fingers and toes.
This requires a very rapid and pre-
cise orchestration of cells. Any small
disturbances to this process can have a
downstream effect, according to Zhang
Hongbo, senior author of the study
Special staining of the tissue revealed how cell populations arrange themselves into patterns of the forming digits.
After a number of Nepali nationals
were reported dead while fighting for
Russia, the foreign ministry sent
two diplomatic notes to the Russian
government seeking repartition of its
nationals and urging Moscow to stop
recruiting Nepalis in its fighting forces.
The foreign minister has also twice
invited Russian Ambassador to Nepal
Alexei Novikov at his office and raised
the concern. “We have a cordial friend-
ship lasting decades. But you did not
discuss with us before recruiting our
nationals,” Saud reportedly told the
Russian ambassador. Saud also reiter-
ated his call for repartition of the
Nepali nationals in the Russian
army and stopping the recruitment
of Nepali nationals to aid Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine.
“Until now, petitions from families
for the rescue of the 115 people have
been filed at the consular department,”
from the Zhongshan School of Medicine
at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou,
Guangdong province.
Abnormalities in the limbs are
among the most frequently reported
syndromes at birth, affecting approxi-
mately one in 500 births globally.
While limb development has been
extensively studied in mouse and chick
models, the extent to which they mirror
the human situation remains unclear,
Zhang said.
In the study, scientists analysed tis-
sues between five and nine weeks of
development. This allowed them to
trace specific gene expression pro-
grams, activated at certain times and
in specific areas, which shape the
forming limbs.
Special staining of the tissue revealed
how cell populations arrange
themselves into patterns of the forming
digits.
In the study, the team identified 67
distinct cell clusters from 125,955 cap-
tured single cells, and spatially mapped
them across four first-trimester time
points to shed new light on limb
development.
he said. “The Russian government has
said that 10 people have died so far. We
have asked them to repatriate those
recruited in their army and send the
bodies back to their families so that
their final rites can be performed.”
After failing to stop Nepalis from
going to both Russia and Ukraine to
join their armies, the government
recently decided not to issue employ-
ment permits for the two countries.
Nepali nationals are now allowed to
serve in foreign armies except in India
and the United Kingdom. But that
hasn’t stopped Nepali youths from
enrolling individually in the militar-
ies of several other countries.
With the help of human traffickers,
many Nepalis have reached Russia on
student and tourist visas and joined
its fighting force. In May, Russia
opened the way for its army to recruit
foreign nationals, with a decree by
The scientists demonstrated that
certain gene patterns have implications
for how the hands and feet form, and
identified certain genes, which, when
disrupted, are associated with specific
limb syndromes like short fingers and
extra fingers or toes.
The team was able to confirm that
many aspects of limb development are
shared between humans and mice.
“For the first time, we have been able
to capture the remarkable process of
limb development down to single-cell
resolution in space and time. Our work
on the Human Cell Atlas is deepening
our understanding of how anatomically
complex structures form, helping us
uncover the genetic and cellular pro-
cesses behind healthy human develop-
ment, with many implications for
research and healthcare,” said Sarah
Teichmann, senior author of the study
from the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
“For instance, we discovered novel
roles of key genes MSC and PITX1 that
may regulate muscle stem cells. This
could offer potential for treating mus-
cle-related disorders or injuries,” she
said in a statement issued earlier.
Although the direct application of
the related technologies in the medical
field remains minimal, an in-depth
understanding of the cell fate would
make its fuller application possible in
the future, Zhang said.
His team is also studying the aging of
human muscles, including the types of
cells in muscles and how the cells
interact to result in muscle aging.
– China Daily
IMAGE FROM CHINA DAILY
President Vladimir Putin.
According to an internal report
Nepal’s Embassy in Moscow sent to
the ministry in Kathmandu, there has
been a surge in the number of Nepalis
working in Russia. Many of them have
reportedly joined the armed forces
following the presidential decree.
Saud made it clear that the govern-
ment has no policy of sending people
to Russia—for any work or to be
recruited in the army.
On the release of Bipin Joshi, who
is still believed to be in the captivity of
the Palestinian militant group Hamas,
Saud said the government has reached
out to several countries including
Qatar and other organisations for his
safe release.
Qatar has pledged to take concrete
steps for the release of Joshi, a
Kanchanpur local held hostage by the
Gaza-based Hamas. Foreign Minister
Panel formed to settle dispute over
power bills due to be paid by factories
Nepal Electricity Authority chief expresses resolve to recover the due amounts
with power supply to two dozen factories being cut off for two weeks.
Operators and workers of factories in Lumbini industrial corridor stage a sit-in recently.
q POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, JAN 9
The government on Tuesday formed
a high-powered committee to probe
the ongoing dispute over dues to be
paid by a number of factories that
had power supplied to them via
dedicated and trunk lines.
Nepal Electricity Authority and
the private sector are at loggerheads
over the issue as industrialists have
refused to pay the extra bill as
claimed by the NEA. Traders argue
that they were unfairly charged
premium rates without supplying
power round-the-clock as promised.
Amid claims and counter claims,
the Cabinet on Tuesday formed a
three-member committee headed by
former Supreme Court Justice
Girish Chandra Lal to conduct an
investigation into the issue and sub-
mit a report, according to Rekha
Sharma, minister for communica-
tion and information technology
who is also the government spokes-
person.
Two joint secretaries—one each
from the industry and energy minis-
tries—will be the members of the
committee, she said.
The Cabinet also decided to
resume power supply to two dozen
factories that were earlier cut off
electricity by the NEA to build
pressure to recover the dues.
According to the NEA, they are
the factories whose claimed unpaid
dues exceed Rs50 million each.
POST PHOTO: SANJOG MANANDHAR
Saud met with Qatari officials recent-
ly and asked them to help secure
Joshi’s release.
The condition of Joshi, who was
captured by the Hamas group from
Israel on October 7, 2023, remains
unknown.
The government is reaching out to
the international community for his
release. It has been three months since
he was detained. Along with Israel,
the government is also in communica-
tion with Qatar and Egypt for the
purpose.
Saud said the release of Bipin Joshi
has been discussed repeatedly with
the Qatar government.
Saud said he has got pledges from
Qatari officials that Joshi will be
released when there is another
ceasefire. During the ceasefire in
November last year, Hamas freed
around 100 hostages.
POST PHOTO: SANJU PAUDEL
Earlier, the Federation of Nepalese
Chambers of Commerce and
Industries had demanded the forma-
tion of the high-powered body to
settle the issue.
The Cabinet decision comes as a
major setback for the NEA, which,
on Tuesday, announced that it had
made arrangements for consumers
who used electricity from dedicated
and trunk lines in the past to pay the
claimed dues in instalments within
five years.
In a notice on Tuesday, the state-
owned power utility said a special
arrangement had been made to allow
consumers to pay dues in instal-
ments within 60 months. The utility
asked such consumers to submit an
application at the distribution cen-
tres concerned for the instalment
arrangement within 30 days.
When the general public faced pro-
longed power cuts in the country
until a few years back, such factories
were provided round-the-clock elec-
tricity with dedicated feeder and
trunk lines.
A dedicated feeder involves the
supply of electricity through a sepa-
rate line directly from a substation.
On the other hand, a trunk line deliv-
ers electricity from the transmission
line to the factory by installing a
transformer inside the factory itself.
NEA claims that the arrangement
was made for some factories on the
condition that they pay premium
tariff (more than normal tariff) but
factory owners are claiming they
NEWS
Police arrest Ram
Bahadur Bomjan
The controversial ‘spiritual
leader’ was wanted for
different charges including
sexual exploitation.
POST FILE PHOTO
q POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, JAN 9
A team of the Central Investigation
Bureau on Tuesday arrested Ram
Bahadur Bomjan, a controversial
‘spiritual leader’. An official at the
bureau said Bomjan was arrested
from a house in Budhanilkantha,
Kathmandu.
Police were searching for him for
the past few years for different
charges including sexual exploitation
of his disciples.
In July 2020, a case of sexual
exploitation was filed against Bomjan
in the District Court in Sarlahi. The
chargesheet accuses Bomjan of rap-
ing a 15-year-old girl who was staying
in his ashram in Pattharkot, Sarlahi,
as an Aani (Nun). The case stated that
he raped the minor by luring her to
his private quarters at 9:20pm on
August 4, 2016. He has further been
charged with threatening the girl
with consequences if she relayed the
incident to others.
Bomjam was also wanted by the
authorities for the disappearances of
four of his disciples.
In June 2020, a joint team from the
Central Investigation Bureau, the
Bagmati Provincial Police and the dis-
trict police offices in Kavre,
Sindhupalchok and Sarlahi raided his
ashram in Pairey Sindhuli, but could
not locate him.
He had shot to fame in 2005 for alleg-
edly meditating for months without
food, water or sleep. He had been
dubbed the ‘Buddha Boy’ by the media.
After emerging from his meditation,
he and his followers had set up ash-
rams in Bara, Sarlahi, Sindhupalchok
and Sindhuli districts.
wouldn’t pay the claimed dues as
they didn’t receive regular supply.
According to the NEA, it needs to
recover over Rs22 billion in unpaid
dues from 61 consumers, with one—
Jagdamba Steel—alone owing as
much as Rs4.14 billion.
In order to recover the claimed
dues, the NEA also extended an olive
branch to the factories, giving them
a five-year timeline to pay the dues
in instalments.
“With the country’s economy
struggling and amid claims that
businesses are not doing well, we
announced this facility as a win-win
strategy for both the NEA and the
industrialists,” said NEA spokesper-
son Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai.
“This is only for those who have
consumed electricity via trunk and
dedicated lines.”
Earlier in the day, NEA Managing
Director Kul Man Ghising, who is
determined to recover the dues,
made it clear that there was no
choice for the factory owners but to
pay the dues.
Speaking at the infrastructure
development committee of the House
of Representatives on Tuesday,
Ghising said that the factories that
consumed electricity from dedicated
and trunk lines must pay the bills
based on the premium tariff.
From the perspective of justice to
the general public who endured pro-
longed power cuts, the factories that
were supplied round-the-clock elec-
tricity must pay a higher tariff, he
reasoned.
According to the power utility,
even though those factories paid reg-
ular bills, they did not pay additional
tariffs.
“Various agencies including the
Commission for Investigation of
Abuse of Authority have told us to
recover the dues,” Ghising said.
“The Electricity Regulatory
Authority has also given us written
instruction to recover the dues.”
On the other hand, the industrial-
ists refusing to pay the claimed dues
say the NEA must first produce
evidence that they were supplied
round-the-clock electricity during
the load-shedding period.
Amid divergent claims by the NEA
and the industrialists, the Federation
of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce
and Industry said in a statement on
December 25 last year that the issue
should be settled through a high-pow-
ered commission.
C M Y K
 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024 | 04

OPINION

Six years of provincial assemblies

OUR VIEW GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY

Around 450 laws have been

Harvesting hope enacted in the seven
The country should now focus on commercialising provinces, but they often
paddy production, targeting the urban population. look like federal laws' replica.
Nepal’s paddy fields continue to defy expectations. According KHIM LAL DEVKOTA
to a preliminary forecast by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock Development, the country is expected to produce
5.72 million tonnes of paddy this fiscal year, up 4.33 percent
from last year. This comes as a great relief for the farmers of
a country that has long struggled with low paddy output and
high inflation. And at a time when nations, including ours,
are struggling with rice shortages and price hikes in essential
The 2015 Constitution of Nepal recog-
grains, this is a much-needed shot in the arm. nises provincial legislative bodies,
In April last year, South Asian meteorologists warned that known as provincial assemblies, as
the El Niño effect would bring below-normal monsoon rains unicameral entities. The province
or drought-like conditions in Nepal. The South Asian Climate assemblies have twice the number of
Outlook Forum-25, Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and members elected to the House of
Representatives (HoRs) from the
Meteorology and agricultural scientists seconded that, worry-
ing about a possible drop in paddy output. Due to unpredicta- respective province through the first-
ble rainfalls, floods, and monsoon delays, the efforts of our past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system.
This number constitutes 60 percent of
farmers have indeed gone to waste in past years. This year,
the assembly, while the remaining 40
interestingly, defying the odds brought about by El Niño, the percent are elected through the propor-
country is set to record its highest-ever production. tional electoral system. Through this
The bumper harvest will also boost the country’s ailing methodology, provincial assembly
economy, contribute to gross domestic product and help tame members across the seven provinces
inflation (the central bank’s new report on December 2023 total 550; while 330 members are elected
shows the mid-October to mid-November inflation rate of 5.38 through the FPTP electoral system, 220
percent). Currently, paddy contributes 4 percent to the coun- are elected through the proportional
try’s GDP; it is said that if paddy production is up 10 percent, electoral system.
Federal law stipulates that political
it pushes the economy in the same direction by 1 percent. The
parties must guarantee representation
increased output will also offset rice imports from India, from diverse demographic sections,
thereby controlling spiralling market prices. groups, and castes—such as women,
This, of course, shouldn’t invite complacency as the effects Dalit, indigenous nationalities,
of climate change are real and many districts of the southern Madhesi, Tharu, Muslims, etc. when
plains, like Siraha and Dhanusha, are still highly vulnerable selecting candidates for the provincial
to droughts as well as monsoon floods. These Tarai districts assembly through the proportional
also lack good irrigation facilities and tubewells. Similarly, electoral system. Furthermore, the law
the country has yet to boost paddy production through spring mandates that at least one-third of the
total members elected from each politi-
paddy. Rice is currently planted on just 104,712 hectares
cal party representing the provincial
despite having 1.43 million hectares suitable for it. assembly must be women.
Achieving record production is a huge achievement for a The first election for the provincial
rice-dependent country like ours; however, we should think assembly took place on November 26
one step ahead now. For that, the country should focus on and December 7, 2017, coinciding with
commercialising paddy production, targeting the urban popu- the parliamentary election. The sec-
lation who consume long-slender grains and basmati (aromat- ond-term provincial assembly election,
ic) rice. Nepal still doesn’t produce these varieties. The area alongside the parliamentary election,
under paddy production has dropped by 1.73 percent this fis- occurred on November 20, 2022. As the
provincial assemblies cross the six-
cal year, which should be a matter of concern too.
year mark, examining how they have
Previously, in 2020-21, when the country harvested 5.62 mil- been functioning is pertinent.
lion tonnes of paddy—a record high then—migrant workers
had returned home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and farm- Legislative success
ers were given sufficient fertilisers. The country also had a In Koshi Province, the provincial
favourable monsoon. This year, too, there was a reduction in assembly comprises 93 members, with
post-harvest losses and increased farm mechanisation as 56 elected through the first past the
Nepal imported chemical fertilisers worth Rs40 billion. The post electoral (FPTP ) system and 37
farmers should continue to get the same kind of support in through proportional representation.
The province couldn’t finalise its name
the subsequent years. Moreover, the country has to devise
during the initial five-year term. On
ways to entice migrant workers to make money through March 1, 2023, during the second term,
urban market-centred paddy production. it was officially named ‘Koshi
We shouldn’t forget how the country suffered when India, Province’. The provincial assembly
the second biggest rice-producing country in the world after includes seven parliamentary thematic
China, last year banned the export of non-basmati rice that is committees, including the Finance
cooked in most Nepali kitchens. Time has come to heed the Committee. However, a year into the
concerns of tens and thousands of rice farmers and support second term, the parliamentary com-
them in every way. mittees are headless. The provincial
assembly formulated 62 bills in this
first tenure. According to Gopal
Parajuli, secretary of the province, in
the first year of the second term, five
bills, including those associated with
the budget, have been approved. In the
first term, the assembly conducted 10
sessions and organised 294 meetings.
In Madhesh, there are 107 members;
64 are elected through the FPTP elec-
toral method and 43 through propor-
tional representation. On January 17,
2022, the assembly named the province
Madhesh Province, with Janakpur as
the capital. The province assembly
operated with seven parliamentary the-
matic committees, including the
Province Affairs Committee. According
to Manoj Giri, secretary of the provin-
cial assembly, this province approved
55 bills during its first five-year term.
In the first year of the second term,
only three budget-related bills have
been approved. The assembly conduct-
ed nine sessions throughout the first
term and held 228 meetings.
In Bagmati, there are 110 provincial
assembly members; 66 are elected
through the FPTP method and 44
through proportional representation.
On January 12, 2020, the assembly offi-
cially named the province Bagmati
Province, designating Hetauda as its
capital. The assembly includes five par-
liamentary thematic committees,
including the Finance and Development
Committee. However, despite the fact
that it has been over a year since the
assembly’s formation, the committee
president has yet to be elected.
Assembly secretary Krishna Hari
Khadka says the province issued 70
bills during the first five-year tenure.
In the initial year of the second term,
eight bills, including those related to
the budget, have been approved. The
assembly conducted 10 sessions
throughout the first term and held 252
meetings.
In Gandaki, there are 60 members; 36
are elected through the FPTP method
and 24 through proportional rep-
resentation. On July 2, 2018, the assem-
bly designated Pokhara as the prov-
ince’s capital, and during the assembly
meeting on July 6, 2018, it was named
Gandaki province. The assembly func-
tioned with four parliamentary themat-
ic committees, including the Public
Accounts Committee. According to
Hari Raj Pokhrel, assembly secretary,
the province issued 59 bills during the
initial five-year tenure. Seven bills,
including those related to the budget,
have been approved in the first year of
the second term. The assembly con-
ducted 10 sessions and held 301 meet-
ings during its first five-year term.
In Lumbini, there are 87 members; 52
are elected through the FPTP method
and 35 through proportional rep-
resentation. On October 6, 2020, the
province assembly officially named the
province Lumbini Province and desig-
nated Deukhuri in Dang as its capital.
The assembly includes six parliamen-
tary thematic committees, including
the Province Affairs and Law
Committee. However, despite more
than a year since the formation of the
province assembly, the presidents
of these committees have yet to be
selected.
According to Durlab Kumar Pun
Magar, assembly secretary, the assem-
bly approved 72 bills during the initial
five-year tenure. Four bills, including
those related to the budget, have been
approved in the first year of the second
term. The assembly conducted 10 ses-
sions throughout the first term and
held 209 meetings.
In Karnali, there are 40 province
assembly members; 24 were elected
through the FPTP method and 16
through proportional representation.
On February 24, 2018, the province
assembly officially named the province
Karnali Province and designated
Surkhet as its capital. The assembly
operated with four parliamentary the-
matic committees, including the
Province Affairs Committee. According
to assembly secretary Jivraj
Budhathoki, during the initial five-
year tenure, the province issued 53
bills. Only four bills, including
budget-related ones, were approved in
the first year of the second term. The
assembly conducted 10 sessions
POST FILE PHOTO
throughout the first term and held 217
meetings.
In Sudhurpaschim, there are 53 prov-
ince assembly members; 32 are elected
through the FPTP method and 21
through proportional representation.
On September 28, 2018, the province
assembly officially named the province
Sudurpaschim Province and designat-
ed Godavari as its capital. The assem-
bly functioned with four parliamentary
thematic committees, including the
Legislative and Provincial Affairs
Committees. However, despite more
than a year since the formation of the
province assembly, the committee pres-
idents have yet to be elected. According
to assembly secretary Dev Bahadur
Bogati, during the initial five-year ten-
ure, this province approved 67 bills.
Four bills, including those related to
the budget, have been approved in the
first year of the second term. The prov-
ince assembly conducted 10 sessions
and held 262 meetings during its first
term.
The primary role of provincial
assemblies is crafting laws and ensur-
ing accountability of the provincial
government to its citizens. Over the
last five years, approximately 450 laws
have been enacted across the seven
provinces. However, these legislations
reflect a rush to establish laws under
the new constitutional mandate, result-
ing in some being replicas of federal
laws and lacking prioritisation.
Significantly, some of these laws
remain unimplemented, attributing to
the provincial governments’ reliance
on the central leadership. This depend-
ence has limited the effectiveness of
provinces in decision-making, exempli-
fied by inactive parliamentary commit-
tees in a few provinces. Provincial
assemblies and governments have
encountered numerous internal and
external challenges hindering their
progress. It’s vital for them to
operate with the conviction that height-
ened activity and efficiency lead to
amplified visibility and accountability
to the people they serve in achieving
their goals.

THEIR VIEW
Street sounds Silence of the politicos
It continues to echo the heartbeat of democracy, Elections have become a as a group of independents. Hamza (hardly the party’s crowd pull- appointed member.
And while Haq may have convinced ers) who are addressing election cam- Is the mild-mannered Clark Kent,
urging us all to listen and respond. horror show, with parties some about his concern for the hapless paign events, lending credence to aka Barrister Gohar, the man of the
people of Pakistan, one can only rumours that the powers that be are moment, or is it Sher Afzal Marwat,

In a modern world marked by the sway of technology, the streets

disregarding campaigns and assume this new alliance had also been
dreamt up around the same conference
concerned about the PML-N’s absence
from the ground. Whether this lack of
who seems to be the product of the
DNA of Amitabh Bachchan and
persist as a dynamic arena for upholding democratic rights. Recent
events, such as the trucker protests and the farmers’ agitation in
prioritising internal politics. table where the brainstorming for the
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and
action is Nawaz’s plan of action is hard
to say. After all, he has always kept his
Charles Bronson combined? If TikTok
were the political stage, there would be
India, spotlight the unmistakable influence of street politics in chal- PTI-Parliamentarians took place. For cards close to his chest. no question about who is in charge.
lenging the existing order. The trucker protests against hit and-run ARIFA NOOR why else would Buzzy come out of his The Pakistan People’s Party is quite Politics is now the name we give to
penal provisions in the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) stand as a self-isolation? This was his ‘press con- active in comparison, but its activity is slo-mo videos of lawyers walking to
contemporary testament to the potency inherent in the collective ference’, for sure. being led by Bilawal, who just recently and fro.
voice of citizens. The decision to conclude the nationwide strike The only party which should be wor- was locked in a teeny, tiny confronta- Last but not least comes the Maulana,
after engaging in discussions with the Ministry of Home Ministry rying about this new political contrap- tion with his father for being a bit too who says he doesn’t know who is target-
underscores the pivotal role of consultative processes in shaping tion is the Pakistan Muslim League critical of the choosers and shakers. ing him or causing unrest in Khyber
legislation. (Nawaz) (PML-N), as it means another Those days seem to have passed, Pakhtunkhwa, but he wants elections
This moment underscores a crucial lesson. Unilateral governmen- lot of Punjabi politicians with some because he has now been anointed the delayed. Who is targeting him? He
tal actions, detached from stakeholder involvement, risk estranging Elections in Pakistan have become a doesn’t know. How long does he want
the very populace they aim to serve. The critique of legislative strat- thriller film, where the clichéd twists elections delayed? He doesn’t know.
egies employed by the authorities, seen in instances like the CAA- just never stop, and those watching do But he does know that he could move
NRC-NPR combination and the farm laws, reveals a pattern of creat- not know whether to be scared or to around in 2008 and 2013, and hence 2024
ing targets through coercive legal measures. The aftermath, epito- laugh at the predictability. On Sunday, is just worse because he now can’t, he
mised by the protracted farmers’ agitation, echoes a sentiment that barely had the palpitations over the argued in a recent interview. And so
reverberates globally—legislation bereft of consultation can sow Senate resolution asking for a delay in worried is he that he is now willing to
discord and dissatisfaction. What emerges from this scrutiny is an elections subsided when news arrived support a Senate resolution passed by a
appeal for the political opposition to draw insights from effective of yet another press conference. dozen men from the Balochistan
protest movements. The farmers’ agitation, deeply rooted in cultural This time around, no one turned up Awami Party (BAP). Like them, per-
solidarity, exemplifies the patient success of Satyagraha politics. to denounce May 9 and/ or announce haps, he has also received an offer he
The encouragement for the opposition lies in assimilating the retirement from politics (or shake can’t refuse.
lessons from sustained socio-political movements, recognising the hands with leaders of the Istehkam-i- But what is more worrying are
diverse demographics involved, including the pivotal roles played by Pakistan Party). Instead, it was Ijazul accounts that some in the government
youth and women. The narrative extends beyond immediate circum- Haq, who recently had his papers have advised him to go sort out his
stances, drawing parallels with global movements like Black Lives rejected and then accepted, announc- problems with the government in
Matter. It underscores the necessity for an actively engaged citizen- ing yet another save-the-nation front. Kabul; a tacit admission that the state
ry to counterbalance institutions that may stray from the principles Haq—who can be described as, at can no longer ensure his safety and he
of the rule of law. best, a less-entertaining version of should figure it out himself.
The argument evolves, advocating for a focus on strengthening Sheikh Rashid (before the latter discov- Once all of this is put together, it
people rather than institutions, echoing historical examples like the ered the magic of chillas and found doesn’t just resemble a Ramsay broth-
Right to Information Act and the Scheduled Tribes and Other inner peace and outer silence)--ap- ers’ horror film, but a conclusion that
Traditional Forest Dwellers Act. The contention posits that a decen- peared out of the blue to announce that AP/RSS there is hardly any party out there
tralised approach, involving grassroots-based community organisa- no one (among his ilk) cared for the backing are going to be aspiring to win party’s candidate for prime minister. worried about campaigning just a
tion, remains a robust strategy against excess. While acknowledging people and how he and his companions some seats from the province. The He must have reassured his father that month before the election. Each one of
the hurdles, the narrative encourages the opposition to build trust, were now going to be their saviours. sweeping majority the PML-N could he will continue to be diplomatic once them is busy dealing with internal pol-
partake in collective deliberation, and leverage the force of people’s He was flanked by (surprise, sur- have counted on in the absence of the he is made PM for this decision to have itics and managing their critical rela-
power. It asserts that, in the face of a defining national election, the prise) Usman Buzdar, the man for PTI seems to be at risk from these new been made. That the son is no longer tionship with the saas (who was never,
opposition must grasp the socio-historical realities and the vigour whom the powers that be had had their claimants. speaking so loudly about a level playing ever the bahu).
of street politics in safeguarding the democratic fabric. hearts broken by Imran Khan. There But then, these real-world events field may also indicate he has been And if there is any politics taking
In essence, this perspective constructs a compelling narrative that was also Amin Aslam, but he did not would only be worrying the party if it schooled appropriately. place, it is via television interviews,
interlaces recent events, historical precedents, and global move- really cause any hearts to flutter, either emerged from the conference room it PTI can barely be bothered about the Senate resolutions and court cases. It’s
ments to articulate a persuasive argument for people-powered earlier or with his Sunday appearance. entered some moons ago to decide appearance of Buzzy and Amin Aslam. a right horror show, and we are not just
democracy. It serves as a rallying call for a more conscientious, The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) party tickets. It is hard to tell when its It doesn’t just have its hands full with the audience but the unsuspecting
engaged, and resilient opposition, steering clear of the pitfalls of now has as many breakaway factions Rip Van Winkle-like leaders will wake court cases, but also with new and cheerleader about to be chased through
unilateral legislation and steering towards a democracy invigorated as there are sequels to Mission up, open the doors and step out into the newer members as the older ones the woods.
by the vitality of its streets. The streets, it seems, continue to echo Impossible. One can only guess why fog of elections. Campaigning seems to depart quick and fast. It is hard to
the heartbeat of democracy, urging us all to listen and respond. this latest faction or group has come to be far from the party’s mind. tell who is running the party and Noor is a journalist.
— The Statesman (India)/ANN the fore, even though it was packaged Interestingly, it is Shehbaz and who is just an enthusiastic, newly — Dawn (Pakistan)/ANN

C M Y K
05 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024

MONEY
FOREX

US Dollar
Euro
133.29
145.75
Large cardamom prices reach near-record levels
Pound Sterling 169.5 The spice, which is among the most expensive in the world, was traded at Rs2,150 per kg in the domestic market this week.
Swiss Franc 156.66 q POST REPORT Customs, the country exported 2,374
KATHMANDU, JAN 9 tonnes of large cardamom worth
Australian Dollar 89.21 Rs3.09 billion in the first five months
Large cardamom prices have reached of the current fiscal year ended in
Canadian Dollar 99.68 near-record levels, with one of the mid-December. Exports were 3,402
world’s most expensive spices trading tonnes worth Rs2.72 billion in the
Singapore Dollar 100.17 at Rs2,150 per kg in the domestic same period last fiscal year.
Japanese Yen (10) 9.25 market this week. Nepal exported 9,990 tonnes of large
It was Rs1,875 per kg in mid- cardamom worth Rs8.27 billion in the
Chinese Yuan 18.6 December. last fiscal year compared to 5,367
The large cardamom grown in tonnes worth Rs4.81 billion in 2021-22.
Saudi Arab Riyal 35.54 Nepal, known as Alaichi, is one of According to the Agriculture
Nepal’s largest export crops. Ministry statistics, Nepal produced
Qatari Riyal 36.56 Large cardamom is harvested from over 10,000 tonnes of large cardamom
mid-August to mid-November. in the last fiscal year. In 2019-20, out-
Thai Bhat 3.81 At the start of the season this year, put was 9,545 tonnes, which dropped to
UAE Dhiram 36.29 the spice was being traded at Rs1,250 8,289 tonnes in 2020-21. In 2021-22, pro-
per kg, according to the Federation of duction rose slightly to 8,714 tonnes.
Malaysian Ringgit 28.7 Large Cardamom Entrepreneurs Farmers are expanding the large
Association of Nepal. Birtamod in cardamom acreage beyond the eastern
Korean Won (100) 10.1 Jhapa is the main trading hub of the hill districts. The spice is being grown
Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank valuable spice. in Dadeldhura and Lamjung too.
Subash Bhattarai, vice president of Large cardamom is grown on 18,000
SHARES the Large Cardamom Entrepreneurs hectares in Nepal. Domestic consump-
2,080.12pts Association of Nepal, said that the tion of large cardamom is minimal.
Nepse (in percent)
1% price may breach the 2014 level this Nepali traders were also making
year. efforts to export large cardamom to
HIGHEST GAINERS
In 2014, large cardamom hit an all- Bangladesh directly through the
KRBL SINDU KMCDB SAPDBL USHL TVCL
time high of Rs2,500 per kg. Kakarbhitta-Panitanki-Phulbari route
10 10 10 10 10 10
“There is a huge overseas demand as demand has increased there, trad-
MODERATE GAINERS
for the spice as output dropped sharp- ers said.
UPCL ENL SPIL AVYAN KBL LEC
0.1 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.06 0.05 ly in Nepal, the top producer, includ- The 44-km route provides the short-
ing in India,” said Bhattarai. est access to the Bangladeshi border
MODERATE LOSERS
Nepal is the largest producer of point of Banglabandha for Nepal’s
SIGS2 USLB NIBLGF SFEF NICAD8283 AKPL
-0.23 -0.13 -0.12 -0.12 -0.1 -0.05 large cardamom, accounting for 68 trade with and through Bangladesh.
HIGHEST LOSERS percent of the global production, fol- Nepali large cardamom or black
DLBS CHDC BHDC SMHL MANDU KPCL
lowed by India and Bhutan. cardamom has a distinct flavour pro-
-8.19 -5.9 -5.7 -5.29 -5.28 -5.09 The spice is grown in Sikkim, file due to a specific method of post-
Darjeeling and Bhutan. Large carda- harvest drying in bhattis (ovens),
mom was introduced in Ilam from POST FILE PHOTO which explains the roasted smell and
Sikkim in 1865. Nepal is the largest producer of large cardamom, accounting for 68 percent of the global production, followed by India and Bhutan. taste.
BULLION PRICE PER TOLA
Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung, The smoky flavour would over-
Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Bhojpur sharply, and as a result demand for the 60 percent of India’s large cardamom between the qualities. whelm a sweet cake or pudding, but in
Fine Gold Rs 118,600 and Dhankuta districts are the major commodity has increased,” said exports. Large cardamom pods are In 2014, large cardamom hit an all- a spice rub for roasted meat or a
large cardamom-producing districts Bhattarai. used by the local Muslim community time high of Rs2,500 per kg. Since full-flavoured stew, it imparts a smoul-
Silver Rs 1,415 in Nepal. India is the biggest buyer of Nepal’s in biryani, a popular Pakistani dish, then, prices have been going steadily dering depth no other spice can,
The large cardamom output large cardamom, absorbing 99 percent as a symbol of prosperity and wealth. downhill, sinking to a low of Rs700 per according to experts.
SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA dropped by 60 percent year-on-year of its exports. The spice is re-exported According to Bhattarai, large carda- kg in mid-July in 2022. In February 2021, the process of
due to drought and pest problems in to Pakistan and the Middle East where mom has three types depending on Large cardamom is a high-value identifying and registering five spe-
the key producing areas, said it fetches high prices because of local quality. cash crop and a major source of cies of large cardamom indigenous to
Bhattarai. preference for the Nepali product. The ‘jumbo jet’ is a big one, the income for farmers in the mountains Nepal formally began paving the way
BIZLINE “The old stock got cleared last year. Pakistan is the largest importer of standard one and the third normal. and hills of eastern Nepal. for claiming the rights of ownership
This year, the production dropped large cardamom, purchasing roughly There is a difference of Rs1,000 According to the Department of and patenting them internationally.

Ryanair demands ‘significant’

Boeing improvement
LONDON: Ryanair chief executive
Michael O’Leary on Tuesday called
on Boeing to “significantly improve”
A short history of Boeing 737 MAX Himalaya Airlines becomes IOSA
registered operator
quality control of its aircraft after a q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
panel blew out mid-flight on one of PARIS, JAN 9 Twin disasters
its planes. In an interview with the Tragedy strikes on October 29, 2018.
Financial Times, the boss of the Irish Boeing’s 737 MAX, which suffered a dramatic A MAX operated by Lion Air vanishes
no-frills airline demanded to a lesser blowout of a fuselage panel during a flight from radars shortly after taking off from the q POST REPORT
extent improvements also at over the US state of Oregon, has had a turbu- Indonesian capital Jakarta and crashes into KATHMANDU, JAN 9
European aircraft manufacturer lent time in the seven years since it took to the Java Sea, killing all 189 people onboard.
Airbus. On Friday, Alaska Flight 1282 the skies. Here is a short history of the ill- Less than five months later, on March 10, Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China
departed from Portland International starred plane. 2019, another MAX crashes into a field min- joint venture, has become an
Airport and was gaining altitude utes after takeoff from the Ethiopian capital IOSA registered operator, the
when the cabin crew reported a Born to chase Airbus of Addis Ababa for Nairobi, Kenya. first airline in Nepal to do so.
“pressurization issue”, according to Boeing begins developing the MAX in August All 157 passengers and crew are killed. The International Air
the Federal Aviation Administration. 2011 to try to catch up with European rival The successive disasters force the Transport Association (IATA)
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 quickly Airbus in the lucrative market for single-aisle grounding of the worldwide MAX fleet for 20 Operational Safety Audit (IOSA)
returned to the US hub, while the planes used on short and medium-haul months as investigators probe defects in its is the benchmark for global safety
aircraft model has been grounded flights. flight control software, the MCAS anti-stall management in airlines. The
for inspections. (AFP) Airbus had been swamped with system. career said that the issuance of
orders since launching a new version of The investigations conclude that both acci- IOSA certification by the IATA on
its A320 model offering fuel savings of dents were caused by the failure of a sensor December 28 has validity until
Eurozone stocks skid up to 20 percent—the A320 Neo—a year that wrongly triggered the MCAS, causing it March 3, 2025.
lower on German gloom earlier. to push down the nose of the plane while the The certificate reads,
Boeing responds with a more fuel-efficient pilots were trying to gain height. “Himalaya Airlines Pvt Ltd has PHOTO COURTESY: HIMALAYA AIRLINES
LONDON: Eurozone stock markets slid
Tuesday as news of a shock contrac- version of its popular 737, the world’s been successfully registered a trusted airline in the global avi- ing trust and confidence amongst
tion in German industrial output best-selling airliner, which enters service in Second wind as an IOSA operator by the provi- ation community. We look for- the passengers, contributing sig-
fanned fears over the health of May 2017. The MAX is cleared to return to service in sions of the IOSA Program ward to continuing to raise the nificantly towards the growth
Europe’s top economy. Asian equities November 2020. Manual.” bar in the years to come.” and development of air travel in
however enjoyed a much-needed Initial strong demand “I think we come out of here leaner and Vijay Shrestha, vice-president Deputy Director General of the the country.”
bounce Tuesday after a dour start to With orders pouring in from airlines using smarter... but most importantly, safer,” of Himalaya Airlines, said, “This Aviation Safety and Security Himalaya Airlines has four air-
2024, with Tokyo scoring a three-dec- large single-aisle planes for long-haul flights, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun says. milestone signifies a positive Regulation Directorate Nabina craft in its fleet: three Airbus 320
ade high after a rally on Wall Street. Boeing struggles to keep up with demand. Two months later, Boeing agrees to pay $2.5 shift in Nepal’s aviation industry. Karmacharya said, “On behalf of and one Airbus 319. It currently
Crude futures also rebounded, one By the end of January 2019 it has delivered billion in fines to settle a criminal probe with We are proud to lead by example, the Civil Aviation Authority of operates flights to the UAE,
day after slumping following a sharp 350 MAX planes, with more than 5,000 others the US Department of Justice over claims it setting new benchmarks for safe- Nepal, I commend Himalaya Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi
price cut by Saudi Aramco—which on order. defrauded regulators overseeing the 737 ty and operational excellence.” Airlines for their exceptional ded- Arabia, Kuwait, Bangladesh
had fanned concerns that supply was Forced to announce delays in deliveries to MAX. “This certification not only val- ication to safety leading to the and China. Himalaya flies
outstripping demand. Yet Frankfurt clients, it sends some of its own employees to By mid-2021, as domestic travel begins to idates our ongoing efforts to prestigious IOSA certification. to five cities in China—Beijing,
and Paris stocks each dropped 0.5 per- work alongside engine-maker CFM to try recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the maintain the highest safety “This accomplishment of Qingdao, Shanghai, Chongqing
cent in early afternoon. (AFP) speed up production. plane’s fortunes start to look up again. standards but also positions us as Himalaya has helped in reinforc- and Lhasa.

Swiss central bank

logs loss after rate hikes
ZURICH: Switzerland’s central bank
expects to have logged a loss of three
billion Swiss francs ($3.5 billion) last
CES gadget fest a showcase for AI-infused lifestyle
year, it said Tuesday, as it was hit by q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE multiple languages simultaneously, and glasses
its own interest rate hikes. The loss LAS VEGAS, JAN 9 for augmented reality that essentially turn the
means the country’s government and space in front of a viewer into a screen they can
cantons will not receive their annual From self-driving baby carriages to ChatGPT in control with gestures.
pay-out from the Swiss National Bank Volkswagen cars, artificial intelligence is expect- Apple, which is not at CES, said Monday that it
for a second year in a row, it said. ed to be center stage at the CES gadget extrava- will release its highly anticipated Vision Pro
Like other central banks worldwide, ganza that formally opens Tuesday in Las Vegas. mixed reality headset in the United States on
the SNB has raised its interest rates The annual Consumer Electronics Show boasts February 2, in its first major product release
out of negative territory in efforts to more than 3,500 exhibitors and is expecting since the Apple Watch in 2015.
tame inflation. This meant that the around 130,000 visitors. Announced in June, the Vision Pro will cost a
SNB had to pay interest to banks Companies big and small hosted previews for hefty $3,499 before tax, more than double the
parking their money at the central the press on Monday, with AI a repeated mantra price of Meta’s top-of-the-range Quest Pro head-
bank. Previously, it was the banks as they pitched products promising better lives. set. “The era of spatial computing has arrived,”
that had to pay interest on the money LG chief executive William Cho said the world said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, calling the Vision
they had to deposit at the SNB as the is at “a historical turning point” due to AI. Pro “the most advanced consumer electronics
rates were in negative territory. (AFP) His company aims to be part of that transfor- device ever created.”
mation, tapping into data gathered by sensors in CES exhibitor and attendee numbers have
hundreds of millions of smart devices in use jumped each year since the Covid-19 pandemic
EU examines Microsoft around the world to detect patterns of behavior caused it to be an online-only event in 2021.
investment in OpenAI and provide insights, Cho said. While the show is increasingly a showcase for
BRUSSELS: The European Union’s com- “We have a unique opportunity to leverage the startups, big brands such as Amazon, Google,
petition regulator said Tuesday it was real-life data gathered across devices in real- Intel, Netflix, Samsung, Sony and TikTok will
looking into Microsoft’s investment time. Of course, with your permission,” he said. also be there. “There’s some exciting innovation’
into ChatGPT developer OpenAI to LG, Samsung and other TV titans also there’s some boring innovation, and there’s some
see if it merits further investigation showcased AI enhancements to vastly improve just really plain weird innovation,” said
under the bloc’s merger rules. The images, help viewers find shows they will like, Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.
European Commission said it was and more. Analysts expect it to be the year of AI when it
“checking whether Microsoft’s invest- Televisions will advance to a “smart command comes to product pitches at CES.
ment in OpenAI might be reviewable hub” connecting appliances, security cameras, Models on which AI is built have improved
under the EU Merger Regulation”. and even incorporating thermal scanning for dramatically since last year’s CES and the debut
The move is part of efforts by health insights, according to Jessica Boothe, a AFP/RSS of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and they are being applied
Brussels to make sure its oversight research director at the Consumer Technology Siemens CEO Roland Busch delivers a keynote address during CES 2024 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on Monday. in meaningful ways for consumers, according to
can catch up with the fast-moving Association that organizes CES. Greengart. Ending Friday, CES is expected to see
world of artificial intelligence and “We will watch as TVs become the command in a partnership with Cerence Inc. will be stand- Grunitz. strong themes of AI-infused health, cars, beauty,
stop major players shutting out com- center for the home beyond just streaming enter- ard in many Volkswagen vehicles starting in the Nvidia, whose graphics chips are coveted for entertainment and sustainability.
petitors. EU competition chief tainment,” she said. second quarter of this year, according to the car their ability to handle the intense computing “AI will be reshaping industries beyond tech-
Margrethe Vestager, who will meet Volkswagen, meanwhile, presented what it maker. demands of AI, took CES as an opportunity to nology and it has the power to make life easier,
top tech bosses California this week, described as the first vehicles built with a chat- “We are offering our drivers added value and announce new chips for gamers and creators. more than inclusive for all,” said Jong-Hee Han,
said “it is fundamental that these new bot powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology. direct access to the AI-based research tool,” said Innovations being teased ahead of the CES CEO and Head of Samsung’s device experience
markets stay competitive”. (AFP) The “Cerence Chat Pro” digital assistant made Volkswagen management board member Kai show floor opening included tech for translating division.

C M Y K

WORLD
2023 hottest recorded year
as Earth nears key limit
Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least last 100,000 years.
People stand in front of a forest fire in New Peramos, near Athens, on July 19, 2023. The year of 2023 was the hottest on record, with the
increase in Earth’s surface temperature nearly crossing the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, EU climate monitors said on Tuesday.
q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
PARIS, JAN 9
The year of 2023 was the hottest on
record, with the increase in Earth’s
surface temperature nearly crossing
the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees
Celsius, EU climate monitors said on
Tuesday.
Climate change intensified heat-
waves, droughts and wildfires across
the planet, and pushed the global ther-
mometer 1.48 C above the preindustri-
al benchmark, the Copernicus Climate
Change Service (C3S) reported.
“It is also the first year with all days
over one degree warmer than
the pre-industrial period,” said
Samantha Burgess, deputy head of
the Copernicus Climate Change
Service (C3S).
“Temperatures during 2023 likely
exceed those of any period in at least
the last 100,000 years.”
Nearly half the year exceeded the
1.5C limit, beyond which climate
impacts are more likely to become
self-reinforcing and catastrophic,
according to scientists.
But even if Earth’s average surface
temperature breaches 1.5C in 2024, as
some scientists predict, it does not
mean the world has failed to meet the
Paris Agreement target of capping
global warming under that threshold.
That would occur only after several
successive years above the 1.5C bench-
mark, and even then the 2015 treaty
allows for the possibility of reducing
Earth’s temperature after a period of
“overshoot”.
2023 saw massive fires in Canada,
extreme droughts in the Horn of
Africa or the Middle East, unprece-
dented summer heatwaves in Europe,
US appeals court
judges sceptical
of Trump
immunity claim
q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
WASHINGTON, JAN 9
A panel of US appeals court judges
appeared sceptical on Tuesday of
Donald Trump’s claim that as a for-
mer president he should be immune
from prosecution on charges that he
conspired to overturn the 2020 polls.
Trump attended the appeals court
hearing held under tight security in a
federal courthouse just blocks away
from the US Capitol stormed by his
supporters on January 6, 2021. Trump
is scheduled to go on trial in
Washington on March 4 on charges of
conspiring to overturn the 2020 elec-
tion won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump’s attorney John Sauer told a
three-judge panel of the US Court of
Appeals for the DC Circuit that a pres-
ident can only be prosecuted for
actions taken while in the White
House if they have first been
impeached and convicted by Congress.
“To authorize the prosecution of a
president for his official acts would
open a Pandora’s Box from which this
nation may never recover,” Sauer said.
“The notion that criminal immuni-
ty for a president doesn’t exist is a
shocking holding,” he said. “It would
authorize, for example, the indictment
of President Biden in the Western
District of Texas after he leaves office
for mismanaging the border.”
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan,
who is to preside over Trump’s elec-
tion interference trial, rejected his
immunity claim last month and the
judges who heard his appeal on
Tuesday also appeared to be
unconvinced by the argument.
“I think it’s paradoxical to say that
his constitutional duty ‘to take care
that the laws be faithfully executed’
allows him to violate criminal laws,”
said Judge Karen Henderson, an
appointee of former Republican presi-
dent George HW Bush.
the United States and China, along
with record winter warmth in
Australia and South America.
“Such events will continue to get
worse until we transition away from
fossil fuels and reach net-zero emis-
sions,” said University of Reading cli-
mate change professor Ed Hawkins,
who did not contribute to the report.
“We will continue to suffer the con-
sequences of our inactions today for
generations.”
The Copernicus findings come one
month after a climate agreement was
reached at COP28 in Dubai calling for
the gradual transition away from fos-
sil fuels, the main cause of climate
warming.
‘We will continue to
suffer the consequences
of our inactions today
for generations.’
“We desperately need to rapidly cut
fossil fuel use and reach net-zero to
preserve the liveable climate that we
all depend on,” said John Marsham,
atmospheric science professor at the
University of Leeds.
The year saw another ominous
record: two days in November 2023
exceeded the preindustrial bench-
mark by more than two degrees
Celsius.
Copernicus predicted that the
12-month period ending in January or
February 2024 would “exceed 1.5
degrees Celsius above the pre-indus-
trial level”.
Pope calls for a universal ban on surrogacy
q ASSOCIATED PRESS
ROME, JAN 9
Pope Francis has called for a universal
ban on what he called the “despicable”
practice of surrogate motherhood, as
he included the “commercialisation”
of pregnancy in an annual speech
listing threats to global peace and
human dignity. In a foreign policy
address to ambassadors accredited to
the Holy See, Francis lamented that
2024 had dawned at a time in which
peace is “increasingly threatened,
weakened and in some part lost.”
France gets its youngest-ever and first openly gay prime minister
q ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS, JAN 9
France saw its youngest-ever prime
minister and first openly gay one
named Tuesday as President
Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start
for the rest of his term amid growing
political pressure from the far right.
Gabriel Attal, 34, rose to promi-
nence as the government spokesper-
son then education minister and had
polled as the most popular minister in
the outgoing government.
His predecessor Elisabeth Borne
resigned on Monday following politi-
cal turmoil over an immigration law
that strengthens the government’s
ability to deport foreigners.
Macron will work with Attal to
name a new government in the com-
ing days. ‘’I know I can count on your
energy and your commitment,’’
Macron posted on X. The president
made a reference to Attal reviving the
‘’spirit of 2017,’’ when Macron shook
up politics and shot to a surprise vic-
tory as France’s youngest-ever presi-
dent on a pro-business centrist plat-
form aimed at reviving one of the
world’s biggest economies.
During the handover ceremony,
Attal said: “I could read and hear it:
the youngest president of the Republic
in history appoints the youngest
AFP/RSS
Reliable weather records date back
to 1850, but older proxy data for cli-
mate change—from tree rings, ice
cores and sediment—show that 2023
temperatures “exceed those of any
period in at least the last 100,000
years”, Burgess said.
Records were broken on every conti-
nent. In Europe, 2023 was the sec-
ond-warmest year on record, at 0.17°C
cooler than 2020.
2023 saw the beginning of a natural-
ly occurring El Nino weather phenom-
enon, which warms waters in the
southern Pacific and stokes hotter
weather beyond.
The phenomenon is expected to
reach its peak in 2024, and is linked to
the eight consecutive months of
record heat from June to December.
Ocean temperatures globally were
also “persistently and unusually
high”, with many seasonal records
broken since April.
These unprecedented ocean temper-
atures caused marine heatwaves dev-
astating to aquatic life and boosted the
intensity of storms.
Oceans absorb more than 90 percent
of excess heat caused by human activ-
ity, and play a major role in regulating
Earth’s climate.
Rising temperatures have also
accelerated the melting of ice
shelves—frozen ridges that help pre-
vent massive glaciers in Greenland
and West Antarctica from slipping
into the ocean and raising sea levels.
Antarctic sea ice hit record-low lev-
els in 2023. “The extremes we have
observed over the last few months
provide a dramatic testimony of how
far we now are from the climate in
which our civilisation developed”,
said Carlo Buontempo, C3S director.
Citing Russia’s war in Ukraine, the
Israel-Hamas war, the issue of migra-
tion, climate crises and the “immoral”
production of nuclear and convention-
al weapons, Francis delivered a list of
the ills afflicting humanity and the
increasing violation of international
humanitarian law that allows them.
But Francis also listed smaller-scale
issues that he said were threats to
peace and human dignity, including
surrogacy. He said the life of the
unborn child must be protected and
not “suppressed or turned into an
object of trafficking.”
prime minister in history. I want to
see it only as the symbol of boldness
and movement. It is also, and perhaps
above all, a symbol of confidence in
young people.”
Attal said his goals include making
security an “absolute priority” and
promoting values of “authority and
respect of others.” He vowed to
strengthen public services including
schools and health system and push
for “better controlling immigration.”
Macron, 46, has shifted rightward
on security and migration issues since
his election, notably as far-right rival
Marine Le Pen and her anti-immigra-
tion, anti-Islam National Rally have
gained political influence.
The president’s second term lasts
until 2027, and he is constitutionally
barred from a third consecutive term.
Political observers have suggested
that Macron, a staunch supporter of
European integration, wants his new
government to prepare for June’s
European Union elections, where far-
right, anti-EU populists are expected
to increase their influence.
Critics took aim at Attal for his lim-
ited experience, his Paris upbringing
seen as out of touch with people strug-
gling in provinces, and his loyalty to
the president.
Le Pen posted on X: “What can the
French expect from this 4th prime
Korean parliament
passes bill banning
dog meat trade
q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
SEOUL, JAN 9
South Korea’s parliament on Tuesday
passed a bill banning breeding,
slaughtering and selling dogs for their
meat, a traditional practice that activ-
ists have called an embarrassment for
the country.
Dog meat has long been a part of
South Korean cuisine, and at one
point up to a million dogs were killed
for the trade every year, according to
activists. But consumption has sharp-
ly declined recently as Koreans
embrace pet ownership in droves.
Eating dog meat is a taboo among
younger, urban South Koreans, and
pressure on the government to outlaw
the practice from animal rights activ-
ists has been mounting.
Official support for a ban has grown
under President Yoon Suk Yeol, a
self-professed animal lover who has
adopted several stray dogs and cats
with First Lady Kim Keon-hee—who
is herself a vocal critic of dog meat
consumption.
The bill, which was proposed by
both the ruling and main opposition
parties, was passed unopposed by a
208-0 vote, with two abstentions.
It will come into effect following a
three-year grace period after it
receives final approval from Yoon.
Under the law, breeding, selling and
slaughtering dogs for their meat will
be punishable by up to three years in
prison or 30 million won ($23,000) in
fines.
“Now there is no longer any justifi-
cation for being criticised as a ‘dog-eat-
ing country’,” said Thae Yong-ho, a
ruling People Power Party lawmaker
who proposed the bill.
“The ruling and opposition parties
and the government must now take
the lead in protecting... animal rights,”
he said in a statement.
Activists and some lawmakers gath-
ered outside the National Assembly to
celebrate the passing of the bill, with
people cheering and waving posters
saying “Goodbye dog meat consump-
tion” and “dog meat free Korea is
coming”.
Activists also welcomed the bill,
saying it was “history in the making”.
“We reached a tipping point where
most Korean citizens reject eating
dogs and want to see this suffering
consigned to the history books,”
JungAh Chae, executive director of
Humane Society International/Korea,
said in a statement.
“Today our policymakers have
acted decisively to make that a reality,
While my heart breaks for all the mil-
lions of dogs for whom this change
has come too late, I am overjoyed that
South Korea can now close this miser-
able chapter in our history and
embrace a dog-friendly future.”
In a survey released on Monday by
Seoul-based think tank Animal
Welfare Awareness, Research, and
Education, nine out of 10 people in
South Korea said they would not eat
dog meat in the future.
“I consider despicable the practice
of so-called surrogate motherhood,
which represents a grave violation of
the dignity of the woman and the
child, based on the exploitation of sit-
uations of the mother’s material
needs,” he said.
Saying a child is a gift and “never
the basis of a commercial contract,”
he called for a global ban on surrogacy
“to prohibit this practice universally.”
Vatican teaching opposes in vitro
fertilisation, and Francis has previ-
ously voiced the Roman Catholic
Church’s opposition to surrogacy.
AP/RSS
Gabriel Attal
minister and 5th government in 7
years [under Macron]? Nothing,” call-
ing on voters instead to choose her
party in the European elections.
In a statement, Eric Ciotti, head of
the conservative party The
Republicans, said, “France urgently
needs action: it needs a different
approach.” The Republicans would
remain a “responsible opposition” to
the centrist government, he added.
The founder of the hard-left France
Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon,
writing on X, mocked Attal for
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024 | 06
Bhutan ex-PM Tobgay
wins vote overshadowed
by economic strife
q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
THIMPHU, JAN 9
Former prime minister Tshering
Tobgay’s party won Bhutan’s election
on Tuesday, media reported, after
polls dominated by economic threats
challenging the Himalayan kingdom’s
longstanding policy of prioritising
“Gross National Happiness” over
growth.
Foremost in the minds of many who
voted are the struggles facing the
Buddhist-majority kingdom’s younger
generation, with chronic youth unem-
ployment and a brain drain.
Both parties in the election are com-
mitted to a constitutionally enshrined
philosophy of a government that
measures its success by the “happi-
ness and well-being of the people”.
Youth unemployment
rate in Bhutan stands at
29 percent, according
to the World Bank.
Tobgay’s People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) won nearly two-thirds of seats
in parliament, The Bhutanese newspa-
per reported, with the 58-year-old con-
servation advocate expected to become
premier for the second time.
Tobgay’s PDP “wins the 2024
Election officials sort postal ballots ahead of Tuesday’s general election at the deputy
commissioner’s office in Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan, on Sunday.
National Assembly general elections
with 30 seats” while the Bhutan
Tendrel Party (BTP) took the remain-
ing 17, the paper said, based on prelim-
inary results from each constituency.
There was no immediate confirma-
tion from the Election Commission,
which is expected to release final
results on Wednesday, according to an
official timetable released ahead of
the polls.
Some voters had to trek for days to
cast their ballots in the landlocked
mountain nation of about 800,000 peo-
ple, similar in area to Switzerland.
“Job opportunities in Bhutan are
scarce and the new government
should focus on solving this, so young
people don’t leave abroad for greener
pastures,” said 22-year-old student
Ugyen Tshering, after voting in the
chilly mountain air in the capital
Thimphu, with Buddhist prayer flags
fluttering in the background.
Bhutan’s youth unemployment rate
stands at 29 percent, according to the
World Bank, while economic growth
has sputtered along at an average of
1.7 percent over the past five years.
During campaigning, Tobgay
sounded the alarm over Bhutan’s
“unprecedented economic challenges
“returning to his position as spokes-
man. The function of prime minister
is disappearing. The presidential
monarch alone rules his court.”
Under the French political system,
the prime minister is appointed by the
president, accountable to the parlia-
ment and is in charge of implement-
ing domestic policy, notably economic
measures. The president holds sub-
stantial powers over foreign policy
and European affairs and is the com-
mander-in-chief of the country’s
armed forces.
Attal, a former member of the
Socialist Party, joined Macron’s newly
created political movement in 2016
and was spokesperson from 2020 to
2022, a job that made him well-known
to the French public. He was then
named budget minister before being
appointed in July as education minis-
ter, one of the most prestigious posi-
tions in government. Attal quickly
announced a ban on long robes in
classrooms that took effect with the
new school year in September, saying
the garments worn mainly by Muslims
were testing secularism in the schools.
He also launched a plan to experi-
ment with uniforms in some public
schools, as part of efforts to move the
focus away from clothes and reduce
school bullying.
Attal recently detailed on national
and mass exodus”.
His party’s manifesto quoted gov-
ernment statistics showing that one in
every eight people were “struggling to
meet their basic needs for food” and
other necessities.
His electoral rival, BTP leader and
career civil servant Pema Chewang,
56, also warned the country was losing
the “cream of the nation”.
Young citizens searching for better
financial and educational opportuni-
ties abroad have left in record num-
bers since the last elections, with
Australia as their top destination.
Around 15,000 Bhutanese were
issued visas there in the 12 months
before last July, according to a local
news report—more than the
preceding six years combined and
almost two percent of the kingdom’s
population.
“I hope for development in rural
areas,” Sandhya Pradhan, 25, an archi-
tect, said after voting.
She said boosting the education and
health sectors was important “to
encourage the youth currently in
Australia to come back and work in
Bhutan”.
Housewife Yang Chen Dema, 65,
from the farming village of
Khasadrapchu, said challenges in
rural areas she wanted to be tackled
included a “drinking water shortage
and poor road conditions”.
Tobgay was leader of the opposition
in Bhutan’s first parliament when
it was established in 2008, soon
AP/RSS
after the start of the reign of the
present king.
The former civil servant, who holds
a degree in mechanical engineering
from the University of Pittsburgh and
a master’s in public administration
from Harvard, then served as prime
minister from 2013 to 2018.
A primary contest in November
narrowed the race down to two par-
ties, with both the previous govern-
ment’s lawmakers and their former
opposition knocked out.
The previous government pursued
several projects to diversify the econo-
my, including a special economic zone
on the Indian border and plans with a
Singapore-based company to raise
funds for a cryptocurrency-mining
scheme.
Tourism, a small share of Bhutan’s
economy but a key earner of foreign
currency, has yet to recover from the
disruptions of the Covid pandemic.
Tobgay has also pledged a huge
ramp-up of investment in hydropower,
its primary source of energy.
Bhutan lies sandwiched between
the globe’s two most populous coun-
tries, China and India, who are watch-
ing with keen interest as they eye
strategic contested border zones.
television TF1 how he suffered bully-
ing at middle school, including homo-
phobic harassment.
Attal will face the same obstacle as
his predecessor: Macron’s centrists
lost their majority in parliament last
year, forcing the government into
political manoeuvring and using spe-
cial constitutional powers to be able to
pass laws. The tough negotiations
over the immigration bill and heated
parliament debate raised questions
over the ability of Borne’s govern-
ment to pass major legislation.
Borne also faced mass protests last
year, often marred by violence, against
a law to increase the retirement age
from 62 to 64, and days of riots across
France triggered by the deadly police
shooting of a teen.
Borne left office saying she’s proud
of the work done over the last 20
months that allowed her government
“to pass the budget, the pension
reform, the immigration law and more
than 50 other texts designed to meet
the challenges faced by our country.”
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin,
who championed the immigration
bill, said he was ready to continue his
work at the head of the country’s
police forces especially as the Paris
Olympics are to start in less than
200 days, with major security issues at
stake.
C M Y K
07 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024

SPORTS | MEDLEY

Man United avoid

FA Cup upset to ease
pressure on Ten Hag
FA Cup represents United’s final shot at silverware this
season and could prove a lifeline for Ten Hag with his side
struggling in the Premier League and already out of Europe.
is knockout. You want to finish the
job,” said Ten Hag. “That is what I
said in the dressing room: ‘job done’.”
The visitors were rarely troubled at
the DW Stadium bar an early effort
from Thelo Aasgaard that tested PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAN
Andre Onana, who had stayed behind Nepal men’s U-19 cricket team attend a nets session in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday. Nepal are preparing for the 2024 U-19 Cricket World Cup which is set to begin on
for two more United matches before Jan 19 in South Africa. Nepal beat Scotland U-19 by 135 runs in a warm-up game after Gulsan Jha hit 114 (115) and Dipak Bohara made 58 not out (54). Tilak Bhandari took 3-17.
heading off for Cameroon’s Africa
Cup of Nations campaign.
United slowly started to take con-

Franz Beckenbauer was a graceful and visionary

trol as Sam Tickle produced a brilliant
save to deny Marcus Rashford before
Scott McTominay prodded inches
wide.

‘libero’ who changed the face of football

AP/RSS
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes
celebrates after scoring against Wigan
Athletic on Monday. United won 2-0.
q AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
WIGAN, JAN 9
Manchester United eased the pressure
on manager Erik ten Hag by ensuring
there was no FA Cup third round
shock in a 2-0 win at League One
Wigan on Monday.
Diogo Dalot’s first-half strike and a
controversial penalty from Bruno
Fernandes secured United’s first away
win since November.
The Red Devils were also handed a
favourable fourth round draw against
either non-league Eastleigh or
Newport County of League Two in
Monday’s draw.
This competition represents
United’s final shot at silverware this
season and could prove a lifeline for
Ten Hag with his side struggling in
the Premier League and already
dumped out of Europe.
“The FA Cup is all about winning, it
Rashford has shown flashes of find-
ing his form in recent weeks and it
was from the England international’s
pass that Dalot curled into the far cor-
ner on 22 minutes.
United should have had the tie
wrapped up by half-time as Rasmus
Hojlund thundered a header off the
crossbar before Alejandro Garnacho’s
speculative effort also came back off
the woodwork.
“In the first half I think we created
five or six very good chances. I think it
was very good football,” added Ten
Hag. “We should have taken more, but
if you don’t score you have to stay
focused and I think we did that
tonight.”
When the second goal did finally
come 16 minutes from time, Wigan felt
aggrieved as Fernandes made the
most of minimal contact from Liam
Shaw.
Fernandes rubbed salt into the
home side’s wounds as he then coolly
dispatched the resulting penalty to
ward off any remaining hope of a
giant killing.
Next up United will aim to take
some positive momentum into their
two-week Premier League winter
break when Tottenham visit Old
Trafford on Sunday.
Ten Hag’s men desperately need to
win to close a nine-point gap on the
top four if they are to maintain aspira-
tions of returning to the Champions
League next season.
And the Dutch coach believes there
is a fresh air of optimism around the
club following British billionaire Jim
Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 25 percent
stake in the club.
“It is an inspiration. Everyone is
optimistic. There is a lot of work to
do,” said Ten Hag. “It is a journey, it is
a project and now we have had to deal
with some setbacks but we will keep
alive, survive it and strike back.”
The German football legend, who won World Cup both as player and coach for Germany, has died as the age of 78.
q ASSOCIATED PRESS
MUNICH, JAN 9
By taking a step back, Franz
Beckenbauer put himself a step ahead.
The “libero”—taken from the
Italian word for “free” and describing
a player who had a covering role
behind a defensive line—was not an
entirely new concept to football by the
late 1960s and early 1970s.
It was just that nobody who’d played
in that rare position had ever done so
with the vision, grace and ability on
the ball demonstrated by Beckenbauer,
the football revolutionary who died
Sunday at the age of 78.
The epitome of elegance in that
iconic white Germany jersey with
number five on the back, Beckenbauer
was regarded as a pioneer because he
brought an attacking element to the
deepest outfield position on the pitch.
Whether it was surging out from the
back with the ball at his feet or pick-
ing out a teammate with a long, pre-
cise pass forward, he was the guy who
started his team’s attacks—whether it
was for Bayern Munich, which he
helped become a force in the German
game in the mid-1960s, or his national
team, with whom he won the World
Cup in 1974.
“As a kid he was the first foreign
footballer I’d ever heard of,” former
England and Liverpool defender
Jamie Carragher wrote on X, formerly
Twitter. “That’s because if any player
tried to play out from the back wheth-
er at pro or amateur level, I would
hear, ‘He thinks he’s Beckenbauer.’
West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer holds up the World Cup trophy at Munich’s
Olympic stadium in this file photo dated July 7, 1974. Alongside Brazilian Mario Zagallo—who
died aged 92 on Friday—and France’s Didier Deschamps, Beckenbauer is one of only three
men to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager.
“That just shows the impact he had
on the world game and how he helped
change it.”
Beckenbauer actually started out as
a central midfielder, the position he
played in the 1966 World Cup final
when West Germany lost to England,
and would still play there at times
later in his career. But it was as a libe-
ro—or a “sweeper,” as some call it—
that he really became a phenomenon
through the way he read the game and
surveyed the scene ahead of him.
“He was essentially a midfielder
AP/RSS
playing at the back and he made it
look so easy,” Paul Lambert, a
Champions League winner with
Borussia Dortmund in 1997, told the
BBC. “He could have kept his suit on
most of the time.”
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann
said Beckenbauer’s interpretation of
the libero role changed the game, epit-
omising perhaps the cultural liberal-
ism and spirit of freedom pervading
through Europe in the 1960s.
“His friendship with the ball made
him free,” Nagelsmann said. “Franz
Beckenbauer could float across the
grass.”
Whereas the modern-day sweeper is
typically the middle central defender
in a back three, Beckenbauer was one
of two nominal centre backs used as a
libero behind a three-man line for
Bayern and would pick his moment to
step out and bolster the midfield.
That particular role has disap-
peared from the game, though lives on
in ball-playing centre backs in a back
four such as David Alaba at Real
Madrid or, a few years back, Rio
Ferdinand at Manchester United.
Such was his excellence that “Der
Kaiser”—as Beckenbauer was
known—was a two-time Ballon d’Or
winner (1972 and 1976) and finished
second in the voting in 1974 and 1975,
amid an era he bestrode while win-
ning three straight German league
titles (1972-74) and three straight
European Cups (1974-76). His most
famous goal might be a free kick he
scored in that period with the outside
of his right boot for Bayern at
Duisburg in March 1974, an example
of the class and impudence of a player
who could do things defenders weren’t
supposed to even attempt.
Of all the tributes to Beckenbauer
that poured in Monday, few were as
fitting as that of UEFA President
Aleksander Ceferin.
“His unparalleled versatility,
graceful transitions between
defence and midfield, impeccable ball
control, and visionary style reshaped
the way football was played in his
era,” Ceferin said.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)
The day lends resilience when it comes to setting
boundaries and pursuing success, Aries.
Unfortunately, you could feel restricted within spe-
cific goals or relationships. Don’t force; use this
energy to reassess your direction.
HOROSCOPE
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
Carry love in your heart for harmony. Prioritise
dynamics that offer stability, setting boundaries
with those without. You may feel frustrated by the
demands of your connections, domestic life, and
career if self-care hasn’t been the priority.
LIBRA (September 23-October 22)
Follow your intuition and emotions. Tensions brew
this evening, and it could be challenging to overcome
past mistakes. Try to learn from old experiences.
Sweetness surrounds you at night, strengthening
your ability to heal alongside loved ones.
CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19)
You will feel a boost of confidence this morning.
Enjoy the attention, using the energy to further per-
sonal agendas—honor where you are mentally or
emotionally. Be careful not to lash at others. Find
time for solitary healing.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Messages of empowerment will manifest this morn-
ing. You might face reserved energy, making it vital
to push forward with goals. If you need clarification
on what comes next, work privately. Good vibes flow
tonight, helping you find inner peace.
LEO (July 23-August 22)
Organise yourself this morning. Struggles could
come if many projects have built up. Ask for help,
prioritise collaboration. Take a moment to root in
your body, mind, and spirituality, taking a hiatus
from your busy schedule for peace.
SCORPIO (October 23-November 21)
Work with positive messages for a supportive envi-
ronment and dialogues. Challenges could arise this
evening around teamwork or organisation—check-in
for physical symptoms of stress. Avoid putting unat-
tainable expectations on yourself and others.
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18)
The universe supports your way in the early hours
today. Watch your thoughts and words this evening to
curb negative patterns. Set boundaries with anyone
who talks down to you. You’ll feel peaceful tonight
with optimistic company.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
Meditations and dreams will elevate your subconscious
today. Stay guarded around new people this evening,
allowing trust and intimacy to build gradually. Invest in
the softer side of life tonight, surrounding yourself
with supportive communities or practising self-care.
VIRGO (August 23-September 22)
Inspiration will come through your dreams and sun-
rise meditation. Allow your outgoing side to shine,
but watch out for peer jealousy. Acknowledge what
you should be moving away from. Do something
refreshing tonight to release tension and anxiety.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21)
You will wake up feeling restored today. Avoid frivo-
lous spending this evening or a desire to keep up
appearances. Watch for ego bruises and avoid com-
peting with friends. Focus on what or who ignites
passion later tonight.
PISCES (February 19-March 20)
Good news and increased social media engagement
will find you today. Invest in your community for a
meaningful cause. Do not be disillusioned with the
state of humanity. Take a break from your devices,
primarily if controversy arises.

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
Behind the
facade of
a perfect life
Three friends navigate relationships and
distractions of social media in ‘Kho Gaye
Hum Kahan’, getting the viewers to
contemplate their own screen time.
q ANISH GHIMIRE
KATHMANDU
A
s 2023 was coming to a close
and we all began reflecting on
the year, ‘Kho Gaye Hum
Kahan’ was released. Directed
by Arjun Varain Singh and
written by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti,
the film unfolds the lives of three friends
navigating relationships and the distrac-
tions of social media, prompting viewers to
ponder their own screen time. Ultimately,
the movie leaves us with some practical
New Year resolutions to consider.
WORLD OF CINEMA
In contrast to the soothing song of the
same name from the 2016 movie ‘Baar
Baar Dekho’, which depicts lovers lost in a
dreamland where only their shared love
exists, the new movie interprets the words
‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ very differently. It
explores the idea of people, especially the
youth, getting lost behind a screen, wear-
ing themselves down by tying their moods
and feelings to what appears on it. Here,
the screen refers to social media.
Relationships can be tricky, especially
for young individuals who are still figur-
ing themselves out. Navigating through
these complexities can be challenging. In
the lives of Imad, Ahana and Neil--played
by Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday
and Adarsh Gourav, respectively--we see
Dealing with wrinkles
Dr Rabindra Sharma shares his insights on the complexities of wrinkles, their causes and treatments.
q RUKUSHA GIRI
KATHMANDU
A
s we age, the structure of our skin
changes significantly, which can
lead to the formation of fine lines
and wrinkles. These changes are
mostly due to a decrease in the syn-
thesis of collagen and elastin, which are impor-
tant proteins that give skin firmness and flexi-
bility. Furthermore, oxidative stress generated
by environmental stressors such as pollution,
UV radiation, and smoking can harm skin cells,
resulting in wrinkles. However, genetics and
lifestyle decisions like bad eating habits, stress
and sedentary behaviour can all contribute to
the formation of wrinkles. A thorough under-
standing of the underlying causes of wrinkles
is required for effective treatment options.
Dr Rabindra Sharma is a senior consultant
dermatologist at Civil Service Hospital, New
Baneshwar, Kathmandu, and has been involved
in the field of medicine and science for over a
decade and in the field of dermatology for 14
years. Sharma has been involved in the field of
medicine and science for over a decade and in
the field of dermatology for 14 years. Dr Sharma
shares his insights into the complexities of
wrinkles, their causes and effective treatments
for them.
When does one start getting wrinkles?
Wrinkles are caused by the normal ageing of
the skin, which involves structural and func-
tional changes. These alterations are generally
characterised by a decrease in collagen and
elastin synthesis, which reduces skin elasticity
and firmness. While genetics play an important
part in determining the start and severity of
wrinkles, it is the natural trend of skin ageing
that makes a person more prone to them.
Because of a decrease in collagen and elastin
Published and printed by Kantipur Publications Limited, Central Business Park, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal, P. B. No. 8559, Phone: 5135000, Fax: 977-1-5135057, E-mail: kpost@kmg.com.np, Regd. No. 32/049/050, Chairman: Kailash Sirohiya, Managing Director: Sambhav Sirohiya, Editor: Biswas Baral
Ananya Panday (left) and Adarsh Gourav in a scene from the film.
that while dealing with personal strug-
gles, fragile relationships and societal
pressure to project a perfect life on social
media, things can quickly go awry.
Ahana finds herself in a challenging sit-
uation when her long-term boyfriend sud-
denly ends their relationship without
explanation. After going through his
Instagram, she suspects he may be dating
someone else. Disturbed by this, she spends
hours scrutinising their photos and trying
to reach out to him. She also looks through
her own pictures with him. His comments
like “How did I get so lucky?” and “I love
you the most” create a facade of a flawless
relationship for outsiders. However, the
reality is that their connection was
hanging by a delicate thread.
Unable to move on, Ahana dresses up
and posts pictures in an attempt to capture
his attention. She even goes on a date with
a stranger, taking pictures to make her
ex-partner jealous. In between, she keeps
checking her phone for a notification, for a
text, from him, and that leaves her distract-
ed from work. Her attention is all over the
place, and stalking till late-night doesn’t do
her any good. In a subsequent confronta-
tion, Ahana admits to him that she can’t
resist looking at his “perfect life” on social
media, even though it causes her pain.
Many of us can relate to this. When we
scroll through social media, we often find
ourselves comparing our lives to others. It
may bother us, and deep down, we know
it’s not healthy, but we can’t seem to break
the habit. FOMO (fear of missing out) and
other excuses come in, and we go back to
scrolling mindlessly. Like many, I have a
love-hate relationship with social media.
SHUTTERSTOCK
synthesis, people between the ages of 30 and 40
encounter the first evidence of wrinkles.
Regular exposure to UV rays, smoking, pollu-
tion and stress can all speed up the ageing pro-
cess, resulting in more noticeable wrinkles.
SKIN CARE
UV radiation, in particular, can cause consid-
erable structural protein damage in the skin,
resulting in the breakdown of collagen and
elastin fibres. As a result, adopting healthy hab-
its and using high-quality skincare products is
critical for protecting the skin from environ-
mental influences that can harm its structure
and accelerate the ageing process.
When do we start noticing them?
The initial evidence of wrinkles is typically
small lines and creases around the eyes, fore-
head and lips. These tiny markings grow more
visible with time, suggesting diminished skin
elasticity. As collagen and elastin levels fall, the
skin loses firmness, causing wrinkles to appear.
Dehydration worsens the problem, resulting in
dry skin that emphasises these age-related
wrinkles. It is essential to recognise these symp-
toms for timely intervention and effective man-
agement.
What causes them?
Understanding the primary causes of wrinkles
is critical for developing comprehensive treat-
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan
Director: Arjun Varain Singh
Cast: Siddhant Chaturvedi,
Ananya Panday, Adarsh Gourav
Language: Hindi
Duration: 2 hours 14 minutes
Available on: Netflix
Sometimes, I feel the need to post some-
thing, while at other times, I recall a quote
from philosopher Seneca: “Until we have
begun to go without them, we fail to real-
ise how unnecessary many things are.”
Imad and Neil are facing challenges of
their own. Imad, a stand-up comedian, is
ment and preventive strategies. The natural
ageing process, which causes a reduction in
collagen and elastin synthesis over time, is a
substantial contributor to wrinkle formation.
External influences, such as extended exposure
to UV radiation, can hasten the degradation of
these vital skin proteins. Smoking and environ-
mental contaminants also contribute to the
destruction of collagen and elastin, fastening
the ageing process. Furthermore, dehydration
can cause dry skin, making wrinkles more visi-
ble. Wrinkles form as a result of a complex
process driven by both genetic predisposition
and environmental variables.
How does one treat wrinkles?
Addressing wrinkles necessitates a personal-
ised strategy that takes into consideration the
unique qualities of each individual’s skin.
Topical retinoids produced from vitamin A can
promote collagen formation and increase skin
cell turnover, effectively addressing wrinkles.
Botox and dermal fillers are injectable proce-
dures that offer non-surgical options for reduc-
ing dynamic wrinkles and restoring volume to
the skin. Chemical peels, which exfoliate the
outer layer of skin, and laser therapy, which
promotes collagen synthesis, are two other
treatments to explore.
Dermatologist-guided therapies offer a per-
sonalised strategy that addresses individual
issues and objectives. Aside from addressing
wrinkles, implementing preventative tech-
niques can drastically limit their occurrence.
Sun protection is essential for wrinkle preven-
tion, with an emphasis on regular usage of
sunscreen with at least spf 30 to protect the skin
from damaging UV radiation. Hydration is
essential, both internally through enough water
intake and topically through frequent moistur-
ising. A healthy lifestyle that includes a well-bal-
anced diet rich in antioxidants, frequent exer-
cise, and quitting smoking improves general
skin health. A continuous skin care program
that includes retinoids, antioxidants and mois-
turisers can improve the skin’s resistance to
premature ageing.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RABINDRA SHARMA
Dr Rabindra Sharma, dermatologist
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024 | 08
(C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053
SCREENGRAB VIA YOUTUBE
sees people dining in fancy restaurants
The movie depicts the worldwide on social media. He glances at
his own kitchen with a mix of disgust and
‘reel’ life many have disappointment. Being glued to his phone
curated, highlighting how
prevents him from engaging in a “real”
conversation with family and friends.
we convincingly pretend When the three of them hang out, they are
on their phones until someone initiates a
to have everything conversation. It’s a common sight nowa-
days—groups gathered to socialise, yet
together online. time is wasted on Wi-Fi passwords,
clicking pictures, uploading stories and
watching reels, activities that could be
instructed by his boss to create content done in solitude too.
“that will sell” on social media. To Neil’s Meanwhile, Imad has intimacy issues
surprise, Imad humorously criticises his and is constantly on Tinder, having flings
relationship with popular influencer Lala and not committing to one person. He is
(played by Anya Singh), branding it a fake quick to give advice to Ahana and Neil
and “paid partnership”. Neil is clearly about their lives and he visits a therapist
upset by this as his relationship becomes to heal a childhood trauma. Juggling
the subject of ridicule on stage. This encounters with multiple women, Imad
sparks a disagreement between them, portrays a “perfect life” externally, but
straining their friendship, but the joke beneath the surface, he carries a wound
becomes a hit on social media. that requires healing.
Later, at his friend’s sangeet ceremony, It is clear that the director and writers
Neil checks Instagram and feels a sinking want to encourage viewers towards
sensation in his chest as he comes across embracing a “real” life over a “reel” life.
intimate pictures of Lala with another Towards the end, the actors, who delivered
man. It’s a painfully familiar feeling. How commendable performances, encourage
often have we been lost in shock while us to set practical resolutions for 2024. I
seeing something hurtful on social media? must say, the film’s storyline is highly
We keep staring, hoping it’s not true, but relatable, the songs are catchy, and the
reality sets in. Neil looks around, witness- overall editing and atmosphere of the film
ing his friends dancing, yet his world feels are seamlessly engaging.
unsettled. He retreats to a corner, eyes The “reel” life of today has been proper-
fixed on his phone, disconnecting from the ly illustrated, going inside the psychology
social gathering until the discomfort of young people and showing perfectly
becomes too much, prompting him to how we pretend to have it all together,
leave. whereas, behind the screen, we are imper-
Earlier, during a family dinner, Neil fect souls trying to know ourselves better.
MY PODCAST PICKS
Sanjay Sharma
Sharma is a sociologist.
He has a PhD in sociology
from the National
University of Singapore.
Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain podcast delves into
the intricacies of the brain and its
functions. The engaging host,
Shankar Vedantam, a journalist and
writer, helps unravel the mysteries
of our own minds and those of oth-
ers. With over 500 episodes, the pod-
cast also reaches audiences through
250 radio stations across the US.
The History Chicks
This is a rather unusual podcast that
focuses on women from the past,
offering a unique perspective on their
lives. However, it’s worth noting that
the topics it covers are mainly limit-
ed to the US and Europe. It has over
200 episodes, and is hosted by Susan
Vollenweider and Beckett Graham.
Democracy In Question
Democracy In Question examines
democracy and the recent rise of
anti-democratic forces. Hosted by
Shalini Randeria, who is a social
anthropologist and the current presi-
dent and rector of Central European
University, it has released over 70
episodes to date.
BBC In Our Time
This podcast, hosted by Melvyn Briggs
who has authored fiction and nonfic-
tion novels, covers a variety of topics.
I tune in mainly for philosophical dis-
cussions, though I also find myself
intrigued by topics related to science
and mathematics. BBC In Our Time
has over 1000 episodes.
The History of Philosophy
Without Any Gaps
Hosted by Peter Adamson, a profes-
sor of philosophy, I love the nuanced
exploration of philosophical ques-
tions in this podcast. Starting in 2010,
the podcast has released over 400 epi-
sodes. Additionally, there are book
adaptations based on The History of
Philosophy Without Any Gaps.