👀 Where has Baisakh gone?

Namaste! Where has Baisakh gone? We like Jestha lot because you could make any lame dad joke and follow it up with “Just in Jestha”. Ok, please don’t unsubscribe for that terrible pun, here’s some useful info.

La Eta Hernus

Government

Some politicians in Nepal allegedly took money from people and sent them to the US as fake Bhutanese refugees. All major parties and players are involved, and it’s a bunch of money.

Former Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Nepal Police, Bigyan Raj Sharma, has spilled the beans on a massive scam involving fake Bhutanese refugees. In a TikTok video, he claimed that two people arrested in connection with the scam were released under political pressure when Nepali Congress leader Bal Krishna Khand was the home minister. Sharma said the gang planned to take Nepalis to the US under the guise of Bhutanese refugees and had defrauded victims of around Rs 400 million. So far, 20 complaints have been filed, with a total of 145 victims seeking justice.

Sharma also revealed the mastermind behind the scam, Keshav Dulal, who shared his knowledge of the Bhutanese refugee resettlement process with his friend Sanu Bhandari. Bhandari used his relationship with Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who is currently absconding, to become involved in the scam. The sons of Ram Bahadur Thapa and Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun also had significant interference in the home administration during that time, which further complicated the situation. Although the UML-led government collapsed, some victims did not get their money back, leading to their seeking police help.

Nepali Congress MP Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba is also in the spotlight after an audio tape has surfaced in which Dr. Deuba and the wife of former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand are accused of receiving millions of rupees from the scam. The tape has reportedly been handed over to the police team investigating the scam. According to sources, the claimant who leaked the tape is in police custody and alleges that Dr. Deuba received Rs 20 million, while Khand received Rs 60 million. Dr. Deuba denies any involvement, stating that she was undergoing treatment in Japan when the scam was happening.

Desh

• Nepal's Supreme Court has ruled that failing to recognize same-sex spouses violates the country's constitution and international human rights obligations. The ruling comes in a case brought by a gay couple, a Nepali citizen and his German partner who were denied a non-tourist visa because the application form did not recognize two husbands. The court also ordered the government to consider a report recommending broader recognition of same-sex relationships that was published in 2015.

• Twitter was lit this week with a proper boomer showdown. First up is Mahabir Pun, CEO of the National Innovation Center, notorious for his off-the-hook comments and social media clapbacks. On the other side, we have Rudra Pandey, a millionaire NRN and CEO of Deerwalk. So, Mahabir sir was at Maitighar last week demanding the government to allocate more funds to research and innovation. His point was, brain drain and all that isn't chill. Rudra sir got his knickers in a twist and started dissing the innovation center and Pun sir. Pun sir, being his usual badass self, clapped back with some sick burns. Things went cray-cray when Pun sir showed receipts that Rudra sir had collected 20k dollars in 2020 for the national innovation center but Pun sir never got the moolah. Tea was hot, and then Rudra sir went private on Twitter. We don't know what's happening now, but everyone was taking sides, making memes, and one thing was clear: boomer beefs are way more intense than zoomer/millennial beefs.

Tech 

• Nepali citizens arriving from abroad will now be able to bring two mobile phones with them. The decision was made during a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday where amendments were made to the existing regulations. Previously, Nepalis returning from foreign employment were only allowed to bring one mobile phone due to concerns about controlling illegal phone imports, but with the implementation of the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS), the government has decided to allow two mobile phones per person.

• Chegg's stock took a dive after the CEO mentioned that ChatGPT was making it harder to recruit new subscribers. This is the first time a company has admitted that the AI is eating into its business. To combat the disruption, Chegg has partnered with OpenAI to create its own conversational AI tool called Cheggmate, which will be tested this month. Meanwhile, other education companies have also released their own AI-powered tools to stay competitive. Looks like the bots are taking over!

Fatafat

Stat:  The "Hello Sarkar" page is like an online diary where citizens of Nepal can vent about their problems with the government. Recently, they released some juicy info about which departments are getting the most hate mail. Apparently, the National Information Technology Center has some explaining to do, with 2708 complaints. Meanwhile, Nepal Police is a close second with 2355 complaints, followed by the Nepal Electricity Authority, Tribhuvan University, Department of Transport, and Nepal Telecom Authority.

Quote: “We can make Nepal a crypto-mining hub.” - Nepali Congress MP and billionare Binod Chaudhary. Chaudhary has suggested that Nepal could become a hub for cryptocurrency mining. However, he acknowledged the need for high-quality electricity to make this a reality. When asked about the current ban on cryptocurrency trading in Nepal, Chaudhary replied that they could export cryptocurrency by mining it and attract large investors to reduce their trade deficit.

Read: India’s religious AI chatbots are speaking in the voice of god — and condoning violence from restofworld

Kahi Nabhako Jaatra

In an unprecedented move, Nepali MP Amresh Kumar Singh took off his clothes during a session in Parliament after being denied the opportunity to speak. Singh, who ran as an Independent candidate from Sarlahi after his party denied him a ticket, was protesting corruption. The incident has sparked controversy, with some lawmakers calling for a medical test of Singh.

Bidesh Tira Hernus

• Spring cleaning is here, and Adidas is facing a hilarious conundrum with its $1.3 billion worth of Yeezy merchandise. Since their split with rapper Ye last October due to his questionable behavior, the sportswear giant has been scratching their heads over what to do with the goods. They're bracing themselves for a potential €700 million ($773 million) loss this year if they have to write off the entire Yeezy inventory. With countless interested parties vying for a piece of the action, Adidas' CEO admits they're still undecided on the best course of action. Talk about a messy breakup!

• King Charles III's epic coronation happened last week as he took the throne! The ceremony was be a showstopper, complete with a royal procession, anointing, and a crown worth a whopping $57 million (don't blink or you'll miss it). With approximately 1.2 million people joining the festivities in London, the city was buzzing with pub parties, fully booked hotels, and even cardboard cutouts of Charles and Camilla. But the extravaganza comes at a cost, with taxpayers footing a bill of over $125 million. While some protesters plan to chant "Not my king," many Britons still debate their financial contribution to the monarchy.

• Over the weekend, a tragic incident occurred at an outlet mall in Allen, a suburb of Dallas. A gunman opened fire, killing eight people, including children, before being killed by a police officer responding to an unrelated call. The attacker, identified as Mauricio Garcia, used an AR-15-style rifle and wore tactical gear. The motive behind the shooting is still unclear, but authorities are investigating Garcia's links to white supremacist ideology, as he had consumed and posted such content online. The shooting has once again sparked a debate over social media's role in sharing graphic images of the victims, with many questioning whether media companies should show Americans the visceral impacts of gun violence.

• In Serbia, which recently experienced two mass shootings, the president has called for an "almost complete disarmament" and offered amnesty for gun owners to hand over their illegal weapons. Serbia has the third-highest gun ownership rate in the world, with the US coming in at number one.

Three news briefs and a lie

Three of these news briefs are real, and one is faker than Indira aunty’s laughter when she’s asking for a favor from your mum. Can you spot the odd one out? (Scroll all the way to the bottom for the answer).

1. Lalit Vishwakarma, a partial lecturer in the Central Department of Sociology, has been banned by the Executive Council of Tribhuvan University. The decision comes after Vishwakarma was caught teaching while already banned from working there. In a related incident, Vishwakarma was caught on CCTV footage breaking helmets in the office of Dr. Yuvaraj Luital.

2. Police Inspector Navin Chapagain beat up Police Constable Hari RC in District Police Office Dolpa, causing severe injuries to RC's left eye, nose, and mouth. RC, who is posted in District Jail Dolpa, was given general treatment at District Hospital Dolpa and is now preparing to go to Nepalgunj for further treatment. According to RC, he was drinking alcohol with friends when Chapagain called him to the police station and suddenly started beating him, despite his apologies.

3. Looks like the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Prakash Jwala, has been waiting for his driver's license for over a year now. He spilled the beans at a recent program in Kathmandu, where he also promised to work on reducing the delays and disparities in the transport sector. Yatayat mantri kai source force nachalne license banaauda?

4. The Nepali ambassador to UAE, Suraj Lal Chand, got into some trouble with the law when some weed was discovered in his residence. It seems his son was responsible for buying it from a local dealer. The only reason he got off the hook is because he's a diplomat.

Eta Hernus Quiz

Can you guess these Nepali song lyrics that have been translated to English?

1. His comeliness was like unto a sharp-edged machete, which with one fell stroke did cleave my heart like softened butter into a thousand pieces.

2. In thy shawl I am ensnared, in thy scarf I am entangled,

   A net of thy love thou hast woven, and in thy life I am caught.

3. The place is a barren wasteland, bereft of roads, hence, whether or not we proceed, there is no goal in sight.

4. Though I may be this or that, as I am, I am great.

5. My father did not unite me in holy matrimony the year gone by. This wretched sty shall be brought to ruin!

6. Verily, the public coach dost ferry everyone to and fro, and the conductor doth selleth tickets for a modest sum of two quid.

NRNs Look Here!

Ok, we lied, just NRNs living in the USA look here. The Nepali embassy in the US is conducting a survey of the Nepali diaspora in the US to explore opportunities and aspirations of Nepalis in the US to better engage in, invest in, and contribute to Nepal's development. Please help them out by filling this survey if you're in the US!

A request

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(Answer to three newsbriefs and a lie: The last one is a lie.)