👀 Grandpas are fighting

Namaste! Welcome back to your favorite newsletter after a short and sweet break. Can you believe the year is already half over? Don’t worry, we’re not here to check on your accomplishments—that's a September problem. Summer responsibilities? Totally a myth. So, sit back, flaunt that beach body, and devour those mangoes while you enjoy the Kathmandu rains. Could life get any better? We think not!

👀

La Eta Hernus

Desh

So, although we didn't write a newsletter for the last couple of weeks, we were keeping tabs on all the happenings in the country. After a couple of weeks, it's a stark reminder of how inconsequential some of those events that seemed huge at the time actually were. Two weeks ago, if we had written a newsletter, we would have informed you about Sambhav Sirohiya's terrible video-making skills and his beef with Rabi dai. A week ago, if we'd written a newsletter, we would have dedicated a whole section to Oshin Sitaula and her guests doing the worst copy of Koffee with Karan and revealing the relationship statuses of fellow actors. As we sit down to write this edition, we realize none of those events really matter at the end of the day. It's a whole social media brouhaha like the hawk tuah thing (worst meme ever, if you ask us), and people forget. People move on. Life goes on. Alright, we'll stop being preachy. Here's what happened in the country that's semi-important.

So, the grandpas are fighting.

How we got here: Remember that no party has a clear majority in the house, which means parties have to work together, join forces, and count numbers to establish a majority. As long as they work together, there's a majority, and politics goes on. But in Nepal, it's common for parties to switch sides despite agreed-upon terms with other parties and form new majorities whenever they want. So, Oli (UML) and Prachanda (Maoist) had formed a government led by Prachanda as the prime minister and Rabi dai as the home minister. Stuff was going as well as it goes in Nepal; things were stable, to say the least.

All of a sudden, a couple of days ago, Sher Bahadur Deuba invited Oli to his crib and went, "You should just ditch Prachanda and come form a majority with us. You can be the prime minister for a bit, after which I will take over." Oli, being Oli, agreed to Sher Bahadur's request. So, we have a new government (there are some technicalities left, like Prachanda fighting for a vote in the house and all, but that won't be relevant in the long run). Oli is prime minister. Prachanda is donzo. Rabi dai says his party isn't going to join the new coalition, though we haven't found any records of anyone actually asking Rabi dai.

Why did this happen? The simple answer is it happened because it always happens. Some say that Rabi dai, as the home minister, was getting a little too much into the shady business of Congress and UML scandals, and Oli and Sher Bahadur wanted to shut down any investigations against them. Recall that Nepali Congress has its members being investigated in the Bhutanese refugee scandal, whereas UML and Oli are tied up in the Giribandhu tea estate scandal. Some portals have gone as far as to say that Aarju Deuba (Sher Bahadur's wife) was actually about to be arrested under Rabi dai's directions a few days ago, and that's when the new coalition formed. We can't verify any of this; the whole arrest thing also seems a little far-fetched. However, there's probably some meat in the speculation that when your scandals are being investigated, you want to be in the ruling party. That's a proper incentive to win elections too; how else will you cover your tracks?

Looking ahead: Will Oli abide by his promise and let Sher Bahadur be the prime minister in 24 months? (Definitely not). Or will we see another Oli/Prachanda/Insert-someone-with-a-pulse coalition when Oli is done ruling? (Yup). What will happen to the Giribandhu and Bhutanese refugee scandals? Will they go nowhere? (Likely.) What will happen to Rabi dai's cooperative scandal now that he's not the home minister—will the investigations move ahead in full force? (Maybe). Will Gagan Thapa, the vibrant youth leader (to Congress supporters, at least), get another chance to become a minister? (Who knows). Will the king come back? Will you ever make your parents proud? Will England win another game in the Euros? So many questions, no answers. Let us know in our Insta DMs if you have answers to any of these questions.

Fatafat

Stat: In Jestha, a staggering 72,861 Nepalis packed their bags for foreign job opportunities, with Dhanusha district sending the most. Out of these, 64,886 were men and 7,975 were women. The UAE was the top destination, attracting 20,424 Nepali workers, mostly through recruitment agencies.

Quote: घरेलु रक्सीको नाम ‘तीनपाने’ राखौं - सांसद सूर्यकुमारी श्रेष्ठ

UML MP Suryakumari Shrestha backed the government's plan to brand local liquor, proposing the name 'Teenpane Organic Indigenous Liquor.' Speaking in the House of Representatives, she emphasized promoting millet production and branding millet and rice-based liquors for export. Shrestha believes this could boost Nepal's economy and improve the lives of indigenous communities.

Watch: This Proud Gorkhali Moment, courtesy of Biratnagar. We won’t explain further.

Reading List:

1. The rise and fall of Nims Purja (Pradnya Pradhan, Nepali Times)

   Because he identified himself so strongly as a Nepali, the mountaineer’s scandal has hurt Nepal

2. Kathmandu is making taxi drivers switch to EVs. Not all drivers can afford one (Pragyan Thapa Ghimire and Ananya Bhattacharya, restofworld)

   The Xpres-T, made by Indian carmaker Tata, is the only EV approved for use as a taxi in Nepal. It costs $27,000 — several years’ income.

Tech

Google Translate: Thanks to their PaLM 2 AI model, Google Translate is rolling out 110 new languages, their biggest expansion ever, reaching 614 million more people. From Cantonese to lesser-known tongues like Nepalbhasa, they’re making sure everyone has a voice in the digital world. Dive in and start translating Nepali to Nepalbhasa on translate.google.com or the app!

Sumana Shrestha gets s*it done: The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has launched a new website called 'Career Counseling' to guide students about their future. This site is part of their 'Career Talks' initiative and offers tailored information for students, parents, teachers, and local authorities. Students can find self-assessment tools, career resources, guidance methods, and scholarship opportunities all in one place. To access personalized quizzes and e-learning, students need to create an account. So, if you're wondering what to do or become, this site has got you covered (partly, lol)!

Kahi Nabhako Jaatra

Sports

India pulled off a nail-biting seven-run win against South Africa in the T20 World Cup final! Despite needing just 30 runs off 30 balls, South Africa crumbled under pressure thanks to Bumrah, Arshdeep, and Pandya’s brilliant bowling. Kohli's first half-century of the tournament, in his last T20 international, set the stage for India's total of 176-7. South Africa's heartbreak continues as they fall short yet again, while India celebrates its first world title in 13 years.

Meanwhile, Nepal had a rough tournament. We lost to Bangladesh by 12 runs and to the Netherlands by 6 wickets. We did snag a point because our match against Sri Lanka was rained out (small wins, right?). But our standout performance was against the World Cup runners-up, South Africa, where we lost by just one run. Fun fact: we lost to the runners-up by the smallest margin, so let's call ourselves the second runner-up of this World Cup. Amazing!

Also, here are some nostalgic cricket pictures that will take you down memory lane and show you how far we’ve come.

Three news briefs and a lie

Three of these news headlines are real, and one is faker than people’s hate for mangoes. If you click on the true headlines, the links will take you to the news articles. If you click on the fake one, you’ll be in for a surprise!

1. फेसबुकमा भाइरल हुन छाउरोको निर्मम हत्या ! तीनजना पक्राउ

2. गर्मीमा ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई छाता उपहार

3. टुरिस्टलाई कल गर्ने भन्दै ट्याक्सी चालकको मोबाइल चोरी त्यसैको खाताको पैसाले नाइट क्लबमा मोज

4. सभामुखले ज्ञानेन्द्र शाहीको कपाल काटिदिन्छु भनेपछि. . .

Eta Hernus Quiz

We’ve got two questions for you this week.

Question 1: Think you know your Nepali singers? Prove it! The fewer clues you need, the better Nepali you are:

1. He went to Bhanubhakta Memorial Boarding School.

2. His debut song is "Luki Luki."

3. Known as the "Stage King."

4. Proudly admits to being a "Buddha was Born in Nepal" campaigner.

Who is this musical legend?

Question 2: Alright, guess this player: We've got a picture showing every free kick he's taken (and the few he's actually scored) in World Cups and Euros. His free-kick success rate? A jaw-dropping 1.7%! Any ideas?

Bidesh Tira Hernus

So, India had their elections and it was a wild ride. Modi secured a historic third term, matching Jawaharlal Nehru, but his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its majority in the 545-seat Lok Sabha. He had to form a coalition to govern, which will definitely moderate his agenda. The voters sent a clear message: they’re not entirely thrilled with his performance. The BJP snagged 240 seats, falling short of the 272 needed for a majority, so celebrations were a bit muted. Meanwhile, the opposition did better than expected, making things even more interesting in the political arena.

If you think it’s just Nepali grandpas who are fighting, you haven’t been paid attention to Amrika. Biden baaje and Trump baaje went head-to-head on CNN, and let’s just say, age didn’t just come up—it was the uninvited guest who stole the show. Biden, 81, seemed to struggle more than Trump, 78, with a hoarse voice and stumbling sentences that made Trump’s digs about not understanding Biden’s points hit even harder. Trump, surprisingly restrained, still threw his fair share of shade, but Biden had his own zingers, including calling Trump a "sucker" and accusing him of having "the morals of an alleycat."

Their debate was historic, marking the first time a sitting president faced off against a former one. Topics ranged from abortion to foreign policy, with Biden trying to turn the spotlight on Trump’s criminal history, while Trump aimed his barbs at Biden’s handling of the economy and immigration. Buckle up, because their next showdown is set for September 10, and if this debate was any indication, it’s going to be another wild ride.

Raajdurbar Hatyakanda: You know how there’s been a bunch of conspiracy theories about the event. A new book suggests that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, along with Indian gangster Dawood Ibrahim, manipulated Dipendra to prevent King Birendra from cooperating with India against terrorism. Despite various theories, the true motives behind the massacre remain murky (as we all know).

Eta Pani Hernus

SLC was better: The iron gate of the Secondary Education Examinations (SEE) has closed, and nearly 52.14% of students didn’t make the grade, labeled as non-graded. Of the 464,785 students who took the exams, only 47.86% passed, but those who failed in one or two subjects get another shot next month. Despite a new syllabus, results haven't improved, highlighting the need for a complete overhaul of Nepal's teaching-learning system. The current system, especially for rural students, is outdated and inequitable, and it's high time we rethink how we approach education in the country.

Nepali soldiers in Russia: Mohan Oli and his brother Raj have been caught recruiting Nepalis for the Russian Army, promising fat salaries and citizenship for hefty fees. This came to light when Nepalis, who deserted the Russian military from the Ukrainian war zone, spilled the beans in Kathmandu. One such ex-soldier, Khagendra Khatri, was lured by promises of a cushy life, but he ended up bribing his way back home after a horrifying experience. Recruiters convinced him and others with tales of high pay and easy jobs, only to send them straight into the trenches. The Nepali police are now on the hunt for these human traffickers.

Proud Gorkhali Moment

A request

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(Answer to Eta hernus Quiz: Dhiraj Rai and Ronaldo)

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