👀 Gripes

Namaste! Have you ever noticed how people on social media send festival greetings by saying “Swadesh tatha bidesh ma baseka sabai Nepali lai subhakaamana?” But all Nepalis live either in swadesh or bidesh, so why specify and exclude Nepalis on Mars? Gripes aside, your favorite newsletter is here. Grab your cup of chiya and let’s get started!

La Eta Hernus

Government

The President: President Ram Chandra Paudel has come under fire for traveling to India for a "minor" ailment instead of seeking treatment in Nepal, which would have been cheaper. The cost of his two-way air travel alone is a whopping 65 lakhs, not to mention the stipends for him, his family members, and doctors, as well as the expenses incurred at AIMS hospital. After facing criticism, the president stated that it was his “desire” to pay for it himself, but there has been no evidence of any bank transfers so far. Gagan sir suggested that he pay for it, and the president seems to have eventually agreed. It’s our desrire to pay for all your debts, fwiw.

Lawmakers: In a recent development, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire has suspended the House of Representatives member, Lakshmi Mahato Koiri, following a request from the Nepal Police. Koiri, a UML leader, has been accused of murdering an Armed Police Force ASI Thaman BK in 2015 and is considered a fugitive. The decision was taken after the Nepal Police sent a letter for the second time, requesting the suspension of the accused member.

Rabi dai, yet again: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has gained attention after winning in two of the three constituencies during the recent by-elections, which has increased the probability of it joining the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. The party's spokesperson and General Secretary Mukul Dhakal stated that the RSP will decide whether to join the government or remain in the opposition after their scheduled meeting on Friday. Meanwhile, party members are also discussing the pros and cons of joining the government or focusing on building a strong organization while working as lawmakers.

Sports

Nepal secured a spot in the Asia Cup 2023 after defeating the United Arab Emirates by seven wickets in the final of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup held in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Gulsan Jha led Nepal to victory by scoring an unbeaten 67 runs off 84 balls, while Lalit Rajbanshi took four wickets for just 14 runs in 7.1 overs. The six-team Asia Cup, which will take place in Pakistan in September, includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

Sandeep Lamichhane, who was declared player of the tournament, is currently free on bail while facing rape charges. Lamichhane has been accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in a Kathmandu hotel.

Tech 

Twitter: Jack Dorsey, Twitter's former CEO, has expressed his dissatisfaction with how the current CEO is managing the platform. In a recent post on Bluesky, a Twitter competitor that Dorsey helped create, he stated that Elon Musk should not have gone ahead with the deal and that the board should not have pressured him into purchasing it. This is a major shift from Dorsey's previous endorsement of Musk as the ideal leader for the company. In other news, Bluesky generated significant attention last week as prominent figures like AOC, Dril, and Chrissy Teigen signed up for the platform.

AI: Hey there job seekers, it's time to ditch that old Microsoft Word proficiency badge on your resume and level up your skills! According to a recent survey by Resume Builder, 91% of companies currently hiring are on the lookout for candidates with ChatGPT experience. That's right, employers are looking for folks with the power of AI at their fingertips. And if you're lucky, you might just land a gig with the 30% of companies that are urgently seeking ChatGPT experts. So, brush up those AI skills and get ready to wow your future employer!

Fatafat

Stat: In April 2023, Nepal welcomed 98,773 tourists, with the majority coming from America (31,437) and the UK (5,409). This is a significant increase from last year's April numbers, which recorded only 61,500 visitors.

Read: “Tuins of Death” from The Kathmandu Post

Quote: "They're saying that 80-year-old Joe Biden will be President again in America, but I'm only 69. If we transition to a parliamentary system, I'll run for the election," said Baburam Bhattarai.

Proud Gorkhali Moment

This is an actual proud moment for the Gorkhali community, unlike the others featured in previous issues. The Sudnance Institute recently announced its 2023 fellows for Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs, and we're thrilled to share that Abinash Bikram Shah was selected with his project "The Elephant in the Fog." He's going to represent our nation and it's a historic moment because he's the first Nepali person to be selected for this honor.

Three news briefs and a lie

Three of these news briefs are real, and one is faker than those mama earth endorsements on instagram. Can you spot the odd one out? (Scroll all the way to the bottom for the answer).

1. In a recent parliamentary session, TaMaLoPa Lawmaker Ashok Lal Yadav from Saptari made an unusual proposal. He suggested changing the name of Rajbiraj to Lokbiraj, arguing that it was time to modernize and remove the "outdated" royal reference.

2. Balen Shah, the Mayor of Kathmandu, has proposed a new rule for schools with the word "international" in their name. According to the proposed rule, schools must have at least 25% international students or they can't use the word "international" in their name.

3. The National Information Technology Center seems to have misplaced the personal data of around 4 lakh Public Service Commission applicants. So if you're one of the unlucky ones, don't worry, your data is probably just hanging out somewhere in cyberspace.

4. The National People's Front is launching the Mechi Mahakali campaign to combat American imperialism in Nepal. Divided into two parts and kicking off on May 1st, the campaign will be led by some of the party's top guns, including Durga Paudel and Rashmiraj Nepali.

Eta Hernus Quiz

Here are five clues to help you guess the name of a famous leader after whom this biryani and taas pasal is named. Let's see how many clues you need!

1. He wrote a best-selling romance novel called 'Zabiba and the King' anonymously.

2. In English, his name translates to 'one who confronts'.

3. He served as the President of his country from 1979 to 2003.

4. He was executed on 30 December, 2006.

5. He hailed from Iraq.

Yo K Ho?

It seems like everyone in Nepal suddenly wants to leave the country - and they're willing to do just about anything to make it happen. From Singapore to Israel to Australia, it seems like there's no shortage of people looking to swindle their way into a new life. But why the sudden rush in April? Is it the weather? Jay Kishan Basnet’s movies? April Fools? We need answers, people!

As always, the news outlets are quick to report on the drama - but we're not so sure we're getting the whole story. Are they just trying to scare us into staying put? Or are we really that desperate to get out? Either way, we're keeping our eyes peeled for the next big scam. And if you have any insights (or interpretive dances) to share, be sure to let us know!

Together With RestroX

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A request

If you’ve enjoyed the journey with us thus far, please help us spread the word about this newsletter by asking your friends, dads, maijus, neighbors, and your fupajus to sign up by forwarding them this email! If this email was forwarded to you, please consider signing up using this link! We've also got a discord server, you can join us here.

(Answer to three newsbriefs and a lie: The first one is a lie. Answer to Eta hernus Quiz: See below.)