👀 We're losing our rights

Namaste! We've noticed a bunch of new faces in our community over the past week, and we're thrilled to have you on board! In our newsletters, we serve up a quick recap of all the week's happenings. We like to keep it short, sweet, and super chill. If you enjoy what you read, why not pass it on to a friend? And if this week's vibe isn't quite your jam, don't sweat it – dive into our archives or stick around for the next one.

Now, buckle up for a dive into the lively world of Nepali populist politics!

La Eta Hernus

Desh

The talk of the town this week has been Durga Prasai vs Mahesh Basnet. Let’s dive in briefly into what went on and how we got here.  

Durga Prasai vs Mahesh Basnet vs Others: So, the CPN-UML's youth squad (led by Mahesh Basnet) and die-hard fans of the fearless(?) entrepreneur Durga Prasai engaged in a clash at Balkhu in Kathmandu yesterday. Prasai's crew decided to spice up the rally and turned it into a full-on Nepali fiesta, chucking stones at UML cadres during a wild motorcycle parade, leaving behind a trail of banged-up vehicles. The police superhero squad jumped in, saved the day, but not before turning Kathmandu's traffic into a real-life Tetris game for a few hours.

How did we get here/Who is Durga Prasai: Alright, let's kick things off with a riddle. Can you name a grey-haired uncle who's switched political parties more times than my two-year-old switches diapers and now swears by the monarchy? Nope, it's not Rabindra Mishra, unfortunately. Durga Prasai, our main man, hails from Jhapa, the Massachusetts of Nepal (yeah, we spelled it right this time), and has dabbled in business across India and Europe. He started his political journey as Prachanda's sidekick, and when the Maoists and Emaale joined forces, our dude got cozy with Oli. I mean, they're both Jhapalis. He hit the public radar when he dished out Marsi chaamal ko bhaat to Prachanda and K P Oli back in the day.

He also invited a Saudi prince to Nepal and gifted him a sunko lauro. No euphemisms. Just that. Look at his signature shades though, he looks like Brody from Wyoming on a fishing trip. What swag.

So, Durga sir was best friends with Oli baa. Every politician needs a businessman bestie, and Oli and Prasai were kicking it, having a blast. He even joined Emaale formally. But like all good things, this didn’t last either, and his relationship with Oli baa turned sour as he started talking about bringing back the king and all. Oli baa kicked him out of the party, and boy, was Durga sir pissed.

There’s a bunch of other shit about Durga sir’s hospital and the medical mafia and all that, but let’s get to yesterday’s clash of rallies. Durga sir announced this rally a while back. Prachanda was okay with it as long as Durga sir was just shitting on Emaale. However, once Durga sir labeled his movement ‘Nation, Nationality, Religion-Culture, and Citizen Rescue Campaign,’ signaling a push towards overthrowing the present system of governance and a change in the plight of the people, Prachanda sir said nope.

Some say the TikTok ban might also have to do with Durga sir going viral on the app. Dude’s unhinged. Like really unhinged. He went on Rishi Dhamala’s show and claimed K P Oli killed his grandpa and went to jail. He’s been trashing Mahesh Basnet (Oli’s right-hand man in the youth wing) a lot for a TikTok that went viral where Basnet is involved in a steamy (okay, steamy is pushing it, but you know) scene with a lady. The Press Council actually issued a notice asking YouTubey journalists to remove all Durga sir videos. Bhusan Dahal interviewed Durga sir for his program too, but Dahal sir’s bosses at AP1 canceled the airing of the episode, something Dahal sir claims had never happened in his life. All this got everyone wondering, 'Why is the government this scared of Durga sir?’

All this led to Mahesh Basnet announcing retaliation against Durga sir. A bunch of Emaale cadres also kicked out people who had traveled from outside the valley to participate in Durga sir’s rally and were staying in Karki Banquet. Prachanda also grew wary and announced a ban on gatherings between Maitighar and Baneshwor to ensure Team Mahesh doesn’t clash with Team Durga. But that happened anyway (who would’ve thought?)

Looking Ahead: Yesterday, Durga sir warned that he’s going to go all out just like they did in Sri Lanka and hit up politicians' homes and all in the coming days. He and his gang are planning on gathering tomorrow morning as well. There have been rumors of even more buses being brought into the city to prepare for a larger rally. Some have asked who’s paying for all this. To them, we say, are you new to this country?

Is Durga sir going to bring back the king to Kathmandu? Well, no, at least not for now, as the king is headed to Birtamode for another rally. Why are there so many rallies?

Let's wrap up with another riddle.

Can you identify a dubious businessman who gained fame by promising to restore order in the country when the ruling party was in disarray? Someone who embraced populist agendas more tightly than Karan Johar hugs his nepo babies? Nope, it's not Donald Trump. It's Durga Prasai. It seems like monarchists are ready to embrace anyone with a pulse as their representative, as long as they chant "raaja aau desh bachaau!"

Whew, that was probably the longest bit we’ve written on one event since Rabi sir went all haywire on the media. Estai ho desh, Jhaapali haru wilding.

Meanwhile in Jajarkot, new mothers, like Bimala Tiruwa and Radhika Kusari, are enduring freezing conditions in tarpaulin tents after an earthquake destroyed their homes, facing health issues for themselves and their newborns due to the severe winter cold. With inadequate support from the government, they're struggling for warm clothes and proper shelter, highlighting the challenges faced by earthquake-displaced families in impoverished communities. The situation is dire, with two additional deaths reported in the past 10 days, bringing the toll caused by cold-related issues to seven, emphasizing the urgent need for assistance in the region.

In somewhat good news, six members of Nepal Student Union (NSU), the student wing of Nepali Congress, were handed a two-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs 20,000 each by the Kathmandu District Court for assaulting Tribhuvan University Assistant Professor Prem Chalaune. Despite the court's decision, Chalaune expressed dissatisfaction, feeling the verdict only provided partial justice, emphasizing the need for their immediate imprisonment.

Tech 

So, you know how the government banned TikTok. Of course, you know, though we’re sure you’ve found other ways to use the app/fuel your addiction. The government quickly noticed that people were using VPNs to access the app, so they started fear-mongering about the negative impacts of (free) VPN services. Meanwhile, Nepali youngsters have built a TikTok-like app called 'Ramailo,' an app for short videos that taps into the craze for quick reels among the younger crowd

But they didn’t stop there and announced that they were monitoring our use of apps like PubG, Tinder, Bumble, Tantan, Snapchat, etc. Yo desh ma love garne pani baatabaran chaina.

They've also said we're not allowed to use anon accounts on social media. What kind of ganatantra is this, though? If you're gonna bring back monarchy-style social media restrictions, don't act surprised when people rally behind a shady businessman promising them a monarchy.

OpenAI's rollercoaster ride just got a hilarious plot twist – Sam Altman is back as CEO after a speedy ouster, turning the drama into a Silicon Valley sitcom. The board shuffle, with Bret Taylor and Larry Summers joining, sounds more like a talent show lineup. Altman, the comeback kid, couldn't resist sharing the news on X, saying, "i’m looking forward to returning to openai" – cue applause! Microsoft, the financial backer, is probably high-fiving, and Satya Nadella's like, "This is the first step to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance" – we're all waiting for the popcorn. The week's chaos, threatening OpenAI's future, now has a punchline, and Altman's move has been dubbed "faster than Steve Jobs" – forget the turkey, this is the Thanksgiving comedy we needed!

Netflix is grappling with a $55 million investment gone awry as their science fiction series project, "Conquest," remains incomplete, leading to a legal battle with filmmaker Carl Erik Rinsch. Rinsch, who initially received $44 million from Netflix, diverted $10.5 million into the stock market, resulting in a $5.9 million loss. The streaming giant, after a management overhaul, stopped funding "Conquest" in March 2021, prompting Rinsch's unconventional use of the remaining funds to invest in Dogecoin and indulge in a lavish spending spree, complicating the arbitration process.

The CBI turned into the ultimate scam-busters as they raided 24 spots across Delhi, UP, Haryana, and Gujarat, sniffing out a cool Rs. 2.2 crore in cash, foreign currency, crypto deets, and property papers in connection with an international call-centre con job that hoodwinked Americans of over $20 million through spam calls. These crafty scammers went all out, playing fake US federal bigwigs like the IRS and Social Security Administration to milk innocent Americans for fees, fines, and penalties, all thanks to their shady VoIP calls. Turns out, the alleged culprits, including E-Sampark Softech and its directors, were no strangers to the FBI's naughty list, already facing indictments in the US for their scamtastic adventures.

Best of Twitter/Switter

Kahi Nabhako Jaatra

Sports

In a surprising twist during the India versus Australia ICC World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad, a pitch invader sporting a shirt with pro-Palestine messages dodged security to get up close and personal with cricket icon Virat Kohli. The spectator, rocking a "Stop Bombing Palestine" and "Free Palestine" message on his tee, interrupted the match for a hot minute before being nabbed by the police. The incident added some unexpected drama to India's failed quest for their first major ICC global event win since 2011 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Gujarat.

Proud Nepali Moment

Meet Rukshana Kapali, a housing campaigner from Nepal who just snagged a spot on the BBC's list of 100 inspiring women for 2023. This transgender human rights activist, a member of Nepal's Newa nation, faced an identity info shortage growing up but paved her own way to educate herself about gender diversity. Now a third-year law student, she's rocking social media, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and fighting against forced evictions of her historically marginalized community.

Three News Headlines and a Lie

Three of these news headlines are real, and one is faker than the political integrity of your uncle who turned rajawadi when they turned 50. Can you spot the odd one out? (Scroll all the way to the bottom for the answer).

1. Rastriya Swatantra Party Members in Hot Water for Defaming Renu Dahal on Social Media—Arrested for Slander Shenanigans!

2. Namaste Drama: Rabi Lamichane's Cadres Go on Apology Sprint After Grandpa's Namaste Left Unanswered by Lamichane!

3. Nepali Actress Mixes Up Durga Prasai with Ramesh Prasai, Leaves Rishi Dhamala's Show in Hilarious Confusion!

4. Green Makeover Madness: Lalitpur City Dips Trees in Fashionable Green Paint for Eco-Friendly Vibes!

Together with The Nepali Comment

Are you always wondering what to watch once you’ve already pasking your bhaat that is getting cold? Don’t want to commit to a whole new Netflix series as you eat your rice because you know you have zero self-discipline and you’ll spend the next 8 hours watching that show? Too many weird foreign video recommendations on youtube?

Well, fret not! Dive into the fascinating world of captivating narratives with The Nepali Comment! Uncover intriguing stories backed by meticulous research and presented with an engaging script that will leave you hooked. Curiosity piqued? Check out our top three episodes for an immersive journey into the most interesting tales. Subscribe now and let the storytelling adventure begin!

1. Ram Bahadur Bomjan: "Little Buddha" or Criminal ?

2. The Biggest Corruption Scandal in Nepal Police History

3. Nepal's Biggest Businessman to Fraud? The Dark Truth of Civil Group

Eta Pani Hernus

The Biden administration gave India a heads-up about a potential plot to off a Sikh separatist leader in the US, with reports suggesting the target was New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The alleged caper was reportedly nipped in the bud, leaving us wondering if the FBI swooped in like real-life superheroes or the crooks just chickened out. This eyebrow-raising revelation comes hot on the heels of Canada accusing India of meddling in the killing of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia, making it sound like a Bollywood plot unfolding on the world stage.

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 third one is a lie.)