👀 We are not here to participate, we are here to win

Namaste! Can you believe it's been 23 years since the royal massacre? Also 23 years since Taranath Ranabhat went “Ratatatatatatatata”. But hey, let's lighten the mood - summer is here, and so is mango season! How are your summer bodies doing? What’s your favorite kind of mango? Do you guys also mix up your ghar basda basne chappal and baahira jaada lagaune chappal during the summer because you're always wearing chappals? You can use these questions as icebreakers on your next Bumble date. For now, here’s what’s going on in the world.

La Eta Hernus

Desh

Budget aayo, khaaula piula: Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun presented Nepal's budget with minimal drama, despite the ongoing cooperatives scam investigation. Highlights included scrapping VAT on veggies and fruits, and a plan to recover depositor money from shady directors' properties. Pun also rocked a locally-made bag, promoting the 'Make In Nepal' initiative. With a Rs1.86 trillion budget aimed at boosting agriculture, energy, and exports, the government targets 6% economic growth. Critics, however, worry that managing inflation and growth together is like juggling knives.

EV ma ni tax badhyo, petrol ma pani tax badhyo, aba cycle chadnus, Jay Nepal!

Rabi daiiiiii: Rabi dai is making headlines again—when is he not? This time, on Ganatantra Diwas (Republic Day), he announced that folks caught drinking and driving (MaPaSe) would have to work as traffic police volunteers as part of their punishment. The idea was to fill in for female traffic police officers who get 4 days off a month during their periods. Sensible move, right? Except you can’t just invent punishments on the fly; that’s what lawmakers are for. Despite the praise, the Supreme Court has now ordered the ministry to put a stop to this MaPaSe police plan immediately.

Sexist budhas: Former Prime Minister K P Oli made a sexist remark about Education Minister Sumana Shrestha, saying she traveled the world, married a foreigner, and returned to her "maiti" to become a minister. Unsurprisingly, Oli wouldn’t make similar comments about Swarnim Wagle or Shashank Koirala, both of whom are married to foreigners. This double standard highlights the persistent sexism in politics. No surprises here, just the usual hypocrisy.

Neighbor sanga ko Sino: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, stirred up some drama this week. Financial journalist Gajendra Budhathoki tweeted that China claims to have loaned Nepal money for the construction of Pokhara airport at 2%, but they’re actually charging 5%. Mr. Song fired back on Twitter, calling it "Fake news!" and demanding an apology. It's pretty outlandish for an ambassador to attack a journalist on social media, and our ministry should've stepped in. Budhathoki's claims might have been slightly off since Nepal took the loan at 2% but loaned it to the Civil Aviation Authority at 5%, which is standard practice. However, Chen Song escalated the situation by retweeting a video of a person using a standup wheelchair with the caption "For those who may need it," knowing Budhathoki uses a wheelchair. Song later deleted the retweet. It’s undiplomatic and downright insensitive. No action has been taken against Chen Song, and it's unlikely anything will come of this. Whole story in this thread.

Tech 

UFC Trump! Donald Trump, the former president who tried to ban TikTok, just joined the platform and gained over 2 million followers in hours! His debut video, featuring him at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight, has already racked up more than 34 million views. This move aims to connect with younger voters as he battles Joe Biden in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign is also on TikTok, boasting 336,000 followers despite his efforts to ban the app if its Chinese owner doesn’t divest.

Changing Google: Over the last two years, Google Search has undergone dramatic changes with updates that include an unprecedented AI feature. Will this save the web or destroy it? Sites like HouseFresh, known for original content and rigorous product reviews, initially thrived with Google's support. However, major algorithm updates in September 2023 and March 2024 drastically cut their traffic, forcing layoffs and threatening their existence. Google insists these changes improve user experience and cut down on low-quality content, but critics argue that small, independent publishers are being crushed. With AI-generated answers now appearing in search results, many worry that valuable, human-generated content will be sidelined. The impact of these changes is profound and could reshape what we see online.

Fatafat

Quote: पानीजहाज अफिस बन्द गरिदिऊँ : सांसद चौधरी

We couldn't agree more. We didn't even know we had a paanijahaj office! Apparently, we've been running it and paying the staff without any results. This year, we've allocated another 20 crore for that office. Kaha kudaune paanijahaaj? K ho k ho khai.

Research: YouTubers cheer people up more than casual friends, study suggests.

One-sided relationships with YouTubers are more emotionally fulfilling than talking to casual friends, according to this study.

Game: We didn't know what to call this section. Anyways, here’s a cool game where you guess words that make up the Wikipedia article for a topic. Try it here.

Reading List:

1. The Lower Dolpo Circuit: A 220km trek to the roof of the world (Eileen McDougall, BBC)

   Set against a stunning Himalayan backdrop, this high-altitude hike is one of the best ways to experience one of Asia's oldest religions and search for one of its most elusive animals.

2. Amou Haji: The man who didn’t shower for 67 years (Jordan Long, History Defined)

3. India’s election wasn’t the deepfake doomsday many feared (Russell Brandom, restofworld)

   So far, AI-generated content has been more about trolling than information warfare.

4. I Went Undercover as a Secret OnlyFans Chatter. It Wasn’t Pretty (Brendan I Koerner, WIRED)

   Your online influencer girlfriend is actually a rotating cast of low-wage workers. I became one of them.

Kahi Nabhako Jaatra

Sports

Boring: Real Madrid won the Champions League AGAIN. That’s the news. It’s getting so boring at this point, we don't even want to write about it anymore.

Rhinos! So, we’ve qualified for our second T20 World Cup, a decade after our first inspiring appearance in 2014! Our journey has been filled with highlights, like beating Afghanistan for the first time in a decade and hosting the ACC Emerging Cup. Despite challenges, including issues with our opening pair and death bowling, we are set to give our best at the T20 World Cup. Here’s our list of fixtures:

Tuesday, 4 June, vs. Netherlands, Grand Prairie Stadium

Wednesday, 12 June, vs. Sri Lanka, Central Broward Regional Park

Saturday, 15 June, vs. South Africa, Arnos Vale Stadium

Monday, 17 June, vs. Bangladesh, Arnos Vale Stadium

In the news amidst all this is the case of Sandeep Lamichhane. Recall how he applied for a US visa after his charges were dropped? He was denied a visa at first. Then, a bunch of people got behind him. The sports minister, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, said they’d do anything in their power to appeal for a visa for Sandeep. I’m sure he talked to the foreign minister. People protested in the streets, claiming America was scared of us. Sandeep applied again. He got rejected again. People are still protesting the US’s move. Gyanendra Shahi (from RaPraPa) seems to have taken a break from bringing the king back to protest Sandeep’s application. We have no comments or takes.

Three news briefs and a lie

Three of these news headlines are real, and one is faker than Shree Kesh hiar oil bringing back hair. 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. एसपीले आफ्नो घर बनाउन खटाए प्रहरी, प्रहरीकै गाडीमा निर्माण सामग्री ढुवानी

2. आफू एलियन भएको एलन मस्कको दाबी, छिट्टै प्रमाण पेस गर्ने

3. गर्मीको प्रभाव: ~४०°C तापक्रम पुगे संगै कन्चनपुर , महेन्द्रनगरमा पानीको जार चोर्ने समूह पक्राउ

4. नेपालमा बिहे गर्न आउने विदेशीलाई आकर्षित गर्न बजेटमा व्यवस्था

Eta Hernus Quiz

There's a song called "Ekai nazar ma maya basyo hai luki chhipi heri dina le." If you know it, you probably remember Dipesh Kishor Bhattarai's rendition. But did you know the original version was sung by one of our current MP (samsad)s? Do you know which one?

Bidesh Tira Hernus

Prison Trump!: Donald Trump can still run for president, but voting might be off the table. Convicted on all 34 charges of falsifying business records in his hush money trial, Trump has made history as the first ex-president to become a felon. Ever the showman, outside the courtroom, he declared, "I’m a very innocent man," and called the trial "rigged." The crux of the case? Trump allegedly paid off Stormy Daniels to silence her about their supposed affair, with his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen spilling the beans. With sentencing set for July 11, just before the Republican National Convention, Trump faces potential jail time, but most experts predict probation or fines. Meanwhile, big names like Bill Ackman and Elon Musk are lining up to endorse him.

Good Korea Bad Korea: In a bizarre twist of geopolitical shenanigans, North Korea sent 260 balloons packed with trash and animal dung into South Korea. This dirty move was a response to South Korean activists who had previously sent balloons carrying anti-regime leaflets and K-pop tunes into the North. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the act, stating it "violates international law and endangers our citizens' safety."

Eta Pani Hernus

In her memoir, mountaineer and former Miss Finland Lotta Hintsa revealed an unsettling encounter with renowned climber Nirmal Purja in Kathmandu, where he allegedly made unwanted advances and undressed her. Another climber, Dr. April Leonardo, also accused Purja of similar misconduct during a K2 expedition. Despite Purja’s denial through his lawyer, these allegations have brought attention to the issue of harassment in the climbing community. As more women speak out, the need for safety and respect in the sport is becoming increasingly clear.

Proud Gorkhali Moment

Here’s a clip of someone LARPing as mayor Balen. This is a proud gorkhali moment.

A request

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(Answer to Eta hernus Quiz: It’s Binod Chaudhary yes, the waiwai king!))

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