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Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as Portugal picked up their second Nations League title by beating holders Spain 5-3 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final, Aljazeera reported.

Ronaldo’s 138th international goal took the final on Sunday to a shootout, with Alvaro Morata’s miss proving costly for Spain as Ruben Neves struck the winning spot kick to spark wild scenes of celebration, with emotion overwhelming the veteran captain.

Spain’s exhilarating 5-4 victory over France in Thursday’s semifinal ensured Luis de la Fuente’s side had continued an unbeaten run that stretched back to March 2023 coming into Sunday’s showpiece final in Munich, according to Aljazeera.

They appeared on course for yet another trophy, on the back last year’s European Championship triumph, as Martin Zubimendi tapped home his second international goal in the 21st minute.

Most farmers in Nawalparasi have already sown rice seeds, and many more are preparing to plant in the coming weeks. However, a persistent shortage of fertilizer has added stress—especially for those relying on pump sets for irrigation due to the lack of proper irrigation infrastructure.

This problem recurs annually. Subsidized fertilizers sent by the government are distributed through cooperatives, based on data provided by local authorities. In the district’s seven local units, fertilizers are distributed through 80 cooperatives.

Rabindranath Chaubey, head of the Agricultural Knowledge Center, said the supply of chemical fertilizers in the district covers less than two-thirds of the total cultivable land. Out of 41,000 hectares of arable land, rice is cultivated on about 21,000 hectares. To meet full demand, the district requires 18,398 tons of urea, 10,657 tons of DAP, and 8,145 tons of potash annually. However, since August, only 3,890.4 tons of urea and 1,684 tons of DAP have been received from the Agriculture Inputs Company and Salt Trading Corporation. That leaves a shortfall of around 15,000 tons of urea and 9,000 tons of DAP.

Tara Prasad Khanal, head of the Agriculture Inputs Company’s Parasi branch, said subsidized fertilizers are sold through cooperatives at Rs 794 per 50kg bag of urea, Rs 2,244 for DAP, and Rs 1,644 for potash. Cooperatives add transport costs to these prices. Although some additional supplies are expected from the company’s provincial office, they have yet to arrive, even as the rice planting season nears peak.

Ramgram Municipality needs 4,256 tons of urea and 1,652 tons of DAP annually. So far, it has received 760.355 tons of urea and 329.13 tons of DAP. Bardaghat Municipality requires 3,462 tons of urea and 1,860 tons of DAP. It has received 493.979 tons of urea and 213.82 tons of DAP.

While Sunwal Municipality needs 1,885 tons of urea and 943 tons of DAP, it has only received 535.773 tons of urea and 231.92 tons of DAP. Palhinandan Rural Municipality requires 1,762 tons of urea and 789 tons of DAP. It has received 418.243 tons of urea and 181.13 tons of DAP.

Similarly, Pratappur Rural Municipality needs 3,340 tons of urea and 2,141 tons of DAP. So far, it has received 631.243 tons of urea and 273.33 tons of DAP. Sarawal Rural Municipality requires 2,733 tons of urea and 1,932 tons of DAP. It has received 549.369 tons of urea and 237.80 tons of DAP. Susta Rural Municipality needs 1,620 tons of urea and 1,340 tons of DAP. It has received 501 tons of urea and 216.88 tons of DAP.

According to the Agricultural Knowledge Center, the significant gap between demand and supply is threatening to affect rice production across the district.

Fifteen organizations that work for the welfare of the Tibetan community in exile have said that they are deeply troubled by the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival’s (KIMFF) decision to program a ‘Xizang Panorama’ section screening Chinese propaganda films. This choice represents more than a curatorial misstep—it signals how easily respected cultural institutions can become participants in China’s efforts of cultural erasure, they said in a statement.  

For over a decade, KIMFF has distinguished itself as a vital platform for mountain voices. The festival’s commitment to exploring “issues ranging from the political determination of mountain communities, to the emergence of identity politics” has made it a beacon for authentic storytelling from some of the world’s most contested landscapes. 

This year’s theme, “Fractured Voices, Framing Narratives,” promised continued dedication to amplifying those perspectives, they said. Instead, the festival has handed narrative control to the very forces seeking to silence those voices. When KIMFF programs Chinese state-sponsored narratives about Tibet, it participates—however unwittingly—in this cultural diminishment. 

The festival transforms from a platform challenging dominant narratives into an amplifier of state propaganda, legitimizing efforts to rewrite Tibetan history through a Chinese lens, they said in a statement. This represents a fundamental betrayal of the festival’s stated mission. KIMFF can scarcely claim to showcase “fractured voices” or reclaim fragile narratives while accepting uncritically the framing imposed by Communist Party power.

Have you ever sat for an exam thinking that you’re fully prepared but then encountered a question that you remember studying but can’t recall the answer? This frustrating experience is called “choking under pressure”—a psychological phenomenon where your performance declines precisely when it matters most.

For many years, choking under pressure was seen as simple anxiety weakening performance due to lack of intelligence or preparation. Today, modern neuroscience reveals choking as a neurochemical disruption. What happens in your brain when you choke and can it be prevented? This article tries to explain this phenomenon.

What happens in your brain when you choke?

When you choke, your brain undergoes a series of physiological changes that drains your performance. The brain contains a fear center called Amygdala. Under pressure, amygdala activates a fight-or-flight response in which stress hormones flood your system. This is an evolutionary response which was meant for physical threats in our ancestors. A 2018 Stanford study found that stress hormones can reduce Prefrontal Cortex—the area for working memory and reasoning—activity by up to 50 percent. This explains why you might forget the answers you knew perfectly under stressful conditions like an exam. 

Why do some students choke while others thrive? 

Research shows that students who consider tests as threats are more prone to choking. Those who see tests as a challenge opportunity show better results under pressure. Sometimes even after revising several times, you might have experienced choking. This can be explained by the “expertise reversal effect”. It shows that over-studying can sometimes backfire. At a point, over-studying can increase anxiety without improving recall which ultimately leads you to forget what you knew. Additionally, some people can naturally regulate stress hormones better than the others.

How can I prevent choking?

In order to prevent choking under pressure, you have to practice under pressure by simulating test conditions during your study sessions. You must not take your tests as a threat but instead as a challenge. Harvard research shows that replacing “I must not fail” with “I’m prepared to try my best” improves test performance by 22 percent.  If your brain still panics despite practicing the above methods, breathe deeply, clench and release your fists three times. This calms your nervous system and lowers stress hormones.

Choking under pressure isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a natural response to stress. By understanding the science behind this, students can improve their performance and learn to regain control of their brains even under stressful conditions.  

Divya Prakash Sah

Kathmandu Model College, Bagbazar

I dusted off an old memory,

Tried to relive, but life grants only one glory.

I looked across a quiet shelf,

And saw the sum of my living self.

Some pages hold the silent tears,

The quiet hopes, the hidden fears.

Times of darkness and of light,

They live within us, undefined. 

Across many and many books,

I flipped through pages of my childhood,

My veiled depths were then revealed,

And for a long time, life seemed fulfilled.

I came across some empty books,

Ones I could still create,

Someplace shelves held no books,

Life wasn’t for too long, my fate.

I could tear apart the stories told,

Or close the cover and simply go.

But every book, both new and old,

Whispers the truth I’ve come to know.

Uma Regmi

Grade: X

Shree Bal Uddhar Secondary School

Budhanilkantha Municipality-10, Kapan

Over 700,000 Nepali youths migrate to foreign countries for foreign employment and education every year. Brain drain has become a big problem in our country’s context. Attractive facilities, infrastructure and opportunities to earn good money are considered some of the major causes for brain drain. But is that really it? Nepal still is a patriarchal society. People hold religious views and have traditional concepts. Modern forms of parenting have not been well accepted in society. The relationship between parents and their children aren’t on good terms exactly. If a child chooses science as the stream to further his/her studies after the clearance of the SEE examinations, he/she is talented but anything else except that is simply a disappointment; in most cases. “You live under my roof hence, you have to do what I want you to do” is a common mentality that most of the Nepali parents develop and impose on their children. 

Most of the Nepali parents believe that expressing one’s opinion about something is the equivalent to talking back. It is a sign of disrespect. Similarly, speaking when the others, especially the elders are talking is considered an interruption . These practices not only trouble the mental state of the children, but also hinder their physical ability to speak up for themselves and even create obstacles in learning a simple skill of socializing with other people. Children are taught that their opinions do not matter at all from a very early age. Because in Nepal, children who are quiet and obedient are considered well mannered. Mischief  and curiosity come to children naturally. It is in their nature to jump, play, shout and ask many questions. Putting a stop to these activities only brings trouble for them later in life. It is harder for girls than boys. Girls are required to speak in a certain manner, laugh in a certain manner, sit in a certain manner, eat in a certain manner, and many more. A girl skateboarding is considered shocking. An act as simple as a girl playing with a skateboard is difficult for society to accept. Scooters are considered more feminine than motorbikes and “suit” a lady better than the latter. This is the ultimate reality of the Nepali society.

If a child tries to speak with his/her parents frankly and share his/her problems, the parents tend to see their child as the sole problem and reprimanded them for being so. All their lives, children bottle up their feelings, unable to speak to anyone about it. This causes a sudden and dramatic explosion of emotions. With nosy neighbours and strict parents, all a child is able to do is to cry silently in his/her room. This system in which parents are unable to understand the psychology of their child has come to such a point that the only thing the children of this generation seek is freedom. Freedom from their familial pressure, freedom to speak their mind, freedom to be selfish and think of themselves once in a while rather than what the society or their parents think of themselves and the freedom to live as who they actually are. Why are the suicide rates increasing every single day? Why is today’s youth a victim to depression? Why are the youth leaving their countries and families and going abroad? When thought carefully and in depth, the answer is quite simple: it is because of the fragile bond between parents and children.

Although not mature, children are humans too. They also need someone to hear them rather than suppress them. Brain drain is a simple solution to all their problems. They get to get away from their families, they find a glint of their freedom that they so longed for and discover a sense of independence and in a way, themselves as well. They delve so deep into their newfound freedom that they forget to come back home at all. The people may be changing along with time but it is quite true that not many things about the system of raising children has changed. It is very rigid and has become a cause for generational trauma. Capturing people in this loop of never ending and ever repeating process of hurting each other. Parents hurt their children with words of negativity . Meanwhile, children hurt their parents by not respecting them and their wishes. 

The fact about being children is that all the various phases of their childhood is a phase for development. Every action a guardian takes and every word he/she speaks to the child is etched deep into their minds forming their personality and ideals. Hence, parents and guardians should be mindful about what they say and do in front of their children. To escape from the matrix, the current and the upcoming generation are required to shield their younguns from negativity and let them cherish their childhood days. A safe space to express themselves and a safe space to call home. Home is considered the first school of children. A child’s development in their family helps shape their future in the society. 

Dristi Rajak

St Mary’s Secondary School, Jawalakhel

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Fablab Nepal, Kleanit Upcyclers, and Paramendo Nepal jointly organized an event titled “PLASTIC: From Used to Useful” on June 5, 2025, at Impact Hub Kathmandu. The program, held under the P2G (Plastic to Ghar) Project, focused on innovative approaches to managing plastic waste in Nepal through technology, awareness, and community engagement. Supported by the UK’s FCDO in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, Korea University, and local partners, the project promotes the conversion of plastic waste into practical household items.

The event featured a live demonstration of Nepal’s first cycle-powered plastic shredder, talk sessions on circular economy and behavioral change, and a Circular Bazar showcasing upcycled products by local entrepreneurs.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against 18 individuals, including Nepal Telecom’s Managing Director Sangita Pahadi. The case has been forwarded to the Special Court. The CIAA alleges irregularities involving Nepal Telecom’s billing system, maintenance fees, and other financial discrepancies that have caused a loss of Rs 330m to the state.

The other defendants in the case include Sunil Paudel, Pratibha Shrestha, Hemprabha Rampratap Karn, Nawal Chaudhary, Rajendra Shrestha, Jhabindra Lal Upadhyay, Devendra Khatiwada, Binita Shrestha, Amul Pradhan, Rajiv Kumar KC, Muktiprasad Aryal, Santosh Kumar Shrestha, Parmatma Bhattarai, and Shailesh Shrestha. Additionally, foreign nationals Long Yang and Hong Wei, along with the Chinese company AsiaInfo Inc, have also been named as defendants.

During the investigation, statements were recorded from former Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal, government employees including two joint secretaries, and members of the Nepal Telecom Board of Directors. However CIAA has decided not to file charges against 24 individuals who were under investigation in this case. No case has been filed against former Chief Secretary Aryal, former Secretary of Communications and then Chairperson of the Board, Hari Prasad Basyal, Bhupal Baral and Uttarkumar Khatri, both then Joint Secretaries and board members of Nepal Telecom, as well as board member Shankar Lamichhane.

Also exempt from prosecution are Company Secretary Rajendra Aryal, then Managing Director Dilliram Adhikari, then Technical Officer Bhanuraj Shrestha, former Director Radhakrishna Dhungel, and then Deputy Managing Director Minu Pradhan. Other individuals not charged include former Directors Sabina Maskey, former Managers Hari Dhakal, Gangasagar Matanche, Kumar Prasad Khatriwada, Prakash Manandhar, Subodh Rimal, Shobhan Adhikari, and Anup Regmi. Similarly, no case will be filed against former Deputy Managers Maniraj Poudel, Sudipraj Ghimire, Saroj Pradhan, Santosh Bhandari, and then Senior Engineer Prayag Khadka.

In Dec 2022, Nepal Telecom signed a contract with the company AsiaInfo, under which the company was to receive over Rs 3bn over five years—approximately Rs 650m annually. On 8 Jan 2023, the board of Nepal Telecom decided to sign a four-year Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) with AsiaInfo, the company that had been providing billing system services. The board also approved a proposal to extend the contract for an additional year if necessary. Although the board had also decided to initiate a new tender process at that time, no such process has begun to date.

A billing system is essential for operating telephone and internet services. When one user calls another, the billing system processes the connection. Without sufficient balance, the billing system restricts the service.

Nepal Telecom has been using the current billing system since 2012. Although the system is supposed to be upgraded every eight–nine years, it has been in use for over a decade. This has led to several problems such as calls not connecting, service interruptions, and calls getting dropped mid-conversation. Service disruptions have been frequent in Nepal Telecom.

Over the past few years, various studies and investigations have highlighted significant flaws in Nepal Telecom’s billing system and recommended switching to a new one.

When the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government was formed, Baikuntha Aryal became the Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in July 2021 and also assumed the role of chairperson of Nepal Telecom’s board. To appoint Sunil Paudel as MD of Nepal Telecom, the company’s “Managing Director Appointment and Service Directive, 2075” was amended and the former was appointed MD on 7 April 2022. After that, the process to call for a new billing system tender stalled further. The maintenance contract for AsiaInfo’s old billing system was also set to expire on 18 Sept 2022.

A government-formed committee under the Ministry of Communications raised questions about AsiaInfo’s performance and pointed out that service disruptions occurred due to the irresponsibility of the company’s technicians. A major issue started on 13 Jan 2023, but because the following two days were public holidays, maintenance work was delayed. The issue was identified and services resumed only after offices reopened on Jan 17. Despite recurring problems, Nepal Telecom kept awarding additional maintenance contracts to the same controversial company.

At that time, the board of Nepal Telecom approved the proposal to extend the maintenance contract with AsiaInfo for four more years—and an additional year if needed. Since purchases exceeding Rs 600m required approval from higher authorities, the board had to endorse the contract extension file accordingly.