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Janakpur Bolts defeated Lumbini Lions by one run in the ongoing Nepal Premier League on Sunday.

It is the fourth consecutive win of Janakpur Bolts in the NPL. Earlier, they had defeated Biratnagar, Karnali and Pokhara.

In the match played at TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur today, the Lumbini Lions were chasing the target of 137 runs, but they lost eight wickets in 20 overs, thereby limiting them to 135 runs.

Rohit Kumar Paudel made 35 runs off 38 balls. He hit three fours to make up the runs. Tom Moores and Sundeep Jora were in the team to collect runs, while others failed to ensure runs in double digit.

On the other hand, Harsha Thokar took highest five wickets for Janakpur, while Kishor Mahato, Sher Malla and Lalit Rajbansi took one wicket each.

Earlier, invited to batting first, the Janakpur Bolts made a total of 136 runs in 20 overs at the loss of nine wickets. Captain Anil Shah was able to secure highest 45 runs. He hit one four and four sixes in 39 balls.

Similarly, Lahiru Milantha made 24 runs, Shubh Kansakar 22 runs and opener and marquee player Aasif Sheikh 16 runs.

In the same match, Abhisekh Gautam who made debut for Lumbini took three wickets and skipper Rohit Paudel and Saad Bin Zafar two wickets each. Sundeep Jora took one wicket.

It is the fourth consecutive defeat of Lumbini. Earlier, they were defeated by Biratnagar Kings, Pokhara Avengers and Sudurpaschim Royals.

A black panther and squirrel have been found for the first time in Rara National Park. The images of these animals' presence in the park were seen in the cameras installed inside the park area by zoology students of Tribhuvan University. The students are studying mammals inhabiting the national park.

Rara National Park's officiating senior conservation officer Mahesh Neupane said the cameras have captured the images of mammals like Black Panther, Himalayan bear, fox, musk deer, wild boar and squirrel, among other animals. Of these animals, black panther and squirrel have been sighted for the first time.

According to Neupane, the camera-trap technology has been used for studying the big and medium-sized mammals found in the park, their activities and details.

Tribhuvan University's PhD student Tilak Thapa Magar and researchers Bimal Raj Shrestha, Master level student Bachan Prasain and former president of the Park Buffer Zone Consumers Committee Birkha Bahadur Rokaya are involved in the research. 

The cameras were installed at 40 various locations inside the park for 21 days from October 22, with permission from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and the Rara National Park.

Although the Rara National Park office has been conducting bird census inside the park, it has not so far carried out census of wildlife, aquatic animals and plants.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 149, 700 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 150, 100 per tola on Friday.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 1,890 per tola today.

Police have arrested three persons with gold, silver and foreign currency worth more than Rs 10 million from the Kauwakheda border area of Bhajani Municipality-5 in Kailali.

Mahendra Bahadur Shahi (36) of Chaukuni Rural Municipality-10 of Surkhet, Harka Bahadur BK (31) of Birendranagar Municipality-1 and Mahesh Sunar (32) of Panchpuri Municipality-11, were arrested last night, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Shailendra Thapa, Joint Spokesperson of the Armed Police Force.

They were arrested with 620 grams of gold worth Rs 8,079,561, 8.9 kg of silver worth Rs 1,528,460, and Indian currency 611,625 of various denominations, Saudi riyals, four mobile sets of various types, and silver-plated utensils.

Winter is already in the air and it should send a chill up the government’s spine. Worryingly, it has not. As in previous winters, governments at the center, provinces and local levels are in deep slumber by monopolizing all the warmth that state powers give them even as the laity, particularly disadvantaged sections of the society in Nepal’s southern plains, remains ill-prepared as ever to deal with cold weather, cold wave in particular, that leaves behind a trail of deaths every year. 

Facing the most serious risk to their lives are the senior citizens, children and women from these sections. 

By the way, what do government authorities do to avert casualties resulting from harsh weather? 

Not much, if we are to forget about some isolated incidents of distribution of fuelwood and warm clothing, apart from the issuance of regular weather bulletins. 

This near-total indifference on the part of the government authorities is only bolstering a negative public perception about the polity. A growing perception is that there is no dearth of governments these days, that Singhadurbars have sprung up at every nook and cranny of the country but governance is sorely lacking. Indeed, these power centers located quite close to the doorsteps of the people seem least bothered about the plight of the people facing a cruel and grim winter with no food, warm clothing and shelter. As for the Singhadurbar located at the center, it is well beyond the reach of the commoner like an island of prosperity located in the middle of a sea of poverty.  

The right to life, right to food, right to shelter, right to education and the right to employment are some of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of Nepal 2015. But the state has not been able to protect these rights. When temperatures dip, daywagers cannot go to work and that means the absence of food on the table. A dipping mercury means cold nights and it can prove to be a killer for families without warm clothes and bedding materials. Cold weather also means a surge in instances of respiratory diseases like pneumonia and aggravated health conditions that can put the lives of senior citizens, women and children at most serious risk.    

Whenever temperatures dip, schools in the Tarai shut, robbing children of the right to education. Can our authorities not make arrangements for warmer classrooms to keep the classes going?     

Rather than isolated acts of ‘kindness’, government authorities should get their act together, identify citizens/families at risk and come to their rescue in a coordinated manner. After all, it is the duty of a state officially ‘geared toward socialism’ to save lives, isn’t it?  

Sometimes I feel burdened by my friendships. I feel the need to constantly communicate with them even if I am not in the right state of mind. How do I deal with this feeling and learn to approach friendships in a  healthy manner?

Answered by Kapil Sharma

Friendship forms an important part of social support that is essential for everyone. However, if we fail to maintain boundaries, it can be hard for us, which is what seems to be happening to you. This is absolutely normal. 

Looking through a psychological lens, most people have a people-pleasing tendency. People crave the validation they feel when they meet others’ expectations. Fear of rejection also leads people to prioritise friendship excessively. Consequently, boundaries tend to get blurred. Additionally, we feel the need to be constantly available for our friends, even if we feel emotionally fatigued ourselves. The fear of losing the friendship leads to us ignoring our own well-being. 

During such situations, reflect on what you truly need from your friends. You can ask yourself questions like: “Am I prioritising my well-being?”, and acknowledge the fact that your mental health matters too. This is the first step. 

Secondly, work on maintaining boundaries. This means, communicate well about your emotional availability with your friends. For example, “I’m not in the right space to talk right now. But I will reach out when I can.” 

Sometimes, a sense of guilt leads to blurring of boundaries. Reframing the guilt helps. In a healthy friendship, it’s essential for both parties to feel supported. If there is any guilt about past happenings, it should be resolved immediately. Otherwise, it will manifest in unhealthy forms. 

Clear communication is the key. Remember to prioritize quality over quantity. Instead of meeting all the time, it’s better to meet in regular intervals and communicate everything honestly. Dedicating a friendship-free time in your routine also helps. During this time, you should focus on things other than friendship such as hobbies, mindful practice, and relaxation. This helps to recharge. Even after all this, if you still struggle with boundaries and communicating, you should seek professional support.

Karnali Yaks have pulled off their first victory in the ongoing Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL).

In a match played at the TU Cricket Ground at Kirtipur today, Karnali Yaks trounced Chitwan Rhinos by six wickets. Before this, Karnali Yaks had suffered two defeats. 

Chitwan Rhinos had set a 131-run victory target before Karnali Yaks and the latter achieved the target in 19.5 overs at the loss of four wickets.

Shikhar Dhawan scored the highest 45 runs for Karnali Yaks. He hit one six and four boundaries, facing 41 balls. Similarly, Chadwick Walton made 30 runs, Dev Khanal 25 runs, Zeeshan Maqsood 12 runs and Arjun Gharti 11 runs for Karnali.

Towards bowling, skipper Kushal Malla, Ravi Bopara and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton took one wicket each for Chitwan Rhinos.

Before this, Chitwan Rhinos, who were sent into batting first after losing the toss, scored 130 runs in 20 overs at the loss of seven wickets. Ravi Bopara hit 59 runs, including one six and seven fours, in 40 balls, not out, for Chitwan. Captain Kushal Malla made 23 runs and Bipin Rawal 11 runs.

In Karnali's bowling department, Bipin Sharma took three wickets, Zeeshan Maqsood two wickets and Nandan Yadav and Captain Sompal Kami one wicket each.

Chitwan had won two matches of the NPL before this.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan visited Swoyambhunath and Boudhanath on Friday.  He paid homage and offered worship there. Swoyambhunath and Boudhanath are World Heritage Sites.

The Bhutanese king arrived in Kathmandu this morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.