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When I look at the sky, I wish I could fly 

When I view the nature, I feel the vibe 

We humans are the soul of the nature 

Which extends more indeed inside 

That never tends to share. 

At first when I felt it, I got a different peace of mind 

That was stressing inside me myself 

The first time I felt I was not lonely, 

but was in my own peace 

I took time to feel the same sunsets,

When it’s about to end its presence. 

I got my own thoughts, and I feel we are the cage 

For our own freedom, we destroy our own inner peace 

I feel the bird, I feel their happiness, I can see the love 

Towards the Mother Earth, that saves,

gives birth and takes the last breadth.  

Supriya Paudel 

BBM III Semester, United College

Today, I am surrendering;

Surrendering amidst the vista;

To keep myself in attunement;

In my heart I know;

Dear life, it feels liberating.

As I gaze upon the horizons;

It reminds me of my ever-growing dreamscape;

A picturesque of euphoria;

In my mind I know;

Dear life, it feels awakening.

The realm of hope engulfs me;

While getting lost in the depths of my thoughts;

A never ending thought;

In my wariness I know;

Dear life, it feels empowering.

As I took a sigh of relief;

The gentle breeze flustered me;

I mustered up the courage to face the inevitable;

In my belief I know;

Dear life, it feels reinforcing.

Today, I am accepting;

Of my defeats with grace;

For I am fearfully and wonderfully admitting; 

In my realization I know;

Dear life, it feels musing. 

Animon Rapacha 

BBM VI Semester, United College

A meeting of the National Assembly held on Sunday sent the Bill designed to amend some Acts related to the prevention of money laundering and promotion of business environment, 2079 BS to the relevant committee for clause-wise discussion.

The proposal by Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dhanraj Gurung that the bill be sent to the Legislation Management Committee for clause-wise discussion was unanimously approved by the Upper House.

Similarly, Chairperson of the Delegated Management and Government Assurance Committee Maya Prasad Sharma submitted the annual report of the Committee for the year 2079-80 in the meeting.

Chairperson of National Concern and Coordination Committee, Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa (Parbati), tabled the study report on tier-wise inter-relationship and coordination of the Committee.

Similarly, Chairperson of the Legislation Management Committee, Jayantidevi Rai submitted the report of the Committee on the 'Bill on Legislation, 2080'.

The next meeting of the National Assembly will be held on February 23.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 27. 21 points to close at 2, 034.82 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 3. 35 points to close at 365. 20 points.

A total of 10,772,483-unit shares of 315 companies were traded for Rs 3. 77 billion.

Meanwhile, Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) Limited (BNL) and Samaj Laghubittya Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SAMAJ) were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Samling Power Company Limited (SPC) was the top loser with its price dropped by 8. 21 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 19 trillion. 

Singer Hemant Sharma has released a new song titled ‘Dharti Mathi Jun,’ featuring the collaboration of singer Bindu Paudel. The song, with lyrics and music by Deepak Sharma and composition by Narendra Biyogi, follows the success of Sharma’s previous release, ‘Uta Pareli Jhim Jhim,’ in partnership with Paudel.

The music video of this song showcases actor Anoop Bikram Shahi, marking the first-time collaboration with model Kabita Nepali. Despite Shahi’s rare appearances in music videos, he expressed his fondness for the song, motivating his participation.

Shyam Swet Rasaili handled the mixing and mastering of the track, while Nabraj Upreti did the video’s cinematography. Amrit Chapagain took charge of the editing, and the direction of the video was executed by Mausam Himali.

The opposition parties in the House of Representatives drew the attention of the government to take action against all those found guilty in the Balkumari incident.

Two people were killed during the protest staged by EPS Korea aspiring youths in the Balkumari area of Lalitpur on December 29.

Speaking at the meeting of the lower house today, CPN-UML whip Mahesh Bartaula demanded action against those responsible for the incident in Balkumari, while accusing the government of failing to take action against all the people found guilty by the committee formed to investigate the incident.

Likewise, President of Rastriya Swatantra Party, Ravi Lamichhane, demanded action against the guilty, while referring that the inquiry committee formed to study the fatal incident concluded that the Minister of Physical Infrastructure was responsible for the incident.

Lawmaker Prem Suwal said that the people found guilty in various cases of corruption should be punished. He also said that the government should bear the expenses incurred by the parliamentarians during their foreign visits and thereby stop MPs from going on foreign visits sponsored by other countries and embassies.

As soon as today's meeting started, lawmakers from the opposition parties stood up from their respective seats in protest, which led Speaker Devraj Ghimire to give them time to speak.

Meanwhile, ruling Nepali Congress lawmaker Deepak Khadka raised the issue of leasing of Nepal Scout's land, while claiming that all the due process was completed for the same.

Everyone loves a clean house but not everyone loves the work that it entails. From the kitchen to the bathroom, the living room to the bedroom, the tasks can seem endless. There are countertops to clean, rugs to vacuum, books and decorative items to dust, spills to mop up, etc. It can get a tad overwhelming at times. Cleaning can feel as bothersome as an aching tooth. Even if you put off dealing with it, you know you will have to eventually attend to it, lest it gets way out of hand.

At times like these, your wish for a fairy godmother only gets stronger—someone who could take care of your problems with a single swipe of that sparkling magic wand. But there are all kinds of methods and hacks for cleaning just about everything and we’re here to share some of our favorites.

Use a pillowcase to clean fans

Do you dread cleaning the ceiling fans at the end of winter because you know dust will rain down on you? Just use an old pillowcase. Slip each blade inside the case and wipe away. The dust will be collected inside the pillowcase and not on your hair and carpet. This is an effective way to clean anything when you don’t want dust to get on the floor.

Clean pet hair with rubber gloves

We all love our four-legged friends but their hair can sometimes get on our nerves. You don’t have to buy all kinds of fancy tools to get rid of pet hair around the house. Just put on a pair of rubber gloves and run them over your furniture and other surfaces. Pet fur will gather into small balls and you can then throw them away. Alternatively, you can also use a lint roller to catch stray hairs.

Steam the microwave with lemon

This is one of the easiest things you can do to clean your microwave as well as make your house smell lovely. Put a small bowl of lemon juice in the microwave and heat it for two minutes or till the juice boils. The steam will soften the debris attached to the insides and you can simply wipe it with a clean cloth. Better, your house will have a citrusy fresh scent too. You can also rub half a lemon over chopping boards to get rid of the lingering smells of onion, garlic, etc.

Make your furniture shine with vinegar

Wooden furniture and other items can gather dust and look old and unattractive which is why regular wipe-downs are important. But the constant friction can make them lose their shine. To keep them looking new and shiny, you need to give them a little something extra time and again. Mix one part lemon juice and one part white vinegar in a spray bottle and use this solution to wipe your wooden furnishings at least twice a month. You can also use a solution of vinegar and water to wipe kitchen and bathroom tiles.

Spot-clean sofas with baby wipes

We spend a lot of time in our living room sofas. Spills and stains are inevitable. But with this easy trick, you won’t have to fret over them anymore. Use baby wipes to dab away at the stain or spill. They are gentle and contain little moisture, which is just right for spot-cleaning most materials. However, don’t rub at the spot as this will only push the stain into the fabric. Also, make sure they are baby wipes and not cleaning wipes as the latter might contain harsh chemicals that can damage surfaces.

Buy some microfiber cloth

Oftentimes, we tend to dust with whatever is around. It could be an old towel, a rag we have been meaning to throw away, or that feather duster that has seen better days. Use a microfiber cloth to pick dust from surfaces. These are especially great for TVs, refrigerators, mirrors, etc. Buy big-sized ones as it can be a bit time-consuming to clean larger areas with smaller ones.

Political parties in Nepal are embroiled in controversies one after another as maintaining the co-existence between democracy and politics proves consistently challenging.

Speaking at the Nepal Literature Festival in Pokhara on Saturday, Sucheta Pyakurel, director of IIDS Center for Governance, pointed out that while democracy advocates for equality for all, politics has always been based on hierarchy. "Many countries across the world are finding it difficult to advance democracy and politics together," she said, addressing a session titled 'How Democratic Are Our Parties?' moderated by Apex Editor Kamal Dev Bhattarai. She added that this challenge is even more pronounced in a caste-based and patriarchal society like Nepal.

Min Bahadur Bishwarkma of Nepali Congress, Madhav Sapkota of CPN (Maoist Center), and Padam Giri of CPN-UML were the other speakers in the session. The leaders discussed various aspects of internal democracy within the parties, including the election of new leadership through their respective general conventions and issues of inclusiveness, among others.

Maoist Center leader Sapkota mentioned that although communist parties worldwide have been discussing democracy, there is a need for more focused dialogue on the issue within the Nepali context.

NC leader Bishwakarma emphasized that democracy is intricately linked with inclusiveness and the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to vote. "NC sets an example in Nepal when it comes to internal democracy," he claimed. "We believe that party decisions shouldn't be unilateral. That's why we include all opinions and viewpoints and engage in thorough discussions."

UML leader Giri asserted that UML is committed to internal democracy within the party. "We cannot move forward without accepting the diversities of Nepali society. We are fostering democratic exercises in party forums," Giri stated.

Although Nepal follows a democratic system, Pyakurel said its norms and culture are not reflected in Nepali politics. "The failure to embrace democratic culture is our biggest weakness," she added. "Our parties are still not inclusive in terms of gender and ethnicity."

Pyakurel said women’s participation is low in parliament as well. "Not only in parties, women's participation is low in parliament as well. Although there are some women in parliament, they aren't very active," Pyakurel said. "There are numerous examples of capable women being denied opportunities. Parties have also failed in this regard."

Responding to a query on why there is no alternative to Pushpa Kamal Dahal in the Maoist Center, Sapkota insisted that the party will find an alternative to Dahal after specific stages are completed.

All the leaders agreed that their respective parties have made weaknesses in fulfilling people's aspirations for economic and social development.