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Sporting cruised to a 4-1 home win over Kairat Almaty in their Champions League opener on Thursday, sealing the result with three goals in a four-minute second-half burst, Reuters reported.

The visitors from the city of Almaty in south-eastern Kazakhstan undertook the longest journey ever recorded between two clubs in Champions League history, and they struggled to find their rhythm in the first half as Sporting quickly took control.

Sporting were handed a penalty after 21 minutes when Aleksandr Mrynskiy brought down Luis Suarez, but Morten Hjulmand’s strike was kept out by 18-year-old Kairat goalkeeper Sherhan Kalmurza, saving with his legs, according to Reuters.

Hosts Eintracht Frankfurt scored four times in 29 minutes to bounce back from a goal down and hammer Galatasaray 5-1 in their Champions League opener on Thursday, Reuters reported ​​​​​.

The Turks had hit Frankfurt on the break with Yunus Akgun completing the move from a Leroy Sane assist in the eighth minute. Germany international Sane, who joined from Bayern Munich this season, became the only player in Champions League history to play for four or more clubs and score or assist on his debut for each of them.

Frankfurt, competing for only the second time in the Champions League main round, struggled to break through Galatasaray's defence until a defensive error from Akgun in the 37th. Ritsu Doan pounced, charged into the box and Davinson Sanchez deflected the Japanese winger's shot in for an own goal, according to Reuters.

An inspired Marcus Rashford celebrated his return to English soil by scoring twice in nine second-half minutes to give Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in their Champions League season opener at St James' Park on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Missing key players Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, and Gavi through injury, the visitors had to weather an early storm as Newcastle pressed high relentlessly, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia making a fabulous reflex save to deny Harvey Barnes from close-range early in the game.

The five-time European champions gradually gained control of proceedings until English forward Rashford broke the deadlock in the 58th minute, scoring his first goal for Barcelona with an angled header from Jules Kounde's right-wing cross that nestled just inside the left post beyond Nick Pope's reach, according to Reuters.

A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet that disappeared from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was stolen and melted down, Egypt's interior ministry says, BBC reported.

A restoration specialist took the artefact - which dates back to the reign of King Amenemope, a pharaoh who ruled Egypt around 1,000BC – from a safe at the museum nine days ago, according to the ministry.

The woman contacted a silver jeweller she knew, who sold the bracelet to a gold jeweller for $3,735 (£2,750), it said. He then sold it for $4,025 to a gold foundry worker, who had melted it down with other jewellery, it added.

The ministry said the four individuals confessed to their crimes after being arrested and that the money was seized, according to BBC.

Hundreds of thousands of workers have taken take part in strike action across France on Thursday, after trade unions called for a day of protests against budget cuts, BBC reported.

Organisers said one million people turned out, while the interior ministry put that number at 500,000, with 80,000 police officers deployed. 

Scuffles were reported in the cities of Lyon and Nantes, and in Paris small-scale clashes broke out between police and protesters. 

Officers in riot gear used tear gas and shields to disperse crowds in the centre of the capital after some protesters damaged a small number of businesses and buildings, according to BBC.

The Taliban government has removed books written by women from the university teaching system in Afghanistan as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment, BBC reported.

Some 140 books by women - including titles like "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory" - were among 680 books found to be of "concern" due to "anti-Sharia and Taliban policies".

The universities were further told they were no longer allowed to teach 18 subjects, with a Taliban official saying they were "in conflict with the principles of Sharia and the system's policy".

The decree is the latest in a series of restrictions which the Taliban have brought in since returning to power four years ago, according to BBC.

Donald Trump suggested Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could use the military to stop illegal migration at a news conference marking the end of the US president's second state visit to the UK, BBC reported.

Trump said he discussed migration issues with Sir Keir during a meeting at his country residence Chequers.

The US president talked about his policies to secure borders in the US and said the UK faced a similar challenge with migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

"You have people coming in and I told the prime minister I would stop it, and it doesn't matter if you call out the military, it doesn't matter what means you use," Trump said, according to BBC.

Call it the “unintended consequences” of a movement, at least for now. 

The recent Gen Z movement against corruption, nepotism and bad governance has left behind a trail of deaths and destruction while making the myopic and reactive ruling clique flee the scene. 

More than 70 people have lost their lives and around 1000 have suffered injuries. All three organs of the state—the executive, the legislature and the judiciary—have suffered extensive infrastructural damage—as if damage resulting from the loss of credibility due to various scams and scandals were not enough—along with the fourth estate—the free press—a soft target of protesters of all hues and shades at all times. 

Throughout the country, government offices have turned into cinders while business and industries have suffered significant losses.

The most affected parts make one wonder if something more sinister has hit this country than mere protests.  

Even in a grim scenario like this, there’s a feeling among the public that all’s not lost. 

From the ashes of death and destruction, the country appears to be rising slowly. 

A caretaker administration has taken shape under a retired chief justice on the precincts of what used to be an imposing, historic Singhadurbar—the federal government secretariat—with a mandate to conduct elections within six months.

Housed in tents, the Supreme Court has begun hearing habeas corpus writ petitions. On the arteries of Kathmandu devoid of dividers and traffic islands, traffic police personnel have returned to duty and one can see them trying to bring some semblance of order amid traffic jams and snarls. 

Though badly burnt and dissolved, there’s some semblance of the bicameral Parliament at New Baneshwor, with the speaker of the House of Representatives and the chair of the National Assembly still in office. 

While the national army is back in the barracks, the Sheetal Niwas—the presidential palace—remains at the center of the current scheme of things, with burns and all. 

As a long and arduous process of national healing begins, the onus is on us—Nepalis from all walks of life, within the country and beyond—to join hands for national reconstruction by mobilizing our resources and utilizing our skills rather than looking for international support. At this juncture, the government would do well to appeal to the Nepalis to contribute to this great cause.  

From the ashes of destruction, we can—and shall—rise like a phoenix.