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Nepali international taekwondo referee Dipendra Dhakal has been selected to serve as a referee at the 13th Korean Ambassador International Taekwondo Championship, which is being held in Lalitpur from Dec 1 to 6.

The event is being jointly organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal and the Nepal Taekwondo Association at the Taekwondo Academy building in Satdobato. The biennial championship, first held in 2003, has seen enthusiastic participation in all past editions and has been inaugurated or observed by high-level dignitaries, including the President of Nepal.

Teams from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan will join Nepal in this year’s edition following repeated requests from neighboring countries to participate. The tournament will feature 1,530 athletes competing in Gyrogi, Poomsae, and Para-Taekwondo categories across three arenas. The opening ceremony will include a taekwondo demonstration, cultural performances, and K-pop dance presentations.

Dhakal, who is affiliated with Tribhuvan Army Club, has been serving as a referee since 2014 and holds a fifth dan black belt. He is the first from the Nepali Army to become a WT international taekwondo referee and currently works as a taekwondo coach at the Army Club.

He has officiated in several major events, including the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan in 2019, and was named Best Referee at the Royal Spanish International Open Taekwondo Championship 2022. Dhakal has refereed in international tournaments across countries including Canada, China, Austria, Spain, Pakistan, Belgium, France, Germany, and Uzbekistan.

The 13th Korean Ambassador International Open Championships 2025 kicked off at the Nepal Taekwondo Association in Kathmandu on Monday.  

The event was jointly organized by the South Korean embassy in Nepal and Nepal Taekwondo Association.

In his opening remarks, Korean Ambassador to Nepal Ambassador Tae-young Park said that Taekwondo is the traditional martial art of Korea which has developed into a global sport, uniting individuals from different backgrounds through its core values of discipline, respect, and patience. 

He further committed to strengthening cooperation with Nepal particularly in the fields of sports and culture.

Praising the achievement of Nepal on Taekwondo in the world stage, Ambassador Park noted the success of Palesha Goverdhan, who made history by winning a bronze medal.

The victory was celebrated by both the countries as part of their shared sporting heritage.

This year’s championship has expanded into an international event with the participation of four neighboring countries. (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan).

Around 1,500 taekwondo athletes are competing for 103 gold medals in this year’s South Korean Ambassador open championships.

The event will conclude on December 5.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1, 400 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 253, 600 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 252, 200 per tola on Sunday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 3, 535 per tola today.

If past practices are anything to go by, the judiciary has delivered a plethora of landmark rulings in defense of the people’s cause. It has dispensed justice without discrimination, welcomed public grievances, and issued judgments consistent with established legal principles and human rights, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of aggrieved parties.

Article 133 of the Constitution of Nepal confers broad powers on the Supreme Court to issue appropriate orders and writs in the name of the State and concerned parties. This provision may be regarded as the “appropriate proceeding clause” of the Constitution. In this respect, the apex court exercises extraordinary jurisdiction to advance justice through various writs and orders.

Landmark rulings 

In Sunil Babu Pant v Government of Nepal and Others (2007), the Supreme Court (SC), while considering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), recognized transgender and LGBTIQA+ individuals as a “third gender,” ensuring their legal identity and access to services, education, and voting. The Court also directed the government to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and held the State accountable for past abuses. Through this decision, the apex court protected the human rights of sexual minorities and advanced the principle of equality. This case illustrates how PIL can empower citizens and drive a nationwide social change.

Another landmark example is Meera Kumari Dhungana v His Majesty’s Government [NKP 2052, Issue 6, Decision No 6013] which addressed gender equality in inheritance rights. The SC issued a directive to the government to draft and present a bill to Parliament ensuring equal rights for women to parental property.

Similarly, Surya Prasad Dhungel v Godavari Marble Industries highlighted the connection between the right to life and the right to a clean and healthy environment, reinforcing environmental protection as a constitutional concern. Environmental conservation was one of the objectives of the applicant, so the applicant had locus standi for the prevention of the environmental degradation, ruled the court.

These cases illustrate how PILs have become a powerful instrument for promoting justice, equality, and environmental sustainability in Nepal.

In Advocate Radhey Shyam Adhikari v Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Others (NKP 2048, Decision Number 4430), the SC held that Petitioners need to have meaningful relations and substantial interest in the subject matter to file a PIL.

Global precedent

The first notable PIL case in India was Hussainara Khatoon v State of Bihar (1979), which highlighted the inhumane conditions in prisons and resulted in the release of over 40,000 undertrial prisoners, establishing the right to speedy justice as a fundamental right.

Gideon v Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963), is a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that significantly expanded the right to legal representation and is often cited in discussions of public interest litigation and access to justice. The US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Gideon's favor, holding that: “The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to legal counsel, and this right is fundamental and essential to a fair trial. Therefore, states are required under the Fourteenth Amendment to provide an attorney to defendants in criminal cases who cannot afford one.”

Professor Abram Chayes coined the term “public law litigation” in the US context in 1976.

Way forward 

A PIL refers to a legal proceeding initiated in a court to protect or enforce the rights or interests of the public or a particular section of society. It involves matters where the public or a segment of the community has a legal interest that affects their rights or obligations. Unlike typical lawsuits, a PIL is not filed for personal gain but to seek justice on behalf of the public. It should not be misconstrued as “publicity interest litigation.” A PIL must genuinely serve the public interest, not private interests.

So, it is high time we adopt institutions and mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of court verdicts. Without such measures, judicial decisions risk becoming toothless and merely cosmetic. As a democracy, Nepal must uphold court rulings in both letter and spirit, for the state is founded on the rule of law and constitutionalism.

Nitika Chaudhary

BBA LLB 

Manmohan Technical University (MTU), Biratnagar

I remember when buying something new felt rare, almost sacred. My school bag was always pink, plastered with the cartoons I adored, and my stationery spilled colors across my desk, often the kind that dries out too quickly. My clothes were patterned, stripes, polka dots, florals, a quiet riot that made mornings feel brighter. Every object carried a story, a fragment of myself. They were companions, stitched into childhood, worn, polished, and used until their edges frayed with memory. Today, newness arrives differently. It drifts in like obligation, and the things we acquire rarely hold meaning for long.

For Nepali teenagers now, consumer culture weaves quietly through everyday life. It appears in uniform branded items, the ubiquity of fast fashion, and the never-ending cycle of upgraded electronics. Objects measure taste, belonging, and aspiration almost invisibly. But beneath this quiet rhythm lies a weightier truth. Self-worth and social approval are increasingly borrowed from things rather than earned through effort, creativity, or connection. What once held meaning through use or sentiment now exists mostly for perception and visibility.

The rhythm of consumption has shifted so subtly that it now dominates. Items that might have lasted years become outdated in weeks. What once inspired care is quickly replaced by the next trend, the next notification, the next fleeting pulse on a feed. Mass production floods the city with ephemeral whims and cheap imitations. Novelty no longer lingers. It flares briefly before being swallowed by the next must-have barely a heartbeat away.

The consequences of this constant churn are evident and worrying. Kathmandu valley’s streets layer with plastic wrappers, synthetic textiles, and discarded trinkets, a littered trace of desire. Landfills near Bhaktapur swell with abandoned items, while the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers carry chemical dyes and microplastics threading through daily life like invisible currents. Local crafts, Dhaka weaving, handloom textiles, and small pottery studios strain under imported goods, centuries-old traditions teetering toward obsolescence. Every purchase connects Kathmandu to distant factories where labor is exploited and environmental safeguards are minimal. Consumption’s true cost is never measured in rupees alone. It is etched into land, air, rivers, and communities.

Mass consumerism is reshaping Nepal’s social and ecological landscape in subtle, alarming ways. Forests and raw materials are harvested without thought for renewal. Rivers carry traces of production, microplastics coursing like uninvited shadows. Even the air feels heavier, burdened by the invisible toll of ceaseless manufacture, transport, and disposal. What was once a slow rhythm of care has become a torrent, pulling both objects and people toward fleeting value.

The psychological impact is equally stark. Social media amplifies comparison, turning possessions into metrics and consumption into performance. Teens find themselves caught in a race. They are not merely trying to own, but to signal ownership, to broadcast relevance, to maintain an endless cycle of validation. Functional items and once-treasured possessions mutate into temporary measures of identity. The connections between acquisition and its social, environmental, and labor costs remain hidden, leaving a footprint that is deep, pervasive, and largely invisible.

Yet consumer culture is not rigid. Objects can foster creativity, connection, and reflection when approached with intention. Items can be shared, repurposed, or treated with care. Electronics can become instruments of learning instead of tools of comparison. Incremental, deliberate choices, though small, ripple outward, reshaping the rhythm of consumption. They show that mindfulness can reclaim value from a society trained to discard. Even subtle, everyday decisions carry weight, transforming consumption into something slower, more intentional, and more meaningful. Nepal’s urban landscape reflects both the weight of the problem and the potential for change. 

Streets crowded with imported goods testify to relentless consumption, yet the city also holds quiet resistance. People make choices that favor care over speed, thought over novelty. Alone, these gestures might seem insignificant, but collectively they reshape the rhythm of buying, valuing, and reusing. A culture of discard is not inevitable. Every intentional choice becomes a small act of rebellion, a pause in the relentless cycle. 

The lesson is simple yet profound. Trends fade, but consequences endure. Shoes carry us across crowded streets, makeup bears experiments in identity, backpacks hold our belongings, and phones archive our memories. Yet the earth carries the hidden weight of manufacture, transport, and disposal. The choices we make today, how we acquire, reuse, and assign value, will shape the rivers, streets, and air of Kathmandu and Lalitpur tomorrow.

When the shimmer of novelty fades, what endures is not the object but the life lived with it, the connections nurtured, and the culture preserved. Consumerism can be seductive, but it need not define us. Slowing down, choosing intentionally, and imagining a future beyond endless production may be the most transformative trend we adopt. The care we show for the environment, those around us, and the heritage we inherit, along with small, deliberate choices before the next must-have arrives, will shape the Nepal we leave behind. And in the quiet that follows every purchase, a question lingers. Are we defining ourselves through accumulation, or through the presence, care, and attention we bring to the world around us?

Soniva Vaidya 

Grade XII

The British School, Kathmandu

A person died while another sustained serious injury when a passenger bus and a motorbike collided with each other at Gagan in Dudhauli Municipality-2, Sindhuli along the Madan Bhandari Highway on Sunday.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police of the District Police Office, Surya Prakash Sawedi, the deceased has been identified as Mahesh Kumar (25) of Dudhauli Municipality-3.

Pillion rider Dipesh Kumar (25) of Chandanpur, Kamalamai Municipality-14, who was seriously injured in the accident, is undergoing treatment at Dudhauli Municipal Hospital.

Police said that they are searching for the bus driver Shyam Kumar Bhattarai who fled the scene after the accident.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 258, 200 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 258, 000 per tola on Friday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 3, 390 per tola today.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu hosted the Bangladesh Fish Festival at its premises on Friday.

Acting Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Krishna Prasad Dhakal, attended the program as the Guest of Honor.

The event opened with the playing of the national anthems of Nepal and Bangladesh and welcome speech by the Ambassador.

In his address, Acting Foreign Secretary of Nepal commended the initiative as an innovative one, noting that such events strengthen cultural bridges and contribute to enhancing economic, trade, and people-to-people ties between Nepal and Bangladesh, reads a statement issued by the Embassy of Bangladesh on Kathmandu.

He mentioned that the bilateral collaboration between Nepal and Bangladesh is moving towards deeper engagements through increasing people-to- people contact, trade and transit and energy and investment.  It has further prospects for expanding cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture and food security between the two friendly nations.

Ambassador Md Shafiqur Rahman highlighted Bangladesh’s rich and traditional fisheries sector, terming the festival as Bangladesh’s riverine heritage, where fish has long been a symbol of our culture, livelihood, social fabric and national identity, according to the statement.

He attributed this historical tradition and heritage to the country’s unique geography and topography endowed with a thousand of rivers producing a wide variety of freshwater and sea fish.

Referring to the global fame of Bangladeshi cuisine/ fishes for their taste, freshness, and delicacy, he pointed to the specialty of the rapidly growing fisheries sector with production of freshwater (inland open-water) fish, aquaculture, marine fish, and crustacean. He noted that the festival serves not only as a cultural celebration but also as an opportunity to deepen regional cooperation and expand business partnerships.

The Ambassador expressed his pleasure in organizing this showcase of Bangladeshi fisheries in the Himalayas and labeled Nepal-Bangladesh friendship with Maach-Daal-Vaat combining Bangladesh’s popular saying “মাছে ভাতে বাঙালি and Nepali Daal-Vaat.

It is for the first time Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu organized such a showcase event promoting Bangladeshi variety of fishes to the global community.

Ambassadors/Heads of Missions and diplomats based in Kathmandu, senior officials from various Ministries of the Government of Nepal, business leaders, members of Think Tanks and civil society, managers and executives of the luxury hotels and members of the media among others attended the program.