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Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended a presidential pardongranted to a former legislator close to the Rajapaksa family convicted of murdering a rival politician and ordered his immediate return to jail in a landmark verdict, according to local media, Aljazeera reported.

A three-judge bench asked the police to arrest Duminda Silva, a former member of parliament who was facing the death penalty for a 2011 murder but was freed last June after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa granted him an amnesty.

The pardon drew widespread criticism, including from the United Nations human rights office and the United States ambassador in Sri Lanka, who said it undermined the rule of law in the South Asian nation, which is emerging from decades of war.

“The court fixed a further hearing for September 1, but wanted the police to carry out the interim order of arresting Duminda Silva and return him to jail,” a court official said.

He said the decision was given following an unprecedented challenge to the presidential pardon, according to Aljazeera.

Hirunika Premachandra, the daughter of former legislator Bharatha Lakshman – who was shot dead by Silva and his associates, filed the petition saying his release was illegal.

“This decision of the Supreme Court is historic,” Premachandra told the AFP news agency.

“No one has challenged a presidential pardon before and I am very pleased that the court has demonstrated its independence.”

Rafael Nadal insists he can’t know for sure whether any match at Roland Garros might be his very last at a place he loves, a place he is loved, Associated Press reported.

For now, if he keeps winning and keeps performing the way he did during his monumental quarterfinal victory over longtime rival Novak Djokovic that began in May and ended in June, Nadal will have more chances to play.

With a mix of brilliant shot-making and his trademark resilience, Nadal got past the top-seeded defending French Open champion Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) to move a step closer to his 14th championship at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament and what would be a 22nd major trophy overall, adding to records that he already owns.

“One of those magic nights for me,” Nadal said.

For anyone lucky enough to be there, too — provided they were able to stay awake — or even anyone watching from afar. The match began a little past 9 p.m. Tuesday and concluded more than four hours later, after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

“TV decides,” Djokovic said about the late start. “That’s the world we are living in.” 

The bracket said this was a quarterfinal, yes, but it felt like a final, from the quality of play to the quality of effort, from the anticipation that preceded it to the atmosphere that enveloped it, according to Associated Press.

The only missing ingredient: There was no trophy handed to the winner. 

Nadal turns 36 on Friday, when he will face third-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. When the subject of Nadal’s future was brought up during his on-court interview, he smiled.

“See you, by the way, in two days,” Nadal said. “That’s the only thing that I can say.”

It’ll be difficult for any match the rest of the way to live up to this one.

Nary a game, a point, a stroke or, indeed, a step came with a hint of insouciance. Both men gave their all. Nothing came easily. 

Nadal’s 3-0 lead in the second set did him no good; Djokovic ended up taking it and would say later, “I thought, ‘OK, I’m back in the game.’”

But Djokovic’s 3-0 lead in the fourth did him no good, even though he served for it at 5-3, even standing one point from forcing a fifth twice. Nadal saved those set points and broke there, then ran away with the closing tiebreaker, seizing a 6-1 edge and and never losing focus after his first three match points went awry, Associated Press reported.

“I lost to a better player today,” said Djokovic, who had won 22 sets in a row until the 49-minute opener against Nadal. “Had my chances. Didn’t use them. That’s it.”

This showdown was their 59th, more than any other two men have played each other in the Open era. Nadal narrowed Djokovic’s series lead to 30-29 while improving to 8-2 against his rival at Roland Garros.

Nadal is now 110-3 for his career at the place. Two of those losses came against Djokovic, including in last year’s semifinals. This time, Nadal made sure Djokovic remains behind him in the Slam count with 20. Nadal broke their three-way tie with Roger Federer at that number by capturing the Australian Open in January, when Djokovic was not able to play because he had not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Before Nadal advanced to his 15th semifinal in Paris, Zverev reached his second in a row by holding off 19-year-old rising star Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7).

“Not really getting easier from here,” Zverev said after putting an end to Alcaraz’s 14-match winning streak.

“I told him at the net, ‘You’re going to win this tournament a lot of times, not just once,’” said Zverev, the runner-up at the US Open in 2020 and the gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. “I hope I can win it before he starts ... beating us all.”

In women’s action Tuesday, 18-year-old American Coco Gauff and 28-year-old Martina Trevisan of Italy reached their first Grand Slam semifinals. The 18th-seeded Gauff beat 2017 U.S. Open champion and 2018 French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens 7-5, 6-2, while the 59th-ranked Trevisan eliminated U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3, according to Associated Press.

The nightcap was saved for two players who know each other so well. The tendencies and tactics. The mannerisms and moods. 

So it should come as no surprise they engaged in points so involved, so lengthy — 57 of at least nine strokes, with one that went 25 — that before some were concluded, folks in the stands would let out a gasp or an “Aaaah!” or “Awwww!”, drawing rebuking hisses of “Shhhhh!” in response.

The European Union’s groundbreaking decision to ban nearly all oil from Russia to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine is a blow to Moscow’s economy, but its effects may be blunted by rising energy prices and other countries willing to buy some of the petroleum, industry experts say, Associated Press reported.

European Union leaders agreed late Mondayto cut Russian oil imports by about 90% over the next six months, a dramatic move that was considered unthinkable just months ago. 

The 27-country bloc relies on Russia for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas, and European countries that are even more heavily dependent on Russia had been especially reluctant to act.

European heads of state hailed the decision as a watershed, but analysts were more circumspect.

The EU ban applies to all Russian oil delivered by sea. At Hungary’s insistence, it contains a temporary exemption for oil delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe.

In addition to retaining some European markets, Russia could sell some of the oil previously bound to Europe to China, India and other customers in Asia, even though it will have to offer discounts, said Chris Weafer, CEO at consulting firm Macro-Advisory.

“Now, for the moment, that’s not financially too painful for Russia because global prices are elevated. They’re much higher than last year,” he said. “So even Russia offering a discount means that it’s probably selling its oil for roughly what it sold for last year also.”

He noted that “India has been a willing buyer” and “China’s certainly been keen to buy more oil because they’re both countries who are getting big discounts on global market prices.”

Still, Moscow has traditionally viewed Europe as its main energy market, making Monday’s decision the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to Associated Press.

“The sanctions have one clear aim: to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops and to agree with Ukraine on a sensible and fair peace,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars.

“The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that Ukraine will be pressing for more sanctions, adding that “there should be no significant economic ties left between the free world and the terrorist state.”

Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, called the embargo “a major blow.”

Matteo Villa, an analyst at the ISPI think tank in Milan, said Russia will take a pretty significant hit now but cautioned that the move could eventually backfire, Associated Press reported.

“The risk is that the price of oil in general goes up because of the European sanctions. And if the price goes up a lot, the risk is that Russia starts to earn more, and Europe loses the bet,” he said.

Like previous rounds of sanctions, the oil ban is unlikely to persuade the Kremlin to end the war.

Moscow seized on the new sanctions to try to rally public support against the West, describing it as bent on destroying Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council who served as the country’s president, said the oil ban aims to reduce the country’s export earnings and force the government to scale down social benefits.

“They hate us all!” Medvedev said on his messaging app channel. “Those decisions stem from hatred against Russia and against all of its people.”

Russia has not shied away from withholding energy to get its way. Russian state energy giant Gazprom said it is cutting off natural gas to Dutch trader GasTerra and Denmark’s Oersted company and is also stopping shipments to Shell Energy Europe that were bound for Germany. Germany has other suppliers, and GasTerra and Oersted said they were prepared for a shutoff, according to Associated Press.

Gazprom previously stopped the flow toBulgaria, Poland and Finland.

Meanwhile, the EU is urging other countries to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russia’s war increases the risks of a global food crisis.

Zelenskyy has said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, much of it meant for people across the Middle East and Africa. He accused Moscow of “deliberately creating this problem.”

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems, a critical weapon that Ukrainian leaders have been begging for as they struggle to stall Russian progress in the Donbas region, Associated Press reported.

The rocket systems are part of a new $700 million tranche of security assistance for Ukraine from the US that will include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more, according to two senior administration officials. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the weapons package that will be formally unveiled on Wednesday.

The US decision to provide the advance rocket systems tries to strike a balance between the desire to help Ukraine battle ferocious Russian artillery barrages while not providing arms that could allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia and trigger an escalation in the war.

In a guest essay published Tuesday evening in The New York Times, President Joe Biden confirmed that he’s decided to “provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine.”

Biden had said Monday that the US would not send Ukraine “rocket systems that can strike into Russia.” Any weapons system can shoot into Russia if it’s close enough to the border. The aid package expected to be unveiled Wednesday would send what the US considers medium-range rockets — they generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers), the officials said, according to Associated Press.

The Ukrainians have assured US officials that they will not fire rockets into Russian territory, according to the senior administration officials. One official noted that the advanced rocket systems will give Ukrainian forces greater precision in targeting Russian assets inside Ukraine.

The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk.

Sievierodonetsk is important to Russian efforts to capture the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine’s defense. The city, which is 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Russian border, is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region of the Donbas.

Biden in his New York Times’ essay added: “We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia.”

It’s the 11th package approved so far, and will be the first to tap the $40 billion in security and economic assistance recently passed by Congress. The rocket systems would be part of Pentagon drawdown authority, so would involve taking weapons from US inventory and getting them into Ukraine quickly. Ukrainian troops would also need training on the new systems, which could take at least a week or two, Associated Press reported.

Officials said the plan is to send Ukraine the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, which is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets. The system can launch a medium-range rocket, which is the current plan, but is also capable of firing a longer-range missile, the Army Tactical Missile System, which has a range of about 190 miles (300 kilometers) and is not part of the plan.

Since the war began in February, the US and its allies have tried to walk a narrow line: send Ukraine weapons needed to fight off Russia, but stop short of providing aid that will inflame Russian President Vladimir Putin and trigger a broader conflict that could spill over into other parts of Europe.

One of those days when you and your friends cannot agree on what to eat? You crave some Chinese while they want to nosh on some hearty Indian meal. Perhaps, one of your not-so-adventurous pals or cousins wants to stick with Nepali food. Decisions, decisions, decisions. What do you do? Well, Walnut Bistro has you covered. This restaurant at Panipokhari specializes in a variety of Indian, Nepali, Chinese and Continental dishes. The place offers a great ambience for gatherings of any kind. What about the dessert, you ask? Walnut Bistro has its sister bakery, Cake Monarch, just three minutes away stocked with some delicious desserts after your meal. They also take customized cake orders, and the pricing can be negotiated based on your preferences.

Chef special: 

Khaptad Aloo
Corn on the cup
Mutton pakku

Opening hours: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm 

Location: Panipokhari, Kathmandu

Meal for 2: Rs 2,000

Card/Online Payment: Yes

Contact: 9861894795

Nepal reported nine new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 085 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which eight returned positive. Likewise, 963 people underwent antigen tests, of which one was tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 13 infected people recovered from the disease.

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand on Tuesday formed a five-member committee under the headship of Joint Secretary Surya Prasad Sedhai of the Ministry to investigate the death of a Dalit youth in Rolpa Prison Office.

Sundar Harijan was found dead in the prison on May 18 and the cause of death was reported to be suicide.

The committee has been directed to submit the report within a week, Information Officer at the Ministry Basanta Bhattarai said.

Under Secretary Jhankanath Dhakal of the Ministry, DSP Bhupendra Khatri of Nepal Police, Bishwomani Acharya of the National Investigation Department and an administrative officer of the District Administrative Office, Banke are the members of the committee.

Following the death of Harijan, the government had formed a probe committee led by Jharendra Chapagain, Director of the Department of Prison Management on Monday, Information Officer Bhattarai said.

A couple was found dead at Haraiya in Godawari Municipality-7 of Kailali.

The Area Police Office, Malakheti said that Hem Bahadur Aire (65) and Padma Aire (55) of Godawari-7 were found dead.

Hem was found hanging in a tree nearby the house and Padma was found with throat inside the room, police said.

DSP Rabindra Pandey of the Area Police Office, Malakheti said that the bodies have been sent to the Seti Provincial Hospital for postmortem after conducts public inquiry deeds.

He said that husband may have committed suicide by killing his wife.

Police said that they are looking the case.