Ukraine War: Zelensky orders civilians to evacuate Donetsk region

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered all civilians still living in parts of eastern Donetsk region under Ukrainian control to evacuate, BBC reported.

Speaking during a late-night address from Kyiv, Mr Zelensky warned of an intensification of fighting. 

"The more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill," he said.

The region has seen heavy clashes amid a slow advance by Russian forces, who already control large parts of it. 

"The more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill," the Ukrainian leader said. "We will use all available opportunities to save as many lives as possible and to limit Russian terror as much as possible."

Mr Zelensky's intervention comes as Russia invited UN and Red Cross officials to investigate the deaths of 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in another part of Donetsk region held by Russian-backed separatists. 

The troops were killed in unclear circumstances during an attack on a prison in Olenivka, with both sides trading blame. 

Speaking on Saturday evening, Russian defence officials said Moscow would welcome an "objective investigation" into the incident.

The Red Cross said on Friday it was asking for access to the Russian-run detention facility and to surviving prisoners - but no permission was immediately forthcoming, according to BBC.

Its deputy head of delegation in Ukraine, Daniel Bunnskog, said granting access to POWs was an obligation under the Geneva Conventions.

The Olenivka prison camp is controlled by the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR).

What happened there on Friday remains unclear. Unverified Russian video footage of the aftermath shows a tangle of wrecked bunk beds and badly charred bodies.

On Saturday, Russia published a list of what it said were the 50 POWs killed in the strike. Moscow says the attack was carried out by Ukraine using a US-made HIMARS artillery system. 

Kyiv denies carrying out the strike and has alleged that Russia fired on the facility to cover up evidence of war crimes. 

Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials labelled Russia a "terrorist state" after Moscow's UK embassy tweeted that Ukrainian Azov battalion soldiers deserved a "humiliating death" by hanging. 

Twitter acknowledged that the post from the Russian embassy violated the social media company's "rules about hateful conduct" - but added that it might be in the public interest to keep it accessible.

The tweet sent out on Friday night said that Azov "militants deserve execution, but death not by firing squad but by hanging, because they're not real soldiers. They deserve a humiliating death".

The tweet included a video clip showing a couple in a wrecked building, accusing Azov troops of having shelled their home. The embassy's call for execution repeats what the man in the video says, BBC reported.

Azov troops were forced to lay down weapons in May after fiercely defending for weeks Azovstal, a giant steelworks in the south-eastern port of Mariupol that was eventually captured by Russia.

The Azov Regiment is a nationalist group with far-right links when it was set up in 2014. It was later incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard.

Russia has long accused the regiment of being neo-Nazis and war criminals, as part of the Kremlin's propaganda campaign to justify its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, according to BBC.

 

 

6.0 ML hits Khotang district, jolt felt in Kathmandu also

A strong tremor was felt in Kathmandu and surrounding areas on Sunday.

According to the Nepal Seismological Center, Lainchaur, the earthquake of local magnitude 6.0 was recorded at 8: 13 am.

The epicenter was close to Khotang district.

 

Tremor felt in Kathmandu

A tremor was felt in various parts of Kathmandu Valley at 8: 15 am on Sunday.

 

US Assistant Secretary of State Lu pays courtesy call on PM Deuba

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Baluwatar on Friday.

According to the US Embassy in Kathmandu, the duo discussed the ties between Nepal and the United States.

They also discussed the 75th year of diplomatic relations between Nepal and the US and the people-to-people relationship among other issues in the meeting, the Embassy said.

Earlier this afternoon, Lu held a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Naryan Khadka.

Nepal logs 577 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths on Friday

Nepal recorded 577 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 474 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 391 returned positive. Likewise, 2,186 people underwent antigen tests, of which 186 tested positive.

The Ministry said that 269 infected people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

As of today, there are 4, 356 active cases in the country.

Committee formed to probe charges against ex-minister Sharma tables report at Parliament

A parliamentary special probe committee formed to investigate charges against former Finance Minister Janardan Sharma tabled its report at the Parliament on Friday.

Before tabling it at the Parliament, Committee Chairman Laxman Lal Karna handed over the report to Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota today itself.

The panel prepared the report by holding discussions with various sides.

The committee had recorded the statement of former minister Sharma, secretary of the Finance Ministry and officials involved in making the budget. The panel was given 10 days to prepare its report.

The Parliament had extended the deadline of the committee by seven days after it could not complete the work within the given timeframe. The extended deadline ended on Thursday.

An 11-member probe committee was formed to investigate Sharma after he resigned following allegations that he allowed two unauthorized persons in the Ministry to tweak tax rates on the eve of budget announcement.

Laxman Lal Karna, Khagraj Adhikari, Dev Prasad Gurung, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Man Bahadur Bishwokarma, Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Bimala BK, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Sarala Kumari Yadav, Sita Ram Mahato and Surendra Yadav were in the committee.

 

Nepse surges by 12. 92 points on Friday

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 12. 92 points to close at 2,140.39 points on Friday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 3. 86 points to close at 409. 48 points.

A total of 5,110,700 unit shares of 215 companies were traded for Rs 2. 19 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Hydropower, Non Life Insurance and Mutal Fund. 

Meanwhile, Rastra Uttha Labhubitta Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10 percent. Buddha Bhumi Nepal Hydropower Company Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 3. 48 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 05 trillion.

US Assistant Secretary of State Lu, Foreign Minister Khadka hold meeting

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka held a meeting on Saturday.

During the meeting, the duo discussed financial assistance, food security and vaccination against Covid-19 among other issues, it has been learnt.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the also discussed mutual relations and cooperation between Nepal and the US.

Lu arrived in Kathmandu on a two-day visit to Nepal on Thursday.