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Two British citizens and a Moroccan were sentenced to death Thursday for fighting on Ukraine’s side, in a punishment handed down by the country’s pro-Moscow rebels, Associated Press reported.

The proceedings against the three captured fighters were denounced by Ukraine and the West as a sham and a violation of the rules of war.

Meanwhile, as the Kremlin’s forces continued a grinding war of attrition in the east, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to liken his actions to those of Peter the Great in the 18th century and said the country needs to “take back” historic Russian lands.

A court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in Ukraine found the three fighters guilty of seeking the violent overthrow of power, an offense punishable by death in the unrecognized eastern republic. The men were also convicted of mercenary activities and terrorism.

Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the defendants — identified as Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Brahim Saadoun — will face a firing squad. They have a month to appeal, according to Associated Press.

The separatist side argued that the three were “mercenaries” not entitled to the usual protections accorded prisoners of war. They are the first foreign fighters sentenced by Ukraine’s Russian-backed rebels.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko condemned the proceedings as legally invalid, saying, “Such show trials put the interests of propaganda above the law and morality.” He said that all foreign citizens fighting as part of Ukraine’s armed forces should be considered Ukrainian military personnel and protected as such.

British Foreign Secretary Luz Truss pronounced the sentencing a “sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman Jamie Davies said that under the Geneva Conventions, POWs are entitled to immunity as combatants.

Saadoun’s father, Taher Saadoun, told the Moroccan online Arab-language newspaper Madar 21 that his son is not a mercenary and that he holds Ukrainian citizenship.

Aslin’s and Pinner’s families have said that the two men were long-serving members of the Ukrainian military. Both are said to have lived in Ukraine since 2018.

The three men fought alongside Ukrainian troops before Pinner and Aslin surrendered to pro-Russian forces in the southern port of Mariupol in mid-April and Saadoun was captured in mid-March in the eastern city of Volnovakha, Associated Press reported.

Another British fighter taken prisoner by the pro-Russian forces, Andrew Hill, is awaiting trial.

The Russian military has argued that foreign mercenaries fighting on Ukraine’s side are not combatants and should expect long prison terms, at best, if captured.

In other developments, Putin drew parallels between Peter the Great’s founding of St. Petersburg and modern-day Russia’s ambitions.

When the czar founded the new capital, “no European country recognized it as Russia. Everybody recognized it as Sweden,” Putin said. He added: “What was (Peter) doing? Taking back and reinforcing. That’s what he did. And it looks like it fell on us to take back and reinforce as well.”

Putin also appeared to leave the door open for further Russian territorial expansion.

“It’s impossible — Do you understand? — impossible to build a fence around a country like Russia. And we do not intend to build that fence,” the Russian leader said.

In other developments, French President Emmanuel Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that France was ready to send more “heavy weapons” to Ukraine, according to Macron’s office. French officials did not elaborate on the weaponry. The phone conversation came after Macron angered Ukrainian officials by saying world powers should not “humiliate” Putin.”

Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian army continued to push Russian forces back from Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, which lies to the north of the Donbas. The transmission of Ukrainian television was restored after a TV tower was shelled, Associated Press reported.

“Hitting television centers, destroying communication channels, leaving people isolated – this is the tactic of the occupiers that they cannot do without, for openness and honesty also are weapons against all that the Russian state does,” he said late Thursday in his evening address.

An employee opened fire at a manufacturing business in rural western Maryland on Thursday, killing three coworkers before the suspect and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout, authorities said, Associated Press reported.

Washington County Sheriff Doug Mullendore said that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was critically injured. The sheriff said at a news conference that the victims and suspect were all employees at the facility. 

The suspect fled in a vehicle before authorities arrived at the scene and was tracked down by Maryland State Police, Mullendore said. The suspect and a trooper were wounded in an exchange of gunfire, according to the sheriff. 

Mullendore said the suspect was a 42-year-old man but declined to release his name while criminal charges were being prepared. 

The sheriff identified those killed in the shooting as Mark Alan Frey, 50; Charles Edward Minnick Jr., 31; and Joshua Robert Wallace, 30. Mullendore said the wounded victim was Brandon Chase Michael, 42.

Maryland State Police Lt. Col. Bill Dofflemyer said that three troopers encountered the suspect’s vehicle and that he opened fire when troopers made a traffic stop. Troopers returned fire, wounding the suspect. Dofflemyer said the wounded trooper is doing well and that the suspect was being treated Thursday night, according to Associated Press.

Authorities declined to release a motive. 

“We’re still working with sheriff’s office on what happened and why it kept escalating,” Dofflemyer told reporters. 

Mullendore said the suspect used a semiautomatic handgun, which was recovered after the shootout. He declined to specify the caliber or model. 

Family members of workers at the manufacturer were gathering at a fire station in downtown Smithsburg on Thursday evening, awaiting information on their loved ones. They declined to speak to a reporter.

Several hours after the shooting, numerous law enforcement officers remained at the scene. Police had closed off the road that runs past the Columbia Machine Inc. facility, and yellow tape blew in the wind outside the business. 

Messages left seeking comment with the company weren’t immediately returned.

Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is just west of the Camp David presidential retreat and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore. The manufacturing facility was in a sparsely populated area northeast of the town’s center with a church, several businesses and farmland nearby, Associated Press reported.

US Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, lamented the loss of life in his state so soon after other recentshootings and vowed action. 

“Today’s horrific shooting comes as our state and nation have witnessed tragedy after tragedy, and it’s got to stop,” he said in a statement. “We must act to address the mass shootings and daily toll of gun violence on our communities.” 

David Creamer, 69, is a member of Smithburg’s volunteer fire department and has lived in town since 1988. He saw alerts related to the shooting go out shortly before 3 p.m. 

Creamer said the last fatal shooting that he can recall in Smithsburg was roughly a decade ago.

“This stuff doesn’t happen here,” Creamer said. “Everybody pretty knows everybody. It’s a family atmosphere. We watch out for each other.”

Creamer was chatting with neighbors at a Little League game on Thursday evening. He wore a T-shirt promoting a gun rights organization.

The shooting “makes me feel even stronger about it. I just feel that I should be able to protect my family and my neighbors. In a community like this, everybody is your neighbor,” he said.

Funeral home employee Ashley Vigrass, 29, lives less than a mile (kilometer) from where the shooting occurred. She was home with her two children when her fiancée called to tell her about the shooting and urged her to keep the kids inside the house, according to the Associated Press.

“The helicopters were out,” she said.

Asked if she was shaken by the shooting, Vigrass said, “I feel like we come from a desensitized era.”

“You feel something, but it’s the same thing that you felt yesterday,” she added as she watched the Little League game. “It’s unfortunate, but you just got to make sure the kids are safe to play baseball and carry on.”

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) jacked up the prices of petroleum products on Thursday.

The state-owned monopoly has decided to increase Rs 8 per litre in petrol and Rs 12 in diesel and kerosene.

As per the new revised rate, the petrol will cost Rs 178 per litre and diesel and Kerosene will cost Rs 165 per litre.

The decision will come into effect from today midnight.

Earlier on June 2, the NOC had slashed the prices of petroleum products by Rs 10 per litre in petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Query

I am a 21-year-old student who was diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder when I was 17. I was given medication to treat my depression. But last year, I quit my medication without consulting my psychiatrist. I feel like I am doing fine and I am mentally stable. I fear that my psychiatrist will get angry with me if I tell her that I quit my medication. But at the same time, I also need an expert to tell me that I am indeed fine. What should I do?—A confused patient 

Answer by Kapil Sharma, Counseling Psychologist, Hudec Nepal

The first thing you need to understand is that your psychiatrist is there to help you, not judge you. Your doctor will not be angry at you. She is there to guide you. There are many cases of patients quitting medication without any consultation. Chances are your psychiatrist may have had the experience of cases like this before. 

You should also understand that the fear of her getting angry is an imaginary scenario that you have created in your mind. Again, know that your doctor is there to help you.

Second, every doctor wants their patients to be happy and healthy. It is the same in your case. You being better is the main goal, for both you and your doctor. If quitting medication has made you feel better, then your psychiatrist will definitely address that. 

But sometimes while we think we are doing fine, something inside us might be going wrong. So it is necessary for you to visit a professional and get a legitimate diagnosis. It is the only way to determine whether you are actually doing fine. 

Feeling good and being healthy are two different things. Sometimes when we feel good about our mental health, we might still not be healthy. That’s why professional diagnosis is essential.

In case the diagnosis is positive, then that’s great. But if it turns out to be negative, there is no need to panic as well. Sometimes we slip off and we pull ourselves back again. The doctor will give you necessary suggestions, will resume the required medication if you need it, and with a bit of time, you will regain your mental health. No matter what happens, your psychiatrist will always be on your side, as both of you have the same goal—your mental wellbeing. 

Coming back to your fear of angering your doctor, if you are unable to move on from this fear, you can always consult a new psychiatrist. You might feel the new psychiatrist does not know your history. That is alright. In some cases, a patient’s mental health history is not necessary. Also, you can always share your history with your new doctor. 

I still suggest you visit your psychiatrist to gain more clarity on what to do next. If you cannot, you can always go to a new one. 

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chief Whip Dev Gurung has demanded that the government postpone the US visit of Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Taking part in the ongoing discussion on the budget at the Parliament, the Maoist leader said that the visit would not be appropriate now considering security sensitivities.

“CoAS Sharma and Prime Minister Deuba’s visit is not necessary,” he said, adding, “I would like to request CoAS Sharma and Prime Minister Deuba to postpone the visit keeping in view of the national security sensitivities.”

Even if the visit is not postponed, there should be no agreement including State Strategy Partnership, he said.

Saying that the US is mounting pressure on the SSP, he stressed on the need to move ahead only through all-party and national consensus while signing any agreement.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Naresh Bikram Dhakal as the ambassador to Qatar.

Bhandari appointed Dhakal to the post on the recommendation council of ministers in accordance with Article 282 of the Constitution.

Earlier on April 8, the government had recommended 20 people for appointment as ambassadors of Nepal to various countries.

Two persons died after being struck by a lightning at Madhuban in Bode Basain Municipality-3, Saptari.

The deceased have been identified as Ram Ji Yadav (56) and Satya Narayan Yadav (60). 

Inspector Balister Singh of the Area Police Office,  Kadarbona said that the incident occurred when they had gone to graze the cattle.

The Indian rupee hit a record low against the US dollar on Thursday as the relentless surge in global crude oil prices raised concerns about a sustained rise in imported inflation, while choppy domestic shares also hurt, Reuters reported.

The partially convertible rupee was trading at 77.79/80 per dollar after touching a record low of 77.81. The previous low of 77.7975 was touched on May 17.

"There is possibly some bit of dollar selling by the central bank that is there, but they can only prevent day to day volatility, the direction for the rupee is clearly lower," a senior trader at a foreign bank said.

The central bank has time and again reiterated that it only intervenes to arrest extreme volatility in the currency but does not target any specific levels.

Traders said the rupee could eventually weaken towards 79/dollar levels by end of fiscal year 2022/23 but the fall could be accelerated by firm crude oil prices, according to Reuters.

Oil prices held firm near 13-week highs on Thursday after China reported stronger-than-expected exports in May, although new Shanghai lockdown restrictions capped gains.

India imports nearly 85% of its oil requirements and high crude tends to push up domestic inflation while also widening the country's trade and current account deficits.

Indian shares extended losses to a fifth session as investors worried that aggressive policy tightening by central banks could stifle global economic growth. 

RBI raised its key repo rate by 50 basis points on Wednesday.

Foreign funds have sold stocks worth more than $23 billion so far in 2022 while they are net sellers of $2.1 billion in debt, Reuters reported.

Bearish bets on Asian currencies eased on signs that China's economic pain may abate with the relaxation of COVID-19 curbs, but analysts were still wary of future lockdowns and the direction of U.S. monetary policy, a Reuters poll last week showed.

"Further depreciation in the rupee will be seen if levels around 77.80 start to be breached consistently. This will open targets of 78.25 for the rupee," currency analysts at Emkay Global wrote in a note, according to Reuters.