Submit your Article

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s military has made small gains in the east, pushing Russian forces out of four villages near Kharkiv, as his country’s foreign minister suggested Ukraine could go beyond just forcing Russia back to areas it held before the invasion began 11 weeks ago, Associated Press reported.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba voiced what appeared to be increasing confidence — and expanded goals — amid Russia’s stalled offensive in the east, telling the Financial Times that Ukraine initially believed victory would be the withdrawal of Russian troops to positions they occupied before the Feb. 24 invasion. But that’s no longer the case.

“Now if we are strong enough on the military front, and we win the battle for Donbas, which will be crucial for the following dynamics of the war, of course the victory for us in this war will be the liberation of the rest of our territories,” Kuleba said.

Russian forces have made advances in the Donbas and control more of it than they did before the war began. But Kuleba’s statement — which seemed to reflect political ambitions more than battlefield realities — highlighted how Ukraine has stymied a larger, better-armed Russian military, surprising many who had anticipated a much quicker end to the conflict.

One of the most dramatic examples of Ukraine’s ability to prevent easy victories is in Mariupol, where Ukrainian fighters holed up at a steel plant have denied Russia full control of the city. The regiment defending the plant said Russian warplanes continued bombarding it, striking 34 times in 24 hours, according to the Associated Press.

In recent days, the United Nations and the Red Cross organized a rescue of what some officials said were the last civilians trapped at the plant. But two officials said Tuesday that about 100 were believed to still be in the complex’s underground tunnels. Donetsk regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said those who remain are people “that the Russians have not selected” for evacuation.

Kyrylenko and Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor, did not say how they knew civilians were still in the complex — a warren of tunnels and bunkers spread over 11 square kilometers (4 square miles). Others said their statements were impossible to confirm.

Fighters with the Azov regiment released photos of their wounded comrades inside the plant, including some with amputated limbs. They said the wounded were living in unsanitary conditions “with open wounds bandaged with non-sterile remnants of bandages, without the necessary medication and even food.”

In its statement on Telegram, the regiment appealed to the UN and Red Cross to evacuate the wounded servicemen to Ukrainian-controlled territories.

The photos could not be independently verified.

Ukraine said Tuesday that Russian forces fired seven missiles at Odesa a day earlier, hitting a shopping center and a warehouse in the country’s largest port. One person was killed and five wounded, the military said, Associated Press reported.

Images showed a burning building and debris — including a tennis shoe — in a heap of destruction in the city on the Black Sea. Mayor Gennady Trukhanov later visited the warehouse and said it “had nothing in common with military infrastructure or military objects.”

Since President Vladimir Putin’s forces failed to take Kyiv early in the war, his focus has shifted to the eastern industrial heartland of the Donbas. But one general has suggested Moscow’s aims also include cutting Ukraine’s maritime access to both the Black and Azov seas.

That would also give Russia a swath of territory linking it to both the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014, and Transnistria, a pro-Moscow region of Moldova.

Even if Russia falls short of severing Ukraine from the coast — and it appears to lack the forces to do so — continuing missile strikes on Odesa reflect the city’s strategic importance. The Russian military has repeatedly targeted its airport and claimed it destroyed several batches of Western weapons.

Odesa is also a major gateway for grain shipments, and its blockade by Russia already threatens global food supplies. Beyond that, the city is a cultural jewel, dear to Ukrainians and Russians alike, and targeting it carries symbolic significance.

With Russian forces struggling to gain ground in the Donbas, military analysts suggest that hitting Odesa might serve to stoke concern about southwestern Ukraine, thus forcing Kyiv to put more forces there. That would pull Ukrainian units away from the eastern front as Ukraine’s military stages counteroffensives near the northeastern city of Kharkiv in an attempt to push the Russians back across the border there, according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Kharkiv and the surrounding area have been under sustained Russian attack since the early in the war. In recent weeks, grisly pictures testified to the horrors of those battles, with charred and mangled bodies strewn in one street.

The bodies of 44 civilians were found in the rubble of a five-story building that collapsed in March in Izyum, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Kharkiv, said Oleh Synehubov, the head of the regional administration, said Tuesday.

Liverpool has ensured the Premier League’s thrilling title race will stretch into the final week of the season, Associated Press reported.

A come-from-behind 2-1 win at Aston Villa, sealed by a 65th-minute header by Sadio Mane, showed Liverpool’s heart for the fight and moved Jürgen Klopp’s team level on points with Manchester City on Tuesday.

“It’s about digging in, keeping going and finding a way to win,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said.

City still leads thanks to its superior goal difference of 3 to Liverpool. The defending champions play their game in hand against Wolverhampton on Wednesday, after which the two title rivals will have only two more league games to play.

The earliest City could now clinch the league is on Tuesday, when Liverpool plays its next league game — at Southampton. Before that, City plays twice, against Wolves then West Ham on Sunday.

“We cannot do more than win,” Klopp said. “A lot of people thought this could be a banana skin, that it could be a struggle for us, and how the boys sorted that was absolutely outstanding.”

The Reds, who drew 1-1 with Tottenham on Saturday, avoided having their title bid further derailed by a Villa team managed by one of their greatest players, according to the Associated Press.

Steven Gerrard, a boyhood Liverpool fan and former star midfielder, insisted his focus was purely on winning the game for Villa and saw midfielder Douglas Luiz — who was once on Man City’s books — give his team the lead in the third minute. The Brazilian forced the ball in from close range after his initial header was only parried out by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Villa held the lead for less than three minutes, with Joel Matip equalizing by converting into an unguarded empty net after fellow center back Virgil van Dijk had a shot saved by goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

Liverpool lost Fabinho in the 30th minute to a hamstring injury that could potentially rule the holding midfielder out of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday.

The injury might actually have helped Liverpool. Fabinho had been struggling up to that point — he was lucky to avoid getting a yellow card for repeated fouls — and his replacement, Henderson, used his experience to calm the game down.

Liverpool had regained control by the time Mane twisted his neck to meet a cross from the left from Luis Diaz with a header into the bottom corner, Associated Press reported.

Now playing more as a central striker following Diaz’s arrival, Mane has become a pivotal player in recent months for Klopp, who gave the Senegal international a big hug after the fulltime whistle that came as Liverpool’s away contingent sang the club’s anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone.

“He’s a machine. A massive player,” Klopp said of Mane. “When everyone has yards in their legs, you can’t see it with him.”

Ahead of the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, Klopp chose to leave out left back Andrew Robertson from the squad entirely and begin with Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara on the bench.

Liverpool finishes the league campaign with games against Southampton and Wolverhampton next week.

As for City, Pep Guardiola’s team might need to claim seven points from its remaining three games to win a sixth title in 11 years. The last match is against Villa on the final day of the season, so Gerrard can still have a massive say in the title race — but now by helping his old club.

“In terms of commitment, heart and application, the lads gave me all I could ask for,” Gerrard said, according to the Associated Press.

“Against one of the top sides in the league, we’ve been done in moments.”

Two persons died when a truck met an accident at Narchyang, Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi district on Tuesday.

The deceased have been identified as Khum Bahadur Ramjali (43) of Doba, Annapurna Rural Municipality-1, Myagdi and Santa Bahadur Titung (34) of Gogani-4, Makwanpur.

Ramjali is the vehicle owner and Titung is the driver, police said.

According to Inspector Rajan Dhakal of the District Police Office, Myagdi, the incident occurred when the truck (Ga 2 Kha 658) was returning after onloading the cement at the Nilgirikhola Hydropower Project last night.

Critically injured in the accident, the duo were rushed to the Beni Hospital but doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

Police said that the truck fell some 60 meters down the road.

Further investigation into the incident is underway.

Sri Lankan security forces have been ordered to shoot law-breakers on sight in a bid to quell anti-government protests on the island, BBC reported.

Demonstrators are calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the island's worst economic crisis in history.

On Monday, his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, stepped down as prime minister amid violent street clashes.

But the resignation failed to bring calm and violence continued overnight.

On Tuesday, the government ordered troops to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing "harm to life". 

It also deployed tens of thousands of army, navy and air force personnel to patrol the streets of the capital Colombo, according to BBC.

Despite their presence, the city's top police officer was assaulted on Tuesday afternoon by a mob accusing him of not doing enough to protect peaceful protesters.

At Colombo's Galle Face Green, on the sea front, crowds also continued to gather.

Police say eight people have died and the capital's main hospital says more than 200 people have been wounded since Monday.

Some were injured by pro-government mobs, others when police fired tear gas into crowds. Lawyers acting for the protesters told the BBC they were filing cases against supporters of the prime minister.

An island-wide curfew has been extended to Thursday morning as authorities seek to end the violence. 

Evidence of last night's rioting is everywhere across Colombo - buses thrown into the lake, others with windows smashed out and tyres still burning, BBC reported.

In the north-east, protesters gathered in front of Trincomalee Naval Base after unconfirmed reports that Mahinda Rajapaksa had gone there with family members after escaping from his Colombo residence.

More than 50 houses of politicians were burned overnight, reports say. Crowds remain outside the office of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of Mahinda, calling on him to quit, according to BBC.

Nepali Ambassador to America Shridar Khatri has met US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya in Washington DC. In her tweet post, the US official said they ‘discussed the strong U.S.-Nepal partnership in advancing democracy, women’s rights, and inclusivity for all. Two sides also discussed Uzra’s Nepal visit. She is visiting Nepal on the third of this month. Along with bilateral issues, she is expected to raise the human rights issues of Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu with government officials.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 44. 16 points to close at 2,313.00 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index plunged by 7.67 points to close at 447. 14 points.

Meanwhile, a total of 3,330,150 unit shares of 226 companies were traded for Rs 1.35 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green. Life Insurance topped the chart with 236. 81 points.

Meanwhile, Barun Hydropower Co Limited, Ngadi Group Power Ltd and Jalpa Samudayik Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited were the top gainers today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. NIBL Samriddhi Fund was the top loser as its price fell by 4. 82 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalisation stood at Rs 3. 29 trillion.

Most of us are familiar with Mughlai kebabs and Italian and American pizzas. But these ever-so-popular foods come in different forms and personalities in the Turkish food culture. Turkish Kebabs & Pizza Hub in Bhanimandal, Lalitpur specializes in Turkish kebabs and pizzas that are loaded with unique spices so rich in flavors that your usual kebabs and pizzas will taste bland. Its kebabs are the perfect blend of smoky and spicy that melt in your mouth and its pizzas prepared with fresh ingredients and a distinct combination of Turkish spices. As the restaurant founder worked as a chef in Turkey for four years, you are guaranteed an authentic Turkish experience.  

Chef’s Special:

Turkish Kebab

Turkish Pizza 

Opening hours: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm

Location: Bhanimandal, Lalitpur

Meal for 2: Rs 1,000

Phone/card pay: Yes

Contact:  01-5439733