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Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has described her five-day visit to Japan as 'fruitful'.

Upon her return home last night, she stated that her visit has helped further strengthen Nepal-Japan relations while expanding cooperation in various development sectors.

Minister Rana informed media persons that she held various important meetings with Japanese officials, including Foreign Minister IWAYA Takeshi, discussing various issues ranging from strengthening bilateral relations, and cooperation in various projects.

“During this visit, we discussed various issues of Nepal-Japan relations, ongoing cooperation and future projects in Nepal. Similarly, the visit also provided an opportunity to learn about policies and welfare systems implemented in Japan for senior citizens,” she said.

A bilateral meeting between Minister Rana and her counterpart Takeshi touched on various aspects of Nepal-Japan bilateral relations, mutual interests, and common global concerns. Minister Rana expressed her gratitude for Japan's continued support in Nepal's development journey.

On May 23, the minister also met with President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr Tanaka Akihiko, and discussed the timely implementation and completion of JICA-funded projects in Nepal. She thanked Japan for its long-standing support to Nepal's economic and social development endeavors.

Earlier, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, IKUINA Akiko, paid a courtesy call on Minister Rana on the sidelines of the recently concluded "Sagarmatha Sambad" last week in Kathmandu.

She expressed her appreciation for Akiko's active participation in the dialogue.

While in Japan, Minister Rana also addressed an international conference on senior citizens in Tokyo and shared Nepal's efforts and challenges in policy development and welfare for senior citizens.

Upon her arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, she was welcomed by officials including Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amrit Bahadur Rai.

Foreign Minister Rana had left for Japan last Monday.

US President Donald Trump, in a campaign-style commencement speech at West Point, criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the military and claimed credit for rebuilding the armed forces.

Wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap, Trump slammed programs like critical race theory and transgender support as "ideological experiments" that weakened military readiness. He said his administration had eliminated these practices, increased recruiting, and refocused the military on strength and fighting, Reuters reported..

He also denounced decades of US overseas actions and chastised NATO and other allies for plundering American resources. Cadets' applause was varied, and officers avoided political comments.

West Point professor Graham Parsons resigned in protest, accusing the academy of promoting political indoctrination under Trump's influence, according to Reuters.

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Friday inaugurated the Marshal Idriss Deby Itno Olympic Stadium, a 30,000-seat facility in the capital, constructed and donated by China.

China's Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group built the country's largest stadium, which was officially handed over to Chad on May 12. President Deby commended the initiative as a symbol of strong Sino-Chadian collaboration, founded on mutual respect and common vision, as reported by Xinhua.

Chinese Ambassador Wang Xining described the stadium as a testament to the enduring friendship between the two nations, expressing hope it will boost Chad’s presence on the international sports stage.

At least 32 Palestinians were killed Saturday in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, Xinhua reported.

Seventeen people were killed in attacks on a house and gatherings in Khan Younis, while ten people were killed in Gaza City by drone strikes, including three women and a girl. Five more people died as a result of additional attacks in central and northern Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces said it hit over 100 targets in the past 24 hours, including militant sites and underground infrastructure, as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots.

Since March 18, 3,747 Palestinians have been killed, with over 10,500 injured. According to local health authorities, the total dead toll in Gaza since October 2023 is 53,901, with over 122,000 wounded, according to Xinhua.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 307 prisoners on Saturday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The swap was part of a larger deal made during recent talks in Istanbul, Reuters reported.

As stated by the ministry, 307 Russian servicemen were returned from Ukrainian custody in exchange for the release of an equivalent number of Ukrainian captives. This exchange follows another swap on Friday involving 270 military personnel and 120 civilians from each side.

Officials verified that both parties agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, marking the largest such exchange since the conflict began in 2022. Russia indicated that large-scale prisoner swaps would continue, according to Reuters.

Elon Musk's microblogging platform, X, experienced another outage on Saturday, May 24, following a similar disruption the day before.

According to Downdetector, reports of service troubles increased, and users worldwide experienced difficulties accessing the homepage, app interface, and login services, with some reporting seeing blank timelines, Firstpost reported.

While X has not released a statement regarding Saturday's event, the platform did admit a data center outage on Friday. In a post on May 23, the technical team stated that they were aware of the performance issues and were actively working to resolve them.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced new limitations on media access to the Pentagon, requiring journalists to be officially approved and escorted in a majority of the building. The directive, which takes effect immediately, is intended to prevent the disclosure of sensitive or secret information, Reuters reported.

Hegseth stated that maintaining national security and operational integrity is a primary responsibility. The Pentagon Press Association condemned the action, calling it a threat to press freedom and pointing out that comparable limits were never imposed following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when the Pentagon was targeted by hijacked American Airlines Flight 77.

The move comes as part of a broader assault on leaks by the Trump administration, which includes investigations, polygraph exams for federal employees, and a reshuffling of media access that has favored conservative outlets. Legacy media outlets such as CNN and The New York Times have been evicted from Pentagon offices in favor of OANN and Breitbart, according to Reuters.

Journalists will now be required to acknowledge their responsibility to protect sensitive information and will be issued new press credentials.

The US Treasury Department issued General License 25 on Friday, lifting sanctions against Syria and allowing new investment and private sector activity. The move follows President Donald Trump’s pledge during his recent Middle East trip, Reuters reported.

The license allows for financial services and transactions involving Syrian-origin petroleum, as well as the restoration of banking relations with the Commercial Bank of Syria. Sanctions release is contingent on Syria denying safe shelter to terrorist groups and preserving religious and ethnic minorities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also authorized a 180-day Caesar Act waiver to encourage investment and essential services like electricity and water, according to Reuters.