Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill that critics say weakens the independence of the country's anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests and drawing international criticism, BBC reported.

Critics say the new law undermines the authority of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo) - placing them under the control of the prosecutor general.

In an address on Wednesday, Zelensky said both agencies would still "work", but needed to be cleared of "Russian influence". 

After the bill passed, hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv for the biggest anti-government protest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to BBC.

Former President Bhandari should not return to party politics: UML CC

The ruling CPN-UML has concluded that former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who has served as the Head of State and the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, should not return to active party politics.

The party's Central Committee meeting that concluded last night decided that it was not appropriate for someone who has already become the Head of State and the patron of the republic to rejoin active politics, Rajendra Gautam, the party's publicity department chief, said.

At a press conference organized at the party's central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur following the CC meeting, Gautam said the Central Committee has concluded that it is against the Constitution, and norms and values of the party.

The CC has also removed the age limit of 70 years as well as the two-term limit, paving the way for current Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to extend his term as the party chair.

This decision will be formalized after it is passed in the upcoming statutory convention.

According to Gautam, Vice Chairman Surendra Pandey and Yubaraj Gyawali and standing committee member Karna Bahadur Thapa had expressed their disagreement over the decision to not allow former president Bhandari to rejoin the party.

The meeting also unanimously passed the statute amendment report by Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Poudel and the organizational proposal report by General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.

 

Heavy rain likely in Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces today

Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places of Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces today. 

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is also possible at some places of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces along with hilly regions of the rest of the country, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. Chances of light to moderate snowfall and rainfall in the high hilly and mountainous region of the country also exist.

Tonight, the weather will continue to remain partly to generally cloudy throughout the country. 

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of the country. 

There is the influence of monsoon winds across the country.

 

 

Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath's bat-biting frontman, dies aged 76

Ozzy Osbourne, frontman of 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, earned his infamy biting the head off a bat on stage and pursuing a drug-fuelled lifestyle before reinventing himself as a loveable if often foul-mouthed reality TV star, Reuters reported.

Known to fans as "The Prince of Darkness" and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Osbourne has died at the age of 76, his family said in a statement on Tuesday.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love," his family said, asking for their privacy to be respected, according to Reuters.

Osbourne kicked off his career blaring out Black Sabbath's hits, from "Paranoid" to "War Pigs" to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Those plus a string of solo releases saw him sell more than 100 million records worldwide.

Students protest in Bangladesh after air force jet crash kills 31, mostly children

Police used tear gas to disperse angry students in Bangladesh on Tuesday who demanded answers from the interim government after an air force fighter jet crashed into a Dhaka school and killed 31 people, at least 25 of them children, Reuters reported.

The children, many aged under 12, were about to return home from class on Monday when the Chinese-manufactured F-7 BGI Bangladesh Air Force jet ploughed into their school and burst into flames, trapping pupils in the fire and debris.

The military said it had suffered mechanical failure, according to Reuters.

Students from the school and others from nearby colleges protested as two government officials visited the crash site, demanding an accurate death toll and shouting, "Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!"

Trump says US will charge 19% tariff on goods from Philippines

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a new 19% tariff rate for goods from the Philippines after what he called a "beautiful visit" by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House, saying U.S. goods would pay zero tariffs, Reuters reported.

Trump posted the news on his Truth Social media platform after meeting with Marcos in the Oval Office, where he had signaled a deal could be reached during the visit.

"It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19% Tariff," Trump said, calling Marcos a "very good and tough negotiator."

Trump said the two Pacific allies would also work together militarily but gave no details, according to Reuters.

French cities impose curfews on children after drug violence

A number of French cities have imposed night-time curfews on young people following a spate of violence linked to drug trafficking, BBC reported.

Nîmes in the south was the latest to bring in measures, which authorities said were meant to prevent under 16s from being "exposed to violence" and to "contain tensions". Additional police units will also be sent in.

Over the course of the last month several shootings - one in broad daylight - left one person dead and several injured.

Last week the body of a 19-year-old man was found partially burned on the outskirts of Nîmes, according to BBC.

Coca-Cola will roll out cane sugar Coke in US after Trump push

US soft drink giant Coca-Cola says it plans to introduce a new Coke sweetened with cane sugar to its existing line-up , confirming a plan that President Donald Trump previewed last week, BBC reported.

The company already uses regular sugar to sweeten its signature Coke drink in many parts of the world, but in the US it has typically used corn syrup, a lower cost alternative, for decades. 

Trump's Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has voiced concern about the corn syrup's health risks, though experts say there are no clear nutritional reasons to favour one sweetener over the other. 

"This will be a very good move by them - You'll see. It's just better!" Trump wrote on social media last week, according to BBC.