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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not", after hosting a summit where Vladimir Putin was reported to have demanded more Ukrainian land, Reuters reported.

In a subsequent briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a source familiar with the discussion cited Trump as saying the Russian leader had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv's forces ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets.

Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014.

Trump also said he had agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies, until now with U.S. support, have demanded, according to Reuters.

No deal in Alaska. It was always the most likely and, in the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, perhaps the most desirable outcome, BBC reported.

But US President Donald Trump's pivot away from the need for an immediate ceasefire, which he said beforehand he wanted, will have caused profound dismay in Kyiv and around Europe.

Russia's position has long been that a ceasefire can only come in the context of a comprehensive settlement taking account of Russia's interests - and inevitably implies Ukraine's capitulation.

That's the position that Trump, once again, appears to have endorsed, according to BBC.

Donald Trump has said he would prefer a permanent peace agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war over a temporary ceasefire, BBC reported.

Writing on Truth Social after leaving a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska without reaching any deal, the US president said that ceasefires "often times do not hold up".

Trump had earlier said that "great progress" was made during the meeting but "we didn't get there" when it came to a deal.

On his flight back to Washington, he held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who later said he would travel to Washington DC on Monday, according to BBC.

Nine Nepalis, who were in Kuwait for foreign employment, have died.

Nepali Embassy in Kuwait said that they, who had consumed bootleg liquor,  died during the course of treatment.

Giri Prasad Acharya, an official at the Embassy, confirmed the death of nine Nepalis.

“We have received information from the official focal person here that nine Nepalis have died so far. The cause of their death has not been confirmed yet. However, we have learned through the initial investigation that the cause of the death was the consumption of toxic liquor,” Acharya said, adding “The exact cause of death will be known only after we receive the  medical report.

It has been learnt that 35 persons have taken ill after consuming the alcohol.

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane will be transferred to Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur from Bhairahawa Prison in Rupandehi.

Director General at the Prison Management Department Leela Prasad Sharma said on Friday that a decision has been made to transfer Lamichhane to Nakkhu Prison.

Institute for Integrated Development Studies(IIDS) on Friday organized a program titled The Diaspora Dialogue (innovation, identity and global influence). The program brought together experts, innovators, and community leaders to reflect on the journeys and contributions of Nepalis around the world.  

From launching the GYAN Innovation Hub to discussing economic diplomacy, digital transformation, and decades of diaspora engagement, the conversations explored how global Nepali voices can drive knowledge, opportunity, and progress at home.  In his presentation titled Decade of Nepali Diaspora (2081 BS to 90), Biswash Gauchan, Executive Director at IIDS, said that rising NPAs and weak institutions risk trapping Nepal in the middle-income bracket, making diaspora engagement essential for trade, investment, and structural reform.”

Rising NPAs threaten financial stability and risk locking Nepal in the middle-income trap, Gauchan said.  He said: “Nepal has five major sources for economic transformation: water, hills, youths, forest, and forex.” 

 Akhilesh Upadhyay, Policy Lead and Geostrategic Affairs at IIDS, said the underutilized diaspora and human capital risks slowing Nepal’s global influence, making diaspora engagement essential for economic growth and diplomacy. Nepal’s economy diplomacy from 1923 treaty with England to engagements with Nehru and Zhou Enlai, underscores the values of international connections, according to Upadhyay, by opening doors, integrating their expertise and leveraging their networks, Nepal can convert human capital into economic and diplomatic strength, and assert its voice in multilateral forum like SAARC, BBIN, and BIMSTEC. 

Acting Chairperson of the Muslim Commission Mahamdin Ali has submitted the annual report of the Muslim Commission 2024/25 to President Ram Chandra Paudel amid a function at the Office of the President on Friday. 

On the occasion, President Paudel said dignity of all should be respected as Nepal is a multiethnic, multilingual, multi-religious and multicultural nation. 

"We should move ahead on the basis of equality and coexistence while maintaining goodwill, solidarity and social harmony by respecting the cultural diversities," the President stated. 

President Paudel added that the responsibility and role of the Commission are serious and expressed the confidence that the Commission will effectively perform its duty in the coming days.

The 79th Independence Day of India was celebrated at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu on Friday  with the participation of the Indian community and friends of India in Nepal.

The event commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

This was followed by the broadcast of the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu’s address to the nation on the eve of the 79th Independence Day. 

In her remarks, the President reflected on the remarkable progress made by India over the past 78 years.

On the occasion, the Ambassador honoured the widows and next of kin of the deceased personnel of the Indian Armed Forces, and handed over AGIF (Army Group Insurance Funds) cheques with a total value of NPR 64 million, according to the statement.

The Embassy also announced a book grant for 39 educational institutions and libraries spread across seven  provinces and 21 districts of Nepal. This initiative is aimed at enhancing access to educational resources for students in remote areas.

The celebrations of the 79th Independence Day of India in Kathmandu witnessed enthusiastic participation from members of the Indian community in Nepal, friends of India, as well as Embassy officials and their families. 

The occasion also featured vibrant cultural performances on patriotic songs presented by students from the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center of the Embassy and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu, the statement further reads.