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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a decree introducing financial benefits for people who left Ukrainian territory to come to Russia, including pensioners, pregnant women and disabled people, Reuters reported. The decree, published on a government portal, establishes monthly pension payments of 10,000 roubles ($170) for people who have been forced to leave the territory of Ukraine since Feb. 18. Disabled people will also be eligible for the same monthly support, while pregnant women are entitled to a one-off benefit. The decree says the payments will be made to citizens of Ukraine and the self-styled Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics - two breakaway Russian-backed entities in eastern Ukraine that Moscow recognised as independent in February in a move condemned by Ukraine and the West as illegal. On Feb. 18, Putin ordered every person who arrived in Russia from Donetsk and Luhansk to be given a payment of 10,000 roubles. Moscow has been giving Ukrainians Russian passports in what Ukraine and the United States say is an illegal effort by Moscow to annex territory it has occupied as part of what they regard as an imperialist Russian land-grab, according to Reuters. Moscow says it is prosecuting "a special military operation" to protect itself and defend Russian-speakers who it says were persecuted by Ukrainian authorities, something Kyiv denies.

The Nepal Police have decided to mobilize 71,693 police personnel for the elections to the House of Representatives and the Province Assembly scheduled for November 20. The number is around 10,000 thousand more than that deputed for the May 13 local elections. Central Police Spokesperson Deputy Inspector General of Police Tek Prasad Rai said that the Home Ministry had proposed the recruitment of 120, 000 temporary police personnel for the two-tier elections taking place at once.  During the May 13 elections, 100, 000 temporary police personnel were deputed. The number of security personnel in the Federal and Province elections will increase, bearing in mind the possibility of the rise in the number of voters and polling centers, it is said. However, the Nepal Police awaits the endorsement of the proposal by the Home Ministry to go with further official procedures for the mobilization of security forces for the elections. Now the police are busy with the international preparations. Prior to this, in view of the polls, the police set up a Central Election Cell headed by Additional Inspector General Sahakul Bahadur Thapa and election cells required at its subordinate offices, and province and district level.  It plans to classify the polling stations as general, sensitive and most-sensitive zones and depute the security workforce accordingly. It has already demanded 1,494 motor vehicles, over 700 communications sets and a required quantity of arms from the Ministry for the elections.

Health Minister Bhawani Khapung has been admitted to the Bir Hospital on Friday. Dr Bhupendra Basnet, Director at the hospital, said that the minister was admitted to the hospital today. “He came to the hospital after he complained of dizziness,” he said, adding, “His medical examination has been done, the report is yet to come.” He came to Kathmandu on Thursday after staying in his home district Tehrathum for a week.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ' Prachanda' has said the Citizenship Bill will be endorsed by the National Assembly. Talking to media persons briefly at Biratnagar Airport today, the Maoist leader and the member of the House of Representatives said the Bill had again entered the process and would be passed by the Upper House. He said that the President consulting with the Nepal Army officials in regard with the Bill procedures is usual. "The Bill has already entered the process, it will be endorsed and the President will certify it." It may be noted that the Lower House on August 18 again endorsed the Bill that the President returned for reconsideration. The HoR passed the document as it is. Refuting rumors that a political crisis is likely in the country, he said no such thing would happen. He took time to say that there would be an electoral alliance among the five political parties in all 165 electoral constituencies in the upcoming elections. The seat allocations towards that will conclude by the next 15 days, according to the leader.