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Chinese ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi called on Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota at the latter’s official residence in Lainchaur on Friday.

During the meeting, Speaker Sapkota and Chinese ambassador Hou talked on matters of bilateral relations, mutual interest and concern between Nepal and China.

On the occasion, Speaker Sapkota lauded China for the achievement it has made in poverty alleviation in the recent decade, for the initiatives it has taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic and its maturity as regards neighborhood policy and international diplomacy.

Reiterating that Nepal is consistently committed to the One-China policy, he said the country is always conscious about not allowing its land to be used against any neighboring nation.

He was of the opinion that all should respect the policy of non-interference on the sovereignty and internal affairs of any nation in line with the United Nations Charter and the principles of 'Panchasheel'.

Speaker Sapkota recalled his virtual interaction in April with Chairperson of the National People's Congress of China Li Zhanshu. He expressed that the bilateral relations between the two countries could be further expanded and strengthened through the exchange of visits and sharing of experience among the parliamentary friendship groups and the parliaments of both countries.

The Speaker thanked the People's Republic of China for its continued support to Nepal's economic-social sector as well as in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and during big natural disasters.

They also discussed the operation of trade transit points between the two countries.

In the meeting, Chinese ambassador Hou said that Nepal is a good neighbor of China and highly commended the former's pledge to the One-China policy.

She further said that China has always been resolutely supporting the independence, sovereignty and national indivisibility of Nepal.

Ambassador Hou pledged China's continued support and assistance for Nepal's development and prosperity in the coming days as well.

More shelling of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been reported, with Ukraine and Russia again blaming each other for the attack, BBC reported.

Each side said there were 10 hits on the office and fire station of Europe's biggest power plant on Thursday.

At a meeting of the UN Security Council called to discuss the situation, the head of its nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, warning it was a "grave hour".

UN Secretary General António Guterres also said it could "lead to disaster".

China and the US both called for UN experts to be allowed to urgently visit the plant, but similar demands in the past have so far not been acted upon.

Earlier, the US also called for a demilitarised zone to be established around the plant: "Fighting near a nuclear plant is dangerous and irresponsible," a state department spokesperson said.

However, Russia's UN representative said demilitarisation was not an option, suggesting that it would make the plant more vulnerable to "provocations" and "terror attacks". 

The facility and its surrounding area in central-eastern Ukraine saw shelling last week, with Russia and Ukraine also accusing each other over that attack.

Ukraine says Russia has turned the site into a military base, launching attacks from there knowing that Ukrainian forces are unlikely to retaliate, according to BBC.

Moscow denies the claim.

In a statement on Thursday, Ukraine's nuclear agency Enerhoatom said that "Russian invaders again shelled the Zaporizhzhia plant and territories near the nuclear facility".

It said an administrative office near the welding area was hit and several radiation sensors were damaged. There was a small fire on some nearby grass, but no injuries. 

Enerhoatom added that the fire station located near the plant was also targeted. 

Because of the shelling, it was impossible to change the personnel after their shift, so they had to continue work overtime.

But the situation was currently under control, Enerhoatom said, BBC reported.

The US Department of Justice is asking a Florida court to unseal the warrant that let FBI agents search former President Donald Trump's home, BBC reported.

If granted, the rare request would make the documents available to the public.

Attorney General Merrick Garland also revealed he personally approved the warrant, which was executed at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago property on Monday.

The justice department has so far not revealed the reason for the search - but the unsealed warrant could.

Mr Trump has until Friday to object to the unsealing - or could release details of the warrant himself.

Monday's FBI search is believed to be connected to an investigation into whether the former president removed classified records and sensitive material from the White House.

According to the Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents were looking for at Mar-a-Lago.

The sources did not tell the newspaper whether the information involved US weapons or some other nation's.

Mr Trump argued on Thursday on his Truth Social platform that there was no need for the raid since he said his lawyers had been "co-operating fully" and "the government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it".

He also alleged that the federal agents had rummaged through former First Lady Melania Trump's closet and personal items, according to BBC.

Until now, the justice department has followed its normal practice of remaining silent during an active investigation - and documents such as search warrants traditionally remain sealed during a pending investigation.

But Mr Garland said he was asking a court to make documents connected to the search warrant publicly available, in the public interest.

He said his decision was also influenced by Mr Trump publicly announcing the search had taken place.

"The public's clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favour of unsealing," justice department lawyers said in a motion filed in federal court on Thursday.

Monday's search was the first time in American history that a former president's home has been searched as part of a criminal investigation. Mr Trump and other Republicans have condemned the move as politically motivated.

But speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Garland defended FBI agents and justice department officials.

"I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked," the attorney general told reporters.

He also said the decision to execute the search warrant was not taken lightly. "Where possible it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means," he said.

Lindsey Halligan, an attorney for Mr Trump, said his legal team is weighing whether to release the warrant before the judge makes a ruling, BBC reported. 

They are also considering disclosing photos and video of the search.

FBI agents at Mar-a-Lago had requested that CCTV cameras be switched off, but the Trump team refused to comply, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

Heading into the single-phase federal and provincial elections on November 20, speculations about foreign meddling are rife. New Delhi would like to see the continuity of the current five-party coalition. This is also something that has been clearly conveyed to senior Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center) leaders during their recent trips to BJP headquarters.

If PM Deuba’s relations with New Delhi are pally, he has even better ties with Washington DC. He spent considerable political capital in pushing the MCC compact through the parliament, and he was keen on the passage of the IPS-linked State Partnership Program (SPP)—perhaps he still is. It is unclear what the government has written in its letter to the US on the SPP: has Nepal given up on the program for good or it is only a temporary pullout? Things should get clearer during the PM’s (long-delayed) US trip.

Meanwhile, our foreign minister Narayan Khadka visited Beijing, in what many saw as a sign of a thaw in Nepal-China relations. There have been a spate of bilateral visits and the two countries’ dispute-resolution mechanisms have also been activated. But Beijing still doubts the overtures of the ‘anti-China’ government in Kathmandu. While Khadka was in Beijing, Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, sought from him Nepal’s support for China’s position on Taiwan. In fact, China has been seeking similar support over Taiwan from countries the world over. The Chinese will not desist from some arm-twisting if that is what it takes.

In these times of pitched geopolitical battles, could big powers also try to somehow meddle in elections? “It is up to Nepali voters to choose their government,” says political analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta. But the outside forces can certainly try to influence elections, for instance “by helping with the formation of certain electoral alliances.” It is indeed strange that while elections should be the sole focus of the caretaker government, all kinds of foreign trips and adventures are being undertaken.