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Ukraine said Wednesday that nine Russian warplanes were destroyed in a deadly string of explosions at an air base in Crimea that appeared to be the result of a Ukrainian attack, which would represent a significant escalation in the war, Associated Press reported.

Russia denied any aircraft were damaged in Tuesday’s blasts — or that any attack took place. But satellite photos clearly showed at least seven fighter planes at the base had been blown up and others probably damaged.

Ukrainian officials stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility for the explosions, while mocking Russia’s explanation that a careless smoker might have caused ammunition at the Saki air base to catch fire and blow up. Analysts also said that explanation doesn’t make sense and that the Ukrainians could have used anti-ship missiles to strike the base.

If Ukrainian forces were, in fact, responsible for the blasts, it would be the first known major attack on a Russian military site on the Crimean Peninsula, which was seized from Ukraine by the Kremlin in 2014. Russian warplanes have used Saki to strike areas in Ukraine’s south.

Crimea holds huge strategic and symbolic significance for both sides. The Kremlin’s demand that Ukraine recognize Crimea as part of Russia has been one of its key conditions for ending the fighting, while Ukraine has vowed to drive the Russians from the peninsula and all other occupied territories.

The explosions, which killed one person and wounded 14, sent tourists fleeing in panic as plumes of smoke rose over the coastline nearby. Video showed shattered windows and holes in the brickwork of some buildings.

One tourist, Natalia Lipovaya, said that “the earth was gone from under my feet” after the powerful blasts. “I was so scared,” she said.

Sergey Milochinsky, a local resident, recalled hearing a roar and seeing a mushroom cloud from his window. “Everything began to fall around, collapse,” he said.

Crimea’s regional leader, Sergei Aksyonov, said some 250 residents were moved to temporary housing after dozens of apartment buildings were damaged.

Russian authorities sought to downplay the explosions, saying Wednesday that all hotels and beaches were unaffected on the peninsula, which is a popular tourist destination for many Russians. But video posted on social media showed long lines of slowly moving cars on the road to Russia as tourists headed for home. 

A Ukrainian presidential adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, cryptically said that the blasts were either caused by Ukrainian-made long-range weapons or the work of Ukrainian guerrillas operating in Crimea, according to Associated Press.

A Ukrainian parliament member, Oleksandr Zavitnevich, said the airfield was rendered unusable. He reported on Facebook that it housed fighter jets, tactical reconnaissance aircraft and military transport planes.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC taken at midafternoon Wednesday showed some 2 square kilometers (0.75 square mile) of grassland burned at the Saki base. Several craters marked the ground near the tarmac — typically the sign of a powerful explosion. The two runways bore no apparent damage and appeared to still be operational. Some of the fighter jets on the flight line had been moved farther down the runway, compared to images taken Tuesday before the blast.

The base has been home to the Russian 43rd Independent Naval Assault Air Squadron since Moscow seized Crimea. The squadron flies Sukhoi Su-24s and Sukhoi Su-30s. The base also includes a number of earth-covered bunkers and hangars around its periphery — typically used to house munitions in case of a fire. None appeared damaged.

“Official Kyiv has kept mum about it, but unofficially the military acknowledges that it was a Ukrainian strike,” Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said.

The base is at least 200 kilometers (about 125 miles) from the closest Ukrainian position. Zhdanov suggested that Ukrainian forces could have struck it with Ukrainian or Western-supplied anti-ship missiles that have the necessary range.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said it couldn’t independently determine what caused the explosions but noted that simultaneous blasts in two places at the base probably rule out an accidental fire but not sabotage or a missile attack, Associated Press reported.

It added: “The Kremlin has little incentive to accuse Ukraine of conducting strikes that caused the damage since such strikes would demonstrate the ineffectiveness of Russian air defense systems.”

During the war, the Kremlin has reported numerous fires and explosions on Russian territory near the Ukrainian border, blaming some of them on Ukrainian strikes. Ukrainian authorities have mostly kept silent about the incidents, preferring to keep the world guessing.

Neither side has released much information about their own casualties. In his nightly video address Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed nearly 43,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, according to Associated Press.

Former US President Donald Trump has declined to answer questions as part of a New York state investigation into his family's business practices, BBC reported.

Mr Trump had sued in an effort to block the interview at the New York attorney general's office on Wednesday.

State officials accuse the Trump Organization of misleading authorities about the value of its assets in order to get favourable loans and tax breaks.

Mr Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the civil probe a witch hunt.

An hour after he was pictured arriving at the Manhattan office where he was questioned under oath, Mr Trump released a statement in which he criticised New York Attorney General Letitia James and the broader investigation.

"Years of work and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this long simmering saga, and to no avail," he said. "I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution."

Ms James' office confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday and that "Mr Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination".

"Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead," the statement added. "Our investigation continues."

His deposition comes just days after the FBI executed an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation that is reportedly linked to his handling of classified material. 

While the attorney general's investigation is a civil one, a parallel investigation is being carried out by the Manhattan District Attorney's office which could result in criminal charges, according to BBC.

Legal analysts suggest Mr Trump may have declined to answer questions on Wednesday because his answers could have been used against him in that criminal investigation. The former president invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to be a witness against themselves in a criminal case.

The questioning lasted around four hours, and included lengthy breaks, his lawyer Ronald Fischetti told US media.

Mr Trump began by reading a statement into the record condemning the attorney general and her investigation and invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.

He proceeded to say "same answer" to every question he was asked.

Ms James' office has said that the depositions - a legal term that means testimony not given in court - were among the last remaining investigative procedures to be carried out.

Once the investigation concludes, the state attorney general could decide to bring a lawsuit seeking financial penalties against Mr Trump or his company. 

Ms James had sought Mr Trump's deposition - and that of two of his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr - for more than six months while the family resisted subpoenas through the New York court system. 

Lawyers for Mr Trump had also attempted to sue Ms James in a bid to prevent her from questioning the former president and his children.

But in February, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that all three must sit for depositions. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr were questioned earlier this month, BBC reported.

The judge said the investigation had uncovered "copious evidence of possible financial fraud" giving the attorney general a "clear right" to question under oath the former president and two of his children involved in the business.

Ms James hailed the judge's decision as a victory, saying that "justice has prevailed".

The investigation, which was first opened in 2019, seeks to prove that Mr Trump and the Trump Organization misrepresented the value of assets in order to obtain favourable loans and tax breaks. The alleged fraud is said to have taken place before Mr Trump took office, according to BBC.

Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Tapas Adhikari and Romina Khursid Alam, Member of National Assembly and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister/Minister of State Convener Parliamentary Task Force on SDG held a meeting at the Embassy on Wednesday, Islamabad Post reported.

During the meeting, they discussed Nepal-Pakistan relations,  SAARC and SDGs and ways to further strengthening it.

Both sides also discussed the historical relations between Nepal and Lahore and Gujranwala.

The relations between Nepal and China started floundering following the formation of the Sher Bahadur Deuba government in July 2021. 

For most of the past 13 months, the two sides showed little enthusiasm for mutual engagement. Beijing saw the Deuba-led government as pro-western. The government on its part also kept a safe distance from the northern neighbor and kept its foreign engagements more or less limited to India and Western powers. 

The two sides resumed bilateral dealings only in recent months. After China’s two back-to-back high-level trips to Nepal—Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited in March and the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department head Liu Jianchao came in July—Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka this week made a reciprocal visit to Beijing. 

“The visit aims to build an atmosphere of trust to further enhance our long-standing cordial relations,” says Arun Subedi, PM Deuba’s foreign affairs advisor.

The soured Nepal-China ties appear headed for a thaw. The resumption of the meetings of bilateral mechanisms, including one related to border management, is one indication of this.

Khadka held talks with his Chinese counterpart Yi on bilateral and regional issues. By inviting Khadka, China, meanwhile, wants to seek fresh assurance from Nepal on ‘One China policy.

This is particularly important for Beijing at a time its ties with Washington are at a historic low following US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan sojourn last week.

Prior to Khadka’s China trip, his ministry on August 5 had issued a statement essentially vowing Nepal’s steadfastness to ‘One China’.  In his meeting with Khadka in Beijing on August 10, the Chinese foreign minister conveyed his country’s position on Taiwan and sought Nepal’s support.  

According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang stressed on joining hands with other countries to “oppose US interference in China’s internal affairs”.  In the meeting, Khadka reiterated Nepal's unwavering commitment to the One China Policy and assured that the Nepali territory will not be allowed to be used for any activity against China. 

Beijing has reason to doubt Kathmandu’s commitment though, particularly after the parliament ratified the American Millennium Corporation Challenge (MCC) compact despite Beijing’s objection. 

The formation of a government probe panel to study China’s alleged border encroachment and Nepal’s ‘pro-Western’ position on the Russia-Ukraine war have added to the suspicions of the northern neighbor. 

Nepal has its own reasons to question China’s intent. Chinese overblown reaction to Nepal’s decision to ratify the compact was unbecoming of a good friend. Kathmandu is also displeased with Beijing for restricting the movement of goods across China-Nepal border points, citing Covid restrictions.   

China’s claim that the West is fueling anti-China activities through Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu and its decision to engage only Nepal’s communist parties have also not gone down well with PM Deuba and his Congress party.  

Upendra Gautam, general secretary of China Study Center Nepal, says the government lacks a clear vision and assertiveness to deal with China and other powers. 

“The Deuba government seems to have realized that now,” he says. “Let’s hope Foreign Minister Khadka’s visit is not just a ritual.” 

Gautam says big powers always want small countries like Nepal on their side. “The important thing is that we assert ourselves and clearly explain the fundamentals of our foreign policy.”  

Besides clearing the air with Beijing, Khadka’s visit is also aimed at sending the message that Nepal is not taking sides and wishes for balanced relations with all powers. 

China too has been trying to convince Nepali political parties, particularly the ruling Congress, that it is not partial towards communist forces. 

During his Nepal trip, Liu Jianchao tried to convince Congress leaders that China’s Nepal policy is not guided by ideology.

Speaking on Khadka’s China visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying on August 5 said: “China looks forward to strengthening strategic communication, cementing mutual support, and constantly promoting strategic partnership for development and prosperity.”  

Subedi, the advisor to Deuba, says there could be progress on some bilateral projects after the visit. “We want to enhance economic cooperation with China,” he adds.

China is pushing for the implementation of some projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese officials are also concerned over the implementation of the pacts reached between the two countries during the 2019 Nepal visit of President Xi Jinping.  

On August 10, Khadka and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held bilateral talks in  Shandong, an eastern province of China. 

 According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides had cordial and fruitful meetings which took stock of all aspects of Nepal-China relations and agreed to promote cooperation in the areas of mutual interests.

In the meeting, both foreign ministers expressed their commitment to the timely implementation of the agreements signed and the understanding reached during high-level visits in the past.  China announced that China will carry out the feasibility study of the Keyrung-Kathmandu railway under grant assistance. 

We have raised all the issues related to China including the border, supply of goods, and other issues, said official requesting anonymity. During the meeting, according to the official, the Nepali side reiterated its position on One-China. 

As the two neighbors appear to move towards a rapprochement, more high-level exchanges are on the cards, with CPN (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal likely to visit China next month.