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A main ally of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan quit his ruling coalition on Wednesday after reaching a pact with opposition parties seeking to oust him, signalling Khan may be running out of options as he tries to stay on in power, Reuters reported.

Former cricket star Khan, 69, is battling a series of defections from his ruling alliance in the face of increasing questions over his performance, including his government's management of a struggling economy, beset by double-digit inflation and rising deficits.

An increasingly united opposition has moved to force him from office in a no-confidence vote due between Thursday and Monday, in which support from Khan's allied parties was critical. 

The leader of Khan's main parliamentary ally, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui announced his party was joining the bloc looking to oust Khan following a written agreement between the two sides.

"I announce that we (MQM) are with you (opposition) in this change," Siddiqui said at a press conference alongside opposition leaders on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Khan's party does not have a simple majority in the National Assembly by itself and needs the support of coalition allies and the MQM, based in the southern port city of Karachi, has been his biggest ally in parliament. 

"We have sent our resignations to the prime minister," Amin-ul-Haq, a member of Khan's cabinet from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), told local television channel Geo News.

Khan's ouster would likely mean another round of instability in the nuclear armed south Asian country, in which the military has a long record of intervening in politics and no prime minister has completed a full five-year term in its history.

Opposition parties accuse Khan of mismanaging the economy, foreign policy and resorting to heavy-handed measures against critics.

With the support of the MQM, the combined opposition has, on paper, the requisite numbers to oust Khan when the vote happens in the next five days, Reuters reported.

Opposition leaders Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, standing alongside MQM's Siddiqui, called on Khan to resign before the vote now that he had lost the majority.

"It is a tradition that if you lose majority, you should step down," Sharif said.

However, Khan's aides said he will not back down or resign.

"He will not resign. He will fight till last ball," Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "He will probably be present in the parliament during the vote on Sunday."

Ahmad said Khan would also be giving a televised address to the nation later on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

As Sri Lankans faint in day-long queues for fuel and swelter through stifling evening blackouts by candlelight, anger is mounting over the worst economic crisis in living memory, AFP reported.

A critical lack of foreign currency has left the island nation unable to pay for vital imports, leading to dire shortages in everything from life-saving medicines to cement.

Long lines for fuel that start forming before dawn are forums for public grievances, where neighbours complain bitterly about government mismanagement and fret over how to feed their families as food prices skyrocket.

"I've been standing here for the past five hours," Sagayarani, a housewife, told AFP in Colombo while waiting for her share of kerosene, used to fire the cooking stoves of the capital's poorer households.

She said she had seen three people faint already and was herself supposed to be in hospital for treatment, but with her husband and son at work she had no choice but to wait under the blistering morning sun.

"I haven't eaten anything, I'm feeling very dizzy and it's very hot, but what can we do? It's a lot of hardship," she said, declining to give her surname, according to AFP.

Trucks at the port are unable to cart food and building materials to other urban centres, or bring back tea from plantations dotted around Sri Lanka's verdant inland hills.

Buses that normally transport day labourers across the capital sit idle, some hospitals have suspended routine surgeries, and student exams were postponed this month because schools ran out of paper.

"I've been living in Colombo for 60 years and I've never seen anything like this," Vadivu, a domestic worker, told AFP.

"There's nothing to eat, there's nothing to drink," she added. "The politicians are living in luxury and we are begging on the streets."

Sri Lanka will be experiencing 10-hour daily power cuts from Wednesday, announced Public Utilities Commission of the island nation, according to AFP.

The Ceylon Electricity Board said in a statement that they were "compelled to take demand management measures due to inadequate power generation, as a result of fuel shortage and unavailability of generators."

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga returned figures of 4-20 to set up a three-wicket victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore in a low-scoring IPL thriller against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, AFP reported.

Hasaranga's inspired spell of leg-spin helped bowl out Kolkata for 128, a total Bangalore overhauled with four balls to spare after some late drama at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.

Fast bowlers Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav claimed five wickets between them to rattle the Bangalore top and middle-order before Sherfane Rutherford's 28 and an unbeaten 14 off seven by Dinesh Karthik got the team home.

Bangalore, led by new skipper Faf du Plessis, bounced back from their opening loss to register their first win of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

Rutherford, a left-handed West Indies batter, put on key partnerships including a 39-run stand with Shahbaz Ahmed, who made 27, according to AFP.

Southee took down Rutherford and then Hasaranga in one over to keep the game in the balance but Karthik finished it off with a six and a four in the final over off Andre Russell.

Earlier Bangalore's Akash Deep and fellow pace bowler Mohammed Siraj rattled the Kolkata top-order.

Hasaranga soon combined to send back skipper Shreyas Iyer for 13 and then two successive scalps in one over as Kolkata slipped to 66-7.

Russell attempted to hit back with his 18-ball 25 but fell caught behind to medium-pace bowler Harshal Patel and the Kolkata innings folded in 18.5 overs.

The world's most valuable cricket tournament has been expanded to 10 teams and 74 matches this season but league games remain restricted to two venues including Pune with limited crowd due to coronavirus-related restrictions, AFP reported.

Lucknow Super Giants, one of the two new teams added to the league, take on holders Chennai Super Kings on Thursday at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Wednesday said that Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday’s Oscar ceremony after hitting Chris Rock but refused to do so, Associated Press reported.

The academy’s board of governors met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said disciplinary action for Smith could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.

Many have focused on why Smith was allowed to remain seated front row in the Dolby Theatre after the incident. On Wednesday, the academy suggested that it attempted to remove the actor from the audience.

“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the academy said. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”

A representative for the academy declined to give specifics on how it tried to removed Smith. After Smith struck Rock in response to a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, several stars including Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry spoke with the 53-year-old Smith.

The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18. The film academy earlier condemned Smith’s onstage assault of Rock, but it used stronger language Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

“Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television,” the academy said. “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.”

On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.” 

Rock, who had yet to respond publicly to the incident, performed stand-up Wednesday night in Boston. He was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation.

“How was your weekend?” began Rock who then cautioned the crowd that he didn’t have a lot to say yet about the Oscars, according to audio posted by the Hollywood trade outlet Variety. “I’m still kind of processing what happened”

A representative for Smith didn’t immediately respond to messages Wednesday regarding the academy’s latest moves.

Only a very small number of academy members have ever been expelled, including Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and the actor Carmine Caridi, who was kicked out for sharing awards screeners, Associated Press reported.

Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the academy’s board of governors, said Monday on “The View,” “We’re not going to take that Oscar from him.” (Even Oscars won by expelled members haven’t previously been ordered to be returned.) Goldberg added that “nobody is OK with what happened”

Others from Sunday’s telecast also began speaking out. Co-host Wanda Sykes told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview to air April 7 that she felt physically ill after Smith slapped Rock. When he returned to his seat, Smith twice shouted at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.” 

“I’m still a little traumatized by it,” said Sykes in a clip released Wednesday.

Within an hour, Smith was back on stage accepting the award for best actor for his performance in “King Richard.” Many in the Dolby Theatre gave him a standing ovation. 

“I was like, how gross is this? This is the wrong message. You assault somebody and you get escorted out the building and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross,” Sykes said. “I wanted to be able to run out (on stage) after he won and say, ‘Uh, unfortunately, Will couldn’t be here tonight.’”

US intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by advisers about his military’s poor performance in Ukraine, according to the White House. The advisers are scared to tell him the truth, the intel says, Associated Press reported.

The findings, recently declassified, indicate that Putin is aware of the situation on information coming to him and there now is persistent tension between him and senior Russian military officials. 

The US believes Putin is being misled not only about his military’s performance but also “how the Russian economy is b eing crippled by sanctions because, again, his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said Wednesday.

Earlier, President Joe Biden said in an exchange with reporters that he could not comment on the intelligence.

The administration is hopeful that divulging the finding could help prod Putin to reconsider his options in Ukraine, according to a US official. The official was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The war has ground to a bloody stalemate in much of the country, with heavy casualties and Russian troop morale sinking as Ukrainian forces and volunteers put up an unexpectedly stout defense.

But the publicity could also risk further isolating Putin, who US officials have said seems at least in part driven by a desire to win back Russian prestige lost by the fall of the Soviet Union, according to the Associated Press.

“What it does is underscore that this has been a strategic blunder for Russia,” Bedingfield said of the intelligence finding. “But I’m not going to characterize how ... Vladimir Putin might be thinking about this.”

Meanwhile, Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a 55 minute call that an additional $500 million in direct aid for Ukraine was on its way. It’s the latest burst in American assistance as the Russian invasion grinds on.

Asked about the latest intelligence, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that a dynamic within the Kremlin exists where advisers are unwilling to speak to Putin with candor.

“One of the Achilles’ heels of autocracies is that you don’t have people in those systems that speak truth to power or have the ability to speak truth to power, and I think that’s what we’re seeing in Russia,” Blinken told reporters during a stop in Algeria on Wednesday.

The unidentified official did not detail underlying evidence for how US intelligence made its determination.

The intelligence community has concluded that Putin was unaware that his military had been using and losing conscripts in Ukraine. They also have determined he is not fully aware of the extent to which the Russian economy is being damaged by economic sanctions imposed by the US and allies, Associated Press reported.

The findings demonstrate a “clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information” to Putin, and show that Putin’s senior advisers are “afraid to tell him the truth,” the official said.

Biden notified Zelenskyy about the latest tranche of assistance during a call in which the leaders also reviewed security aid already delivered to Ukraine and the effects that weaponry has had on the war, according to the White House. 

Zelesnkyy has pressed the Biden administration and other Western allies to provide Ukraine with military jets, something that the US and other NATO countries have thus far been unwilling to accommodate out of concern it could lead to Russia broadening the war beyond Ukraine’s borders. 

Prior to Wednesday’s announcement of $500 million in aid, the Biden administration had sent Ukraine about $2 billion in humanitarian and security assistance since the start of the war last month.

Congress approved $13.6 billion that Congress approved earlier this month as part of a broader spending bill. Bedingfield said the latest round of financial assistance could be used by the Ukrainian government “to bolster its economy and pay for budgetary expenses” including government salaries and maintaining services, according to the Associated Press.

Ukraine’s presidential website says Zelenskyy told Biden: “We need peace, and it will be achieved only when we have a strong position on the battlefield. Our morale is firm, there is enough determination, but we need your immediate support.”

Zelenskyy in a Twitter posting said that he also spoke to Biden about new sanctions against Russia. Bedingfield said the administration is looking at options to expand and deepen current sanctions. 

The new intelligence came after the White House on Tuesday expressed skepticism about Russia’s public announcement that it would dial back operations near Kyiv in an effort to increase trust in ongoing talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Turkey.

Russian forces pounded areas around Ukraine’s capital and another city overnight, regional leaders said Wednesday, Associated Press reported.

Nepal reported 26 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 3, 940 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 25 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 252 people underwent antigen tests, of which one was tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 77 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 1, 146 active cases in the country.

Nepal has only two neighbors and yet struggles mighty hard to balance them. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba leaves for India shortly after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Kathmandu sojourn. Wang’s visit was not very fruitful: the very basis of Nepal-China cooperation in recent times, the BRI, did not even find a mention in the subsequent foreign ministry statement. With no substantial achievement, the two sides tried to salvage the trip by announcing a slew of what are essentially meaningless agreements.

China is highly suspicious of the Deuba government, which it sees as pro-US. The Chinese also believe that the Americans are increasingly in cahoots with India to curtail China’s influence in South Asia and beyond. So Deuba’s trip south will be closely watched in Beijing. China understands that Nepal cannot afford to have bad relations with India. What it does not want is for Nepal to enter what it labels the ‘US-India nexus’ and thereby compromise Chinese security interests. Nepalis otherwise expect little from Deuba’s trip south.

New Delhi knows that with elections around the corner, Deuba could soon be out of its Nepal picture. Deuba for his part is unsure about what to discuss this time with India. Progress on some connectivity projects are still expected, including joint inauguration of the Kurtha-Jayanagar cross-border railway. But progress on long-pending projects like Pancheswar are unlikely.

Nepali prime ministers have traditionally made New Delhi their first foreign stopover after assuming office. The pandemic had delayed Deuba’s customary visit. Routines are important, especially in the case of India and Nepal that share extensive links. But precisely for the same reason there is also much expectation when the two leaders meet.

India still emphasizes the age-old ‘roti beti’ and civilizational links. But it has been reluctant to cover even the basics to improve ties, for instance by allowing more Nepali products into its markets, something that would enormously help Nepal as it struggles to balance its books. The EPG report has long been pending. Vital bilateral projects remain stalled. Nepal-China ties have suffered during Deuba’s latest tenure. But Nepal-India ties have not fared much better as well. Tragically, maintenance of the status quo will have to be seen as an ‘achievement’ of Deuba’s visit.

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The place offers a homely vibe and it is disabled-friendly. The prices of food and drinks are affordable as well. The menu comes with a detailed description and tips on how to make your favorite dishes at home. If you crave tasty coffee, a rich fruity smoothie bowl, or a glass of fresh juice, Kaidako Coffee is for you.

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Vegan special smoothie bowl

Strawberry and mocha smoothie bowl

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Location: Narephant, Koteshwor

Meal for 2: Rs 500

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