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The United Nations General Assembly is set to reprimand Russia on Wednesday over its invasion of Ukraine and demand that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces, a move that aims to diplomatically isolate Russia at the world body, Reuters reported.

By Tuesday evening nearly half the 193-member General Assembly had signed on as co-sponsors of a draft resolution ahead of a vote on Wednesday, diplomats said. The text "deplores" Russia's "aggression against Ukraine."

It is similar to a draft resolution vetoed by Russia in the 15-member Security Council on Friday. No country has a veto in the General Assembly and Western diplomats expect the resolution, which needs two-thirds support, to be adopted.

"Russia's war marks a new reality. It requires each and every one of us to take a firm and responsible decision and to take a side," Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the General Assembly on Tuesday.

While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight.

The draft text "demands that the Russian Federation immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."

Dozens of states are expected to formally abstain from the vote or not engage at all. In two votes by the 15-member U.N. Security Council on the Ukraine crisis in the past week, China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained.

"We must leave space for a diplomatic off-ramp," UAE U.N. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said on Tuesday. "Channels must remain open and those countries that did abstain have those channels with President Putin and will use them to help and support in whatever way we can."

The General Assembly vote will come at the end of a rare emergency special session of the body, which was convened by the Security Council on Sunday. Russia was unable to veto the move because it was a procedural matter. 

More than 100 countries will have addressed the session before the vote.

Addressing a concerned nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden vowed in his first State of the Union address Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring US inflation and deal with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus, Associated Press reported.

Biden declared that he and all members of Congress, whatever their political differences, are joined “with an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny.” He asked lawmakers crowding the House chamber to stand and salute the Ukrainians as he began his speech. They stood and cheered.

It was a notable show of unity after a long year of bitter acrimony between Biden’s Democratic coalition and the Republican opposition.

Biden’s 62-minute speech, which was split between attention to war abroad and worries at home — reflected the same balancing act he now faces in his presidency. He must marshal allied resolve against Russia’s aggression while tending to inflation, COVID-19 fatigue and sagging approval ratings heading into the midterm elections.

Biden highlighted the bravery of Ukrainian defenders and a newly reinvigorated Western alliance that has worked to rearm the Ukrainian military and cripple Russia’s economy through sanctions. He acknowledged costs to the American economy, as well, but warned ominously that without consequences, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression wouldn’t be contained to Ukraine.

“Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” Biden said. “They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.”

As Biden spoke, Russian forces were escalating their attacks in Ukraine, having bombarded the central square of country’s second-biggest city and Kyiv’s main TV tower, killing at least five people. The Babi Yar Holocaust memorial was also damaged.

Biden announced that the U.S. is following Canada and the European Union in banning Russian planes from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. He also said the Justice Department was launching a task force to go after Russian oligarchs, whom he called “corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime.”

“We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” he said, pledging that the U.S. and European allies were after their yachts, luxury apartments and private jets.

Apple Inc. halted product sales in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the company stands “with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence," Aljazeera reported.

The iPhone maker said Tuesday that it stopped exporting products into the country’s sales channel last week, ahead of pausing sales. It’s also removing the RT News and Sputnik News applications from App Stores outside of Russia and has disabled traffic and live-incident features in Ukraine as a “safety and precautionary measure” for citizens there.

The action followed a plea by Ukraine for Apple to stop selling products in Russia, with Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov saying the move could help turn Russian youth against the invasion. He also called on the company to shutter its local App Store. Apple has operated an online store specific to Russia for the last several years, as well as an App Store tailored to the country.

This isn’t the first time Apple has cut off a country. Apple stopped sales briefly in Turkey last year because of economic turmoil and currency fluctuation.

In Russia, the company also limited its Apple Pay service and other online offerings in recent days. Nike Inc., another iconic U.S. brand, has halted sales in Russia as well, saying Tuesday that it “cannot guarantee delivery of goods to customers.”

Apple shares dipped to session lows following news of the move in Russia, before recouping some of the losses. The stock closed down 1.2% to $163.20 on Tuesday.

“We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Apple said in its statement. “We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.”

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a telephone call to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday.

During the telephone call, the duo discussed Russia's provoked attack and support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also discussed working closely on economic development and regional challenges.

According to Ned Price, US State Department Spokesperson, Blinken highlighted that this marks 75 years of the United States and Nepal’s diplomatic relations and noted that Nepal’s decision to move forward with the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) would allow the electricity transmission and roads project to create jobs, infrastructure, and improve the lives of the Nepali people. 

The Secretary agreed to strengthen efforts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and work toward addressing the climate crisis, says the spokesperson. 

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President Bidya Devi Bhandari today visited the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu to offer worship on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

President Bhandari entered the main Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and worshiped ritually on the Maha Shivarattri. Bhandari paid obeisance to all the temples and shrines in the Pashupatinath Temple premises, according to Pashupati Area Development Trust's (PADT).

The Head of the State was welcomed by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale, Ministry's secretary Maheshwor Neupane, PADT member-secretary Dr Milan Kumar Thapa and treasurer Narayan Prasad Subedi among others.

Similarly, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun also reached the Temple today and worshiped on the occasion, according to the PADT.

Ritual has it that the Head of the State should visit the Pashupatinath Temple and offer prayers and worship on Maha Shivaratri festival that falls on fourteenth day of waning moon in the month of Falgun as per the lunar calendar.

An overwhelming number of devotees thronged the holiest shrine of Lord Shiva today. The PADT has made arrangements for the devotees to pay obeisance as long as they arrive at the Temple tonight. RSS

The main opposition party, CPN (UML) has demanded execution of the US grant project Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to serve national interest, following its parliamentary endorsement. 

At a press meet organised to disclose the party's opinion on MCC here today, the UML said much attention had to be paid before signing the foreign assistance agreement but now efforts should be made for its implementation when its compact was endorsed. 

On the occasion, UML chair KP Sharma Oli said the MCC should be taken as a development project and urged the concerned side not to do politics creating differences and conflict on the agreement. It was wrong to ascend the cadres to fuel street-based protests, he added. 

Main opposition party leader Oli said the government should immediately go for fresh mandate and clarified that fresh discussions between NC and UML were held for safeguarding the Constitution. The former Prime Minister also stressed the need for collaboration between UML and Nepali Congress (NC) which have been fighting for democracy since long. 

He accused the efforts of cornering UML by not creating an environment conducive to participate in parliamentary process while endorsing MCC. 

Chairperson Oli commented that the interpretive declaration of the MCC presented in the House of Representatives (HoR) was merely a manifestation of deception. He further shared it was baseless to state that the MCC compact was part of the Indo Pacific Strategy (IPS). 

"The US has been clarifying that it was not part of the IPS. Now the ruling coalition also echoed the same. The interpretive declaration also noted the same rhetoric. Then why erstwhile Minster Pradeep Gyawali was accused of making MCC as part of IPS,” he questioned. RSS

An Indian student was killed on Tuesday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city that is being pounded by heavy shelling by Russian forces, Hindustan Times reported.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was in touch with the student’s family. “With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Bagchi further said foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India’s demand for urgent safe passage for its nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones. “Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine,” he added in the tweet.

News of the student’s death came within hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave capital Kyiv. “Advisory to Indians in Kyiv- All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available (sic),” a statement from the embassy read.

The Indian government has undertaken a massive mission to bring back its stranded citizens from war-torn Ukraine via neighbouring countries and has sent its senior ministers to assist the evacuation process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts under Operation Ganga, even as as special flights of Air India are being run to bring back the citizens.