In the late 1990s, Devi Khadka was detained at the age of 17 and accused of being a rebel, being tortured, and being raped while he was being held. She was labeled as a “rape victim” by rebel leaders, which in turn led to depression and social ostracism. Khadka rose up the ranks and joined the rebel front lines, banning these horrors.
She was elected to Nepal’s new parliament after the war ended, but she became disillusioned when she learned that its leaders had attempted to conceal the agonizing truth of wartime rape. Khadka is no longer able to maintain a quiet demeanor as the survivor’s face in public. She embarks on a project to reunite Nepal’s forgotten women and reconstruct the deliberately erased history under the influence of a ferocious desire for justice.
On Thursday, June 19, this is how things are going.
Fighting
130 people were hurt in a massive Russian attack in Kyiv earlier this week, and 28 of those died. Rescue work is still being conducted.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, 440 drones and 32 missiles carried out the attack.
Although video footage showed the attack levelling parts of an apartment block in the Ukrainian capital, Moscow described the attack as precision strikes on “military-industrial facilities in the Kyiv region.”
Russia claimed to have taken control of Novomykolaivka, a village in the northeast of Sumy, where Russian forces have launched a new offensive. Since the Russian invasion of the region in 2022, fighting has been raging there.
Diplomacy
Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia, rebuffed speculations that he was planning to attack the NATO military alliance during a late-night press conference. He claimed that Russia was not threatened by the military bloc and its rearmament.
If Germany supplied Kyiv with Taurus cruise missiles, Putin said he would think it would play a direct role in the Ukraine war. Despite repeated requests from Ukraine, Germany’s Ministry of Defense stated earlier this month that it did not intend to do so.
Putin added that he does not believe that Germany is a “neutral state,” but rather a “party supporting Ukraine, and occasionally as compliciters in these hostilities.”
Putin acknowledged that he was unsure about Germany’s role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict despite his remarks and that he was open to meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Putin has offered to meet with Zelenskyy only during the “final phase” of the conflict resolution talks. Putin and the Ukrainian president met at a summit in Istanbul last month, but he turned down the invitation.
Zelenskyy is reportedly planning to attend a NATO meeting in The Hague next week where members will discuss boosting defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Sanctions
77 people, 39 businesses, and 200 vessels in Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers have been subject to new sanctions from Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to support Ukraine with an additional $ 1.47 billion in military support in addition to the sanctions.
As the Israel-Iran conflict gets worse, Pakistani citizens are seen fleeing the country in fear. On Monday, Pakistan temporarily suspended all communication with Iran, raising concerns that the nuclear-armed country may become unstable.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, claims that Israel has provided assurances regarding the safety of its employees working at Bushehr, which was built in the country. For the first three decades, Iran and Russia have collaborated on the project. At a meeting with international media, he made the remarks.
Donald Trump has remained vague about whether or not the United States would directly intervene in Israel’s ongoing conflict. It has been intensely bombing the country for six days.
The Republican leader set up two enormous flagpoles, each 88 feet or 27 meters high, on the lawn of the White House on Wednesday.
However, he was confronted with the question that was looming over the Middle East conflict: Would the US support Israel in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities?
Trump told a reporter, “You don’t know that I’m going to even do it.” I might do it, please. I’m not sure if I do it. Nobody is aware of my intentions. Iran is in serious trouble, and they want to negotiate, I can tell you.
Trump once more indicated he had not made up his mind and was unlikely to do so until the last possible moment as he posed for photos in the Oval Office with the Juventus football team.
Trump said, “I have ideas for what to do, but I haven’t made a final call.”
One second before it is due, I know, is when I like to make a final decision. because of changes, particularly when there is war. With war, things change. It has the ability to change from one extreme to the other.
Trump’s position on the domestic front has sparked controversy because of the uncertainty surrounding whether the US may enter the conflict.
President Donald Trump meets with Juventus football team members on June 18; [Photo: AP Photo]
Military “stand ready”
Trump’s involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran has been limited by legislation introduced by some Republicans and Democrats. Tucker Carlson, a conservative commentator, recorded a video interview with right-wing Senator Ted Cruz during which they debatted whether to support regime change in Iran.
Trump was asked to speak during the Oval Office debate on Wednesday. Carlson’s desire to prevent the US from a costly foreign conflict was acknowledged by the president, but with a caveat.
“I don’t want to fight either,” he said. Trump stated, “I’m not looking to fight.” However, you must act as required if there is a conflict between them and them possessing nuclear weapons. We might not even have to fight. Remember, there hasn’t been any fighting between us.
The Trump administration referred to Israel’s initial “unilateral action” on June 13 as “unilateral action.” However, the president has already indicated that he was aware of the attack and that he had supported Israel’s military campaign.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified to Congress in front of the audience that the US military would be present when needed.
The phrase “President Trump’s word means something. Hegseth said, “The world understands that. “Our job at the Defense Department is to be ready and prepared with options,” he continued. And we’re doing that right now.
Speculation about nuclear capabilities
If Iran had accepted US guidelines for limiting its nuclear program, Trump has repeatedly argued, the current conflict would never have begun. Iranian counterparts have been meeting with US officials since April to discuss limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment, which is a requirement for the development of nuclear weapons.
Iran has long professed that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, but it has always maintained that its uranium is only used for domestic energy.
Trump attributed the fear that Iran might have gotten close to constructing a bomb to the ongoing conflict with Israel. He warned that “the entire world will blow up” if Iran were to possess nuclear weapons.
“I’ve been saying for 20 years, maybe more,” “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.” Trump said on Wednesday, “I’ve been saying it for a long time, and I believe they were only a few weeks away from having one.”
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s director of national intelligence, testified before Congress in March that the US intelligence community had concluded that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.” She later refrained from making that assertion and stated that her position matched the president’s.
Trump’s alleged use of uranium enrichment facilities has drawn criticism from critics who believe he is making a case for US involvement in the Israeli-Iranian conflict.
Israel’s initial strike was justified by the possibility of an Iranian nuclear weapon, as has been done before. Israel is widely believed to have an unidentified nuclear arsenal, which is a US ally.
Negotiations stifled
However, negotiations with the US came to an end following Israel’s controversial missile attack on June 13. A planned meeting over the weekend was postponed, and military leaders and scientists were among the initial blasts that resulted in the deaths of some Iranian nuclear negotiators.
Trump blasted the outcome of those discussions on Wednesday, blaming Iran for breaking his April 60-day deadline.
Why didn’t you bargain with me before there was so much destruction and death? Trump posed a question. Why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago, I asked them? You might have been fine. A nation would have existed for you. Watching this is very sad.
Since the recent uprising, he confirmed that Iranian officials have reached out to him for a White House meeting.
Trump responded to reporters by saying, “I said it’s very late to be talking.” There is a significant difference between what happened last week and now.
Fears that the conflict could turn into a regional war have increased as a result of Trump’s own words. Trump made the threat to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a public statement on Tuesday and demanded its “unconditional surrender.”
Since Trump’s comments, Iran has responded. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the country’s deputy foreign minister, refuted reports that his government was attempting to restart US trade talks with Iran in an interview with Christiane Amanpour.
We’re not reaching out to anyone,” the statement read. We are defending our own, Takht-Ravanchi said. “We can negotiate without threats,” he said. Our people are constantly bombarded, so we cannot negotiate. We are not therefore beggars of any kind.
Our hands won’t be tied if Americans interfere directly, he declared. Our country’s people and our interests will be protected by us.
Khamenei himself criticized Trump’s threats and claimed that US involvement in the conflict would have “grave, irreparable consequences.”
repeated requests for “unconditional surrender”
Trump himself made several interpretations of how the conflict was coming to an end on Wednesday when he appeared on the White House lawn and reiterated his call for “unconditional surrender.”
“Unconditional surrender: That indicates that I have it. OK? It’s been given to me. I give up. No longer. Trump once more blamed Iran for the conflict, then proceed to blow up all the nuclear weapons that are scattered all over the place.
They “had bad intentions,” they claimed. They’ve been saying: America’s dead for 40 years! Israel’s death To be put to death for anyone else they disliked. They engaged in bullying. They used to bully kids in the school, but they are no longer bullies.
Trump later made the claim that the conflict could be resolved by making assurances that Iran had no nuclear weapons in the Oval Office.
“We’re not seeking a truce,” he said. We want to win it all over the entire. You are aware of the victory, right? No nuclear weapons
He acknowledged that the upcoming week would “be very big,” but he provided no specifics about what that would mean for the conflict’s future.
