AFP UK

Kathmandu (AFP) – Beaten and raped by police officers as a child, “Mira” was among the many victims of sexual violence during Nepal’s civil war — and is now one of the few to recount her ordeal. Guerrilla attacks and forced disappearances were daily facts of life on both sides of the Himalayan republic’s decade-long Maoist insurgency. The conflict ended in 2006 with a peace deal that brought the Maoists into government and promised justice for those who had suffered in the fighting. Sixteen years after the war ended, only two convictions have been handed down for civil war-era crimes in civilian courts, while rape survivors are frustrated that their own traumas have been met by official indifference.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong’s new leader unveils plans to resuscitate the business hub’s fortunes, hoping to lure international expertise back to a city that has seen an exodus of talent and is mired in recession. “Apart from actively nurturing and retaining local talent, the government will proactively trawl the world for talent,” Chief Executive John Lee said in his first policy address.

Lejone (Lesotho) (AFP) – It’s harvest time in Lejone, a small village nestling in mountains in southern Africa more than two thousand metres above sea level. The yield is rainbow trout — the bounty from the undulating Malibamatso River. Lejone is home to one of Lesotho’s two professional fish farms — pioneering ventures in the poor landlocked kingdom.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine swaps more than 100 prisoners with Russia in what it said was the first all-female exchange with Moscow after nearly eight months of war. Images released by Yermak show dozens of women — some wearing coats and military fatigues — disembarking from white buses.

Seoul (AFP) – Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competes at an event in South Korea without a hijab in what some see as a gesture of solidarity with the women-led protests in her country. This was in breach of the Islamic republic’s mandatory dress rules of compulsory headscarf for women which also apply to all female athletes, even when competing abroad. Rekabi, 33, in her first comment since the event at the Asian Championships on Sunday, apologised on Instagram for the “concerns” caused and insisted her bare-headed appearance had been “unintentional”.

Moscow (AFP) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow could reduce its diplomatic presence in Western countries, blaming relations with Europe and the United States and Russia’s need to build ties elsewhere.

Barcelona (AFP) – Brazilian football star Neymar testifies alongside his father and mother as he goes on trial for alleged fraud and corruption involved in his transfer to FC Barcelona.

Malang (Indonesia) (AFP) – Indonesian president Joko Widodo says the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, where a post-match stampede killed more than 130 fans, will be demolished and a new stadium with better standards and facilities will be rebuilt.

Kharkiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Images released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine show firefighters at the scene following a Russian strike on a warehouse in Kharkiv. In the past 10 days Russia carried out around “190 mass strikes with missiles, kamikaze drones and artillery in 16 Ukrainian regions and in the city of Kyiv,” a spokesperson for Ukraine’s emergency services, Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, said during a briefing. IMAGES

Yeysk (Russia) (AFP) – At least 13 people, including three children, were killed after a Russian military plane crashed into a residential area of Yeysk, a town in southwest Russia near the border with Ukraine, Moscow authorities said Tuesday as search operations ended.

Tokyo (AFP) – Japanese designers revolutionised Parisian catwalks, and the city hasn’t lost its allure for new talent, even as the loss of greats like Issey Miyake herald the end of a fashion era. Emerging designers in Tokyo dream of following in their footsteps, but say new challenges make it harder to grab attention and monopolise the world’s wardrobes.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says he has suggested to President Volodymyr Zelenksy that Kyiv break off diplomatic ties with Iran, after Moscow stepped up kamikaze drone attacks across the country.