MARIUPOL CIVILIANS EVACUATED FROM STEELWORKS BUNKER

Dozens of civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol to both Russia-controlled and Ukraine-controlled territory after weeks under siege.

Some have left the Azovstal steelworks, the last hold-out of Ukrainian troops in the strategically significant city.

Russia said dozens of civilians have arrived in a village it controls.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a large group is also on its way to Zaporizhzhia, which Ukraine maintains control of.

"The first group of about 100 people is already heading to the controlled area," he tweeted. "Tomorrow [Monday} we'll meet them in Zaporizhzhia. Grateful to our team! Now they, together with UN, are working on the evacuation of other civilians from the plant."

The United Nations confirmed that a "safe passage operation" had begun to evacuate the citizens on Saturday, and that it was involved alongside the Red Cross.

The evacuation convoy arrived on Saturday morning, the UN said - but did not give details on where people were being taken or how many had left, saying that sharing details could jeopardise the safety of the operation.

Reuters footage from the complex show civilians - mainly women and children - being helped to walk over piles of rubble, and boarding a bus with missing windows.

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, IN SURPRISE KYIV TRIP, VOWS UNBENDING US SUPPORT

A top-level US congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the “ferocity” and resolve of Ukrainians face to face with their leader in a weekend visit to Kyiv undertaken in extraordinary secrecy.

Pelosi, second in line to the presidency after the vice president, was the most senior American lawmaker to visit Ukraine since Russia’s war began more than two months ago. Only days earlier, Russia bombed the Ukrainian capital while the UN secretary-general was there.

Pelosi and the half dozen US lawmakers with her met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top aides for three hours late on Saturday to voice American solidarity with the besieged nation and get a first-hand assessment of the effort as she works to steer a massive new Ukraine aid package through Congress.

“Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi is seen telling Zelenskyy in a video of the meeting released by his office. “We are on a frontier of freedom and your fight is a fight for everyone. Thank you for your fight for freedom.”

“You all are welcome,” Zelenskyy told the delegation.

Pelosi told reporters in Poland on Sunday the delegation was proud to convey to Zelenskyy “the message of unity from the Congress of the United States, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration for the people of Ukraine for their courage.” She is set to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda, a NATO ally, on Monday in Warsaw.

RUSSIAN FORCES BEGIN ENFORCING TRANSITION TO ROUBLE IN KHERSON

The Russian forces in control of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and its surrounding province started to enforce a transition to the Russian rouble from Ukrainian currency on Sunday, a move that Ukrainian officials have described as part of an attempt to embed it in Moscow’s sphere of influence. At the same time, the Ukrainians reported on Sunday that nearly all cellular and internet service in the area was down. The Ukrainian ministry of the interior accused Russian forces of cutting service. Local officials estimate that nearly half of the population in the region has fled, and accounts from witnesses who have left paint an image of an increasingly repressive environment. The letter Z can be seen in photos and videos scrawled on buildings and the Russian flag flies over government buildings. Russian television programmes dominate the airwaves. The British military’s intelligence agency said that the introduction of the rouble and statements from a recently installed proRussia administration declaring that a return to Ukrainian control would be “impossible” demonstrated “Russian intent to exert strong political and economic influence in Kherson over the long term. ”

NATO EXERCISES BEGIN ALONG ITS EASTERN FLANK

Poland’s armed forces said Sunday that military exercises involving thousands of NATO soldiers have begun.

They are regular exercises aimed at improving the security of the alliance’s eastern flank but come this year with Russia’s war against Ukraine raging nearby.

Due to those circumstances, Poland’s military appealed to the public on Sunday not to publish information or photos of the columns of military vehicles expected to move through the country in the coming weeks.

It warned that “ill-considered activity” could harm the alliance’s security. “Let’s be aware of the dangers!” the statement said.

The Polish Army said in a statement that 18,000 soldiers from over 20 countries were taking part in the Defender Europe 2022 and Swift Response 2022 exercises that are taking place in Poland and eight other countries.

The exercises are scheduled to run May 1-27.

NEW PAK PM SECURES $8 BILLION SAUDI BAILOUT FOR CASH-STRAPPED COUNTRY

During Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a deal was secured as per which the Gulf country will provide Islamabad with a financial support package of around USD 8 billion, according to a media report.

The financial package will help Pakistan bolster dwindling forex reserves and revive the ailing economy. The country has been facing growing economic challenges, including high inflation, sliding forex reserves, a widening current account deficit and a depreciating currency.

Pakistan requires financial assistance of USD 9-12 billion till June 2022 to avert further depletion of foreign currency reserves.

The financial package will include doubling of the oil financing facility, additional money either through deposits or Sukuks and rolling over of the existing USD 4.2 billion facilities, The News newspaper reported.

"However, technical details are being worked out and it will take a couple of weeks to get all documents ready," the report said, citing top official sources.

While PM Sharif has left Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s finance minister Miftah Ismail has stayed back to finalise the financial package.

IMRAN KHAN, 150 OTHERS BOOKED AFTER PROTESTS ERUPT IN SAUDI AGAINST PAK PM

Pakistan’s Punjab police have booked ousted prime minister Imran Khan and 150 others, including some members of his former cabinet, in connection with the hounding of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation at Masjid-e-Nabwi in Saudi Arabia, officials said.

Video clips circulating on social media showed some pilgrims — apparently supporters of Khan shouting ‘chor’ (thief) and ‘gaddar’ (traitor) as soon as Sharif and other members of his delegation arrived at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina last Thursday.

The Pakistani pilgrims also used abusive language against the delegation members. Madina police claim to have arrested five Pakistanis involved in the sloganeering.

Punjab police on Saturday night registered an FIR against Khan, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and 150 others, including former federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh Rasheed, former adviser to the prime minister Shahbaz Gul, former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Soori, and Khan’s close aides in London, Anil Musarrat and Sahibzada Jehangir, officials said.

The case has been registered in a police station in Faisalabad, around 180 km from Lahore, on the complaint of local resident Naeem Bhatti on the charges of desecration of the Prophet’s mosque in Madina, hooliganism and hurting the sentiments of Muslims, they said.

The FIR has been registered under different sections, including 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, over 100 supporters of Khan were sent to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan and the UK to carry out the mission of targeting Sharif and his delegation at Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina. Khan and other nominated leaders of the PTI had given directions to party workers in this regard, it said.

GERMANY PLANS TO WOO INDIA WITH G7 INVITE: REPORT

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to invite Indian PM Narendra Modi as special guest to a Group of Seven leaders’ summit next month as part of an effort to forge a broader international alliance against Russia.

Germany, which currentlyholds the rotating G7 presidency, will also welcome the leaders of Indonesia, South Africa and Senegal to the gathering in the Bavarian Alps from June 26 to June 28, said people with knowledge of the matter.

The decision could be announced as early as Monday, when Scholz welcomes Modi for talks in Berlin and a joint German-Indian cabinet meeting.

Scholz was undecided on Modi’s invitation until a few weeks ago given the PM’s reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a jump in fossil fuel deliveries to India from Russia.

But Scholz has decided the G7 should court Indiaas a potentially valuable partner in efforts to isolate Russia, accor- ding to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Scholz also sees an opportunity to work closely with Modi in other policy areas such as climate change and defence.

The German government wants to strengthen ties with India in the coming years and also supports the European Union’s efforts to embrace the country by offering economic incentives which could help it rethink its ties to Russia, the peopleadded. In their meeting on Monday, Scholz and Modi will discuss how to further ease immigration rules for skilled workers from India to tackle labour shortages in Europe’s largest economy, and how to accelerate technology transfer to India in the push to reduce carbon emissions.

In the medium term, Germany also wants European defence companies to offer India an alternative to Russian weapons deliveries, as a way to reduce its reliance on Moscow. No deals are expected to be sealed on Monday.

IS CLAIMS BUS BOMBING IN AFGHAN CAPITAL

The Islamic State on Sunday claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a passenger bus that killed one woman in Afghanistan’s capital.

Dozens of people have been killed and scores wounded in deadly attacks that have punctuated the last two weeks of the fasting month of Ramzan, which ends on Sunday. A woman was killed and three others were wounded in the bus attack, Kabul police said.

The bombing was the second in the country’s capital in as many days.