In UK Parliament, Opposition criticises PM Boris Johnson’s visit to Gujarat JCB factory

LONDON, April 30: The Opposition parties in the UK have questioned in Parliament Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to visit a British-owned bulldozer factory in Gujarat during his visit to India last week.

A number of Labour Party MPs, including Indian-origin Nadia Whittome, questioned Johnson’s visit to the JCB factory in Halol despite the use of some of the company’s equipment in the controversial demolition of properties in north-west Delhi in the wake of recent communal clashes in Jahangirpuri.

The factory visit had created a stir across social media, pointing to the use of JCB equipment in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s “anti-encroachment” drive in Delhi, an issue referred to the courts.

During an ‘Urgent Question’ tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday by the Scottish National Party (SNP) member of Parliament, Ian Blackford, the Opposition raised cries of “where is he?” after a junior minister was left to answer questions on the topic of “Prime Minister’s Visit to India”.

Vicky Ford, the Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), was deputed on behalf of the government and said the visit would “supercharge” the UK-India trading relationship and that the issue of human rights is regarded as equally important.

“We do not pursue trade at the exclusion of human rights,” said Ford.

“We regard both as an important part of a deep, mature and wide-ranging relationship with our partners. The partnership with India is very important for both our countries,” she said.

“If we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India. Our network of deputy high commissions will continue to follow the reports closely, while also recognising that it is a matter for India,” Ford said.

Britain Vows To Liberate 'Whole Of Ukraine' From Russia, Crimea Included

LONDON, April 28: Britain denied Thursday it was over-reaching against Russia after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said "the whole of Ukraine" must be liberated, indicating that Crimea must also be regained.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Truss's remark, made in a high-profile speech, complied with the West's longstanding stance since Russia seized the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

"We've constantly said that Russia should leave Ukraine sovereign territory, so that hasn't changed," Wallace told Sky News.

But when asked whether Britain would support Ukraine militarily for any offensive to recapture the peninsula, he said: "There's a long way to go before Ukraine pushes into Crimea."

"I think what I would certainly say is, we are supporting Ukraine's sovereign integrity. We've done that all along. That of course includes Crimea.

"But you know, first and foremost, let's get Russia out of where they are now in its invasion plans."

Addressing diplomats and business leaders in London late Wednesday, Truss said Britain was "doubling down" on its military support.

"We will keep going further and faster to push Russia out of the whole of Ukraine," she said, urging Western allies to increase military production including tanks and planes to help Kyiv.

Wallace reiterated that any UK tanks and planes would not go directly to Ukraine but instead "backfill" Soviet-era supplies being sent by the likes of Poland.

He clarified that long-range Brimstone missiles being sent to Ukraine, which can be fired at sea, "will be used over the ground", but that Britain was examining help with anti-ship missiles.

"It's incredibly important that the grain that affects us all, the food prices, does get to get out of Ukraine, that the Russians can't control the Black Sea," he said.

Wallace also said that President Vladimir Putin was "rolling the pitch" for a major announcement to mark Russia's World War II "Victory Day" celebration on May 9.

"He's going to have to admit, if he wants to mobilise more of the Russian people, that it is a war," the minister told BBC radio, after Putin had described the invasion as a "special military operation".

"He can't admit it by saying 'I got it wrong'. He's going to have to admit it by trying to blame everybody else" including NATO, Wallace said.

Japan proposes May 24 for Quad Leaders’ Summit, coincides with Biden visit

TOKYO, April 28: Japan has proposed May 24 as the date for the next Quad Leaders’ Summit, coinciding with US President Joe Biden’s visit to Tokyo, though the date is yet to be locked down as it falls just days after Australia’s general election.

The White House has announced that Biden will travel to South Korea and Japan during May 20-24 and also attend the summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad in Tokyo. Biden will also hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit, the White House said.

People familiar with the matter said the Japanese side had initially proposed that the Quad Summit should be held in April, before proposing May 24. While the US has agreed to the proposal, the Australian side has pointed out that the date is just days after the country’s general election on May 21.

The issue has been further complicated for the Australian side as an electoral victory for Prime Minister Scott Morrison is not a certainty. Polling earlier this month has shown Morrison’s government could lose the federal election.

Though Morrison consolidated his own position as Australia’s preferred leader, the polling showed Morrison’s Liberal-National Party coalition, which has a single seat majority in Parliament, could lose up to 10 seats to the Labour party.

It is now up to the three other members of Quad – India, Japan and the US – to agree on holding the summit on May 24, the people cited above said.

If the summit goes ahead as planned, this will be the first in-person meeting between Modi and Biden since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. They met during the Quad Summit held in the US last September and also participated in a virtual summit that was convened by Biden on March 3, shortly after the hostilities began in Ukraine.

Need to put behind idea that others define India: Jaishankar

NEW DELHI, April 27: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India needs to put behind the idea that it needs to get approval from other nations on how it engages with the world. He said it is better to engage with the world on the basis of "who we are" rather than try and please the world.

Speaking at an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, India's premier foreign policy conference, Jaishankar said, "We have to be confident about who we are. I think it is better to engage the world on the basis of who we are. This idea that others define us, somehow we need to get the approval of other quarters. I think that is an era we need to put behind us."

This comes in the backdrop of increasing debate in the West over India not criticising Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and abstaining from the vote at the UN Security Council condemning Russian aggression.

On the Russia-Ukraine situation, Jaishankar said, "The best way forward is to focus on stopping the fighting, getting them talking and finding ways to move forward. We think our choices are best placed to advance that."

Earlier, Jaishankar had spoken on India’s position on the Ukraine war calling it steadfast and consistent. We have expressed deep concern at the worsening situation and called for an immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities, he had said.

So far, India has not yet publicly condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been calling for the resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Jaishankar said the choices made by India have had a larger influence globally and hoped that India will be "deeply more international" in terms of its commitments, responsibilities and roles in the next 25 years.

"We should not be looking at the world with a sense of entitlement. We need to earn our place in the world and to a certain extent, therefore, comes to the issue of how the world benefits from the growth of India. We need to demonstrate that," he added.

The external affairs minister also spoke about India's contribution to the spread of democracy in South Asia.

"We would like to see more prosperity in South Asia. If India has been in a sense example of democracy or promoter of democracy in South Asia, we would now like to be part of a larger lifting tide so that the rest of South Asia grows along with us," Jaishankar said.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari becomes Pakistan's youngest Foreign Minister

ISLAMABAD, April 27: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the scion of Pakistan's leading political dynasty, on Wednesday took oath as the foreign minister in the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a crucial juncture as he faces multiple challenges such as fixing strained ties with the US and finding a way to restart the peace process with neighbouring India.

President Arif Alvi administered the oath to 33-year-old Bilawal at a simple ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr (President's House), where Prime Minister Shehbaz, former president Asif Ali Zardari and other officials as well as leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were present.

It is for the first time that Bilawal has been given a key post in the government and assigned the key portfolio of the foreign minister of the country. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 2018. He became the head of the ministry of foreign affairs at a crucial juncture when Pakistan needed a stable hand to steer its foreign policy through the choppy waters.

Among the main challenges, Bilawal needs to fix strained ties with the US in the wake of conspiracy allegations by former premier Imran Khan and find a way to restart the stalled peace process with neighbouring India.

Khan was ousted from power earlier this month after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

He, however, did not provide any credible evidence in support of his claim. The US has strongly denied his claims. Pakistan's ties with India deteriorated after New Delhi announced withdrawing the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

India has said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

Bilawal took the oath nearly a week after he met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London last week during which they discussed the "overall political situation" in Pakistan and vowed to work together on issues pertaining to politics and national interest.

PPP is the second-largest party in the current coalition government of Prime Minister Sharif who was appointed on April 11. Prime Minister Shehbaz is the president of PML-N. Bilawal's sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari congratulated "the youngest Foreign Minister in Pakistan's history."

"The task is daunting, and the previous government have hurt our international standing but I have no doubt that you will make our country, party, and family proud," she tweeted.

Bilawal is the son of three-time former premier Benazir Bhutto who was killed in a bomb and gun attack at a political rally in Rawalpindi in 2007. She was the daughter of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Zulfiqar was deposed in 1977 by the military when General Ziaul Haq imposed martial law. He was tried for conspiracy in a murder case and hanged in 1979. Three of his four children, including Benazir, were violently killed, making the family the most bereaved political dynasty in Pakistan. Zulfiqar also started his career as a foreign minister in the 1960s, making an uncanny resemblance with Bilawal.

3 Chinese nationals killed in Karachi blast

KARACHI, April 26: A bomb blast on a minibus killed three Chinese employed at Karachi University's Confucius Institute on Tuesday, in the first major attack in Pakistan on nationals of long time ally China since last year. The three were among passengers on a van travelling near the university when the bomb exploded, killing the Chinese and a fourth person, a Pakistani driver.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group claimed responsibility for the blast, adding that it had been carried out by a woman suicide bomber.

The blast was the first major attack in an urban area of Pakistan since Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took power this month. He condemned what he called a cowardly act of terrorism.

"I am deeply grieved on the loss of precious lives including of our Chinese friends in the heinous attack in Karachi today," Sharif said in a statement.

Pakistan's foreign office also condemned the attack.

"The cowardly incident is a direct attack on the Pakistan-China friendship and ongoing cooperation," Pakistan's foreign office statement said "Pakistan attaches great importance to safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan," it added.

China's embassy in Islamabad said all three citizens killed in the attack were teachers at the institute, and that a fourth had been injured.

It also warned its nationals to pay close attention to security and "not go out unless necessary".

"At the same time", the embassy said in a statement, "all levels in Pakistan are requested to take practical and effective measures to do everything possible to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan and ensure that similar incidents do not occur again."

“The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned this terrorist act, and urges Pakistan to make every effort to treat the injured, conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and severely punish the perpetrators,” it said.

In February, Baloch separatists staged four days of attacks across two locations in the province, killing nine soldiers.

Tensions have flared in recent years in Balochistan following a massive influx of Chinese investment.

China is upgrading energy links and infrastructure as part of a $54 billion programme known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with both nations wary of security threats to the projects.

In April 2021 a suicide bomb attack at a luxury hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, killed four and wounded dozens.

Emmanuel Macron Wins Second Term, Defeats Marine Le Pen

PARIS, April 25: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday defeated his rival Marine Le Pen in presidential elections, projections showed, prompting a wave of relief in Europe that the far-right had been prevented from taking power.

Centrist Macron was set to win 57.0-58.5 percent of the vote compared with Le Pen on 41.5-43.0 percent, according to projections by polling firms for French television channels based on a sample of the vote count.

The result is narrower than the second-round clash in 2017, when the same two candidates met in the run-off and Macron polled over 66 percent of the vote.

The outcome, expected to be confirmed by official results overnight, caused immense relief in Europe after fears a Le Pen presidency would leave the continent rudderless following Brexit and the departure of German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called Macron's victory "great news for all of Europe".

EU president Charles Michel said the bloc can now "count on France for five more years" while commission chief Ursula von der Leyen rapidly congratulated him saying she was "delighted to be able to continue our excellent cooperation".

In a combative speech to supporters in Paris where she accepted the result but showed no sign of quitting politics, Le Pen, 53, said she would "never abandon" the French and was already preparing for June legislative elections.

"The result represents a brilliant victory," she said to cheers.

The relatively comfortable margin of victory gives Macron some confidence as he heads into a second five-year mandate, but the election also represents the closest the far-right has ever come to winning power in France.

Macron is the first French president to win re-election since Jacques Chirac in 2002 after his predecessors Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande left office after only one term.

Macron will be hoping for a less complicated second term that will allow him to implement his vision of more pro-business reform and tighter EU integration after a first term shadowed by protests, then the pandemic and finally Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But he will have to win over those who backed his opponents and the millions of French who did not bother to vote.

On the basis of the official figures, polling organisations estimated that the abstention rate was on course for 28 percent which, if confirmed, would be the highest in any presidential election second-round run-off since 1969.

The outcome of the first round on April 10 had left Macron in a solid but not unassailable position to retain the presidency.

Convincing supporters of the hard-left third-placed candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon to hold their noses and vote for the former investment banker was a key priority for Macron in the second phase of the campaign.

Macron will also need to ensure his party finds strong grassroots support to keep control of a parliamentary majority in the legislative elections in June and avoid any awkward "cohabitation" with a premier who does not share his political views.

High on his to-do-list is pension reform including a raising of the French retirement age which Macron has argued is essential for the budget but is likely to run into strong opposition and protests.

He will also have to rapidly return from the campaign trail to dealing with the Russian onslaught against Ukraine, with pressure on France to step up supplies of weapons to Kyiv and signs President Vladimir Putin is losing interest in any diplomacy.

For Le Pen, her third defeat in presidential polls will be a bitter pill to swallow after she ploughed years of effort into making herself electable and distancing her party from the legacy of its founder, her father Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Critics insisted her party never stopped being extreme-right and racist while Macron repeatedly pointed to her plan to ban the wearing of the Muslim headscarf in public if elected.

When Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the second round in 2002, the result stunned France and he won less than 18 percent in the subsequent run-off against Chirac.

Over 100 Killed In Nigeria Oil Refinery Blast: Reports

PORT HARCOURT (Nigeria), April 24: Several people were feared burnt to death overnight following an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in southern Nigeria, an NGO said Saturday. Local media reports said over 100 people had been killed in the blast, the latest in Nigeria, Africa's biggest producer of crude.

Police confirmed the explosion, saying it had happened late on Friday, but did not give details of casualties.

"Several bodies burnt beyond recognition lay on the ground while others who may have attempted running for safety are seen hanging on some tree branches," said Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC).

Police said there had been an explosion at the site of an illegal refinery late Friday where operators and their patrons had gathered for business.

"The incident happened on the boundary between Rivers and Imo state," Rivers state police spokeswoman Grace Iringe-Koko said, without giving details.

Illegal crude refining is common in the southern-oil region where oil thieves vandalise pipelines to steal crude which they refine to sell at the black market.

Most people in the oil-producing Niger delta live in poverty even though the country is the biggest oil producer on the continent, with around two million barrels per day.

Pipeline fires are commonplace in Nigeria, in part because of poor pipeline maintenance but also because of thieves who vandalise pipelines to siphon off petrol and sell it on the black market.

Hundreds have been killed in the past due to stealing and illegal refining of petroleum products known locally as bunkering.

The government has deployed the military to raid and destroy illegal refineries in the Niger delta as part of measures to stop the stealing of the country's oil resources.

India-UK to sign new FTA by Diwali

NEW DELHI, April 22: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Gujarat on Thursday for the start of his two-day visit to India. He met with Prime Minister Modi as the UK looks to increase its footprint in defence production in India, and new cooperation on clean & renewable energy.

While addressing the media along with his British counterpart, Modi said, "While India is celebrating the "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" (celebrations on the 75th year of independence), the UK Prime Minister's visit is historic."

The two leaders stressed the progress of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, their climate commitments at Glasgow, and the need for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific.

"We aim to have a new Free Trade Agreement by Diwali...I have urged officials to get it done by Diwali. We appreciate the tariffs being dropped by India on certain goods and commodities and in return, we too are dropping some tariffs we levy. We also look forward to the close cooperation shared between the UK's NHS and India's health services," the British PM said.

The UK is creating an India specific open general export license reducing bureaucracy and reducing delivery times for defence procurement.

Modi said that the two leaders stressed the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. "We reiterated the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations," he said.

Britain and India have agreed to a "new and expanded" defence and security partnership, Boris Johnson said. The two countries have a "shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific open and free", he added, calling the new partnership "a decades-long commitment".

"We reiterated our support to a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan and an inclusive representative government. It's essential that Afghan territory is not used to spread terror in other countries," Modi said.

Last year, Johnson and Modi agreed on a UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, announcing more than 530 million pounds in investment into the UK and committing to a deeper bilateral relationship across trade, health, climate, defence and security, and connecting our people.

An ambitious "Roadmap 2030" was also launched to steer the direction of the India-UK relationship in this decade. Modi said they reviewed progress on this roadmap today and set goals for the future.

"The UK's partnership with India is a beacon in stormy seas as the world faces growing threats from autocratic states which seek to undermine democracy, choke off fair trade and trample on sovereignty," Johnson said.

Johnson said he discussed next-generation defence and security collaboration across the five domains - land, sea, air, space and cyber - as the two countries face "complex new threats". "UK will work with India to boost security in the Indo-Pacific, including new fighter jet technology, helicopters and collaboration in the undersea battlespace."

Modi invited the UK to join India's "National Hydrogen Mission" to deepen the two country's climate and energy partnerships. "The UK and India are launching a virtual Hydrogen Science and Innovation hub to accelerate affordable green hydrogen, as well as new funding for the Green Grids Initiative announced at COP26, and collaboration on joint work on the electrification of public transport across India," a UK release had earlier said.

Putin claims victory in Mariupol, leaving Ukrainian defenders holed up

MOSCOW, April 21: President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the Ukraine war on Thursday, declaring the port of Mariupol “liberated” after nearly two months of siege, despite hundreds of defenders still holding out inside a giant steel works.

In a televised meeting with his defence minister inside the Kremlin, Putin said there was no need for a final confrontation with the last defenders who were boxed in after surviving nearly two months of Russia’s siege.

“I consider the proposed storming of the industrial zone unnecessary,” he told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a televised meeting at the Kremlin. “I order you to cancel it.”

“There’s no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities,” he said. “Block off this industrial area so that not even a fly can get through.”

Shoigu estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters remained inside the plant. Putin called on them to lay down their weapons and surrender, saying Russia would treat them with respect.

Asked to comment on Russia’s decision to blockade the steel works rather than storm it, Ukraine’s defence ministry spokeswoman said the move testified to Putin’s “schizophrenic tendencies” and gave no further response.

Putin’s declaration of victory lets him claim his first big prize since his forces were driven out of northern Ukraine last month after failing to capture the capital, Kyiv.

Russia Tests 'World's Most Powerful' Missile

MOSCOW, April 20: Russia has test world's most powerul missile, Sarmat, which is an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of nuclear charges. The weapon can be deployed with 10 or more warheads on each missile.

The long-range missile has been in development since the 2000s. The Sarmat is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.

Weighing more than 200 tonnes and able to transport multiple warheads, Putin says the missile can hit any target on Earth.

"Sarmat is the most powerful missile with the longest range of destruction of targets in the world," Russia's defence ministry said after the test.

The Sarmat missile test took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia.

"This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice," Putin said.

Dubbed Satan 2 by Western analysts, the Sarmat is among Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has called "invincible," and which also include the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles.

Last month, Russia said it used Kinzhal for the first time in warfare to strike a target in Ukraine, where Russian troops have been engaged in a special military operation since February 24.

UK Court Formally Issues Order To Extradite Julian Assange To US

LONDON, April 20: A UK court on Wednesday issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face trial over the publication of secret files relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The decision now rests with interior minister Priti Patel, although Assange may still appeal within 14 days of any decision to approve the extradition.

The ruling Wednesday by a magistrate in central London brings the long-running legal saga in the UK courts closer to a conclusion.

But Assange's lawyers have vowed to make representations to Patel and potentially launch further appeals on other points in the case.

"No appeal to the High Court has yet been filed by him in respect of the other important issues he raised previously," his lawyers Birnberg Peirce Solicitors said in a statement last month.

"That separate process of appeal has, of course, yet to be initiated."

Assange was last month denied permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against moves to extradite him to the US, where he could face a lifetime in prison.

Washington wants to put him on trial in connection with the publication of 500,000 secret military files relating to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In January last year, the 50-year-old Australian appeared to have won a reprieve on the grounds he was a suicide risk if he was kept in solitary confinement at a maximum security US facility.

But the US government appealed, and at a two-day appeal hearing in October its lawyers pointed to diplomatic assurances that Assange would not be held in punishing isolation at a federal supermax prison, and would receive appropriate care.

Assange appealed that ruling and, in January, two judges allowed him to apply to the country's highest court on "points of law of general public importance".

But the court refused permission to appeal, saying the application "didn't raise an arguable point of law".

Russia will not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, says foreign minister

NEW DELHI, April 19: Russia will use only conventional weapons in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in response to a question about the possible use of nuclear arms in the war.

The comments, in an interview Tuesday to India Today television, are among the most categorical from a senior Russian official on the issue, although Lavrov isn’t directly responsible for military decision-making.

Western intelligence officials have warned that the Kremlin might turn to tactical or other limited nuclear weapons from its arsenal if its invasion of its southern neighbor continues to struggle.

In the interview, Lavrov said Russia’s military operation has entered a new phase and will continue. Ukraine said the Kremlin started a new offensive in the Donbas region overnight.

Ukraine rejects deadline to surrender in Mariupol as Russia threatens to eliminate resistance

KYIV, April 17: Ukrainian forces besieged in Mariupol have rejected Russia's demands to surrender and are still resisting an unrelenting assault on the southeastern port city, top Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the city, which has been surrounded by Russian troops since March 1, has not fallen. Ukrainian troops trapped in the city are holding out against the Russian onslaught despite overwhelming odds. But they are confined to pockets of resistance, and their numbers are unclear.

"There are still our military forces, our soldiers, so they will fight until the end and as for now they are still in Mariupol," Shmyhal said on ABC News.

An adviser to the mayor of Mariupol also rejected the Russian ultimatum earlier on Sunday. Petro Andriushchenko said on Telegram "as of today, our defenders continue to hold the defense."

The comments come after Russia's Ministry of Defense called on the Ukrainian soldiers still in Mariupol to surrender by 1 p.m. local time Sunday, warning anyone still resisting after the deadline "will be eliminated." The ministry later confirmed the ultimatum had been ignored.

In a statement, the Russian ministry said the surrounded Ukrainian soldiers "were offered to voluntarily lay down arms and surrender in order to save their lives."

"However, the Kiev nationalist regime, according to the radio intercept, forbade negotiations about surrendering," the Ministry claimed.

It also asserted, according to Ukrainian soldiers who had previously surrendered, "there are up to 400 foreign mercenaries who joined the Ukrainian forces" trapped at the plant, including Europeans and Canadians. "In case of further resistance, all of them will be eliminated," it said.

Shmyhal, Ukraine's prime minister, said despite the relentless Russian attacks, "not one big city in Ukraine has fallen."

"Only Kherson is under control of Russian military forces, but all of the rest of the cities are under Ukrainian control," he said, adding some of the cities in the surrounding areas were "besieged but still under Ukrainian control."

He said more than 900 Ukrainian cities, towns and villages had been freed from Russian occupation since Moscow took control after the invasion began in late February.

"We still are fighting, and we have battle in Donbas region right now, but we do not have intention to surrender," Shmyhal said.

Exchange High Profile POW For Our Guys, Girls: Zelensky To Russia

KYIV, April 13: Ukraine told Russia to release prisoners of war if it wants the Kremlin's most high-profile ally in the country freed as the United States is expected to send more weapons after Russia's strongest signal yet the war will grind on.

US President Joe Biden referred to Russia's attack on Ukraine as genocide for the first time, saying "we'll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me."

Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians and has said Ukrainian and Western allegations of war crimes were made up to discredit Russian forces.

Ukraine announced on Tuesday that Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, had been apprehended. In February, the authorities said he had escaped house arrest after a treason case was opened.

The pro-Russian figure, who says President Vladimir Putin is godfather to his daughter, has denied wrongdoing. A spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

"I propose to the Russian Federation: exchange this guy of yours for our guys and girls now held in Russian captivity," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an early morning address on Wednesday.

Alongside a photo of Medvedchuk in handcuffs, the head of Ukraine's security service Ivan Bakanov said on Facebook that operatives "conducted this lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation" to arrest him.

A Kremlin spokesman was cited by the Tass news agency as saying he had seen the photo and could not say whether it was genuine.

Hours earlier Putin used his first public comments on the conflict in more than a week to insist Russia will "rhythmically and calmly" continue its operation, saying he was confident his goals, including on security, would be achieved.

Zelenskiy mocked Putin in his address: "How could a plan that provides for the death of tens of thousands of their own soldiers in a little more than a month of war come about?"

Putin said that on-and-off peace negotiations "have again returned to a dead-end situation for us."

During his comments on Tuesday, he frequently seemed to ramble or stammer.

Only occasionally did he adopt the icy, confident demeanour that has been his trademark in public appearances over more than 22 years as Russia's leader.

Putin, who had been ubiquitous on Russian television in the early days of the war, had largely retreated from public view since Russia's withdrawal from northern Ukraine two weeks ago.

And with the battle set to drag on, the United States is expected to announce $750 million more in military assistance, two officials told Reuters, likely including heavy ground artillery systems to Ukraine, including howitzers.

"We urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent further Russian atrocities," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter as he hailed Biden's comments on genocide.

Moscow's nearly seven-week long incursion, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945, has seen more than 4.6 million people flee abroad, killed or injured thousands and led to Russia's near total isolation on the world stage.

Russia says it launched what it calls a "special military operation" on February 24 to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies reject that as a false pretext.

Many of the towns Russia has retreated from in northern Ukraine were littered with the bodies of civilians killed in what Kyiv says was a campaign of murder, torture and rape.

Moscow denies the allegations.

Russia says it now aims to capture more territory on behalf of separatists in two eastern provinces, known as the Donbas. It includes Mariupol port, which has been reduced to a wasteland under Russian siege.

Ukraine says tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped inside that city with no way to bring in food or water, and accuses Russia of blocking aid convoys.

Ukrainian marines on Tuesday were holed up in the Azovstal industrial district. Reuters journalists accompanying Russian-backed separatists saw flames billowing from the Azovstal district.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the eastern Donetsk region, which includes Mariupol, said he had seen incident reports on possible chemical weapons use in the city but could not confirm them.

Ukraine said its forces in the east had beaten off six Russian attacks, destroying two vehicles and three artillery systems as well as shooting down a helicopter and two drones. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

The United States and Britain have said they were trying to verify reports as to whether chemical weapons had been used by Russia.

On Wednesday, Zelenskiy said it was not possible to draw 100% firm conclusions about whether they had been used in Mariupol, due to the inability to carry out a proper probe.

Chemical weapons production, use and stockpiling is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russian-backed separatist forces in the east denied using chemical weapons in Mariupol, the Interfax news agency reported.

As Russia redoubles efforts in the east, Luhansk regional Governor Serhiy Gaidai urged residents to evacuate.

"It's far more scary to remain and burn in your sleep from a Russian shell," he wrote on social media.

Sri Lanka Announces Default On $51b External Debt

COLOMBO, April 13: Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt Tuesday as the island nation grapples with its worst economic crisis in memory and widespread protests demanding the government's resignation.

Acute food and fuel shortages, alongside long daily electricity blackouts, have brought widespread suffering to the country's 22 million people in the most painful downturn since independence in 1948.

Public anger has flared in recent weeks with crowds attempting to storm the homes of government leaders and security forces dispersing protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Sri Lanka's finance ministry said the country was defaulting on all external obligations, including loans from foreign governments, ahead of an International Monetary Fund bailout.

"The government is taking the emergency measure only as a last resort in order to prevent further deterioration of the republic's financial position," a statement from the ministry said.

Creditors were free to capitalise any interest payments due to them or opt for payback in Sri Lankan rupees, the ministry added.

Sri Lanka's snowballing economic crisis began with an inability to import essential goods, after the coronavirus pandemic torpedoed vital revenue from tourism and remittances.

The government imposed a wide import ban to conserve its foreign currency reserves and use them to service the debts it has now defaulted on.

Economists say the crisis has been made worse by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing and ill-advised tax cuts.

Public frustration with the government is widespread, with long queues around the island nation forming each day to buy scarce supplies of petrol, gas and kerosene for cooking stoves.

Thousands of people were camped outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's seafront office in the capital Colombo in the fourth straight day of protests calling for him to step down.

International rating agencies also downgraded Sri Lanka last year, effectively blocking the country from accessing foreign capital markets to raise new loans and meet demand for food and fuel.

Sri Lanka had sought debt relief from India and China, but both countries instead offered more credit lines to buy commodities from them.

Official figures show that China and Japan, two key bilateral sovereign creditors, hold about 10 percent each of Sri Lanka's foreign debt while India's share is under five percent.

Just under half of Sri Lanka's debt is market borrowings through international sovereign bonds and other similar instruments.

Estimates showed Sri Lanka needed $7 billion to service its debt load this year, against just $1.9 billion in reserves at the end of March.

Pakistan desires peaceful ties with India: Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD, April 13: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his congratulatory tweet and said, “Pakistan desires peaceful & cooperative ties with India.”

Modi had congratulated Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. “India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people,” said Modi in a tweet.

Sharif replied to Modi’s tweet saying, “Peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including Jammu & Kashmir is indispensable.” Both the prime ministers expressed their common goal to “ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people” and “focus on the socio-economic development of our people.”

Sharif had spoken of Kashmir during his inaugural speech and asked PM Modi to talk on the issue so that poverty on both sides can be tackled.

Shehbaz Sharif, was sworn in as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister on April 11 by acting President Sadiq Sanjrani.

Shehbaz Sharif Elected New Pak PM

ISLAMABAD, April 11: Shehbaz Sharif -- the 70-year-old brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the leader of opposition PML-N -- has been elected unopposed as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan, succeeding Imran Khan, who was removed by a no-trust vote on Saturday.

Ahead of the election of the new Prime Minister, Imran Khan resigned as a member of the National Assembly, saying he will not sit in the assemblies with "thieves". His party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, boycotted the voting and staged a walkout before resigning en masse, effectively ending any opposition to Sharif's election.

The PTI had fielded Shah Mahmood Qureshi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

But minutes before the session, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said all PTI lawmakers will resign from the National Assembly and not become part of any government which was being formed under a "foreign agenda", The reference was to Khan's allegation that the US was involved in a conspiracy with the opposition to topple his government.

The decision, Chaudhry said, was taken at a meeting of lawmakers of the party ahead of prime ministerial elections.

"A man who has one corruption case of 16 billion rupees and another corruption case of 8 billion rupees against him...for that person to be selected and elected as the Prime Minister, there cannot be a bigger insult to the country. We are resigning from the National Assembly," Imran Khan was quoted as saying by PTI's official Twitter account.

In his maiden speech as the Prime Minister in the National Assembly, Sharif said if Imran Khan's claims of foreign conspiracy proves correct, he "will go home". "Pakistan will celebrate this day," he added.

Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz and Suleman Shehbaz -- have been named in a high-profile money laundering case in November 2020. Suleman is residing in the UK.

Earlier today, a Pakistani court deferred the indictment of Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz until April 27 and gave an extension on their anticipatory bail, allowing the PML-N chief to become the new Prime Minister.

The no-trust vote against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the National Assembly late on Saturday night. The Opposition had mustered 174 votes to oust Imran Khan, who became the first Prime Minister to be removed by a no-trust vote.

The process of electing the new leader of the house began on Sunday. The nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif were accepted by the National Assembly Secretariat after objections raised by the PTI – that he is involved in several court cases -- were rejected.

Shehbaz Sharif nominated for Pakistan PM post

ISLAMABAD, April 10: Pakistan’s Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday nominated himself for the post of Prime Minister after the ouster of Imran Khan, whose party threatened to withdraw its lawmakers from Parliament if the former Punjab Chief Minister was allowed to contest the election for the top post on Monday.

The process of electing the new leader of the House began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no–confidence vote, becoming the first Premier in the country’s history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

The joint Opposition — a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties — has nominated Sharif, 70, for the post while ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was named by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek–e–Insaf (PTI) as its candidate.

The nomination papers of Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, have been accepted by the National Assembly Secretariat after objections raised by the PTI were rejected.

Qureshi’s nomination papers were also accepted.

Senior PTI leader Babar Awan challenged Sharif’s candidature, saying that the PML-N chief faced several court cases. The PTI has decided to withdraw its lawmakers from the National Assembly and launch a movement against the new upcoming government, which is likely to be headed by Sharif, who has served as the Chief Minister of Punjab three times.

“The core committee has recommended to Imran Khan that we should resign from the Assemblies. We are starting from the National Assembly. If our objections against Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination papers are not [entertained], we will submit the resignations tomorrow [Monday],” PTI leader and former Minister Fawad Chaudhry told reporters after the party held a core committee meeting at the residence of Khan.

Khan’s successor will be elected in the National Assembly on Monday and a special session has been summoned. In the House of 342, the winner would need 172 votes to become the new Prime Minister.

On Sunday, the Opposition had mustered 174 votes to oust Khan. Sharif is expected to be elected the new Leader of the House.

In 2019, the National Accountability Bureau had arrested Shehbaz and his son, Hamza Sharif, accusing them of money laundering.

It will be a real challenge for Sharif to shepherd the motley herd that also includes four independent candidates and allow Parliament to complete its five-year term that will end in August next year.

Before filing nomination, Sharif offered “special thanks” to those who stood up “for the Constitution!” “I don’t want to go back to the bitterness of the past. We want to forget them and move forward. We will not take revenge or do injustice; we will not send people to jail for no reason, law and justice will take its course,” he told the National Assembly early Sunday.

Ex-President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari had proposed Sharif’s name for Prime Minister in a joint Opposition meeting.

Zardari’s son Bilawal Bhutto is likely to be appointed as the new Foreign Minister.

According to media reports, in the run-up to the no-trust vote, Khan made a botched attempt to replace Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa to bring someone more pliant and sympathetic to his idea of “foreign conspiracy” and cling on to power.

BBC Urdu reported that a helicopter carrying “two uninvited guests” landed in the PM House on Saturday night and they met alone Khan for 45 minutes.

No details were provided about the meeting but it was not held in a cordial atmosphere, it said.

“The Prime Minister had issued orders an hour ago to remove one of the high officials who came to meet him. So the uninvited arrival of these guests was unexpected for the Prime Minister. Khan was waiting for a helicopter but those arriving on the helicopter were against his estimate and expectations,” it said.

The BBC did not identify the “uninvited guest” but the choice of words, tenor and tone of the report unmistakably show that they could be Gen. Bajwa and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ahmed Anjum.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan loses trust vote in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD, April 9: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a crucial trust vote in the National Assembly past midnight on Saturday, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be removed through a no-confidence motion.

Khan, 69, was not present in the lower house at the time of voting. His party lawmakers staged a walkout.

The joint Opposition - a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties - secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the prime minister on a day full of drama and multiple adjournments of the lower house.

No prime minister in Pakistan's history was ever ousted through a no-confidence motion. Khan is the first premier whose fate was decided through a trust vote.

Also, no Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.

The opposition had filed the no-confidence motion on March 8, setting a set of events leading to the day of voting and rise in the tension due to Khan's insistence that he was being targeted as part of a foreign conspiracy with the collaboration of top opposition leaders.

Khan, who came to power in 2018 with promises to create a Naya Pakistan', was dogged by claims of economic mismanagement as his government battled depleting foreign exchange reserves and double-digit inflation.

He apparently also lost support of the powerful Army after he refused to endorse the appointment of the ISI spy agency chief last year. Finally he agreed but it soured his ties with the powerful Army, which has ruled the coup-prone country for more than half of its 75 years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy.

Khan wanted to keep Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as the spy chief but the army high command transferred him by appointing Corps Commander in Peshawar.

Ahead of the voting, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri resigned.

Qaiser said he could not take part in a foreign conspiracy to oust the prime minister.

After announcing his resignation, Speaker asked Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N to chair the proceedings.

Voting on the resolution then began at 11:58pm (local time). Sadiq adjourned the house for two minutes due to the change of day at 12. The new session then began at 12:02am.

Earlier, the crucial session convened in line with a landmark Supreme Court ruling to decide the fate of Prime Minister Khan witnessed multiple adjournments and heated arguments.

British PM Johnson meets Ukraine's Zelenskyy on ‘surprise’ visit to Kyiv

KYIV, April 9: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday on an unannounced trip to the war-torn east-European country.

Johnson's visit was confirmed after the embassy of Ukraine in the UK tweeted the two leaders meeting in person for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

Additionally, Zelenskyy's deputy chief of staff, Andriy Sybiha, also confirmed their meeting in a post on Facebook.

A Downing Street spokesperson said that Johnson travelled to Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy in person in a “show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people”, according to Bloomberg.

Johnson's visit comes a day after the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen travelled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. She also visited Bucha town where at least 20 bodies of people in civilian clothes, claimed to have been executed by retreating Russian troops by Ukraine, were discovered last week along with hundreds of mass graves.

Leyen and Johnson's visit also come after the West, including the US and even Japan, slapped a slew of added sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian coal imports and measures against President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters. The sanctions followed after the revelation of the Bucha killings, which Ukraine and the West have amounted to war crimes.

The UK on Friday announced an additional military package amounting to 100 million Euros for Ukraine. According to a Downing Street statement shared on Twitter, the aid includes more than 800 NLAW anti-tank missiles, additional javelin anti-tank systems, additional star streak air defence systems, and non-lethal aid such as ballistic helmets, night-vision goggles and body armour.

Zelenksyy, meanwhile, said earlier today that Ukraine was “still ready” to continue peace talks with Russia, which have halted since the discovery of the Bucha killings.

“Ukraine has always said it is ready for negotiations and looking for any way to stop this war,” the Ukrainian President said at a press conference with the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who visited Bucha.

The last face-to-face talks between Kyiv and Moscow negotiators were held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on March 29. Although the event failed to bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine, Russia had agreed to substantially scale back its operations from around Kyiv and Chernihiv.

The British PM discussed providing the strife-torn country with more financial and military aid, his office said.

50, Including 5 Children, Killed In Ukraine Train Station Attack

KYIV, April 8: At least 50 people, including five children, were killed today in a rocket attack on a train station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, which was being used for civilian evacuations. Russia has denied that it launched the attack.

At least 50 people, including five children, were killed in a Russian rocket strike in east Ukraine today as civilians tried to evacuate to safer parts of the country, according to the local governor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Russia as an "evil with no limits" after the rocket attack. "They are cynically destroying the civilian population. This is an evil that has no limits. And if it is not punished, it will never stop," he said.

Britain added Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughters to its sanctions list, mirroring moves by the United States.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he expects Russian forces to step up their attacks in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine in the coming weeks, leading to further "difficult scenes" after the reported atrocities against civilians near Kiev.

The defence ministers of Turkey, Britain and Italy will meet in Istanbul today to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and security ties between the three NATO allies.

Japan expelled eight Russian diplomats, saying it was in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine including the killing of civilians.

The Foreign Minister of Turkey, which is hosting negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, said the recent images from Bucha and other areas have "overshadowed" what had been an "emerging positive atmosphere".

World food prices hit their "highest levels ever" in March as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted wheat and coarse grain exports, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said.

The United Nations General Assembly yesterday voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine. It is only the second-ever suspension of a country from the council after Libya in 2011.

The "new mayor" of Mariupol, put in place by pro-Russian forces, announced that around 5,000 civilians have died in the besieged southeastern Ukrainian city.

'Step Out, Save Your Freedom': Imran Khan, Facing No-Trust Vote, Tells Pak

ISLAMABAD, April 8: Calling on the people of Pakistan to protect the country's sovereignty, Prime Minister Imran Khan asked the people to hit the streets on Sunday and peacefully protest against an "imported government".

Making sensational claims that foreign powers are trying to topple his government as they want a pliable man at the top, he also accused the opposition parties of being hand in glove with them in order to get out of corruption cases and make money.

"We got to know that US diplomats were meeting our people. Then we got to know about the entire plan," he said, adding that he is not at the liberty to publicly release all the details owing to national security concerns.

In his late-night address to the nation ahead of the crucial no-trust vote against him tomorrow morning, he slammed the opposition for indulging in blatant horse-trading, saying politicians are being bought and sold like sheep. He also slammed the country's media, accusing it of "celebrating" the government's fall.

He pointed to India and said that no superpower can dictate terms to it as it's a sovereign nation. "None of them has the guts to speak to India like that," he said,

Khan said foreign powers want a pliable PM and that's why they are trying to push him out. He has called the political situation an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan. "We are 22 crore people. It is insulting that someone from outside is ordering this to 22 crore people," he said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a move by Khan to block a parliamentary vote seeking to oust him. The dismissal of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was "unconstitutional", the Pakistan Supreme Court said. It reconstituted the national assembly and ordered the Speaker to call a session.

The no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan will now be held on Saturday at 10 am.

"I respect the Supreme Court and the judiciary, but it should have looked at a threat letter before issuing its verdict,” Khan said in his address, adding that he was saddened by the verdict. The deputy speaker had blocked a no-confidence motion against him and the President, seen as the PM's loyalist, dissolved the parliament and ordered fresh elections.

If Khan loses, he will be the first Prime Minister to be removed through a no-trust vote. The opposition could then nominate its own Prime Minister and hold power until August 2023, by which date fresh elections have to be held. No Prime Minister has ever seen out a full term in Pakistan since its inception.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party effectively lost the majority in the assembly earlier this month when a key coalition partner said its seven lawmakers would vote with the opposition. More than a dozen lawmakers from the ruling party also indicated that they would cross the floor. The opposition says it has more than 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly, which needs a quarter of members present for a quorum.

Pak anti-terrorism court sentences 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in fresh cases

ISLAMABAD, April 8: Hafiz Saeed, the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind, was given four separate prison sentences ranging from six months to five years, that would run concurrently.

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Friday sentenced Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in fresh terror financing cases. Saeed was given four separate prison sentences ranging from six months to five years, that would run concurrently. The court also ordered seizure of all his assets.

Earlier in five such cases, the 70-year-old radical cleric had already been convicted for 36 years imprisonment.

A report, quoting a court official, said anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge Ejaz Ahmad Bhuttar handed down 32 years jail term to Saeed in two FIRs - 21/2019 and 90/2019 registered by the Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab Police.

"In the 21/19 and 99/21, he was sentenced for 15.5 years and 16.5 years, respectively," the official added. The court also imposed a fine of PKR 340,000 on Saeed.

The official said Saeed was brought to the court from the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore where he had serving jail term since 2019 in strict security.

Saeed was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States. He was also listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

Imran Khan Loses Supreme Court Battle, Faces No-Trust Vote On Saturday

ISLAMABAD, April 7: The dismissal of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was "unconstitutional" the Pakistan Supreme Court said today.

The court said the national assembly stands reconstituted and the Speaker has been ordered to call a session. The court has also ruled out a review petition. The no confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan will now be held on Saturday.

If Khan loses, he will be the first Prime Minister to be removed through a no-trust vote. Two other Prime Ministers against whom a no-confidence motion was called, had resigned before the vote, but Khan had refused to step down, insisting that he would "play till the last ball".

On Sunday, the no-trust motion against Imran Khan's government was dismissed by the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who called it against the Constitution and rules of Pakistan.

Minutes later, Mr Khan had called for fresh elections and advised the President for the dissolution of Assembly. The fresh election was be held within 90 days.

Terming the move "unconstitutional", the Opposition parties had challenged the Speaker's decision in the Supreme Court.

Under Article 58 of Pakistan's Constitution, the National Assembly cannot be dissolved if there is a no-confidence motion against the government.

But in an exclusive interview to NDTV, Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry, known to be the right hand of Imran Khan, had said the no confidence motion was dismissed before the Prime Minister suggested dissolution of the assembly to the President and announced elections.

Khan, he added, "was within his rights to advise the President for dissolution (of assembly)".

After the Supreme Court's decision today, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), tweeted, "Democracy is the best revenge! Jiya Bhutto! Jiya Awam! Pakistan Zindabad".

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party effectively lost majority in the 342-member assembly last week when a key coalition partner said its seven lawmakers would vote with the opposition. More than a dozen lawmakers from the ruling party also indicated that they would cross the floor.

Khan had claimed that it was a "conspiracy" against his government which was engineered by the US. The opposition, he alleged, was conspiring with Washington to remove him because he would not take the side of the US and Europe on global issues against Russia and China. His party claimed that the legislators who planned to change sides had been bribed.

Pak SC seeks record of no-confidence proceedings in Assembly, adjourns hearing

ISLAMABAD, April 5: Pakistan Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the record of the proceedings of the national assembly on the no-confidence motion filed against Imran Khan, while adjourning the matter till Wednesday.

Chief justice Umar Ata Bandial said the top court wanted to ascertain the constitutionality of the steps taken by deputy speaker Qasim Suri who rejected the no-confidence motion, alleging it was linked to a foreign conspiracy and was not maintainable.

"Our sole focus is on the ruling of the deputy speaker…it is our priority to decide on that particular issue," Chief Justice Bandial said as per the newspaper. The bench is headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and includes justices Ijazul Ahsan, Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Munib Akhtar and Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

The bench said that it wanted to see if the deputy speaker's ruling could be reviewed by the bench and will only decide the legitimacy of the action. During the hearing, the opposition urged the top court to decide on the matter at the earliest. The bench assured that it would come up with the verdict after hearing arguments from both the government and the opposition.

In case the verdict is in favour of Imran Khan, elections will be held within 90 days. But experts said that a decision against the prime minister would mean that the national assembly would reconvene and voting will take place on the no-confidence motion.

After the deputy speaker rejected the no-confidence motion, President Arif Alvi dissolved the national assembly on Imran Khan's recommendation. The decision was challenged by the opposition in the top court which said it would pass a reasonable order.

410 Civilian Bodies Found In Kyiv Region Retaken From Russia: Ukraine

KYIV, April 3: Ukraine has recovered 410 civilian bodies from areas it recently retook from the Russian army in the wider Kyiv region, its prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday.

Venediktova told national television: "410 bodies of dead civilians were evacuated out of the liberated territories of the Kyiv region. Forensic experts have already examined 140".

Ukraine, which retook control of the whole Kyiv region from the Russian army this weekend, has accused Moscow of a "deliberate massacre" in the town of Bucha, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the capital.

Bucha mayor Anatoly Fedoruk said on Saturday that 280 bodies were buried in mass graves.

Civilian bodies were also found in the street as Ukrainian forces regained access to the town.

On Saturday, Journalists saw at least 20 bodies in a single street in Bucha. One had his arms tied behind his back. All were wearing civilian clothing.

Local officials showed a mass grave in the town on Sunday, where some of the bodies were still not under the earth, saying 57 people were buried there.

Russia has denied killing civilians, saying the accusations were "another production of the Kyiv regime and the Western media."

"During the time this settlement was under the control of Russian armed forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions," Moscow's defence ministry said Sunday.

The Russian army occupied Bucha three days into its invasion, launched by President Vladimir Putin on February 24.

Ukraine has also accused Russia of killing civilians in the nearby town of Irpin, that has -- like Bucha -- suffered vast destruction.

Authorities said at least 200 people were killed in Irpin -- which also fell to the Russian army in the first days of the war -- since Moscow's launched its offensive.

Imran Khan no longer PM, notifies Pakistan government amid political slugfest

ISLAMABDAD, April 3: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan is officially no longer the prime minister of the country, Hindustan Times quoted the latest circular issued by the Pakistan government.

"Consequent upon the dissolution of Pakistan Assembly by the President of Pakistan in terms of Article 58(1) read with Article 48(1) of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan vide Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, dated 3rd April 2022, Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ceased to hold the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, with immediate effect," the government statement read.

With the Cabinet secretary's note, it is now clear that Khan is no longer the prime minister and Pakistan is run by the bureaucracy.

The new development arrived hours after President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on the PTI chief's advice. Also, on April 3, deputy Speaker Qasim Suri rejected a no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government.

Meanwhile, the opposition has declared PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister, who has the support of 195 members. Apart from this, the opposition also appointed Ayaz Sadiq as the speaker who re-validated the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government.

Earlier, the opposition filed a petition in the apex court against the dissolution of the Assembly, which was adjourned till Monday after Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that all orders and actions initiated by the prime minister and the president regarding the dissolution of the National Assembly will be subject to the court's order.

Pakistan Army has quashed the allegations of its role in the political events unfolding in Islamabad. "Army has nothing to do with the political process," Major General Babar Iftikhar. In Pakistan's history, no prime minister has completed a full term till now.

Berlin condemns Bucha 'war crime', wants more Russia sanctions

BERLIN, April 3: Germany on Sunday condemned the killings of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha as a "terrible war crime" and called for fresh EU sanctions against Russia.

"This terrible war crime cannot go unanswered," Robert Habeck, vice chancellor and economy minister, told German newspaper Bild the day after the bodies of nearly 300 civilians were found in mass graves after Russian troops withdrew, local Ukrainian officials said.

"I think that a strengthening of sanctions is called for. That's what we are preparing with our EU partners," Habeck added.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the images from Bucha were "unbearable".

"Putin's frantic violence is wiping out innocent families and knows no bounds," she wrote on Twitter, adding that those responsible for war crimes must be held to account.

"We will strengthen the sanctions against Russia and further support the defence of Ukraine," the minister said.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Bucha a "deliberate massacre" and urged G7 countries to impose "devastating" sanctions immediately.