Pak PM Imran Khan Loses Majority As Key Ally Strikes Deal With Opposition

ISLAMABAD, March 30: Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government received a massive blow by key ally and the main coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM) after it struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

"The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM and PPP CEC will ratify the said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow IA. Congratulations Pakistan," tweeted PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

As things stand currently, the Imran Khan government has lost its majority in the lower house of Pakistan's Parliament following the late-night development days ahead of the no-confidence motion or no-trust vote against Imran Khan.

Pakistan's joint opposition has now 177 members of the national assembly after the ruling coalition partner MQM-P decided to part ways with the Imran Khan-led government that is left with 164 MNAs (Members of National Assembly).

Notably, in order to make the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister successful, Pakistan's joint opposition requires the support of 172 MNAs.

The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172. The PTI-led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members, but now, after MQM-P left the party, PTI is standing with 164 members in support and the Opposition has now 177 members of supporters in the national assembly and they don't need the support of disgruntled PTI MNAs.

Meanwhile, after Imran Khan alleged that some people are trying to topple his government with the help of foreign funds, federal minister Asad Umar claimed that the PM is ready to show a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to back his claims.

Imran Khan had said during his rally, "Attempts are being made through foreign money to change the government in Pakistan. Our people are being used. Mostly inadvertently, but some people are using money against us. We know from what places attempts are being to pressure us. We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interest."

The MQM-P's decision to support the Opposition came after both sides signed a draft prepared by Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab. The signatories also include the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, according to Pakistan's Geo TV citing sources.

MQM-P leader Faisal Subzwari confirmed the report about MQM-P siding with the opposition and tweeted, "The agreement between the joint Opposition and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan has been finalised."

In a statement, an MQM-P spokesperson also confirmed the party's Rabta Committee would meet at their Bahadurabad office, where the draft would be presented for ratification.

The no-trust vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, which is expected to take place on April 3.

Russia says it will ‘radically’ reduce military activity near Kyiv, Chernihiv

ISTANBUL, March 29: Russia has decided to drastically cut its military activity focused on Kyiv and Chernihiv in Ukraine, its deputy defence minister said on Tuesday, after talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Istanbul.

“In order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and achieving the ultimate goal of agreeing and signing (an) agreement, a decision was made to radically, by a large margin, reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions,” Alexander Fomin, the deputy minister, told reporters.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that seven people were killed in a missile strike on the regional government headquarters in the southern city of Mykolayiv.

Zelenskyy, who spoke to the Danish parliament through a translator, said Tuesday’s strike also left 22 people injured. The attack took place even as Ukraine and Russia held the first face-to-face talks in two weeks on Tuesday in Turkey, raising hopes of the war coming to an end.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defence minister has said that Ukraine’s military capability is seriously degraded and it no longer has an airforce, news agency Reuters reported. He also said that around 600 foreign mercenaries have been killed in Ukraine over the last two weeks.

Imran Khan Asks Party Lawmakers To Abstain From Voting On No-Trust Motion

ISLAMABAD, March 29: Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strictly directed his party lawmakers to either abstain or not attend the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion against him, which is likely to be held in the first week of April.

The instructions came a day after Pakistan's opposition on Monday tabled the no-trust motion in the National Assembly against Khan, who is facing his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018 as defections in his party and cracks in the ruling coalition appeared to have made his position fragile.

In a letter to the PTI lawmakers, Prime Minister Khan, who is the party's chairman, said: "All the members of the in the National Assembly shall abstain from voting/not attend the meeting of the National Assembly on the date when the said resolution is set out on the agenda," Geo News reported.

All members are "required to adhere to his directions in true letter and spirit" and should keep in mind the "intention behind the provision of Article 63(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan," he said.

Khan also warned the party lawmakers that "every or any" violation of the directions would be treated as an "express defection" in terms of Article 63(A).

No Prime Minister in Pakistan's history has ever been ousted through a no-confidence motion, and Khan is the third premier to face the challenge.

The lower house will convene on Thursday to debate the motion.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that the voting on the no-confidence motion will be held on April 3.

"There will be a debate on the no-confidence motion on March 31, followed by voting on April 3," he said, adding that Khan would emerge victorious.

Prime Minister Khan needs 172 votes in the house of 342 to foil the bid to topple his government. Since Khan's allies are still not committed to support him and about two dozen lawmakers from within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have revolted, the situation was still fluid.

Meanwhile, the government said on Tuesday that it was willing to share a "letter" with the chief justice of the country which the prime minister waved at a rally as proof of a foreign "conspiracy" to topple him.

In a massive show of strength, Khan on Sunday addressed a mammoth rally in the national capital where he claimed that foreign powers were involved in a conspiracy to topple his coalition government. He pulled a document from his pocket to exhibit it for the charged crowd, saying it was the letter sent to threaten him.

Addressing a press conference along with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Planning Asad Umar claimed that he saw the letter himself and said that the prime minister was ready to share with the chief justice.

"Obviously, it is the highest office of justice in Pakistan, it is a huge position that has respect in this country. Personally too, the chief justice has a very good reputation. The prime minister said that if necessary, and for the people's satisfaction, he is ready to present the letter to the chief justice of the Supreme Court," Umar said.

Umar said that the letter was written before the no-confidence motion submitted against the prime minister on March 8 but it clearly mentioned the no-trust move which makes it a matter of concern.

"So it is clear that the foreign hand and no-confidence motion are linked. These are not two separate things and we see a clear connection between them," said Umar.

He, however, refused to make the contents public and even sharing it with the opposition as demanded by its leaders. But he said that the letter had been shared with the top civil and military leadership and a few members of the cabinet.

Umar also said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is living in London, was one of the "characters" mentioned in the letter that was a testimony of the conspiracy to topple the government.

Information minister Chaudhry claimed that Sharif had held meetings with Israeli diplomats. "This is why I was saying that he should not be allowed to go abroad, because when such people go abroad they become a stooge, a weapon of the international establishment," he said.

The presser by the two ministers came after the opposition accused the prime minister for faking up the letter and asked the government to share it.

"If there is real threat from abroad to the security of the country, then we are with the government," Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal said.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi asked the government to summon a session of parliament on Wednesday and share the letter with the lawmakers.

"A threat has been made to our country and we have to respond to it collectively. This is not just about Imran Khan and his two ministers,” he said.

He asserted that the prime minister should either take the parliament into confidence over the letter or apologize.

The development comes a day after the opposition alliance in a power show on Monday night vowed to bring down the government of Khan.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which among others include PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-I), organised a big rally on the Srinagar Highway in Islamabad.

PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, daughter and heir of former premier Nawaz Sharif, accused Khan of putting down his most trusted Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to save his power after the government decided to replace him with Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to win the support of his Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid party, which has five lawmakers in the lower house.

Khan came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan' but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government.

No Pakistani Prime Minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.

Top Russian, US and UK officials head to Delhi this week amid Ukraine conflict

NEW DELHI, March 29: US deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh, who has played a key role in shaping American sanctions against Russia, is expected to travel to New Delhi this week for meetings with Indian interlocutors around the time of a visit by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

The Indian-American official, who is deputy national security advisor for international economics and deputy director of the US National Economic Council, has helped design the punitive sanctions targeting President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle and Russian entities following the invasion of Ukraine.

Singh is expected to be in the Indian capital for meetings on March 31, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. There was no official announcement from the Indian or American side regarding the visit, which is being seen as part of Washington’s efforts to nudge India to change its position on the Ukraine crisis. Singh is expected to interact with top officials of India’s National Security Council.

Lavrov is expected to arrive in India on March 31 after a two-day visit to China, where he will hold bilateral talks and participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries. Neither India nor Russia has officially announced the visit, though Lavrov is expected to hold talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on April 1.

The Russian side is keen to focus on overcoming the fallout of US sanctions on defence and economic deals with Indian, including switching to a rupee-rouble payment system.

The Ukraine issue is also expected to figure prominently during UK foreign secretary Liz Truss’s engagements in the Indian capital on March 31. Truss is expected to hold talks with Jaishankar, defence minister Rajnath Singh and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the people cited above said.

The German foreign and security policy adviser to the federal chancellor, Jens Plotner, too is visiting New Delhi this week for consultations with Indian officials, including on the Ukraine crisis.

Differences between the US and India on the Ukraine crisis spilled out into the open last week, when President Joe Biden said the world had mounted a “united front” across Europe and the Pacific on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, with the “possible exception of India”. He also said India had been “somewhat shaky” with the Quad on the issue.

US undersecretary for political affairs Victoria Nuland, who was in New Delhi for foreign office consultations last, also raised the Ukraine issue with Indian interlocutors. She said it was important for democracies to stand together at a time when “autocracies like Russia [and] China” are posing a threat to peace and security. Nuland was accompanied by assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs Donald Lu and deputy under secretary of defence Amanda Dory.

India has refrained from publicly criticising the Russian offensive and abstained on all Ukraine-related votes at UN bodies. It has continued its economic engagement with Russia, including massive purchases of oil offered at discounted rates.

However, New Delhi has emphasised the importance of the UN charter and called for respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his phone conversations with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has sought an end to violence and direct talks between the two sides.

Russian Billionaire, Ukraine Peace Negotiators May Have Been Poisoned: Report

WASHINGTON, March 28: Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian negotiators were targets of a suspected poison attack, potentially by Moscow hardliners seeking to sabotage peace talks, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The billionaire businessman, recently slapped with sanctions by Western nations seeking to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, has reportedly been shuttling between Kyiv, Moscow and other negotiation sites.

After a meeting in Ukraine's capital, Abramovich and at least two senior Ukrainian negotiators developed symptoms including red eyes, painfully watery eyes, and peeling skin on their face and hands, the sources said according to the American newspaper.

It was not clear exactly who may have conducted the apparent attack, but those targeted blamed hardliners in Moscow seeking to disrupt ongoing talks to end the war, the Journal said.

The conditions of Abramovich and the other negotiators have improved and their lives are not in danger, the people said.

"It was not intended to kill, it was just a warning," Christo Grozev, an investigator with open-source collective Bellingcat, said in the Journal after studying the incident.

Grozev, who determined after an investigation that Kremlin agents poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent in 2020, saw images of the effects of the apparent Abramovich attack, but no samples could be collected in time for forensic experts to detect poison, the paper reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that his government had received offers of support from Russian businessmen, including Abramovich, who owns and is seeking to sell Chelsea Football Club and has had longstanding links to Putin.

Zelensky told journalists that the businessmen had said they wanted to "do something" and "help somehow" to de-escalate Russia's military assault on Ukraine that has left thousands dead.

Zelensky did not mention a suspected poisoning, and according to the Journal a presidential spokesman had no information about such an attack.

Western countries including the United States and the EU have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including placing oligarchs and other individuals close to Putin on sanctions lists.

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported Zelensky asked US President Joe Biden to hold off on sanctioning Abramovich, arguing that the Russian billionaire could play a role in negotiating a peace deal with Moscow.

Missile strikes continue, Zelenskyy warns Russia

KYIV, March 27: It's Day 32 of the Ukraine war but Kyiv's troubles do not seem to be lessening as Russia continued missile strikes. Four missiles, according to news agency Reuters, hit the western city of Lyiv near the Polish border.

Quoting Russia's defence ministry, the report said military targets were struck with high-precision missiles. After targeting civilians, Moscow has now started targeting fuel and food storage depots, Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko has said.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday warned Moscow of sowing a deep hatred among its people against Russia. "You are doing everything so that our people themselves leave the Russian language, because the Russian language will now be associated only with you, with your explosions and murders, your crimes," he said in his daily address.

He also urged energy-producing nations of boosting output so Russia would stop blackmailing other nations.

A nuclear research facility in Kharkiv, according to news agency AP, has yet again come under Russian shelling. The country's nuclear watchdog was quoted as saying that it had become impossible to assess the damage. Kharkiv has been besieged by Russian forces since the start of the invasion.

In its latest updates, the United Kingdom's ministry of defence said that the Russian forces "appear to be concentrating their effort to attempt the encirclement of Ukrainian forces directly facing the separatist regions in the east of the country, advancing from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south."

"The battlefield across northern Ukraine remains largely static with local Ukrainian counterattacks hampering Russian attempts to reorganise their forces," it added.

US president Joe Biden on Saturday met Ukrainian refugees in Poland and in reference to Russia's Vladimir Putin he said: "For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power."

Later, the White House clarified he did not mean a regime change. "The president's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region," an oficial was quoted as saying.

More than 3.7 million people in Ukraine have been forced out of their homes in the month-long war.

According to Ukraine, more than 16,000 Russian security personnel have been killed so far.

Moscow has also been accused of multiple war crimes.

Russian Colonel Killed By 'Demoralised' Troops, 7th General Dead: Reports

KYIV, March 26: In fresh setbacks for the Russian assault on Ukraine, a top commander of the country was killed by his own "demoralised" men while a general was believed to have also died, reports have said.

Western officials claim that seven Russian generals have so far been killed during the war in Ukraine. The latest to die, Lieutenant General Yakov Rezanstev, was a commander of Russia's 49th Combined Arms Army in its southern military district.

Four days after Russia launched a military operation, Rezanstev had claimed that the war would be over within hours, according to the BBC.

Facing stiff resistance, Russian troops have failed to capture any major city in the month since invading Ukraine. According to Russia's defence ministry, 1,351 military personnel have been killed and 3,835 injured since it launched a military offensive on February 24.

Western officials said that they believe that a Russian commander was killed by his own "demoralised" men. Russian soldiers drove a tank over Colonel Yuri Medvedev after their unit suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, reports The Independent.

The incident occurred in Makariv, west of Ukraine capital Kyiv, after nearly 50% of the 37th separate guards motor rifle brigade had been killed in the war, reports The Guardian.

Russia on Saturday announced that the first phase of its military campaign in Ukraine was over and it would now shift focus on the complete "liberation" of the eastern Donbas region.

Reframing Russia's goals may make it easier for President Vladimir Putin to claim a face-saving victory, military analysts said. Moscow had said its goals included demilitarising Ukraine. Western officials dismiss this as a baseless pretext for a war they say is aimed at toppling Ukraine's government.

Biden says Putin cannot remain in power, warns Russia to stay off Nato territory

WARSAW, March 26: US President Joe Biden on Saturday called on Europe to steel itself for a long fight against Russian aggression while issuing a stern warning to Moscow against moving on Nato territory, even as Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine enters its second month.

Biden also called for a regime change in Russia, saying, “For God’s sake, this man [Putin] cannot remain in power.”

Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine has tested Nato and the West's ability to unite. Nevertheless, Biden assured Nato ally Poland of the United States’ aid in the eventuality of a Russian attack, while also lauding the country’s acceptance of millions of refugees from war-torn Ukraine.

On the other hand, as Moscow’s "special operation" in Ukraine stalls in the face of stiff resistance, it is switching gears when it comes to military tactics.

Earlier in the day, Biden met Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov in Warsaw, his first face-to-face talks with top Ukrainian officials since the start of the Russian invasion. Later, while meeting with refugee families who fled the war in Ukraine, Biden had this to say about Putin: "He is a butcher."

Biden also sought to reassure Poland that the US would defend against any attacks by Russia and he acknowledged that the Nato ally bore the burden of the refugee crisis from the war in neighbouring Ukraine. “Your freedom is ours," Biden told Poland's president, Andrzej Duda, as the two leaders discussed shared goals to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

3 Blasts Heard Near Ukraine's Lviv, Joe Biden Calls Putin 'Butcher'

KYIV, March 26: Authorities in Ukraine's western Lviv region on Saturday reported three powerful explosions near the regional capital Lviv and urged residents to take shelter.

"There were three powerful explosions near Lviv from the direction of Kryvchytsy, now there is an air raid warning, so keep calm and take shelter," said regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyy in an online post, referring to an area in the eastern outskirts of the city.

The Ukraine conflict has unleashed a "Third World War" over misinformation, an official from the beleaguered country said Saturday, while experts warned of the difficulty in convincing Russians what their army is doing.

Russia's war on Ukraine has also forced a profound change in the way big tech companies are handling information, experts told the Doha Forum at which Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova put Ukraine's case.

Russia has put huge resources into getting across its message in the media and on social media platforms that its invasion of Ukraine is a "special operation", while President Vladimir Putin has said it intends to "denazify Ukraine".

"I believe we are entering a Third World War, not a conventional conflict but an information war," said Dzhaparova, a former journalist.

Peace in border areas key to normal ties, India tells China

NEW DELHI/BEIJING, March 25: India on Friday pushed China for speedy disengagement of troops at all friction points in Ladakh sector in order to set the stage for de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where the disturbed situation continues to hold up normalisation of bilateral relations.

This was the message conveyed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and external affairs minister S Jaishankar in their separate meetings with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi during his visit to New Delhi. The message was also a riposte to Wang’s reiteration of China’s stated position that the LAC standoff should be placed in its “proper position” while the two sides take forward ties in other spheres.

Wang, who began his unannounced visit late on Thursday and was the first senior Chinese leader to travel to India since the standoff began in May 2020, first held talks with NSA Ajit Doval and then met S Jaishankar for almost three hours. By the time Wang left India for Nepal on Friday afternoon, it was clear there had been no immediate breakthrough on the LAC standoff in his talks with his Indian interlocutors.

Jaishankar and Wang exchanged perspectives on the Ukraine crisis and both sides agreed on the importance of an immediate truce and a return to dialogue. Jaishankar explained why Wang’s remarks on the Kashmir issue at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Pakistan earlier this week were “objectionable”, and also raised India’s terrorism-related concerns in the context of Pakistan.

In the context of the standoff in the Ladakh sector, Jaishankar referred to 15 rounds of military talks and eight rounds of diplomatic talks that resulted in disengagement at several friction points and said more needs to be done.

“This needs to be taken forward since the completion of disengagement is necessary for discussions on de-escalation to take place. I would describe our current situation as work in progress, obviously at a slower pace than desirable and my discussions with [Wang] today were aimed at expediting the process,” he said at a media briefing.

Noting that peace and tranquillity in the border areas were the basis for stable and cooperative ties, Jaishankar said he was “very honest” in conveying “our national sentiments” that tensions created by China’s troop deployments since April 2020 “cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between two neighbours”.

Responding to a question on whether the meeting with the Chinese minister amounted to a return to normalcy in bilateral engagements, Jaishankar emphasised that the situation is “not normal” because of large deployments of Chinese troops in violation of the 1993 and 1996 pacts on border management, and the peace and tranquillity in border areas being disturbed.

“So...if you ask me, is our relationship normal today? My answer to you is no, it is not. And it cannot be normal if the situation in the border areas is abnormal,” he said.

When Wang spoke about China’s desire for a return to normalcy, Jaishankar said he had told his Chinese counterpart that India too wants a stable and predictable relationship. “But restoration of normalcy will obviously require a restoration of peace and tranquillity. If we are both committed to improving our ties, then this commitment must find full expression in ongoing disengagement talks,” he said.

The standoff, and a brutal clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020 that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops, have taken bilateral relations to their worst point since the border war of 1962. Both sides have arrayed tens of thousands of forces along the LAC and the numerous rounds of talks have only resulted in disengagement on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake and at Gogra.

Jaishankar welcomed the “considerable progress” in the talks held so far but said “they haven’t sorted out the issue in entirety”. He added, “So, our effort today is to sort out the issue in entirety and deal with the disengagement. So that it then allows us to look at the de-escalation possibilities.”

People familiar with the discussions said the Indian side pushed for disengagement at all the remaining friction points in Ladakh sector, whereas the Chinese side appeared more focused on discussing the issue of India’s participation in a Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (Brics) Summit to be hosted by Beijing later this year and to gauge India’s position in the ongoing geo-political realignments and turmoil caused by the conflict in Ukraine.

According to a statement from Beijing on the Wang-Jaishankar meeting, the Chinese minister said the boundary issue should be placed in its “proper position” in bilateral relations, and not allowed to “define or even affect” the overall development of ties. The statement in Mandarin contended the armies of the two sides have “achieved disengagement in most areas” of Ladakh sector and “disengagement in the remaining areas should be completed as soon as possible”.

The two sides agreed on dialogue to deepen economic and trade cooperation, facilitate personnel exchanges and trans-boundary river hydrological exchanges, the statement added.

Jaishankar said the two sides exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and the common element that emerged was both “agreed on the importance of an immediate ceasefire, as well as a return to diplomacy and dialogue”. He said he and Wang discussed the Chinese chairing of Brics and “they spoke obviously about hosting a summit at which they would like naturally the participation of all the leaders”, but he didn’t go into details.

The Brics Summit is expected to be held in the third quarter of 2022 and it is still unclear whether it will be in-person or a virtual meeting, people familiar with the matter said.

Jaishankar acknowledged he had raised Wang’s remarks at the meeting of foreign ministers of the OIC in Islamabad on March 22 and explained “why we found that statement objectionable”. He said he had “conveyed that we hoped that China would follow an independent policy in respect of India, and not allow its policies to be influenced by other countries and other relationships”.

Hours before Wang arrived in New Delhi, the external affairs ministry rejected his remarks at the OIC meet that endorsed the views of other countries on the Kashmir issue, and said China had no locus standi to comment on the matter.

According to a statement from the Chinese side, Wang proposed three ideas at his meeting with Doval – China and India don’t pose a threat to each other and differences on the border issue should be put in an “proper position” in bilateral ties; China doesn’t pursue a “unipolar Asia”, respects India’s traditional role in the region and the two sides should explore “China-India” cooperation in South Asia; and both side should participate in multilateral processes such as Brics and G20 with a “cooperative attitude”.

People familiar with the matter said Doval pushed the need to take forward “early and complete disengagement” in the remaining friction points and to remove impediments to a natural bilateral relationship. The Indian side made it clear the continuation of the current situation is not in the interest of both countries and restoration of peace and tranquillity will help build mutual trust and ensure progress in ties.

The Chinese side invited Doval to visit China to take forward the work done by the Special Representatives on the border issue, and the NSA responded positively but stated he could visit after immediate issues are successfully resolved, the people said. In effect, India’s position remains that SR-level talks can happen only after a restoration of the April 2020 position along the LAC.

Jaishankar also strongly raised the “predicament” of Indian students who have not been allowed to return to Chinese universities because of Covid-19-related restrictions. “We hope China will take a non-discriminatory approach, since it involves the future of so many young people. Minister Wang Yi assured me that he would speak to the relevant authorities on his return on this matter,” he said.

The Indian side also raised trade and investment issues and pressed for fairer access to Chinese markets.

People familiar with the planning for the visit said Wang’s arrival went unannounced because the Chinese side insisted that the entire trip to the region be kept under wraps. They added no announcement was made by the Chinese side even though China’s state media was present for Wang’s arrival in New Delhi on Thursday evening.

Former ambassador Vishnu Prakash said it was good that a face-to-face dialogue had happened between the two sides in New Delhi. “However, one hopes that our Chinese friends recognise that sanctity of borders needs to be maintained for a conducive relationship. Both sides will benefit from a cordial relationship, especially given the geo-political flux,” he said.

Putin Adviser Chubais Quits Over Ukraine War, Leaves Russia

BEIJING, March 23: Russian climate envoy Anatoly Chubais has stepped down and left the country, citing his opposition to President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the situation, becoming the highest-level official to break with the Kremlin over the invasion.

Chubais, 66, is one of the few 1990s-era economic reformers who'd remained in Putin's government and had maintained close ties with Western officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Known as the architect of Russia's 1990s privatizations, Chubais gave Putin his first Kremlin job in the mid-1990s and initially welcomed his rise to power at the end of that decade. Under Putin, Chubais took top jobs at big state companies until the president named him envoy for sustainable development last year.

Chubais announcing his resignation in a letter to colleagues and friends Tuesday, according to people who saw it. Last week, he hinted at a darkened outlook, saying in a post on Facebook on the anniversary of the death of Yegor Gaidar that the fellow economic reformer "understood the strategic risks better than I did and I was wrong."

In his 2006 book, "Death of Empire," Gaidar warned of the temptations of imperial nostalgia for the Soviet Union he saw growing under Putin. "It's not difficult to convince society that a state that collapsed so suddenly can be just as quickly rebuilt," he wrote. "That's an illusion, a dangerous one."

Since the war, the government has stepped up pressure on domestic critics of the invasion. Putin warned on March 16 that he would cleanse Russia of the "scum and traitors" he accuses of working covertly for the U.S. and its allies. Facing economic meltdown, the Russian leader accused the West of wanting to destroy Russia.

"Any people, and particularly the Russian people, will always be able to tell the patriots from the scum and traitors and spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths," Putin said. "I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to meet any challenge."

Last week, Arkady Dvorkovich, who was senior economic adviser to Dmitry Medvedev during his presidency and a deputy prime minister until 2018, stepped down as head of the state-backed Skolkovo technology fund after condemning the invasion. Dvorkovich, who's also president of the International Chess Federation, is one of only a few former senior officials to speak out against the war.

India Rejects Chinese Minister's Remarks In Pakistan On Jammu And Kashmir

NEW DELHI, March 23: India today reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and said it rejects the "uncalled reference" to it by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his speech at a function in Pakistan.

"Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India. Other countries including China have no locus standi to comment. They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters today in response to queries on the Chinese Foreign Minister's speech.

Wang had made a reference to Kashmir in his opening speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan. "On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope," he had said.

New Delhi's rejection of Wang Yi's comments came in the midst of hectic consultations between the two sides over a possible visit by him to New Delhi within two days.

China has time and again reiterated its support to the stand of Pakistan -- its strategic ally -- on the matter of Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month, India rejected the references to Jammu and Kashmir in a China-Pakistan joint statement, asserting that the region as well as the Union Territory of Ladakh "have been, are and will" remain integral and inalienable parts of India.

The joint statement was issued on February 6 following talks in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Bagchi said India has "always rejected such references and our position is well known to China and Pakistan".

In July last year, China had reiterated its support to Pakistan on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, saying it opposes any unilateral action which could complicate the situation.

Ukraine retakes key Kyiv suburb; battle for Mariupol rages

KYIV, March 22: Russia’s attack on Ukraine continued with the Pentagon saying Russia is boosting air and sea military operations in Ukraine, flying more than 300 missions in the past 24 hours.

At least eight people are killed in the bombing of a shopping centre in northwest Kyiv. Russia claims the mall was used to store rocket systems.

Meanwhile, Russia abandoned talks with Japan aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty, due to Tokyo's tough response on Moscow's military action in Ukraine.

Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed an offer of direct peace talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin late Monday, declaring the status of disputed territories could be up for debate and a possible referendum.

The conflict began escalating on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops in a peacekeeping role.

Zelensky warns Russia war could lead to famine in other nations
Russia's attack on Ukraine risks causing famine in countries around the world, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Italian parliament on Tuesday, urging greater help to defeat the invaders.

In his latest address to Western lawmakers, Zelenskiy said via a video link that his people were clinging to survival, with the Russian military devastating Ukrainian cities and slaughtering civilians.

"For Russian troops, Ukraine is the gates of Europe, where they want to break in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass," he said, adding that the consequences of the war were already being felt in many parts of the world.

"The most terrible thing will be the famine that is approaching for some countries. Ukraine has always been one of the largest food exporters, but how can we sow (crops) under the strikes of Russian artillery?

Ukrainian forces said they retook a strategically important suburb of the capital early Tuesday, while Russia’s attack on the embattled southern port of Mariupol raged unabated, with fleeing civilians describing relentless bombardments and corpses lying in the streets.

While Russian forces carried on with the siege of Mariupol after the southern port city’s defenders refused demands to surrender, the Kremlin’s ground offensive in other parts of the country advanced slowly or not at all, knocked back by lethal hit-and-run attacks by the Ukrainians.

Early Tuesday, Ukrainian troops forced Russian forces out of the Kyiv suburb of Makariv after a fierce battle, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway and block Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest.

Ukraine says won't surrender Mariupol amid Russia warning of 'catastrophe'

KYIV, March 21: There is ‘no question’ of surrendering Mariupol, Ukrainian deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has said, responding to Russia’s ‘offer’ to Ukrainian troops defending the strategic port city to lay down arms and exit via humanitarian corridors.

“There can be no talks about surrender and laying down weapons,” Vereshchuk said, dismissing Russia’s statement as ‘manipulation.’

Moscow should not waste its time in ‘eight pages on letters’ and, instead, should just open the corridors, she further said.

The minister’s rejection of Russia’s demand came after Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Centre for Defense Management, called on Kyiv to ‘let go’ of the besieged town in south-eastern Ukraine.

“A terrible humanitarian catastrophe has developed in Mariupol. All those who lay down their arms are guaranteed safe passage,” Mizintsev said, adding that humanitarian corridors for civilians, who want to leave, will open at 10am Moscow time (7am GMT, 12:30pm IST) on Monday.

Mizintsev also gave Ukraine until 5 am Moscow time on March 21 to respond.

Mariupol is among Ukrainian cities heavily bombarded by Russia since it launched invasion of the east European nation on February 24. Many of the city’s 400,000 residents remain trapped inside with scarce food, water and power.

On March 16, a drama theatre in the city, hosting civilians, was bombed; while Ukraine accused Russia of committing this ‘genocide,’ Moscow blamed the attack on the Azov battalion of the Ukrainian army.

Negotiation is only way out of war, says Zelensky

KYIV, March 20: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday renewed his plea for talks with his Russian counterpart, taking to US television to say negotiations were the only way to "end this war."

"I'm ready for negotiations with him," Zelensky told CNN show "Fareed Zakaria GPS," referring to Russia's Vladimir Putin, whose deadly invasion of Ukraine is in its fourth week.

"I think without negotiations we cannot end this war," the Ukrainian leader said through a translator.

The reiteration of Zelensky's call for peace talks came as he and other Ukrainians accused Russia of committing war crimes after authorities said the invading forces had bombed a school sheltering some 400 people in the besieged city of Mariupol.

"Russian forces have come to exterminate us, to kill us," said Zelensky.

The leader, who has emerged as a national hero for his very public stance against Putin and his forces, has spoken of Ukrainians' fierce resistance to the invasion and told Russia that several thousand of its soldiers have died in battle so far.

"If there is just one percent chance for us to stop this war, I think that we need to take this chance... to have the possibility of negotiating, the possibility of talking to Putin," he said.

"If these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third world war."

Zelensky repeatedly has warned of the potential for the Russia-Ukraine conflict to mushroom into an all-out global war.

The crisis in Ukraine, in which Putin has sought to eradicate pro-Western leanings in the ex-Soviet state, has already triggered the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

France freezes 850 million euros of Russian assets

PARIS, March 20: France has seized around 850 million euros ($920 million) of Russian oligarchs' assets on its soil, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Sunday.

"We have immobilised ... 150 million euros in individual's accounts, credit lines in France and in French establishments, " Le Maire told French television as Paris hits Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Furthermore, "we have immobilised 539 million euros in real estate on French territory, corresponding to some 390 properties or apartments and we have sequestered two yachts (with a value of) 150 million euros," said Le Maire.

"In total that is (almost) 850 millions euros in assets belonging to Russian oligarchs which have been immobilised on French soil," he added.

The French crackdown means the owners are unable to, sell on or monetise their assets.

Notwithstanding, "they are not seized in the sense that the state becomes the owner and could then sell them on. For there to be seizure there has to be a penal offence", Le Maire stipulated.

"The sanctions are hitting Russia, the state, Vladimir Putin hard," Le Maire went on.

'Time for Israel to make its choice' and back Ukraine, says Zelensky

KYIV, March 20: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday urged Israel to abandon its effort to maintain neutrality following Russia's invasion, saying the time had come for the Jewish state to firmly back his country.

Zelensky, who is Jewish, made the appeal during an address to Israeli lawmakers, the latest in a series of speeches by videoconference to foreign legislatures.

In remarks that at several points compared Russian aggression to the Holocaust, Zelensky said that "Ukraine made the choice to save Jews 80 years ago."

"Now it's time for Israel to make its choice."

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has walked a careful diplomatic line since Russia launched its invasion on February 24.

Stressing Israel's strong ties to Moscow and Kyiv, Bennett has sought to preserve delicate security cooperation with Russia, which has troops in Syria, across Israel's northern border.

Bennett has held regular phone calls with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a three-hour meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on March 5.

While Ukrainian officials have voiced appreciation for Bennett's mediation efforts, Zelensky on Sunday implied that this too had proven to be a misstep.

"We can mediate between states but not between good and evil," the Ukrainian leader said.

Japan To Invest $42 Billion Over Next 5 Years In India: Modi

NEW DELHI, March 19: Japan aims to invest $42 billion over the next five years in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Delhi this evening.

"Japan will raise its investment target in India to an ambitious 5 trillion yen or ₹ 3.2 lakh crore ($42 billion) over the next five years," announced Modi.

Kishida, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived in Delhi for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit at around 3:40 pm on his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government.

The two sides inked six agreements providing for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, besides firming a separate clean energy partnership.

At a joint briefing, Modi said deepening India-Japan ties will not only benefit the two countries but will also help in encouraging peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014 announced 3.5 trillion yen in investment and financing over five years during a visit to India.

Japan has been supporting India's urban infrastructure development and a high-speed railway based on its bullet train technology.

Earlier in the day, the two leaders met at the Hyderabad House in the national capital and discussed ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries as per the Prime Minister's Office.

Prime Minister Modi had spoken to Kishida on phone in October 2021 soon after he assumed office. Both sides expressed a desire to further strengthen the special strategic and global partnership.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Over 50 feared dead in shelling on barracks in Mykolaiv

KYIV, March 19: Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian troops targeted a military base in the southern city of Mykolaiv on the 24th day of the conflict, a news agency reported.

"No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks" when Russian troops struck early Friday, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, said.

"At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble," he said.

Another soldier estimated that the bombing could have killed around 100 people. Authorities have not yet released an official death toll, maintaining that rescue operations are underway.

The military facility located in the north of the city was fully destroyed after being hit by several rockets. Mykolaiv lies on the road to the strategic port city of Odessa some 130 kilometres (80 miles) down the Black Sea coastline.

In another incident, seven people were killed and five were injured after a Russian mortar attack on Makariv, a news agency reported. "As a result of enemy shelling of Makariv, seven civilians were killed," the Ukrainian government statement said.

The fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces continues for the 24th straight day. Cities after cities are being targeted in the missiles and artillery shelling.

In a latest development, Russia said it used the hypersonic missile from Kinzhal system to decimate a military facility in the western part of the country. Ukraine has claimed that Moscow has been using weapons including the Kalibr missiles, Smerch rocket launchers to target the civilian areas.

The attacks come at a time when Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace talks with Moscow to stop its invasion, warning it would take Russia several generations to recover from its losses in the war.

China-US Should Share World Responsibilities, Xi Tells Biden Over Ukraine

BEIJING, March 18: Chinese leader Xi Jinping said war is "in no one's interest" during a phone call Friday with Joe Biden in which the US president aimed to pressure Beijing into joining Western condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The 1:50 hour-long phone call ended at 10:53 am in Washington (1453 GMT), the White House said.

State broadcaster CCTV reported Xi saying during the call that "state-to-state relations cannot go to the stage of military hostilities."

China and the United States should "shoulder international responsibilities," Xi was quoted as saying, as well as declaring that "peace and security are the most valued treasures of the international community."

It was not immediately clear if Xi made any direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin's onslaught against Ukraine or expressed willingness to assist the US-led pressure campaign on the Kremlin.

In their first call since November, Biden hoped to persuade Xi to at least give up any idea of bailing out Russia.

China should "understand that their future is with the United States, with Europe, with other developed and developing countries around the world. Their future is not to stand with Vladimir Putin," Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told CNN earlier Friday.

So far Beijing has refused to condemn its fellow authoritarian ally, and Washington fears China could deliver financial and military support for Russia, transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global dispute.

If that happened, not only could Beijing help Putin to weather sanctions and continue his war, but Western governments would face the painful decision of how to strike back at the world's second biggest economy, likely prompting turmoil on international markets.

The White House was tight-lipped on whether Biden would threaten China with economic sanctions during his call, but some sort of response was on the table.

Biden "will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression and we will not hesitate to impose costs," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said ahead of the call.

Blinken urged China to use its "leverage" on Moscow.

The Biden-Xi call came after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party's chief diplomat, held what the White House called a "substantial" seven hour meeting in Rome this week.

Against a backdrop of already intense US-Chinese tensions over Taiwan and trade disputes, the ability or failure of Biden and Xi to come to an understanding on the unfolding mayhem in Europe will reverberate widely.

Xi and Putin symbolically sealed their close partnership when they met at the February Winter Olympics in Beijing -- just before Putin launched his onslaught on Ukraine.

Since then, Beijing has stood out by refusing to join international outcry over the invasion, while taking the Russian line in blaming the United States and NATO for European tensions. Chinese authorities even refuse to refer to the invasion as a "war," again in keeping with Kremlin talking points.

But China has also tried to remain somewhat ambiguous, declaring support for Ukraine's sovereignty.

Brookings Institution fellow Ryan Hass, a former advisor on China to president Barack Obama, said Beijing has to sort through its clashing priorities.

Despite the coziness with Moscow, China -- the world's biggest exporter -- is tightly bound to the US and other Western economies. It also wants to play a leadership role in the world.

"China's and Russia's interests are not in alignment. Putin is an arsonist of the international system and President Xi sees himself as an architect for remaking and improving the international system," Hass said.

"President Xi is trying to balance competing priorities. He really places a lot of value in China's partnership with Russia but at the same time he does not want to undermine China's relations in the West."

Huge Japan Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Alert, 2 Million Homes Lose Power

TOKYO, March 16: A powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted eastern Japan on Wednesday night, rattling the capital Tokyo and prompting a tsunami advisory for parts of the northeast coast.

The quake, which cut power to more than two million households, was centred off the coast of the Fukushima region at a depth of 60 kilometres (37 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

"Calls have been inundating police and ambulances in Fukushima and (neighbouring region) Miyagi," top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. "We're doing our best to assess the extent of the damage."

Japan's nuclear authority said no abnormalities were detected at the stricken Fukushima plant that went into meltdown in 2011 when a huge 9.0-magnitude quake hit off the eastern coast, triggering a deadly tsunami and nuclear disaster.

Shortly after Wednesday's quake hit at 11:36 pm (1436 GMT) an advisory for tsunami waves of up to one metre was issued for the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi.

A 20 centimetre tsunami wave was recorded in the city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi, according to public broadcaster NHK.

TV footage showed some structural damage in the northeast, including the collapse of a stone wall of Aoba castle in Sendai city.

An official in the emergency department of the local government of Ishinomaki told AFP he had been woken by "extremely violent shaking".

"I heard the ground rumbling. Rather than feeling scared, I immediately remembered the Great East Japan Earthquake," he said, referring to the 2011 disaster.

A Shinkansen bullet train was derailed north of Fukushima city, train company JR East said, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Matsuno said an emergency government taskforce had been set up and warned residents of possible strong aftershocks over the next week.

"Major aftershocks often happen a couple of days after the first quake, so please stay away from any collapsed buildings... and other high-risk places," he said.

Multiple smaller jolts hit the region in the hours immediately after the quake.

Around two million households were left without power in the central Kanto region, including 700,000 in Tokyo, electricity provider TEPCO said, but power was being gradually restored in the capital and elsewhere.

In the northeast, 156,000 households lost power, regional energy company Tohoku Electric Power said.

Evacuation orders were issued in some northeastern towns, NHK reported, with Rifu town in Miyagi opening shelters in its official buildings.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters the government was gathering information on the situation.

"We will commit ourselves to gathering information, do our best to rescue those affected by the (quake) and communicate information appropriately," he said.

Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The country is regularly hit by quakes, and has strict construction regulations intended to ensure buildings can withstand strong tremors.

But it remains haunted by the memory of the 2011 undersea quake in northeastern Japan that triggered a deadly tsunami and unleashed the Fukushima nuclear accident.

A minute's silence was held last Friday, the anniversary of the disaster, to remember the some 18,500 people left dead or missing in the tsunami.

Around the stricken Fukushima plant, extensive decontamination has been carried out, and this year five former residents of Futaba, the region's last uninhabited town, returned to live there on a trial basis.

Around 12 percent of Fukushima was once declared unsafe but no-go zones now cover just 2.4 percent of the prefecture, although populations in many towns remain far lower than before.

No NATO For Ukraine, Says President In Hint Of Compromise

KYIV, March 15: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a hint of compromise, said his country should accept that it will not become a member of US-led NATO military alliance, which Russia opposes. This comes as invading forces tightened their grip on capital Kyiv.

"If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us ... and have separate guarantees," Zelensky said in a video address.

At least five people were killed in the renewed bombardments on Kyiv on the 20th day of the Russian assault, authorities said. Buildings were set ablaze and people lay buried under the rubble.

Russia's foreign ministry says it is launching a procedure to exit the Council of Europe, amid growing pressure for its expulsion from the pan-European rights group.

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, head to Kyiv by train to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The trip is to "confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union" with Ukraine, says Poland.

Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations via a video link resumed on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials played up hopes the war could end sooner than expected, saying Moscow may be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government on Kyiv by force.

US warns China of ‘consequences’ if it supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan raised “deep” concerns about China’s alignment with Russia in a seven-hour conversation with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday

In a seven-hour long meeting that American officials have described, among other things, as candid, substantial and important, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan conveyed, on Monday, Washington’s “deep concerns about China’s alignment with Russia” to top Chinese official Yang Jiechi, warning him that should Beijing offer support to Moscow, there would be “significant consequences” for China.

The meeting, which took place in Rome on Monday, came after reports from the Financial Times saying US believed China had shown a willingness to offer specific military support asked for by Russia. US officials have refused to officially comment on the reports and maintained that they will engage with “privately and directly” with China. The White House, in a brief readout, described the discussions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “substantial”, with both sides agreeing to maintain open lines of communication.

“What we have conveyed and what was conveyed by our National Security Advisor in this meeting is that should they (China) provide military or other assistance that, of course, violates sanctions or supports the war effort, that there will be significant consequences,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said, refusing to elaborate on what form those consequences could take.

State department spokesperson Ned Price was far more direct, and said that the NSA had “raised directly and very clearly” US’s concerns about China’s support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications of any such support, not just for China’s relationship with the US, “but for its relationships around the world”.

“That includes our allies and partners in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

A senior administration official said, separately, that Sullivan had described to Yang the unprecedented US cooperation and coordination with allies and partners in Europe and Asia to inflict costs on Russia over the invasion.

When asked if the US believed that China was already offering support to Russia, Price said, “We are watching very closely the extent to which the PRC, or any other country for that matter, provides any form of support, whether that’s material support, whether that’s economic support, whether that’s financial support, to Russia. Any such support from anywhere in the world would be of great concern to us.”

He added that it would of the “greatest concern” if China, “a country that has tremendous leverage with Russia, has a relationship with Russia that is distinct from the relationship that we or just about any other country on the planet has with Russia”, was doing that. “And with that in mind, (China) could do more than probably many other countries to bring an end to this senseless violence, to this brutality, to (Vladimir) Putin’s premeditated war of choice.”

Price said that the US had communicated “very clearly” to Beijing that it won’t stand by and allow any country to “compensate Russia for its losses”.

Responding to a question on whether the US was disappointed with China’s response to the outreach, the state department spokesperson said that it was “incumbent on every country” in the world to speak out, and have no ambiguity”, and said that China’s statements had “somewhat of an ambivalent message, calling for a diplomatic solution”.

Referring to a statement by a Chinese official calling the situation “complicated”, Price said, “There is nothing complicated about this. This is a naked aggression; a war of choice”. He added that as a country that had benefited from the “rules-based order”, and as a country that “touted and brandished the concept of sovereignty”, the US expected China to speak up clearly.

When asked if the US had noted a shift in China’s posture – from a more ambivalent stance in the initial days of the war to a more supportive stance towards Russia in recent days – Price said that he would not speak for China, but that China had a lot to explain for both its words and its actions.

He referred to the deepening partnership between China and Russia in recent years, including the Putin-Xi Jinping joint statement from February, and said, “What does seem to unite them is a vision of the world that is in stark contrast to the vision that the US and our allies and partners have not only built and promoted and defended, but the system that itself has advantaged countries such as PRC and Russia.”

On the partnership between the two, he added that it was clearly a case of “two autocracies” with a desire to see a world that was “more closed, less open, less free” coming together.

US warns China against helping Moscow as Russian forces renew efforts to take Kyiv

KYIV, March 14: Russian forces continued their offensive in an ever-widening swathe in Ukraine and redoubled efforts to seize capital Kyiv on Monday. Air raid sirens were heard across the war-torn country overnight, and the United Nations pegged its casualty count a notch higher.

As Russia’s war on Ukraine entered the 19th day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kept up morale by posting another video, in which he called on his countrymen to rally and defend the country against the invaders. “Help each other! Support each other! Support the defence! And protect the state! Together, we will win,” he said.

Meanwhile, the resumption of diplomatic talks between the two sides on an optimistic note and a trickle of civilians through the first safe passage corridor in the besieged city of Mariupol signalled that hopes of an end to the fighting, though tentative, definitely exist.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces further escalated their assault on Kyiv on Monday, firing artillery and shells on suburbs and outlying towns of Irpin, Bucha and Hostomel.

Ukrainian authorities said two people died and seven were injured after Russian forces struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire.

Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, while firefighters raced to pull out survivors from the gutted structure.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned China against helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy, or to provide military aid to Moscow in its war on Ukraine.

Asked about reports quoting US officials that Russia has asked China for military equipment to be used in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Beijing has been playing a constructive role in promoting peace talks.

He also lashed out at Washington for spreading disinformation on the issue, terming it a "malicious move".

The UN human rights office said on Monday it had confirmed the deaths of at least 636 civilians in Ukraine, including 46 children, since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

The actual toll is likely much higher, it said, since there have been delays in receiving reports from Kharkiv and Mariupol, where Russian forces have kept up a relentless onslaught.

The war has forced more than 2.8 million people to flee Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry said at least 20 people had been killed and 28 wounded in the capital of the eastern Donetsk region by what it said, without providing evidence, was a Ukrainian missile with a cluster charge.

Pro-Russian separatists control the region, which was declared independent by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.

A convoy of over 160 cars left Mariupol on Monday, local officials said, in what appeared to be the first successful attempt to arrange a "humanitarian corridor" to evacuate civilians from the city encircled by Russian forces.

On the other hand, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Russian shelling was still preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the vital port city.

Mariupol has witnessed some of the greatest human suffering in the ongoing war, as residents have been trapped in the city for more than two weeks and are running out of supplies.

Ukraine said it held "hard" talks on a ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops and security guarantees with Russia on Monday in the fourth round of talks between the two sides. Negotiators also agreed to open more humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from towns and cities under siege by Russian forces.

Negotiations hit a technical pause and both sides decided to regroup on Tuesday after getting clarification on certain terms. Moreover, positive assessments of the dialogue by Russian and Ukrainian delegates indicated that there could be a breakthrough within days.

Moscow 'beginning to talk constructively': Kyiv signals progress in dialogue

KYIV, March 13: Nearly 125,000 people have been evacuated via humanitarian corridors from conflict zones in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address on Sunday.

Russian troops launched multiple air strikes on a military training ground outside Ukraine's western city of Lviv, near the border with Poland, a local official said Sunday.

Russia "launched an air strike on the International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security," some 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Lviv, head of the Lviv regional administration, Maxim Kozitsky, said on his verified Facebook page, adding that eight missiles were fired.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that Russia might use chemical weapons following its invasion of Ukraine and that such a move would be a war crime, according to an interview in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

A US journalist was shot dead and another wounded on Sunday in Irpin, a frontline northwest suburb of Kyiv, medics and witnesses

US President Joe Biden on Saturday authorized $200 million in weapons and other assistance for Ukraine, the White House said, as Ukrainian officials said heavy shelling by Russian forces were endangering attempted evacuations.

The decision brings total U.S. security aid provided to Ukraine over the past year to $1.2 billion, a senior administration official said. In a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden directed that up to $200 million allocated through the Foreign Assistance Act be designated for Ukraine's defense.

The funds can be used for weapons and other defense articles from the Defense Department's stock, as well as military education and training to help Ukraine. The fresh funds come days after the U.S. Congress approved $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion measure to fund the U.S. government through September.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a special military operation before dawn on February 24, ignoring Western warnings and saying the "neo-Nazis" ruling Ukraine threatened Russia's security. Russia's assault is said to be the biggest on a European state since World War Two and threatens to upend the continent's post-Cold War order.

Zelenskyy proposes meeting with Putin in Jerusalem: Report

KYIV, March 12: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Jerusalem, The Kyiv Independent reported on Saturday.

The report adds that Zelenskyy has asked Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to act as an intermediary between Moscow and Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said "Peace process, process of ending the war. It is a 100 per cent that the starting point should be the ceasefire. We should all understand this. It would also allow us to unblock the humanitarian process, evacuation, taking away people as well as delivery of food, water and medicines. We have already talked about this," Ukrainian President said at a news conference.

He said "Some small towns do not exist any more and this is simply a tragedy. I think it is a tragedy, they do not exist anymore, they are simply not there. And the people who lived in them, they are not there any more and they will not return. We are on the frontline and the people that were killed, were killed in the midst of us."

Meanwhile, fighting raged near Kyiv on Saturday and heavy shelling in other areas threatened new attempts to evacuate trapped civilians as France said Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no readiness to end the war in Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said Moscow was sending in new troops after Ukrainian forces put 31 of Russia's battalion tactical groups out of action in what he called Russia's largest army losses in decades. It was not possible to verify his statements.

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that over 1,300 Ukrainians have been killed since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.

Zelenskyy also spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron hours after the two leaders held fresh talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Referring to his conversation with Chancellor Scholz and President Macron, Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter, "Prospects for peace talks also discussed. We must stop the aggressor together."

The Kremlin, meanwhile, issued a statement saying Russian President Vladimir Putin in his phone calls with Scholz and Macron slammed what he said was the "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” by Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has accused Russian forces of "abducting" the mayor of Melitopol.

On Saturday, an aide to Zelenskyy released surveillance footage showing the mayor of Melitopol being marched out of the city hall, apparently surrounded by Russian soldiers.

Saudi Arabia Executes 81 People In 1 Day For 'Terror Offences': Report

RIYADH, March 12: Saudi Arabia said Saturday it had executed a record 81 people in one day for terrorism-related offences, exceeding the total number killed last year and sparking criticism from rights activists.

All had been "found guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes", the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, saying they included convicts linked to the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda, Yemen's Huthi rebel forces or "other terrorist organisations".

The wealthy Gulf country has one of the world's highest execution rates, and has often carried out previous death sentences by beheading.

Those executed had been sentenced over plotting attacks in the kingdom -- including killing "a large number" of civilians and members of the security forces, the SPA statement read.

"They also include convictions for targeting government personnel and vital economic sites, the killing of law enforcement officers and maiming their bodies, and planting land mines to target police vehicles," the SPA said.

"The convictions include crimes of kidnapping, torture, rape, smuggling arms and bombs into the kingdom," it added.

Of the 81 people killed, 73 were Saudi citizens, seven were Yemeni and one was a Syrian national.

SPA said all those executed were tried in Saudi courts, with trials overseen by 13 judges, held over three separate stages for each individual.

"The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten stability," the news agency added.

Saudi Arabia has been the target of a series of deadly shootings and bombings since late 2014 carried out by IS group extremists.

The kingdom is also leading a military coalition that has been fighting in Yemen since 2015 against Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who have in turn launched strikes on Saudi Arabia.

But the executions sparked condemnation from Britain-based campaign group Reprieve.

"Just last week the Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman) told journalists he plans to modernise Saudi Arabia's criminal justice system, only to order the largest mass execution in the country's history," Reprieve said.

"There are prisoners of conscience on Saudi death row, and others arrested as children or charged with non-violent crimes. We fear for every one of them following this brutal display of impunity."

Saturday's announcement of 81 deaths marks more than the total of 69 executions in all of 2021.

Up until Saturday, Saudi Arabia in 2022 had executed 11 people convicted of various crimes, according to an AFP tally based on official announcement. This brings the total executed so far this year to 92.

Around 50 countries worldwide continue to use the death penalty.

In 2020, 88 percent of all 483 reported executions took place in just four countries: Iran, with 246, followed by Egypt with 107, Iraq with 45, and then Saudi Arabia, which carried out 27 that year, according to Amnesty International.

The executions on Saturday were announced a day after the release of Saudi blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who had been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years' prison on charges of insulting Islam.

But Badawi, who received only 50 lashes before the punishment was halted following global condemnation, is now subject to a 10-year travel ban, officials confirmed on Saturday.

It means the 38-year-old is unable to rejoin his wife Ensaf Haidar and their three children in Canada, where they fled following his arrest.

In recent years, Saudi has announced a series of reforms concerning sentences, including a moratorium on the death penalty for drug offences, as well as abolishing court-ordered floggings.

In April 2020, the kingdom also announced it was ending the death penalty for those convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

On Saturday, a rights group and relatives of a Saudi man sentenced to death when he was a minor said he had been taken to hospital after going on hunger strike and collapsing.

Abdullah al-Howaiti, who was just 14 when he was arrested in 2017 on charges of armed robbery and killing a police officer, was first sentenced to death in 2019, with the verdict upheld last month in a retrial.

"Abdullah has gone on hunger strike and has been hospitalised after collapsing," Reprieve said.

'No Progress' In Russia-Ukraine Talks Amid Outrage Over Hospital Strike

KYIV, March 10: Russia and Ukraine failed to make a breakthrough Thursday in their first top-level talks since Moscow's invasion two weeks ago, amid international outrage over the bombing of a children's hospital that Kyiv said killed three people, including a young girl.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said there was "no progress" even on a 24-hour ceasefire, after talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Turkey, although the latter said Moscow would keep talking.

Russian forces on Thursday rolled their armoured vehicles up to the northeastern edge of Kyiv, edging closer in their attempts to encircle the Ukrainian capital.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said half the population had fled, adding: "Kyiv has been transformed into a fortress. Every street, every building, every checkpoint has been fortified."

The UN estimates more than 2.3 million refugees have left Ukraine since Russia's invasion on February 24, which prompted unprecedented Western sanctions against Moscow along with a cultural and sporting boycott.

At least 35,000 civilians were evacuated from the cities of Sumy, Enerhodar and areas around Kyiv on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, with three more routes set to open up Thursday, including out of the southern port city of Mariupol.

The children's and maternity hospital in Mariupol was attacked on Wednesday in what Zelensky described as a Russian "war crime", and which sparked global outrage.

Local officials said Thursday that at least three people were killed in the attack, including a young girl.

Overall, at least 71 children have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and more than 100 have been wounded, said Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukraine parliament's point person on human rights.

Ten days of constant attacks on Mariupol have already left more than 1,200 civilians dead, according to the mayor, and created what aid agencies call an "apocalyptic" situation, with no water, power or heat.

Zelensky shared footage on Wednesday of massive destruction at the hospital, saying the "direct strike by Russian troops" had left children under the wreckage.

Officials had previously said 17 people were injured, including doctors.

Video shared from the site by rescue workers showed a scene of complete devastation, with the wounded being evacuated, some on stretchers, past charred and burning carcasses of cars and a massive crater by the building.

The White House slammed the "barbaric" use of force against civilians, while EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell echoed Zelensky in calling it a "heinous war crime".

"Strikes of residential areas from the air and blocks of access of aid convoys by the Russian forces must immediately stop," Borrell said.

Russia's foreign ministry did not deny the attack but accused Ukrainian "nationalist battalions" of using the hospital to set up firing positions after moving out staff and patients.

Lavrov reiterated the claim on Thursday, saying it was a military base for members of the radical Azov Battalion.

Asked by a Turkish reporter if Russia was planning to attack other nations, Lavrov replied "we don't plan to attack other countries" and claimed "we did not attack Ukraine".

He insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the operation as the situation in Ukraine "posed a direct threat to the Russian Federation".

On the northeastern edge of Kyiv, Ukrainian soldiers described a night of heavy battles for control of the main highway leading into the capital.

The conflict has raised fears of a nuclear accident in a country with major nuclear plants and the site of the Chernobyl disaster.

The UN's atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday it saw "no critical impact on safety" at Chernobyl, location of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986, after a loss of power there.

But it warned it was not receiving updates from either Chernobyl or Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear plant, which is also now under Russian control.

The United States meanwhile rejected Russian claims that it was involved in bioweapons research in Ukraine, and warned Russia could be preparing to use chemical or biological weapons in the war.

Washington has strongly backed Ukraine, leading the push for tough international sanctions and sending weapons and other aid.

But it has ruled out enforcing a no-fly zone and rejected a Polish plan to transfer fighter jets via a US air base for fear of being drawn into the conflict directly.

Washington has however beefed up defences in Poland, where it said Wednesday it was sending two new surface-to-air missile batteries.

And Britain said it was preparing to send more portable missile systems to help Ukraine, in addition to more than 3,000 anti-tank weapons sent so far, while Canada pledged an additional $50 million of military equipment.

In Turkey on Thursday, Lavrov said the supply by EU and other countries of deadly weapons to Ukraine was "creating a colossal danger for themselves".

The US House of Representatives green-lit a spending package including nearly $14 billion for Ukraine and allies in eastern Europe, which must be rubber-stamped by the Senate.

The International Monetary Fund has meanwhile approved a $1.4-billion emergency package for Kyiv to provide "critical financial support."

Western nations and allies are also trying to squeeze Moscow with unprecedented sanctions, hitting the Russian economy but also its oligarchs and those close to Putin.

The United States this week imposed a ban on Russian imports of oil and gas, a move followed by Canada and a pledge from London to end the imports within the year.

Britain urged the entire G7 to follow suit, but some nations are wary, with Germany and Italy both dependent on Russian energy.

Russia Says Not Trying To 'Overthrow' Ukraine Government

KYIV, March 9: Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday agreed to a day-long ceasefire around a series of evacuation corridors to allow civilians to escape the fighting.

Russia says it's not trying to "overthrow" the Ukraine government, reports a news agency.

Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday agreed to a day-long ceasefire around a series of evacuation corridors to allow civilians to escape the fighting.

Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Moscow vowed to respect the truce from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm around six areas that have been heavily hit by the fighting, including regions near Kyiv, in Zaporizhzhia in the south, and some parts of Ukraine's northeast.

Russia warned the West on Wednesday that it was working on a broad response to sanctions that would be swift and felt in the West's most sensitive areas.

"Russia's reaction will be swift, thoughtful and sensitive for those it addresses," Dmitry Birichevsky, the director of the foreign ministry's department for economic cooperation, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.

The number of people fleeing Ukraine since the Russian invasion began has probably now reached 2.1-2.2 million, the head of the United Nation's refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told a news conference that "the time is now to try to help at the border", rather than discussions on the division of refugees between countries.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer transmitting data to the UN's atomic watchdog, the agency said, as it voiced concern for staff working under Russian guard at the Ukrainian facility.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi "indicated that remote data transmission from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP had been lost", the agency said in a statement

The European Union has agreed to add more Russian oligarchs and officials to its sanctions blacklist, tighten controls on cryptocurrency transfers and target the maritime sector over Moscow's war in Ukraine, diplomats said Wednesday.

President Zelenskyy has urged British MPs to designate Russia as a "terrorist state" after President Vladimir Putin ordered a special military operation against his nation and called for tougher sanctions on Moscow to "make sure our skies are safe".

The United States rejected a Polish offer to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US airbase, saying the proposal raised "serious concerns" for the entire NATO alliance. Under the proposed scheme, those jets could then be deployed to Ukraine, while the Polish air force would receive F-16 fighters as replacements.

McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Starbucks have suspended their operations in Russia over Moscow's internationally condemned invasion of Ukraine.
President Joe Biden announced a ban on US imports of Russian oil, gas and coal, saying Ukraine will "never be a victory for Putin". Britain said it will also phase out Russian oil imports by the end of this year.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for Ukraine, a delicate issue that was one of Russia's stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbour. Referring to NATO membership, Zelensky said through an interpreter that he does not want to be president of a "country which is begging something on its knees."

'NATO Won't Fight Russia, Don't Want To Join Alliance': Ukraine President

WASHINGTON: President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for Ukraine, a delicate issue that was one of Russia's stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbor.

In another apparent nod aimed at placating Moscow, Zelensky said he is open to "compromise" on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent just before unleashing the invasion on February 24.

"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that...NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview aired Monday night on ABC News.

"The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia," the president added.

Referring to NATO membership, Zelensky said through an interpreter that he does not want to be president of a "country which is begging something on its knees."

Russia has said it does not want neighboring Ukraine to join NATO, the transatlantic alliance created at the start of the Cold War to protect Europe from the Soviet Union.

In more recent years the alliance has expanded further and further east to take in former Soviet bloc countries, infuriating the Kremlin.

Russia sees NATO enlargement as a threat, as it does the military posture of these new Western allies on its doorstep.

Shortly before he shocked the world by ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin recognized as independent two separatist pro-Russian "republics" in eastern Ukraine -- Donetsk and Lugansk -- that have been at war with Kyiv since 2014.

When ABC asked him about this Russian demand, Zelensky said he was open to dialogue.

"I'm talking about security guarantees," he said.

He said these two regions "have not been recognized by anyone but Russia, these pseudo republics. But we can discuss and find the compromise on how these territories will live on."

"What is important to me is how the people in those territories are going to live who want to be part of Ukraine, who in Ukraine will say that they want to have them in," Zelensky said.

"So the question is more difficult than simply acknowledging them," the president said.

"This is another ultimatum and we are not prepared for ultimatums. What needs to be done is for President Putin to start talking, start the dialogue instead of living in the informational bubble without oxygen."

Indian Students Stuck In Ukraine's Sumy Moved Out: Govt

NEW DELHI, March 8: The evacuation of around 600 Indian students stranded in Ukraine's Sumy has started. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri told reporters that all 694 Indian students, who were stranded in Sumy, have left for Poltava in buses.

"Last night, I checked with the control room, 694 Indian students were remaining in Sumy. Today, they have all left in buses for Poltava," Puri told reporters.

A medical student at the Sumy university, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that buses have arrived and students have started boarding the buses.

"We have been told that we will go to Poltava. I am praying that we reach a safe zone and this misery is over," he said.

The foreign ministry tweeted that from Poltova, they will board trains to western Ukraine.

The students were shifted as part of evacuation of civilians from Sumy and the town of Irpin near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv through a green corridor to Poltova, a city in central Ukraine. The foreign ministry of Ukraine tweeted a video of the evacuation of Sumy citizens, saying "We call on Russia to agree on other humanitarian corridors in Ukraine".

Sumy, located near the Russian border and around 350 km east of Ukrainian capital Kyiv, has seen heavy fighting since the invasion. Today, at least nine people, including two children, died in an air strike in the city.

The students have been waiting for evacuation for days. On Saturday, unable to cope any longer with the bitter cold, depleting food and water supplies, the students shared videos saying they have decided to begin the risky journey to the Russian border 50 km away.

But they were dissuaded by the government, which contacted them and asked that they "avoid unnecessary risks".

A plan to evacuate them yesterday fell through as Ukraine rejected a Russian plan for a humanitarian corridor to Russia and Belarus.

Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on ways to begin the stalled evacuation process of the Indian students from Sumy.

China, India should be partners rather than rivals: Chinese Minister

BEIJING, March 7: China and India have encountered "some setbacks" in the bilateral relations in recent years, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday as he called for managing their differences over the boundary issue through equal footing consultations for a "fair and equitable" settlement.

Addressing his annual press conference on the sidelines of the Chinese parliament, Wang also said that some forces have always sought to stoke tensions between China and India, in an apparent reference to the US.

"China and India relations have encountered some setbacks in recent years which do not serve the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples," Wang Yi said in response to a question on the boundary issue and ties between the two neighbours.

"As regards the boundary question, it is left over from history. China has all along advocated managing differences through equal footing consultation and actively seeking a fair and equitable settlement and meanwhile not letting it affect or interfere with bigger picture of bilateral cooperation," he said.

China and India should be "partners rather than rivals", said Wang, who is also the State Councilor.

Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India's relationship with China is right now going through a "very difficult phase" after Beijing violated agreements not to bring military forces to the border.

Speaking at a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany, Jaishankar had said that India was having a problem with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Mr Wang said some forces have always sought to stoke tension between China and India and division between regions. "Their attempts have put more and more thoughtful people in reflection and on alert," he said.

"More and more people have come to realise that for China and India, both major countries with a population of over one billion, only by staying independent can we firmly grasp our own destiny and realise our goals of development and rejuvenation," Mr Wang said.

Noting that China and India have a combined population of over 2.8 billion and account for one-third of humanity, and when the two countries active stability and prosperity and living in peace and harmony, global peace and prosperity will have a solid foundation, he said.

"As an Indian proverb goes, help your own brother's boat across and your own will reach the shore. We hope that India will work with China to uphold the strategic consensus that our two countries pose no threat, offer development opportunities to each other and continue to build mutual trust, avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation so that we will be partners for mutual success instead of adversaries of mutual attrition," he said.

He said the two neighbours "must make sure that our relationship moves forward on the right track, bring more benefits to our peoples and make greater contribution to the region and the world." He said the US' Indo-Pacific strategy is becoming a byword for bloc politics.

"It professes a desire for international cooperation, but in reality it is stoking regional rivalry. It talks about multilateralism but in reality creates exclusive clubs. It claims international rules but in reality is setting and imposing rules suiting itself and its acolytes," he said.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

The tension escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra as well as in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake last year.

India and China held the 14th round of Corps Commander-level meeting on January 12 during which the two sides agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels to work out a "mutually acceptable resolution" of the remaining issues of the standoff at eastern Ladakh.

China has described as "positive and constructive" the latest round of military-level talks with India and said Beijing will work closely with New Delhi to "properly handle" the border issue, even as it refuted the US allegation of "intimidating" neighbours.

Evacuation bid in Mariupol fails again amid shelling; Russian missile strikes airport

KYIV, March 6: A second attempt to evacuate civilians from the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol under siege reportedly failed on Sunday in the wake of continuous shelling by Russian troops.

Evacuations from the port city of Mariupol were scheduled to begin at local time (10am GMT) during a 10am to 9pm local ceasefire, Ukrainian military authorities had said earlier in the day.

Russian Presidment Vladimir Putin later blamed Kyiv for failed civilian evacuations from Mariupol.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a barrage of Russian missiles destroyed the airport in Vinnytsia in the central part of the strife-torn country.

The Kremlin's military invasion of Ukraine entered its 11th day on Sunday leaving over 1.5 million refugees, hundreds dead and thousands injured. Several cities and airbases in Ukraine have been bombed, shelled or hit with ballistic missiles by Russian troops.

"I have just been informed about a missile strike on Vinnytsia. Eight rockets... The airport was completely destroyed," he said.

The country’s interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said planned evacuations along designated humanitarian corridors were halted because of an ongoing assault. “There can be no ‘green corridors’ because only the sick brain of the Russians decides when to start shooting and at whom,“ he said on Telegram.

A similar ceasefire planned for Mariupol and the nearby city of Volnovakha had collapsed a day ago due to massive shelling and bombardment by Russian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Ukrainian authorities would be responsible if the statehood of their nation came under threat. Amid an intensified military campaign by Russian forces in the east European nation, leading to more sanctions on the Kremlin by the West, Putin said Ukraine’s leadership needed to understand the consequences of their deeds.

Putin Denies Bombing Ukraine Cities, Says Ready For Talks If Demands Met

MOSCOW, March 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denied that Russian troops were bombing Ukrainian cities, dismissing such information as fake, the Kremlin said Friday.

Putin said reports about "the alleged ongoing air strikes of Kyiv and other large cities are gross propaganda fakes," the Kremlin said in a statement.

He added that dialogue on Ukraine would be possible only if Russian demands are met.

Putin "confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the Ukrainian side, as well as with everyone who wants peace in Ukraine. But under the condition that all Russian demands are met," the Kremlin said.

These include the neutral and non-nuclear status of Ukraine, its "denazification", recognition of Crimea as part of Russia and of the "sovereignty" of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.

"Hope was expressed that during the planned third round of talks, the representatives of Kyiv will take a reasonable and constructive position," the Kremlin added.

The next meeting of delegations from Russia and Ukraine is expected during the weekend, according to one of Kyiv's negotiators.

56 killed, 65 injured in major bomb blast inside Peshawar mosque during prayer

PESHAWAR, March 4: At least 56 people were killed and 65 were injured in Peshawar on Friday after an explosion near the Qissa Khwani Bazaar area, reports said. The toll could go up as the blast occurred inside Jamia mosque when prayer was going on.

Capital City Police Officer Peshawar Ijaz Ahsan, as quoted by Pakistani media, said according to initial reports, two attackers tried to enter the mosque and fired at police officers present on duty. The blast inside the mosque took place after the firing incident.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

Asim Khan, media manager of Lady Reading, said 30 bodies had been brought to the hospital so far, according to Dawn. Officials said the condition of 10 injured is stated to be critical.

As footages emerge from the mosque area, a large contingent of security teams can be seen cordoning off the area. "I opened my eyes and there was dust and bodies everywhere," witness Shayan Haider told Dawn.

Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the attack on the imambargah and directed for immediate medical aid to the victims, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a statement.

Ukraine, Russia Agree On Humanitarian Corridors For Evacuation

KYIV, March 3: Ukraine and Russia started their second round of talks today in Belarus, agreeing on evacuation corridors for civilians, as Russian President Vladimir Putin said the military advance, now in its second week, was going as per plan.

Ukraine and Russia agreed on "humanitarian corridors" for the evacuation of civilians from destroyed or constantly shelled villages and cities at the talks.

Ukraine was also set to demand an immediate ceasefire, armistice and, presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said. Neither side suggested it was expecting breakthroughs after a first round of talks held in Belarus on Monday made no progress.

At least 22 bodies have been recovered from rubble in the wake of Russian air strikes in Ukraine's Chernihiv region, the Ukrainian emergency services said in an online post.

Vladimir Putin vowed to continue fighting against what he described as "nationalists" in Ukraine, according to a readout of a call with French leader Emmanuel Macron, which added that attempts to slow conflict talks would "only lead to additional demands on Kyiv in our negotiating position".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will work to rebuild Ukraine after the war, indicating a resistance phase would come next if Russian forces manage to completely take hold of Ukraine. "We have nothing to lose but our own freedom," Zelenskiy said, adding Ukraine was receiving daily arms supplies from its international allies.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western politicians of considering nuclear war. "I would like to point out that it's in the heads of Western politicians that the idea of a nuclear war is spinning constantly, and not in the heads of Russians," Lavrov told Russian and foreign media.

On the ground, Russian forces have taken the Black Sea port of Kherson in southern Ukraine, the first major city to fall after a string of setbacks for Moscow. They also pound and encircle the strategic port city of Mariupol, which is without water or electricity.

The UN has opened a probe into alleged war crimes, as the Russian military bombards cities in Ukraine with shells and missiles, forcing civilians to take shelter in basements.

The EU is expected to rapidly approve a protection mechanism for war refugees fleeing Ukraine -- so far numbered at one million -- and to also set up a humanitarian hub in Romania, officials said.

The moves by the European Union came in parallel to its muscular sanctions on Russia imposed in successive waves over the course of the invasion, now in its eighth day.

Ukraine President Calls For Direct Talks With Putin

KYIV, March 3: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying it was "the only way to stop this war."

"We are not attacking Russia and we do not plan to attack it. What do you want from us? Leave our land," he said, addressing Putin.

"Sit down with me. Just not 30 metres away like with (French President Emmanuel Macron)," the Ukrainian leader said, referring to Putin receiving world leaders at a now famous enormously long table.

Volodymyr Zelensky also called on the West to increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Russia would advance on the rest of Europe otherwise.

"If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!" Zelensky told a press conference. "If we are no more then, God forbid, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia will be next," he said, adding: "Believe me."

Zelensky -- who just weeks ago sought to calm Ukrainians over US allegations that Russia was planning to invade his country -- said: "Nobody thought that in the modern world a man can behave like a beast."

Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine last week.

Russia says it is not targeting civilian areas despite widespread evidence otherwise.

Ukraine on Wednesday said Russian planes hit a school, killing nine people, in the northern city of Chernihiv.

Kyiv says more than 350 civilians have been killed since Putin launched the invasion.

Quad Leaders Agree Ukraine Experience Shouldn't Be Allowed In Indo-Pacific

TOKYO/WASHINGTON, March 3: Leaders of the Quad grouping of countries -- the United States, India, Australia and Japan -- agreed on Thursday that what is happening to Ukraine should not be allowed to happen in the Indo-Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

A virtual meeting of the four-country grouping was held at a time of increased concern about Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China, which has stepped up its alert level, wary of China taking advantage of a distracted West to move against it.

"We've agreed that unilateral changes to the status quo with force like this should not be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region," Kishida said, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We've also agreed this development makes it even more important to work toward realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific," Kishida told reporters after the meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific, said on Monday the United States would keep its focus on the Indo-Pacific despite the Ukraine crisis, although this would be difficult and expensive. He said Washington has been deeply engaged in two theaters simultaneously before, including during World War Two and the Cold War.

The United States sees the Quad and its growing relations with India as essential to its efforts to push back against China in the Pacific, but it is in a delicate balancing act with New Delhi, given the latter's long-standing ties with Russia.

Of the four Quad countries, only India has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia is the main supplier of arms to the Indian military and India faces the possibility of U.S. sanctions for its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.

Analysts say any moves by Russia hawks in the Biden administration to impose sanctions on India for working with Moscow could backfire and set back cooperation in the Quad.

Campbell said on Monday that Washington remained "bullish" about its relationship with India.

"We have a deep dialogue with them on issues underway now," he told a Washington think tank. "We understand ... India's historic, long-standing relationship with Russia, but at the same time, ultimately, we believe that India will be moving in our direction."

Foreign ministry said before Thursday's meeting that it would follow a September summit of the Quad leaders in Washington and they would "exchange views and assessments about important developments in the Indo-Pacific."

It was not immediately clear on whose request the meeting was called. None of the Quad countries had flagged it earlier.

Quad foreign ministers met in Australia early last month and pledged to deepen cooperation to ensure the Indo-Pacific region was free from "coercion," a veiled reference to China's economic and military activities, and their leaders are set to hold a summit in Japan in May.

China has denounced the Quad as a Cold War construct and a clique "targeting other countries."

Indian Student Killed In Shelling In Ukraine's Kharkiv

NEW DELHI, March 1: An Indian student was killed today in shelling in Ukraine, the foreign ministry said as it urged Russia and Ukraine to secure safe passage for thousands of citizens stranded in the middle of war.

21-year-old Naveen Shekharappa, a final year medical student from Karnataka's Haveri, died when Russian soldiers blew up a government building on Tuesday.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," tweeted the External Affairs Ministry.

He added that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla "was calling in the ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones". It is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to the need for safe passage urgently, said sources.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the student's father and called his fourth meeting in three days on the Ukraine crisis. He had earlier despatched four ministers to Ukraine's border countries to coordinate evacuations.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, videos today showed extensive damage from Russian military assault after it launched an invasion last Thursday. The central square of the city was shelled by advancing forces, who hit a government building, this morning.

Naveen Shekharappa was standing in a queue outside a grocery store when he was hit.

Pooja Praharaj, a student coordinator in Kharkiv, said "He lived near the Governor's House and had been standing in the queue for food. Suddenly there was an air strike that blew up the Governor's House and he was killed."

A Ukrainian woman picked up his phone, said the student coordinator. "Speaking from his phone, she said the owner of this phone is being taken to the morgue," she shared.

This morning, the Indian Embassy advised all citizens, including students, to leave Ukraine capital Kyiv "urgently today, by trains or any other means available".

"The deteriorating situation in Kharkiv is a matter of grave concern. The safety and security of Indian nationals in that city is of utmost priority to Government," government sources said.

Satellite images showed a long convoy of Russian military vehicles on roadways northwest of Kyiv. Hundreds of tanks, towed artillery, armored and logistical vehicles can be seen in the images released by a US-based space technology company.

Around 16,000 Indian students are still stranded in Ukraine. Many students have shared photos and videos on social media from underground bunkers, metro stations and bomb shelters, where they have been hiding since the Russian attack started last Thursday. Around 9,000 Indian nationals have left by various special flights.

Several Indian students remain stuck in eastern parts of Ukraine, which is most affected by the Russian military offensive, and they are finding it difficult to travel by road to reach the western borders. Students have also been walking to the borders in sub-zero conditions, hoping to cross over and take a flight home.

Yesterday, the embassy had asked students to go to the railway station in Kyiv, where special evacuation trains have been arranged by Ukraine to take people to the western region.

Many students complained that they were not allowed to board the trains or they were mistreated by officials.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday after months of tension over the former Soviet republic's proximity to NATO.

European Parliament accepts Ukraine's application for EU membership

PARIS, March 1: One day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applied for Ukraine's membership to the European Union (EU), the European Parliament today accepted the request. The development came soon after Zelensky's address to the Parliament.

As per Nexta TV, Kyiv Independent, EU has agreed to make Ukraine a member.

Zelensky today received a standing ovation at the European Parliament, soon after his address was over. His address came amid tensions in Ukraine, but he said that the people of Ukraine are strong.

"We're fighting for our land & our freedom despite the fact that all our cities are now blocked. Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians." he said.

On Monday, Zelensky had signed the application for Ukraine to become a part of the European Union. The move came right after Ukraine and Russia held talks in Belarus.

Ukraine President Asks EU To 'Prove You Are With Us'

BRUSSELS, March 1: "Prove that you are with us," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the European Union on Tuesday, a day after Kyiv officially asked to join the bloc as it battles invading Russian forces.

EU lawmakers, many wearing #standwithUkraine T-shirts bearing the Ukrainian flag, others with blue-and-yellow scarves or ribbons, gave Zelenskiy a standing ovation as he addressed the European Parliament via video link.

"We are fighting to be equal members of Europe," Zelenskiy said in Ukrainian in a speech translated into English by an interpreter who spoke through tears.

"Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness," he said. "The EU will be much stronger with us."

Zelenskiy has remained in Kyiv to rally his people against the invasion. As he spoke to EU lawmakers and top officials, a Russian armoured column was bearing down on Ukraine's capital.

"We are (with you)," European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said in response to Zelenskiy's appeal, saying the EU would provide Ukraine with weapons, on top of slapping unprecedented sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine last week.

"And we will be with you to rebuild your beautiful country after your victory," he said.

The presidents of eight central and eastern European nations on Monday published an open letter calling for Ukraine to be granted immediate EU candidate status and for the start of formal membership talks.

Ukraine is well aware, however, that any membership process will be long and difficult, even if it manages after the war to avoid falling back under Moscow's domination.

Charles Michel, the chairman of EU leaders, told the EU Parliament after Zelenskiy's speech that the bloc would have to seriously look at Ukraine's "legitimate" request to join.

But he added: "It is going to be difficult, we know there are different views in Europe (about further enlargements)."

The European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution - by 637 votes to 13, with 26 abstentions - calling for tougher sanctions "aimed at strategically weakening the Russian economy and industrial base, in particular the military-industrial complex".

While Russian President Vladimir Putin "recalls the most dreadful statements of 20th century dictators", Zelenskiy is being "heroic", they said.

The European Parliament also urged EU leaders to be tougher on oligarchs and officials close to Putin, restrict oil and gas imports from Russia, ban Russia and its ally Belarus entirely from the SWIFT bank messaging system, and to close all EU ports to Russian ships or ships headed to or from Russia.

However, EU lawmakers rejected an amendment calling Russia a "rogue state".

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" aimed at ridding the country of leaders it characterises as "neo-Nazis and drug addicts".

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Putin's decision to invade Ukraine had had the effect of uniting countries against Russia.

"If Putin was seeking to divide the European Union, to weaken NATO, and to break the international community, he has achieved exactly the opposite," von der Leyen told the EU Parliament, a blue and yellow ribbon pinned to her jacket.