Top 10 headlines: US sanctions Putin's kin, Sunil Jakhar denies 'insulting' Dalits & more

Jolt To Abdullah's NC As Party's Mathwar Unit Joins BJP Ahead Of J&K Elections

In a jolt to Omar Abdullah's National Conference party before the J&K election, the Mathwar unit of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), including a block development council and eight sarpanches and panches, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The senior party leader of the state BJP, Devender Singh Rana, welcomed the new members and described the development as a wind of change..   

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Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Abducting Civilians And Using Them As 'prisoners Of War'

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate on day 43, the Ukrainian administration is now accusing Russia of kidnapping Ukrainian civilians. According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova, Russian troops are now kidnapping Ukrainian men and passing them off as "prisoners of war".

Denisova accused the Russian troops of abducting civilians while retreating from Kyiv. Accusing the Russian troops of committing human rights violations, the Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova said that the retreating troops were abducting civilians from Ukraine. She said that the kidnapped Ukrainian men were being passed as "prisoners of war” and were being kept in detention centres. She claimed that these men were being used on Russian media for propaganda.

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Zelenskyy Instructs Lawmakers To Formalise Trade Halt With Russia As War Enters Day 43

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directed the Kyiv lawmakers to formalise Ukraine's trade halt with Russia. In a statement by the presidential press service, authorities on Wednesday informed that the cessation of bilateral trade comes after Ukraine completely terminated import and export operations following the Russian onslaught on February 24.

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UK Working With G7 Partners On Fresh Sanctions Against Russia, Says Liz Truss

As the Western nations continue to impose fresh sanctions on Russia in wake of its invasion of Ukraine, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced that she has been working with G7 allies to impose fresh sanctions against additional Russian banks. According to The Telegraph, Truss said, “I am working with our G7 partners to crack down on more Russian banks and agree on a clear timetable to eliminate our imports of Russian oil, gas and coal." 

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Sunil Jakhar Denies 'insulting' Dalits Amid Rising Criticism; Slams 'armchair' Cong Netas

Accused of using objectionable language against Dalits, former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar clarified that he has always respected every caste and religion. Earlier on Wednesday, ex-Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka played a clip from Jakhar's TV interview where the latter is heard questioning the party leadership for reposing faith in Charanjit Singh Channi - Punjab's 1st Dalit CM.

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Pak Envoy's Transfer Is Part Of 'threat Letter Drama' By Imran Khan: PML-N VP Maryam Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday claimed that the overnight transfer of the Pakistani ambassador to the US to Belgium was a part of the "drama" put up by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Speaking at a press conference, Nawaz said that the main character behind the so-called "threat letter" to Imran Khan, allegedly from a foreign country, was a conspiracy to draw public sympathy. She alleged that the letter in question was drafted by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Gorakhnath Temple Attack: Police Suspect Accused Ahmad Abbasi Was 'self-radicalised'

In a new development in the Gorakhnath temple attack case, the police now suspect that the accused was self-radicalised. Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi, the man who attacked two policemen outside the Gorakhnath temple on April 3, was transferred to Lucknow for further inquiry on Wednesday.

The case is being investigated by a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police and a further probe is underway.

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China Doubts AUKUS Again; 'US, UK, Australia Using Old Trick Akin To Cold War Mindset'

Since the formation of the trilateral defence partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia under the ambit of AUKUS, an intimidated China has repeatedly voiced its dissent to the association and the same has only grown louder over time.

While Beijing perceives AUKUS as a corollary to the 'Cold War' mindset of Joe Biden, UK PM Boris Johnson and Australian PM Scott Morrison, experts view the pact as the trio's bid to be visible in the Indo-Pacific region and counter XI Jinping's assertiveness and advancements. 

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Joe Biden Sanctions Putin's Family Over Ukraine War; Condemns Civilian Killings In Bucha

US president Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the chilling war atrocity witnessed in the northwest town of Bucha in Ukraine as he pledged to hold "the perpetrators accountable." In a speech at Washington DC on Wednesday, the US commander in chief slammed the invading Russian troops, who he said committed acts of " brutality and inhumanity" that had been left for all the world, including Washington, to see. "Civilians executed in cold blood and bodies dumped into mass graves. A sense of brutality and inhumanity left for all the world to see unapologetically," said Biden. "There is nothing less happening than major war crimes," he went on to add. 

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Italian PM Says Embargo On Russian Gas Not On The Table; Vows To Follow EU's Decision

While the European Union weighs its next round of sanctions on Russian gas over the war in Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said no embargo on gas supplies from Moscow is currently being considered. However, he said, "if an agreement on the matter is reached, Italy will preferably go along with it." "As of now, a proposal for the gas embargo is not yet on the table. I don't know if it will ever be on the table," Draghi added. Speaking to the reporters on Wednesday in the national capital, Rome, the Prime Minister of Italy asserted he was impassioned in "securing peace" rather than "saving money" on the purchase of Russian gas. Notably, Italy is mostly dependent on Russian gas and imports nearly 40% of the gas from Moscow. 

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