BIDEN ACCUSES RUSSIAN TROOPS OF COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN UKRAINE

US President Joe Biden has accused Russian forces of committing acts of genocide in Ukraine.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to "wipe out the idea" of a Ukrainian identity.

The US has historically been reluctant to use the word genocide due to a duty to intervene if the term is used.

French President Emmanuel Macron later said he was reluctant to use the word. The Kremlin called Mr Biden's comments "unacceptable".

But Mr Biden insisted on Tuesday night that evidence of genocidal acts by Russian troops was mounting.

"More evidence is coming out of the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine," the president said. "And we're going to only learn more and more about the devastation. We'll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has not held back from accusing Russia of genocide and crimes against humanity following the discovery of mass graves in the city of Bucha, said Mr Biden's comments were "true words of a true leader".

"Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil," Mr Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Biden announced an $800 million military aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday as international prosecutors declared the war-torn Western ally a "crime scene" amid fears of a massive revamped Russian assault.

OVER 1,000 UKRAINIAN TROOPS, INCLUDING WOMEN, SURRENDER IN MARIUPOL, CLAIMS RUSSIA

Russia said on Wednesday more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered in the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol. In a statement, Russian defence ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said as many as 1,026 troops from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade surrendered at a metal plant in the Ukrainian city.

Konashenkov added that these troops included 162 officers and 47 women personnel, and that a total of 151 wounded were given medical treatment.

Ukraine is yet to comment on the alleged mass surrender, according to foreign news agencies. However, Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych took to Twitter earlier today to say that elements of the 36th Marine Brigade had managed to link up with other forces - Azov regiment, in the city due to a “risky manoeuvre”.

“Let's not lose. The army known what it's doing,” Arestovych's tweet, roughly translated to English, read.

Meanwhile, during an address to Baltic nation Estonia's parliament earlier in the day, Zelensky claimed that Russia was using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine, accusing Moscow of adopting terror tactics against civilians. He further stated that instruments were required to be found to put pressure on Russia to stop forcibly deporting Ukrainians, and reiterated his call for imposing more sanctions against the country.

Zelensky's claim comes a day after US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that Washington has “credible information” that Russia “may use…chemical agents” in its offensive in Mariupol. Blinken, however, added that the US is “not in a position to confirm” reports that Russia has already used chemical weapons in the besieged Ukrainian port city.

The Ukrainian president's address to the Estonia parliament comes on a day when his counterparts of all three Baltic countries - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and Poland are headed to Kyiv to meet him.

BIDEN OR HARRIS TO VISIT UKRAINE? US LIKELY TO SEND ‘TOP-LEVEL' OFFICIAL

The United States is considering sending a ‘top-level' official to Ukraine to meet the war-torn nation's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, reports have emerged, also stating that US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are among the candidates under consideration to visit the east European nation.

However, the reports also noted that it is more likely that secretary of state Antony Blinken or Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary, will be tasked with visiting Ukraine

These reports come at a time when several European heads of state and government heads have gone to Ukrainian capital Kyiv to meet President Zelensky. Last Friday, European Commission president Ursula von der Loyen was in the city, while a day later, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the visitor. However, while the former made a scheduled trip, the latter arrived on an impromptu one.

Meanwhile, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said Russia had engaged in "clear patterns of international humanitarian law violations."

FINLAND TO DECIDE ON NATO MEMBERSHIP ‘WITHIN WEEKS’

Rattled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland’s Prime Minister said on Wednesday the Nordic nation would decide whether to apply for NATO membership “within weeks”, despite the risk of infuriating Moscow.

Helsinki’s Parliament will next week open a debate about joining the Western alliance after the Ukraine war sparked a dramatic U-turn in public and political opinion in Finland and neighbouring Sweden over long-held policies of military non-alignment.

Attempting to join NATO would almost certainly be seen as a provocation by Moscow, for whom NATO’s expansion on its borders has been a prime security grievance.

But Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Finland would now decide quickly on whether to apply for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

“I think it will happen quite fast. Within weeks, not within months,” Ms. Marin told a Stockholm press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.

Sweden is also discussing NATO membership following Russia’s February 24 invasion.

AMID WORSENING CRISIS, SRI LANKA'S OPPOSITION SIGNS NO-TRUST AND IMPEACH MOTION

Amid the country's worst-ever economic crisis, Sri Lanka's main opposition today signed a no-confidence and impeachment motion against the incumbent government. The opposition had on Friday announced that it will move a no-confidence motion against the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and is prepared to impeach the embattled leader if he fails to address the concerns of the public facing hardships due to the economic crisis.

About 50 members of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) have signed the motion and are waiting for more opposition parties to join.

The opposition in Sri Lanka requires 40 members from different opposition parties to sign before they move a no-confidence and impeachment motion in the parliament.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa announced the move on his official Twitter account, saying, "without change, we will not stop".

"WITHOUT CHANGE, WE WILL NOT STOP. @sjbsrilanka signing of No Confidence Motion & Impeachment Motion. Constitutional Amendment to abolish Executive Presidency & Repeal 20th Amendment on the way," the tweet said, along with a picture of Mr Premadasa signing the document.

President Rajapaksa had proposed the creation of a unity government, but Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) rejected the idea.

CHINA HESITATES ON BAILING OUT "SINKING SHIPS" SRI LANKA, PAKISTAN

The United States, over the past few years, has accused China of using "debt diplomacy" to make developing nations across the world more dependent on Beijing.

For instance, Sri Lanka and Pakistan -- both friends of China facing dire financial situations as inflation soars -- show that President Xi Jinping's government is becoming more reluctant to pull out the checkbook.

It is reported that China still has not made good on a pledge to re-issue loans totaling $4 billion that Pakistan repaid in late March, and it has not responded to Sri Lanka’s pleas for $2.5 billion in credit support.

While China has pledged to help both countries, the more cautious approach reflects both a refining of Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative as well as a hesitancy to be seen interfering in messy domestic political situations.

Presently, China is facing its own economic troubles, with lockdowns to contain the country's worst COVID outbreak since early 2020 shutting down the technology and financial hubs of Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Premier Li Keqiang on Monday told local authorities they should "add a sense of urgency" when implementing policies as analysts warn the official growth target of a 5.5% is now in jeopardy.

China’s role in helping to resolve ongoing crises in South Asia may be limited despite its status as a major creditor.

BORIS JOHNSON REJECTS CALLS TO RESIGN AMID ‘PARTYGATE’ FINE

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to resign after being fined for breaking his government’s pandemic lockdown rules, saying he would instead redouble efforts to strengthen the economy and combat Russian aggression in Ukraine.

London police fined Mr. Johnson and other people on Tuesday for attending a birthday party thrown for the Prime Minister at his Downing Street offices on June 19, 2020. The penalty made Mr. Johnson the first British Prime Minister ever found to have broken the law while in office.

Gatherings of more than two people were banned in Britain at the time of the birthday party to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Opposition lawmakers demanded Mr. Johnson’s resignation, arguing the fines given to him and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak were evidence of “criminality” at the heart of the government. The Opposition argued that the Downing Street gathering demonstrated that Mr. Johnson and his supporters believe the rules don’t apply to them.

Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson suffered the first ministerial resignation from his British government. Justice minister David Wolfson, a peer in the U.K.’s unelected upper House of Lords, cited the “repeated rule-breaking” and “breaches of the criminal law” in Downing Street as his reason for quitting.

“The scale, context and nature of those breaches mean that it would be inconsistent with the rule of law for that conduct to pass with constitutional impunity,” Wolfson said in a letter to Johnson published on Wednesday.

XI SAYS ‘MUST NOT RELAX COVID CONTROL' AMID WIDE CONCERNS

China must not relax Covid control and prevention measures, president Xi Jinping has said in his latest remarks as the country continues to battle a surge driven by the Omicron variant. But reports suggest that patience is wearing thin among locals in the financial hub of Shanghai - that has emerged as the latest hotspot - as the authorities continue to underline on zero Covid tolerance - a policy that is said to have helped the country keep cases under a check soon after the start of the pandemic. Presently, the costs - aggravated by curbs - seem to be rising too.

"Prevention and control work cannot be relaxed," Xi was quoted as saying in a Bloomberg report as he visited the island province of Hainan. The Covid spike has emerged as a challenge for the Chinese leader who is expected to seek a third term in the autumn of 2022 during a Communist Party congress.

Millions of people have been locked in the city of Shanghai, triggering frustration among masses. Visuals shared on social media have shown people shouting from their houses.

The city is also said to be battling with a BA.2 driven surge like some European nations, including France, Germany and Italy.

Shortages of food, medicine and stringent lockdown measures have made life difficult for the Chinese residents. Earlier this week, authorities assured cubs would be eased.

The tough lockdown measures have helped the country keep cases under control even as the US and other nations saw unprecedented surge.

However, in the last two months, the country has yet again seen an uptick after a break of nearly two years.

IMRAN UNDER PROBE FOR SALE OF NECKLACE GIFTED TO HIM AS PM

Islamabad : Pakistan’s top investigative agency has opened an inquiry against former PM Imran Khan over allegation that a necklace received as a gift during his tenure was sold to a jeweller for Rs 18 crore instead of being deposited to the state gift repository, a media report said on Wednesday. The necklace Khan received as a gift was not sent to the tosha-khana (state gift repository), but given to former special assistant Zulfikar Bukhari, who sold it to a jeweller in Lahore for Rs 18 crore, Express Tribune newspaper reported. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated a probe against Khan over the allegations, the report added. Public gifts can be kept in the personal closet by paying half price of it but Khan, who lost a no-trust vote in parliament last week, deposited a few hundred thousand rupees in the national exchequer which was illegal, the report said. Meanwhile, in another setback for Khan’s party, eight members of PTI’s social media team have been arrested for allegedly running a vilification campaign against army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The arrests were made by FIA on Tuesday from different parts of the Punjab province.

MAN WANTED IN BROOKLYN SUBWAY ATTACK ARRESTED

A man who posted numerous social media videos decrying the U.S. as a racist place awash in violence and recounting his struggle with mental illness was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, a day after an attack on a subway train in Brooklyn left 10 people wounded by gunfire. Frank R. James, 62, was taken into custody, officials said on condition of anonymity.

DEATH SENTENCE FOR FOUR EXTREMISTS INVOLVED IN BANGLADESHI WRITER’S KILLING

A Bangladesh court sentenced four extremists to hang on Wednesday for their fatal machete attack on a celebrated writer, in a case that took nearly two decades to reach a verdict.

The men brutally maimed award-winning author and language professor Humayun Azad outside a book fair in 2004 — the first in a wave of violent attacks on free speech advocates in the Muslim-majority country.

Images of a blood-soaked Azad after the attack shocked the country, and a legion of fans mourned when the 56-year-old died several months later while seeking treatment in Germany.

Two of the attackers are still at large, and a fifth member was shot dead by police in 2014 after attempting to flee a prison van.

“Four were handed down the death penalty over the murder including two who were sentenced to death in absentia,” Abdullah Abu, chief prosecutor in the capital Dhaka, said.

The perpetrators were members of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned Islamist outfit whose leader ordered Azad’s murder after the author penned a book that criticised fundamentalists.