RUSSIA TO HALT SUPPLY IF PRICE CAPS IMPOSED: PUTIN

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened to cut off energy supplies if price caps are imposed on Russia’s oil and gas exports, warning the West it would be “frozen” like a wolf’s tail in a famous Russian fairy tale.

Cutting supplies from Russia, the world’s second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and the world’s top natural gas exporter, would roil global energy markets, leaving the world economy facing even higher energy prices.

Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Pacific city of Vladivostok, Mr. Putin said European calls for a price cap on Russian gas were “stupid”, and would lead to higher global prices and economic problems in Europe.

The Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies announced plans to impose a price cap on Russian oil exports last week in a move that could also restrict Russia’s ability to secure tankers and insurance from countries beyond the G7. Russia would walk away from its supply contracts if the West went ahead with its plans, Mr. Putin said.

The European Commission will propose a price cap on Russian gas, alongside measures including a mandatory EU cut in electricity use and a cap on the revenue of non-gas power generators, the bloc’s chief said on Wednesday.

“We will propose a price cap on Russian gas... We must cut Russia’s revenues which Mr. Putin uses to finance this atrocious war in Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.

Europe usually imports about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia. Since the conflict with Ukraine began, EU has pledged to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.

IMRAN KHAN VOWS NOT TO LET SHARIF, ZARDARI CHOOSE NEXT ARMY CHIEF

In a bid to clarify his remarks about the appointment of the army chief that prompted widespread criticism, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that his rivals were “distorting” his statements to pit him against the military and the judiciary.

“My criticism of the Pakistan Army is constructive in nature,” the former prime minister told a charged crowd during a political gathering in Peshawar. “The army is mine… the country is mine… strong institutions are a guarantee for the stability of the country,” he said.

Mr Khan insisted his words were taken out of context and said that propaganda had been unleashed against his party and him to discredit them.

“What did I say wrong,” Imran Khan asked the crowd. “I only asked for the appointment of the army chief on the basis of merit,” he said, adding that merit-based appointments were mandatory to strengthen any institution.

“I talked about merit in the selection of the army chief…what did I say wrong,” the PTI chief asked, referring to the criticism levelled against him in light of his controversial remarks. “I had also said that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari should not select the new army chief. Why did I say that…Nawaz Sharif is a convict… Should an absconder and a thief be allowed to select the army chief of Pakistan,” Mr Khan asked, rhetorically. He also referred to the Memogate affair and said Mr Zardari had asked the US through then Pakistan envoy Hussain Haqqani to “save his government from the army”.

“Are these the people who would select the army chief? Will we allow these crooks to make such important appointments,” the PTI chief asked.

He also raised his “third question” on the issue and asked whether those who came to power through an alleged foreign conspiracy should be allowed to choose the chief of army staff.

UNACCEPTABLE CENSORSHIP BY GOVT.: IMRAN

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the government on Wednesday of “unacceptable” censorship after authorities apparently blocked national access to YouTube to prevent a rally speech from being broadcast live.

“They are imposing complete blackout of my speeches not only from mainstream media but also by blocking YouTube,” he tweeted.

“This fascist govt. of cabal of crooks & their backers are willing to harm the interests of Pakistan simply out of fear of [his party] PTI’s soaring popularity. Utterly callous & unacceptable.”

LIZ TRUSS APPOINTS A DIVERSE U.K. CABINET IN SHAKE-UP

Another Indian-origin minister in the Cabinet, Agra-born Alok Sharma, retains his climate action job as the COP26 President, as does Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in a new top team that is otherwise a complete shake-up of the old guard.

London-born junior minister Ranil Jayawardena, of mixed Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, has been promoted as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Many senior Tories, who had backed Ms. Truss’ rival, British Indian former finance minister Rishi Sunak, find themselves without a job – including former justice secretary Dominic Raab, transport secretary Grant Shapps and health secretary Steve Barclay.

The process of appointing the Cabinet and junior ministerial roles began on Tuesday and will continue into Wednesday, when Ms. Truss addresses her first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons.

Ms. Truss has packed the top tier of her Cabinet with close allies, such as Therese Coffey as the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Wendy Morton as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and the first Tory female Chief Whip in charge of party discipline.

UKRAINE BACKS UN PEACE FORCE AT NUCLEAR PLANT

Ukraine’s nuclear operator said on Wednesday it would support the deployment of UN peacekeepers at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant, a day after the UN atomic watchdog called for a security zone around the site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report on Tuesday saying the situation at the nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, was “untenable”. The agency sent a team to the site last week.

It called for a demilitarised security zone to be established at the plant in southern Ukraine, which the Russians took over in March. There has been repeated shelling around the site, sparking fears of a nuclear disaster.

Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said on Wednesday it would support the deployment of UN peacekeepers to the facility and called for Russian troops to leave.

The head of Ukraine’s nuclear security agency warned Wednesday that a nuclear accident at the site could affect neighbouring countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that there was “no military equipment” at the plant in southern Ukraine, adding that he “certainly trusts” the IAEA report.

GRAIN DEAL MOSTLY HELPING EU: PUTIN

Russian President Putin said on Wednesday that “almost all” the Ukrainian grain shipped under a UNbacked deal to ease a global food crisis was reaching rich European nations and accused the West of deceiving developing countries. “Almost all the grain exported from Ukraine is sent not to the poorest developing countries, but to EU countries,” he said. Putin accused European countries of acting as “colonialists” and said they “onceagain simply deceived developing countries”.

“With this approach, the scale of food problems in the world will only grow,” Putin said. “Maybe we should think about limiting the export of grain and other produce along this route?” Putin asked. The July agreement brokered with the help of Turkey is valid for 120 days and is up for renewal in November. Wheat futures climbed as much as 6.9% after Putin criticised the grain deal.

BALTIC NATIONS TO RESTRICT ENTRY OF RUSSIANS

Vilnius : EU members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have agreed to restrict the entry of Russian citizens travelling from Russia and Belarus, their foreign ministers said on Wednesday. The three Baltic nations expect the entry ban to be in place by the middle of September, after it gets formal approval from the national governments, Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics said. “Border crossing by Russian citizens holding Schengen visas have dramatically increased. This is becoming a public security issue, this is also an issue of a moral and political nature.” Exceptions will be made for humanitarian and family reasons, lorry drivers, diplomats. Direct flights between Russia and the EU were cancelled after Russia invaded Ukraine. The scheme will be the first of its kind in the EU.

Finland, which also borders Russia, is not joining the ban due to legal uncertainty over whether it can refuse Russians with Schengen visas issued by other European nations.

NASAL VAX COULD STOP COVID: WHO

Geneva : Nasal vaccines could help to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control, the WHO said on Wednesday. China on Sunday launched the world’s first inhalable Covid vaccinemade by CanSino Biologics and administered through a nebuliser. And India approved a nasally-administered Covid vaccine for emergency use on Tuesday, developed by Bharat Biotech. The WHO said it wanted to see the data behind the vaccines to assess whether to approve them. WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said nasal vaccines generated immune response in the respiratory mucosa in the lungs. “You’re generating the first line of defence at where the virus enters and causes a lot of damage,” he explained. In doing so, nasal vaccines couldprevent a person from being infected and passing thevirus on.

SEARCH FOR CANADA STABBING SUSPECT WIDENS

Police on Wednesday widened their search for the second suspect in a deadly stabbing spree in western Canada, as a shattered Indigenous community ventured out of lockdown to mourn its dead. The Sunday attack in the James Smith Cree Nation Indigenous community and the town of Weldon — the motive for which remains unknown — killed 10 people. A manhunt for two brothers turned up the body of one of the brothers, 31-year-old Damien Sanderson, on Monday. Authorities said he very likely had been killed by his fugitive sibling, Myles Sanderson, 32. Several vigils were scheduled Wednesday evening.