Top 10 headlines: Imran Khan lauds India's fuel price cut; Gyanvapi Mosque Row & more

Ahead Of QUAD Summit, India Calls For Immediate Cessation Of Hostilities In Ukraine

India on Saturday reiterated its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine as the war continued for its 88th day. Reiterating that the path of “diplomacy and dialogue” is the best policy to resolve the ongoing Russian invasion, India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra called for peace. New Delhi, which shares close ties with Moscow, is walking a tightrope between both the warring sides but has stayed firm on its call for peace in eastern Europe. 

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PM Modi Interacts With Thomas Cup Champions, Congratulates Them On Behalf Of Nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with the members of the Indian Men's Badminton Team who scripted history earlier this week to win the country's first-ever gold medal at the Thomas Cup. PM Modi congratulated the players on behalf of the nation for achieving the landmark victory in the competition. The players shared their experiences from the tournament and also talked about different aspects of the game with PM Modi. 

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Assam Cops To Probe 'organised Attack' After Mob Sets Station On Fire Over Custodial Death

Assam Police on Saturday released an official statement concerning the fire incident reported at Batadroba police station and said 'preparedness of organised attack' will be probed. According to Police, an angry mob set the station on fire alleging that a man has been killed in custody. 

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Imran Khan Lauds India On Fuel Price Cut; Seeks 'independent Foreign Policy' In Pakistan

The Centre's decision to cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs.8 per litre and Rs.6 per litre respectively found an unlikely admirer in ousted Pakistan PM Imran Khan. Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Imran Khan lauded India for sustained pressure from the US despite being a part of the Quad and purchasing discounted oil from Russia. According to him, his government was seeking to follow a similar independent foreign policy to provide relief to the masses just like India. 

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Centre Reduces Excise Duty On Petrol & Diesel; Check Out New Rates Across Cities Here

After a big move to bring down the fuel rates in India, as the Union Government slashed the Central excise duty on petrol by Rs 8 per litre and on diesel by Rs 6 per litre, fuel prices have fallen today, as on May 22 after remaining unchanged for the last 45 days. It is pertinent to mention that the excise duty cut will translate into a reduction of Rs 9.5 a litre on petrol and Rs 7 per litre in diesel after taking into account its impact on other levies.

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BJP Demands Nawab Malik's Resignation After PMLA Court Takes Cognizance Of ED Charge Sheet

After a PMLA court took cognizance of the ED charge sheet against NCP Minister Nawab Malik, BJP on Saturday renewed its demand for his ouster from the Maharashtra Cabinet. Taking note of the ED's allegation that the NCP MLA connived with D-company members to usurp prime property, special judge Rahul R Rokade observed that there is prima facie evidence to indicate that the accused is directly and knowingly involved in a money laundering offence. Reacting to this, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Pravin Darekar urged Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to immediately sack Malik. 

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Zelenskyy Talks To Italian PM; Discusses Defence Cooperation & Opening Of Ukrainian Ports

Amid the brutal Russia-Ukraine war, the President of war-torn Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on bilateral defence cooperation. Over the telephonic conversation, both the leaders talked about the necessity to implement the European Union's sixth package of sanctions against Russia. Zelenskyy also highlighted the importance of opening Ukrainian ports.  

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EU Proposes Suspension Of Russia, Belarus From World Customs Organisation Amid War

As the Russian onslaught continues in Ukraine for over 80 days, the European Union and its partner countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Australia and Canada have decided to propose a suspension of Russia and Belarus' participation in the World Customs Organisation (WCO). Belarus has been blamed for helping the Russian Federation conduct the military operation in Ukraine. The European Union and its member countries also reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and criticized the Russian invasion, calling for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence to be respected. The EU member countries stated that this invasion raises questions about Russia's commitment to international institutions, laws and regulations.

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Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska: 'Nobody Takes My Husband Away From Me, Not Even War'

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska, on Saturday, addressed media reporters alongside her husband Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking only the second time that the couple appeared together since the war started in February. Olena, who has lately used social media to galvanise support for her country, revealed how she found out about the war and also spoke about its repercussions on her family. “Nobody takes my husband away from me, not even the war,” she asserted as Putin’s military operation continued for the 12th week.  

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Gyanvapi Mosque Row: 2021 Video Of Basement Accessed; Inside Details Here

Amid the legal battle over the Gyanvapi row, Republic TV accessed a video from inside one of the basements in the mosque complex dating back to November 2021. Speaking exclusively to Republic TV on Sunday, Shailendra Vyas claimed that several symbols of the Hindu religion such as Swastik and Trishul were found in this basement. He is the grandson of Somnath Vyas who moved the Varanasi civil court in 1991 seeking the mosque land to be handed over to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. He had argued that the Gyanvapi mosque was purportedly built on the remnants of the Visweshwar temple. 

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