New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the national capital would have been the safest place had law and order been under the AAP dispensation instead of the Lt Governor.

His comments, however, drew a sharp reaction from Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi, who claimed that Kejriwal does not understand the law.

Kejriwal's remarks came after two women were allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants in RK Puram in southwest Delhi on Sunday morning.

MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/: Russia’s special military operation started to defend the Donbass region and now it has virtually turned into a war with the collective West, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with RT commenting on the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine.

"In fact, the special military operation against Ukraine, against the Kiev regime, was launched to ensure the safety of the people of Donbass. This is correct. Now it is practically a war between Moscow and the collective West," the Kremlin spokesman said.

BERLIN, June 18 (Reuters) - Germany said on Sunday a request by Mali's military junta for the United Nations peacekeeping force to leave the country "without delay" is politically motivated and Berlin still aims for an orderly withdrawal of its troops by May 2024.

Mali's interim military authorities made the request on Friday, citing a "crisis of confidence" between Malian authorities and the decade-long U.N. mission known as MINUSMA, which has struggled to protect civilians and its own troops.

Noida, Jun 18 (PTI) Eighty-six per cent of the households in Noida and 94 per cent in Uttar Pradesh have experienced daily power outages in the ongoing month of June, according to a survey by a social media platform.

The findings are based on responses from over 14,000 respondents located in 56 of the 75 districts of the state, the survey conducted by LocalCircles said.

According to the survey, 94 per cent of households in Uttar Pradesh surveyed say they have been facing power outages daily in June.

PARIS, June 18 (Reuters) - The European Union is speeding up arms deliveries to Ukraine in support of the country's counter offensive against Russian forces, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Sunday in an interview with the French daily Le Parisien.

"We are going to step up our efforts to deliver arms and ammunition-- this is a war of high intensity in which they play a crucial role," Breton said, citing a pledge to supply a million high-calibre weapons over the next 12 months.

"We are preparing for the war to last several more months, or even longer," he added.

18 June 2023; MEMO: Iran and Saudi Arabia expressed satisfaction Saturday with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, reports Anadolu Agency.

President Ibrahim Raisi received Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan, who is in Tehran on an official visit, according to Iran's official news agency, IRNA.

MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/: Ukraine’s statements about "killing Russians" will have repercussions from Russia, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" TV program, published by journalist Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel.

"This is what our enemies say, and we must fight them. You can't threaten Russians with murder," Peskov said in response to statements on the subject by Ukrainian Presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak and other Ukrainian officials.

London, Jun 18 (PTI) A 50-year-old Indian-origin man, who was accused of using the lure of jobs at his massage parlour to rape young women across London, has been sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment following a Scotland Yard investigation.

Raghu Singamaneni was unanimously found guilty by the jury of the rape and sexual assault involving four women and sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday.

LEWISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A state trooper and a suspect were killed Saturday in a shootout in central Pennsylvania, hours after the suspect seriously wounded another trooper, state police said.

Police in Juniata County said a man engaged troopers at about 12:45 p.m. near the Lewistown barracks and shot one trooper, who was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

17 June 2023; MEMO: Turkiye is looking to increase its exports to $265 billion by the end of 2023, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

"Despite the negative global economic outlook, we want to increase our exports to $265 billion at the end of this year and $285 billion next year," Erdogan said addressing the 30th Ordinary General Assembly of Turkish Exporters Assembly and Export Champions Award Ceremony in Ankara.

Islamabad, Jun 18 (PTI) Pakistan's Senate has passed a bill to ensure no parliamentarian is disqualified for a lifetime, a move termed by the Opposition as an attempt to clear the way for former premier Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country and his participation in the upcoming elections.

Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in 2017 by a five-member bench of the Supreme Court. In 2018, he became ineligible to hold public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict.

Ballia (UP), Jun 18 (PTI) Fifty-four people admitted at a district hospital in this Uttar Pradesh district have died in the last three days, health officials said on Sunday.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jayant Kumar said two people have died due to heat stroke in Ballia district till Sunday.