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8:52 PM

Brussels says about $24 bln of Russian central bank assets frozen in EU

European Union states have reported the freezing of about 23 billion euros ($24.5 billion) of assets of the Russian Central Bank, a top EU official said on Wednesday, revealing for the first time a figure that was expected to be much higher. Russia has publicly said that Western sanctions led to the freezing of about $300 billion of its central bank's assets globally. Of these frozen assets, only less than one-tenth is in the EU, Reuters quoted EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders as saying.

8:25 PM

India to continue buying 'cheap' Russian oil, discount to be finalised: Source to Reuters

India will continue to buy "cheap oil" from Russia but has not finalised terms of the discount, said Reuters quoting a senior government official familiar with the matter Wednesday. "We will get cheap oil from Russia," the government official told reporters, adding that the average price at which the world's third largest oil importer buys crude is currently above $100 a barrel.

8:15 PM

More than 1.20 lakh fatal accidents reported in 2020: Govt report

As many as 1,20,806 fatal accidents were reported during the calendar year 2020, and victims were largely young people in productive age groups, according to a new report released by highways ministry. The report titled 'Road accidents in India -- 2020', said out of a total 1,20,806 fatal accidents, 43,412 (35.9 per cent) accidents happened on National Highways, 30,171 (25 per cent) on State Highways and 47,223 (39.1 per cent) on other roads, PTI reported.

7:48 PM

Mariupol official says first cargo ship to depart port in coming days

A Russian-backed official in the occupied Ukrainian port of Mariupol said on Wednesday that the first ship to leave since pro-Russian forces completed their capture of the city would leave in the next few days, the TASS news agency reported. The official said the ship would take around 3,000 tonnes of metals to Rostov-on-Don in Russia, TASS said.

 

7:27 PM

No deal on new EU sanctions against Russia expected at leaders' summit: Germany

The German government hopes talks on a fresh round of EU sanctions against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine will be completed soon but it will not be a topic at the forthcoming leaders' summit, a German official said on Wednesday. A decision on EU candidate status for Ukraine will not be made either, said the official, according to Reuters.

7:13 PM

Britain calls on Russia to let Ukraine export its grain

Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Wednesday called on Russia to let Ukraine export its grain to help countries where grain scarcity could trigger hunger.

Russia must "do the right thing", Wallace told reporters in Madrid where he met his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles, and open a grain corridor from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, according to Reuters.

6:31 PM

Yasin Malik imprisoned gets two life sentences: Court

Yasin Malik imprisoned: "Two life sentences and five punishments of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each have been awarded. All sentences are to run concurrently. A monetary penalty of over Rs 10 lakh has also been levied," lawyer Umesh Sharma was quoted by NDTV.com as saying. Different prison sentences and fines have been awarded for different cases. 

6:20 PM

Yasin Malik to spend life in prison, fined Rs 10 lakh: Delhi court

A court in Delhi sentenced Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of funding terrorists. Malik was fined Rs 10 lakh.

5:56 PM

Yasin Malik’s supporters clash with police in Srinagar

Yasin Malik’s supporters clashed with the police in Srinagar as a court in Delhi is about announce his punishment for terrorism, India Today TV news channel reports.

5:06 PM

RailTel says it logged highest ever consolidated income of Rs 1,628 cr

State-owned RailTel Corporation said on Wednesday it has achieved its highest ever consolidated income of Rs 1,628 crore in financial year 2021-22, registering a growth of 15 per cent over consolidated income of Rs 1,411 crore in FY 20-21. RailTel made profit before tax amounting to Rs 281 crore and profit after tax of Rs 209 cr during the Financial Year 21-22 on consolidated basis, it said. The company sets up telecom infrastructure.

4:46 PM

NHPC net profit rises 7 pc to Rs 515 cr in Q4

State-owned power firm NHPC on Wednesday posted an almost seven per cent rise in its consolidated net profit to Rs 515.90 crore in the March 2022 quarter. The company had reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 482.35 crore in the quarter ended March 2021, a BSE filing showed.

4:15 PM

Russian lawmakers vote to scrap upper age limit for military

Russia's State Duma approved a law on Wednesday removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the country's military, said Reuters. Currently, only Russians aged between 18 and 40 and foreigners aged 18 to 30 can enlist as professional soldiers in the Russian army.

 

3:59 PM

Sri Lanka PM Wickremesinghe appointed finance minister to lead debt talks

Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will double up as finance minister leading bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. 

Wickremesinghe, who was appointed this month following violent unrest, was sworn in by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Minister of Finance and Economic Stabilization and National Policies, according to a statement from the presidential media unit. 

3:49 PM

Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Raut, Sanjay Pawar to file Rajya Sabha papers Thursday

Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said he and party colleague Sanjay Pawar will tomorrow file their nomination papers for Rajya Sabha elections. Shiv Sena's Kolhapur district president Sanjay Pawar will be the party's second candidate for the June 10 elections, PTI reported.

3:44 PM

Germany to loosen Covid-19 entry rules over the summer

Germany's health minister says the government plans to suspend a pandemic rule requiring people to show proof of vaccination, a negative test result or recent recovery from COVID-19 to enter the country over the summer. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told a newspaper group in comments published Wednesday that the rule, which applies to everyone age 12 and above regardless of where they are travelling from, will be suspended from June 1 to the end of August, the AP reported.

2:52 PM

Chinese leader Xi defends record to UN human rights chief

Chinese leader Xi Jinping defended China's record to the top UN human rights official, saying each nation should be allowed to find its own path based on its particular circumstances and criticizing those countries that lecture others on human rights and politicie the issue.

Bachelet is in the middle of a six-day visit to China that includes stops in Xinjiang, a remote northwestern region where the Chinese government has been accused of human rights violations and genocide against the Uyghurs and other ethnic groups.

2:31 PM

Advanced economies to be back on track by 2024, says Gita Gopinath at WEF

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, IMF's Gita Gopinath said that the advanced economies will be back on track by 2024, but developing economies will be 5 per cent below where they would have been otherwise.

Economies worldwide have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and are slowly coming back into the recovery path.

She said the war in Ukraine has been a major setback to the global recovery.

 

2:15 PM

Indian palm oil imports could fall to 11-yr low, say dealers

India's palm oil imports could fall 19% to the lowest level in 11-years as soyoil, now cheaper, takes more market share as Indonesia's curbs on palm oil exports and New Delhi's move to allow duty-free imports of soyoil, reports Reuters quoting dealers.

Lower palm oil purchases by the world's biggest vegetable oil importer could put pressure on Malaysian palm oil prices and may lift soyoil imports to record highs and support US soyoil futures prices.

1:55 PM

China says conducted military exercise around Taiwan to warn US

China's military said it recently conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a "solemn warning" against its "collusion" with the United States, Chinese state media reported.

President Joe Biden during the Quad summit on Tuesday said the US would get involved militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.

But he said on Tuesday there was no change to the US policy.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command said it had recently carried out a patrol and drill in the airspace and sea around Taiwan.

1:40 PM

PM Modi holds Cabinet meeting after return from Quad

PM Narendra Modi held a Cabinet meeting after returning to the national capital from Tokyo where Quad summit took place on Tuesday.

Senior Cabinet ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Thakur, and Smriti Irani among others were present in the meeting.

12:40 PM

Kapil Sibal files for RS nomination

Lucknow | I had tendered my resignation from the Congress party on 16th May: Kapil Sibal after filing a nomination for Rajya Sabha elections, with the support of SP

12:23 PM

3 Pakistani terrorists of JeM neutralised: IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar

We've neutralised three Pakistani terrorists of JeM. They were active in this area for the last 3-4 months and we were tracking them. One police personnel also got martyred. Till now in this year, we've neutralised 22 Pakistani terrorists: IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar

 

12:21 PM

Yasin Malik produced before NIA Court in Delhi

Terror funding case: Yasin Malik produced before NIA Court in Delhi. He was convicted by the NIA Court on May 19th

11:14 AM

Encounter breaks out at Najibhat crossing in Baramulla: Police

An encounter breaks out at Najibhat crossing in the Kreeri area of Baramulla. Police and security forces are on the job: Police

10:57 AM

Hundreds of SpiceJet flights impacted after ransomware attack

Hundreds of SpiceJet airlines passengers were stranded at various airports due to a ransomware attack that impacted today's morning flight departures.

"Certain SpiceJet systems faced an attempted ransomware attack last night that impacted and slowed down morning flight departures today. Our IT team has contained and rectified the situation and flights are operating normally now," the SpiceJet tweeted after getting numerous queries over the delay in departure.

10:41 AM

Malali mosque-temple row: Prohibitory orders clamped in Dakshina Kannada

The district administration of Dakshina Kannada clamped prohibitory orders in the surrounding areas of the Malali mosque near Mangaluru city.

Temple structure was found on April 21 during the renovation of the mosque, stirring a controversy. Following this, the court had ordered the mosque management to stop the work.

The Hindu activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have decided to ascertain the truth about the mosque in the form of traditional way by posing "Tambula Prashne" before the priests on Wednesday (May 25).

 

10:16 AM

Need to have courage to take action: Harris on Texas school shooting

In an emotional address following the school shooting incident in Texas, US Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the attack while calling for "action and taking a stand".

"Enough is enough. As a nation, we have to have the courage to take action and have the courage to take a stand," she said, calling the attack a 'heartbreaking tragedy'.

9:54 AM

US official heads to India to discuss Russian oil purchases

A Biden administration official headed to India to talk with officials and private industry about sanctions, the Treasury Department said, as Washington seeks to keep New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil from rising.

Elizabeth Rosenberg, the assistant secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, will visit New Delhi and Mumbai through Thursday, a Treasury spokesperson said.

9:35 AM

'When are we going to stand up?': Biden on Texas school shooting

At least 18 students were killed in a Texas elementary school after a gunman opened fire, according to a state senator who said he was briefed by law enforcement.

Reacting to the incident, US President Joe Biden said, "When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?" He made his statement from  the White House shortly after returning from a five-day trip to Asia.

With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, Biden added, I am sick and tired. We have to act.

9:13 AM

India records 2,124 new cases of Covid; active tally at 14,971

India on Wednesday reported 2,124 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total caseload to 43,142,192. With 17 new deaths in the country, India's Covid death toll jumped to 524,507. 

India's active cases stand at 14,971 with net increase of 130.
Meanwhile, 1,977 people recovered from the Covid-19 disease on Wednesday, taking the tally of cured cases to 42,602,714.