LIVE: Kremlin warns of cutting off gas supplies to more EU nations

Live news updates: Russia on Wednesday said that it is shutting off gas to two European Union nations, which have staunchly backed Ukraine

11:47 PM

Jaishankar discusses Ukraine conflict with Portuguese counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday discussed the progress of bilateral cooperation with his Portuguese counterpart Joao Cravinho and exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict.

 

"Good to welcome back @JoaoCravinho, now as FM of Portugal. Appreciate the strong and consistent support extended by Portugal in building our ties with the EU," Jaishankar tweeted after their bilateral meeting.

 

"Discussed the progress of our bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict," he said.

 

 

 

11:30 PM

Militant killed, soldier injured in encounter in Pulwama

An unidentified militant was killed while a soldier was injured during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday, police said.

 

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Mitrigam area of Pulwama following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

 

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire at the security forces.

 

In the exchange of fire, one militant was killed, the official said, adding that his identity is being ascertained.

11:19 PM

China, Russia, India, four others on US property rights 'Priority Watch List'

The United States on Wednesday placed India, China, Russia and four other countries on its annual 'Priority Watch List' for intellectual property protection and enforcement.

 

The other countries that have been put on the list issued by the Office of the US Trade Representative are Argentina, Chile, Indonesia and Venezuela.

 

All seven countries on this year's list were on last year's, too.

 

In its "Special 301 Report" on the adequacy and effectiveness of US trading partners' protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said these countries will be the subject of particularly intense bilateral engagement during the coming year.

10:52 PM

After Russia visit, UN chief Guterres arrives in Ukraine

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after his visit to Moscow where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin who agreed "in principle" to the involvement of the UN in evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

 

"I have arrived in Ukraine after visiting Moscow. We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support & secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. The sooner this war ends, the better for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world," Guterres tweeted.

 

Guterres and his team travelled from Rzeszow, Poland to Kyiv, Ukraine.

 

On Thursday, he will meet Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and is also expected to make a field visit.

10:36 PM

Thackeray urges people to follow Covid rules to stop possible 4th wave

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray appeals to people to use face masks when outdoors and take necessary precautions to restrict a possible fourth wave of the pandemic at the doorstep and prevent it from entering the state. Read more

10:12 PM

US goods trade deficit jump 17.8% to a record high in March

The U.S. trade deficit in goods widened to a record high in March, jumping 17.8% to an all-time high of $125.3 billion. Imports of consumer goods vaulted 13.6%, while those of motor vehicles increased 12.0%. Read more

 

9:44 PM

Indian Hotels turns report Rs 72 cr profit in Q4 against a loss last year

Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Co (IHCL) reports a consolidated net profit of Rs 71.57 crore in the March quarter against a consolidated net loss of Rs 97.72 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal. Read more

9:39 PM

Telangana rejects PM Modi's call to cut VAT on petrol and diesel

The Telangana government rejected the Centre's demands to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel in the state, saying it did not hike the tax in last seven years. The Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol in Telangana is 35.2 per cent while it is 27 per cent on diesel. Read more

9:35 PM

Sanctions can have unintended results in interconnected world: FM

In an interconnected world, sanctions can have unintended consequences, and India is trying to work through them, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 

Sitharaman's statement comes in the backdrop of economic sanctions, which have led to a fall in bilateral trade with Moscow, imposed on Russia by the US and European Union following the invasion of Ukraine in February this year. Read more

 

9:25 PM

Bajaj Auto Q4 net up 10% YoY to Rs 1,469 cr, revenue declines 10% to Rs 7,975 crore

Net profit at Bajaj Auto for the March quarter rose 10 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,469 crore from Rs 1,332 crore last year. Revenue from operations at the Pune-based firm declined 10 per cent YoY to Rs 7,975 crore from Rs 8,596 crore a year ago. Read more

9:07 PM

Options for Poland and Bulgaria as Russia halts gas supply

Russia's Gazprom has halted natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria as Moscow presses its demand for payment in roubles by countries it deems "unfriendly". Now, what are the options for Poland and Bulgaria? Read here

9:04 PM

US FAA likely to maintain highest safety rating for India

US aviation watchdog FAA has completed the audit of India’s aviation regulator DGCA and as per sources, it is is likely to maintain a Category 1 status rating under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme. Read more

8:39 PM

Ruble over 2-year high vs euro as Russia cuts off gas supplies

The rouble soared to a more than two-year high against the euro in Moscow trade on Wednesday, supported by existing capital controls and upcoming income tax payments, after Russia upped the ante in a gas dispute with Europe. Read more

8:18 PM

Russia warns of cutting off gas supplies to other EU nations

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warns of cutting off gas supplies to other European Union customers if they refuse to pay in rouble, a news report said. Read more

8:14 PM

Delhi sees 1,367 new Covid-19 cases; positivity rate at 4.50%

Delhi reports 1,367 fresh Covid-19 cases and one fatality, while the positivity rate stood at 4.50 per cent. It is the sixth consecutive day that the national capital recorded over 1,000 new cases in a day. Read more

7:55 PM

Maharashtra records 186 Covid-19 cases, zero deaths in 24 hrs

Maharashtra records 186 new coronavirus infections, including 112 in the state capital Mumbai, and zero pandemic-related deaths.

The state's Covid-19 caseload rise to 78,77,264 and the death toll remained unchanged at 1,47,838. Read more

7:37 PM

Oil prices dip as Europe turns away from Russian oil

Oil prices dipped as a soaring dollar made barrels more expensive and Europe's biggest economy Germany was speeding up plans to wean itself off Russian oil. 

Brent crude futures dipped 54 cents, or 0.5%, to $104.45 a barrel by 1259 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 79 cents, or 0.8%, to $100.91 a barrel.

 

7:25 PM

Moscow bans 287 UK lawmakers from Russia, PM Johnson reacts

Russia banned 287 British members of parliament from entering the country and accused them of fuelling "Russophobic hysteria" in Britain, drawing a defiant response from UK PM Boris Johnson.

"All those 287 should regard it as a badge of honour," Johnson, who was himself banned from Russia on April 16, said. Read more

7:20 PM

Europe decries 'blackmail' as Russia shuts off gas supplies to two EU nations

The European Commission accused Russia of blackmail after Gazprom halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday over their failure to pay in roubles, cranking up an economic war with Europe in response to Western sanctions. The EU, however, added that the bloc's gas buyers can engage with Russia's rouble-for-gas gambit provided certain conditions are met. Read more

7:10 PM

EU estimates up to 80% of its population by now has had Covid

The European Commission said that between 60% and 80% of the EU population was estimated to have been infected with COVID-19, as the bloc enters a post-emergency phase in which mass reporting of cases was no longer necessary. Read more

 

6:59 PM

Russia releases US Marine vet as part of prisoner exchange

Russia and the United States carried out a prisoner exchange today, trading a Marine veteran jailed in Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a long prison sentence in America, a senior US official said. Read more

6:57 PM

Gap between 2nd Covid jab, booster shot to be reduced to 6 months

The government is likely to reduce the gap between the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine and the precaution dose from the current nine months to six months, news agency PTI reports quoting official sources. 

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI)  is likely to recommend lessening the gap in a meeting due to be held on April 29, reports PTI. Read more

6:44 PM

Cabinet clears Rs 2,426 cr to upgrade 2G mobile sites to 4G in naxal areas

The Union Cabinet approved upgradation of 2G mobile sites to 4G in naxal-hit areas at a cost of Rs 2,426 crore, Anurag Thakur said. He added that the project is spread across Naxal-affected areas in 10 states and the task has been assigned to the state-owned telecom firm BSNL. Read more

6:16 PM

As cases surge, traders' associations across Delhi resume Covid-19 protocols

Amid rising Covid-19 cases in Delhi, traders' associations across the national capital resumed regular sanitisation, put up posters of dos and don'ts, and are ensuring proper masking in the markets.

Delhi has currently 4,168 active cases of Covid-19 as the national capital has been witnessing an uptick in coronavirus infections over the past few days. Read more

5:59 PM

Former IL&FS chairman Ravi Parthasarathy dies from prolonged illness

Former non-executive chairman of IL&FS Ravi Parthasarathy died at age 70 in Mumbai on Wednesday morning after a prolonged illness, said media reports.

He was suffering from cancer and had been hospitalised in Mumbai since last November. Read more

 

5:51 PM

HUL Q4 standalone net up 8.6% to Rs 2,327 crore, net sales rise by 10%

Hindustan Unilever posted standalone net profit rose 8.6 per cent to Rs 2,327 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2022. The company had posted net profit of Rs 2,143 crore in the year ago period.

HUL's net sales grew 10 per cent to Rs 13,190 crore for the period. Read more

5:44 PM

Siddaramaiah urges Centre for GST exemption on newsprint

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah requets Centre to exempt printing paper of newspapers from the purview of GST. He said many regulatory policies have affected their operations and finances. Read more

5:13 PM

Kyiv should take 'responsibility' for Ukrainian servicemen: Putin

Kyiv should take "political responsibility" for the Ukrainian servicemen and "militants of the nationalist battalions" blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant in Ukraine's Mariupol, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

He told Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that Mariupol has been liberated and there were no military operations there. Read more

4:51 PM

Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre, says 'Hate-in-India and Make-in-India can't coexist'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacks the Centre over reports of exit of automobile companies from India and alleged that the government is driving out business. In a tweet, he said, "The ease of driving business out of India. 7 Global Brands, 9 Factories, 649 Dealerships, 84,000 Jobs Modi ji, Hate-in-India and Make-in-India can't coexist! Time to focus on India's devastating unemployment crisis instead."

This came after Japanese auto maufacturer Nissan announced that it is halting the production of its Datsun vehicles in India. Read more

4:37 PM

Euro below $1.06 for first time in 5 years amid Ukraine war, China lockdown woes

The euro falls below $1.06 for the first time in five years against the US dolla amid rising concerns around energy safety and growth slowdown in China and Europe.

The euro slipped to a five-year low of $1.05860 after Russia announced that it would cut gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria, as the crisis in Ukraine deepened. It was 0.35% lower at $1.0601 at 1020 GMT. 

The single currency has fallen more than 4% so far in April and is heading for its worst monthly loss in more than seven years amid uncertainty around the Ukraine war and China's Covid lockdown measures. Read more