LIVE: No superpower can dictate terms to India, says Pakistan PM Imran Khan

Pakistan PM faces the possibility of being the first prime minister in Pakistan's history to be voted out in a no-confidence motion. Stay tuned for LIVE updates

11:52 PM

No superpower can dictate terms to India: Pak PM Imran Khan

11:40 PM

Imran Khan says he will not accept 'imported govt'; calls for street protests on Sunday

Hours before a no-confidence vote against him in Parliament, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday seemed to accept the writing on the wall and urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the "new imported government" comes into power on Sunday.

 

In an address to the nation ahead of the no-trust motion on Saturday where he has little chances of surviving unless some miracle occurs, 69-year-old Khan also expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's verdict on the National Assembly deputy speaker's controversial decision on the rejection of no-trust motion against him.

 

"I will not accept this imported government, I will take to street.Only people can bring me to power and I will come back with the help of the people," he said, adding that his supporters should come out on Sunday evening after the new government is expected to be set up.

11:13 PM

Over Rs 21K cr defence domestic capital procurement allocated for pvt firms

The Ministry of Defence has decided that 25 per cent of domestic capital procurement or acquisition budget, amounting to Rs 21,149.47 crore, will be earmarked for the domestic private industry in this financial year.

 

It is in continuation with the government's efforts to promote private industry, MSMEs and start-ups in the defence production eco-system.

 

Further, to foster innovation and encourage technology development in defence, it has also been decided that an amount of Rs 1,500 crore will be earmarked for procurement from start-ups, including iDEX start-up, from within the allocations for Domestic Capital Procurement. These steps will foster the growth of private industry, MSMEs and start-ups in the defence ecosystem.

11:03 PM

Pak PM Imran Khan says he will not accept 'imported government'; calls for street protests

A defiant Imran Khan said on Friday that he will not accept any "imported government" in Pakistan as he expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's verdict on the National Assembly deputy speaker's controversial decision on the rejection of no-trust motion against him. In a live-address to the nation ahead of the no-trust motion on Saturday, 69-year-old Khan asked his supporters to join him on the street on Sunday evening.

 

"I respect the Supreme Court and the judiciary, but the apex court should have looked at a threat letter before issuing its verdict, Khan said in his address perhaps last to the nation as the prime minister of the country.

 

Khan, who has effectively lost the majority in the 342-member house, repeated his allegations that a US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan.

10:53 PM

There is rampant horse-trading in the opposition camp: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

10:31 PM

Oil prices set for weekly fall on stockpile releases

Oil prices were stable on Friday in choppy trading but remained on course for a second weekly fall after countries announced plans to release crude from their strategic stocks.

 

Brent crude futures were up 77 cents, or 0.77%, at $101.35 a barrel by 12:19 p.m ET (1619 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 90 cents to $96.93.

 

Both contracts are set to fall for a second consecutive week, with Brent on course for a 3% slide and WTI for a 2.4% decline. The benchmarks have been at their most volatile since June 2020 for weeks.

10:23 PM

I am upset with the Supreme Court's decision: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

10:22 PM

IBBI reduces timelines for activities under voluntary liquidation process

IBBI has notified amendments to voluntary liquidation process regulations wherein timelines, including for distribution of proceeds from realisation, have been reduced in order to ensure faster exit for firms.

 

The amended regulations have come into effect from April 5.

 

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) is a key institution in implementing the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). According to an official release, it has been noticed that there has been a substantial delay in the completion of voluntary liquidation process.

10:07 PM

FIH Pro League: Indian women stun Netherlands 2-1 in first match

The Indian women's hockey team stunned Olympic champions Netherlands 2-1 in the first match of their double leg FIH Pro League tie. The Indians scored through Neha (11th minute) and Sonika (28th), both from penalty corners, to hand the home team a 2-0 lead at half time. After the change of ends, the Netherlands scored from a penalty corner through Jansen Yibbi in the 40th minute to reduce the margin.

 

This was India's fourth win in the FIH Pro League.

 

Even though the Netherlands have arrived here with a second-string side, it was a creditable performance from the Indians as they were also without three key players -- Lalremsiami, Salima Tete and Sharmila Devi, who were part of India's historic fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics.

9:53 PM

Ruchi Soya repays entire loans of Rs 2,925 crore

Edible oil major Ruchi Soya on Friday said it has repaid Rs 2,925 crore loans to banks and has become a debt-free company. Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved-led Ruchi Soya has recently raised Rs 4,300 crore through its follow-on public offer, and the part of the proceeds has been utilised to repay the debt.

 

Acharya Balkrishna, MD of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, tweeted that Ruchi Soya has become debt-free.

 

In its draft red herring prospectus, the company had mentioned that it would repay loan of around Rs 1,950 crore to the lenders, a company spokesperson said.

9:42 PM

Delhi govt to launch upgraded version of Rozgar Bazaar portal by mid-July

The Delhi government is likely to launch its advanced Rozgar Bazaar 2.0 portal by mid-July to effectively connect job seekers with private sector employers, officials said Friday. The portal's initial version was launched in July 2020 during the first wave of coronavirus to bring together job-seekers and employers on a common platform.

 

The officials said the first phase of the initiative was a success as more than 13 lakh applicants registered on the portal for 4.5 lakh available jobs. The artificial intelligence-based Rozgar Bazaar 2.0 portal will be equipped with several new features like upskilling and career guidance job-seekers.

9:23 PM

Russia-Ukraine war will impact consumers across globe: FAO

The Russia-Ukraine war will impact consumers across the world as it has increased food, energy and fertilizers prices and put the next global harvests at risk, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, QU Dongyu, warned on Friday.

 

A global food crisis of this scale last seen in 2008, can still be averted, he added.

 

In an address to the 169th session of FAO's Council, convened to discuss the consequences of the war on global food security, Qu emphasised the importance of keeping global supply chains functioning and highlighted FAO's work on the ground.

 

The meeting was held as food prices posted a 12.6 per cent rise from February, reaching a new all-time high in March, with cereals and vegetable oils prices surging, according to FAO's latest Food Price Index.

9:18 PM

Russian strike kills 50 at Ukraine rail station

At least 50 persons were killed in Friday's air strike at a crowded rail station in eastern Ukraine's contested Donbas region. A Russian missile hit the Kramatorsk city train station where thousands of people had flocked to flee the war, Ukrainian authorities said.

 

Photos from the scene showed bodies covered with tarps on the ground and the remnants of a rocket with the words For the children painted on it in Russian.

 

About 4,000 civilians were in and around the station, the office of Ukraine's prosecutor-general said, adding that most were women and children heeding calls to leave the area before Russia launches a full-scale offensive in the country's east.

9:14 PM

President of the EU Commission visits Ukrainian town of Bucha

8:56 PM

Ukraine's Odessa introduces weekend curfew over 'missile strike threat', reports AFP

Ukraine's Odessa introduces weekend curfew over 'missile strike threat', reports AFP quoting authorities

8:55 PM

Covid cases: Kerala, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Mizoram asked to take pre-emptive action in areas of concern

The Centre has advised Kerala, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Mizoram to take pre-emptive action in areas of concern to control any emerging spread of coronavirus infection after they reported a higher contribution to India's daily new COVID-19 cases.

 

In a letter to the four states and the union territory, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan underlined that regular monitoring and follow-up action in emerging areas of concern is crucial and that laxity at any level may nullify the gains in pandemic management so far.

 

States have been advised to follow the five-fold strategy ie., test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour with continued focus on monitoring clusters of new cases and required containment efforts for curbing the spread of infection and adequate testing and undertake required steps in areas reporting high case positivity.

8:29 PM

MSRTC staffers' stir outside Pawar's home: NCP to hold mute protests on Saturday

The NCP will stage mute protests in several parts of Maharashtra on Saturday to condemn the agitation outside party president Sharad Pawar's residence here by some MSRTC staffers. Maharashtra NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said state unit chief Jayant Patil has urged NCP workers to stage mute protests on Saturday for an hour sporting black ribbons near the statues of Mahatma Gandhi or Babasaheb Ambedkar across the state.

 

Tapase termed the agitation outside Pawar's residence during the day as a timid attack aimed at garnering publicity.

 

"Our workers and the people of Maharashtra know Pawar saheb's love for MSRTC workers. The authorities will probe who was behind the attack. But there was definitely some political conspiracy, Tapase alleged.

8:08 PM

NSE co-location case: CBI opposes bail plea of Chitra Ramakrishna

The CBI on Friday opposed the bail application of former managing director and chief executive officer of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna in the NSE co-location case.

 

The agency told Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal said that Ramkrishna was highly influential and may tamper with the documentary and digital evidence and manipulate the witnesses if released on bail.

 

It said that the nature and gravity of the offence were quite severe and had far-reaching repercussions on financial stability.

 

The petitioner was a high-ranking official of NSE during the relevant period. Incriminating evidence has already come to the fore against her. The consequences of granting bail will adversely affect the investigation, the agency told the court in its reply to her application.

8:04 PM

MSRTC workers protest outside Sharad Pawar’s residence in Mumbai

8:00 PM

IIT Kharagpur named one of the top universities of the world

IIT Kharagpur has been named as one of the top universities of the world for the study of several subjects in the domain of engineering, according to the latest edition of QS World University Ranking.

 

The institute ranked 37th in 2022 an improvement from its 44th position in 2021 in mineral and mining engineering and 80th in 2022 from 90th in 2021 in electrical and electronic engineering globally, an IIT Kharagpur release said on Friday.

 

In engineering and technology, which are the domains of the pioneering institute, it ranked 101st in the world and third in India, as per the 12th QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 announced on April 6, it said.

7:47 PM

New Japan moves hit Russian officials, trade

Japan is expelling eight Russian diplomats and trade officials and will phase out imports of Russian coal and oil.

 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that Moscow must be held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine and pointed to a critical moment now in efforts to get Russia's government to end its invasion of Ukraine.

 

He said Japan will also ban imports of Russian lumber, vodka and other goods, and will prohibit new Japanese investment in Russia. It will also step up sanctions against Russian banks and freeze assets of about 400 more individuals and groups.

                    

7:30 PM

RBI imposes penalties on Axis, IDBI Bank

Reserve Bank of India on Friday said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 93 lakh on Axis Bank for various violations, including those related to KYC guidelines. The central bank has also slapped a fine of Rs 93 lakh on IDBI Bank.

 

A monetary penalty of Rs 93 lakh has been imposed on Axis Bank for non-compliance of certain directions issued by RBI, the regulator said in a release.

 

The private sector lender violated certain provisions on loans and advances, Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines and 'levy of penal charges non-maintenance of minimum balances in savings bank accounts', it added.

7:13 PM

Pak's anti-terrorism court sentences 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in two more terror financing cases

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Friday sentenced Mumbai terror attack mastermind and banned Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed to 32 years in jail in two more terror financing cases.

 

Earlier in five such cases, the 70-year-old radical cleric had already been convicted for 36 years imprisonment.

 

The total sentence of 68 years imprisonment will run concurrently. Saeed may have to spend not many years in jail because his sentence will run concurrently, a lawyer told PTI.

 

On Friday, anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge Ejaz Ahmad Bhuttar handed down 32 years jail term to Saeed in two FIRs - 21/2019 and 90/2019 registered by the Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab Police, a court official told PTI.

7:03 PM

Kerala reports 353 fresh coronavirus cases in a day

Kerala reported 353 fresh cases of coronavirus and 75 related deaths on Friday, taking the total positives to 65,35,401 and the toll to 68,339.

 

Of the 75 deaths, three occurred in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 72 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the Health Department said.

 

Currently, there are 2,351 active COVID-19 cases in Kerala, it said and added that the State has tested 16,614 samples in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 325 people recuperated from the disease today. Among the districts, Ernakulam reported the highest number of cases with 95 followed by Thiruvananthapuram (68) and Kozhikode (33).

6:40 PM

Cabinet approves continuation of Atal Innovation Mission till Mar '23

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved continuation of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) till March 2023, according to an official statement.

 

The statement further said the intended targets that will be achieved by AIM include establishing 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) as well as 101 Atal Incubation Centers (AICs), and supporting 200 startups via the Atal New India Challenges.

 

Total budgeted expenditure of Rs 2,000 crore plus shall be incurred in the process of the establishment and supporting the beneficiaries, it added. The mission has been set up under the NITI Aayog, in accordance with the finance minister's declaration in the 2015 Budget speech.

6:29 PM

Pakistan anti-terrorism court sentences Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed to 31 years in jail

Pakistan anti-terrorism court sentences Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed to 31 years in jail: Pakistan media

6:20 PM

India successfully test fires missile system SFDR booster

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday successfully flight-tested a propulsion system that enables a missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds. The Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) booster was tested at the integrated test range in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

 

The successful trial of the SFDR is expected to help the DRDO in extending the range of air-to-air missiles, officials said. The SFDR-based propulsion enables a missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds.

 

The defence ministry said the flight testing of the SFDR was successful and it demonstrated the reliable functioning of all critical components involved in the complex missile system.

6:16 PM

Govt okays booster Covid shot for all adults at private centres from April 10

India opened ‘precaution dose’ or third shot for all adults at private vaccination centres from April 10. As the XE fear grips the world, India braces up to give a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine to all its adults. This time one has to pay for getting the jab at a private vaccination centre.

 

The Union Health Ministry on Friday said that the ongoing free government vaccination drive for first, second as well as precaution dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens would continue. The Health Ministry said that this drive would be further accelerated.

 

The move is expected to liquidate inventory lying with vaccine makers. Both Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech had stopped Covid19 vaccine production recently owing to low demand and inventory pile up. Private hospitals, however, are in a wait and watch mode, as they have stock lying with them. READ MORE...

6:09 PM

IEA details plan to release 120 million barrels of oil to cool prices

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has listed members' contributions to a 120-million-barrel release of crude and oil products from emergency stockpiles aimed at cooling global oil prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

The release of stocks by the U.S.-allied members of the IEA - which is made up of 31 mostly industrialized countries, but does not include Russia - would be their second coordinated release in a month and the fifth in the agency's history. It is the largest release from non-U.S. IEA countries, and the biggest by the United States.

6:06 PM

Ukraine records over 100 attacks on healthcare: WHO

Ukraine has recorded more than 100 attacks on healthcare, since the start of the war on February 24, the World Health Organisation has said. The attacks so far have claimed 73 lives and injured 51, the agency said.

 

Of the current total of 103 attacks, 89 have impacted health facilities and 13 have impacted transport, including ambulances.

 

"We are outraged that attacks on health care are continuing. Attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law. Peace is the only way forward. I again call on the Russian Federation to stop the war," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said at a press conference.