News LIVE updates: Germany refuses to boycott Russian energy

News Live Updates: Zelensky had earlier said that Ukraine would not compromise on its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

11:52 PM

Indian refiners hike crude processing in February to meet demand rise

Crude oil processing by Indian refiners rose about 10% year-on-year in February, provisional government data showed, as demand in the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer grew. Throughput in February rose 9.8% to 5.35 million barrels per day (20.44 million tonnes), the data showed on Tuesday.

 

But processing fell 5.8% from January, with a drop at Indian Oil Corp's Bongaigaon Refinery in Assam due to a power failure.

 

India's fuel consumption had its biggest year-on-year jump since August 2021, up 5.4% in February compared with the same month in 2021, although soaring oil prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine could slow the recovery.

 

11:27 PM

Germany refuses to boycott Russian energy

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has again dismissed calls to boycott Russian energy supplies in the wake of the attack on Ukraine. Scholz said Tuesday that the sanctions already imposed on Russia were already hitting its economy and this will only get more dramatic every day.

 

At the same time, the sanctions were designed to be tolerable for those imposing them, including in the long term, he said. That is why Germany's position on this question (of an energy boycott) remains unchanged, said Scholz. He added that other countries in Europe are even more dependent on Russian oil, coal and gas than Germany and nobody must be left standing out in the rain in this regard.

11:20 PM

Russia opens criminal case against journalist over 'false' info on Russian army: AFP News Agency

Russia opens criminal case against journalist over 'false' info on Russian army: AFP News Agency

11:20 PM

Delhi govt announces plan to move 78K families living in slums to permanent houses

The Kejriwal government on Tuesday announced a plan to rehabilitate 78,000 families residing in slums to permanent houses in Delhi.

 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to review the plans for in-situ rehabilitation of Jhuggi Jhopri Clusters on Delhi government lands under the 'Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan' scheme.

 

He reviewed the progress of the in-situ rehabilitation of JJ Clusters project at the Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday.

 

"The Kejriwal government has taken up a unique initiative to provide thousands of families with pucca houses right at the site of their slums under the Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan' scheme," the government said in a statement.

11:11 PM

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights seeks investigation in Birbhum incident

10:35 PM

Belarus could soon join Russia in its war against Ukraine

The US and NATO believe that Belarus could "soon" join Russia in its war against Ukraine, the US and NATO officials said, adding that the country is already taking steps to do so, CNN reported.

 

It is increasingly "likely" that Belarus will enter the conflict, a NATO military official said on Monday, adding: "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin needs support. Anything would help."

 

An opposition source in Belarus said that Belarusian combat units are ready to go into Ukraine as soon as in the next few days, with thousands of forces prepared to deploy. In this source's view, this would have less of an impact militarily than it will geopolitically, given the implications of another country joining the war, CNN reported.

10:26 PM

Joe Biden urged to get pilots from India, Brazil & UAE for humanitarian aid to Ukraine

A group of 20 eminent American lawmakers on Tuesday urged US President Joe Biden to reach out to countries like India, Brazil, Egypt and the UAE to hire pilots for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine as Russia considers them non-hostile. The US has a moral responsibility to save lives where possible in Ukraine, the lawmakers said in a letter to Biden.

 

They said that establishing and organising an international humanitarian aid provides the US and its allies and partners with a non-escalatory method of accomplishing this while countering the Russian goal to starve the people of Ukraine.

 

Led by Democratic lawmakers like Congresswoman Lou Correa and Congressman Young Kim, the lawmakers wrote that the previous agreements between Russia and Ukraine to guarantee humanitarian corridors for aid delivery into Ukraine have so far proven to be unreliable and inconsistent at distributing aid to the hardest hit areas of the country, especially as Russian shelling continues to destroy roads and endanger transportation routes.

10:16 PM

UK PM Boris Johnson speaks to Modi on Russia-Ukraine conflict

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and discussed the "grave situation" as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Russian President Vladimir Putin's "disastrous" actions.

 

Johnson called on India to work with the UK to intensify efforts to promote peace and de-escalation in the region, and both leaders are said to have agreed that respect for international law was the only way forward, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a readout of their conversation.

 

The leaders discussed the grave situation in Ukraine, and the Prime Minister said he believed the actions of Putin's regime were deeply disturbing and disastrous for the world, the official said.

10:12 PM

Over 50 lakh Covid vaccine doses administered to beneficiaries aged 12-14 years: Govt

More than 50 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been administered to beneficiaries in the 12-14 years age group, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. The total number of Covid vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 181.85 crore with more than 27 lakh doses being given till 7 pm on Tuesday, it said.

 

More than 50 lakh (50,32,055) vaccine doses have so far been administered to beneficiaries in the 12-14 age group, the ministry added. Over 2.2 crore (2,20,04,536) precaution doses have been administered to healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and those aged 60 years and above.

10:11 PM

Oil dips as dollar rises, EU looks less likely to ban Russian oil

Oil stumbled on Tuesday as the dollar strengthened and it looked unlikely that the European Union would pursue an embargo on Russian oil, a day after prices jumped 7% and also rose earlier in the session.

 

European Union foreign ministers are split on whether to join the United States in banning Russian oil. Some countries, including Germany, say the bloc is too dependent on Russia's fossil fuels to withstand such a step.

 

"It's pretty clear that the German economy will seize up so the EU is backing away from a Russian ban," said John Kilduff, partner at Again LLC in New York.

 

9:52 PM

PM Modi, Johnson discuss Ukraine situation, bilateral issues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke on phone with his UK counterpart Boris Johnson and discussed the situation in Ukraine, an official statement said.

 

As per the statement, the two leaders had a detailed discussion on the situation in Ukraine, and Modi reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

 

He emphasised India's belief in respect for international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, as the basis of the contemporary world order. The two leaders also discussed issues of bilateral interests and agreed on the potential of further deepening cooperation in various areas including trade, technology, investments, defence and security, and people-to-people relations.

 

The Indian Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction at the positive momentum in the ongoing negotiations on the bilateral Free Trade Agreement. He also appreciated the progress in implementing the 'India-UK Roadmap 2030' adopted during the Virtual Summit between both leaders last year. He conveyed his desire to welcome Johnson in India at an early date, as per mutual convenience.

9:44 PM

PM Modi and UK PM Boris Johnson discussed Ukraine situation over a call

9:43 PM

PM Modi conveys his desire to welcome PM Johnson in India at an early date

9:33 PM

This war is unwinnable: UN chief Guterres on a month into Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A month into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said this absurd war is unwinnable and inevitably it will have to move from the battlefield to the peace table as he voiced concern that reverberations from the conflict threaten to spiral into a global hunger crisis.

 

Voicing concern that 10 million Ukrainians have been forced from their homes and are on the move, Guterres said the world is seeing appalling human suffering and destruction in Ukraine's cities, towns and villages.

 

One month ago, the Russian Federation launched a massive invasion of the sovereign territory of Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter. It was done after months of building up a military force of overwhelming proportion along the Ukrainian border, Guterres said in his remarks to the press.

9:25 PM

TCS ready to roll out 5G network anyday

IT major TCS is ready to put in place 5G network for any telecom operator across the globe on any given day and the company is working in India on a country-specific gears for the network, a senior company official said.

 

TCS head for Communication, Media & Information Services Kamal Bhadada told PTI that the company is already helping telecom operators across the globe in managing their networks, swapping equipment and technology providers.

 

When asked about the readiness of TCS to roll-out 5G network for telecom customers, Bhadada said, "TCS can stitch it today. TCS is doing it today. So it's not about whether TCS is ready or not. TCS is ready. What we are working for in India is India-specific stack," Bhadada said.

8:59 PM

Ex-journalist for Russian state TV says she quit over war

A former Paris-based Europe correspondent for Russian state-controlled broadcaster Channel One said Tuesday she resigned this month due to Russia's war against Ukraine and voiced fears she'll be accused of being a highly paid spy.

 

Zhanna Agalakova quit as the war broke out in Ukraine, joining a string of colleagues from Russia's strictly state-controlled network. She told a press conference in Paris that when I spoke to my bosses, I said I cannot do this job anymore ... I left Channel One specifically because the war started.

 

The 56-year-old, who used to be a newsreader at the channel, said she believed Russian networks had been commandeered by the Kremlin to broadcast lies and propaganda for years now, leaving little remaining in the way of independent media.

 

Russians, she said, were being zombified as a result.

8:54 PM

CID team reaches West Bengal to investigate Birbhum incident

8:42 PM

TRAI begins pilot study at Delhi airport for telecom infra deployment using street furniture

Telecom regulator TRAI has started a pilot study at the Delhi International Airport for next-generation telecom infrastructure deployment using street furniture, according to a statement.

 

The findings of the study will help in enabling small cell deployment at Indian airports using existing street furniture such as traffic signals, lit signage, lamp posts, light poles, utility poles and billboards, among others.

 

Street furniture is a generic term for pieces of equipment installed and deployed along streets and roads for various purposes.

 

"In order to expedite the availability of digital infrastructure for quick roll-out of next generation networks, TRAI has... started a pilot study at GMR International Airport at Delhi," the regulator said in a statement.

8:33 PM

Delhi reports 104 new Covid cases in a day

8:11 PM

Oil rises towards $116 as EU weighs Russian ban

Oil rose towards $116 a barrel on Tuesday, adding to a 7% surge the previous day, supported by supply risks from a potential European Union oil embargo on Russia and concern about attacks on Saudi oil facilities, Reuters reported.

 

European Union foreign ministers are split on whether to join the United States in banning Russian oil. Some countries, including Germany, say the bloc is too dependent on Russia's fossil fuels to withstand such a step.

 

"It is still not clear whether this will really happen," wrote Carsten Fritsch of Commerzbank in a report, adding: "a decision of this kind requires unanimity."

 

Brent crude rose 13 cents, or 0.1%, to $115.75 a barrel by 1326 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude added 11 cents, or 0.1%, to $112.23. Both contracts had settled up more than 7% on Monday.

 

7:56 PM

Pak PM says OIC and China should partner up to find solution to Russia-Ukraine conflict

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday warned that the world was heading in the "wrong" direction characterised by a Cold War' and the politics of rival blocs, as he suggested that the Muslim countries and China should partner up to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

 

Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the Parliament House here, Khan also talked about his concept of Muslim welfare state, Islamophobia and the global political affairs.

 

"The world is going to a Cold War and may be divided into blocsThe world is moving towards a direction which is worrisome for all of us, Khan told the conference which is being attended by more than 600 delegates, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as a special guest.

7:47 PM

Over Rs 4,350 cr transferred to ineligible beneficiaries under PM-KISAN scheme: Govt

More than Rs 4,350 crore has been transferred to ineligible beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN scheme and an advisory has been issued to states for getting refunds, the government said on Tuesday.

 

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN), which was announced in February 2019, is a central scheme that aims at providing financial assistance to landholding farmer families, subject to certain exclusion criteria, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.

 

Under the scheme, an amount of Rs 6,000 per year is transferred in three four-monthly installments of Rs 2,000 directly into the bank accounts of the farmers.

7:32 PM

No provision for holding re-examination in case candidate fails to appear in exam, UPSC tells SC

The UPSC has told the Supreme Court that there is no provision for holding re-examination in case a candidate fails to appear in the test on the scheduled date for any reasons, including ailment or accident incapacitating him to take the exam.

 

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has filed an affidavit in the apex court which is hearing a plea by three aspirants who had cleared the UPSC-2021 prelims exam but could not appear in all papers of the main exam after testing positive for COVID-19 and are now seeking an extra attempt to appear in the exams.

 

The UPSC said that any decision regarding age relaxation and compensatory/extra attempt in the civil services examination is a policy matter which falls under the domain of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoP&T).

7:28 PM

Petrol, diesel price hiked by 80 paise; LPG at record high after Rs 50 rise

Petrol and diesel prices were on Tuesday hiked by 80 paise a litre each while domestic cooking gas LPG rates were increased by Rs 50 per cylinder as state oil firms ended an over four-and-a-half month election-related hiatus in rate revision.

 

Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 96.21 per litre as against Rs 95.41 previously while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 86.67 per litre to Rs 87.47, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

 

In Mumbai, the petrol price has been hiked by Rs 0.84 per litre to Rs 110.82 per litre, and diesel by Rs 0.86 to Rs 95 per litre.

7:23 PM

MHA seeks report from West Bengal govt on killing of 8 people

The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday sought a report from the West Bengal government after eight people were found burnt to death in Birbhum district, officials said.

 

The move came after a nine-member delegation of BJP MPs from West Bengal met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his intervention and action against the perpetrators of the crime.

 

In a communication, the ministry asked the West Bengal government to maintain law and order and ensure security of common people in view of the killings, officials said.

7:18 PM

Serbia refuses to slap sanctions on Russia

A senior Serbian official says Belgrade will never impose sanctions or join the Western hysteria against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

 

Serbia's Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said Tuesday: Serbia will never be part of the anti-Russian hysteria in which the property of Russian citizens and the property of the Russian Federation is stolen, just as we will not ban Russian media.

 

The Balkan country is a staunch ally of Russia, though it has condemned its invasion of Ukraine. Serbia is seeking membership of the European Union, but it is the only European country that has refused to join international sanctions against the Kremlin.

7:12 PM

No survivors found in plane crash: Chinese official

Over a day after a passenger aircraft with 132 people on board crashed in south China, a Chinese official announced on Tuesday that no survivors have been found, official media here reported. No survivors have been found in the China plane crash, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted a Chinese official in a brief report.

 

The announcement came as hundreds of rescuers carried desperate search operations in the mountainous regions of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region where the Boeing 737 on the way from the Chinese city of Kunming to Guangzhou plunged and crashed on Monday.

 

People on-board the aircraft are still unaccounted for as the rescue work is underway at the mountainous site, state television CGTN reported on Tuesday over 24-hours after China's worst air disaster in a decade. Aircraft debris and some personal belongings have been found at the air crash site in Tengxian County of Wuzhou City, but no survivors, state-run CGTN reported on Tuesday.

6:35 PM

UK-bound Ukraine orphans stuck in Poland awaiting paperwork

Dozens of Ukrainian orphans and their carers who are headed to refuge in the UK were on Tuesday stuck in Poland due to missing paperwork from Ukraine.

 

The nearly 50 youngsters from orphanages in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro were due to fly to London on Monday before travelling on to Scotland, but instead waiting in a luxury hotel, which stepped in to give them free accommodation, until the bureaucratic holdup could be dealt with.

 

Their journey has been organised by a Scottish charity called Dnipro Kids, which was set up in 2005 by supporters of Hibernian Football Club in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. The effort to offer them temporary refugee until the war is over has the support of the British government.

6:28 PM

Kerala logs 702 new coronavirus cases, four deaths in a day

Kerala on Tuesday saw Covid test positivity rate fall below 3 per cent, after a very long time, to 2.89 while 702 new cases were registered, Health Minister Veena George said in a statement.

 

When there were 730 fresh recoveries, the total active cases in the state stood at 5,353 of which 10.4 per cent were admitted in various hospitals.

 

There were four new Covid deaths, taking the total death toll to 67,415.

6:25 PM

Discoms owe Rs 1 trillion to power generating firms till Feb: Power Min

Power distribution utilities outstanding dues stood at Rs one lakh crore at the end of February this year, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

 

"As per data provided by the power sector Generating companies, on the PRAAPTI Portal, at the end of February 2022, a total amount of Rs 1,00,931 crores is due from the DISCOMs," Power Minister RK Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

 

According to the reply, this overdue amount does not include the disputed amount.

 

The outstanding amount of the discoms (power distribution companies) becomes overdue after 45 days of raising the bill for supply of power by gencos.