LIVE: PM Modi to take part in Nagaland CM swearing-in ceremony on March 7

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

5:51 PM

G-20 meeting in Amritsar will be held on schedule: AAP

The ruling AAP in Punjab on Sunday said the G-20 meeting slated in Amritsar later this month will be held on schedule after some opposition leaders raised fears that the Centre could shift the event over law-and-order concerns following the Ajnala incident. "G-20 is taking place (in Amritsar) according to the schedule. These are just rumours. Attempts are being made by some opposition leaders to defame Punjab," the chief spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit Malvinder Singh Kang told PTI over the phone.

 

4:08 PM

Five people hurt in shooting near site of LA gun buyback event

At least five people were wounded in a shooting at a Los Angeles beach Saturday night, a few miles from the location of a gun buyback event held earlier in the day by police and a city official, authorities said. Lt. Sharon Brady of the Los Angeles Police Department's Harbour Community Police Station said officers responded to a report of gunfire at Royal Palms Beach in the San Pedro area at 5.44 pm, the Los Angeles Times reported.

 

4:07 PM

Imran Khan arrest news: Police claims team had gone to ex PM's residence to sign notice, not to make arrest

The Islamabad police returned without making an arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, despite the issuance of an arrest warrant against him in the Toshakhana case, local media reported. SSP Islamabad Police said that they had gone to Khan's residence to sign the notice, not to make an arrest, Samaa TV reported. The police were reportedly sent to his residence in Lahore to arrest him, Samaa TV reported. Earlier, in a series of tweets, the Islamabad Police said the operation was being conducted with the cooperation of the Lahore police. It stated that the PTI chief was "avoiding" the arrest, adding that the superintendent of police had "gone into Imran's room but he was not present there".

 

4:06 PM

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches 'Laadli Bahna Yojana' from Bhopal

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches 'Laadli Bahna Yojana' from Bhopal; Rs 1,000 a month to be given to those women from 23 to 60 years of age who have less than 5 acres of land and an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakhs.

 

3:26 PM

Police at former Pak PM Imran Khan's residence at Zaman Park, Islamabad to arrest him in Toshakhana case

Islamabad police travelled to Lahore to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in relation to warrants issued in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case against him, local media reported. According to police sources, the former premier is avoiding arrest. SP City Rana Hussain Tahir went to the room in Khan's Zaman Park's residence where the PTI chairman was expected to be but he was not there when the police arrived, The Express Tribune reported. On February 28, a district and sessions court in Islamabad had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the ousted prime minister over his continuous absence before the judge in the Toshakhana case.

2:47 PM

India, Sri Lanka mulling over using Indian Rupee for economic transactions

India and Sri Lanka are exploring the possibility of using the Indian Rupee for economic transactions and have discussed the initiative that will help in building a stronger and closer partnership through trade and investment-led measures between the two countries.

 

The High Commission of India here organised a discussion on the use of the Indian Rupee (INR) for transactions between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday.

2:32 PM

Foxconn reports 11.65% fall in February sales, sticks to Q1 outlook

Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and major iPhone assembler for Apple, said on Sunday revenue in February fell 11.65% year-on-year due to weakness in smart consumer electronics, but stuck to its first quarter outlook.

Revenue last month still managed to reach the second highest on record for February at T$402.0 billion ($13.18 billion), with operations returning to normal at the Covid-disrupted Zhengzhou campus in China, a centre for iPhone production, the company said in a statement.

2:16 PM

Health Minister Mandaviya makes surprise visit to NEET-PG exam centre in Patiala

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday made a surprise visit to review the security arrangements at a NEET-PG exam centre in Patiala.

He also interacted with the candidates' parents during his visit. This is the first time that the Union Health minister has visited a National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) exam centre during an examination, a ministry statement said.

2:00 PM

Nano DAP important step towards making life easier for farmers: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday that the approval of nano DAP fertiliser is an important step towards making life easier for farmers.

He was replying to a tweet from Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who had announced the government's nod to the launch of nano liquid DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertiliser. It is a big step towards self-reliance in fertilisers, he had said.

1:31 PM

Goa govt daydreaming, says Cong on target of 100 pc renewable energy usage by 2050

The Opposition Congress in Goa on Sunday mocked the state government's target of achieving 100 per cent renewable energy usage by 2050, saying the dismal past record shows that it is daydreaming.

While addressing the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Conference on Clean Renewable Energy 2023, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had on Friday said that Goa aims to ensure 100 per cent renewable energy usage across all sectors by 2050.

1:16 PM

Big fish cannot ignore political stature of Manjhi, Chirag Paswan

The 2024 Lok Sabha election may be a tought fight between the BJP and Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, but the importance of smaller parties cannot be ruled out.

The parties like Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) led by Jitan Ram Manjhi, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Chirag Paswan or Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLSP) led by Pasupati Kumar Paras have their own vote banks of Mahadalit and Dalit community.

 

1:02 PM

Urination incident on American Airline NY-Delhi flight, action being taken

An inebriated Indian student in an American Airlines flight from New York to Delhi allegedly urinated and soiled a male co-passenger on Saturday, with Delhi Police saying necessary legal action is being taken on the basis of a complaint from the airline.

 

The airline has submitted a report about the incident to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline seems to have handled the situation professionally and have taken all appropriate action, a senior official at the regulator told PTI.

12:41 PM

Amazon halts construction of its second headquarters in US to cut costs

As it cuts costs across the verticals amid the ongoing economic meltdown, Amazon has now halted construction of its second headquarters in the US.

 

Called 'HQ2', the second headquarters of the ecommerce company is being built in the state of Virginia (its first HQ is in Seattle, Washington State).

12:23 PM

Death toll in Turkey earthquake rises above 45,000: UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs

The latest statement of AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) said that 45,089 people lost their lives while 115,000 people were injured in the Turkey earthquake, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

A devastating earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Southern Turkiye in the early hours of 6 February (4.17 a.m.), with its epicentre in the Pazarcik district of Kahramanmaras province. The earthquake affected the neighbouring provinces of Adiyaman, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Elazig and Adana where about 14 million people reside including about 1,8 million Syrian refugees.

12:17 PM

Judiciary dealt with attempts at interference appropriately to ensure its independence: Former CJI Lalit

Former chief justice of India U U Lalit said the judiciary has faced instances of challenge and attempts at interference but dealt with these appropriately to ensure its independence.

He said in order to have a thriving democracy, one must have an independent judiciary because it is through dispute resolution that society is assured of governance by the rule of law.

12:07 PM

Rajanth Singh to address Naval Commanders conference onboard INS Vikrant on March 6

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address the first edition of the Naval Commanders' conference onboard INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, scheduled to commence on March 6, an official release said.

 

According to the government, Naval Commanders' conference has its own significance and relevance, due to the prevailing geostrategic situation in the region.

11:41 AM

Will go by mandate given: CRPF on role in counter-insurgency operations

The CRPF is fully equipped and capable of taking the lead role in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir in case the paramilitary force is tasked to do so, a senior officer of the force has said.

 

He said though the security situation has drastically improved in the Valley in the past three years, the force was alert and keeping a watch on delinquent elements.

11:26 AM

BJP falls back on Yediyurappa, makes him 'mascot' for Assembly polls

The BJP seems to be falling back on its seasoned oarsman B S Yediyurappa making him a key poll mascot, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it shores up campaign in poll-bound Karnataka.

The octogenarian, who has already announced his retirement from electoral politics, is sought to be put on the pedestal by the governing party's central leaders.

11:15 AM

American Airlines bars Indian citizen from flying after urinating on US citizen mid-air

An Indian passenger allegedly urinated on a US co-passenger mid-flight on an American Airlines (AA-292) flight to New Delhi from New York, an official said on Sunday.

A 21-year-old Indian was identified as Arya Vohra who is a student in the US. He urinated on a US citizen on March 4 while he was drunk.

10:52 AM

Amazon halts construction of 2nd headquarters in US to cut costs

As it cuts costs across the verticals amid the ongoing economic meltdown, Amazon has now halted construction of its second headquarters in the US.

Called 'HQ2', the second headquarters of the ecommerce company is being built in the state of Virginia (its first HQ is in Seattle, Washington State).

10:27 AM

India logs 324 new Covid infections, active cases in country rise to 2,791

India logged 324 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 2,791, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

 

The death toll stands at 530,775, the data updated at 8 am stated.

10:14 AM

Gujarat: Massive fire breaks out in Vadodara's chemical factory; fire tenders on spot

A massive fire broke out in a chemical factory in Gujarat's Vadodara on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

As per officials, the fire broke out in 'Vision Product Pvt Ltd in Vadodara's Padra tehsil at around 2.30 am.

10:02 AM

China is destroying Tibetan identity, language and culture: UN report

A report by human rights experts of the United Nations on the eve of International Language Day on February 21 unmasked the real nature of oppression on Tibetans practised by the Communist Party of China (CCP) in the form of forced assimilation of Tibetan identity into the dominant Han Chinese identity, the Tibetan Press reported.

 

The report by UN human rights experts, released in Geneva on February 6, 2023, talks about a million Tibetan children who have been separated from their families by the Chinese authorities and placed in government-run boarding schools

9:42 AM

American Airline flyer urinates on fellow passenger in drunken state: Rpt

A passenger of a New York-New Delhi American Airlines flight has allegedly urinated on a fellow male passenger on board in a drunken state, sources said on Sunday.

 

The incident allegedly took place on flight number AA292, which took off from New York at 9:16 pm on Friday and landed after 14 hours and 26 minutes of flying at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here at 10:12 pm on Saturday.

9:28 AM

900k unemployed youth in Odisha, but it doesn't matter to politicians

The Odisha government is claiming that the unemployment rate in the state is the lowest in the country. Still, the state has nearly 9 lakh young people searching for employment.

Recently, the chief minister's office, in a tweet said, "With effective policy decisions & successful implementation of schemes, Odisha is ranked 1st in unemployment rate in the country with a score of 0.9%, as per the report by CMIE."

9:02 AM

Former Prez Trump pitches a sequel, but shies away from attacking rivals

Former US president Donald Trump cast himself on Saturday as the only Republican candidate who can build on his White House legacy but shied away from directly critiquing his potential rivals, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

 

Trump, giving the headlining address at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, told a cheering crowd that he was engaged in his "final battle" as he tries to return to the White House.

8:48 AM

Very special feeling to touchdown in Delhi with Secretary Blinken: Dy Spokesperson

US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel always had a strong belief in public service and civic engagement and while addressing the media from the official podium has given him "surreal" moments, the role also has been "like a good natural fit" as he enjoys working with the press.

 

Born in Ahmedabad, Vedant Patel moved to the US when he was very young and created history last September by becoming the first Indian-American to hold the daily State Department press conferece. He has been articulating the US viewpoint on some complex international issues and said he is "just really thrilled" to be at the State Department working for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

8:36 AM

Panel holds staff guilty in deaths of 4 kids in Lucknow shelter home

Following the death of four infants in Lucknow's child shelter home (Rajkiya Bal Grih), the audit report filed by divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob and her team has found multiple lacunae and gross negligence on the part of Child Welfare Committee chairperson and the staff in the operation of the child shelter home.

 

The report submitted to the women and child welfare department has recommended steps to prevent such deaths in future. Last month, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court had asked the state government to file an affidavit apprising it of the reasons for the death of four children at the Rajkiya Bal Grih and steps taken to ensure proper care of inmates and to prevent such incidents in future.

8:23 AM

Moody's downgrades long-deposit ratings of five Pakistani banks amid crisis

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the long-term deposit ratings of five Pakistani banks to Caa3 from Caa1, The Express Tribune reported. The ratings of Moody's Investors Service suggest that the ongoing economic crisis in Pakistan is likely to have an adverse trickle-down impact on banks.

 

The inflation readings are at a historical high of 31.5 per cent in January and the central bank's benchmark policy rate at a record high of 20 per cent has weakened the borrowers' capacity to repay loans taken from banks, as per the news report.

8:12 AM

India to manufacture $300 bn electronic goods by 2026: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid out a vision that India would play a significant role in the global electronics supply chain and manufacture USD 300 billion ectronics goods by 2026.

 

"PM has laid out a very clear vision that India will be a significant player in the global electronics supply chain. He laid a target that India will do a 300 billion dollars of electronics manufacturing by 2026," said Chandrasekhar on Saturday.