Live news: Russian negotiator accuses Kyiv of 'rolling back' on agreements

Live news updates: Some 344 people have been evacuated in and around the besieged city of Mariupol, says Ukraine's president.

4:44 PM

Delhi Cabinet approves start-up policy, forms 20-member task force: Kejriwal

The Delhi government has approved a start-up policy that seeks to provide the youth with financial and procedural help in setting up companies and formed a 20-member task force for the purpose, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday

4:42 PM

People in Delhi can opt for electricity subsidy: Kejriwal

People in Delhi can opt for electricity subsidy. To be given from Oct 1 to those who need, says Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

4:06 PM

Russia says Western intelligence to Ukraine won't thwart its goals

The Kremlin said on Thursday that the United States, Britain and other NATO countries were "constantly" feeding intelligence to Ukraine but this would not stop Russia from achieving its military objectives there. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a New York Times report that the United States had provided intelligence that helped Ukrainian forces kill a dozen Russian generals, Reuters reported.

3:42 PM

Russian negotiator accuses Kyiv of 'rolling back' on agreements

A Russian lawmaker taking part in talks with Ukraine said negotiations were difficult and accused representatives from Kyiv of "rolling back" on existing agreements, TASS news agency reported on Thursday. "I am one of the four negotiators from the Russian side, however, it is difficult to negotiate. Ukrainian counterparts come to an agreement, and then roll back", TASS cited negotiator Leonid Slutsky as saying.

 

3:40 PM

Russia expels 7 Danish diplomats in retaliatory move

Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday said it had declared seven Danish diplomats 'persona non grata' in response to Copenhagen expelling 15 Russian diplomats last month, with Moscow also objecting to Denmark's providing military assistance to Ukraine. The ministry said Denmark's openly anti-Russian policy was seriously damaging bilateral relations and that Russia reserved the right to take additional steps in response, Reuters reported.

 

2:49 PM

Face me if anyone has guts regarding what I have done in 11 years: CM Banerjee

2:25 PM

Akasa Air chooses Navitaire as its reservations system provider

India's newest airline Akasa Air on Thursday announced it has chosen reservation systems provider Navitaire so that it can run reliable operations and offer affordable travel options to its passengers.

Akasa Air, backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and aviation veterans Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh, is expected to begin its commercial operations in July.

2:05 PM

Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa-led govt emerges stronger after defeat of Opposition candidate in Dy Speaker election

In a major victory for Sri Lanka's embattled Rajapaksa clan, the government backed nominee on Thursday won the secret vote for the position of Deputy Speaker, demonstrating the ruling SLPP coalition's ability to prove their parliamentary majority despite raging public protests demanding their resignation for mishandling the country's worst economic crisis.

MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was re-elected to the position from which he had resigned.

Siyambalapitiya, a member of the former President Maithripala Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), had resigned as his party decided to stay independent of the government.

2:03 PM

Prayagraj to get UP's first floating restaurant

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is planning to build a floating restaurant in Prayagraj.

This will be the first such restaurant in the state.

The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) has already started upgrading facilities at the Boat Club which will also have a Yoga centre and facilities for water sports.

According to the government spokesman, the proposed floating restaurant will run on the PPP model and will offer a whole range of cuisines.

1:58 PM

India exports 7 mn tons of sugar so far this marketing yr; may touch new record of 9 mn: ISMA

India, the world's second largest sugar producer after Brazil, has exported 7 million tonnes of the sweetener so far in the ongoing 2021-22 marketing year, and exports from the country may touch a new record of 9 million tonnes, industry body ISMA said on Thursday.

Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), in a statement, said the country's sugar output has risen to 34.23 million tonnes till April of the current marketing year, from 30 million tonnes in the year-ago period.

Sugar marketing year runs from October to September.

1:28 PM

PM Modi to chair review meeting on preparedness for heatwave

PM Modi to chair review meeting on preparedness for heatwave on Thursday.

 

Several parts of the country have logged all-time high temperatures under the impact of the torrid heatwave.

1:11 PM

2 in 5 Indian users happy at Musk's Twitter acquisition: Report

Around two in five (37 per cent) Twitter users in India are happy about the micro-blogging platform's acquisition by tech billionaire Elon Musk, with urban millennial users being most likely to say this (at 43 per cent), a report said on Thursday.

According to a survey, commissioned by YouGov, a majority of Twitter users in India believe that the platform will become the most powerful social medium under the Tesla CEO's leadership.

1:09 PM

Two Russian villages shelled by Ukraine, governor says

Two villages in Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine have been shelled by Ukraine, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Thursday, adding that there were no civilian casualties.

"There is shelling from the Ukrainian side on Zhuravlyovka and Nekhoteevka," he said.

12:49 PM

Ajit Pawar hits out at Raj Thackeray's 'language of ultimatum' over loudspeaker row

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday hit out at MNS head Raj Thackeray over his call for the removal of loudspeakers on mosques and said nobody should speak the "language of ultimatum" with the government.

Talking to reporters here, Pawar said the Supreme Court's decision on noise pollution is applicable to all places of worship in Maharashtra, and asserted that the state government runs as per law and the Constitution.

12:42 PM

SC upholds Delhi HC order directing DMRC to pay Rs 4,600 cr arbitral award to DAMEPL

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Delhi High Court order directing the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to pay over Rs 4,600 crore of arbitral award along with interest to the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) in two equal installments in two months.

 

The order was passed by a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai.

 

The high court on March 10 had directed the DMRC to pay over Rs 4,600 crore of arbitral award along with interest to DAMEPL.

12:20 PM

ArcelorMittal Q1 net income jumps over 80% to $4,125 mn

Global steel giant ArcelorMittal on Thursday posted 80.52 per cent growth in net income at $4,125 million (about Rs 31,350 crore) for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

 

It had posted a net income of USD 2,285 million for the year-ago quarter, the company said in a statement.

 

"ArcelorMittal recorded net income for 1Q 2022 of USD 4,125 million as compared to...a net income of $2,285 million for 1Q 2021," the Luxembourg-based firm said.

 

12:20 PM

SC to hear on May 10 pleas challenging validity of penal law on sedition

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear arguments on May 10 on the legal question whether the pleas challenging the colonial era penal law on sedition be referred to a larger bench and granted time to the Centre to file its response.

 

A special bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya kant and Hima Kohli commenced hearing arguments on a batch of pleas against the sedition law and after sometime adjourned it to next Tuesday.

 

12:15 PM

Amit Shah inaugurates BSF's floating border outposts in West Bengal's Hingalganj

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated BSF's floating border outposts at Hingalganj in West Bengal, where he arrived on a two-day visit, his first since the 2021 assembly polls.

 

He was received by senior BSF officials at the Hingalganj camp.

 

Shah's Bengal itinerary includes organisational meetings and a public rally, besides travel to forward areas along the India-Bangladesh border.

12:05 PM

Russian strikes try to disrupt delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine

Russia moved to obstruct the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine by bombarding rail stations and other supply-line targets across the country while the European Union weighed whether to further punish Moscow with a ban on oil imports.

Heavy fighting also raged Wednesday at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol that represented the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the ruined southern port city, according to the mayor. A Russian official denied that Moscow's troops were storming the plant, but the commander of the main Ukrainian military unit inside said Russian soldiers had pushed into the mill's territory.

The Russian military said it used sea- and air-launched missiles to destroy electric power facilities at five railway stations across Ukraine. Artillery and aircraft also struck troop strongholds and fuel and ammunition depots.

11:54 AM

Global steel giant ArcelorMittal reports over 80% jump in net income

Global steel giant ArcelorMittal reports over 80 pc jump in net income to $4,125 million in March quarter. 

11:51 AM

Hong Kong reopens beaches, Beijing relaxes quarantine rules

Hong Kong on Thursday reopened beaches and pools in a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, while China's capital Beijing began easing quarantine rules for arrivals from overseas.

 

Hong Kong had closed water sports venues amid an outbreak of the highly transmissible omicron variant but has been tailing off restrictions as new case numbers fall. Deaths from COVID-19 have fallen from a high of almost 300 per day in March to zero in recent days.

 

Restaurants are also allowed to seat up to eight customers to a table and masks will not be required during outdoor exercise.

11:39 AM

Auto retail sales grow 37 pc in April on low COVID-hit base effect

Automobile retail sales in India increased by 37 per cent in April on a low base of COVID-hit April last year, automobile dealers' body FADA said on Thursday.

 

Total sales across categories rose to 16,27,975 units in April, as compared to 11,87,771 units in the year-ago period.

On a year-on-year basis, all vehicle categories including passenger vehicles and two-wheelers were up as compared with April last year.

 

Passenger vehicles registrations stood at 2,64,342 units last month, up 25 per cent from 2,10,682 units in April last year.

 

11:32 AM

PM to chair review meeting on preparedness to deal with heatwave, monsoon season

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair here on Thursday an important review meeting on preparedness to deal with the heatwave affecting parts of the country and the upcoming monsoon season, government sources said.

 

They said Modi is expected to hold seven to eight meetings during the day following his return from the three-day visit to as many European countries.

 

The prime minister will immediately attend office after arriving here, they said.

11:24 AM

Amit Shah arrives in West Bengal on two-day visit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday arrived in West Bengal on a two-day visit, his first since the 2021 assembly polls, with his itinerary including organisational meetings and a public rally, besides travel to forward areas along the India-Bangladesh border.

 

Shah, who arrived at the Kolkata airport, was received by senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik.

 

The home minister will on Thursday inaugurate BSF's floating border outposts at Hingalganj and lay the foundation stone of the ‘Maitri' museum at Haridaspur, official sources said.

 

He will address a public meeting in Siliguri in the evening.

11:17 AM

Poll strategist Prshant Kishor lays out Bihar gameplan

Poll strategist Prshant Kishor launches poll campaign in Bihar, to go on padyatra 

11:04 AM

China reports 360 new COVID-19 cases, food shortage hurting Shanghai residents

China reported a total of 360 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, of which 261 were reported solely in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission's report on Thursday, while people in Shanghai are falling sick after consuming some of the food supplied by the local administration.

Shanghai reported most of the new cases. The city reported a total number of 261 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. Moreover, a total of 4,390 local asymptomatic cases were reported, the municipal health commission informed. Meanwhile, as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread in more and more cities in China, questions are mounting over the country's much-publicized "zero-covid" strategy that the government credited for bringing the country out of the pandemic.

The ongoing severe lockdown restrictions in China's Shanghai to contain the spread of COVID-19 has drastically affected the day-to-day lives of the people due to food shortage.

10:46 AM

Prominent political strategist Prashant Kishor to disclose his future strategy today

Prominent political strategist, Prashant Kishor (PK) is to disclose his future plan and agenda on Thursday.

After rejecting the Congress offer to join the party, Kishor on Monday had announced to start 'Jan Suraaj' from Bihar. However, he has not disclosed the actual strategy that he wants to execute in his native state.

His 'Jan Suraaj' announcement has forced political pandits to analyse his future planning. Many of them believe that he wants to start a new party from Bihar. His 'Jan Suraaj' announcement has made the political pandits to analyse his future planning and many believe that he wants to start a political party from his home state, Bihar.

Kishor during an earlier tweet had hinted about going to the 'real political masters' which means the people of Bihar.

10:22 AM

India, France discuss unitedly dealing with terrorism, challenges in Indo-Pacific

India and France have agreed to unitedly deal with the menace of terrorism and the challenges in the Indo-Pacific, amid China flexing muscles in the strategically vital region.

A joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron here on Wednesday said that the two countries were committed to the shared values of democracy, fundamental freedoms, rule of law and respect for human rights.

It noted that India and France have built one of the premier strategic partnerships for advancing peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

10:10 AM

Musk invited to UK Parliament to discuss $44 billion Twitter buyout

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been invited to testify in the UK Parliament regarding his proposed $44 billion acquisition of the micro-blogging site Twitter.

In a letter, Julian Knight, the Chair of the UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee requested the Tesla CEO to appear before lawmakers to discuss the proposal.

"At a time when social media companies face the prospect of tighter regulations around the world, we are keen to learn more about how Mr Musk will balance his clear commitment to free speech with new obligations to protect Twitter's users from online harms," Knight said.

10:05 AM

Global Covid caseload tops 515.4 million, death toll crosses 6.24 million

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 515.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 6.24 million and vaccinations to over 11.31 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and the death toll stood at 515,460,120 and 6,244,594, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered increased to 11,319,883,174.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 81,620,383 and 996,702, respectively, according to the CSSE.