Live: 2,135 Indian nationals evacuated on Sunday, total rises to 16,000

Russia Ukraine war live updates: India focuses its evacuation efforts in Ukrainian city of Sumy, where hundreds of Indian students have made appeals to be rescued.

9:15 PM

1 killed, 24 injured as terrorists hurl grenade at security forces in J&K's Srinagar

A civilian was killed while 24 others, including a policeman, were injured after terrorists hurled a grenade at security forces in the busy Hari Singh High Street market in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.

 

"At about 4:20 pm, terrorists hurled a grenade upon police and security forces deployment at Hari Singh High Street," a police official said.

 

He said a policeman, identified as John Mohammad, and 24 civilians received splinter injuries in the explosion.

8:55 PM

Indian student injured in Kiev to return home on Monday

An Indian student, who was left injured after being allegedly shot with a bullet in Ukraine's capital Kiev, is set to return to India on Monday, Union Minister V.K. Singh said on Sunday.

 

The Minister shared information about injured Indian student, Harjot Singh.

 

V.K. Singh is currently in Poland to ensure the safe return of Indian nationals trapped amid the Ukraine-Russia war.

 

The Union Minister in a tweet said, "Harjot Singh is an Indian student who was allegedly shot during the war in Kiev. He also lost his passport during the firing. I am glad to inform you that he will return to India with me on Monday. Hope he has a speedy recovery soon with home made food and care."

8:48 PM

Blinken: US, allies discuss Russia oil imports

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States and its allies are having a very active discussion about banning the import of Russian oil and natural gas in the latest escalation of their sanctions in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine.

 

Asked about oil and gas imports, Blinken told CNN on Sunday that President Joe Biden convened a meeting of his National Security Council on the subject the day before.

 

Biden and Western allies have until now held off on sanctions against Russia's lucrative energy industry to avoid blowback on their own economies.

 

We are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil while making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil on world market, said Blinken.

 

That's a very active discussion as we speak.

8:21 PM

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Lviv covers all statues in city from possible attacks

Amid escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian city of Lviv has covered all its statues to protect its historical heritage against possible attacks.

 

Speaking with ANI a Ukrainian citizen Vlad said, "All the sculptures, statues have historical value and that's why people want to protect them. Some sculptors are more than 100 years old. They have historical importance hence people are protecting them from the damage."

 

"It's better to protect them before something happens to them," added Vlad.

 

When asked whether Ukraine is covering all the statues across the nation, Vlad said, "I don't know about whole Ukraine, but definitely, Lviv is protecting them."

7:58 PM

44 Indians left for Polish border, over 150 on way to Romanian border: Indian Embassy in Kyiv

A group of 44 Indians who began their journey from Pisochyn in Ukraine are on their way to the Polish border from Lviv while over 150 proceeded to the Romanian border amid an escalating fight between Russia and Ukraine.

 

Indian Embassy in Ukraine in a tweet shared the information and asked everyone to be strong in these difficult times. "Bringing our Indians back home group of 44 Indians who began their journey from Pisochyn are on their way to the Polish border from Lviv. Another group of 150+ have made their way to the Romanian border. Our efforts are ongoing. Be Safe Be Strong," the Embassy wrote in the tweet.

 

The Indian Embassy in Kyiv on Saturday said that they will not leave any stone unturned to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian students from the Ukrainian city of Sumy and requested them to keep some more hours of strength.

7:53 PM

Eight rockets launched by Russia destroys Vinnytsia airport in Central Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Eight rockets launched by Russia destroyed Vinnytsia airport located in Central Ukraine, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, reported The Kyiv Independent.

 

Zelenskyy called on the western nations and said, "The world has the power to close our skies for Russian rockets and aircraft." He adds that Ukraine requires aircraft, to make Ukrainian skies safe.

 

..https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1500461868229533698---

 

Vinnytsia airport is located 7.5 kilometres east of the railway station of Vinnytsia and 1 kilometre southwest of the village of Gavryshivka. It is located in the centre of Ukraine and had convenient transportation for passengers and cargo both in Ukraine and abroad.

 

The aerodrome was founded in the early '50s. For more than half a century it worked as an important transport system of Ukraine. Zelenskyy slammed NATO's decision not to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.

7:34 PM

Russia cracks down on media, protests as Ukraine war rages

Russian authorities on Sunday continued to block independent news outlets and to arrest protesters in an effort to tighten control over what information the domestic audience sees about the invasion of Ukraine.

 

Several prominent independent online outlets were blocked on Sunday, on top of dozens of others that were blocked last week. Others decided to halt operation in Russia because of new repressive laws or refused to cover the invasion at all because of the pressure. Hundreds of protesters have been detained all across Russia.

 

The new additions to the list of blocked media included Mediazona, a news site that covers Russia's police and justice system and has been an indispensable source of information about political arrests and high-profile court cases; the 7x7 site covering regional news; the Troitsky Variant popular science newspaper that has published an open letter decrying the invasion; and two regional news sites that also spoke out against the attack.

7:23 PM

11-year-old boy crosses Ukraine border with phone number written on his hand

11-year-old boy crosses Ukraine border with phone number written on his hand

 

7:23 PM

1,234 Haryana students evacuated from Ukraine: CM

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said around 1,800 students from the state were stuck in the war-torn Ukraine, of which 1,234 have been evacuated. The CM said this after interacting with students who returned from that country.

 

Of the remaining students, 80 are still stuck in Ukraine cities while the others have reached the country's borders, Khattar told mediapersons.

 

Khattar said the students who have completed their course in Ukraine will be given internship opportunities. About the students who are yet to complete their studies there, Khattar said once the situation normalises, the government will talk to their colleges over the issue. For now, our priority is to bring back all Indians stuck in Ukraine, the CM said.

6:26 PM

Ukraine crisis: Erdogan urges cease-fire in call with Putin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office says he has called for an urgent cease-fire in Ukraine in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement following Sunday's one-hour call, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had urged a halt to fighting to address humanitarian concerns and seek a political solution to the conflict. The war is now in its 11th day.

Erdogan called for the opening of humanitarian corridors and a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Turkey has extensive ties with both Russia and Ukraine and has sought to place itself as a mediator. It has invited both to a diplomatic forum in Antalya next week.

Erdogan's office said he told Putin that he was ready to make every contribution" to resolving the crisis.

6:24 PM

AIMIM leader attacked, injured in Ahmedabad market

An All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader was attacked and injured by a group of people after he intervened in a fight in a market in Ahmedabad on Sunday, police said.

Shamshad Pathan, who was recently made vice president of AIMIM's Gujarat unit, has been hospitalized and his condition is stable, an official said.

"Pathan sustained injuries after being attacked with a spade by four people when he intervened in a fight in Gurjari bazar. He has been hospitalised. Two people received minor injuries. One Faizu Babu and his associates are allegedly involved and an FIR is being lodged," Riverfront (East) police inspector Vijaysinh Zala said.

Pathan, a lawyer by profession, told reporters Fiazu Baba and others were beating up some persons and he had intervened to stop them when he was attacked.

6:05 PM

J-K: One dead, 21 injured in grenade attack in Srinagar

A civilian was killed and 21 others including a policeman were injured in a grenade attack in the Amira Kadal area of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Police said that all the injured have been shifted to the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.

A police officer said, "Terrorists lobbed grenade in busy Amira Kadal Market. In this incident, ten people received splinter wounds when they were in the market. All the injured have been shifted to hospital where their condition is said to be stable."

Meanwhile, the area has been cordoned off.

6:02 PM

The poor are BJP's wealth, will take us past 300 seats: Union Minister ahead of 7th phase of UP Polls

On the eve of the last phase of the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey on Sunday said that the poor are the BJP's "wealth" and they will take the party beyond the 300-seat mark on March 10, the day on which the votes polled will be counted.

The seventh phase of elections will be held tomorrow on 53 seats spread across nine districts.

Speaking to ANI, Pandey said, "The 80 per cent of the poor population in the country are seeing how Prime Minister Modi and CM Yogi have worked for their welfare. The poor are the BJP's wealth, they will take us beyond the 300 seat mark in the election. So the remarks of Mulayam Singh or any other leader do not have any impact. The poor are with us for their upliftment."

"The BJP will cross the 300 seat mark once again. The trends that have come in the six phases of the polls so far show that we will cross the 300 seat mark," he added.

Hitting out at former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Union Minister said that his statements against the BJP not working for the poor will have no impact on the poor as they have seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath working for them through various welfare schemes.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav is campaigning in Jaunpur and saying that the BJP has not done anything for the poor. There will be no impact with such statements. Because he did not do anything for the poor, only thought about his family and for one caste and community," he said.

Talking about his party's preparations for the last phase of elections, Singh said that his party would win 40 out of the 53 seats that will go to the polls tomorrow.

5:59 PM

India has excellent diplomatic service, knows what to do: German envoy on Ukraine crisis

Referring to India's stand at the international forums on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, German Ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner on Sunday said that India has excellent diplomatic service and seeing the global world order their diplomats know what to do regarding India's stand on the issue.

Speaking to ANI, the German envoy said, "India has excellent diplomatic service, they know what to do... It's not about Ukraine or the EU or NATO... it is about the global world order...We all have to stand together against it," said Lindner on how European Union sees India's role in the global matter.

India and 34 other countries on Wednesday abstained from a UN General Assembly resolution that censured Russia over its military actions against Ukraine. India had earlier abstained from the UN Security Council procedural vote to call for a United Nations General Assembly session on the Ukraine crisis.

India along with China and UAE had last week abstained from a US-sponsored resolution against Russia's military actions in Ukraine. Moscow vetoed the resolution.

"Watch the global order. Do we want that this kind of massive, aggressive attack on a peaceful and democratic neighbour is the rule of the game? This will set a precedent for every disputed border in future to recourse to violence. So, we all have to stand together against Putin and say 'No Putin, Stop it," said Lindner.

5:57 PM

MP Assembly Budget session starts on Mondat, will end on March 25

The Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly will commence from Monday with the customary address by Governor Mangubhai C Patel and will have 13 sittings till March 25, an official said.

The state's budget for 2022-23 will be presented on Wednesday, he added.

Vidhan Sabha speaker Girish Gautam on Sunday held an all-party meeting, which was attended by the leader of opposition Kamal Nath, Minister for Home and Parliamentary Affairs Narottam Mishra and others.

A consensus has been reached during the all-party meeting to conduct the budget session smoothly without any disruption, Mishra told reporters.

Leader of opposition Kamal Nath told reporters the Congress wanted all important subjects to be discussed and the state government must reply to queries from the opposition.

The rise in the number of cow deaths, the bad shape of bovine shelters, shortage of fertilizers, seeds and farmers not getting compensation, as well as unemployment will be taken up during the session, Nath.

Meanwhile, politics over who would be Assembly deputy speaker started during the day with Mishra stating that the post would be held by the BJP as the Congress had broken the tradition of offering this post to the opposition during its 15-month rule from December, 2018 to March, 2020.

5:56 PM

Delhi civic polls: Expenditure limit for candidates increased to Rs 8 lakh

The State Election Commission of Delhi has increased the limit of expenditure that can be incurred by a candidate in the elections for the city's three municipal corporations to Rs 8 lakh from Rs 5.75 lakh.

Polls for 272 wards of the three civic bodies in Delhi are slated to be held in April. A schedule is yet to be announced by the commission.

"I, S K Srivastava, State Election Commissioner of NCT of Delhi, hereby fix the maximum limit of expenditure to be incurred by a candidate at an election to a ward of three municipal corporations of Delhi viz North Delhi, South Delhi and East Delhi, to be held hereafter as Rs 8 lakh," said an order issued on Friday.

Civic authorities said in the last municipal elections in 2017, the maximum expenditure limit was Rs 5.75 lakh. In the 2004 MCD polls, the maximum expenditure limit was Rs 4 lakh, which was increased to Rs 5 lakh in 2012.

"It was further increased by Rs 75,000 in the 2017 municipal elections. Now, it will be Rs 8 lakh this time," a functionary of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) told PTI on Sunday.

SDMC councillor from Janakpuri Narendra Chawla hailed the decision and said it would help in establishing transparency during the elections.

5:30 PM

President Zelenskyy pushes call for Ukraine no-fly zone amid Russia war

Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy is pushing his call for foreign countries to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

Establishing a no-fly zone would risk escalating the conflict by involving foreign militaries directly. Although the United States and many Western countries have backed Ukraine with weapons shipments, they have sent no troops.

Zelenskyy said in a video address on Sunday that the world is strong enough to close our skies."

NATO countries have ruled out policing a no-fly zone, which would bar all unauthorised aircraft from flying over Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as participation in the armed conflict.

5:24 PM

Ukraine crisis: Over 15,900 Indians brought back under Operation Ganga

More than 15,900 Indians have been brought back since the special flights under Operation Ganga began on February 22 to rescue the stranded Indian citizens in Ukraine.

To rescue Indian citizens, 2135 Indians have been brought back on Sunday by 11 special civilian flights from Ukraine's neighboring countries. The number of Indians airlifted by 66 special civilian flights goes up to 13852, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

To date, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has flown 10 sorties to bring back 2056 passengers, while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these countries, as part of Operation Ganga," it added.

Among the special Civilian flights today, 9 landed in New Delhi while 2 reached Mumbai. There were 6 flights from Budapest, 2 from Bucharest, 2 from Rzeszow, and 1 from Kosice.

On Monday, 8 special flights are expected to operate from Budapest (5), Suceava (2) and Bucharest (1), bringing in more than 1500 Indians back home.

The government has also deployed "special envoys" to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of the Indian nationals.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.

5:23 PM

Ukraine crisis: Israeli PM vows to continue diplomatic effort

Israel's prime minister says his country will continue to assist in finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, even if the chances for success are few.

Naftali Bennett spoke Sunday to a meeting of his Cabinet, hours after he returned from a surprise meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where the two discussed the war with Ukraine.

He then travelled to Germany where he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Bennett revealed no details from his talks with Putin, but called the country's mediation efforts our moral duty.

Earlier, his office said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone Sunday morning, the third such call between the two leaders over the past day.

Bennett also told his Cabinet Israel was readying for a wave of Jewish immigration from Ukraine.

Israel is also preparing to allow entry to a small number of non-Jewish Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.

Israel is one of the few countries that has good working relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

5:22 PM

OBCs in J&K to get their rights very soon: BJP's Raina

Accusing the NC and the Congress of depriving OBCs over the past seven decades, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Sunday said the Modi government is going to grant them their legitimate rights very soon.

In a dig at the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of several mainstream parties of the union territory, he said its recently released white paper has no takers and the alliance stands exposed before the public.

"The National Conference and the Congress mostly ruled J&K over the past seven decades and always used OBCs as their vote banks without caring for their rights I assure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are granting the legitimate rights to OBCs very soon," Raina said.

Addressing a rally organised by the BJP's OBC unit in front of the party headquarters here, he said the time has gone of various communities being deprived of their rights on the pretext of the special status guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution.

"They (PAGD) have recently released a white paper but it did not mention anything about not granting rights of OBCs, Gujjars, Bakerwals, Paharis, Gaddis, Sippis, West Pakistan Refugees, Pakistan-occupied J&K residents, Valmiki Samaj, Gorkhas, Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and the women during the many decades of their rule," Raina said.

 

5:20 PM

PM's bonding with leaders of Ukraine neighbours aided evacuation: Adityanath

Interacting with students who returned from Ukraine, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday claimed that such a successful and systematic operation to evacuate Indian citizens was never undertaken in the past.

He said it was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "personal" relations with Ukraine's neighbouring countries, including Romania and Hungary, that these countries had opened their borders only to Indian citizens, which led to the safe return of students.

In a meeting with 52 students evacuated from Ukraine and their parents at his official residence, 5, Kalidas Marg, the chief minister said it is only because of their faith in the Narendra Modi government that their safe return has been possible.

"Citizens of other countries trapped in Ukraine are forced to return home at their own expense but the Indian government is bringing back its citizens at the government's expense. Never before had such a successful and so systematic return operation been done, as it is happening today," Chief Minister Adityanath said.

The chief minister said a total of 2,397 students of Uttar Pradesh are pursuing medical and other courses in Ukraine.

Of them, 1,400 students have been brought back safely till Saturday evening, he said.

"The government is trying to bring back the remaining 1,000 children. Some people are coming today. Instructions have been given to every district magistrate of the state to meet the parents of the children returning from Ukraine and resolve their problems," he said.

5:17 PM

UK experts find another life-saving Covid drug used normally for rheumatoid arthritis

A team of UK experts said they have found another life-saving drug that can help treat Covid positive people.

The anti-inflammatory baricitinib is normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Trials suggest it can cut death risk by about a fifth in patients needing hospital care for severe Covid, the BBC reported.

It could be used with other Covid treatments, such as the cheap steroid dexamethasone, to save even more lives, researchers say. That might halve deaths, they added.

The NHS may soon recommend baricitinib based on these new results. A 10-day course of the pills costs around 250 pound, although the NHS may be able to negotiate a discount.

"A big thank you to all of the researchers, doctors and volunteers involved in this work," Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid was quoted as saying.

"Our medical and scientific experts will now consider the results before any decisions are made on next steps," Javid added.

5:12 PM

Over 50 per cent polling till 2 pm in peaceful Assam civic elections

Over 50 per cent voter turnout has been registered till 2 pm, as polling for 80 civic bodies in Assam progressed peacefully on Sunday, a State Election Commission official said.

Though the voting percentage was low at 20.73 per cent in the first three hours of polling, which commenced at 8 am, it has been on an increasing trend, he said.

Voting will end at 4 pm. The voter turnout till 2 pm has been 50.23 per cent, the official said.

Electronic Voting Machines are being used for the first time in the history of civic elections in the state.

No report of any untoward incident has yet been received, the official said.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, state cabinet ministers Atul Bora and Jogen Mohan, and Rajya Sabha MP and former state Congress chief Ripun Bora were among those who cast their votes during the day.

Municipal elections are an important step towards ensuring public participation in governance of urban areas. As polls to urban local bodies are being held across Assam today, I urge everyone to exercise their democratic right for determining their future, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

5:11 PM

Policeman, 20 others injured in Srinagar grenade attack

At least 21 people were injured when militants hurled a grenade at security forces in J&K's Srinagar city on Sunday, police said.

Police sources said 21 people, including a policeman, were injured on Sunday when militants targeted a joint party of the security forces in Amira Kadal area in the afternoon.

"The injured have been shifted to hospital. Their condition is reported to be stable," a police source said.

The area has been cordoned off for searches, the source added.

5:09 PM

Kashmiri migrant pandits demand hike in monthly relief, protest in Jammu

Scores of migrant Kashmiri pandits on Sunday held a demonstration outside their residential township at Jagti to press for their various demands including a hike in the monthly relief fund and government jobs to unemployed youths of the community.

The protest was organized by Jagti Tenement Committee with the participants carrying placards. They also demanded the setting up of three satellite townships in the valley for the resettlement of migrant Kashmiri pandits.

We have been living in exile for the past 32 years and are facing various problems in meeting our daily expenditure due to rising prices. The government should enhance the monthly relief from Rs 13,000 to Rs 25,000, committee president Shadi Lal Pandita said.

He said the government should also announce an employment package for unemployed youths of the community besides interest-free bank loans for those who have crossed the age limit for government jobs.

The president of the youth wing of the committee, Naveen, said the central government had provided a package of 6,000 government jobs and an equal number of residential quarters to the unemployed migrant pandits in 2008.

The government has failed to implement the package till date. Many of the youths who got the jobs under the package are living in private rented accommodation, he said, urging the government to speed up the process and announce more jobs for them.

4:54 PM

2,135 Indian nationals evacuated on Sunday, taking total to 16,000

Under 'Operation Ganga', 2,135 Indian citizens returned back home on Sunday through 11 special civilian flights from Ukraine's neighbouring countries.

Among the special civilian flights on Sunday, nine landed in New Delhi while two in Mumbai.

There were six flights from Budapest, two from Bucharest, two from Rzeszow and one from Kosice.

With Sunday's evacuation, nearly 16,000 Indians have been evacuated since the special flights began on February 22.

"The number of Indians airlifted by 66 special civilian flights goes up to 13,852. Till date, the IAF has flown 10 sorties to bring back 2,056 passengers while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these countries as part of Operation Ganga," Union Ministry of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia said in a statement on Sunday.

On Monday, eight special flights are expected to operate from Budapest (5), Suceva (2) and Bucharest (1), evacuating more than 1,500 Indians back home.

4:53 PM

Language row: Jharkhand Bandh call evokes mixed response

Jharkhand bandh call given by non-tribal outfits led by Bhojpuri Magahi Maithili Angika Manch (BMMAM) on Sunday to press their demand for inclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi in the list of recognised regional languages of Dhanbad and Bokaro districts, evoked a mixed response.

The tribal organisations who oppose the demand, however, termed it a complete failure.

Members of different non-tribal organisations led by BMMAM took to the streets in Ranchi and other districts to try make the bandh a success.

However, the impact of the bandh call was missing in cities, as markets were open and traffic movement normal like other days.

Bandh supporters were seen marching from Ranchi's Birsa Chowk to Albert Ekka Chowk requesting traders to shut their shops.

Even though traffic was almost normal in Ranchi, number of passenger auto-rickshaws plying the streets were fewer compared to normal days.

The non-tribal outfits are demanding inclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi in the list of regional languages for Dhanbad and Bokaro districts and are also protesting a move to use the 1932-'Khatiyan' (land records) as proof of domicile in the state.

BMMAM president Kailash Yadav told media persons, It was a token bandh in the state on Sunday. If government does not include Bhojpuri and Magahi in the list of regional languages in Dhanbad and Bokaro, the agitation will be intensified. We also demand the government drop the idea of a 1932-'Khatiyan' based domicile policy.

 

4:49 PM

Russian war in world's 'breadbasket' threatens food supply

The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands of the Black Sea region known as the breadbasket of the world.

Ukrainian farmers have been forced to neglect their fields as millions flee, fight or try to stay alive. Ports are shut down that send wheat and other food staples worldwide to be made into bread, noodles and animal feed. And there are worries Russia, another agricultural powerhouse, could have its grain exports upended by Western sanctions.

While there have not yet been global disruptions to wheat supplies, prices have surged 55 per cent since a week before the invasion amid concerns about what could happen next. If the war is prolonged, countries that rely on affordable wheat exports from Ukraine could face shortages starting in July, International Grains Council director Arnaud Petit told The Associated Press.

That could create food insecurity and throw more people into poverty in places like Egypt and Lebanon, where diets are dominated by government-subsidized bread. In Europe, officials are preparing for potential shortages of products from Ukraine and increased prices for livestock feed that could mean more expensive meat and dairy if farmers are forced to pass along costs to customers.

4:40 PM

After PM's campaign in Varanasi, BJP confident to repeat 2017 performance

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day stay in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the BJP is now hoping to sweep all the assembly seats of the district once again.

A Varanasi BJP functionary claims that Prime Minister Modi's campaign has turned the tide in favour of the party and the saffron party will repeat 2017 performance by winning all the seats of the district like it did in 2017.

Eight assembly constituencies - Varanasi South, Varanasi North, Varanasi Cantt, Shivpuri, Sevapuri, Rohaniya, Ajagara and Pindra -- come under Varanasi district.

In 2017, the BJP and its alliance won all the eight assembly seats. BJP is facing challenges on a few seats this time from opposition candidates and in some areas people are also expressing their anger against sitting MLAs.

After the Prime Minister camped in the city and held a road show covering three assembly seats, the local cadre openly started pointing out that the situation has changed before polling on Monday.

The Prime Minister stayed in his parliamentary constituency for two days before the end of campaign on Saturday evening.

Varanasi BJP leader mentioned that there is a tough challenge from Opposition candidates or strong anti-incumbency against MLAs in two to three constituencies but with the end of campaigning, the situation is favourable in all the seats of the district.

 

4:38 PM

Ukraine war: Govt says 8 flights to bring back 1,500 Indians on Monday

Eight flights with over 1,500 Indians will operate from war-torn Ukraine's neighbouring countries to India on Monday, the Civil Aviation Ministry stated on Sunday.

The Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive. Indian citizens fleeing Ukraine are being airlifted from its neighbours such as Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.

"Under 'Operation Ganga' to rescue Indian citizens, 2,135 Indians have been brought back today (Sunday) by 11 special civilian flights from Ukraine's neighbouring countries," the ministry noted in a statement.

"Tomorrow, eight special flights are expected to operate from Budapest (five), Suceava (two) and Bucharest (one), bringing more than 1,500 Indians back home, it mentioned.

To date, the Indian Air Force has flown 10 sorties to bring back 2,056 passengers while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these countries as part of 'Operation Ganga'.

The IAF is conducting its flights using C-17 military transport planes. The civilian flight are being operated by Indian carriers such as IndiGo, Air India, Vistara and SpiceJet.