LIVE: Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter ban on Donald Trump

Musk says Twitter's decision to permanently ban former US President Donald Trump 'not correct'

11:33 PM

Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter ban on Donald Trump

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said Tuesday he would reverse Twitter's ban on former US President Donald Trump, while speaking at the Financial Times' 'Future of the Car' conference.

 

Elon Musk says Twitter's decision to permanently ban Trump is 'not correct'.

10:57 PM

Ukraine to halt key Russian gas transit to Europe, use alternative

Ukraine said on Tuesday it would suspend the flow of gas through a transit point which it said delivers almost a third of the fuel piped from Russia to Europe through Ukraine, blaming Moscow for the move and saying it would move the flows elsewhere.

 

GTSOU, which operates Ukraine's gas system, said it would suspend flows via the Sokhranivka route from Wednesday, declaring "force majeure", a clause invoked when a business is hit by something beyond its control.

10:35 PM

Biden says discussing dropping US trade tariffs on China

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday discussions are ongoing about potentially dropping US trade tariffs on China that were imposed by his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump.

 

"We're discussing that right now," Biden told reporters after a speech about inflation. "I'm telling you, we're discussing it, and no decision has been made on it."

9:46 PM

Biden urges Senate to confirm Fed nominees, cites inflation

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday called on the Senate to confirm his nominees for the U.S. central bank, saying the Federal Reserve had a key role to play in fighting inflation.

 

Biden, while noting the Fed's political independence, said he was confident the central bank would do its job, calling inflation a top economic priority.

9:17 PM

Yellen says eliminating abortion rights would have 'damaging effects' on US economy

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday said eliminating women's access to abortions would have "very damaging effects" on the U.S. economy, keeping some women from completing their educations, reducing lifetime earnings potential and keeping some out of the workforce.

 

Yellen in testimony to the Senate Banking Committee said research has shown that denying women access to abortions increases their odds of living in poverty or on public assistance.

9:09 PM

FCRA violations: MHA officials, NGO representatives under lens as CBI conducts countrywide op

The CBI is conducting a major countrywide operation against Union Home Ministry officials, NGO representatives and middlemen for allegedly facilitating violations of rules in receiving foreign donations, officials said Tuesday, PTI reported. 

 

The coordinated operation over the alleged breaches of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act is going on at around 40 locations including in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mysore and some places in Rajasthan, they said.

 

It has been detected during the operation that several public officials from the MHA, NGO representatives and middleman exchanged money to facilitate the foreign donations in violation of FCRA, 2010, they said.

8:56 PM

Wall St slips in choppy trading as bank stocks slide

Wall Street's main indexes turned lower on Tuesday in volatile trading as bank and megacap growth stocks slumped on concerns over aggressive monetary tightening and slowing economic growth.

 

At 11:14 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 117.61 points, or 0.36%, at 32,128.09, the S&P 500 was down 15.08 points, or 0.38%, at 3,976.16, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 39.47 points, or 0.34%, at 11,583.78.

8:49 PM

WHO chief says China's zero-COVID policy not 'sustainable'

The head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday China's zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy is not sustainable given what is known of the disease, in rare public comments by the U.N. agency on a government's handling of the virus.

 

"We don't think that it is sustainable considering the behaviour of the virus," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing.

 

Speaking after Tedros, WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said the impact of a "zero-COVID" policy on human rights also needs to be taken into consideration alongside the effect on a country's economy from any COVID policy.

8:20 PM

Sri Lanka Defence Ministry orders tri-forces to open fire on rioters

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence on Tuesday ordered the Army, the Air Force and the Navy personnel to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm to others amidst violent protests in the island nation over the unprecedented economic crisis.

 

The order came after embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa urged people to stop "violence and acts of revenge" against fellow citizens and vowed to address the political and economic crisis facing the nation.
 

The death toll rose to eight in the unprecedented violence that erupted after supporters of then prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked anti-government protesters here on Monday. Though Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, has quit as prime minister, this has failed to bring calm.

8:10 PM

Fed's Mester: 50 bps rate hikes make sense, could see unemployment rise

Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester on Tuesday said raising interest rates in half-point increments "makes perfect sense" for the next couple of Fed meetings, and that ultimately rates will need to rise above 2.5% to rein in too-high inflation.

 

"It may very well be that the unemployment rate will have to move up a little bit, we may get another quarter of negative or slow growth, but that's going to have to happen if we want to get inflation down," Mester told Yahoo Finance. "I think things will be bumpy."

7:34 PM

Sri Lankan President urges people to stop 'violence and acts of revenge' as death toll in violence rises to 8

Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday urged people to stop "violence and acts of revenge" against fellow citizens and vowed to address the political and economic crisis facing the nation, even as the death toll rose to eight in the unprecedented violence that erupted after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked anti-government protesters here.

 

Nearly 250 people have also been injured in the violence in Colombo and other parts of the country. A curfew is in force across the island nation after mobs burned down the ancestral home belonging to the ruling Rajapaksa family amid mounting anger at the worst economic crisis. Though Mahinda Rajapaksa has quit as prime minister, this has failed to bring calm.

7:33 PM

Netflix tells employees ads may appear by end of 2022: NYT

Netflix Inc could introduce a lower-priced ad-supported subscription plan by the end of the year, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing an internal note to employees.

 

Netflix did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

6:10 PM

'Big decision' expected as Pak PM Shehbaz set to meet Nawaz in London

A "big decision" is on the cards as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be meeting his elder brother and PML-N supremo in London, media reported.

 

Senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi - who is already in London - confirmed the visit, with sources saying that PM Shehbaz will likely leave for the visit tonight, Geo News reported.

 

Ex-prime minister Abbasi said that Prime Minister Shehbaz and other party leaders had requested Nawaz Sharif to call a consultative meeting, but did not specify when the recently-elected premier would be reaching the English capital.

 

5:22 PM

Char Dham yatra: Govt increases pilgrim registration by 1000 each in 4 dhams

Due to heavy inflow of devotees for Char Dham yatra, the govt has increased pilgrim registration by 1000 each in 4 dhams. Registrations are compulsory. Its checking would be conducted strictly & regularly at all police posts for verification: Pushkar Singh Dhami, CM Uttarakhand
 

5:11 PM

Varanasi court adjourns Gyanvapi mosque hearing till tomorrow

Varanasi court adjourns Gyanvapi mosque hearing till tomorrow
 

5:08 PM

General Manoj Pande to receive Param Vishisht Seva Medal from President today

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande to receive Param Vishisht Seva Medal today from President Ram Nath Kovind today
 

4:50 PM

EU pledges nearly $1.6 bn in humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees

The European Union has pledged to increase humanitarian assistance to Syrians up to 1.5 billion euros ($1.58 billion) for 2022 and to allocate an equal amount following year, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday.

 

On Monday, the sixth European Union's Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region kicked off in Brussels, with the purpose of harnessing international support for Syrians who keep facing dire humanitarian crisis both in Syria and abroad. The core pledging event is taking place on the conference's final day on Tuesday during the EU ministerial meeting.

 

4:24 PM

Rupee recovers 12 paise to close at 77.32 against US dollar

Snapping its two-day losing streak, the rupee appreciated 12 paise to end at 77.32 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, supported by a rebound in regional currencies and fall in crude oil prices.

 

However, weak domestic equities and persistent foreign fund outflows restricted the gains, forex traders said.

 

At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened strong at 77.27 against the greenback and moved in a range of 77.20 to 77.45 in the day trade. The rupee finally ended at 77.32, 12 paise higher than its previous close.

 

In the previous session, the rupee had slumped 54 paise to close at a record low of 77.44 against the US dollar.

4:09 PM

Sri Lanka's Speaker asks President to reconvene Parliament this week

Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker on Tuesday requested embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to reconvene the House this week to discuss the current situation amid unprecedented violence and widespread protest against the government over the country' worst economic crisis in decades.

 

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeyawardene said he had telephoned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with his request.

 

Parliamentary officials said the President will be required to reconvene Parliament ahead of its scheduled date of May 17 as there is no Prime Minister and a government currently.

 

Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as Sri Lankan Prime Minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital.

 

3:54 PM

Sri Lanka gives emergency powers to military, police after clashes kill 7

Sri Lanka gave emergency powers on Tuesday to its military and police to detain people without warrants, after a day of clashes that killed seven people and injured more than 200, in violence that prompted Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign.

 

As the Indian Ocean nation battles its worst economic crisis in history, thousands of protesters had defied curfew to attack government figures, setting ablaze homes, shops and businesses belonging to ruling party lawmakers and provincial politicians.

 

3:41 PM

SC seeks Centre's reply on protecting citizens from sedition cases till it re-examines law

The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre to apprise it about the views on the issue of protection of interest of citizens till the colonial-era penal law on sedition is reconsidered by an appropriate forum.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of the Centre that said it has decided to "re-examine and reconsider" the sedition law by an appropriate forum and sought the response to a suggestion whether the filing of sedition cases in future be kept at abeyance till re-examination.

 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that he would take instruction from the government and apprise the bench on Wednesday.

 

We are making it very clear. We want instructions. We will give you time till tomorrow. Our specific queries are: one about pending cases and the second, as to how the government will take care of future cases..., said the bench.

 

It sought a response on the issue saying if future cases can be kept at abeyance till reconsideration is over.

3:30 PM

India supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability, economic recovery: MEA

India on Tuesday said it is "fully supportive" of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability and economic recovery, a day after the island nation's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa quit amid massive protests in the country over the government's handling of the economic crisis.

 

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes."

 

He was responding to media queries on the developments in Sri Lanka.

 

"As a close neighbour of Sri Lanka, with historical ties, India is fully supportive of its democracy, stability and economic recovery," Bagchi said.

 

He also mentioned the assistance India provided to help Sri Lanka deal with the economic crisis.

 

3:17 PM

Russia pounds Odesa as civilian bodies uncovered elsewhere

Russia pounded away at Ukraine's vital southern port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, as they announced they found the bodies of 44 civilians in the rubble of a building in the northeast that was destroyed weeks ago.

 

The bodies were found in a five-story building that collapsed in March in Izyum, about 120 kilometers from the city of Kharkiv, which has been under sustained Russian attack since the beginning of the war in late February.

 

This is another horrible war crime of the Russian occupiers against the civilian population! said Oleh Synehubov, the head of the regional administration, in a social media message announcing the deaths.

 

Izyum lies on a key route to the eastern industrial region of the Donbas, now the focus of Russia's war in Ukraine. Synehubov did not say specifically where the building was.

 

Earlier, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces fired seven missiles a day earlier from the air at the crucial Black Sea port of Odesa, hitting a shopping center and a warehouse. One person was killed and five were wounded, the military said.

3:07 PM

Coal-based power generation rises by over 9% in April

Coal-based power generation registered 9.26 per cent rise at 1,02,529 million units (MU) in April as compared to the year-ago period.

 

This comes amid the country facing power crisis.

 

The thermal power generation was 93,838 MU in April 2021, according to official data.

 

"Coal-based power generation has registered a growth of 9.26 per cent in April 2022 as compared to April 2021 and growth of 2.25 per cent as compared to March 2022," it said.

 

The thermal power generation in April also grew 2.25 per cent when compared to 1,00,276 MU in March, it said.

 

The overall power generation last month increased 11.75 per cent to 1,36,565 MU against 1,22,209 MU in the year-ago period, it added.

The coal ministry had earlier said that the current power crisis is mainly on account of sharp decline in electricity generation from different fuel sources and not due to non-availability of domestic coal.

2:47 PM

Delhi HC grants bail to Ex-Religare CEO in connection with siphoning of over Rs 2,300 cr

Delhi HC grants bail to Ex-Religare CEO Krishnan Subramanian in connection with siphoning of over Rs 2,300 cr

2:44 PM

PM Modi congratulates new South Korean Prez

PM Modi congratulates new South Korean Prez, looks forward to bolstering ties between countries

 

2:40 PM

Sri Lanka's fleeing ex-PM, family take refuge at naval base

In the wake of the widespread violence in Sri Lanka that left five people dead, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family on Tuesday took refuge at a naval base in Trincomalee after leaving Colombo under heavy security.

Rajapaksa, his wife Shiranthi, and their youngest son Rohitha and his family, left the Prime Minister's official residence, Temple Trees, early Tuesday morning on board an Air Force helicopter and have now taken refuge at the heavily guarded naval base, an informed military source said.

Reports have also revealed that Rajapaksa's second son, Yositha, who was also the former Prime Minister's Secretary, and his family had left the country on Monday.

Following Rajapaksa's resignation on Monday and the ensuing violence started by the pro-government protesters, the anti-government denonstrators surrounded Temple Trees and tried to forcibly enter the premises.

Military were rushed to his protection and the police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the violent mob.

2:40 PM

Rly launches 'baby berths' for passengers travelling with kids

To make train journey more comfortable for passengers travelling with infants, the railways has fitted foldable "baby berths" on the side of lower main berths of the Lucknow Mail as part of a pilot project.

Based on the feedback of passengers on the "new product", plans will be drawn to expand the concept to other trains, officials said.

The "baby berth", which are hinged to the lower main berths, can be folded and secured with a stopper when not in use. It has been is aligned the main berth.

2:39 PM

Hold consultations with states on issue of identification of minorities: SC to Centre

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the Centre taking different stands on the issue of identification of minorities, including Hindus, at the state level and directed it to hold consultations with the states on the issue within three months.

 

In supersession of its earlier stand, the Centre had on Monday told the apex court that the power to notify minorities is vested with the Union government and any decision in this regard will be taken after discussion with states and other stakeholders.

 

The Centre had in March said that it was for the states and Union Territories (UTs) to take a call on whether or not to grant minority status to Hindus and other communities where they are less in number.

2:04 PM

Our cultural world is poorer with demise of Shiv Kumar Sharma: PM Modi

Paying tributes to renowned santoor player and music composer Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the cultural world is poorer with the musician's demise.

Sharma popularised santoor at the global level, and his music will continue to enthral the coming generations, Modi tweeted.

The classical musician died here on Tuesday morning following a heart attack. He was 84.

"Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularised the Santoor at a global level. His music will continue to enthral the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi said.