Russia Ukraine Live: Russia Ukraine News LIVE updates: Moscow bars entry to Russia for UK’s Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace – The Economic Times

To boost Make in India, IAF shelves plan to buy 48 Russian Mi-17 V5s

Hindustani Awam Morcha’s next president

Bihar: Santosh Kumar Suman (son of Jitan Ram Manjhi) will be the next president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) announces party chief Jitan Ram Manjhi

One killed, 18 wounded in missile strike on Ukraine’s Kharkiv

One person was killed and 18 wounded when a Russian missile hit one of the central districts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Strongly condemn recent communal violence: Joint Oppn

Opposition leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Hemant Soren, Tejashwi Yadav and others issue joint appeals to people to maintain peace and harmony and demand stringent punishment for perpetrators of communal violence

Maharashtra bypolls: Congress wins Kolhapur North Assembly seat

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on loudspeakers

Clear instructions have been given that loudspeakers are allowed within the permitted decibel limit and if anyone violates that then legal action will be taken

Mamata Banerjee is country’s favourite and popular leader. She will be a game-changer (in 2024 polls) and we will stay with her where she goes including Bihar

– TMC leader Shatrughan Sinha in Asansol

Putin, Saudi crown prince discuss OPEC+, Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave a positive assessment of joint work in the OPEC+ format during a phone call, the Kremlin said. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine and Yemen, the Kremlin said.

Court upholds order directing CBI to withdraw LOC against Aakar Patel

Patel had approached the magisterial court submitting that he was stopped by immigration authorities at the Bangalore International Airport while boarding a flight to the US.

Afghan officials confirm Pakistan airstrikes in Khost, Kunar provinces

The local officials of Afghanistan’s Khost and Kunar provinces confirmed that the Pakistani aircraft launched the airstrikes on different parts of the provinces, killing five children and a woman. Officials of the Khost province said that the Pakistani aircraft bombed the Pesa Mila, and Mir Safar areas of the province on Friday night, Khaama Press reported. While, the local residents of the province said that the airstrikes were conducted in the Spera district of Khost province, killing 33 members of two families.

Russia bans entry to British PM Johnson

Moscow on Saturday announced it was banning entry to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several other top UK officials, after London imposed sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. “This step was taken as a response to London’s unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for restricting our country and strangling the domestic economy,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused London of “unprecedented hostile actions”, in particular referring to sanctions on Russia’s senior officials.

Software exports grow to Rs 1,761 cr from 4 Indore IT SEZs

Software export from four IT special economic zones, including those of TCS and Infosys, here climbed to Rs 1,761.19 crore in the last fiscal, registering around 52 per cent growth following a surge in demand in IT services. The four IT SEZs accounted for Rs 1,161.40 crore of exports in 2020-21, an official of the Central Commercial and Industries Ministry said on Saturday. He said that software exports from TCS SEZ rose to Rs 867.35 crore, registering a growth of around 60 per cent in the last fiscal.

Encounter breaks out in J-K’s Anantnag

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said. Acting on specific input about the presence of militants in Watnar area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there, a police official said. He said the hiding militants fired at the security forces, who retaliated.

EU Parliament member raises concern over rise in violence against Afghan women

European Parliament member Hannah Neuman has said that violence against women and girls has increased in Afghanistan, reported local media. Neuman, in an interview with TOLOnews, highlighted a number of issues faced by Afghan women, especially cases of underage marriage and trafficking of girls on the rise. “For the women especially there is a lot of insecurity about their future, there is a lot of insecurity if tomorrow they can go for their job again, there is a lot of insecurity–how to they feed their children–there is a lot of insecurity about how would be the future, especially of their girls, and we see an increase in forced marriage where even children at the age of 8 or 9 are being married, we see an increase that especially girls are being sold,” said the Parliament representative.

14 kids among 70 new COVID patients in Noida, active infections cross 200-mark: Officials

Seventy people, including 14 children, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar, pushing the number of active infections to over 200, the district health department said on Saturday. The number of active cases in the district, adjoining Delhi, has reached 218 now, the department said. According to official figures, 70 more people have tested positive for the infection since Friday 6 am while eight have been cured during the period.

Over 900 civilians dead around Kyiv, Russia vows new attacks

Indignant over what it called Ukrainian strikes in Russian territory and following the stunning loss of its Black Sea flagship, Moscow threatened renewed missile attacks on Kyiv, where authorities said the bodies of more than 900 civilians were found outside the capital. Most had been shot dead, police said, and likely “simply executed”. Russian forces prepared for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine, and fighting also went on in the pummelled southern port city of Mariupol, where locals reported seeing Russian troops digging up bodies. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the shelling of a residential area killed seven people, including a 7-month-old child, and wounded 34, according to regional Governor Oleh Sinehubov.

Maha Assembly bypoll: Cong retains Kolhapur North seat by over 18,000 votes

In a boost to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine in Maharashtra, the Congress on Saturday won the bypoll to the Kolhapur North Assembly constituency, retaining the seat by defeating the BJP by a margin of over 18,000 votes. Congress-MVA candidate Jayashri Jadhav bagged 96,176 votes, while BJP’s Satyajeet Kadam polled 77,426 votes. Jadhav emerged victorious by a margin of 18,750 votes, election officials said. The by-election to this Assembly segment in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra was necessitated following the death of sitting Congress MLA Chandrakant Jadhav due to COVID-19 in December 2021. The Congress had fielded the late legislator’s widow from this seat. The bypoll was held on April 12 in which 61.19 per cent voter turnout was recorded.

Colombo Stock Exchange to remain shut next week as Lanka struggles to combat forex crisis

The Colombo Stock Exchange will remain temporarily closed for a week from Monday to provide investors an opportunity to have “more clarity and understanding” of the current economic conditions in crisis-hit Sri Lanka that would help them “to make informed investment decisions,” it was announced on Saturday. “The stock market will remain temporarily closed for a period of five business days from April 18, 2022,” the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) said in a press release.

TMC eyes clean sweep in both assembly and LS by-poll

The Trinamool Congress is on way to a clean sweep as it demolished rivals in the Asansol Lok Sabha seat where movie actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha is leading by an unassalable margin of nearly 2.3 lakh votes, while bettering CPI(M)’s vote count in the prestigious Ballygunge constituency. In Asansol former Union minister and popular veteran Bollywood star Shatrughan Sinha is leading by garnering a massive 5,45,818 votes against BJP’s Agnimitra Paul’s 3,15,283 votes as at 2 pm. BJP had won the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Congress top brass in huddle with Prashant Kishor

Kishor had previously held parleys with the former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and the party’s national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. However, there had been no forward movement. According to sources, Gandhi called an urgent meeting at her residence. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ambika Soni, Digvijaya Singh, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken and KC Venugopal are also present at the meeting with Kishor.

RJD wins Bochahan assembly seat in Bihar, defeating nearest BJP rival by margin of over 35,000 votes

Top Congress leaders meet at residence of party president Sonia Gandhi

Top Congress leaders on Saturday met at the residence of party president Sonia Gandhi and are learnt to be discussing the current political situation. Sources said the Congress leaders are also discussing the party’s strategy for upcoming assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and holding the party’s ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Rajasthan. The brainstorming session is to be held later this month to work out the Congress’ strategy to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and suggest changes in the party.

Qasim Suri resigns as Pakistan National Assembly Dy Speaker

Qasim Suri resigned as the Deputy Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly, less than an hour before the voting on the no-confidence motion against him started. Confirming the news, Suri shared a copy of his resignation on Twitter and said that his decision signified his association with his party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and democracy, Dawn newspaper reported.

Air strikes hit Lviv region, governor says

The governor of the Lviv region in western Ukraine reported air strikes in the region on Saturday morning. Maksym Kozytskyy said on the Telegram messaging app that Russian Su-35 aircraft took off from the Baranovichi airfield in Belarus and carried out missile strikes in Lviv. Ukraine’s air defense system shot down four cruise missiles, Kozytskyy said. He didn’t offer any details about possible casualties or damage.

Ukraine’s GDP may fall between 30%-50% in 2022

Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) may fall between 30% and 50% this year, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said in televised comments on Saturday.

India can’t afford to remain stagnant at this juncture, says PM Modi

India cannot afford to remain stagnant at this juncture and it has to become self-reliant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. He was speaking after unveiling a 108-feet tall statue of Lord Hanuman in Gujarat’s Morbi via video link on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. “India cannot afford to remain stagnant today…We cannot continue to remain where we are. The global situation is such that the entire world is thinking on how to become ‘aatmanirbhar’,” Modi said.

Taliban ban wearing neckties in schools in Afghanistan

The Taliban in its fresh decree have asked the students and teachers to stop wearing neckties in schools in Afghanistan, reported TOLOnews. The Educational Directorate, the Ministry of Education, Afghanistan in an official letter said that students and teachers are no longer allowed to wear neckties in schools. However, Ihsanullah Khitab, head of the Kabul department of education, said, “The official order issued by the department of education regarding the hijab and ties was just instruction.”

Singapore’s Lee says Finance Minister Wong to succeed him as PM

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday that Finance Minister Lawrence Wong would succeed him as the city-state’s leader. Wong was chosen as leader of the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) so-called fourth generation team, according to an announcement on Thursday, paving the way for him to become prime minister. “The plan is for Lawrence to succeed me as PM, either before or after (if the PAP wins) the next General Election. It is due in 2025 and will surely be a tough fight,” Lee said in a social media post on Saturday.

Pakistan Parliament set to appoint former PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as Speaker

Pakistan’s Parliament is set to meet on Saturday to appoint former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as the new speaker and take up a no-confidence motion against deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri for acting in favour of the previous government led by Imran Khan. Ashraf, 71, from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will be given the oath of office after he was deemed elected as no other candidate on Friday submitted nomination papers against him till the 12-noon deadline.

Bihar: RJD widens lead in Bochahan assembly bypoll

Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate Amar Kumar Paswan on Saturday widened his lead over his nearest rival Baby Kumari of the BJP to 21,049 in the bypoll to Bihar’s Bochahan assembly constituency, an Election Commission official said. Paswan secured 46,307 votes, while Kumari got 25,258 after the 14th round of counting, he said. Vikassheel Insaan Party’s Geeta Kumari was in the third position with 15,757 votes.

5.3-magnitude quake hits 80 km Tocopilla in Chile

The epicentre of the quake which occured on Friday, with a depth of 65.76 km, was initially determined to be at 22.7811-degree south latitude and 69.9368-degree west longitude, Xinhua news agency reported. Another earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.1, jolted South Sandwich Islands region on Friday, the US Geological Survey said

5,000 under evacuation orders as New Mexico wildfire rages

The fire has destroyed more than 200 homes and killed two people since it broke out Tuesday near the village Ruidoso, a vacation spot that draws thousands of tourists and horse racing fans every summer. Hundreds of homes and summer cabins dot the surrounding mountainsides. The RV park that Siddens managed is near where an elderly couple was found dead this week outside their charred residence.

Modi unveils a 108 ft statue of Hanuman ji in Morbi, Gujarat

“We have been seeing a similar grand Hanuman statue in Shimla for years now. The second has been established in Morbi today. I have been told that two more statues will be established in Rameswaram and West Bengal,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi

US, UK and Spain see acute hepatitis cases among children

The US, UK and Spain are seeing a rise in cases of acute hepatitis of unknown causes among children. Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver and is commonly the result of a viral infection. In a statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the causes behind the unexpected cases in the countries remain unknown, but the health authorities suspect links to Covid-19 virus or adenovirus in several of the cases. Adenoviruses are a common cause of cold-like illnesses and can cause conjunctivitis and diarrhea.

India’s vaccination coverage exceeds 186.38 crore

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed that India’s cumulative Coronavirus vaccination coverage crossed 186.38 crores on Saturday, as per the provisional reports by 7 am. According to the ministry, this target has been achieved through 2,26,92,477 sessions. COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on 16 March 2022 and over 2.40 crore (2,40,16,391) 1st dose and 57,147 2nd dose were administered them, said the ministry.

Uttar Pradesh: Three killed, 10 injured in road accident

Three people were killed and 10 others injured after the mini-truck in which they were travelling collided with a canter truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district, police said on Saturday. The accident took place at the Jasrana-Etah road on Friday night, they said. The passengers of the mini-truck were returning from Etah after attending the last rites of a relative, Superintendent of Police (rural) Akhilesh Narayan said.

West Bengal bypolls: Babul Supriyo, Shatrughan lead in early trends

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is leading the Ballygunge Assembly seat and the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in the early trends while the counting of votes for the bypolls is underway. From the Ballygunge constituency, TMC’s Babul Supriyo is leading by 8109 votes. The BJP has fielded Keya Ghosh while Saira Shah Halim is the CPI(M) candidate from the Assembly bypoll.

Olectra launches heavy-duty Electric truck trials

In a major development, Olectra Greentech Limited (OLECTRA) has successfully begun 6×4 heavy-duty Electric tipper trials here on Friday as part of its initiative to expand its product portfolio into electric truck segment. Pioneer and market leader in electric bus manufacturing, Olectra now entered into truck manufacturing and this prototype is built on heavy-duty electric tipper platform. The first of its kind truck in India, Olectra tipper, with a 220-km range on a single charge, is built with a heavy-duty bogie suspension tipper capable of managing gradability of more than 25 per cent (scaling slopes on roads with elevation, and ghat roads). The manufacturing will be scaled up in the state-of-the-art facility coming up on the outskirts of Hyderabad soon.

Chhattisgarh: Counting of votes for Khairagarh Assembly by-poll underway

The counting of votes cast in the Khairagarh Assembly by-poll in Chhattisgarh is underway. The counting process began at 8 am on Saturday. The by-poll was necessitated due to the death of Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) MLA Devvrat Singh. According to political observers, the fight was between the ruling Congress’ Yashoda Verma and the BJP’s Komal Janghel as the JCC(J) has lost its appeal since the death of its founder and former chief minister Ajit Jogi in 2020.

Pakistan Assembly: No-trust vote against Dy Speaker Qasim Suri

The session of the Pakistan National Assembly, with the voting for the removal of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri and the election of the new speaker on agenda, will be held at noon on Saturday, reported Radio Pakistan. The National Assembly, earlier scheduled to meet on April 22, has now been convened to meet on Saturday to take up the no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who is currently functioning as the acting speaker, reported the Dawn newspaper. Notably, Suri had earlier changed the schedule of the sitting of the lower house of parliament from April 16 to April 22. However, Additional Secretary of Legislation of the National Assembly Secretariat Muhammad Mushtaq on Friday informed the members that the resolution for removal of the deputy speaker from the office would be taken up on April 16.

United Nations chief calls for calm in Jerusalem

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced grave concern over the deteriorating security situation in Jerusalem and called for efforts to de-escalate the tension, said his spokesman. Palestinians clashed with the Israeli police forces on Friday at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, leaving more than 100 people wounded, Xinhua news agency reported.

300 units of free electricity from July 1 in Punjab

The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab announced 300 units of free electricity to households from July 1. The announcement was made in advertisements published by the state’s information and public relations department in various newspapers on Saturday. It was related to a 30-day report card of the AAP government in Punjab. A formal announcement is expected to be made later on Saturday.

COVID-19: Thane district reports two cases

With the addition of two coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra rose to 7,08,875, an official said on Saturday. These cases were reported on Friday.

West Bengal: Counting underway for Asansol Lok Sabha, Ballygunge Assembly bypolls

The counting of votes, which began at 8 am, for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat and Ballygunge Assembly seat bypolls is underway in West Bengal on Saturday. Voting for the bypolls was held on April 12. Trinamool Congress has fielded former Union Minister Shatrughan Sinha while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated Agnimitra Paul from the Asansol constituency for the bypoll. For the Ballygunge Assembly by-poll, the BJP has fielded Keya Ghosh while Saira Shah Halim is the CPI(M) candidate. Former Union minister Babul Supriyo is also in the fray from the TMC.

Philippines storm death toll rises to 167, 110 missing

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 164 died in the central Philippines and three in the southern Philippines. The agency, which culls reports from the provinces affected by disasters, added that there are 110 more missing in the central Philippines. Megi dumped rains in the central and southern Philippine regions before and after it hit land on April 10, inundating many areas and setting off landslides in several villages in Baybay City and Abuyog town in Leyte province.

COVID-19: India reports 975 fresh cases, 796 recoveries and four deaths in the last 24 hours

Pakistan: Punjab Assembly to elect CM today

Members of the Punjab Assembly will elect the new Chief Minister of the province in Pakistan during the Saturday session at 11:30 am on the direction of the Lahore High Court, a local media reported. The special session of the House to elect the Chief Minister will be chaired by Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) candidate Pervaiz Elahi and the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz, are stated to be in a close contest for the post of CM after the resignation of Sardar Usman Buzdar, who was nominated to the post by the ousted Pakistan PM Imran Khan in 2018.

Russia warns US, NATO of ‘unpredictable consequences’

Days after the Joe Biden administration announced an additional USD 800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, Russia warns the United States of “unpredictable consequences” if the country continues to transfer weapons to Ukraine. Washington Post reviewed a diplomatic note that Russia sent the US this week and said that the note warned that US and NATO shipments of the “most sensitive” weapons systems to Ukraine could bring “unpredictable consequences,” reported Aljazeera.

Shanghai reports 3,590 local, 19,923 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases

China’s economic hub Shanghai reported 3,590 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 19,923 local asymptomatic carriers on Friday, the municipal health commission said on Saturday. The recent spike in COVID cases in the global financial hub Shanghai, which has caused a major disruption in supply chains, has been attributed to family infections and logistics transmission. In an editorial published in the Global Times, state media acknowledged that the quarantine of around 20 million residents in their homes and rising infections have stirred public concerns.

Chinese astronauts return to Earth after Beijing’s longest crewed space mission

Verizon stores in Washington state vote to join union

Employees at Verizon stores north of Seattle in Everett and Lynnwood won their union election on Friday, making them the first unionized Verizon stores in the country outside of New York. The near-unanimous victory represents the latest in a growing labor movement across the country that includes the unionization of Starbucks stores and the first Amazon warehouse union. A group of workers and supporters watched the vote count streamed on Zoom by the National Labor Relations Board on Friday, in the parking lot by the Everett Verizon store, the Daily Herald reported.

China reports 24,791 new COVID cases on April 15

China reported 24,791 new coronavirus cases on April 15, of which 3,896 were symptomatic and 20,895 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday. That compares with 24,268 new cases a day earlier – 3,486 symptomatic and 20,782 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.

Seven soldiers killed in terrorist attack in Pakistan

The incident happened on Thursday when the terrorists ambushed a military convoy near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in north Waziristan district of the province, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday in the statement. Pakistani troops initiated a prompt response, and killed four terrorists, the statement said, adding that seven soldiers were killed in the intense exchange of fire, Xinhua news agency reported.

South Africa’s flood death toll rises to 395

A total of 395 people have been killed by flood in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, a government official said. As of Friday, a total of 40,723 people have been affected, and the latest number of fatalities stands at 395, Sipho Hlomuka, a member of the Executive Council for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, briefed the media on Friday about the recent floods.

Biden increases oil royalty rate, scales back lease sales

The Interior Department on Friday said it’s moving forward with the first onshore sales of public oil and natural gas drilling leases under President Joe Biden, but will sharply increase royalty rates for companies as federal officials weigh efforts to fight climate change against pressure to bring down high gasoline prices. The royalty rate for new leases will increase to 18.75% from 12.5%. That’s a 50% jump and marks the first increase to royalties for the federal government since they were imposed in the 1920s.

Bhopal police on high alert on Hanuman Jayanti, to monitor processions with drones

After the Khargone Ram Navami violence, the Bhopal police is on high alert for the Hanuman Jayanti processions on Saturday and will monitor it with drones in order to ensure a peaceful celebration. Speaking to ANI, the Commissioner of Police, Makrand Deoskar on Friday had said that apart from the drones, the police department has deployed a large police force to keep a watch on the procession.

Between 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have died in war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday told CNN that between 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have died so far in the war with Russia and another 10,000 have been injured.