Live: Russia says Ukrainian fighters at Azot plant can surrender on Wed

Catch the latest on the Union Cabinet decisions, the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus

Live news updates: Russia's Defence Ministry said it had offered Ukrainian fighters sheltering in the Azot chemical plant in the eastern Ukrainian town of Sievierodonetsk the chance to surrender on Wednesday.

Both the town and the Azot plant have become flashpoints of the conflict in recent weeks, with hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers holed up in the factory under intense shelling from Russian forces trying to capture the town, local authorities say.

Veteran politician Sharad Pawar has refused to be the presidential candidate for Opposition parties in election for the post on July 24, said Communist leader Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday. Opposition parties will consider other names, he said.

India's President is elected by the members of the Electoral College consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament, and elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States including National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Votes in the election will be counted on July 21, if needed. The BJP has enough numbers to secure victory for its candidate. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked various government departments and Ministries to undertake the recruitment of 10 lakh people on a "mission mode" in the next year-and-a-half, his office said on June 14.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced a significant reform on how soldiers across the three services will be recruited under the new Agnipath scheme. Soldiers recruited under the scheme will be called Agniveers.

 

6:13 PM

Russia's Defence Ministry offers Ukraine troops chance to surrender

Russia's Defence Ministry said it had offered Ukrainian fighters sheltering in the Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk the chance to surrender on Wednesday. Russian troops are "trying to gain a foothold in the central part of the city" (of Sievierodonetsk), the Ukrainian military said in its daily roundup of the conflict nationwide, Reuters reported.

5:32 PM

Delhi reports more than a thousand new Covid-19 cases

Delhi reports more than a thousand new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. It also recorded 2 deaths due to the disease. Daily new cases stand are at 1,118.

5:31 PM

Delhi reports more than a thousand new Covid-19 cases

Delhi reports more than a thousand new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hour. It also recorded 2 deaths due to the deaths. Daily new cases stand are at 1,118.

5:15 PM

SAT sets aside Sebi order against 5 brokers in NSEL case

Setting aside a Sebi order that declared five brokerage houses as not a "fit and proper person" in the NSEL case, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has directed the regulator to decide the matter afresh within six months. The five brokers are IIFL Commodities, Geofin Comtrade, Anand Rathi Commodities, Philip Commodities India and Motilal Oswal Commodities Broker, PTI reported.

5:04 PM

Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny transferred to unknown location

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been transferred out of his prison colony and moved to an unknown location, a top aide said on Tuesday. "Where Alexei is now, and which colony he is being taken to, we don't know," Leonid Volkov, Navalny's chief of staff, said in a statement on the Telegram app, according to Reuters.

4:52 PM

Ailing Musharraf to be flown to Pakistan: Report

Pakistan's ex-military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, who is in a UAE hospital in a critical condition with no possibility of recovery, may be brought back to the country in an air ambulance as the Army stands by its former chief, a media report said on Tuesday. Gen. Musharraf, 78, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, was charged with high treason and given a death sentence in 2019 for suspending the Constitution. His death sentence was later suspended. The powerful military establishment has offered the family of the former president that it can facilitate the return of Gen. Musharraf if it wishes, Dunya TV reported.

 

4:30 PM

Vacancies in state-funded education institutes to be filled up: Minister

Vacant teaching and non-teaching posts in higher education institutions (HEIs), state-funded Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas will be filled up, said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday. Pradhan, who is also the Skill Development Minister, said the two ministries are committed to filling all vacancies in respective departments in 1.5 years.

4:23 PM

Air pollution cuts life expectancy by more than two years: Study

Chronic air pollution cuts average global life expectancy by more than two years per person, a study published on Tuesday showed, an impact comparable to that of smoking and far worse than HIV/AIDS or terrorism. More than 97% of the global population lives in areas where air pollution exceeds recommended levels, the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) said in its latest Air Quality Life Index, which used satellite data to measure levels of PM2.5, hazardous floating particles that damage the lungs.

3:58 PM

Sharad Pawar declines to be presidential candidate for Opposition

NCP leader Sharad Pawar has refused to be Opposition parties' nominee for presidential polls. Other names are being considered, says Left leader Sitaram Yechury.

3:40 PM

Govt departments asked to fill up pending vacancies quickly: Thakur

All government departments have been asked to fill up pending vacancies quickly. This part of government’s commitment to create a million jobs in 18 months: Thakur

3:36 PM

Government will fill up a million state jobs in 10 months: Minister Thakur

Modi government will fill up a million state jobs in 10 months: Minister Thakur

3:35 PM

Dholera airport to be ready by 2026: Minister Thakur

Dholera in Gujarat will act as second airport for Ahmedabad and it will be ready by 2025-26: Minister Thakur.

3:32 PM

Dholera in Gujarat to get airport: Union Minister on Cabinet decisions

Cabinet approves setting up a greenfield airport in Dholera in Gujarat: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

3:26 PM

Cong leaders detained as protests over Rahul's questioning by ED continue for second day

Several Congress leaders were detained for violating prohibitory orders outside the heavily barricaded party headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday, the second day of Rahul Gandhi being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate. Ahead of his questioning, Gandhi joined senior party leaders at a "dharna" at the Congress headquarters. The Congress chief ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, were present at the headquarters.

3:23 PM

Zydus Lifesciences chairman appointed director in RBI's board

Zydus Lifesciences on Tuesday said its chairman Pankaj R Patel has been appointed as a part time non-official director in the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBl). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of appointment of Patel for a period of four years from the date of notification of his appointment, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, the drug maker said in a statement.