Live: Centre sets May 22 as date for unifying Delhi municipal corporations

Live news updates: From Russia-Ukraine war to Covid surge in North Korea, catch all the live updates here

1:44 PM

Cabinet empowers boards of PSEs to decide on closure, divestment of units/subsidiaries

The Cabinet on Wednesday empowered boards of state-owned companies to decide on the closure and divestment of units/subsidiaries.

 

Presently, the Board of Directors of holding or parent public sector enterprises have been delegated certain powers to make equity investments to establish financial joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries and undertake mergers/acquisitions, subject to certain ceilings of net worth.

 

However, the Boards do not have powers for disinvestment or closure of their subsidiaries or units or stake in JVs, except for some limited powers given to Maharatna PSEs for minority stake disinvestment in their subsidiaries.

11:31 AM

Parliamentary panel holds meeting for discussing railway connectivity to ports

Parliamentary panel holds meeting for discussing railway connectivity to ports

 

11:29 AM

Nine new Judges take oath of office in Delhi High Court, strength rises to 44

Nine new Judges take oath of office in Delhi High Court, strength rises to 44

 

10:27 AM

Kim criticises problem in early response to Covid crisis

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticised officials for failing to respond properly to the Covid-19 outbreak in its early stages, state media said on Wednesday. His criticism came as the country reported more than 232,880 people with fever symptoms nationwide and six additional deaths, raising total fatalities to 62, reports Yonhap News Agency.

At a ruling Workers' Party meeting on Tuesday, Kim said that "immaturity" in coping with the crisis from the early stages and the slack response of the country's leading officials has fully revealed the "vulnerable points", according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

10:27 AM

Netflix lays off 150 employees amid slow revenue growth

Streaming giant Netflix has laid off nearly 150 employees, primarily in the US, as it suffers from slow user growth amid stalled paid subscription. Several top-notch creative professionals from its original series vertical, such as Sebastian Gibbs and Negin Salmasi, have been asked to go, reports TechCrunch.

"As we explained on earnings, our slowing revenue growth means we are also having to slow our cost growth as a company. So sadly, we are letting around 150 employees go today, mostly US-based," a Netflix spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report late on Tuesday.

 

10:26 AM

Thane logs 30 new Covid-19 cases

Maharashtra's Thane district has recorded 30 new cases of coronavirus, raising its infection count to 7,09,410, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. There was no fresh fatality and the death toll stood at 11,895, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane is 1.67 per cent.

10:12 AM

Global Covid caseload tops 524.6 mn

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 524.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 6.28 million and vaccinations to over 11.42 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and the death toll stood at 524,630,337 and 6,281,109, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered increased to 11,421,738,326.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 82,720,354 and 1,000,167, respectively, according to the CSSE.

India accounts for the second highest caseload at 43,125,370.

10:09 AM

India records 1,829 new Covid cases, 33 deaths

India recorded a single-day rise of 1,829 new coronavirus infections, raising the tally to 4,31,27,199, while the active cases have declined to 15,647, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The death toll due to the pandemic has climbed to 5,24,293 with 33 fresh fatalities, the data updated by the ministry at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprised 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.75 per cent, the health ministry said.

A decrease of 753 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 case count in a span of 24 hours, it said.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.42 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.57 per cent, as per the data.

The 33 new fatalities include 31 from Kerala and 2 from Delhi.

10:08 AM

PM Modi greets Deve Gowda on birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted former PM H D Deve Gowda on his 89th birthday.

The former Karnataka chief minister was prime minister for over 11 months between 1996 and 1997 when a coalition of parties, named United Front, was in power with the support of the Congress.

Modi tweeted, "Birthday greetings to our former PM and respected statesman Shri H D Devegowda Ji. May Almighty bless him with a long and healthy life.

10:02 AM

I am ready to meet farmers: Bhagwant Mann

I am ready to meet them (farmers), but 'Murdabad' (sloganeering) is not the way... I myself am a farmer's son... When I am saying basmati and moong dal will be on MSP...At least put in efforts... Not everything can be 'Murdabad': Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (17.05)

8:39 AM

President Ram Nath Kovind's Jamaica visit

We have enough wheat import today, but we don't know what will happen tomorrow as the world changed on Feb 24; Russia now has a war engagement with Ukraine. So we're opening discussions with our friend, India: Aubyn Hill, Jamaican Minister of Industry, Investment & Commerce

 

8:36 AM

President Ram Nath Kovind's Jamaica visit

8:16 AM

Ensure last-mile vaccine coverage of beneficiaries: Delhi govt to districts

The Delhi government has directed district magistrates to ensure effective last-mile coverage of those needed to be given second and precaution doses of Covid vaccine.

 

The government has made arrangements for free vaccination of people in the age group of 18 to 59 years, in addition to providing free precaution doses to those above 60, health care and frontline workers.

8:15 AM

Assam floods: Amit Shah assures all help, army joins rescue operations

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday discussed the overall flood situation in Assam with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over phone and assured all possible help from the Centre.

 

Defence spokesman, Lt Col Angom Bobin Singh on Tuesday night said that on receipt of urgent request from Cachar's Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, two columns of army and Assam Rifles personnel of Masimpur garrison rushed for flood rescue operations in various parts of the district.

 

8:15 AM

Ukrainian PM Zelenskyy opens Cannes Film Festival, links war and cinema

The 75th Cannes Film Festival kicked off Tuesday with an eye turned to Russia's war in Ukraine and a live satellite video address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called on a new generation of filmmakers to confront dictators as Charlie Chaplin satirised Adolf Hitler. After tributes and musical numbers, Zelenskyy was streamed live for the formally attired audience who had gathered for the premiere of Michel Hazanavicius' zombie comedy Final Cut."

 

Zelenskyy, dressed in his signature olive green shirt, drew a thunderous standing ovation and spoke at length about the connection between cinema and reality. He referenced films like Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator as not unlike Ukraine's present circumstances.