LIVE: India sees worst power cuts in 6 years; braces for more heatwaves
Live news updates: The ongoing heatwave sweeping through vast swathes of the country will intensify in the next five days, the IMD said
 "power, electricity")
India is facing its worst electricity shortage in more than six years.
Live news updates: India is facing its worst electricity shortage in more than six years as the IMD has predicted that the ongoing heatwave sweeping through vast swathes of the country will intensify in the next five days.
In New Delhi, temperatures have soared past 40 degrees Celsius for several days and are forecast to linger around 44C until Sunday.
Ukraine on Wednesday said that Russia's offensive in the east picked up momentum, with several towns coming under intense attack as Moscow's forces attempt to surround Ukrainian troops.
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak on Thursday said that no agreement has been reached on a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "The time of the meeting of the presidents of the two countries and the context of the meeting have not been determined yet," Podolyak, who is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, said.
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak on Thursday said that no agreement has been reached on a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "The time of the meeting of the presidents of the two countries and the context of the meeting have not been determined yet," Podolyak, who is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, said.
After the Russian gas supplier Gazprom announced that it was fully stopping its gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria, due to the two EU member states' "failure to pay in rubles", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union (EU) is ready to face the suspension of Russian gas deliveries to its member states.
Meanwhile, Russia will hold an informal UN Security Council meeting on May 6 to present first-hand information about the situation on the ground in Ukraine, a Russian official said.
11:42 PM
Explosions in Ukraine's Kyiv after Zelenskyy's meeting with UN chief
At least two explosions were heard early Thursday evening in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv shortly after a meeting between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Read more
11:27 PM
Ukraine accuses Russia of stealing grain from occupied territory
Ukraine accused Russia of stealing grain in territory it has occupied, an act which it said increased the threat to global food security.
Asked about the allegations, the Kremlin said it had no information on the matter. Read more
11:17 PM
Russia plans fake independence votes in seized Ukraine territory: US
The United States accused Russia of planning to stage fake independence votes to justify its conquest of territory in Ukraine, as Russian forces stepped up a major offensive in the east. Read more
10:51 PM
Delhi records 1,490 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths
Delhi records 1,490 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths while positivity rate stands at 4.62 per cent.
The infection tally in the national capital now stands at 18,79,948 and the death toll was 26,172.
10:22 PM
India sweats over worst power cuts in six years during extreme heat
India is facing its worst electricity shortage in more than six years just as scorching temperatures force early closures of schools and send people indoors.
Power cuts are expected to worsen in the coming days as the heatwaves and a pickup in economic activity are seen increasing electricity demand at the fastest pace in nearly four decades. Read more
10:06 PM
MK Stalin, Kerala's Vijayan target PM Modi over high fuel prices
After PM Modi appealed to states to cut taxes to reduce fuel prices, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin hit out at the central government, saying, " it was like hiding a whole pumpkin in a plate of rice." His Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan said asserting people's suffering cannot be mitigated by blaming the states. Read more
9:47 PM
IAS officer Shah Faesal reinstated by govt 3 years after he resignation
IAS officer Shah Faesal was reinstated in the service after the government accepted his application to withdraw his resignation.
Faesal had resigned from his post three years ago and floated the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) party. Faesal was detained under the stringent Public Safety Act immediately after the abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Read more
9:24 PM
Maharashtra records 165 new Covid-19 cases; active tally at 961
Maharashtra recorded 165 fresh coronavirus cases, including 90 from Mumbai, on Thursday.
With this, the state's COVID-19 tally rose to 78,77,429, while the death toll increased to 1,47,840, the department said. Read more
9:05 PM
PM Modi called meeting to blame states for high fuel prices: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleged that the agenda of PM Modi's meeting on Wednesday was not Covid situation as announced, but blaming state governments for the high prices of petrol and diesel.
Banerjee demanded that the central government immediately slash the price of domestic LPG cylinders by at least Rs 300. Read more
8:55 PM
Beijing orders closure of schools in tightening of Covid-19 pandemic rules
To further tighten Covid restrictions, Beijing is closing all city schools as China's capital seeks to prevent a wider outbreak.
Beijing announced 50 new cases on Thursday, two of them asymptomatic, bringing its total in the latest wave of infections to around 150. Read more
8:38 PM
CBI opposes bail plea of Chitra Ramakrishna, Arvind Subramanian
A Delhi court on Thursday reserved an order on the bail applications of former managing director and chief executive officer of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna and group operating officer (GOO) Anand Subramanian in the NSE co-location case. Read more
8:25 PM
US GDP declines 1.4% in first qtr amid Covid resurgence, trade deficit
The US economy contracted in the first quarter BY 1.4% amid a resurgence in Covid-19 cases and a drop in pandemic relief money from the government.
The Federal Reserve is expected to hike interest rates by 50 basis points next Wednesday. Read more
8:18 PM
RBI modifies norms on short term crop loan scheme under KCC for banks
RBI modifies norms for banks to claim the amount of interest subvention provided to farmers under the short-term crop loan scheme through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) during the last fiscal. Read more
7:59 PM
IMD says heatwave to intensify over next five days in India
The IMD said that the ongoing heatwave sweeping through vast swathes of the country will intensify in the next five days. The weather agency issues an "orange" alert for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra, and predicting a rise of another two degrees Celsius in northwest region. Read more
7:56 PM
Biden to ask US Congress for additional funding for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden will ask Congress for billions of dollars in new powers to seize and repurpose the assets of Russian oligarchs as part of a new funding request to aid Ukraine in its defence against Russia's invasion.
He will also seek new authorities from Congress to strengthen US sanctions against the Russian government and those who profit from it, the White House said. Read more
Topics : Today News Russia Russia Ukraine Conflict Ukraine unsc United Nations Security Council European Union Narendra Modi Rajnath Singh Heatwave in India power crisis power cut
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First Published: Apr 28 2022 | 8:39 AM IST
