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

3:05 PM

China regulator denies it asked foreign banks for executive pay details

China's securities regulator on Tuesday denied that it and its securities association had asked foreign investment banks for senior executives' pay details or suggested they implement pay curbs, rejecting media reports.

 

Bloomberg reported on Friday that Chinese regulators had warned top global banks, during meetings in Shanghai and Beijing this year, against paying their top bankers in China lavishly.

 

"The reports are not factual," the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said in a statement, adding that no such meetings were held.

3:00 PM

Pak finance minister warns of default if fuel subsidies not abolished

Pakistan will default if the government does not abolish the subsidies on petroleum products, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has said, warning that the cash-strapped country's economy could be in a similar position as that of Sri Lanka if tough decisions were not taken.

 

Ismail claimed that the government was still giving Rs 19 subsidy on petrol and Rs 53 subsidy on diesel, adding that Sri Lanka also gave subsidies to its public and it, eventually, defaulted.

 

2:57 PM

Pakistan province makes Friday work-from-home to save energy

Pakistan’s third-most populous province has decided to have a work-from-home policy on Fridays for its employees, in the latest among a raft of decisions to save energy and avoid nationwide blackouts.

 

The step has been announced to save fuel and electricity, Taimur Khan Jhagra, the finance minister of the northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said in a video post on Twitter. The measure follows the federal government’s decision earlier this month of ending Saturday as a work-day and cutting the volume of fuel by 40% allocated to its employees. 

2:57 PM

Left parties likely to attend Opposition leaders' meet convened by Mamata Banerjee

Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja on Tuesday said that left parties are likely to attend the meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the national capital on Wednesday at Constitution Club to discuss the name for Opposition President candidates.

 

Speaking to ANI, D Raja said, "Left parties are likely to attend the meeting because left parties want all secular democratic parties which are in opposition must remain United must move unitedly that is our concern and let us see how things are going to emerge tomorrow.

 

On being asked about whether the Congress wants to propose Sharad Pawar as a joint Opposition candidate for President, the CPI General Secretary further said, "I don't know. You must ask Congress party. If the Congress party wants then the Congress party have to explain. Congress party has not told me on this matter or left parties. I do not know that is why I am saying who is going to be the candidate? or what the other parties are thinking? nobody knows."

2:48 PM

Maharashtra: PM Modi inaugurates Shila' temple at Dehu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated a shila (rock) temple at the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Mandir dedicated to the 17th-century saint at Dehu near Pune.

Modi also interacted with 'warkaris' during his visit, which comes ahead of the annual 'wari' tradition which will commence on June 20 from Dehu.

The Prime Minister was also presented with a special headgear, the Tukaram pagdi, on the occasion.

Tukaram was a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement.

2:32 PM

India's wholesale price inflation runs at 30-yr high, makes rate hikes more likely

High global energy and raw material prices combined with a weak rupee fueled the fastest annual rise in India's wholesale prices in more over 30 years, raising expectations for the central bank to order more interest rate hikes.

A surge in crude oil and commodity prices since Russia invaded Ukraine in February has set inflation alight in many countries, forcing central banks to raise interest rates.

Wholesale prices, akin to producer prices, climbed 15.88% in May from year ago levels, staying in double-digits for a 14th straight month, and was, according to economists, India's highest since September 1991.

A Reuters poll of analysts had forecast a rise of 15.10%.

The high rate was primarily due to rising prices for crude petroleum and natural gas, food items, basic metals and chemical products, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Tuesday.

2:31 PM

Court reserves order on Satyendar Jain's bail plea

A court here on Tuesday reserved its order against the bail plea of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel reserved the order after hearing arguments from Jain as well the ED.

The agency had taken Jain into custody under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He is currently in judicial custody.

2:23 PM

Process for appointment of CDS underway, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will be made soon and that the process for it is underway.

The post of CDS has been lying vacant since General Bipin Rawat's death in a helicopter crash on December 8 last year.

"The appointment of the CDS will be made soon. The process for it is underway," the defence minister said during a media briefing here on the rollout of the "Agnipath" recruitment scheme for the armed forces.

Earlier this month, the government issued notifications, widening the selection pool for the top position.

According to the new rules, any serving or retired lieutenant general, air marshal and vice-admiral under the age of 62 years will be eligible for appointment to the post of CDS.

The three-star officers are now eligible to become the CDS, along with the serving chiefs of the three services, according to the changes made to the Army, Air Force and Navy Acts.

2:15 PM

Air pollution reducing life expectancy by 5 yrs in India; people in Delhi stand to lose 10 yrs: Study

Air pollution is the greatest threat to human health in India and the average Indian resident is set to lose five years of life expectancy if the WHO guidelines are not followed, according to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago's (EPIC) Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) released on Tuesday.

The residents of Delhi, the most polluted mega city in the world with the average annual PM2.5 levels exceeding 107 micrograms per cubic metre or more than 21 times the WHO guidelines, stand to lose 10 years of life expectancy if the current air pollution level persists, the report said.

According to the new World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines issued last year, the average annual PM2.5 concentration should be no higher than five micrograms per cubic metre. It was 10 micrograms per cubic metre earlier.

Measured in terms of life expectancy, the AQLI shows that ambient particulate pollution is consistently the world's greatest risk to human health.

2:05 PM

Centre thinking twice about approving SilverLine project due to opposition protests: Kerala CM

The Silverline project, which is expected to considerably reduce travel time from Kasaragod to the state capital, cannot be implemented without approval from the Centre which appears to be giving it a second thought in view of the UDF and BJP opposition to it, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday.

Vijayan said that the central government, which may have been in favour of the project at one time, was now thinking twice about it in view of the protests against the semi-high speed rail corridor.

The CM said that this affects the overall development of the state and laid the blame for it squarely on the shoulders of UDF and BJP, alleging that they were opposed to such projects as they believed it would help LDF to return to power again.

2:01 PM

DGCA imposes Rs 10L fine on Air India for denying boarding to passengers without compensation

Aviation regulator DGCA has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets and thereafter not providing mandatory compensation to them.

"After that a series of checks were carried out by DGCA and during our surveillance at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances, in the case of Air India - where the regulation (regarding compensation to passengers) is not being followed and therefore, a show cause notice was issued to the airline and also a personal hearing was afforded," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

According to the regulator, Air India may not have a policy in this regard and does not pay compensation to the passengers.

12:53 PM

We will provide opportunity to youth to serve nation for short and long duration, as agniveers: Lt Gen Puri

We will provide an opportunity to the youth to serve the nation for short and long duration, as agniveers...We are giving youth a chance for both long and short duration military service. Today average age is around 32 yrs, in time to come it'll further come down to 26 years. This'll happen in 6-7 years. In order to transform armed forces into youthful, tech-savvy, modern, there's a need to harness the youth potential&make him a future-ready soldier: Lt Gen Anil Puri

 

12:51 PM

It would help to train them for new technologies & also improve their health levels: Rajanth Singh

It would help to train them for new technologies & also improve their health levels. This scheme will increase employment opportunities with new skills in different sectors: Rajnath Singh

12:50 PM

Under Agnipath scheme, youth would get opportunity to be inducted into the Armed services: Rajnath Singh

The Cabinet Committee on Security has taken a historic decision today to approve the transformative scheme of 'Agnipath'. Under this, Indian youth would be granted an opportunity to get inducted into the Armed services: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

11:26 AM

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaches ED office for second round of questioning

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaches ED office for second round of questioning in National Herald money-laundering case