LIVE: India becoming a trusted partner in global supply chain, says PM Modi

Live news updates: "India was hardly counted in start-up ecosystem; it now ranks third in the world," PM Modi said

2:39 PM

India sets end-June coal import targets as power woes mount

 India has asked state and private sector utilities to ensure delivery of 19 million tonnes of coal from overseas by end-June, according to a power ministry letter, reflecting an urgency to secure supplies in a pricey market amid increasing blackouts.

The move, which marks the first time the world's second largest coal importer is issuing timelines for imports, can put pressure on the global prices of coal as the utilities rush to avoid a repeat of the electricity crisis in April.

If the timelines are adhered to, the imports by the states and private utilities over the next five months for blending with domestic coal will surpass annual imports by the entities in at least six years.

2:15 PM

Zelensky will continue to beg for money from the West: Ex-Russian Prez

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not need a peace treaty as he will continue to "beg for money and weapons from the West" and will also continue to "appear unshaven on camera" .

"Zelensky will continue to beg for money and weapons from the West, proving that he is in the game, that he is the hope of the liberal world' that he is the last bastion of European democracy that the bear in the padded jacket wants to tear to pieces," RT News quoted Medvedev, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, as saying.

The former President also expressed confidence that the Ukrainian leader will continue to imitate concern for the Ukrainians, "periodically exposing them as a human shield".

1:51 PM

PM Modi departs for Denmark on second leg of Europe visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday departed for Copenhagen in Denmark from Berlin to begin the second leg of his visit to the three European nations.

Ahead of his departure, PM Modi thanked the German government for their hospitality during his "productive" visit.

"My Germany visit has been a productive one. The talks with @Bundeskanzler Scholz were extensive and so were the Inter-Governmental Consultations. I got a great opportunity to interact with business and Indian community leaders. I thank the German Government for their hospitality," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, PM Modi's visit to Denmark will provide India an opportunity to shape new elements of partnership in the field of skill development, shipping, agri-technology, and mobility, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Sunday.

1:00 PM

Meta took down over 27 mn pieces of bad content in India in March

Meta (formerly Facebook) took down 24.6 million pieces of content across 13 policies for Facebook and over 2.7 million pieces of content across 12 policies for Instagram in the month of March, in accordance with the IT Rules 2021.

Between March 1-31, Meta received 656 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism for Facebook, and responded to 100 per cent of those reports.

"Of these incoming reports, we provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 556 cases," Meta said in its compliance report.

For Instagram, the company received 1,150 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism, and it responded to 100 per cent of those 1,150 reports.

12:32 PM

Don't feel for me, pray for Twitter instead: Parag Agrawal

As Elon Musk prepares to hire a new CEO for Twitter once he takes over, current CEO Parag Agrawal is worried about the future of the micro-blogging platform, not his job.

Amid multiple reports that Musk has lined up a new CEO to replace him, Agrawal has already said that he took the job to change Twitter for the better, course correct where we need to, and strengthen the service.

"I feel for the current CEO of Twitter (@paraga) - he had all these plans and now lives with the same uncertainty of his whole team," posted a Twitter user.

Agrawal replied: "Thank you but don't feel for me. What matters most is the service and the people improving it".

Earlier, responding to another user about him being fired, Agrawal posted: "Nope! we're still here."

12:24 PM

Pakistan's sinking economy needs fixing to undo damage done by Imran Khan govt

Pakistan's sinking economy needs fixing to undo the damage left behind by the "player-playboy-turned-Islamist in democrat's garb Imran Khan" at the end of his three-and-a-half-year long misrule, reported a think tank, Policy Research Group (POREG).

 

As per an opinion piece written by James Crickton in POREG, the offer of aid worth USD 8 billion pledged by the Saudi Royal family during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to the country might give some breathing space to Pakistan but is not enough to revive the economy which is in the doldrums.

 

Notably, the erstwhile Imran Khan-led government followed Pakistan's regular policy of using loans to ward off immediate troubles by scurrying around asking other countries for aid, however, it only harmed the economy further.

 

12:17 PM

British PM Boris Johnson to Evoke Wartime History in Speech

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will deliver a virtual address to Ukraine’s Parliament on Tuesday that compares Kyiv’s struggle to Britain’s during World War II. His government also announced a new military aid package for Ukraine. 

 

The European Union agreed to provide more detailed guidance in coming days on what companies can and can’t do under sanctions rules to address Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands to pay for gas in rubles. 

 

A US defense official said Russia has made limited progress in shifting its war toward the eastern Donbas region, adding its troops continue to struggle with haphazard logistics and low morale.

11:52 AM

Pakistan's sinking economy needs fixing to undo damage done by Imran Khan govt

Pakistan's sinking economy needs fixing to undo the damage left behind by the "player-playboy-turned-Islamist in democrat's garb Imran Khan" at the end of his three-and-a-half-year long misrule, reported a think tank, Policy Research Group (POREG).

As per an opinion piece written by James Crickton in POREG, the offer of aid worth USD 8 billion pledged by the Saudi Royal family during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to the country might give some breathing space to Pakistan but is not enough to revive the economy which is in the doldrums.

Notably, the erstwhile Imran Khan-led government followed Pakistan's regular policy of using loans to ward off immediate troubles by scurrying around asking other countries for aid, however, it only harmed the economy further.

11:36 AM

Twitter bans 2 right-wing accounts as Musk promotes free speech

Amid Elon Musk's free speech call, Twitter has re-suspended the accounts of two prominent conservative figures -- MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and Dr Vladimir "Zev" Zelenko.

The micro-blogging platform permanently suspended their accounts shortly after the duo rejoined it with creating new Twitter handles, for violating platform rules against evading bans, reports The Verge.

Lindell was banned last year while Zelenko was banned in 2020.

Lindell was originally suspended for violating Twitter's rules against election misinformation.

Zelenko, who promoted an unproven Covid-19 treatment, was banned for violating rules on platform manipulation and spam.

11:04 AM

Hong Kong speeds reopening at bars, beaches as Covid eases

Hong Kong is accelerating its reopening plans as Covid cases drop, easing mask-wearing rules and allowing more leisure venues to reopen, despite continued circulation of the pathogen that has led most rival financial hubs to live with the virus. 

 

The latest measures mean people will no longer have to wear masks while exercising outdoors and will allow beaches and swimming pools to reopen starting May 5. Two weeks later on May 19, dining-in at restaurants will be extended to midnight, while bars can stay open until 2 a.m., Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a briefing on Tuesday.

10:29 AM

India reports 2,568 coronavirus cases, 20 fatalities in 24 hours

India on Tuesday reported 2,568 fresh Covid-19 cases, a decline against the 3,157 infections registered previous day, the Union Health Ministry said.

In the same period, the country reported 20 new Covid fatalities, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,23,889.

The active caseload declined to 19,137 cases, accounting for 0.04 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The recovery of 2,911 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,25,41,887. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.74 per cent.

While, India's daily positivity rate was 0.61 per cent, the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.71 per cent.

10:19 AM

Musk says he wants to boost Twitter use from 'niche' to most Americans

 Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday he wants to expand the reach of Twitter beyond the current "niche" until most Americans use the social media platform.

Musk has signed a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion, raising questions among employees and the public about his strategy for running the social media network.

He told reporters gathered on the red carpet at the annual Met Gala in New York that an important measure of success would be whether Twitter could expand its audience significantly.

10:05 AM

PM Modi greets people on Akshaya Tritiya, Parshuram Jayanti

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted the countrymen on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya and Parshuram Jayanti.

"Many congratulations to the countrymen on the occasion of Parshuram Jayanti. Lord Parashurama is revered for his valour along with mercy and compassion," tweeted the Prime Minister in Hindi today.

In another tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Wishing you all a very Happy Akshaya Tritiya. Best wishes on Akshaya Tritiya. I pray that this special day brings prosperity in everyone's lives."

9:54 AM

66% adolescents in UP are fully vaccinated

Nearly 66 per cent of adolescents in Uttar Pradesh are now fully vaccinated against Covid while 63 per cent of children in the 12-14 years age group have taken the first dose, said health officials on Tuesday.

Officials said that more than 31.5 crore doses of vaccine have been administered in the state. Of these, 58.52 lakh doses have been administered in the 12-14 years age group, while 2.28 crore doses have been given in the 15-17 years age group.

The number of doses administered in the 18-44 years age group is 19.99 crore, while 6.12 crore doses have been provided in the 45-60 years age group. In the elderly group, 3.55 crore doses have been administered.

9:49 AM

President Ram Nath Kovind, others extend Eid-ul-Fitr wishes

As the devotees across the country celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the culmination of the holy month of Ramzan, President Ram Nath Kovind and a number of political leaders extended wishes on the occasion.

Taking to Twitter, Rashtrapati Bhavan, on behalf of President Ram Nath Kovind, wished all "Eid Mubarak" and requested Indians to pledge to serve humanity.

"Eid Mubarak to all countrymen, especially Muslim brothers and sisters! Celebrated after the holy month of Ramzan, this festival is a holy occasion to strengthen brotherhood and harmony in society. On this holy occasion, let us all take a pledge to serve humanity and improve the lives of the needy," Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.