Live: Ukraine now seen as a war of attrition amid new bombings
Live news updates: Chinese says NATO shouldn't expand east; India's forex reserves record biggest drop in 2 years.
 "Russia Ukraine conflict")
Policemen stand guard at the site where a bombing damaged residential buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 18, 2022. Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities Friday. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Ex BJP Minister Babul Surpiyo says support for Mamata 'overwhelming', differences with detractors sorted
Singing star-turned politician Babul Supriyo says he has met his detractors and assuaged their apprehensions about him, adding that he remained committed to Bengal's secular culture.
Stating that he was confident of winning the by-polls from Ballygunge, the former BJP central minister who joined Trinamool Congress last year said Saturday he believes support for TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee would remain overwhelming.
He also said he has no differences with anyone in the prestigious assembly constituency from which his new party has fielded him.
"Lot of people had legitimate apprehensions in their mind that I am new to the party after coming from an opponent party
I have met all (people having apprehensions about me) a couple of times and answered them. Things have been sorted out, Supriyo told PTI in an interview.
BJP may announce new Manipur CM today, leaders reach party office in Imphal
Manipur state's caretaker chief minister N Biren Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi and BJP MLAs reached the party office in Imphal today for the Legislature Party meeting where the name of new Manipur CM is likely to be announced.
The BJP leaders have been discussing the government formation in Manipur after the BJP won an absolute majority in the state for the first time. It will be the second successive government of the party in the state.
Earlier on Saturday, Singh said he has never contested elections "for CM or any other post" but as a worker of BJP and the party's central leadership will take a decision on the next chief minister in the state.
The BJP had formed the previous government in the state with the support of the Naga People's Front (NPF) and the National People's Party (NPP) with Biren Singh as Chief Minister.
BJP legislator T Biswajit Singh's name has also been doing the rounds as a possible choice for the post of CM in Manipur.
Andaman, Nicobar admin makes plans to deal with cyclone Asani
The Andaman and Nicobar administration has closed all schools and colleges in the union territory as a precautionary measure, from March 21 in view of the impending cyclone Asani. Some parts of the islands have already started heavy rains since afternoon.
The UT administration has also cancelled all scheduled sailing of vassals in the foreshore sector and the passengers are advised to get updates from the helpline number: 03192-245555/232714 or Toll Free number 1-800-345-2714.
Meanwhile, the NDRF teams deployed across the UT have cleared trees in vulnerable areas as precautionary measures and carried out an awareness programme to alert people residing in those areas.
On March 18, five teams of four Battalion of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at Arakkonam base were airlifted to Port Blaire and the NDRF personnel were deployed, ready with all necessary equipment, to carry out the search and rescue operations.
Andaman and Nicobar Chief Secretary Jitendra Narayan on Saturday reviewed the preparedness of all agencies of the UT and all the officers were directed to take every effort to ensure citizen's safety.
According to the Indian meteorological department, the 'Low Pressure area' developed in the South east of Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into Cyclonic storm by March 21 with wind speeds of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph.
Yogi govt to offer flour-spice mill units to women
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, in its second term, will focus on the upliftment of women living below the poverty line in the next five years.
The government has finalised the draft of the 'flour-spice mills' scheme.
Immediately after the formation of the government, the Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation will start extending the benefits of this scheme to women of the state.
Under the scheme, women will be given the grant to set up a flour and spice mill unit. Along with giving them employment opportunities, the government will also ensure to make them strong to take care of their families.
Under the scheme of the government, as many as 125 women from each district of 18 divisional headquarters of the state will be benefited.
A total of 2,250 women will be able to establish their flour-masala mill unit under the scheme.
Serpentine queues at fuel stations claim lives of two 70-yr-olds in Sri Lanka
Two 70-year-old men have died waiting in serpentine queues outside petrol filling stations in Sri Lanka, officials here said on Sunday.
Sri Lankan is reeling from a severe shortage of fuel as it deals with a historic foreign reserve crisis.
Colombo police said the two septuagenarians died at central district Kandy and Colombo Suburb on Saturday. Both the deceased had spent over six hours in the waiting lines.
Acute exhaustion caused by torrid heat is believed to be the preliminary cause of the deaths.
Officials said the government is banking on Indian fuel to ease the current crunch.
Chairman of State-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Sumith Wijesinghe said, "From the Indian credit line, we get all the finished products, such as petrol, diesel and Jet fuel."
BSF probes drone found in farmland along Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal
The Border Security Force (BSF) is probing whether the Chinese drone found by a farmer in his field along the India-Bangladesh international frontier in West Bengal was being "misused" for trans-border crimes.
The South Bengal frontier of the border force headquartered in Kolkata issued a statement on Saturday, saying it has approached the local police station in Petrapole, North 24 Parganas district, to take custody of the black quadcopter model 'S500' to get it forensically examined.
"The drone is manufactured in the Peoples Republic of China and it was found by farmer Pankaj Sarkar in his farmland in Purbapara (North 24 Parganas district) around 6 am on March 19."
"The farmland is about 300 meters from the international border. The farmer picked up the broken drone and handed it over to the officials of the local Petrapole police station," the BSF said.
BSF troops from the nearby border post Kalyani reached the spot but as they could not gather much details and the drone, the force approached the police.
It was found that the drone does not have a camera. No one has claimed it till now, the BSF said.
Pak Interior Minister warns opposition against disrupting OIC conference
Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday assured that the two-day OIC Foreign Ministers' conference would go ahead as per schedule here from next week and dared the opposition parties from disrupting the high-level moot, asserting that it was a matter of national security.
Rashid's comments come close on the heels of the opposition parties threatening to obstruct the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in case National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser did not put the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan on the day's agenda by Monday.
While opposition parties have backtracked from taking such an extreme step, the high-profile event will be held in the backdrop of rising political temperatures in the country.
The opposition pledges to do its utmost to create an atmosphere in which the distinguished guests will be able to carry out their activities with full attention, dedication and determination, read the joint statement.
Putin hopes for stronger Russian-Uzbek ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and expressed hope for further strengthening of the Russian-Uzbek partnership and alliance.
"I am convinced that we will continue strengthening the Russian-Uzbek strategic partnership and alliance by all possible means. This, of course, meets the interests of our friendly peoples, goes in line with ensuring peace and stability in Central Asia," the Russian president said in a statement published on the Kremlin website.
The Russian leader also stressed that over the past decades, the two countries have gained significant experience in cooperation in all areas, established constructive interaction within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). According to Putin, Russia and Uzbekistan have also coordinated efforts to counter threats and challenges to regional security.
In conclusion, Putin wished well-being and prosperity to all citizens of Uzbekistan.
Russia and Uzbekistan established diplomatic relations on March 20, 1992. The two countries actively cooperate in politics, economy, trade, energy, education and military-technical sphere. The governments also continue to increase joint efforts in combating terrorism and extremism, and fighting organized crime.
Ukraine issue: China claims to stand on the right side of history
China's position on the Ukraine issue is objective and fair, and time will prove that it is on the "right side of history", Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.
Chinese Foreign Minister made the remarks during a briefing on the video call between the Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, on the Ukraine issue that took place on March 18.
Wang noted that during the recent video call, China had proposed a Chinese solution to the Ukraine crisis, which mainly includes two aspects.
The priority, he said, is that all sides must push for dialogue and negotiation between the immediate parties, cease hostilities as soon as possible, avoid civilian casualties, and prevent a humanitarian crisis.
According to the minister, Xi stressed to Biden that it is necessary to give up the "cold-war mentality" to resolve the crisis and ensure stability on the European continent.
Xi Jinping told Joe Biden that peace is the most important value of the global community, and no one is interested in conflicts.
"Conflicts and confrontations are not in anyone's interests. Peace and security are the values that the international community should cherish most of all," Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state media.
Shiv Sena rules out alliance with AIMIM, terms it BJP's 'B team'
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday dismissed the possibility of an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), terming it BJP's "B team".
Speaking to media persons here today, the Shiv Sena MP said, "Uddhav Thackeray in his meeting with party MPs and district presidents today said that Shiv Sena will not ally with AIMIM. He added that AIMIM is BJP's 'B team'."
Raut earlier also rejected the suggestion of AIMIM's alliance with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), saying those who bow before the grave of Aurangzeb cannot become Maharashtra's ideal.
"Our party was formed on the values of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj and would continue with the same values. Why would we form an alliance with a party which bows down at Aurangzeb's grave?. How can you even think of that?" Raut said on Saturday.
"Maharashtra government is formed by three parties, Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. There will be no inclusion of any fourth party," Raut had also said.
This comes after AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel said that AIMIM is willing to enter into an alliance with Congress and the NCP in the upcoming Maharashtra civic polls in order to defeat BJP.
N. Korea fires artillery into sea days after missile launch
North Korea fired suspected artillery pieces into the sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, days after the North's latest missile launch ended in failure amid the country's recent burst of weapons testing activity.
There is speculation that North Korea could soon try to launch its developmental longest-range ballistic missile to bolster its arsenal and dial up pressure on the United States to wrest concessions as negotiations remain stalled.
South Korea's military suggested North Korea's midair missile explosion last Wednesday involved parts of the Hwasong-17 missile, its biggest weapon.
On Sunday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said it detected firings likely from multiple rocket launch systems off North Korea's west coast.
The ministry said the military closely monitors North Korean moves and maintains its readiness.
Russia claims second use of hypersonic missile
Ukraine says 7 humanitarian corridors will open Sunday
Russian forces bomb art school sheltering 400 civilians: Mariupol city
Ukraine President accuses Russia of war crimes in Mariupol
Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel
First Published: Mar 20 2022 | 6:26 AM IST
