Live: Putin flaunts nuclear-capable missile as Ukraine war continues

Live news updates: Sarmat missile will 'provide food for thought' to Russia's enemies, says president.

1:34 PM

Mamata expands income support programme to cover 500,000 more women beneficiaries

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday launched the expanded version of the state's basic income support programme for female heads of families called 'Lakshmir Bhandar' (Lakshmi's treasury) which will cover 500,000 more families from now on, with the click of a button at a mega-business summit being held here.

Under the scheme, launched last year, the state government provides Rs 1,000 per month to women heads of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, and Rs 500 per month to those belonging to general category. With the expansion, the programme will now cover 15.5 million families.

1:31 PM

World Bank ready to provide emergency support to Sri Lanka: report

The World Bank is ready to provide emergency support to Sri Lanka and protect the vulnerable people amidst the unprecedented economic crisis in the country, a media report on Wednesday quoted a senior official of the global lender as saying.

Sri Lanka, which is on the brink of bankruptcy, is grappling with an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948.

World Bank Vice President Hartwig Schafer held talks with Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ali Sabry in Washington on Tuesday, the Colombo Gazette reported on Wednesday.

1:20 PM

Russia is against use of nuclear bombs in Ukraine, says Lavrov

Russia is committed to avoiding nuclear war, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, after he was quizzed repeatedly about the possible use of atomic weapons in Ukraine.

 

Lavrov made the comments in an interview Tuesday with India Today TV in which he avoided a direct answer on the subject. He isn’t responsible for military decision-making. In the weeks leading up to Russia’s invasion, the foreign minister regularly denied the Kremlin planned a military operation against Ukraine. 

12:18 PM

Despite SC order, NDMC continues anti-encroachment drive in the Jahangirpuri

12:02 PM

Utilised 65.5% of capital budget on indigenous procurement: MoD

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday said it had set aside 64 per cent of the capital acquisition budget for domestic industry in the financial year 2021-22 and has been able to "over achieve" the target. The ministry said it has utilised 65.50 per cent of the capital acquisition budget on making procurements from domestic sources.

"The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had earmarked 64 per cent of capital acquisition budget for domestic industry in financial year 2021-22," it said in a statement.

"At the end of 2021-22, the MoD has been able to over achieve this target and has utilised 65.50 per cent of capital acquisition budget on indigenous procurements through Indian industry to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," it said.

11:59 AM

SC stays anti-encroachment drive in Jahangirpuri

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stopped the anti-encroachment drive by authorities in violence-hit Jahangirpuri area here, and agreed to hear a petition challenging the action of the civic bodies allegedly aimed against the riot accused.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana ordered status quo in the present situation, and said the petition would be listed before an appropriate bench.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave mentioned a petition against the special joint encroachment removal action of civic bodies including the NDMC and the PWD, and said a completely unauthorised and unconstitutional demolition has been ordered.

11:55 AM

World Bank says 34% Pakistanis living on just $3.2 a day income

The World Bank has said that 34 per cent of Pakistan's population was living on just $3.2 or Pak Rs 588 a day income, Express Tribune reported.

 

The Pakistan Development Update -- the biannual report issued by the Washington-based lender -- also said that soaring inflation disproportionately affected poor and vulnerable households that spend a relatively larger share of their budget on food and energy.

 

The poor spend around 50 per cent of their total consumption on food items, the World Bank said. It pointed out that Pakistan's key indicators were further deteriorating in the current fiscal year, seeking urgent measures to tighten the fiscal belt for ensuring debt sustainability.

11:42 AM

Japan formally revokes Russia's ''most favoured nation'' status

Japan formally revoked Russia's most favoured nation trade status Wednesday over its invasion of Ukraine, as Tokyo steps up sanctions amid revelations of the Russian military's widespread atrocities against civilians.

The stripping of Russia's trade status is Japan's latest move against Moscow and was part of a list of sanctions measures Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced last month that also included a decision to expel eight Russian diplomats and trade officials.

The revocation of Russia's trade status by Japan's Parliament, combined with other sanctions collectively imposed by other countries, is expected to intensify pressure on Russia, but the moves could also prompt reprisals from Moscow.

11:41 AM

Sri Lankan police caution protesters from jeopardizing fuel transportation system

Amid the ongoing anti-government protests in Sri Lanka following the economic and political crisis, the police have urged the public not to jeopardise the fuel transportation system while protesting.

"The police requested the public not to get involved in any activities likely to sabotage the fuel transportation system in the country as it would, in turn, affect the supply chain," said senior police spokesperson and SDIG Ajith Rohana, according to Daily Mirror.

Rohana said that the incidents which were reported on Tuesday were likely to harm the fuel carrying bowsers and that some of those were damaged and vandalised.

11:27 AM

2nd phase of special military operation begins in Ukraine: Russia

The second phase of the special military operation in Ukraine began on Wednesday, announced Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

As per media reports, the operation in eastern Ukraine is aimed at "completely liberating" the populations of Donetsk and Lugansk, Lavrov said on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a report from Russia Today, Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defence Control Center, said Tuesday that Russian forces once again offer militants and foreign mercenaries at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol to "cease hostilities and lay down their arms."

11:23 AM

Ceasefire agreements with three Naga insurgent groups extended

The Centre has extended the ceasefire agreement signed with three Naga insurgent groups for one more year. In a statement, the Union Home Ministry said the agreements are with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-NK (NSCN-NK), National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Reformation (NSCN-R) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland K-Khango (NSCN K-Khango). It was decided to extend the ceasefire agreements for a further period of one year with effect from April 28, 2022 to April 27, 2023 with NSCN-NK and NSCN-R and from April 18, 2022 to April 17, 2023 with NSCN K-Khango, the statement said.

11:07 AM

Ukraine, Russia conduct fifth prisoner exchange

Ukraine and Russia conducted their fifth prisoner exchange since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

As a result of the swap, 76 Ukrainian prisoners-of-war, including 16 civilians, returned home following their release by Russian forces, Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the 60 Ukrainian military personnel released, 10 were officers, she said. However, she gave no details on how many Russian captives were exchanged during the swap.

10:54 AM

Chinese state-sponsored hackers target Indian power grid assets in Ladakh

Chinese state-sponsored hackers had targeted India's power grids in Ladakh possibly for information on India's critical infrastructure or to prepare for sabotage in the future, according to the American cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

This report, released earlier this month, details a campaign conducted by a likely Chinese state-sponsored threat activity group targeting the Indian power sector.

The activity was identified through a combination of large-scale automated network traffic analytics and expert analysis. According to the report, this targeting is likely a long-term strategic priority for select Chinese state-sponsored threat actors active within India.

10:54 AM

PM Modi to confer Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will confer the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration here on Thursday on the occasion of Civil Services Day. He will also address civil servants during the event, the PMO said, noting that the award has been instituted to recognise "extraordinary and innovative" work done by districts and other implementing units besides central and state organisations for the welfare of common citizens. They are also honoured for effective implementation of identified priority programmes and innovation.

10:33 AM

China looks to learn from Russian failures in Ukraine

With its ground troops forced to pull back in Ukraine and regroup, and its Black Sea flagship sunk, Russia's military failings are mounting. No country is paying closer attention than China to how a smaller and outgunned force has badly bloodied what was thought to be one of the world's most powerful armies.

China, like Russia, has been ambitiously reforming its Soviet-style military and experts say leader Xi Jinping will be carefully parsing the weaknesses exposed by the invasion of Ukraine as they might apply to his own People's Liberation Army and his designs on the self-governed island of Taiwan.

The big question Xi and the PLA leadership must be asking in light of Russian operations in Ukraine is whether a military that has undergone extensive reform and modernization will be able to execute operations that are far more complex than those Russia has undertaken during its invasion of Ukraine, said M. Taylor Fravel, director of the security studies program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.