LIVE: Three powerful explosions heard near Ukraine's Lviv, says governor

'There were three powerful explosions near Lviv from the direction of Kryvchytsy, now there is an air raid warning, so keep calm and take shelter,' said regional Governor in an online post

1:31 PM

Poll confirms widespread rejection of China's unification attempts in Taiwan

Amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, a survey found that about 90 per cent of people rejected Beijing's continued claims that Taiwan was part of China.

"About 90 per cent rejected Beijing's continued claims that Taiwan was part of China and their efforts to limit the smaller country's international space and threaten it with military force", reported Taiwan News citing Radio Taiwan International (RTI).

The survey found that 88.6 per cent approved of the government seeking closer cooperation with other democracies in order to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait. More than 70 per cent also voiced support for legislative efforts to prevent high-level technology experts from being lured to jobs in China.

1:01 PM

Trump card has nothing to do with army: Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his much-discussed "trump card" has nothing to do with the army, The News reported.

The Prime Minister instead stressed that "attacking the army and damaging it means damaging the future of Pakistan".

He categorically rejected the widespread speculation that his trump card relates to a possible decision concerning the institution of the Pakistan Army.

12:51 PM

Delhi govt to set up electronic city to create 80,000 jobs: Sisodia

With an aim to boost employment opportunities and give an impetus to electronics manufacturing, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday proposed to set up an electronic city in the national capital to create 80,000 jobs.

The announcement was made during his budget presentation for the financial 2022-23. The electronic city will come up at Baprola.

"We will set up an electronic city at Baprola in Delhi to create 80,000 jobs through electronics manufacturing," Sisodia said in his budget speech.

12:51 PM

Delhi govt to set up electronic city to create 80,000 jobs: Sisodia

With an aim to boost employment opportunities and give an impetus to electronics manufacturing, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday proposed to set up an electronic city in the national capital to create 80,000 jobs.

The announcement was made during his budget presentation for the financial 2022-23. The electronic city will come up at Baprola.

"We will set up an electronic city at Baprola in Delhi to create 80,000 jobs through electronics manufacturing," Sisodia said in his budget speech.

12:36 PM

Birbhum killings: CBI team reaches Bogtui village, starts probe

A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached Bogtui village in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Saturday and started its investigation into the violence that claimed eight lives earlier this week.

Unidentified people had on March 21 set 10 houses on fire in the village, killing at least eight people, including women and children.

The CBI team, consisting of around 20 members, went inside the house where charred bodies of seven people were found.

We are starting the investigation today. We have to conduct the probe on a war-footing as we have a deadline to meet, the CBI official told PTI.

12:32 PM

India's forex reserves slump by another $2.59 billion

India's foreign exchange (forex) reserves dipped by $2.59 billion in the week ended March 18, recording a sharp drop for the second consecutive week as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) heavily sold dollars to prevent slide in the value of rupee.

According to the RBI's weekly statistical supplement, the country's forex reserves slumped by $2.597 billion to $619.678 billion during the week ended March 18. The value of gold reserves as well as foreign currency assets declined sharply.

This is the second consecutive week of a sharp drop in the country's forex reserves.

12:31 PM

Imran Khan is left with no cards: Maryam Nawaz

Rejecting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans claim of having a 'trump card' to defeat the oppositions move to oust him from office, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz offered a word of advice asking him to show some "self-respect" and resign instead of seeking time to stay in the government, Dawn reported.

Addressing party workers at the PML-N's secretariat in Lahore's Model Town, she said: "Today, Imran Khan is crying for help not from the public but someone else pleading to come forward and help save his government. But let me tell him, no one will come to his rescue now. He is seeking NRO from everyone, going to his party men and allies whom he never bothered to talk to."

12:07 PM

Centre plans to resume printing PM's photo on Covid vaccination certificates in 5 states: Report

With the conclusion of the Assembly polls in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, the Centre plans to resume publishing the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on COVID-19 vaccination certificates in these states.

Modi's photo was removed from the vaccination certificates in the five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur -- on January 8, after the announcement of the poll dates and the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.

An official source said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has desired for the resumption of printing of the prime minister's photo on the Covid vaccination certificates in these states on top priority.

11:47 AM

Lankan newspapers run out of newsprint due to forex crisis; suspend publication

Sri Lanka's two major newspapers on Saturday suspended their publication over newsprint shortage and price escalation caused by the country's all-time worst foreign exchange crisis.

The Island, an English daily along with its sister Sinhala paper Divayina, ceased to print as the newsprint scarcities and price escalations hit the media organisation.

We regret to inform our readers that we have been compelled to suspend the publication of The Island print edition on Saturday until further notice in view of the newsprint shortage, Upali Newspapers Limited said in a statement.

Sri Lanka is facing its all-time worst foreign exchange crisis after the pandemic hit the nation's earnings from tourism and remittances.

11:46 AM

Dy CM Sisodia presents Rs 75,800 Cr budget for Delhi for FY 2022-23

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday presented a Rs 75,800 crore budget in the Assembly for the financial year 2022-23.

"Delhi's economy is recovering gradually from the impact of COVID-19. The budget allocation for 2022-23 is Rs 75,800 crore," Sisodia said in his budget speech.

11:36 AM

'Russian budget doesn't have funds for military in war against Ukraine'

The Chief Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said that that the Russian budget does not have funds for further payments to the military for participation in the ongoing war against Kiev.

"After the promised payments to the military of the aggressors' army, the Russian military has had problems with funding. It has turned out that the budget does not provide for payment of these costs. And given the unsatisfactory state of Russia's financial system due to sanctions, additional funds cannot be found in the budget," Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the Directorate as saying.

In Crimea, the current budget for military units was used up in February after payments were made for "business trips" to those who took part in the war against Ukraine, it said.

"There is no funding for any payments in March."

11:34 AM

Russian military hacked into European satellites: US officials

The Russian military hacked into a European satellite internet service that affected Ukrainian military communications, according to the US government officials.

The cyber attack hit the KA-SAT satellite broadband network, owned by Viasat, a US satellite communications company, as Russia began the invasion of Ukraine last month, the officials told The Washington Post.

Western intelligence agencies had launched a probe into the cyberattack that hit Viasat, resulting in a huge communications outage across Europe.

11:20 AM

PM Modi to attend virtual summit of BIMSTEC on March 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a virtual summit of the seven-nation BIMSTEC grouping on March 30, which is expected to focus on expanding economic engagement among its member countries.

The summit is being hosted by Sri Lanka in its capacity as the chair of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Besides India and Sri Lanka, the BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.

11:19 AM

UP CM Adityanath's first cabinet meeting extends free ration scheme by another three months

In the first major decision of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, the state cabinet on Saturday decided to extend the free ration scheme initiated during the Covid pandemic by three more months.

The programme was supposed to expire in March.

A total of 15 crore people are benefiting from the programme in the state, Adityanath said.

11:00 AM

No consensus with Russia on four points mentioned by Erdogan: Ukraine

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba said there has been no consensus with Russia on the four points of negotiations mentioned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"There is no consensus with Russia regarding the four points mentioned by the Turkish President. In particular, the only state language in Ukraine is Ukrainian and will remain so. And in general the classification of key negotiation topics into four points, or any other number, is inappropriate," Kuleba told Ukrayinska Pravda on Friday.