Live: 60 feared dead in Ukraine school bombed by Russia, governor says

Live news updates: Group of Seven leaders plan to discuss potential new penalties against Russia on Sunday.

7:30 PM

Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to hold first Cabinet meeting post reshuffle on May 13

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to convene a Cabinet meeting on May 13 with the newly inducted ministers.

This would be Jagan's first meeting with his Cabinet after it was reshuffled.

Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office and secrecy to 25 members of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet at a public function near the state Secretariat in Velagapudi on April 12.

The cabinet is scheduled to meet at 11 am.

"All the Departments of Secretariat are informed that the next meeting of the Council of Ministers will be held on Friday, May 13, 2022, at 11.00 am in the Cabinet Meeting Hall, on the 1st floor of Building No.1, A.P Secretariat, Velagapudi," Sameer Sharma, Chief Secretary to the Andhra Pradesh government said in a notice.

The notice further requested the Special Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries to the state government to send the proposals in the prescribed format to the General Administration Department by 4.00 pm on May 11, 20222, so as to brief the Chief Minister for placing before the Council of Ministers for consideration.

"The Departments are requested to furnish a soft copy of the Memorandum in English and Telugu languages in Word/PDF formats along with check list and Takeaway Points. The Secretary concerned should handover the draft resolutions in 0/o the C.S. and Press note (two copies) to the Deputy Director, I & PR available in the waiting hall immediately after the discussion is completed on the subject," the notice read.

7:28 PM

SJVN wins most efficient and profitable miniratna of the year award

State-owned SJVN Ltd, which is mulling Rs 1.8 lakh crore investment in next decade, has bagged the 'Most Efficient & Profitable Miniratna of the Year' award.

Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) has conferred the award to SJVN for playing a crucial role in economic growth of the nation, a statement by SJVN said.

"Company achieved its highest ever capital expenditure of Rs 5,259.39 crore against the target of Rs 5,000 crore for the fiscal year 2021-22 and helped the nation to recuperate from economic slump caused by the global pandemic, Chairman & Managing Director Nand Lal Sharma said.

He further said SJVN has emerged as a major player in the power sector in India and in neighbouring countries.

With a total portfolio of 31,000 MW and 52 projects under various stages of development, SJVN plans to invest Rs 75,000 crore in next five years and Rs 1.8 lakh crore in next ten years.

This will result in employment generation, infrastructure development and overall socio-economic growth of the country.

SJVN started with a Single Hydro Project of 1500 MW in 1988. Today 2016.5 MW is under operation and the company has presence in India and in neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan.

7:27 PM

25 more pigs die of African Swine Fever in Mizoram

At least 25 more pigs died of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Mizoram on Sunday, an official said.

The ASF has affected 31 villages in six districts of the state, he said.

With the 25 deaths on Sunday, as many as 1,983 pigs have so far been killed since the fresh outbreak of the swine disease in February this year, he said.

At least 1,201 pigs have been culled during the same period, including 111 on Sunday, the official said.

As many as 33,417 pigs have died due to the outbreak of ASF last year causing monetary losses to the tune of Rs 60.82 crore.

A total of 10,910 pigs have also been culled since last year to prevent the further spread of the disease.

The highly contagious pig disease, which was reported for the first time in the state in March last year was initially considered more or less contained as no pig death due to the outbreak was reported since December.

7:18 PM

Jill Biden pays surprise visit to Ukraine, meets first lady

US first lady Jill Biden made an unannounced visit to western Ukraine on Sunday, holding a surprise Mother's Day meeting with the nation's first lady, Olena Zelenskyy, as Russia presses its punishing war in the eastern regions.

Biden travelled under the cloak of secrecy, becoming the latest high-profile American to enter Ukraine during its 10-week-old conflict with Russia.

I wanted to come on Mother's Day, Biden told Zelenskyy. I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine.

The first lady travelled by vehicle to the town of Uzhhorod, about a 10-minute drive from a Slovakian village that borders Ukraine.

The two came together in a small classroom, sitting across a table from one another and talking before reporters before they met in private. Zelenskyy and her children have been at an undisclosed location for their safety.

6:51 PM

Haryana attracted investment of Rs 28,000 cr past year: Dushyant Chautala

Asserting that the state offers a congenial environment for businesses to flourish, Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Sunday said that the state attracted investments worth Rs 28,000 crore in the past 12 months.

Chautala, who also holds Industries and Commerce, Excise and Taxation and Civil Aviation portfolios, said a heli-hub will be set up in Gurugram and it will be the first-of-its-kind in the country and will be built near Dwarka Expressway on about 25 acres.

"We have sent a proposal to the Centre in this regard, he said.

This will improve the helicopter connectivity, it will prove useful for business, leisure and pilgrimage purposes, Chautala told a news conference here.

"Big companies are pumping in their investments in Haryana. During past one year, the state has attracted nearly Rs 28,000 crore investment," he said, referring to investments flowing in the state.

He said auto major Maruti Suzuki is setting up a new plant over 900 acres of land at Kharkhoda in Sonipat district.

ATL company's battery manufacturing unit is coming up in Gurugram district. In the next year, the plant will be operational, he said.

The Haryana government had allotted 140 acres of land to e-commerce major Flipkart for setting up its largest fulfilment centre in Asia, in Patli Hajipur in Gurugram, he said.

6:34 PM

BJP's faulty policies behind rising unemployment, diminishing household income: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday alleged that due to the "faulty economic policies" of the BJP government, income of every household has come down and unemployment has risen in the country.

He also attacked the Centre over the increase in prices of domestic gas cylinder, saying it is having a serious impact on the economy.

Cooking gas LPG prices were on Saturday hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder, the second increase in rates in just over six weeks following the firming of international energy rates.

In a statement, Yadav said inflation is increasing everyday and the common man is feeling shattered under the rule of BJP which had shown the dream of 'achche din' (good days).

The prices of petrol, diesel, CNG were increased earlier, but now even medicines, food items and transportation has become expensive, he said.

Yadav said another impact of rising inflation is that parents of a large number of children are not able to pay fees which is hampering their education.

The SP chief alleged that "due to the faulty economic policies of the BJP government, the income of every household has come down, unemployment is increasing, businesses have come to a standstill, and the ruling party has pushed the country towards a bleak future."

Referring to the increase in LPG cylinder prices, Yadav said once again domestic gas cylinder has become costlier by Rs 50, and the price of the cylinder has crossed Rs 1,000.

Yadav said the way domestic gas prices are rising, it is having a serious impact on the economy, and the budget is getting disturbed.

6:16 PM

PM Modi introduced new political culture in country: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to introduce a new political culture in the country, rising above considerations of vote bank politics or subjective preferences.

The latest evidence of this, he said, is the inclusion of Sitamarhi under the Centre's aspirational district programme purely on the consideration that it deserved a special attention for its growth and development in certain sectors.

Singh, Minister of State for Personnel and BJP national executive member, addressed a meeting of party workers here.

He said while PM Modi has vindicated Syama Prasad Mookerjee's dream of BJP being a truly democratic party suited to the requirements of post-independence India, it was the sacrifices of three generations of party workers, which enabled the party to survive over the last seven decades before emerging as the world's largest political party under the able organisational leadership of party presidents like Amit Shah and J P Nadda.

"The Prime Minister has sought to introduce a new political culture in the country, rising above considerations of vote bank politics or subjective preferences," the minister said.

6:15 PM

Rajesh Bhandari named boxing Task Force secretary for postponed Asian Games

Boxing Federation of India (BFI) vice president Rajesh Bhandari has been appointed as the secretary of the Task Force which will conduct the sport during the postponed Hangzhou Asian Games.

The decision was taken by the Olympic Council of Asia's Executive Board in its meeting held in Tashkent on Friday, the same day the Games were postponed indefinitely amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in China.

"The OCA Executive Board in its meeting held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 6th of May 2022 unanimously decided to constitute a Task Force to run the technical conduct of Boxing event during the 19th Asian Games," the OCA said in statement on Sunday.

Besides Bahndari, the committee will comprise Canada's Fiacco Pasquale Lucio, who will serve as a technical delegate, while Selwati Hadi Soejono of Indonesia will assume the position of the coordinator.

Qatar's Yousuf Ali Al-Kazim and OCA's Haidar Farman have been appointed as members of the Task Force, which will also include a representative form the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC).

 

6:11 PM

Pushp Kumar Joshi takes over as CMD of HPCL

Pushp Kumar Joshi on Sunday took over as the new chairman and managing director of India's third largest oil refining and fuel marketing company Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).

"Prior to this Dr Joshi was Director-HR of the Corporation from August 01, 2012," the company said in a statement.

Joshi, the senior-most director on the HPCL board, was in January picked by the government headhunter PESB to replace Mukesh Kumar Surana. Surana superannuated from services on April 30, 2022, but in absence of a formal order from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister, Joshi was named interim head.

The ACC confirmation of his appointment has now come and he has formally taken over as the chairman and managing director of HPCL.

Joshi is also holding the additional charge of Director-Marketing of HPCL.

6:02 PM

Modi Govt encouraging young OBC entrepreneurs in 'new' India: BJP OBC Morcha chief Laxman

As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Research and Policy Division of the Bharatiya Janata Party (OBC) has started an entrepreneurs' outreach program to encourage young OBC entrepreneurs across the country.

The objective of this program is to develop entrepreneurship skills among the youth belonging to the backward classes.

The first entrepreneurs' meet was organized at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi on Saturday.

"Modi Government is encouraging young OBC entrepreneurs in new India. Now entrepreneurs meet will be organized all over the country," said BJP OBC Morcha President K Laxman.

Speaking to ANI, Laxman said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi thinks that it is unfair for the backward classes to not get equal rights in the society like others. Therefore, besides working on the welfare schemes, the Modi government is working out ways to make good entrepreneurs out of the educated youth belonging to the backward classes."

About 2.5 million people participated in this entrepreneurship program from all over the country and venture capital of Rs 200 crores has been set up for OBC entrepreneurs, stated Laxman. Before this, the venture capital fund was started under the rule of Congress but it was not for OBC society. It was a venture capital fund only for SCs, he added.

According to Laxman, through this program, the importance of entrepreneurship in the country will be discussed. "How much Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is involved in promoting startups in the country? How the youth of backward society can take advantage of these schemes? Such issues were discussed in the entrepreneur's meet on Saturday," he said.

Entrepreneurs from more than 21 states in the program participated in the meet.

Laxman said that the Modi government has made many plans for the development of the backward classes. "27 per cent reservation and the appointment of people belonging to the backward classes on the vacant posts in universities will be done soon. Our government will be an employment-generating government," stated the BJP OBC Morcha National President.

"We are organizing these programs so that along with the development of OBC youth, industries can also develop. Then they can provide economic and social strength to the country," added Laxman.

6:00 PM

Mauritius PM launches new segment of India-Mauritius metro express project

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth launched the Quatre Bornes to Phoenix segment of the India-Mauritius Flagship Metro Express project on Sunday.

"The much-awaited Quatre Bornes to Phoenix segment of the India-Mauritius Flagship Metro Express project was launched today by Prime Minister," Indian High Commission in Mauritius tweeted.

"The new stations will bring the safe, timely & transformative Metro Project to a larger number of Mauritian people and make a difference to their daily commute. Progressing towards Curepipe and Mahatma Gandhi station," the High Commission said in another tweet.

Earlier in January, India and Mauritius exchanged two key bilateral agreements including an agreement for the extension of a $190 million Line of Credit from the Indian government for the Metro Express and other infrastructure projects.

Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, India-Mauritius Development Partnership projects have progressed rapidly.

In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Jugnauth had jointly inaugurated the Metro Express project and the New ENT Hospital in Mauritius in virtual mode.

Likewise, in July 2020, the new Supreme Court Building of Mauritius was also inaugurated virtually by the two Prime Ministers.

5:58 PM

Karnataka orders fire safety audit in 166 govt hospitals

The Karnataka government on Sunday directed officials of 166 District and Taluk government hospitals across the state to conduct a 'Fire Safety Audit' of its premises and receive NOC (no objection certificate) from the Fire and Emergency Services.

The Health Commissioner has issued a circular stating that the hospitals will be granted Rs 50,000 each under 'Rashtriya Aarogya Abhiyan.'

During a recent video conference with Chief Ministers and Health Ministers of all states to assess the COVID-19 situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested conducting a 'Fire Safety Audit', as incidents of fire accidents had increased due to summer heat.

Out of the 166 hospitals that have been instructed to conduct the audit, there are 16 district hospitals and 150 Taluk hospitals, and the health officials have been given a deadline of May 21 to submit an action taken report, Health Minister K Sudhakar's office said.

5:57 PM

Syria President Assad visits Iran for meetings in rare trip

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday was in Tehran meeting Iranian leaders, Iranian state-linked media reported, marking his second trip to Tehran since Syria's civil war erupted in 2011.

Nour News, close to Iran's security apparatus, said in the Sunday report that Assad met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi earlier in the day. It said Assad later left Tehran for Damascus, Syria.

It said details of the meetings will be published later.

This is the first visit by Assad in more than two years. His earlier visit was in February 2019.

Iran is a key regional supporter of Assad in the the Arab nation civil war that erupted in 2011.

5:49 PM

BJYM activists take out rallies in Bengal seeking justice for party colleague Chaurasia

BJP youth wing activists had been holding rallies over the past two days in various parts of the state over the unnatural death of one of its members, Arjun Chaurasia, with the latest one being taken out by agitators on Sunday in Paschim Bardhaman district.

Led by Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul, BJYM supporters, numbering around 200, assembling outside a police outpost in Hirapur area and demanded immediate punishment for those responsible for Chaurasia' death.

The protesters also sought a CBI probe into the incident.

"TMC goons had been carrying out attacks on BJP activists since the assembly poll results were declared on May 2 last year. Scores of our karyakartas (functionaries) were murdered. Our rally is against all these attacks... we will not rest till justice is meted out," Paul said.

Similar rallies were taken out by the saffron party men in Siliguri and Balurghat areas of North Bengal on Saturday, with activists seeking an impartial probe.

Chaurasia was found hanging in an abandoned building in Kolkata's Kashipur area on Friday morning, amid Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state.

Shah, after meeting the deceased BJYM member's family, had slammed the TMC government for "unleashing a reign of terror" in the state. He also called for a CBI probe into the case.

5:47 PM

Karnataka govt forms panel to vet tenders above Rs 50 cr

The Karnataka government on Sunday said it has constituted a 'Tender Scrutiny Committee' headed by a retired High Court judge, aimed at bringing transparency and curb irregularities in the tendering process.

The committee headed by Justice Rathnakala has been mandated to scrutinise all tenders above Rs 50 crore according to the guidelines already issued to curb irregularities in the tendering process.

The move for transparency has come at a time when the BJP government in the state is facing allegations of corruption, including the '40 per cent commission' charge from contractors to get the payment released for the projects completed.

Recently, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had ordered a complete stop to awarding government projects based on the oral instructions from ministers and elected representatives, and had warned erring officers of strong action.

This follows the death of Santosh Patil, a contractor from Belagavi, who allegedly died by suicide, blaming former Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K S Eshwarappa for holding up payment of Rs 4 crore,0 due to him.

Retired Secretary of Water Resources Department B G Gurupadaswamy (expert engineer) and Retired Director of State Accounts and Audit Department K Nandakumar (finance expert) have been appointed as the members of the committee, the CM's office said in a statement.

The panel has been constituted in accordance with the government order issued last December.