LIVE: Price shocks from Ukraine war to last 3 years, says World Bank

Live news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from across the world here

5:22 PM

DCGI nods emergency use of Covaxin, Corbevax and ZyCoV-D across age groups

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) grants emergency use approvals to COVID-19 vaccines Covaxin, Corbevax and ZyCoV-D.

While the emergency use authorisation (EUA) was granted to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for the age group of 6-12 years, Biological E's Corbevax bagged the nod for 5-12 years age group and Zydus Lifesciences Ltd.'s ZyCoV-D for 12 years and above. Read more

 

5:10 PM

Party needs to fix structural problems: Prashant Kishor declines to join Congress

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor declines to join the Congress party and evolve its poll strategy. He said more than him, the party needs leadership and collective will to fix deep-rooted structural problems through transformational reforms. Read more

4:50 PM

Over 32.79 lakh foreigners visited India in 2020 during lockdown

More than 32.79 lakh foreigners, including over 61,000 Americans, visited India in 2020 when the country was on a long spell of nationwide lockdown due to the Covid pandemic, the annual report of the Home Ministry said. Read more

 

4:45 PM

DCGI gives nod to emergency use to Zydus' two-jab Covid-19 vaccine for 12 yrs-plus

The DCGI gave emergency use authorisation to Zydus Lifesciences Ltd's novel Covid-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D as a two-dose vaccine, the company announced. Read more

4:26 PM

India-Europe will be on same page on Ukraine, says Polish minister

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau on Tuesday expressed confidence that Going forward, India would be on the same page as the European nations on the Ukraine issue, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said. He added that there can be different reactions for a certain period due to various reasons, including domestic politics.

 

4:03 PM

US, allies pledge more arms for Ukraine; Russia cites risk of nuclear war

Russia accuses NATO of engaging in a proxy battle that created a serious risk of nuclear war as US convened its allies to pledge the heavy weapons Ukraine needs to achieve victory,

3:50 PM

Jaishankar say Ukraine war 'wake-up' call for Europe to look at Asia

EAM S Jaishankar counters criticism of India's position on Ukraine, says the Western powers have been oblivious to the pressing challenges facing Asia including last year's events in Afghanistan and the continuous pressure on the rules-based order in the region.

 

3:31 PM

Kremlin says Putin, Turkey's Erdogan discuss Ukraine in phone call

The Kremlin on Tuesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan discussed Ukraine in a phone. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said more details would follow later. 

3:25 PM

IMF urges Sri Lanka to tighten monetary policy, raise taxes to overcome crisis

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) official urged Sri Lanka to tighten its monetary policy, raise taxes and adopt flexible exchange rates to overcome its ongoing debt crisis.

"The requirement for fund lending will be progress toward debt sustainability. Monetary policy has to be tightened to keep inflation in check. We see a need for flexible exchange rates," Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf, acting director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, said.

1:40 PM

Govt has blocked 16 YouTube channels for spreading false to create panic: Anurag Thakur

Govt has blocked 16 YouTube channels for spreading false, unverified information to create panic, incite communal disharmony and disturb public order in India. We will continue to take similar action in the future also to protect India’s national security: I&B min Anurag Thakur

 

1:34 PM

Russia's war heats up cooking oil prices in global squeeze

For months, Istanbul restaurant Tarihi Balikca tried to absorb the surging cost of the sunflower oil its cooks use to fry fish, squid and mussels.

But in early April, with oil prices nearly four times higher than they were in 2019, the restaurant finally raised its prices. Now, even some longtime customers look at the menu and walk away.

We resisted. We said, Let's wait a bit, maybe the market will improve, maybe (prices) will stabilise. But we saw that there is no improvement, said Mahsun Aktas, a waiter and cook at the restaurant.

The customer cannot afford it.

1:28 PM

DCGI grants emergency use authorisation to ZycovD for children above 12 years: Report

DCGI grants emergency use authorisation to ZycovD (Zydus Cadila vaccine) for children above the age of 12 years: Report

12:56 PM

As Shanghai struggles with Covid, cases spike in Beijing

As the situation in Shanghai threatens to spiral out of control in its battle against Covid-19, Chinas capital Beijing has been hit by a surge in infections with alarmed residents lining up at supermarkets and provision stores struggling to control crowds as people try to stock up to prevent Shanghai-type shortages.

Though the media focus shifted from Shanghai to Beijing, there was nothing to point at a let up in the cases in China's financial capital.

The hub of international trade and major port has been found grappling on several fronts in echoes of the early days of the epidemic when Wuhan became the epicentre of the affliction.

12:46 PM

More Sri Lankans to slip into poverty this year, warns World Bank

More Sri Lankans will slip into poverty this year, the World Bank has warned, as it urged the debt-ridden island nation to undertake urgent policy measures to address the high levels of debt, trim the fiscal deficit, and mitigate the adverse impacts on the poor and vulnerable.

Sri Lanka is currently in the throes of an unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.

The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

12:30 PM

Pak former PM Nawaz Sharif's sons refute Saudi travel news

Dismissing the news alleging that the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's both sons were part of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's official delegation to Saudi Arabia, Hassan Nawaz Sharif, son of Nawaz Sharif said that the news about his trip is fake and run with malicious intentions.

"The news run about my Saudi visit is completely fake and run with malicious intentions. I never had any plan to go to Saudi Arabia. I didn't apply for a visa and I am very much in London. I am in London with my father and I have no plans of visiting Saudi Arabia anytime soon," Hassan was quoted as saying by Geo TV.

When the publication contacted Nawaz's other son, Hussain Nawaz then he also denied the news and said that he arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 25 at his own expense and alone.