The Indian rupee hit a lifetime low in opening deals on Monday as a sharp surge in global crude oil prices threatened to push up imported inflation and widen the country’s trade and current account deficits. The partially convertible rupee was trading at 76.92/93 per dollar, after touching 76.96, its weakest level ever. It had closed at 76.16 on Friday. The benchmark 10-year bond yield was trading at 6.86%, up 5 basis points on the day. Oil prices soared more than 6%, touching their highest since 2008 on Monday after the United States and European allies mull a Russian oil import ban while delays in the potential return of Iranian crude to global markets fuelled tight supply fears. Indian shares tumbled over 2% on Monday, with investors dumping risky assets as oil prices soared after the United States and European allies were said to be mulling a Russian oil import ban.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s support for evacuating hundreds of Indian nationals stranded in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy amid intense fighting in the region. The main focus of India’s evacuation efforts in Ukraine over the past few days has been the safe and secure exit of some 700 Indians, mostly students, from Sumy. Close to 16,000 Indian nationals have been evacuated from across Ukraine, including other areas in the eastern part of the country facing heavy Russian shelling and violence. During a 35-minute phone conversation, Modi sought continued support from the Ukrainian government in ongoing efforts for evacuating Indian nationals from Sumy, people familiar with the matter said.
The Russian military declared a ceasefire in the capital city of Kyiv in Ukraine and three other major cities on Monday to open humanitarian corridors, news agency Reuters reported citing local media. The decision followed a request personally made by French President Emmanuel Macron, the report said. The corridors to allow safe passage to civilians trying to flee the war will open at 1000 Moscow time (0700 GMT). It will continue for 11 hours, according to the report. Besides Kyiv, forces will hold fire in Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy. A day earlier, a similar ceasefire was announced in Mariupol. But after a brief pause in firing, Ukrainian officials said Russian forces resumed artillery fire and airstrikes which prevented residents from leaving. Putin has blamed Ukraine for sabotaging the effort.
Police in Thailand said Monday that an autopsy conducted on the body of Australian cricket star Shane Warne has concluded that he died of natural causes. A statement issued by deputy national police spokesperson Kissana Pathanacharoen said the opinion issued by the doctor who carried out the autopsy has been conveyed to Warne’s family and the Australian Embassy. It said the family did not have any doubt that the 52-year-old cricketer, widely considered one of the sport’s greatest spin bowlers, died of natural causes. The statement, issued ahead of a planned police news conference, did not specify the cause of death. Preliminary evaluations from Thai authorities suggested Warne died from a heart attack. Warne was found unresponsive in his hotel room on the Thai resort island of Samui on Friday and could not be revived at a nearby hospital. His body was transferred Sunday to the Thai mainland for an official autopsy at a state hospital.
The Ukraine government has a contingency plan in place if President Volodymyr Zelensky is killed during the Russian invasion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday. ‘The Ukrainians have plans in place — that I’m not going to talk about or get into any details on — to make sure that there is what we would call “continuity of government” one way or another. And let me leave it at that,’ Blinken said when he was asked if the United States was working on an interim plan to support a Ukrainian government without Zelensky. This comes amid reports that Zelensky has survived three assassination attempts since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky too talked about the threat to his life. In fact, he opened the recent Zoom meeting with US senators saying that this is probably the last time they were seeing him live.
That’s all from us for now. We will be back with the morning news bulletin.
Maharashtra's high drama reached Delhi as a BJP team met union minister Nityanand Rai, Russian President Vladimir Putin joined several other world leaders to wish French leader Emm ... Read more
Maharashtra's high drama reached Delhi as a BJP team met union minister Nityanand Rai, Russian President Vladimir Putin joined several other world leaders to wish French leader Emmanuel Macron for securing a second term as the country’s president, India and the European Union launched the India-EU Trade and Technology Council and other top news in today's bulletin. Read more
Congress hits out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government over GST items' 'rationalization', three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants killed in a gunfight with forces in ... Read more
Congress hits out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government over GST items' 'rationalization', three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants killed in a gunfight with forces in Pulwama, R Madhavan's son Vedaant Madhavan didn't want to live 'under dad's shadow', opens up on parents 'biggest sacrifice', and other top news in this bulletin. Read more
The Centre on Saturday expressed serious concern over the private television channels over the content shown in recent times, India has agreed to extend an additional USD 500 milli ... Read more
The Centre on Saturday expressed serious concern over the private television channels over the content shown in recent times, India has agreed to extend an additional USD 500 million credit line to help Sri Lanka import fuel, China's Shanghai on Saturday reported 12 more Covid-19 deaths and a sharp rise in local infections and other top news in today's bulletin. Read more
Supreme Court pulls up police in Delhi hate speech case, Russia's offensive in Ukraine is just the beginning: Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, heatwaves, coal shortage spark ... Read more
Supreme Court pulls up police in Delhi hate speech case, Russia's offensive in Ukraine is just the beginning: Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, heatwaves, coal shortage spark fear of power crisis, and other top news in this bulletin. Read more
An immediate end to the violence in Ukraine, deepening of climate and energy partnership, A shot was fired by a security guard during a scuffle outside the Rohini district court on ... Read more
An immediate end to the violence in Ukraine, deepening of climate and energy partnership, A shot was fired by a security guard during a scuffle outside the Rohini district court on Friday morning, The Election Commission of India is considering the introduction of an electronically transmitted postal ballot system facility for overseas voters and other top news in today's bulletin. Read more
Ahead of Sonia meet, Cong panel submits report on Kishor’s proposal for revamp, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah has been named in Wisden's 'Cricketers of the Year', CBI raids 14 locations ... Read more
Ahead of Sonia meet, Cong panel submits report on Kishor’s proposal for revamp, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah has been named in Wisden's 'Cricketers of the Year', CBI raids 14 locations across country in J&K corruption case and other top news in this bulletin. Read more
President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia had seized Ukraine’s Mariupol, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a number of commercial agreements as part of a 'new ... Read more
President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia had seized Ukraine’s Mariupol, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a number of commercial agreements as part of a 'new era' in bilateral trade and investment ties, The Assam Police arrested Dalit leader and Independent lawmaker Jignesh Mevani from Gujarat’s Palanpur and other top news in today's bulletin. Read more
UK PM Boris Johnson to hear India’s stand on Ukraine conflict, Parachute demo triggers a false alarm in US Capitol, Former President Donald Trump walks out of Piers Morgan intervie ... Read more
UK PM Boris Johnson to hear India’s stand on Ukraine conflict, Parachute demo triggers a false alarm in US Capitol, Former President Donald Trump walks out of Piers Morgan interview & other top news in this bulletin. Read more
Face masks will be mandatory again in Delhi and violating the rule will attract a fine of Rs 500, Supreme Court ordered the status quo in connection with a demolition drive in Delh ... Read more
Face masks will be mandatory again in Delhi and violating the rule will attract a fine of Rs 500, Supreme Court ordered the status quo in connection with a demolition drive in Delhi’s violence-hit Jahangirpuri ,Punjab Police have registered a case against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas in Rupnagar town for promoting enmity and other top news in today's bulletin. Read more
Centre’s decision on mix-and-match boosters likely in two weeks: Official, Army investigates espionage angle over security breach in WhatsApp group, IMF slashes India's growth fore ... Read more
Centre’s decision on mix-and-match boosters likely in two weeks: Official, Army investigates espionage angle over security breach in WhatsApp group, IMF slashes India's growth forecast to 8.2% in 2022-23 and other top news in this bulletin. Read more