An air alert was sounded in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Samajwadi Party tweeted a video to back the claims of "manipulation of voting machines" ahead of the election results in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar cabinet has approved changes to the state’s liquor prohibition law and other top news in this bulletin. An air alert was sounded on Wednesday in and around Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and residents were urged to reach shelters on an urgent basis. Taking to social media platform Telegram, regional administration head Oleksiy Kuleba said there was a threat of a missile attack. “Kyiv region – air alert. Threat of a missile attack. Everyone immediately to shelters,” he wrote. The development came amid reports of Russia breaching agreements for safe evacuation of citizens for the third time. The city of Mariupol, which sits on the Azov Sea, has been surrounded by Russian soldiers for days and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the encircled city of 4,30,000. Meanwhile, a humanitarian corridor out of the besieged city of Sumy would continue for the day, said regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said. He separately said the city’s residential area had been bombed overnight, with at least one bomb killing 22 civilians. Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party on Wednesday tweeted a video to back the claims of “manipulation of voting machines” ahead of the election results in Uttar Pradesh. In the video, an official is heard admitting a protocol lapse. “There was a lapse in the protocol in the movement of electronic voting machines. But I can assure you that taking away voting machines is impossible. There is a three-level security. There is only one entry point (where machines are kept) where CCTV cameras have been put. If the representatives of political parties want, they too can maintain vigil,” Varanasi commissioner Deepak Agarwal is heard saying in the video. Reports of “fiddling with the EVMs have come across from several parts,” the Samajwadi Party alleged on Twitter: “At whose behest is all this happening? Are the officials working under the pressure of the CMO. The Election commission should please clarify.” The allegations come just hours ahead of the counting in the critical state of Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is eyeing a second term and Akhilesh Yadav is the key challenger. Exit polls, however, have predicted a win in majority of seats for the BJP. On Tuesday, the Samajwadi Party chief accused the BJP of trying to “steal the votes”. “The Samajwadi Party is winning Ayodhya, that is why BJP is scared. Election Commission officials are tampering with the EVMs,” he said. Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday providing $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year. Though a tiny portion of the massive bill, the money responding to the Russian blitzkrieg that’s devastated parts of Ukraine and prompted Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II ensured robust bipartisan support for the legislation. President Joe Biden had requested $10 billion for military, humanitarian and economic aid last week, and Democratic and Republican backing was so staunch that the figure grew to $12 billion Monday and $13.6 billion just a day later. “We’re going to support them against tyranny, oppression, violent acts of subjugation,” Biden said at the White House. Party leaders hoped to whip the 2,741-page measure through the House on Wednesday and the Senate by week’s end, though that chamber’s exact timing was unclear. Lawmakers were spurred by the urgency of helping Ukraine before Russia’s military might makes it too late. The Bihar Cabinet has approved changes to the state’s liquor prohibition law to make it less stringent for the first-time offenders and those caught carrying liquor in lesser quantities in smaller non-commercial vehicles, officials aware of the matter said. The modified sections will come into force after the state assembly approves them. The law was enforced in April 2016, banning the manufacturing, sale, and consumption of liquor. It provides for up to life imprisonment for serious offences and confiscation of houses, vehicles, and other properties from where liquor is seized. The Bihar government has drawn flak over the poor implementation of the prohibition law, which has been blamed for hooch tragedies that have claimed dozens of lives. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has faced criticism even from his alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the hooch tragedies. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party, which is a part of the government, has demanded a repeal of the law. The Supreme Court too has criticised the law saying it was impacting the functioning of the judiciary with 14-15 Patna high court judges only hearing the bail pleas relating to arrests made under it. On Tuesday, the state government told the Supreme Court the law would be modified. The court said the Bihar government brought the law without any legislative impact study. It said almost every bench in the Supreme Court is dealing with petitions arising out of the prohibition. As a first major step towards “Atmanirbharta” vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Defence Ministry has approached the Union Cabinet to green light the setting up of an independent nodal umbrella body to meet the wide-ranging testing and certification requirements of weapon systems developed and manufactured by the Indian private sector. While the independent testing and certification body was envisaged in the Union Budget this year, the move is a huge step towards decoupling the Indian private defence sector industry from the clutches of the humongous veto exercising military bureaucracy on the Raisina Hill. By painting the private players as mere profiteers, the Indian military industrial complex has been at the mercy of these mandarins who are fantastic in promise but very low on delivery. The new independent authority will ensure that private sector is not at the mercy of government’s laboratories and testing ranges for getting their equipment approved for both domestic sales and exports. With 68 per cent of defence capital procurement budget earmarked for domestic industry this financial year, it is time that the private defence sector took advantage of this move and started towards manufacturing high end products likes armed drones, autonomous combat vehicles, aircraft engines and submarines by setting up SPVs with western defence majors who are willing to set up shop in India. That’s all from us for now. We will be back with the morning news bulletin.
Top news of the day: AAP, Congress finalise 4:3 seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Bombay HC orders Netflix to first screen Indrani Mukerjea docu-series for CBI, Av ... Read more
Top news of the day: AAP, Congress finalise 4:3 seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Bombay HC orders Netflix to first screen Indrani Mukerjea docu-series for CBI, Avalanche in Gulmarg: 1 foreigner dead, several skiers trapped, Smriti Irani's 'griha pravesh' at new residence in Amethi ahead of election, IPL star Abhishek Sharma to be questioned in model Tania Singh's death investigation Read more
Kamal Haasan clears air on alliance with INDIA bloc, says ‘time to blur party politics’, Govt urges protesting farmers to maintain peace, invites for 5th round of discussion, Elon ... Read more
Kamal Haasan clears air on alliance with INDIA bloc, says ‘time to blur party politics’, Govt urges protesting farmers to maintain peace, invites for 5th round of discussion, Elon Musk nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Norway MP: ‘He makes the world…’, Infosys' Narayana Murthy, Sudha Murty earn ₹915 crore from Cloudtail-Amazon deal, Ameen Sayani, iconic radio presenter and voice of Geetmala, dies at 91 Read more
Delhi braces for impact as farmer stir resumes today, Nadda, Sonia among 41 elected to RS, Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto's parties strike deal to form coalition govt in Pakistan, J ... Read more
Delhi braces for impact as farmer stir resumes today, Nadda, Sonia among 41 elected to RS, Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto's parties strike deal to form coalition govt in Pakistan, Jasprit Bumrah rested by India for fourth test against England, PVR INOX Cut Down Ticket Prices To Mark Cinema Lovers Day Read more
Chandigarh mayor polls: What Supreme Court said in its verdict?, 'Supplied arms to Pakistan, not...': S Jaishankar's curt reply to West on Russia, PM Modi launches multiple develop ... Read more
Chandigarh mayor polls: What Supreme Court said in its verdict?, 'Supplied arms to Pakistan, not...': S Jaishankar's curt reply to West on Russia, PM Modi launches multiple development projects in Jammu, says ‘Article 370 was main hurdle’,Ben Stokes' desperate last-ditch move to end England's woes as all-rounder considers ending 8-month long hiatus,Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh expecting their first child Read more
Farmers reject Centre's proposal to procure five crops at MSP over next five years, Seal the deal before we come together: Akhilesh on joining Cong yatra, Putin gifts North Korea's ... Read more
Farmers reject Centre's proposal to procure five crops at MSP over next five years, Seal the deal before we come together: Akhilesh on joining Cong yatra, Putin gifts North Korea's Kim Jong Un Russian-made car, Farhan Akhtar to share big update about Ranveer Singh's 'Don 3' tomorrow, Messi insists Hong Kong no-show was due to injury, not politics Read more
Kamal Haasan to make announcement on alliance ahead of upcoming polls, ‘Should wait for court's judgment’: Kejriwal to ED on skipping summon in Delhi excise policy case, 'Ye aajkal ... Read more
Kamal Haasan to make announcement on alliance ahead of upcoming polls, ‘Should wait for court's judgment’: Kejriwal to ED on skipping summon in Delhi excise policy case, 'Ye aajkal ke bacche': Rohit Sharma drops another classic, reacts to India's young 'trinity' after England thrashing, Pakistani writer Yasir Hussain says Indian TV shows are of ‘ghatiya' quality: ‘Intehaayi zeher drama hai’, Oppn Lost Courage To Fight Polls': PM Modi In LS Slams Congress Over Inflation Read more
Chandigarh mayor Manoj Sonkar resigns ahead of Supreme Court hearing, PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone Of Kalki Dham Temple In UP's Sambhal Today On Ex-Congress Leader's Invite, Far ... Read more
Chandigarh mayor Manoj Sonkar resigns ahead of Supreme Court hearing, PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone Of Kalki Dham Temple In UP's Sambhal Today On Ex-Congress Leader's Invite, Farmers Protest: ‘Delhi Chalo’ On Hold After Centre Proposes 5-Year Plan, Rohit relishes India's big Test win with 'young team', BAFTA 2024: 'Oppenheimer' dominates, no wins for 'Barbie' Read more
Top news of the day: Arvind Kejriwal calls for trust vote in Delhi assembly on day of court summons, Imran Khan's PTI party decides to sit in Opposition at Centre, Punjab, INSAT-3D ... Read more
Top news of the day: Arvind Kejriwal calls for trust vote in Delhi assembly on day of court summons, Imran Khan's PTI party decides to sit in Opposition at Centre, Punjab, INSAT-3DS launch today: Why is the rocket called ‘naughty boy’ of ISRO?, Ashwin left Rajkot Test, England series midway to attend to mother in Chennai: BCCI VP wishes for her 'speedy recovery' Read more
Bharat bandh today: Are banks, offices closed?, Manipur: Mob barges into Churachandpur government office complex, 1 killed, Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal says he is suffering from 'slo ... Read more
Bharat bandh today: Are banks, offices closed?, Manipur: Mob barges into Churachandpur government office complex, 1 killed, Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal says he is suffering from 'slow growing cancer', seeks interim bail, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja's hundreds shepherd India to safety on Day 1 of 3rd Test against England at Rajkot, X-Men '97 official trailer, voice cast, Disney+ release date unveiled Read more
Top news of the day: Great victory for transparency, level playing field in polls: Chidambaram on electoral bond verdict, Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan's PTI nominates Omar Ayub as pri ... Read more
Top news of the day: Great victory for transparency, level playing field in polls: Chidambaram on electoral bond verdict, Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan's PTI nominates Omar Ayub as prime minister candidate, Sonia Gandhi not to contest 2024 LS polls; pens emotional letter to Rae Bareli, Farmers moving like army with tractors; making political comments: Haryana CM, ED questions Paytm officials, gets documents on RBI action: Report Read more
The Website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. If you continue browsing you will be providing your consent to our use of these.