India

LUCKNOW: A full-scale emergency was declared at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) on Monday evening after an Air India Express flight operating from Bagdogra to Delhi issued a Mayday call mid-air following suspected smoke inside the aircraft.The flight, IX 1523, was cruising at 36,000 feet above Ghaghara river in Ambedkar Nagar district at…

NEW DELHI: As Puducherry heads into assembly polls, the numbers tell a compelling story — one where women voters outnumber men, potentially shaping the electoral outcome in a decisive way.According to the final electoral rolls, the Union Territory has a total of 9,44,211 voters across 30 constituencies. Of these, 5,00,477 are women, compared to 4,43,595…

Head of the UN office for disaster risk reduction Mami Mizutori tells Pradeep Thakur Covax is making progress towards having 2 billion doses available by the end of 2021, which should be enough to protect high-risk and vulnerable people. Excerpts from the interview:The World Bank estimates 150 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty…

NEW DELHI: West Bengal government on Monday extended the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the state till July 1.Essential services will continue operating following protocols, the chief minister Mamata Banerjee said.West Bengal’s Covid-19 tally rose to 14,61,257 on Sunday as 3,984 more people tested positive for the infection, while 84 fresh fatalities pushed the state’s coronavirus…

HYDERABAD: A single dose of Covid-19 vaccine is sufficient for an infected person as there was a greater antibody response when compared with those who have had no prior infection, according to a study released by AIG Hospitals on Monday.The city-based AIG Hospitals recently published a study conducted on 260 healthcare workers, who got vaccinated…

CHENNAI: The AIADMK on Monday warned of disciplinary action against those in the party if they interacted with ousted party leader V K Sasikala, even as it expelled 17 members including party spokesman V Pugazhendhi.Most of those expelled were said to have spoken to ousted former interim general secretary V K Sasikala.The AIADMK legislators’ meeting,…

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government over the death of a journalist, who had recently run a story on the liquor mafia and was killed in what police said was a road accident. The Congress general secretary accused the Yogi Adityanath dispensation of “nurturing jungle…

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan failed to meet Pashupati Kumar Paras at his house in New Delhi. NEW DELHI: In a surprise turn of events, Chirag Paswan, the president of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founded by his father late Ram Vilas Paswan, was on Monday unceremoniusly unseated as the leader of the party…

PM Modi talks with Saudi Crown Prince amid West Asia Conflict, discusses need to keep shipping lines open NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi has spoken to Saudi crown prince and PM Mohammed bin Salman and reiterated India’s concern about freedom of navigation as the Iran-aligned Houthis entered the theatre of war in West Asia by…

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned that a petrol and diesel crisis was developing worldwide as ongoing conflicts continued to affect key energy regions.Speaking during the 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat, he said, “This month of March has been extremely eventful on a global level. We all remember that, in the…