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PM Modi to speak to Zelenskyy Putin today

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukrainian statehood is in jeopardy and likened the West’s sanctions on Russia to “declaring war”, while a promised cease-fire in the besieged port city of Mariupol collapsed amid scenes of terror.

With the Kremlin’s rhetoric growing fiercer and a reprieve from fighting dissolving, Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities and the number of Ukrainians forced from their country grew to 1.4 million.

By Saturday night Russian forces had intensified their shelling of Mariupol, while dropping powerful bombs on residential areas of Chernihiv, a city north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.

Putin continued to pin the blame for all of it squarely on the Ukrainian leadership and slammed their resistance to the invasion. “If they continue to do what they are doing, they are calling into question the future of Ukrainian statehood,” he said. “And if this happens, it will be entirely on their conscience.”

Russia tightens grip on Ukraine war coverage, mandates 15 years of prison for sharing information against Kremlin

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MOSCOW: Russians could face prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading information that goes against the Russian government’s position on the war in Ukraine, a move that comes as authorities block access to foreign media outlets.

Russian authorities have repeatedly decried reports of Russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in Ukraine as “fake” reports.

State media outlets refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” rather than a “war” or “invasion.”

The draft law was approved by the lower and upper houses of parliament in quick succession, state news agencies said.

It could be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin and take effect as soon as Saturday, the speaker of the lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said.

“It is possible that by tomorrow, its rules will force those lied and made statements discrediting our armed forces to bear very grave punishment,” Volodin said.

“I want everyone to understand, and for society to understand, that we are doing this to protect our soldiers and officers, and to protect the truth.”

Sentences of up to three years or fines are envisaged for spreading what authorities deem to be false news about the military, but the maximum punishment rises to 15 years for cases deemed to have led to “severe consequences,” the lower house of parliament said.

The kind of material which faces official disapproval was made clear Friday as the communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said it was blocking five media organizations based abroad which publish news in Russian.

They had published “false information,” the regulator said in a statement to state news agency RIA Novosti, on subjects including “the methods of carrying out combat activities (attacks on the civilian population, strikes on civil infrastructure objects), the numbers of losses of the Russian Federation Armed Forces and victims among the civilian population.”

The blocks affect the BBC, the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Latvia-based website Meduza.

Together, they are among the most influential and often critical foreign media publishing in Russian.

As of early afternoon in Moscow, the BBC website showed a message from Roskomnadzor that it had been blocked.

Radio Free Europe Russian-language content was not reachable, but Voice of America content remained accessible.

The BBC posted instructions on Twitter about how Russian readers could work around the block by using apps or the “dark web.”

“Access to accurate, independent information is a fundamental human right which should not be denied to the people of Russia, millions of whom rely on BBC News every week. We will continue our efforts to make BBC News available in Russia, and across the rest of the world,” the BBC said.

Earlier this week the BBC said it was bringing back shortwave radio transmission to Ukraine and parts of Russia so people can listen to its programs with basic equipment.

Some well-known media outlets within Russia have chosen to close rather than face heavy restrictions on what they can report.

News website Znak announced it was closing Friday morning, shortly after the parliament approved the draft bill.

On Thursday, Russia’s top independent radio station Ekho Moskvy was closed and independent TV station Dozdh suspended operations after receiving a threat of closure from the authorities.

To support or not? Chinese users divided on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

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BEIJING: As the West condemns Russia, President Vladimir Putin has vocal supporters in China, where the ruling Communist Party tells its people they are fellow targets of U.S.-led harassment.

“If Russia is destroyed, we will be next. This is for sure,” said Wang Yongchun, a retiree in Beijing.

“The United States wants to dominate the world.”

Such comments reflect the stance of a ruling party that is the closest thing Putin has to a major ally: The war should stop but the United States is to blame.

President Xi Jinping’s government has tried to distance itself from Russia’s offensive but avoided criticizing Moscow.

The government has offered to act as mediator and denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia.

Ruling party control of all Chinese media and intensive internet censorship make it hard to gauge public opinion.

But what the party allows online and requires media to publish make clear what it wants the public to think.

Media outlets were told last week to post only pro-Russian content and to censor anti-Russian or pro-Western views, according to a copy of instructions posted on the social media account of the newspaper Beijing News.

The post was later deleted.

Online and in social media, expressions of sympathy for Ukraine and support for Russia appear but not criticism of Moscow.

“When a war begins, is it not the children of ordinary people who serve as cannon fodder?” said a post signed Da Ke Ming Yi on the Weibo social media platform.

“Those who died were the children of ordinary people.”

A letter signed by five professors from prominent universities that criticised Russia for attacking a weaker neighbor appeared briefly on social media before being deleted.

“We stand against unjust wars,” said the academics from schools including Tsinghua University in Beijing, alma mater of many ruling party leaders.

Comments posted by nationalists criticized the professors for failing to stick to the ruling party’s official position of neutrality.

The ruling party has spent decades using school textbooks and the entirely state-controlled media to nurture a sense of nationalist grievance.

It accuses the United States of trying to block China’s rise to its rightful position of global leadership.

State media repeat Beijing’s position that the United States and its European allies are to blame for the Ukraine war because they failed to respond to Russian concerns that its democratic neighbour should be barred from joining NATO, the Western military alliance.

That echoes Chinese complaints that Washington and its allies are interfering in its domestic affairs and issues of national sovereignty, including its claim over Taiwan, territory disputes in the South China Sea, as well as in Xinjiang, the far-western region where China has been accused of detaining over a million Uyghurs.

Russia’s attack, as a historical event, “is not a good one,” but “people think the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is because the United States stirred up trouble,” said Zheng Bowen, a 38-year-old engineer.

The state-run newspaper Capital News exhorted the public to line up with the ruling party: “The nation’s attitude is our attitude.”

“China has always upheld a fair and responsible attitude, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and ease the situation, and return to dialogue and negotiation,” it said.

However, the newspaper appeared to support Putin’s demand that Ukraine become a neutral buffer between Russia and Europe and give up the possibility of NATO membership.

“Ultimately, Ukraine should be a bridge between East and West, rather than a frontier of confrontation between major powers,” the Capital News said.

Comments online have called for China to support Russia by purchasing its exports of oil, gas and other goods.

“Let the Russian Embassy sell their goods on livestream. Let’s show them China’s buying power,” said a comment signed Bao Zou Guang Xiao Pang on Weibo.

It received 42,000 likes.

A separate comment advocating that China maintain normal trade with Russia, an implicit rejection of sanctions, received nearly 80,000 likes.

Social media platforms have urged users to act responsibly and say they have removed thousands of postings about the attack on Ukraine.

Douyin, a short-video service operated by the Chinese owner of TikTok, said it deleted more than 3,500 videos and 12,100 comments due to “vulgar, war belittling, sensationalist and unfriendly comments.”

The popular WeChat message service also complained about “vulgar posts” that it said have a “negative impact on cyberspace.”

It said some users “took the opportunity to publish bad information about international current affairs,” including comments belittling the war such as crass jokes about “gaining course credits by going to Ukraine and fighting in the war” and asking “Ukrainian beauties to come to China,” the platform said.

WeChat’s post was later shared by a unit of China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Weibo said it removed more than 4,000 posts that were vulgar and ridiculed war.

It said more than 10,000 accounts were closed.

“Peaceful environments do not come easily,” the company said in a social media post.

It called on users to “maintain an objective and rational attitude” and take part in discussion “in a reasonable manner.”

No new taxes in Karnataka’s budget of hope

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BENGALURU: After the tumultuous two years of the pandemic, it was hope that was shining through in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s budget, which was presented on Friday with no additional burden of taxes and fuel surcharge on the common man. Understanding that the economy still needs crutches to recover from effects of Covid, he allocated Rs 55,657 crore to spur growth. 

With Bengaluru going to the polls anytime soon, the focus was on the capital city, which received Rs 8,409 crore for its comprehensive development, up from Rs 7,795 crore from the previous budget — an increase of Rs 614 crore.

While the state government is yet to get clearance for the Mekedatu project, the chief minister announced Rs 1,000 crore. “There is a reason why the allocation has been made.  We know at what stage the project is in,” he said at a post-budget press conference, asked why the money has been sanctioned when the project has not yet taken off. Experts said it is a reaction to Congress taking out the padayatra from Mekedatu.

He released temples, which were substantial revenue grossers for the government, from the clutches of the Endowments Department that was the long-pending demand of temple administrations. “Though states are allowed to borrow up to 3.5 per cent of GSDP (to help overcome the economic impact of Covid), we are restricting it to 3.26 per cent, showing our commitment to fiscal discipline,” he said. 

Rs 100 crore for Veerashaiva board

THE state is planning to borrow Rs 72,000 crore for the present financial year. Last year, while the government had proposed to borrow Rs 67,100 crore, it was restricted to Rs 63,100 crore, the CM added. Stressing that 3Es — Employment, Education and Empowerment of the backward classes — are at the heart of his budget, Bommai announced an integrated employment policy and allocated Rs 400 crore to implement various schemes for backward classes.

He set aside Rs 100 crore each for Veerashaiva Lingayat and Vokkaliga development corporations. The Maratha Development Corporation too got Rs 50 crore. Bommai announced Pancha Mantra – Comprehensive economic and social development, upliftment of weaker sections, identification of backward regions, achieving higher development in agriculture, industry and service sector and lastly to build Nava Bharathakkagi Nava Karnataka (New Karnataka for New India). The total tax revenue of the state including GST compensation for the year 2022-23 is estimated to be Rs 1.31 lakh crore.

Costly edible oils upset households

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A man carries empty aluminium tins used for edible oil past a stack of tins at a recycling yard in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: Pinching the pockets of countless households,  the edible oil market is on fire due to the ongoing hostilities  between Ukraine and Russia. The last 15 days have seen a 20-30% increase in edible oil prices. Consider this: Palm oil used in the sawmill industry rose sharply by Rs 210 per litre. While home-made sunflower oil is costlier by Rs 50 per litre, the price is up by Rs 30, Rs 10 and Rs 40 for cottonseed, mustard and peanut oil. 

Disruption in its supply is likely to impact the production of sunflower oil across India. From Rs 2,500 to ` 2,550 per 15-litre pack, the price of sunflower oil is likely to go up by 20% to Rs 2,900.” “All edible oil procurers track each other’s prices as they compete in the market. Any potential supply disruptions of one buoys the prices of the other counters,’’ said Shah.

Exploring all possible ways to evacuate Indians from Sumy: Embassy

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NEW DELHI: The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Saturday said it is exploring all possible ways to safely evacuate the Indian nationals from eastern Ukranian city of Sumy.

Sumy is one of the conflict zones witnessing intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

“Exploring all possible mechanisms to evacuate Indian citizens in Sumy, safely & securely. Discussed evacuation & identification of exit routes with all interlocutors including Red Cross,” the embassy tweeted.

“Control room will continue to be active until all our citizens are evacuated. Be Safe Be Strong,” it said.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said on Friday that around 700 Indians are stranded in Sumy.

At a media briefing, Bagchi also urged both the Ukrainian and Russian sides to put in place a “local ceasefire” for evacuation of Indians from the conflict zones including Kharkiv and Sumy.

He said India is primarily focusing on evacuating its nationals out of the conflict zones in eastern Ukraine including from Kharkiv and Sumy, adding that the total number of Indians stuck in Ukraine could be roughly in the range of 2,000 to 3,000.

Polling underway in 22 assembly seats in Manipur, 11.4 per cent turnout recorded till 9 am

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IMPHAL: A total of 11.40 per cent of 8.38 lakh voters Saturday exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting across 22 constituencies in the second and final phase of assembly elections in Manipur.

No untoward incident has so far been reported from anywhere, election officials said. Among the early voters were Congress leader and former chief minister O Ibobi Singh in Thoubal district.

“Congress will definitely win with an absolute majority, but in case we fall short by one or two seats, the party is open for a coalition,” he said after casting his vote.

The electoral fate of 92 candidates will be decided on Saturday, including 12 from the BJP, followed by Congress (18), National People’s Party (11), Janata Dal (United) and Naga People’s Front (10 each).

Polling will continue till 4 pm The first phase of voting held on February 28 was marred by stray incidents of violence and repoll was ordered in 12 polling stations in three districts – Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Imphal East.

Bombay HC grants interim protection to IPS officer Rashmi Shukla till March 25 in phone tapping case

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MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday restrained the Pune police from taking any coercive action against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla till March 25 in connection with the FIR registered against her recently in an alleged phone tapping case.

The bench also noted in its order that the said FIR had been registered against Shukla after a considerable delay.

It took note of Shukla’s counsel and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani that though the alleged incident of illegal phone tapping had taken place over three years ago, the Pune police’s FIR was registered against Shukla only on February 25 this year.

Jethmalani further said that while several other officers of the Maharashtra police had been involved in obtaining the sanction for putting certain phone numbers under surveillance, the FIR had been registered only against Shukla.

The Maharashtra government’s counsel Y P Yagnik, however, opposed Shukla’s request for interim protection from arrest.

He further sought some time to file a reply to her plea saying that a copy of the petition had been served to him only on Thursday.

Yagnik urged the high court not to pass any interim orders on the plea.

The bench, however, said that Shukla had made a case fit for ad-interim relief and that in passing its order, the high court was merely following the mandate of the Supreme Court.

“We will pass appropriate orders. As per the petitioner’s submissions, you (state police) are filing the FIR after three-and-a-half years of the alleged cause of action,” the HC said.

“Is it not a case of malafide action that while apparently several officers are involved, the FIR is filed against only one officer? She is a serving IPS officer, holding a responsible post in Andhra Pradesh. Where is the scope of her absconding?” it said.

While Yagnik argued that the court was considering “only one side of the case,” Jethmalani argued that Shukla had been singled out and therefore, prayers in the petition deserved consideration.

Jethmalani further said that though a number of officers were involved in the process of alleged surveillance and phone interception on the basis that the said phone holders were supplying narcotics to college students, nobody else had been named in the said FIR.

The senior lawyer also told the HC that none of the phone numbers allegedly intercepted were registered in the name of any politicians.

The HC then said that prima facie, it was “convinced” that Shukla deserved to be granted protection until further orders.

“First of all, there is a delay in registering the FIR. Secondly though other officers were involved in obtaining sanction for the surveillance of certain phone numbers, FIR is only against the petitioner,” the high court said in its order.

“Thirdly, the petitioner is a high-ranking officer and is occupying a responsible post of ADG with the CRPF, Hyderabad. It is unlikely that she will abscond. Therefore, she needs to be given protection,” it said.

The HC bench also recorded in its order that Jethmalani, on the instructions from Shukla, said that she was willing to extend “full cooperation” to the police in its probe in the case.

The HC granted two weeks to the Pune police to file its reply to Shukla’s plea.

It posted the matter for further hearing on March 25 and said that no coercive action must be taken against Shukla in the case until then.

Shukla, who was posted as Pune police commissioner between March 2016 and July 2018, is presently on central deputation and posted as additional director general of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Hyderabad.

The FIR was filed against Shukla under relevant sections of the Indian Telegraph Act for alleged illegal tapping of phones of politicians between 2015 and 2019 during her tenure as the Pune police commissioner.

Seeking to quash the FIR, the IPS officer has said in her plea that she was being “falsely implicated” in the case and that she was a victim of “political vendetta”.

Poll-centric Karnataka budget may focus on welfare, farmers’ income

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BENGALURU: Hoping to strike the right balance in his maiden budget, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will look to focus on welfare schemes, ensure economic development and financial discipline without burdening the people. He is due to present the budget on Friday afternoon.

In the past few months, the government has given a lot of emphasis on implementing the Central government’s ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission and announced measures to increase farmers’ income, and its focus on these initiatives is likely to be reflected in the budget, sources said.

In 2021, former CM BS Yediyurappa had, in his budget, allocated Rs 7,795 crore for the development of Bengaluru city. With BBMP polls likely in the next few months, Bommai is likely to announce development works and better infrastructure too. Bengaluru, that has 28 assembly constituencies, plays a major role in any assembly election.

The economy, that suffered a setback for two consecutive years, has been showing signs of recovery. There is also pressure on the CM not to hike taxes on fuel and liquor, and the CM is unlikely to announce additional tax/cess, sources said. B T Manohar, Chairman, GST Committee, FKCCI, said, “The government might not take the risk of announcing additional taxes as everyone, including industries and commoners, suffered during the pandemic.

The government’s borrowings are likely to increase.” Karnataka State Government Employment Association President Shadakshari said they are demanding constitution of the Pay Commission to increase state government employees’ salaries on par with that of central government employees.

Make announcement on Pay Panel in budget: BSY
bengaluru: Former CM B S Yediyurappa has urged CM Basavaraj Bommai to constitute a Pay Commission to revise the salaries of State Government employees on par with Central Government employees. Yediyurappa urged Bommai to make the announcement on constituting the Pay Commission in the State Budget. State Government employees are demanding salaries on par with Central Government staff. In the legislative session, the CM had hinted at constituting a Pay Commission. In his letter to the CM, Yediyurappa said the state revises employees’ salaries once every five years and during his tenure as CM, he implemented the recommendations of 5th Pay Commission. “Like many other states, there is a need to bring Karnataka government employees’ salaries on par with central government employees,” he said.

Russia-Ukraine War LIVE Updates | US Senator Lindsay calls for Russia President Putin’s assassination

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Russian troops are shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power station in Ukraine.

“We demand that they stop the heavy weapons fire. There is a real threat of nuclear danger in the biggest atomic energy station in Europe,” Andriy Tuz, spokesperson for the plant in Enerhodar, said in a video posted on Telegram.

The plant accounts for about one quarter of Ukraine’s power generation.

Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant and had set fire to one of the facility’s six reactors.

That reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside, he said.

Firefighters cannot get near the fire because they are being shot at, Tuz said.

A live-streamed security camera linked from the homepage of the nuclear power plant showed what appeared to be armoured vehicles rolling into the facility’s parking lot and shining spotlights on the building where the camera was mounted.

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