UN inspectors visit Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia to prevent a nuclear accident at a Russian-occupied power plant where recent shelling has prompted fears of disaster, as fighting rages on day 190 of conflict.
Key oil consumers China and US partner India have stepped up imports of discounted Russian barrels to record levels.
(Reuters Archive)
Thursday, September 1, 2022G7 finance chiefs to discuss Russian oil price cap on Friday
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven club of wealthy nations will discuss the US Biden administration's proposed price cap on Russian oil when they meet on Friday, the White House has said.
"This is the most effective way, we believe, to hit hard at Putin's revenue and doing so will result in not only a drop in Putin's oil revenue, but also global energy prices as well," said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.
Despite Russia's oil exports hitting their lowest levels since last August, its export revenue in June increased by $700 million month on month due to higher prices, 40 percent above last year's average, the International Energy Agency said last month.
Key oil consumers China and America's partner India have stepped up imports of discounted Russian barrels to record levels.
For live updates from Wednesday (August 31), click here
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
A fuel station worker refills a car's petrol tank. — AFP/File
The government has increased prices of petroleum products in the country after which the new price of petrol will be Rs235.98 per litre, said a statement issued by the Finance Division early Thursday.
After revised petroleum products prices, Rs2.07 per litre has been increased in the price of petrol.
As per notification, Rs2.99 has also been increased in the price of high-speed diesel, after which the new price will be Rs247.43 per litre. The price of light diesel oil will be 201.54 per litre after an increase of Rs 9.79 per litre.
According to the notification issued by the Finance Division, the new price of kerosene oil has been fixed at Rs210.32 per litre after an increase of Rs10.92 per litre.
The new prices will be effective from September 1, the notification added.
The BJP has been taking fire from the Opposition over the soaring prices of food, fuel and other commodities. The latest to join the chorus of opprobrium is All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal, who slammed the ruling party’s leaders for their seeming apathy to the common people’s suffering.
Ajmal first trained his guns on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, saying, “India's money is with FM. How will she know how much a person spends to buy?”
He then took a swipe at ministers and MPs from the saffron party for being apparently clueless about how rising prices were affecting the populace, calling on their wives to bring them up to speed. He also had a word of warning for the BJP.
“No inflation for any minister. BJP MPs should ask their wives how're they running the kitchen. Government should take note otherwise inflation will eat up their government in 2024,” the AIUDF chief said.
#WATCH | Guwahati:AIUDF chief says, "...India's money is with FM. How will she know how much a person spends to buy? No inflation for any Min. BJP MPs should ask their wives how're they running the kitchen. Govt should take note otherwise inflation will eat up their Govt in 2024" pic.twitter.com/B1Tk4IChwZ
Opposition parties have targeted the BJP-led Centre on skyrocketing inflation in recent months. Leading the attack is the Congress, whose leaders hit the streets on Friday in a nation-wide protest against price rise and unemployment .
While Congress leaders in Delhi had planned to gherao the prime minister's residence and a protest march to Rashtrapati Bhavan before being rounded up and detained, party workers across the country staged protests and dharnas outside Raj Bhavans.
Wearing black clothes, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi led the charge in Parliament where party MPs took out a protest march and were detained by the police at Vijay Chowk while they were on their way to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Priyanka Gandhi led at the AICC headquarters here, where hundreds were detained by the police amid dramatic standoffs.
While several BJP leaders called the protests an attempt to save the Gandhi family from the Enforcement Directorate probe against them, Home Minister Amit Shah linked the protest in black clothes to the party's "appeasement" politics to convey its opposition to the Ram temple foundation laying by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5, 2020.
Shah said the Congress was using issues like ED action and price rise only as excuses.
Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday announced a reduction in price of petrol by Rs 3.05 per litre and a hike of Rs8.95 in price of diesel.
Following the changes in the prices, petrol will now be available for Rs227.19 per litre. Previously, petrol was being sold in the country for Rs230.34 per litre.
On the other hand, kerosene oil, which was previously available for Rs196.45 per litre, will now be sold for Rs201.07 per litre following an increase of Rs4.62.
Light diesel oil registered a slight decrease of Rs0.12, after which it will be sold for Rs191.32 per litre as against the previous rate of Rs191.44 per litre.
According to the notification, the changes were introduced following a reduction in the prices of petroleum products in the international market.
The government is able to decrease the price of petrol by Rs 3.05 per litre. The price of diesel has however gone up by Rs 8.95. These prices are effective from midnight August 1. Pakistan Zindabad pic.twitter.com/YQGp9bYiss
Parliament Monsoon Session Updates, July 26, 2022: Proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will begin around 11 AM today, a day after sixth consecutive day of the Monsoon session was marred by Opposition protests over price rise, GST and other issues, leading to suspension of four Congress members and adjournment of the Houses. On Monday, many MPs trooped into the well of the House during the question hour, shouting slogans and displaying placards.
Speaker Om Birla warned the protesting members, including from the Congress, TMC and DMK, that those who continue to shout slogans and display placards will have to do it outside the House after 3 pm. He told them that the government was ready to discuss issues raised by them and stressed that people want the House to function.
Concerns about low rainfall, unemployment, losses incurred by farmers, tribal distress, MNREGA payments and government schools were among the matters raised by members in Lok Sabha during Zero Hour on Monday. However, the voices of these members were drowned in continued protests by opposition parties which were demanding urgent discussions on price and rise and other issues.
Since the start of the Monsoon session of Parliament on July 18, opposition parties, including the Congress, have been protesting against price rise, GST and various other concerns, leading to disruption of proceedings.
Here’s What is Happening Latest in Parliament:
• AAP lawmaker Sanjay Singh on Tuesday a notice on inflation and GST in the Upper House under Rajya Sabha’s rule 267.
• Riti Pathak, BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh, on Monday said that the tribals in her constituency were denied benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Saubhagya Scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana.
• Jagadambika Pal of the BJP raised the issue of rain shortfall in Uttar Pradesh and said it has caused suffering to farmers in his constituency Domariyaganj. He demanded that a central team be dispatched and a survey conducted to estimate the loss incurred by farmers.
• TMC MP Aparupa Poddar demanded a one-time age relaxation for recruitment into the Indian Army, BJP MPs Uday Pratap Singh and Mitesh Patil asked Railways for stoppages and flyovers, respectively.
• BJP MP Kaushalendra Kumar demanded that the number of days of employment under the MNREGA scheme be increased. He said that in certain areas, instead of 100 days of work people were getting work for just 28 days.
• A trans person applicant may be issued fit medical assessment, provided there are no associated medical, psychiatric or psychological conditions, the government told Parliament on Monday. It said that medical tests administered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for issuing pilot licences recognises transpersons.
