New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Heger, over phone and discussed the evacuation of Indian nationals starnded in war-torn Ukraine.
Modi thanked Heger for the assistance provided by Slovakia in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine, and for permitting special evacuation flights from India.
He asked for Slovakia's continued assistance in the next few days with India undertaking a mission to evacuate other citizens from conflict zones.
Modi also informed Heger about the deployment of Union minister Kiren Rijiju as India's special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts in Slovakia.
The Prime Minister also expressed his anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue.
Modi stressed upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
A huge cache of foreign-made pistols has been seized and a smuggler, allegedly linked with Pakistan-based terror outfits and pro-Khalistani elements based in the US, Canada and the UK and operating on directions of a US-based handler, arrested, Punjab's Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said on Friday.
The government's current approach to vaccination -- focusing on younger age groups -- "is causing huge numbers of avertable deaths and is deeply inequitable, both between age groups and within them", argue doctors and researchers in a commentary published in British medical journal fro BMJ on Wednesday.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday termed the ‘meagre MSP hike for paddy as not only grossly inadequate, but also an insult to the farmers who have been fighting for their rightful dues through their anti-farm law agitation for the past six months.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi says people from China, including the Chinese nationals, have been able to travel to India despite the absence of direct air connectivity.
Personnel of Kolkata Police's Special Task Force ( STF) on Wednesday gunned down two Punjab gangsters believed to be involved in gun running and responsible for killing two policemen. The deceased duo has been identified as Jaspreet Jassi and Jaipal Bhullar.
In the early hours, Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad were clobbered with heavy rain, inundating several low-lying areas, barely a fortnight after the city survived the Cyclone Tauktae devastation.