Morning Digest | Government extends free ration scheme by six months; Russian rocket attacks hit Ukraine’s Lviv, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

Government extends free ration scheme by six months

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) for another six months till September 2022. The scheme was originally introduced in April 2020 a month into the first lockdown during the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the sixth phase of PM-GKAY. The Phase-V of the scheme was to end in March 2022.

Rocket attacks hit Ukraine’s Lviv as Biden visits Poland

Russian rockets struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday while President Joe Biden visited neighboring Poland, a reminder that Moscow is willing to strike anywhere in Ukraine despite its claim to be focusing its offensive on the country’s east. The back-to-back airstrikes shook the city that has become a haven for an estimated 2,00,000 people who have had to flee their hometowns. Lviv had been largely spared since the invasion began, although missiles struck an aircraft repair facility near the main airport a week ago.

CBI gathers evidence from houses set on fire in Birbhum

A team of officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday visited Bogtui village in West Bengal ‘s Birbhum district where eight persons were burnt to death on March 21 following the murder of a local Trinamool Congress leader. The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the CBI to probe the violence in the “interest of justice”, “fair investigation” and to “instill confidence in society”. During the day, CBI officers led by DIG Akhilesh Singh visited the village and inspected the houses that were set on fire. The CBI team comprising over a dozen personnel went to the house of Sona Sheikh where seven persons were charred to death.

India’s stand on Russia tied to the ‘extra issue’ of China’s challenge: Australian envoy