India vs South Africa 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final will be held at the Kensington Oval on June 29, 2024

NTA announces new dates for UGC-NET, CSIR UGC-NET, NCET exams

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday night announced the new dates of cancelled and postponed examinations, including the UGC-NET, amid a raging row over alleged irregularities in their conduct. The UGC-NET, which was cancelled a day after being conducted on June 18, will now be held from August 21 to September 4.

Opposition forces disruptions in both Houses of Parliament over alleged NEET irregularities 

The row over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET examination for medical college admissions rocked both Houses of Parliament on Friday, with the Lok Sabha getting adjourned for the day after Speaker Om Birla disallowed adjournment motions on the issue. 

Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren gets bail in alleged money laundering case, walks out of jail

Jharkhand High Court on Friday granted bail to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in alleged land scam case. Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay ’s court granted him regular bail.

Monsoon arrives in Delhi bringing heavy rainfall leaving four death

Four people died and several were injured as the south-west monsoon arrived in the national capital bringing with it 228 mm of rainfall in a span of 24 hours, mostly concentrated between 3 a.m. and 8.30 a.m., on Friday. This is the highest rainfall in a 24-hour period in Delhi in June after 1936, while the average rainfall for June in the last 30 years is 75.2 mm.

India slams ‘deeply biased’ U.S. report on religious freedom

India on Friday slammed the U.S. State Department’s report on International Religious Freedom for 2023 as “deeply biased” and said it reflected “one-sided projection of issues”. During the weekly press briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the report questioned the “integrity” of certain legal judgments of the Indian courts and highlighted the United States’s own record in handling domestic hate crimes.

German Chancellor to visit India in October, ease of doing business and migration top on agenda: envoy

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to visit India in the second half of October for inter-governmental consultations during which ease of doing business, migration, geopolitics and climate change will be high on the agenda, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann said on Friday.

India achieves an ‘outstanding outcome’ in FATF mutual evaluation 2023-24

India has achieved an outstanding outcome in the Mutual Evaluation conducted during 2023-24 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), said the government on June 28. The Mutual Evaluation Report of India, which was adopted in the FATF plenary held in Singapore from June 26 and June 28, places India in the “regular follow-up” category, a distinction shared by only four other G-20 countries.

‘Global south’ should reform world governance to make it more effective, balanced: Xi Jinping

Underlining the importance of the “Global South”, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said that the Global South should actively participate in reforming and developing the global governance system and make the global governance architecture more balanced and effective. 

Joe Biden concedes debate fumbles but declares he will defend democracy

President Joe Biden forcefully tried on Friday to quell Democratic anxieties over his unsteady showing in his debate with former President Donald Trump, as elected members of his party closed ranks around him in an effort to shut down talk of replacing him atop the ticket.

Supreme Court makes it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, charge Trump faces

The Supreme Court on Friday limited a federal obstruction law that has been used to charge hundreds of Capitol riot defendants as well as former President Donald Trump. The justices ruled 6-3 that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, enacted in 2002 in response to the financial scandal that brought down Enron Corp., must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. Only some of the people who violently attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, fall into that category.

Coal, electricity buoy core output in May

Output growth in India’s eight core infrastructure sectors eased to 6.3% in May, from April’s 6.7% pace, with a double-digit rise in coal and electricity production offsetting contractions in three sectors, including cement and fertilisers.

RBI raises WMA limits of States/UTs by 28% to ₹60,118 crore

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday increased the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) limits of State governments and Union territories to ₹60,118 crore from ₹47,010 crore. “Based on the recommendations made by the Group constituted by the Reserve Bank and consisting of select state Finance Secretaries and taking into account the expenditure data of the states for the recent years, it has been decided to revise the WMA limits of the State Governments/ UTs, effective from July 1, 2024,” the RBI said in a circular. 

2024 T20 World Cup Final | History and heartbreak beckon as the T20 extravaganza reaches much-awaited climax

India has not won an ICC title since 2013. South Africa has reached the final of a men’s World Cup for the first time, after seven semifinal defeats. Come Saturday, at the grand finale of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval, a jinx will be broken. This is a battle between the two unbeaten teams in the tournament.

T20 World Cup: Rohit, Dravid back Kohli, say ‘there’s a big one coming up’

India head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma have thrown their weight behind the struggling Virat Kohli, saying the stylish batter has shown the intent and is due for a “big one” in the T20 World Cup finals against South Africa.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma and spinner Kuldeep Yadav celebrate a wicket during the semi-final match against England in the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024, at Providence Stadium in Guyana on June 28, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

INDIA bloc plans adjournment motions in both Houses of Parliament on NEET issue

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc will move adjournment motions in both the Houses of Parliament on June 28 over the alleged irregularities in the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) and paper leaks in other public exams. 

Rohit Sharma, spinners guide India to third T20 World Cup final

Skipper Rohit Sharma’s grace was matched by the might of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as India exorcised the ghosts of 2022 by handing defending champions England a 68-run thrashing to enter the final of the T20 World Cup in Georgetown on June 27.

Students protest at Jantar Mantar, want NTA dissolved

While the President addressed the NEET issue in Parliament on Thursday, only a few km away, Jantar Mantar saw back-to-back protests with students and youth leaders demanding the dissolving of the controversy-riddled National Testing Agency (NTA) and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Simultaneously, Congress-affiliated NSUI members marched to the NTA and demanded its closure, attempting to lock the office from outside.

CBI arrests two in Patna in NEET paper leak case

In its first arrests from Patna in the NEET-UG paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar into custody on Thursday. According to the agency, the accused played a crucial role in arranging to rent the Learn Boys Hostel and Play School in Patna’s Khemnichak locality, where the leaked question papers were allegedly distributed to the 20 to 25 candidates gathered there on the eve of the examination, so that they could memorise the answers overnight.

Plea in Supreme Court to stay implementation of new criminal laws

A petition was moved in the Supreme Court on June 27 seeking a stay on the implementation and operation of three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, scheduled to come into effect from July 1.

Manipur BJP president meets Amit Shah for ‘permanent solution’ to conflict in State

The chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Manipur met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday urging “immediate attention to bring permanent solution and tranquillity to the State”. A. Sharda Devi met Mr. Shah for “an extensive discussion on the current situation in Manipur”. Her three-year tenure as party president ended on Thursday.

President Murmu flags NEET, Emergency in address to Parliament, says government fully committed to investigating ‘paper leaks’

In her first address to Parliament since the Lok Sabha election results were announced, President Droupadi Murmu asked MPs to rise above “partisan politics” with regard to the row over “paper leaks” in examinations for medical college admissions and government recruitment. The Union government is “fully committed” to investigating the issues and punishing the guilty, she said.

AAP MP’s suspension revoked, six new members take oath in Rajya Sabha

Six newly-elected members of Parliament from Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh took oath as members of the Rajya Sabha on June 27. The Upper House held its first setting after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha on Thursday and it was first day of the 264th session of the Rajya Sabha. 

Pro-Israel posters pasted, black ink thrown outside Owaisi’s residence in Delhi

A group of five men pasted posters outside the residence of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in New Delhi on Thursday evening, demanding his suspension from the Lok Sabha, officials said. According to a police officer, four-five men reached Mr. Owaisi’s 34 Ashoka Road residence located in Central Delhi and pasted three posters at the entry gate and wall of the house about 9 p.m.

17 people arrested in attempted coup that shook Bolivia, government says

Bolivia’s government on Thursday announced that a total of 17 people have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the attempted coup that shook the economically troubled country the day before.

Prague-to-Budapest train collides with a bus in Slovakia, killing 5 people and injuring 5

A train travelling from the Czech capital of Prague to the Hungarian capital of Budapest collided with a bus in southern Slovakia on Thursday, leaving at least five people dead and five injured, officials said.

RBI unveils revised Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 27 said it with the concurrence of the Government of India has decided to put in place a revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries for the period 2024 to 2027. Under this Framework, the Reserve Bank would enter into bilateral swap agreements with SAARC central banks, who want to avail of the swap facility. 

UltraTech Cement acquires 23% stake in India Cements

Aditya Birla Group’s UltraTech Cement Ltd. announced it was making a non-controlling financial investment to pick up 23% equity stake in India Cements Ltd (ICL). Block deal data showed UltraTech initially bought 6.02 crore ICL shares, or 19.4% stake. Earlier in the day, UltraTech’s Board approved the purchase of up to 7.06 crore equity shares of ICL at up to ₹267 apiece.

Delhi CM and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal being brought out of the courtroom at Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

U.S. issues rare criticism of India in religious freedom report

The United States offered rare criticism of close partner India in a report published Wednesday on religious freedom, while also voicing alarm over rising bigotry worldwide against both Jews and Muslims. Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled the annual report and said that the United States was also facing its own sharp increase of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in connection to the Gaza war.

Delhi Excise policy case: CBI arrests Arvind Kejriwal, gets three-day custody

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) formally arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case on June 26, and was granted three days to interrogate him in its custody. The day also saw Mr. Kejriwal withdraw his petition from the Supreme Court, while promising to return with a fresh challenge against the stay of his statutory bail by the Delhi High Court on June 25.

CBI questions Jharkhand school principal and bank officials in NEET case

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team probing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) paper leak case on Wednesday reached Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh Oasis School over allegations of tampering of question papers. The CBI is conducting a nationwide probe into alleged malpractices in medical entrance exam NEET-UG and has taken over cases probed by the police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar.

India asks Italy to take prompt action against persons responsible for Indian farm worker’s death

India on Wednesday asked Italy to take prompt action against those responsible for the death of a 31-year-old Indian worker who died after he was dumped on the road without medical assistance by his employer after his arm was severed by heavy farm machinery.

Former Foreign Secretary Muchkund Dubey, at the helm when Cold War ended, passes away

Former Foreign Secretary Muchkund Dubey, who steered India’s foreign affairs establishment towards the end of the Cold War and the post-Cold War phase in the early 1990s, passed away here on Wednesday at a private hospital, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, a think tank he was associated with, announced.

With dummy FIRs and pocket guides, police get ready to switch to new criminal laws

Ahead of the implementation of the new criminal laws from July 1, at least 23 modifications have been made to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network Systems (CCTNS), an online platform used by more than 16,000 police stations across the country to register first information reports. From July 1, the FIRs will be registered under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), instead of Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

India is looking at ‘potential’ institutional reforms: U.S. official

India is looking at “potential” institutional reforms against the backdrop of the Pannun issue and alleged assassination attempts, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell said on June 26, adding that the U.S. seeks “accountability” from the Indian government and has “consistently” asked for updates on the committee investigating the matter.

Coup attempt in Bolivia fails as president urges people to mobilize against democracy threat

Armoured vehicles rammed the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday in an apparent coup attempt against President Luis Arce, but he vowed to stand firm and named a new army commander who ordered troops to stand down. The soldiers later pulled back as supporters of Arce waved Bolivian flags and cheered in a central square.

U.S. issues rare criticism of India in religious freedom report

The United States offered rare criticism of close partner India in a report published Wednesday on religious freedom, while also voicing alarm over rising bigotry worldwide against both Jews and Muslims. Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled the annual report and said that the United States was also facing its own sharp increase of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in connection to the Gaza war.

Sri Lanka seals debt deal with Official Creditor Committee after financial crisis

In what it termed a significant milestone, Sri Lanka on Wednesday sealed a deal with the Official Creditor Committee [OCC], to restructure the debt owed to its bilateral lenders including India, and signed a separate agreement with China for debt treatment.

Kenya’s president withdraws finance bill that prompted deadly protests

Kenyan President William Ruto said on June 26 he won’t sign into law a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protesters stormed parliament and several people were shot dead. It was the biggest assault on Kenya’s government in decades. The government wanted to raise funds to pay off debt, but Kenyans said the bill caused more economic pain as millions struggle to get by. The chaos on Tuesday led the government to deploy the military, and Ruto called protesters’ actions “treasonous.”

Apple supplier Foxconn said to reject married women from India iPhone jobs 

A Reuters investigation has found that Foxconn has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main iPhone assembly plant on the grounds they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts. S. Paul, a former human-resources executive at Foxconn India, said the company’s executives verbally convey the recruitment rules to its Indian hiring agencies, which Foxconn tasks with scouting for candidates, bringing them in for interviews and employing them.

ICC T20 rankings: Travis Head replaces Suryakumar Yadav as top T20 batter, Jasprit Bumrah moves to 24

Australia opener Travis head on June 26 toppled India’s Suryakumar Yadav as the number one batter in the latest ICC T20 rankings. Suryakumar was holding the number one spot since December 2023 but Head’s splendid run at the T20 World Cup catapulted him to the top even as his team has been knocked out.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty to the U.S justice dept. File photo
| Photo Credit: AP

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with U.S. and return to Australia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will free him from prison and resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centered on the publication of a trove of classified documents, according to court papers filed late Monday.

No talks on Teesta water sharing without involvement of Bengal Government, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 24 wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying no discussion on the Teesta river treaty should be taken up with Bangladesh without the involvement of the State Government. She emphasised that if Teesta river water was shared with Bangladesh, lakhs of people in north Bengal would be severely impacted due to inadequate availability of irrigation water.

NEET paper leak: four including 2 teachers booked in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra police have booked four persons, including two zilla parishad teachers, in connection with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) question paper leak case. 

Kuki-Zo groups take out protests in Manipur seeking Union Territory

The Kuki-Zo tribal bodies took out rallies across the hill districts of Manipur calling for the Centre to carve out a Union Territory (UT) for the community, to end the ongoing ethnic conflict in the State. They said a UT with a legislature, as provided under Article 239A of the Constitution, was the solution to the crisis.

BJP to launch nationwide programme to mark anniversary of Emergency, ‘expose Congress authoritarianism’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that it would launch a nationwide programme on June 25 to mark entering the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the Emergency in 1975, to “expose” what it termed the “Congress party’s authoritarianism” and “disregard for the Constitution”.

Labour will reset partnership with India, says Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy

Days before the U.K.’s general election, the opposition Labour Party’s shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, reiterated that his party would reset its relationship with India. Mr Lammy is all but certain to be the country’s next Foreign Secretary, given that Labour is most likely — as per polls — to form the next U.K. government after the country’s July 4 elections.

A fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea kills 22 mostly Chinese migrant workers

A fire likely sparked by exploding lithium batteries swept through a manufacturing factory near South Korea’s capital on Monday, killing 22 mostly Chinese migrant workers and injuring eight, officials said.

Kremlin warns U.S. after Ukrainian strike on Crimea

The Kremlin on Monday warned the United States of “consequences” and summoned its Ambassador after Moscow said a Ukrainian strike with a U.S. missile on Crimea killed four persons. Moscow has increasingly blasted Washington and Kyiv’s Western backers for supplying weapons to be fired on Russian targets, calling them direct participants in the two-year conflict.

Legal fraternity may explore Gen AI to reduce errors, enhance efficiency

Generative Artificial Intelligence, or GenAI, is poised to transform the legal profession as many law firms and corporate legal departments are already exploring the GenAI pool, say tech savvy legal professionals and tech experts. Law firms and corporate legal departments are dipping their toes into the GenAI pool, experimenting with tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, young legal professionals told The Hindu.

India’s current account turns surplus after 10 quarters in Q4 at $5.7 billion

India’s current account balance recorded a surplus of $5.7 billion (0.6% GDP) in Q4 FY24 against a deficit of $1.3 billion (0.2% GDP) a year ago as per data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday. The merchandise trade deficit at $50.9 billion in Q4 FY24 was lower than $52.6 billion a year ago and Q4 services exports grew 4.1% year-on-year (YoY) on the back of rising software exports, travel and business services, the RBI said.

Everton Tea India eyes new markets to increase sales volume

Everton Tea India Pvt. Ltd. has drawn up plans to increase tea bags production capacity by 20% at its Sri City SEZ unit, near Nellore to cater to the needs of export market, said a top executive. “Currently, we are producing 2.8 million tea bags per day, and it will be increased to 3.6 million tea bags by CY25,” said its General Manager Roshan Gunawardhana during an interaction.

T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma roars as India merrily marches into semifinal

Rohit Sharma once again elevated the muscular exercise of T20 six-hitting into an aesthetic art form as his 41-ball 92 headlined India’s 24-run win in the final T20 World Cup Super 8 game against Australia at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St. Lucia, on June 24. 

Paris Olympics: India secure team quotas in archery; Deepika Kumari, Tarundeep Rai set for fourth appearances

For the first time in 12 years, India will be sending a full six-member archery contingent to the Olympics, making them eligible to compete in all the five events at the Paris Games. This was made possible after the Indian men and women secured the team quotas based on the updated world rankings on June 24.

India tour of Zimbabwe: Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy get maiden call-up in Gill-led team

Shubman Gill will lead a relatively inexperienced India squad for a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe next month. Four members of the squad — allrounders Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy, middle-order bat Riyan Parag and speedster Tushar Deshpande — have earned a maiden India call-up.