Heatwaves push power demand in North India to record high

Amid the longest spell of heatwaves in the past 15 years, the power demand in North India surged to 89 GW (89,000 MW) , the highest ever for a single day. To meet this demand, nearly 25%-30% of power had to be “imported” from outside the region, the Power Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Most of the northern States continue to reel under heatwaves, with Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh reporting a maximum temperature of 47.6 degrees Celsius.

41 airports go into a tizzy after receiving bomb threat by email

As many as 41 airports in the country received an email threat warning of a bomb on their premises and all of them were later found out to be hoax calls. Airport sources said that on Tuesday, 41 airport directors received a bomb threat mail at 12.40 p.m. The mail was received from exhumedyou888@gmail.com stating: “There are explosives hidden in the airport. The bombs will soon explode. You will all die.” All airports constituted Bomb Threat Assessment Committees and declared the threat as “non-specific” or hoax. 

PM to inaugurate Nalanda University; visit will send positive message, says interim VC

On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar’s Nalanda University to inaugurate its new campus on Wednesday, the university‘s interim vice-chancellor professor Abhay Kumar Singh termed the occasion “historic”. Mr. Singh said after the Prime Minister’s visit, the university will become more popular at the international level. At present, students from 26 countries are studying here.

Despite rising number of accidents, Kavach work still on the slow track

The accident involving the Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, which claimed 10 lives, has brought to the fore once again the delay in installing Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection (ATP) system, across the country’s rail network. On Monday, a goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express between Rangapani and Chatterhat in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, derailing four coaches of the passenger train and five wagons of the goods train.

Days after ‘attack’, U.P. cattle transporter dies

Saddam Qureshi, the sole survivor in which three cattle transporters from Uttar Pradesh were allegedly attacked by a mob in Chhattisgarh’s Arang earlier this month, succumbed to his injuries. On June 7, two cattle transporters, Guddu Khan (35) and Chand Miya Khan (23), were found dead under suspicious circumstances after being allegedly chased by a mob.

Railways backs out of human error claim; toll climbs to 10

The death toll from a goods train’s collision with the Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express rose to ten on Tuesday, with a six-year child succumbing to injuries at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will begin his inquiry into the cause of the accident on Wednesday, even as the Railways seemed to walk back its initial claim that human error was behind the accident by acknowledging that the automatic signalling system was not working along the route.

Uttar Pradesh tops list of complaints with National Commission for Women

The highest number of complaints received by the National Commission for Women so far this year has been from Uttar Pradesh followed by Delhi and then Maharashtra. Strife-torn Manipur has recorded only three complaints of “crime against women” with the commission. Of the total 12,648 complaints received by the NCW till now in 2024, 6,492 were from Uttar Pradesh. 

When can Rashid take oath as MP, court asks NIA

A Delhi court directed the National Investigation Agency to file its reply on the date Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, has to take oath as a parliamentarian. The court’s directions came during the hearing of an interim bail plea filed by Mr. Rashid, who won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking bail to take oath in the Parliament.

Congress plans strategy meetings for poll-bound States of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and J&K next week

Buoyed by the Lok Sabha results, the Congress on June 18 announced a series of strategy meetings for Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir where Assembly polls are expected later this year. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi would be meeting leaders from Jharkhand on June 24 to discuss the party’s election preparedness in the State and it will be followed by a meeting with leaders from Maharashtra the next day.

As first Lok Sabha session approaches, BJP tightens coordination among allies

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting of senior Ministers, as well as some National Democratic Alliance allies in New Delhi, to approach the upcoming Parliament session with a degree of coordination between various partners in the government, and to fine tune the President’s address to both Houses of Parliament before it’s placed before the Union Cabinet.

Jaishankar to visit Colombo on June 20

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankarwill arrive in Colombo on June 20, in his official first visit to a neighbouring country since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s coalition government assumed charge in India earlier this month. Confirming his Indian counterpart’s visit, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told The Hindu on Tuesday that projects that India and Sri Lanka have agreed to jointly implement will be reviewed.

Priyanka’s Lok Sabha electoral bid from Wayanad supercharges UDF and miffs LDF and BJP

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s upcoming electoral bid to supplant her brother, Rahul Gandhi, as the party’s MP from the Wayanad  Lok Sabha constituency has buoyed the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and nettled the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress strategises that Ms. Vadra’s pivot to Kerala would invigorate the Opposition’s future electoral campaigns, potentially broadening its path to victory in the 2025 local body elections and beyond.

In a first, CDS releases its blueprint for warfare in cyberspace

Acknowledging that cyberspace has emerged as a crucial and challenging domain in modern warfare, the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan released India’s first joint doctrine for cyberspace operations during a meeting of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Tuesday. The joint doctrine is a keystone publication that will guide commanders of the armed forces in conducting cyberspace operations in today’s complex military operating environment, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Prajwal Revanna remanded into 14 days judicial custody

Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, accused in three cases of rape, was remanded into judicial custody for 14 days by the Special Court of Magistrate for Criminal Cases against former and present MPs and MLAs. The SIT has taken him into custody in two rape cases till date, even as he has another rape case pending against him.  

PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat to resume from June 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monthly radio broadcast will resume from June 30 and urged people to share their ideas and inputs for it. Prime Minister Modi’s monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast was last aired on February 25 and then took a break for the Lok Sabha polls.

Sikkim: More stranded tourists evacuated from Lachung; schools closed in landslides-hit Mangan

Fifteen more stranded tourists were evacuated from Lachung and adjoining regions of Sikkim’s landslides-hit Mangan district on June 18, officials said. Sixty-four tourists were evacuated from North Sikkim’s Lachung on June 17 and moved to Mangan town, officials said.

Israeli intel warned of Hamas plans before October 7 attack: report

An Israeli intelligence brief prepared weeks before Hamas’s October 7 attack had warned military officials of the Palestinian group’s preparations for an assault, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan. The Israeli military’s signals intelligence unit drafted the brief in September, less than a month before the Hamas attack that sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, Kan reported on Monday.

US sues Adobe over subscription plan disclosures

The U.S. government sued Adobe, accusing the maker of Photoshop and Acrobat of harming consumers by enrolling them in its most lucrative subscription plans without clearly disclosing important terms. The government said Adobe hides important terms in fine print and behind textboxes and hyperlinks, clearly discloses the fees only when subscribers try to cancel, and makes canceling an onerous and complicated process.

New Delhi:

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was given a shoutout by party leaders including Shashi Tharoor and her husband Robert Vadra after it was announced that she would be contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, a seat previously held by his brother Rahul Gandhi.

Mr Tharoor took to X, proclaiming, “No more doubt, here comes Priyanka.” Robert Vadra echoed this sentiment by sharing the same image with folded hands and a heart emoji.

न शक रहा ना शंका
लो आ गई प्रियंका !#WelcomeToWayanad@INCIndiapic.twitter.com/B9YFMouOhP

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 18, 2024

pic.twitter.com/bI0dgvs7HT

— Robert Vadra (@irobertvadra) June 17, 2024

Since her entry into active politics in 2019, Priyanka, 52, has been seen as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly from Varanasi, and as a successor to Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. However, the Congress party has now decided to field her from Kerala’s Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi, who recently decided to vacate the Wayanad seat for Priyanka while retaining Rae Bareli, has expressed confidence in her abilities to carry forward his legacy in Kerala.

“I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I’ll say is that I won’t let them feel his (Rahul’s) absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative,” Priyanka said.

Her candidacy is seen as a strategic move by the Congress to strengthen its position in a state where the party has performed well in recent elections.

Priyanka’s political journey has been marked by her roles as the general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh and later the entire state. Despite mixed results in the 2019 polls, she continued to bolster the party’s grassroots presence. By December 2023, she had become the Congress’ key strategist and star campaigner for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, contributing significantly to the party’s improved performance, which saw it secure 99 seats, up from 52 in 2019.

Robert Vadra, Priyanka’s husband, who had earlier shown interest in contesting from Amethi, expressed his support as she takes on this new challenge. If Priyanka wins the bypolls, it will mark the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament, with Sonia Gandhi representing Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha.

“I extend my best wishes to Mrs. @priyankagandhi ji on being declared the candidate by the Congress Party from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. I have full faith that the people of Wayanad will bless Priyanka ji wholeheartedly and will make her their voice and send her to Parliament,” Congress leader Sachin Pilot wrote.

Party leader Gaurav Gogoi said, “The voice of the people will resonate much louder with both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi present inside the Parliament.” 

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran welcomed Priyanka’s entry into Wayanad, stating, “From now on, two Gandhi voices will rise for Kerala in Parliament! Wayanad is stepping into history.” 

New Delhi:

The Congress decision to have Rahul Gandhi retain Raebareli and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contest from the seat he is vacating, Kerala’s Wayanad, is seen as one of the party’s better planned strategic moves. It is expected to give it a firm foothold in both north and south — necessary groundwork for future elections.

Raebareli is one of the two Gandhi family bastions in Uttar Pradesh, represented for long by Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi. With the other bastion, Amethi, won back from the BJP by longtime Gandhi family loyalist KL Sharma, it gives back the Congress its firm base that once made it the undisputed choice of Uttar Pradesh.

Elections are due in the state in early 2027 in which the Congress is hoping to expand the niche it created in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election.

From just one seat in 2019, Raebareli, the Congress has won six seats. Its INDIA ally in the state, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, 37. Their combined number, 43, has reduced the BJP to 33 in a state that for a decade, was seen as its stronghold.

Having drawn blood, the idea now, party insiders hint, is to launch a strong attack on the Yogi Adityanath government in 2027.

But Mr Gandhi’s continued presence in Raebareli has ramifications larger than Uttar Pradesh. The Congress, which has almost doubled its numbers in the Lok Sabha — from 52 in 2019 to 99 — is hoping to stay on the growth curve, which is near impossible without increasing is footprint in the Hindi belt of the north.

The south is another story, where unlike the north, the Congress already rules three states. It won the last year’s assembly elections in Karnataka and Telangana and rules Tamil Nadu with ally MK Stalin’s DMK.

The next target is Kerala, which swung between the Congress and the Left every five years – till it broke the mould in 2021 and voted in the Left the Left for a second term. The Congress is now hoping that anti-incumbency will push the state to its side in 2026.

To that end, the presence of a Gandhi family member in Wayanad is expected to be a huge benefit. While the seat has been a traditional Congress bastion, Rahul Gandhi’s election this year is said to have re-vitalised the party. Of the 20 seats in Kerala, the Congress has won 14 seats, only one down, despite a massive BJP campaign that enabled them to open account in the state with one seat.

In a clear hint of the Kerala Congress’s enthusiasm for the new candidate, senior party leader from the state, KC Venugopal, was seen with Mr Kharge today at the press conference where Ms Gandhi Vadra’s debut was announced.

Mr Gandhi made it clear that his and his sister’s continued presence in both states is a given.

“You are now going to have two MPs, I will keep visiting,” he said in a message to the people of Wayanad. “Two seats (Wayanand and Raebareli) will have two MPs each,” echoed Ms Gandhi Vadra, underscoring her two-decade relationship with Raebareli. As for Wayanand, she said, “I won’t let the people of Wayanad feel his (Rahul Gandhi’s) absence”.

“I will work hard, try my best to make everyone happy in Wayanad, be a good representative,” she added.

Rescue work underway after a collision between the Kanchanjungha Express and a goods train, near Rangapani railway station, on June 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi retains Rae Bareli

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala in a bypoll, after her brother and former Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi, decided to retain the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Gandhi said it was a difficult decision for him as he has an emotional connection with both Rae Bareli and the people of Wayanad.

Kanchanjunga accident: locopilot of goods train had authority to cross all signals in red

The locopilot of the goods train that rammed into the rear of Kanchanjunga Express between Rangapani and Chattar Hat railway stations of the Northeast Frontier Railway in West Bengal had the authority to cross all signals in danger. Documents made available to The Hindu revealed that the Station Master of the Rangapani railway station issued Travel Authority (TA-912) authorising the locopilot of the goods to cross all signals in red. 

Nikhil Gupta, accused of murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Pannun, pleads not guilty in U.S. court

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil pleaded not guilty in the case at a federal court in New York. Gupta was extradited to the U.S. from the Czech Republic on Friday.

Gaurav Gogoi asks EC to release data on EVMs found faulty in Lok Sabha elections

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi asked the Election Commission of India to put out data on how many EVMs were found faulty throughout the Lok Sabha polls. Mr. Gogoi’s statement came a day after a fresh political row erupted more than EVM tampering claims with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders citing a media report that alleged that a relative of the Shiv Sena candidate in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency was found using a mobile phone “connected” to an electronic voting machine during the counting of votes on June 4.

NCERT working as RSS arm, assaulting Constitution: Jairam Ramesh over textbook revision row

The Congress accused the NCERT of working as an “affiliate” of the RSS amid the controversy over revision of NCERT text books. The comments by Opposition leaders come amid changes including removal of certain events like the Gujarat riots and Babri masjid demolition from the NCERT school textbooks. However, NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani had defended the move by calling the changes as part of annual revision process.

Delhi water crisis BJP-made: AAP’s Sanjay Singh

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has alleged that the water crisis in New Delhi was orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Several areas in the national capital have been reeling under a water crisis for weeks, with little to no supply, and shortage being met by private water tankers.

BJP sounds poll bugle for Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana, and J&K

The Bharatiya Janata Party ignalled its poll readiness for Assembly elections in three States and one Union Territory, that of Jammu and Kashmir, where Assembly election is to be held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 and removal of statehood. In a communiqué from the BJP, the party stated that Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw will be election in-charges for Maharashtra; their Cabinet colleagues Dharmendra Pradhan and Tripura MP Biplab Deb of Haryana; Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to be in-charge of Jharkhand; and Union Minister G. Kishen Reddy will be in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP stages protest in Karnataka against great distress brought to the public by fuel tax hike

BJP leaders staged a protest against the State government’s decision to increase taxes on fuel, leading to a hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, in several districts. Some protestors rode bikes pulled by bullocks on the main streets. They staged a protest at the Kittur Channamma Circle and stopped traffic for some time. They raised slogans against the Congress government in the State.

With BJP in office, Odisha govt. leans in on Central schemes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to release the 17th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, amounting to over ₹20,000 crore on June 18 in Odisha. The scheme is likely to benefit 9.26 crore farmers. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo will be in western Odisha district of Bargarh, known as the rice bowl of Odisha, to celebrate the PM-Kisan Utsav.

2024 Tony Awards: Daniel Radcliffe, ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Stereophonic’ win big as women make strides

The Outsiders, a gritty adaptation of the classic young adult novel, became the essence of a Broadway insider on Sunday, winning the Tony Award for best new musical on a night when women made strides.The musical based on the beloved S. E. Hinton book is about rival gangs of haves and have-nots in 1960s Oklahoma. The win meant Angelina Jolie, a producer, landed her first Tony, too.

Chinese vessel, Philippine supply ship collide in disputed South China Sea

A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, China’s coast guard said. The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that’s part of territory claimed by several nations.