Donald Trump took the first flight on the newly refurbished Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8i previously owned by Qatar and gifted to the US presidential fleet. The jet features a new red, white, and navy blue livery, replacing the older robin's egg blue. Trump expressed excitement about the advanced security and features, noting it will serve as a "bridge" until new planes are delivered by 2028.
The Sports Ministry, led by Mansukh Mandaviya, has announced stringent selection criteria for the upcoming Asian Games, capping the contingent at 600 athletes. The policy prioritises medal prospects, stating that the Games are not for "exposure tours" or securing jobs. This includes a "realistic chance of winning a medal" and being in the top six continental rankings. The ministry will scrutinise recommendations from National Sports Federations, with specific cases like equestrian Anush Agarwalla and table tennis player Manika Batra highlighting the new approach.
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
The Supreme Court of India has questioned the continued provision of reservation benefits to children from economically and educationally advanced families within backward classes, highlighting concerns about social mobility and fairness.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking arranged special bus services for students appearing in the NEET re-examination in Mumbai, deploying 60 buses on 24 routes for approximately 180 trips, despite an ongoing strike by its employees that has paralysed public transport.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused Reliance Group, which has a partial Meta stake, of lobbying for a ban on Telegram in India and sabotaging its access for users outside India through BGP hijacking. A senior telecom industry source dismissed these claims as 'fake news,' stating Durov confused Reliance Communications with Reliance Industries Ltd. The allegations come as the Indian government has ordered Google and Apple to delist Telegram temporarily and disable its message-editing feature in India due to concerns over paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination.
Employees of Mumbai's BEST undertaking have launched an indefinite strike, severely impacting public transport and electricity services. The strike, called by a joint action committee, demands budget merger with BMC, settlement of dues, and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, among other issues. Despite court orders and MESMA invocation, the strike continues, causing widespread inconvenience to millions of commuters and electricity consumers.
Two habitual drug peddlers, Suresh Kumar and Hussain Mohd, have been detained in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act. This action by the Reasi Police underscores their commitment to combating the drug menace, leveraging the Act's provisions for preventive detention against individuals repeatedly involved in narcotics trafficking.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma awards upon 65 eminent personalities, including tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, actor Mammootty, and singer Alka Yagnik, in the second civil investiture ceremony. The awards recognised contributions across various fields, with Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri categories.
Stepping up attack against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to demand his resignation and exhorted students, farmers and civil society groups to join him at Jantar Mantar on June 28.
The Congress Legislature Party leader in Maharashtra raises concerns about law and order due to missing girls and the impact of unseasonal rains on farmers, criticising the government's response.
The Indian government has temporarily restricted access to the Telegram messaging app and disabled its message-editing feature in India until June 22, 2026, and June 30, 2026, respectively, ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination to combat organised cheating rackets.
The Union Home Ministry has designated 23 individuals based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their involvement in infiltration, recruitment, logistics, financing, and operational planning targeting India.
'...because that protects their aviation industry.' 'The Boeing 787 is one of the most widely-flown wide-body aircraft in the world, and Airbus is running neck-and-neck with Boeing.' 'Airbus is not going to let an opportunity like this pass.' 'If a software problem with the 787 is confirmed, they will use it to increase their own orders.'
The Punjab BJP has criticised the AAP government following a blast outside the party's office in Chandigarh, alleging a failure in maintaining law and order in the state.
''These people who were running the show at the Ram temple have something to hide, therefore they are not ready for a CBI investigation.'
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
Bharat Tiwari, a self-proclaimed social worker, was shot by an STF team after he surrendered near his Bilauti village but succumbed to injuries few hours later on June 17.
The US administration has ordered a probe into the deaths and disappearances of at least 10 top US scientists and researchers with access to information related to aerospace, defence and extra-terrestrial life.
Rajesh Exports has vehemently denied allegations of inflated revenues and preferential share placement to LIC, labelling them 'speculative inferences' and affirming its commitment to addressing concerns raised by Sebi.
The appointment of Rathan U Kelkar as secretary to Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has sparked a political controversy, with the CPI(M) accusing the Congress of double standards regarding appointments of election officials.
Many students who do well in the NEET exams miss out on a medical seat because they didn't get their documentation in order. You don't want to be that student, says Ashok Hegde.
'SIT means nothing because the BJP government of Uttar Pradesh and Ram Janmabhoomi Trust are the same people.'
A post-mortem report for the 15 victims of the Lucknow Aliganj fire revealed that they died from suffocation due to smoke inhalation, not major burn injuries. Doctors found soot in nasal passages and swelling around faces, indicating heavy smoke exposure. The tragedy has led to a high-level probe, arrests, and a directive for fire safety inspections across Uttar Pradesh.
"With the leverage available, I believe the scheme remains reasonably attractive," said P D Singh, India and South Asia Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, regarding the Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) or FCNR (B) deposits.
From Mollywood Times to Mohiniyattam, these black comedies from South Cinema prove that the darkest humour can also deliver the sharpest entertainment.
Olympic silver medallist wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Paralympic bronze medallist high jumper Sharad Kumar have obtained interim relief from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in their petitions for regularisation of their ad-hoc services with the Delhi government. Both athletes, who resigned from previous stable positions, have been serving in temporary roles within the Directorate of Education for several years without regularisation.
Sarvam AI, an Indian full-stack sovereign artificial intelligence company, has achieved unicorn status after raising $234 million in a Series B funding round led by HCLTech and Bessemer Venture Partners, with HCLTech acquiring a 10.46 per cent stake.
The Mayurbhanj district administration has declared Rairangpur a "no drone zone" for the upcoming visit of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both leaders will attend the second anniversary events of the state's BJP government and inaugurate several projects.
A video of an inmate from Hoshiarpur Central Jail alleging harassment and demanding money from staff has gone viral, leading to an official inquiry and a political backlash against the Punjab government.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has permitted a 21-year-old man, accused in a suicide abetment case and currently in jail, to appear for the NEET-2026 examination under police escort. The court also directed jail authorities to provide him with study material. This decision came after his plea for temporary bail to take the exam was heard, with the court opting for police custody over bail due to the seriousness of the alleged offence.
A 55-year-old man died after falling into an open manhole in Mumbai during heavy rains, leading to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) suspending four officials and initiating a homicide case against the responsible contractor for alleged negligence.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced an additional USD 13 billion investment in India, bringing the company's total capital commitment to USD 48 billion by 2030. This significant investment will primarily focus on expanding AI and cloud infrastructure, supporting job creation, boosting e-commerce exports, and digitising small businesses, aligning with India's growing digital economy.
The Bombay High Court has declined to grant relief to a third-year psychology student debarred for low attendance, despite her suffering from acute depression and a personality disorder. The court stated that while it sympathises with her, it cannot rewrite academic rules or create exemptions, emphasising that legal entitlement must prevail over sympathy.
Anthropic has labelled the US government's directive to suspend its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models as a "misunderstanding" and is actively working to restore access, warning that the current standard for narrow jailbreak findings could "essentially halt all new model deployments for all frontier model providers."
The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a CBI probe into the death of Twisha Sharma, a woman who was allegedly harassed for dowry. Her family had requested a second autopsy, which was initially rejected by a court.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has firmly rejected demands for the organisation to register itself, asserting that the Sangh operates openly and has nothing to hide. Responding to Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge's call for registration, Bhagwat stated that such demands are politically motivated and that the government is well aware of the RSS's existence and activities.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) announced a nationwide movement against the 'deteriorating condition' and social and political marginalisation of Muslims in India, citing concerns over mob violence, demolition drives, and attempts to impose Vande Mataram.
Regina Bibi, wife of TMC leader Jahangir Khan, has been arrested for allegedly masterminding a violent attempt to free him from police custody and leading an attack on the Falta police station earlier this month.
A Lucknow-based jeweller has raised concerns about the untraceable status of a three-kg silver lamp and other silver items he and his association donated to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. His claims come amidst allegations of fund embezzlement at the temple, prompting a state-level SIT investigation ordered by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
