News highlights: Farmers announce dharnas at governor houses across country on June 26 to mark 7 months of protest

Deccan Herald's updates from India and across the world.

Preparations underway for Rath Yatra in Puri.

INC demands complete rollback of excise duty hike brought by Modi govt on petrol & diesel during the last 7 yrs

Aruna Tanwar becomes 1st Indian taekwondo athlete to qualify for Tokyo Paralympics

French president Macron asks G7 countries to lift restrictions for vaccine productions so countries like India don't have to suffer

Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy, MP Jalpaiguri claims he was attacked by TMC goons

Godavari river diverted to Delta region through the Polavaram approach channel. The river water will be distributed to Godavari delta areas through canals, for irrigation purposes

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath paid a courtesy visit to President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan today

Top Indian Army brass to discuss LAC situation at high-level meeting next week

Special Investigation Team for illegal tree felling in Kerala: CM

Kerala CM Vijayan said that the illegal tree felling in Muttil, Wayanad will be probed by a Special Investigation Team from Crime Branch, Forest and Vigilance departments. Those found guilty will be punished, he added

NCB arrests Nigerian peddler in Mumbai

Anti Narcotics Cell, Bandra unit arrested a Nigerian drug peddler from Santacruz area. 175 grams of MDMA drugs, valued at Rs 21 Lakhs, seized. He has been sent to Police custody till 15th June. Case registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

CBI registers a case against a private company & others including its directors for causing an alleged loss of approximately Rs 134.43 crores to Union Bank of India, conducts searches

Mukul Roy was made national vice president. He didn't refuse it. Even when he was offered to contest from Krishnanagar north on BJP ticket for this election, he didn't refuse. I don't know, maybe tomorrow he'll say that he's not feeling good in TMC: WB BJP general secretarySayantan Basu

Maharashtra govt tells Bombay High Court it would provide security to Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India which manufacturers Covishield vaccine, if he makes a request

Pakistan passes a bill in national assembly that allows Kulbhushan Jadhav to appeal in High Courts

Poet-playwright-activist Dr Siddalingaiah passes away

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the 44th GST Council meeting via video conferencing in New Delhi on June 12

Supreme Court asks West Bengal government to implement one nation-one ration card immediately without any excuse

Congress to fight Punjab Assembly Elections with full strength: Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar

Cngress will fight the assembly elections in Punjab with full strength. I have been saying since day one that if appointing someone else as the PCC Chief strengthens the Congress party, then, it should be done and I should be removed, said Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar

IMD says SW monsoon has further advanced

IMD saysSouthwest monsoon has further advanced into some parts of North Arabian Sea, some more parts of South Gujarat, South Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, and more parts of North Bay of Bengal and more parts of West Bengal today

YSRCP Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Margani Bharat Ram has appealed to Speaker Om Birla to cancel the membership of YSRCP MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities

Nepal Police arrest 20 civil society activists, their leaders from a protest site

West Bengal BJP has set up a disciplinary action committee to take action against leaders who are going against the party

In massive jolt to BJP, Mukul Roy returns to Trinamool Congress

In a major jolt to the BJP following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, its national vice president Mukul Roy returned to his former party the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday. His son Subharangshu Roy also returned to the TMC in presence of party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the TMC headquarters in Kolkata.

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Mukul Roy's summer somersault leaves BJP sweating

The year 2021 was supposed to be the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s year in West Bengal. Instead, it has turned out to be a nightmarish one, with the saffron party finding itself in a muddle.

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Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to set up an Olympic Mission Cell in the Embassy of India in Tokyo, as a single-window node to provide logistic support to the Indian Contingent bound for Tokyo, so that all possible assistance is rendered seamlessly

Bombay High Court takes suo motu cognizance of Malad Building collapse

Mukul Roy was unhappy with BJP, say sources

Mylab ropes in Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador

Biotechnology firm Mylab Discovery Solutions on Friday said it has roped in actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador.

The Pune-based firm, which has a presence across many verticals like diagnostics, food safety, agriculture, veterinary medicine, had recently launched the country's first Covid-19 self-test kit, CoviSelf.

Pilot refutes Rita Bahuguna Joshi's claim of him joining BJP

Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Friday refuted claims made by BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi that she had spoken to him about joining the saffron camp.

"Rita Bahuguna Joshi claimed that she had spoken to Sachin. She might have spoken to Sachin Tendulkar. She does not have the courage to speak to me," Pilot told reporters during a protest organised by the Congress in Jaipur against fuel price hike.

Delhi government is under the control of the ration mafia, says Ravi Shankar Prasad

Arvind Kejriwal is talking about home delivery of ration when he even failed to provide oxygen to the people of Delhi. The Delhi government is under the control of the ration mafia, says Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Mukul Roy to likely meet Mamata Banerjee on Friday

Amid speculations of rumblings within the Bengal BJP, senior leader Mukul Roy is likely to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, several media outlets reported.

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Veteran actor Dilip Kumar discharged from Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital

"We are very happy. Fluid has been removed from his lungs. He is going home now. We thank all the supporters for the prayers," says his wife Saira Bano

India's sugar exports touch 4.25 million tonnes so far this year: AISTA

Sugar mills in India have exported 4.25 million tonnes of the sweetener so far in the ongoing 2020-21 marketing year ending September, with maximum shipments to Indonesia, trade body AISTA said on Friday.

Mills have contracted to export 5.85 million tonnes of sugar so far, as against the 6 million tonnes quota assigned by the food ministry in January this year, All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said in a statement.

Respite for Mumbai after two days of rains

After two days of continuous showers, the residents of Mumbai got some respite on Friday morning as rains took a break in the city and its suburbs, civic officials said. The transport services in the city, including the suburban trains and buses, are running as per their normal schedule, they said.

SC declines plea by ex Mumbai cop Param Bir Singh

Rumblings of dissatisfaction between Yogi and Modi?

Yogi Adityanath's Delhi visit comes amid criticism over the Uttar Pradesh government's handlng of the Covid-19 crisis in the state.

Besides,a Cabinet reshuffle is imminent in UP in which the role of Gujarat IAS officer turned UP MLC Arvind Sharma, a close confidante ofModi, is to be finalised.

Yogi's revised Cabinet could give a signal of the community outreach of the BJP.

UP is central to BJP's Lok Sabha fortunes. Apart from having 80 Lok Sabha seats, the state also has PMModi's Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, and threeholy Hindu sites —Ayodhya, Mathura and Kanshi.

SC to pass order on June 15 on disbursal of Rs 10 crore compensation to family of Indian fishermen killed by Italian Marines in 2012.

Uttar Pradesh Cheif Minister Yogi Adityanath reaches PM's official residence to meet Modi, according to multiple reports.

FDA rejects EUA for Covaxin, 'suggests' Biologics Licence Application route for approval in US

In a setback to Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, the US Food and Drug Administration has "recommended" Ocugen Inc, the US partner of the Indian vaccine maker, to go for Biologics Licence Application (BLA) route with additional data, nixing hopes of Emergency Use Authorisation.

Several houses gutted in a fire in Noorbagh area of Baramulla in J&K

India reported 91,702 fresh Covid-19 cases and 3,403 deaths while over 1.3 lakh people more recovered from the virus, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Friday.

India's domestic challenges due to Covid threaten its regional, global ambitions: US think-tank

India's domestic challenges due to Covid-19 crisis have become a threat to its regional and global ambitions, a US think-tank has observed and warned that unless it recovers with the help of allies like the United States, the pandemic could impact the geopolitical balance in the Indo-Pacific.

Medical debts bankrupt Indians already ravaged by coronavirus

Roughly two-thirds of Indians that don’t have any health insurance, compounding the problems facing India’s economy as it tries to recover from the shock of a rare contraction last year.

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Brazil Supreme Court allows Copa America to go ahead

Brazil's Supreme Court ruled Thursday the country can host the Copa America despite the coronavirus pandemic, clearing the way for the troubled football tournament to go ahead in three days.

Waterlogging reported across Mumbai as heavy rains continue

PTI File Photo

India fastest-growing FinTech market, ahead of US in financial innovation: Senator Steve Daines

Republican Senator Steve Daines said India is the "fastest-growing" FinTech market in the world and far ahead of the US in terms of financial innovation.

The senator from Montana said the US faces a challenge from China, which has launched a digital Yuan, which they hope will one day displace the dollar as the world's dominant reserve currency.

Yogi Adityanath to meet PM Modi today

Amid the ongoing buzz of a power tussle in Uttar Pradesh, Chief MinisterYogiAdityanath huddled in a one and half hour-longmeetingwith Home MinisterAmitShahon Thursday and will bemeetingPrime Minister NarendraModiand BJP chief J PNaddaon Friday.

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Karnataka tops in access to higher education

Karnataka has the maximum number of colleges — 59 per lakh of the population eligible for higher education and ranks third in the country with 4,047 colleges across the state.

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Knew Hardeep Singh Puri as helpful minister, not overzealous troll: Tharoor

Replying to a tweet posted by civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that he knew Hardeep Singh Puri as a 'helpful minister' and not an 'overzealous troll.'

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Video game maker EA says hackers stole source code

ElectronicArtssaid Thursday hackers managed to steal source code and other software tools from the video game giant, but that the attack was unlikely to have an impact on gamers or business operations.

EA, the maker of popular titles such as "Battlefield," acknowledged the breach after a report by Vice Media that attackers had made off with the code used for games including FIFA 21 and the Frostbite engine, which powers some EA games. (AFP)