Breaking News June 25: INDIA Bloc Floor Leaders Meet Ahead Of Speaker Election; Cong, BJP Issue Whip To All LS MPs

Here are the top headlines for the day, June 25, 2024:

• No Bail For Arvind Kejriwal From Delhi HC, Trial Court's Order Stayed; AAP Says Will Move SC Next

• Pune Porsche Crash: Bombay HC Orders To Release Teen Driver From Observation Home

• NDA's Om Birla VS Oppn's K Suresh: Lok Sabha Speaker Post Uncontested Since Independence, Until Now | Decoded

• ICC Issues Arrest Warrant For Ex-Russian Defence Minister, Army Chief of Staff For War Crimes In Ukraine

• Kenyan Parliament, City Hall Set Ablaze Amid Anti-Tax Riots, Several Protestors Dead | Details

• ICC T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli's Batting Woes, Worry And Glimpses Of Magic

With this daily breaking news blog, we bring to you the minute-to-minute updates on the biggest developments happening across the day. Today prime focus will be on the following:

• Day 2 of 18th Lok Sabha Session

• Delhi HC's verdict on Arvid Kjeriwal's bail

• NEET-UG updates

• UGC-NET updates

• Kallakurichi hooch tragedy

The Delhi High Court will pronounce on Tuesday its verdict on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking a stay on the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam.

The order is scheduled to be pronounced at 2:30 p.m.

(Via PTI)

Delhi Water minister Atishi's health condition has deteriorated on the fourth day of her indefinite fast on Monday and she has been admitted to the ICU of LNJP hospital.

In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that Atishi's weight and blood pressure is decreasing rapidly, which doctors from LNJP Hospital said was "dangerous".

"Water Minister Atishi's weight is also decreasing unexpectedly. Before sitting on hunger strike on 21st June, her weight was 65.8 kg which has come down to 63.6 kg on the fourth day of the hunger strike. That is, her weight has decreased by 2.2 kg in just 4 days," the statement said.

Demanding an impartial probe into the allegations of irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 exam, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Examination.

Read full story

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.

Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court.

(AP inputs)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday collected all material evidence related to the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar police, which had been handling the probe until the federal agency took over.

According to sources, a two-member CBI team, comprising a DIG and deputy SP rank officer, reached the state capital from Delhi and went straight to the EOU office. They are likely to stay here for a couple of days.

On Sunday, two personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) jungle warfare unit CoBRA were killed after Naxalites blew up a truck with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's district.

The mortal remains of the slain CRPF Jawan has been brought to his house in Trivandrum, Kerala.

A private bus carrying a marriage party caught fire in Maharashtra's Buldhana district late on Monday.

However, there has been no news of any injury in the incident.

Four members of family dead as fire breaks out at their home in outer Delhi's Prem Nagar, said officials.

The BJP on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress on the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying it is the biggest example of the opposition party's long history of killing democracy and harming it repeatedly.

BJP president J P Nadda said on 'X' that those who claim to be the guardians of Indian democracy today had spared no efforts to suppress the voices raised in the defence of constitutional values.

Rescue workers were combing through the charred ruins of a factory building near South Korea's capital to find any more fire victims Tuesday, a day after a devastating blaze likely triggered by exploding lithium batteries killed 22 people, mostly Chinese migrant workers.

More than 100 people were working at the factory in Hwaseong city, just south of Seoul, when the fire tore through it Monday morning. Security cameras showed smoke engulfing the second-floor worksite of the factory, soon after sparks were detected from a site where lithium batteries were stored, fire officials said.

Launching a politicial attack on Congress on the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, PM Modi said." The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again."

"Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution",he added.

"Just to cling on to power, the then Congress Government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with the Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections", Modi continued.

Delhi Water Minister Atishi's indefinite hunger strike has ended after her hospitalisation, said AAP MP Sanjay Singh

“Delhi Water Minister (Atishi) was on indefinite fast for the last five days. She only demanded one thing that the rightful water should be given to Delhi as per the agreement with the Haryana government. After the elections, Delhi was receiving 100 MGD less water. She talked to Haryana's BJP government, discussed the issue with Delhi LG, and even wrote a letter to the PM. However, no one listened to her”, Singh further added.

Amid speculations for days, Om Birla has again been named the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

A London-bound Air India flight received a bomb threat on Tuesday but no explosives were found, an official said. A man suspected of making the threatening call has been apprehended by authorities, a Cochin International Airport spokesperson was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Security personnel conducted extensive checks on the aircraft and found no danger, allowing the flight to proceed as planned, he said in a statement.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that as per convention, the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the Opposition, adding that the BJP-led government has not responded over the same to Mallikarjun Kharge while PM Modi asks for cooperation from the opposition parties.

"Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the Govt constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the Speaker but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted...," Rahul Gandhi said.

Congress leader KC Venugopal says Opposition will contest speaker's election. He accused government of being non-committal on giving deputy speaker's post to opposition.

Two people died in a collision between a car and a two-wheeler in Chatra, Jharkhand. Angry villagers blocked the road demanding compensation.

"Two people died. A Swift car hit them. One person died on the spot. We took the other to hospital. Few hospitals refused and he died on the way to other hospital. The person who died at the spot has small children, there is no support to him. I don't know what will happen to the family. They are only promising a lakh rupees after 3 years. They can't fight a case. Everyone in the village is crying and mourning," said a villager.

After announcing consensus for NDA's proposed candidate Om Birla for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, the Opposition turned stance and nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the post.

An election for the top parliamentary post will now take place for the first time since 1946.

A fire broke out in the emergency building of the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Tuesday, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said, adding that there were no reports of any injuries.

DFS chief Atul Garg said the department was informed about the fire around 10.40 am.

"The fire was at gate 6 of the old emergency building of the Safdarjung Hospital. Seven fire tenders were rushed to the site. Fire is in the building's store room," he added.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi High Court to decide former minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Satyendar Kumar Jain's bail plea in ED case on July 9.

Om Birla files nomination for Speaker's post as NDA consensus candidate: JD(U) leader Lalan Singh.

A Pantnagar Airport official, dressed in woman's clothes, was found hanging in his room inside the airport premises in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district, police said on Tuesday.

The deceased, Ashish Chausali, was wearing a 'bindi' and lipstick when he was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room on Monday, Superintendent of Police (city) Udham Singh Nagar district, Manoj Katyal, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty hit their new all-time high levels on Tuesday tracking firm trends in Asian markets and buying in blue-chip bank stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 541.25 points to hit a fresh lifetime peak of 77,882.33 during the afternoon trade. The Nifty went up by 130.8 points to hit a new record high of 23,668.65.

(via PTI)

A one-and-a-half-year-old infant died after a television set fell on him, causing severe injuries in Muvattupuzha, near the port city of Kochi, on Tuesday.

The child, Abdul Samad, was rushed to a hospital here on Monday night but succumbed to the critical injuries in the wee hours of Tuesday.

According to the police, the incident happened at the victim's home around 9.30 pm on Monday.

(via PTI)

Israel's Supreme Court rules military must draft ultra-Orthodox, a ruling that could split Netanyahu's coalition, reports AP.

Former president of Jammu Kashmir High Court Bar Association Mian Qayoom arrested for alleged conspiracy in murder of advocate in 2020: Officials

National Human Rights Council (NHRC) has issued notice to Tamil Nadu government, DGP over hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi district in which over 55 people have died.

The Delhi High Court will pronounce shortly its verdict on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking a stay on the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam.

Saying that the trial court did not apply its mind while granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal in money laundering case, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the order in a setback to the chief minister. READ FULL STORY

Indian and Russian officials are looking at the possibility of a short visit to Russia by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early July, diplomatic sources cited in a news agency PTI report said on Tuesday.

If the visit takes place, then it will be the first trip of the Indian prime minister to Russia in nearly five years.

Modi had last visited Russia in September 2019.

The Bombay High Court has reportedly ordered the release of accused teen in the Pune Porsche crash case.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said it disagrees with the Delhi High Court order staying the bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the trial court and will challenge it in the Supreme Court.

The Delhi High Court earlier in the day stayed the trial court order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam in Delhi.

A vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said the trial court failed to appreciate the material placed before it by the Enforcement Directorate and did not apply its mind while deciding the AAP leader's bail plea.

AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Owaisi concluded his oath with the words, "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine"

WATCH

Sensex jumps 712.44 points to hit a new closing peak of 78,053.52; Nifty climbs 183.45 points to settle at record high of 23,721.30.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

International Criminal Court (ICC) issues arrest warrants for Russian ex-defense minister and chief of staff for attacking civilian targets in Ukraine, reports AP

Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav on Monday took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. He won the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections from the Kannauj seat of Uttar Pradesh.

Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna who is accused in sexual abuse cases has once again been remanded in police custody. The remand period is for four days till June 29. Prajwal is facing charges of sexually abusing several women and making explicit videos.

The police custody of Prajwal, the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, was extended till June 29 in CID Cybercrime case for recording the videos of victims, sources cited in a news agency PTI report said.

The 33-year-old Prajwal was arrested on May 31 soon after he returned from Germany where he was holed up after an investigation about the alleged sexual abuse by him was taken up by the Karnataka police.

A Congress leaders' meeting underway at AICC headquarters in Delhi. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi are among those present at the meeting.

The Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Maharashtra's Nagpur received a bomb threat early Tuesday morning, second in 24 hours, a senior official said, adding that nothing suspicious was found upon search.

An email about a bomb in the toilet was received a little after midnight, the airport official said. A similar threatening email had been received by the Airports Authority of India on Monday morning too.

Security agencies searched the airport but nothing suspicious was found, he said.

The Nagpur airport was also among more than 40 airports across the country which received hoax bomb threats on June 18. It had received a similar bomb threat in April too, which turned out to be a hoax.

The Congress party has issued a three-line whip to all its Lok Sabha MPs to be present in the House tomorrow, June 26.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Amarnath Yatra Base Camp on Tuesday at Baltal and took stock of the arrangements made for the holy pilgrimage.

Sinha directed senior officers of the Administration, SASB, Police, Security forces and other stakeholder departments to coordinate with each other for better security and Yatra management, news agency ANI reported.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknah Shinde assured the Pune Porsche car victims' family that even though the High Court has given bail to the accused, the government will ensure justice for them in this matter.

Shinde also gave a cheque of Rs 10 lakhs to the victim's family.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Compared to last year, milk production in the state has increased by 15% this time. In previous years, the daily average production of 90 lakh litres by this time has increased to an average of 99 lakh litres."

"Thus the extra milk produced should be purchased from the farmers, with the good intention of not refusing to get milk from them for any reason, adding an extra 50 ml of milk to a one-litre milk packet, the price of this extra milk is only Rs 2 being collected from the consumers. There will be no increase in the price of milk," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said that he had a "good conversation" with Kazakhstan President H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

"Thanked him for warm wishes on the success in the elections. Reiterated the commitment to advance our Strategic Partnership with Kazakhstan. Conveyed India's full support for the success of the upcoming SCO Summit," he said.

The Indian Army on Tuesday announced that Phase 2 of the Agniveer recruitment process has begun. The recruitment rally is free, fair and transparent so all candidates have been advised not to approach any type of tout.

The BJP has issued a three-line whip to all its Lok Sabha members to be present in the House tomorrow, June 26.

BJP MP Tejaswi Yadav, on the Lok Sabha speaker post, said, "All efforts were made on the part of the NDA to arrive at a consensus but the opposition adopted a very confrontational attitude and instead of coming together to elect a speaker unanimously, they have chosen to put up a candidate...I hope Om Birla will emerge victorious and he will continue his work of upholding democracy."

IPS, Additional Director General of PCR, Maharashtra State -- Md. Quaiser Khalid -- was suspended with immediate effect on Tuesday until further order in respect of administrative lapses and irregularities in sanctioning the hoarding on his own without the approval of the DGP office, the state government said.

A meeting of the INDIA bloc Floor leaders is underway at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi ahead of the Lok Sabha Speaker election.