Highlights: Kejriwal gets MK Stalin's support in Delhi govt vs Centre ordinance

The UK government said on Thursday it will mount a legal challenge over the release of documents to a public inquiry probing its handling of the Covid pandemic.

The Cabinet Office announced that it was seeking a judicial review of the order by inquiry chair judge Heather Hallett to hand over all correspondence.

In particular, it is opposed to the release of unredacted WhatsApp messages, diaries and personal notebooks from Boris Johnson, who was prime minister at the time.

Johnson came in for criticism early in the health emergency for failing to take the threat seriously enough, then as the death toll spiralled and new variants emerged.

(AFP)

Indian Army in a statement on Thursday said, “All ranks of Indian Army are race, caste, creed and gender agnostic.”

Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday evening met Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde at Varsha Bungalow, the official residence of the CM. This was their first meeting since the transfer of power in Maharashtra.

The purpose of the visit remains unclear, but it has sparked discussions as Pawar made an unexpected visit to Shinde, raising eyebrows in the political sphere.

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The US Treasury Department on Thursday issued new restrictions on individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under Iran-related sanctions, according to its website.

Reuters

Fire breaks out in a dyeing factory in Ludhiana's Tajpur road. News agency ANI reported, five fire tenders were present at the spot. 

In a bid to reduce the burden on students, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has dropped the full chapter on Periodic Classification of Elements, a full chapter on Democracy and Diversity, a full chapter on Challenges to Democracy, and a full page on Political Parties from the newly released textbooks of Class 10 students.

As per the NCERT, the decision has been taken to reduce the content load on students in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Complete chapters on these above subjects now stand deleted as a part of a "rationalisation" meant to reduce the "burden on students".

ANI

IMD issued heatwave warning on Thursday for several districts of West Bengal till 7th June.

A joint operation by Indian Coast Guard, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs, resulted in seizure of 32.689 kgs of gold valued at approx. ₹20.2 Crores from two fishing boats at the Gulf of Mannar area off Tamil Nadu. The consignment was being smuggled into India from Sri Lanka.

ANI

Gurgaon ACP Crime Varun Dahiya said on Thursday, “10 sharpshooters of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang have been arrested. 7 of the 10 shooters were arrested in Bhondsi while they were planning to execute a crime. At the time of their arrest, these 7 suspects were wearing police uniforms. They had gathered in Gurugram on the instructions of Goldie Brar. The arrested shooters belong to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.”

Shraddha Walkar's brother Shreejay testifies as a prosecution witness in the case against Aaftab Poonalwala. He tells the Saket Court in Delhi that she (Shraddha) had informed him (Shreejay) that Aftab (accused) used to indulge in verbal altercation with her and beat her up.

President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed his case for Ukraine to be part of the NATO military alliance as he joined European leaders on Thursday in Moldova close to his nation's border ahead of an expected counter-offensive against Russia's invasion, reports Reuters.

Meeting Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Zelensky reiterated calls for Western fighter jets and said his government was preparing a future meeting to discuss Ukrainian peace proposals.

To further boost cultural, religious ties, PM Prachanda and I decided that projects related to Ramayana circuit should be expedited: PM Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ jointly unveil the e-plaque of the Kurtha-Bijalpura section of the Railway. Both the Prime Ministers jointly flag off the Indian Railway cargo train from Bathnaha to Nepal Custom yard, ANI reports.

Senior Indian Police Service officer Rajiv Singh was on Thursday appointed as the new DGP of Manipur, according to an official order.

Singh replaces P Doungel, who will be Officer on Special Duty (Home), a new post created by the Manipur government.

Trial begins in Shraddha Walker murder case against accused Aftab Poonawala in Delhi's Saket Court. Recording of the statement of prosecution witnesses in the case has been started, reports ANI. 

US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti meets BJP national president JP Nadda at BJP HQ in Delhi.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said he would visit Ankara "in the near future" to push the ratification of Sweden's membership, after the re-election of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reported AFP. 

"I'm confident of course that Sweden will be a member, and then we're working for that to happen as early as possible," Stoltenberg said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo.

Delhi Excise Policy Case | Delhi Police moves an application in Rouse Avenue Court stating that seeking court permission to produce Manish Sisodia should now be produced only via Video-conferencing, after allegations of manhandling, reports ANI. 

A court on Thursday extended the custodial interrogation of the accused in the Shahbad Dairy murder case for three days, PTI reported.

Due to security reasons, Sahil (20) was produced at the duty metropolitan magistrate's residence, court sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at Hyderabad House in Delhi.

Supreme Court declines urgent hearing of an appeal against the Delhi High Court order which dismissed a plea challenging RBI’s decision permitting citizens to exchange ₹2000 banknotes, which are being pulled out of circulation, without any requisition slip and ID proof, reports ANI. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at Hyderabad house in Delhi.

Condoling the loss of lives in the recent Manipur violence, Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced a probe panel to be led by a retired judge to look into the violence.

Russian forces began June with a fresh aerial bombardment of Kyiv on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding others, authorities said, reports AP. 

Following a reported 17 drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital in May, Russian forces hit the capital in the early morning with ground-launched missiles.