THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discuss energy cooperation and bilateral trade in Abu Dhabi; Both leaders exchange key MoUs in defence, petroleum and investments.
- BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting 2026 underway in New Delhi; External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar reaffirms India’s commitment in advancing goal of reformed and effective multilateralism.
- NTA to re-conduct NEET (UG) 2026 examination on June 21; Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assures fairness and transparency in exam process.
- BJP MLA Rathindra Basu elected as new Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
- In Badminton, Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter semifinals of Thailand Open.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Abu Dhabi on the first leg of a six-day tour covering the UAE and Europe. He was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Presidential Airport and accorded a ceremonial welcome – with UAE F-16 fighter jets escorting his aircraft as it entered Emirati airspace.
Prime Minister Modi has since met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, with energy cooperation and bilateral trade high on the agenda. The talks took place amid global supply disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Modi strongly condemned recent attacks on the UAE, describing them as completely unacceptable.
Addressing President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed as brother, he praised the resilience shown by the UAE leadership during challenging times, reaffirmed India’s support for the Emirates, and said dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path forward in the current period of global conflict.
More details on Prime Minister’s visit from our West Asia Correspondent:
“The talks have already yielded concrete outcomes. The two sides signed a framework agreement for a strategic defence partnership – a significant step that institutionalises security cooperation between the two countries. A memorandum of understanding on strategic petroleum reserves was also concluded, alongside a separate agreement on liquefied petroleum gas supplies – moves that directly address India’s energy security concerns amid ongoing West Asia tensions. The two countries further signed an MoU to establish a ship repair cluster at Vadinar on India’s western coast. On the investment front, the UAE announced commitments worth five billion US dollars into Indian infrastructure. Prime Minister Modi also noted that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE continues to grow stronger across multiple sectors. Vinod Kumar, AKASHVANI NEWS, Dubai.”
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that India remains committed to working with all partners in advancing the goal of reformed and effective multilateralism. Addressing the open session on the second day of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting 2026 in New Delhi, Dr Jaishankar said the breadth of this engagement reflects the importance that all leaders attach to strengthening multilateral cooperation in a rapidly changing world. He further said there is an urgent need to reform the international financial architecture.
Earlier, Dr S Jaishankar met the Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi in New Delhi today. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said that both leaders discussed the situation in West Asia and its implications. He said that they also exchanged views on bilateral issues of mutual interest. He also appreciated Mr Araghchi’s participation in the BRICS Foreign Minister’s meeting 2026.
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External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar today met Foreign Affairs Minister of Cuba Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said that both leaders discussed cooperation focusing on health, development partnership and capacity building. The leaders also exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding on holding regular consultations between the Foreign Ministries of both countries.
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the medical entrance exam NEET-UG-2026 will be re-conducted on 21st of June. Earlier, the exam which was held on 3rd of this month was cancelled due to alleged paper leak and CBI is investigating the matter. The exam conducting agency also requested candidates and parents to rely only on the official channels of NTA.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said that students are the priority of the government and the Centre is sensitive towards them. Briefing Media in New Delhi, Mr Pradhan assured fairness and transparency in exam process.
The Education Minister admitted that NTA requires definite reforms and said that steps will be taken to strengthen the examination system to prevent future irregularities. He added that NEET UG examination will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode from next year instead of existing OMR based mode.
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BJP MLA Rathindra Basu has been elected unopposed as the new Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Basu, representing Cooch Behar South as a legislator of the BJP, registered his maiden victory in the recently held assembly polls.
The election for the post was conducted this morning under the supervision of Pro-tem Speaker Tapas Roy. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formally proposed Mr. Basu’s name. The House confirmed the appointment through a voice vote. Members of the Trinamool Congress were not present during the election process but later joined the session.
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Senior AIADMK legislator A. Anbalagan has been appointed as the Pro tem Speaker of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The appointment was made by the Lieutenant Governor on the recommendation of the Chief Minister. Mr Anbalagan, who is also the Puducherry State Secretary of the AIADMK, was elected from the Oupalam Assembly constituency.
The dates for convening the first session of the Assembly are yet to be announced.
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Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan will undertake his first visit to Sikkim tomorrow after assuming office. During the visit, the Vice-President will grace the Statehood Day Celebrations of Sikkim in Gangtok. Governor and Chief Minister of Sikkim, Union DoNER Minister are also likely to attend the event that to be held at Manan Kendra at Gangtok.
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Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav today virtually laid the foundation stone and dedicated multiple projects worth over 400 crore rupees in Rajasthan. The projects are related to Semiconductor, Railway and Sewage Water treatment plant.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that India has made significant strides in electronics manufacturing over the past 12 years. He noted that the electronics sector has expanded sixfold, with total production now reaching 13 lakh crore rupees.
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The industrial city of Ludhiana in Punjab has now been connected to India’s commercial aviation network with the arrival of the first Air India flight at Halwara Airport early this morning. The development has brought cheer among industrialists and residents, fulfilling a long-pending demand of nearly three decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the terminal building of Halwara Airport on the first of February this year.
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Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, the first Lok Sabha Speaker of independent India, assumed the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Speaker’s position on this day in 1952. Extending salutations to him in a social media post, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that his significant contribution to systematically shaping Indian parliamentary traditions remains notable. He added that Mr Mavalankar played a crucial role in establishing rules, procedures, and traditions of decorous dialogue for conducting parliamentary proceedings.
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Indraprastha Gas Limited has increased the prices of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by 2 rupees today. After the price hike, the new rate for 1 kilogram CNG in Delhi is 79.09 rupees, and 87.70 rupees in Ghaziabad and Noida. In Gurugram, the new rate for 1 kilogram CNG is 84.12 rupees.
Earlier, oil companies raised the petrol and diesel prices by 3 rupees per litre each amid spike in global energy prices. The petrol price has risen from 94.77 rupees to 97.77 rupees per litre, while diesel prices have increased from 87.67 rupees to 90.67 rupees per litre in New Delhi.
Similar hike in oil prices was also seen in other metro cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.
On increased fuel prices, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that as the world battled rising fuel costs after the West Asia conflict, India stood apart. In a social media post, the Union Minister said, while several countries witnessed petrol and diesel hikes ranging from 20 per cent to nearly 100 per cent, India limited the increase to just plus 3.2 percent for petrol and plus 3.4 per cent for diesel.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices were trading moderately higher in afternoon trade today. The Sensex rose 165 points to 75 thousand 563, while the Nifty added 47 points to 23 thousand 737 when reports last came in. Meanwhile, in the broader market at the National Stock Exchange, the Mid-cap 100 was trading flat, while the Small-cap 100 dipped nearly 0.2 per cent, a short while ago.
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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, today launched an integrated hydrogen-powered shuttle bus service in the national capital to reduce fuel consumption and promote the use of public transport. The shuttle service will operate on all working days during peak office hours. It will provide seamless and environment-friendly last-mile connectivity between Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth Metro stations and key government establishments in the Central Vista region.
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In Badminton, India’s top Men’s Doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semi-finals of Thailand Open. The Indian duo defeated Japanese pair of Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami with 21-12, 21-13 in Bangkok today.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen will face Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the Men’s Singles quarterfinals.
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In IPL Cricket, Lucknow Super Giants will take on Chennai Super Kings at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow this evening. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians defeated Punjab Kings by 6 wickets at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala last night. Tilak Varma was adjudged Player of the Match.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discuss energy cooperation and bilateral trade in Abu Dhabi; Both leaders exchange key MoUs in defence, petroleum and investments.
- BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting 2026 underway in New Delhi; External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar reaffirms India’s commitment in advancing goal of reformed and effective multilateralism.
- NTA to re-conduct NEET (UG) 2026 examination on June 21; Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assures fairness and transparency in exam process.
- BJP MLA Rathindra Basu elected as new Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
- In Badminton, Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter semifinals of Thailand Open.
