HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9.40 pm NATION DEL65 PM-2ND LD WSJ-INTERVIEW India deserves higher global role and profile PM Modi New Delhi India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and role at the global stage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he embarked on a landmark state visit to the US, asserting that ties with Washington were stronger than ever.

Following are the top stories at 9.40 pm: NATION DEL65 PM-2ND LD WSJ-INTERVIEW **** India deserves higher global role and profile: PM Modi New Delhi: India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and role at the global stage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he embarked on a landmark state visit to the US, asserting that ties with Washington were stronger than ever. **** DEL44 PM-WSJ-INTERVIEW-SINOINDIA **** Peace and tranquillity in border areas essential for normal ties with China: PM Modi New Delhi: Asserting that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for normal bilateral ties with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India has a core belief in respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity and was fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity. **** DES40 HEATWAVE-MANDAVIYA **** Central team to be deployed in UP, Bihar to aid them in public health response measures for heat-related illnesses New Delhi: A team of experts from the Union health ministry, ICMR, IMD and NDMA will visit Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to support the two states in public health response measures to address heat-related illnesses. **** CAL22 OD-2ND LD RATH YATRA **** Chariots of the gods vend their way from Puri's Jagannath temple to an alternate temporary abode as a million people watch Puri: A tidal wave of humans pulled forward giant chariots of Jagannath, Lord of the Earth, and his two siblings on Tuesday from a 12th century stone temple in the heart of this sea-side pilgrimage town to their alternate abode aboput 2.5 kms away. Muscles glistening in the setting sun, thousands of bare-chested men pulled the three nearly 45 feet tall wooden chariots of Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra and Lady Subhadra, while lakhs more thronged to touch, pray or just watch the huge procession.

BOM24 GJ-RATH YATRA-BALCONY COLLAPSE **** Ahmedabad: Man dies, five spectators injured as balcony collapses during Rath Yatra Ahmedabad: A man died and five others were injured after a balcony of a dilapidated house on the route of the annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra procession collapsed in Dariapur locality here on Tuesday afternoon, police said. **** DEL40 INTERVIEW-MANDAVIYA-LD COUGH SYRUP **** Zero tolerance on spurious medicines, 71 firms issued notices: Mandaviya on cough syrup row New Delhi: Asserting that India follows a zero-tolerance policy on spurious medicines, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said 71 companies have been issued show-cause notices following concerns raised in some quarters about reported deaths due to contaminated India-made cough syrups and 18 of them have been asked to shut shop. By Payal Banerjee and Barun Jha **** DEL62 RICE-PIYUSH-GOYAL **** Centre refusing rice under OMSS to keep stocks, check price rise: Piyush Goyal New Delhi: The Centre has refused to provide rice to several states from its stocks to ensure that the price of the grain does not increase in the open market and people continue to get it at affordable rates, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, amid a political row over the refusal of rice supply to Karnataka. **** DEL56 DL-KEJRIWAL-LD ORDINANCE-CONGRESS **** Hope Cong will clear stand on Delhi services ordinance at June 23 Opposition meet, says Kejriwal New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital at the June 23 meeting of non-BJP parties in Patna.

MDS17 AP-SEER-ARREST **** Vizag 'seer' arrested for molesting girl in his ashram Visakhapatnam: A 60-year-old ''seer'' was arrested for allegedly molesting a girl for a certain period in the ashram he runs in Visakhapatnam, police said on Tuesday. **** CAL26 WB- 2ND LD FOUNDATION DAY **** Governor organises West Bengal 'foundation day' event despite objections from Mamata Kolkata: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who organised the state's 'Foundation Day' programme at the Raj Bhavan here despite objections by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said the state government's concern would be ''treated with all seriousness''. **** CAL8 MN-HC-MEITEI **** ST status for Meiteis: HC notice to Centre, Manipur govt on review petition Imphal: The Manipur High Court has admitted a review petition seeking to modify its March 27 order that directed the state government to recommend inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. **** MDS23 TN-LD RAJNATH **** Rajnath Singh slams TN CM Stalin's 'duplicity' over Senthil Balaji arrest, hails late Jayalalithaa amid friction in BJP-AIADMK alliance Chennai: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday lashed out at DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin for his ''duplicity of character'' over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrest of his cabinet colleague V Senthil Balaji and dubbed as ''anti-constitutional'', the recent arrest of a state BJP functionary by the police. **** MDS9 KA-FAKE NEWS-CM (R) **** Karnataka CM orders crackdown on fake news Bengaluru: Seeking to tackle the menace of fake news, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday issued strict instructions to the authorities to trace its source, identify people behind it, and take legal action. The move comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. **** LEGAL LGD11 SC-2NDLD PANCHAYAT-CENTRAL FORCE **** Setback to Mamata as SC dismisses pleas challenging HC order for deployment of central forces for WB panchayat polls New Delhi: Holding elections cannot be a ''licence for violence'', the Supreme Court said on Tuesday as it dismissed the petitions of the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission (SEC) challenging the Calcutta High Court order directing the state poll panel to deploy central forces across West Bengal for the July 8 panchayat elections. **** LGD9 SC-LD MANIPUR **** Manipur violence: SC refuses urgent hearing of plea for Army protection for Kukis, says let administration handle situation New Delhi: Amid continued ethnic violence in Manipur, the Supreme Court Tuesday declined urgent hearing of a petition seeking Army protection for the minority Kuki tribals and prosecution of communal groups attacking them, while conceding it's a ''serious'' law and order issue which the administration should tackle. **** FOREIGN FGN51 UN-CHINA-MUMBAI-LD SAJID MIR **** China blocks proposal at UN to blacklist Pak-based LeT terrorist and 26/11 accused Sajid Mir United Nations: China on Tuesday blocked a proposal by India and the US at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a global terrorist. By Yoshita Singh **** FGN50 UN-PM-YOGA **** PM Modi to lead unique Yoga session at UNHQ on Wednesday United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a unique yoga session on Wednesday in a historic celebration to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters here that will see participation from top UN officials, envoys from across and the world and prominent individuals. **** FGN5 UN-SOLIDARITY TREE-TERRORISM VICTIMS **** On eve of PM Modi visit, UN dedicates solidarity tree honouring victims of terrorism including 26/11 Mumbai attack United Nations: The United Nations has dedicated a solidarity tree in remembrance of victims of terrorism with a solemn ceremony that also honoured victims of the 2008 Mumbai attack, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the world organisation. **** FGN6 US-THANEDAR-MODI **** Indian-American Congressman to escort PM Modi to his historic joint address to US Congress Washington: Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar would be escorting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his historic joint address to the US Congress on June 22. By Lalit K Jha**** FGN53 US-TITANIC-SUBMERSIBLE-LD CREW **** British explorer, Pakistani businessman & son on missing Titanic sub London/Islamabad: UAE-based British billionaire-explorer Hamish Harding, who collaborated with the Indian government to reintroduce eight wild cheetahs from Namibia to India, and two Pakistani businessmen are among five people who went missing in the Atlantic Ocean aboard a tourist submersible on a mission to view the wreckage of the iconic ocean liner the Titanic. **** FGN15 CHINA-PAK-NUCLEAR **** China inks deal with cash-strapped Pakistan to set up nuclear power plant in Punjab province Islamabad: China on Tuesday inked an agreement worth a whopping USD 4.8 billion with cash-strapped Pakistan to set up a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant as a sign of increasing strategic cooperation between the two all-weather allies.By Sajjad Hussain ****