HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL9 VIRUS-LD CASES India reports 94,052 new Covid cases, highest single-day spike of 6,148 deaths New Delhi: With Bihar revising its figures and putting the total number of fatalities caused by COVID-19 at 9,429, India reported its highest single-day spike of 6,148 deaths, pushing the toll to 3,59,676, while 94,052 new cases took the tally to 2,91,83,121, according to the Union health ministry's data updated on Thursday.

DEL87 MEA-SINOINDIA India pushes for complete disengagement at remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh New Delhi: India on Thursday once again called for completion of the disengagement process at the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh to pave the way for both the Indian and Chinese troops to consider de-escalation and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity in border areas.

DEL82 CONG-LD SIBAL-PRASADA Over my dead body: Sibal says he can never think of joining BJP, slams Jitin Prasada New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday said Jitin Prasada's crossing over to the BJP represented politics of ''prasada'' or personal gains and asserted that for him a switch to the saffron party could only happen over his dead body.

By Asim Kamal BOM18 MH-LDALL COLLAPSE Eight children among 11 killed in Mumbai building collapse; contractor arrested Mumbai: At least 11 people, including eight children, were killed and seven others injured after two floors of a three-storey residential building collapsed on an adjoining single-storey house in Malwani in suburban Mumbai, officials said on Thursday.

DEL69 EC-BJP-CONTRIBUTION REPORT BJP received Rs 785 cr in contributions in 2019-20, Cong Rs 139 cr New Delhi: The ruling BJP received over Rs 785 crore in contributions from individuals, electoral trusts and corporates in 2019-20 which is over five times more than what the Congress received during the same period.

DEL84 MEA-PM-LD G7 PM Modi to attend outreach sessions of G7 summit New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate virtually in the outreach sessions of the G7 summit on June 12 and 13, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

CAL14 WB-FILM-2ND LD BUDDHADEB It's a pack up, forever: National award-winning filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta dies at 77 Kolkata: Eminent film director and poet Buddhadeb Dasgupta, who had been battling kidney ailments for quite some time, died at his residence here early on Thursday following a cardiac arrest, family members said. He was 77.

DEL65 CONG-LD-MOILY-INTERVIEW Cong top brass must see ideological commitment while promoting leaders: Moily on Jitin exit New Delhi: A day after Jitin Prasada switched to the BJP, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Thursday said the Congress needs to undergo a ''major surgery'' and not depend just on legacy, asserting that the top leadership must give primacy to ideological commitment while assigning responsibility to leaders.

By Asim Kamal DEL22 BIZ-VIRUS-GST-MEET GST Council to meet on Jun 12 to discuss tax cut on COVID essentials, black fungus medicine New Delhi: The all-powerful GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will meet on June 12 to decide on GST rate cut for COVID essentials and black fungus medicine, according to officials.

DEL81 CBI-CM-LD CORRUPTION Fresh FIR against former Arunachal Pradesh CM in corruption case New Delhi: The CBI has registered a fresh FIR against former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki for alleged nepotism and corruption related to a Rs 14.71-lakh contract for the construction of a Kendriya Vidyalaya school boundary wall in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata 16 years ago, officials said.

DEL40 MEA-INDO-GERMAN-LD SHRINGLA India looks forward to working with Germany for free and open Indo-Pacific: Shringla New Delhi: India is looking forward to working with Germany on the ''convergent'' vision of a free and an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Thursday, describing the country as one of New Delhi's most important friends in the European Union.

DEL94 ADITYANATH-4THLD SHAH Adityanath meets Amit Shah; likely to call on Modi New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday met senior BJP leader and Union minister Amit Shah here, and is also likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit, sources said.

LEGAL LEGAL LGD10 DL-HC-SUSHANT-2NDLD MOVIES HC refuses to stay release of films on Rajput's life, says movies not biopic, factual New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay the release of several movies, purportedly based on the life of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, including 'Nyay: The Justice' which is scheduled to be released on Friday, saying these films are neither portrayed as biopic nor factual narration of what transpired in his life.

FOREIGN FGN47 KUWAIT-JAISHANKAR-TALKS Jaishankar meets Kuwaiti FM; holds productive discussions Kuwait City: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held ''productive discussions'' with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah on Thursday during which the two sides discussed a range of issues including health, food, education, energy, digital and business cooperation.

FGN7 VIRUS-US-INDIA-VACCINES India will receive a share of 80 million US vaccines through COVAX: State Dept official Washington: India will be receiving a share of the 80 million (8 crores) unused COVID-19 vaccines through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme that President Joe Biden has announced, according to a senior State Department official. By Lalit K Jha FGN46 CHINA-LAW-LD FOREIGN SANCTIONS China passes new law to counter foreign sanctions against its officials, entities Beijing: China's Parliament on Thursday passed the Anti-foreign Sanctions Law, providing a comprehensive legal cover for blocking foreign sanctions against Chinese officials and entities and protecting them against the long-arm jurisdiction, especially from the US.

By K J M Varma MA MA

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)