HIGHLIGHTS

DEL78 OPPN-2NDLD PREZ-SINHA Oppn parties pick Yashwant Sinha as their joint candidate for president New Delhi Several major opposition parties, including the Congress, the NCP and the TMC, on Tuesday picked former Union minister Yashwant Sinha as their candidate for the July 18 presidential polls.DEL90 BRICS-MODI PM Modi to attend virtual BRICS summit at invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the annual summit of the five-nation grouping BRICS on June 23 and 24 following an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Ministry of External Affairs MEA announced on Tuesday.

Following are the top stories at 2100 hrs: NATION DEL94 DEF-AGNIPATH-LD TRISERVICES No change in existing recruitment process, Agnipath will draw best talent: Military New Delhi: The three military services on Tuesday said the Agnipath scheme will not entail any change in the existing system of recruitment of soldiers and will not at all impact their combat capabilities and operational readiness. DEL78 OPPN-2NDLD PREZ-SINHA Oppn parties pick Yashwant Sinha as their joint candidate for president New Delhi: Several major opposition parties, including the Congress, the NCP and the TMC, on Tuesday picked former Union minister Yashwant Sinha as their candidate for the July 18 presidential polls.

DEL90 BRICS-MODI PM Modi to attend virtual BRICS summit at invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the annual summit of the five-nation grouping BRICS on June 23 and 24 following an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday. DEL75 MEA-KAMBOJ-INDIA-ENVOY Ruchira Kamboj to be India's Permanent Representative to UN New Delhi: Senior diplomat Ruchira Kamboj was on Tuesday appointed India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. BOM31 MH-2NDLD MAHARASHTRA 'Maha' crisis in ruling alliance MVA as Sena leader Shinde rebels, lands in Surat hotel with MLAs Mumbai/Surat: Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Shiv Sena strongman Eknath Shinde plunged the ruling alliance in the state into a political crisis on Tuesday as he rebelled against his party and landed in a Surat hotel along with some Sena MLAs, putting a huge question mark on the stability of the two-and-a-half-years old MVA dispensation. MDS14 KA-YOGA DAY-2ND LD PM PM leads Yoga Day celebrations, says it is forming basis for international cooperation Mysuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed Yoga along with thousands of participants at a mass demonstration in the backdrop of the iconic Mysuru Palace here on Tuesday and said the physical fitness regime was forming a basis for cooperation among countries, and that it can become a problem-solver. DEL95 ED-2NDLD RAHUL ED questions Rahul Gandhi for nine hours on day 5; questioning to continue at night New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for about nine hours on Tuesday on the fifth day of his deposition in the National Herald money laundering case.

DEL84 CONG-RAHUL-LD PROTESTS Cong leaders stage Satyagraha against Rahul's questioning, 'misuse' of central agencies New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday staged a Satyagraha at the party headquarters here alleging ''misuse'' of the Enforcement Directorate and ''harassment'' of party leader Rahul Gandhi, who is being questioned by the probe agency for the fifth day in the National Herald money laundering case. CAL12 AS-HC-ENCOUNTERS 51 dead, 139 injured in police actions in 13 months: Assam govt to HC Guwahati: Altogether 161 incidents of police action took place across Assam in 13 months after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took charge in May 2021, resulting in the death of 51 accused people and injuries to 139 others, the Gauhati High Court was informed. CAL13 OD-CRPF-LD NAXAL 3 CRPF personnel killed in Maoist attack in Odisha's Nuapada New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Three CRPF personnel were killed in a Maoist attack in Odisha's Nuapada district on Tuesday, police said. DEL98 CBI-3RDLD BIOCON Five including Jt Drug Controller arrested for alleged bribery to favour Biocon Biologics' insulin jab New Delhi: The CBI has arrested Joint Drugs Controller S Eswara Reddy, Associate Vice President of Biocon Biologics L Praveen Kumar and three others in a case of bribery to waive Phase 3 clinical trial of 'Insulin Aspart' injection, a product developed by the company to manage Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, officials said on Tuesday.

DEL88 CONG-BAGHEL-CHHATTISGARH Centre trying to destablise Chhattisgarh govt, illegal phone tapping on: CM Baghel New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the Centre on Tuesday of trying to destablise his government and claimed that ''illegal phone tapping'' is being done in the state. LEGAL LGD6 CJI-LD ARBITRATION CJI allays apprehension on increasing interference of domestic courts in arbitration process New Delhi: Chief Justice N V Ramana Tuesday allayed apprehension about the increasing interference of domestic courts in the arbitration process and said the Indian judiciary treats all parties including foreign entities equally and equitably. FOREIGN FGN48 CHINA-PAK-STUDENTS First batch of Pak students lands in China amidst silence over Indians’ return Beijing: The first batch of Pakistani students, stuck back home for about two years due to China’s strict visa restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic, has arrived in the Chinese city of Xian, even as Beijing is yet to announce plans to permit the return of Indian students despite repeated assurances. By K J M Varma FGN45 YOGA-LD WORLD Yoga enthusiasts across world celebrate International Day of Yoga with outdoor sessions London/Beijing: Thousands of yoga enthusiasts from across the world on Tuesday took part in mass yoga sessions to mark the 8th International Day of Yoga as the celebrations returned to an in-person format after over two years following the COVID-19 pandemic. PTI RDT RDT RDT