HIGHLIGHTS

BhopalNew Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a strong push for a Uniform Civil CodeUCC, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the UCC issue to mislead and provoke the Muslim community.

Following are the top stories at 9.20 pm: NATION DEL58 LDALL PM **** PM Modi makes strong push for Uniform Civil Code, asks How can India function with dual system of laws? Bhopal/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a strong push for a Uniform Civil Code(UCC), asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the UCC issue to ''mislead and provoke'' the Muslim community. **** DEL57 EC-RS-LD POLLS **** Biennial polls to Rajya Sabha seats on July 24; Jaishankar, O'Brien among those retiring New Delhi: Elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats, including those held by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien, will be held on July 24, the Election Commission (EC) said on Tuesday. **** DEL39 SEDITION-LAW PANEL-LD INTERVIEW **** Situation from Kashmir to Kerala makes it must to retain sedition law: Law panel chief New Delhi: Amid a clamour for the colonial-era sedition law to be repealed, Law Commission chairman Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said on Tuesday it is an important tool to safeguard the ''safety and integrity of India'' given the situation in many parts of the country, from Kashmir to Kerala and Punjab to the North-East. **** DEL25 DL-CAG-LD CM-RESIDENCE **** CAG audit into 'irregularities' in 'reconstruction' of Delhi CM residence: Raj Niwas officials New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India will conduct a special audit into alleged ''irregularities and violations'' in the ''reconstruction'' of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, Raj Niwas officials said on Tuesday. **** DEL47 DL-AAP-LD CAG **** AAP slams CAG audit in Kejriwal's residence renovation, says it betrays BJP's 'desperation' New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday condemned the Centre's decision to initiate a CAG audit into the reconstruction expenses of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence, saying the move ''reeks of desperation'' as the BJP anticipates a defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. **** DEL49 MHA-MN-GOVERNOR **** Manipur governor Uikey calls on Shah New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Tuesday, two days after the restive state's Chief Minister N Biren Singh met him. **** DEL45 CONG-LD TOMATO PRICE **** Congress blames PM Modi's 'wrong policies' for rising tomato prices New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday attacked the government over the rising prices of tomatoes, alleging that it was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ''wrong policies''. **** BOM8 MP-PM-LD VANDE BHARAT **** MP: PM Modi flags off 5 Vande Bharat trains Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and flagged off five Vande Bharat trains connecting important cities in different parts of the country. **** DEL14CONG-RAHUL-VIDEO **** Cong's 'mohabbat ki dukaan' video as online battle for 2024 hots up New Delhi: The online battle for the 2024 general elections hotted up on Tuesday with the Congress releasing an animated video, showing the ruling BJP deploying divisive tactics and Rahul Gandhi taking down a 'nafrat ka bazaar' and replacing it with a 'mohabbat ki dukaan'. **** CAL18 WB MAMATA LD INJURY **** Mamata injured as chopper makes emergency landing due to bad weather: official Siliguri/Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured when the helicopter in which she was flying made an emergency landing at the Sevoke air base near Siliguri in the northern part of the state due to bad weather on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. **** MDS8 KA-FAKE NEWS-AI-MINISTER Karnataka govt to take all measures, including use of Artificial Intelligence, to curb fake news Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the state government is ready to take all measures required to curb 'fake news', including use of technology like 'Artificial Intelligence' (AI), aimed at taking such cases to a ''logical end''. **** BOM21 MH-KCR-B TEAM **** Raut calls BRS B-team of BJP; KCR says they are a team of farmers, minorities and Dalits Pandharpur: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s visit to Maharashtra’s pilgrimage town of Pandharpur on Tuesday drew a sharp reaction from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who called the former’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) a B-team of the BJP. **** BOM25 MH-COURT-UDDHAV-DEFAMATION **** Court issues summons to Uddhav Thackeray, Raut in defamation case filed by Shinde group MP Mumbai: A magistrate's court here has issued a summons to Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut over alleged defamatory articles carried by the party mouthpiece `Saamana' against Rahul Shewale, a leader of the rival Sena faction. **** CAL21 AS-FLOOD **** Assam floods: Water level recedes in many areas, Barpeta district worst-hit Guwahati, Jun 27 (PTI) Assam's flood situation improved on Tuesday with the water levels of Brahmaputra and its tributaries receding in several places and not flowing above the danger mark anywhere, officials said. **** BUSINESS DEL68 BIZ-LD TOMATO PRICE-GOVT **** Spike in tomato prices temporary phenomenon; rates will cool down soon: Govt official New Delhi: The spurt in prices of tomato is a temporary seasonal phenomenon, and rates will cool down soon, a top government official said, as retail prices of the kitchen staple shot up to Rs 100 per kg in major cities. **** LEGAL LGD7 DL-HC-GANGRAPE-PENETRATION **** Penetration proof enough to establish rape, says HC, awards 20-year jail term to 2 men for raping foreign national New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has awarded 20 years imprisonment to two men for gang-raping a Nigerian woman in 2014, saying mere absence of traces of semen during the DNA analysis does not falsify the victim's claim and penetration was sufficient to prove the offence of rape. **** FOREIGN FGN5 US-INDIA-DEFENCE-LEGISLATION ****Members of India Caucus introduce bipartisan legislation to fast-track weapons sales to India Washington: Members of the powerful India Caucus have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at providing India access to the weapons it needs to defend itself and boost its security goals with the US in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.**** FGN36 LANKA-PREZ-CHINA-INDIA ****Would not allow Sri Lanka to be used as base for threats against India: President Wickremesinghe Colombo: Sri Lanka would not be allowed to be used as a base for any threats against India, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, asserting that the island nation remains ''neutral'', having no military agreements with China.**** FGN52 UK-INDIA-FTA **** Very optimistic about FTA with India, says UK Investment Minister London: An India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is really important for both nations and it is for businesses on both sides to help drive that agenda, UK Minister for Investment Lord Dominic Johnson said in London on Tuesday. By Aditi Khanna **** FGN49 CHINA-SCO-INDIA-2NDLD HALL ****'New Delhi Hall' at SCO Secretariat in Beijing depicts 'mini India': EAM Jaishankar Beijing: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday inaugurated an exquisitely designed 'New Delhi Hall' at the SCO Secretariat here, which he said depicts a “mini-India” and will foster a better understanding of the country's culture.*** FGN9 US-WSJ-HARASSMENT-WH-REAX ****''Unacceptable'': White House on online harassment of WSJ journalist who questioned PM Modi on minorities' rights Washington: The White House has condemned as ''totally unacceptable'' the harassment of a US journalist on social media for asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question at his joint press conference here with President Joe Biden.**** FGN4 US-NEWYORK-DIWALI-HOLIDAY ****Diwali to be school holiday in New York City By Yoshita Singh New York: Diwali, the festival of lights, will now be enshrined as a school holiday in New York City, authorities announced here and described it as a “victory” for the city’s residents, including the Indian community.****