West Bengal: Security tightened amid clashes between police and miscreants, several injured, vehicles set on fire, after alleged vandalism of shiva temple
Security tightened in the Rabindra Nagar area of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal on Thursday after a clash broke out between Police and miscreants on June 11. LOP in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders in the state alleged that a Shiva Temple was vandalised.
Row over old, dirty train sent for BSF jawans on Amarnath duty: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw suspends 4 officials
Addressing the issue in the cabinet meeting briefing, Vaishnaw said, “Action was taken on this yesterday itself. The train’s rake was changed. Four officers who were responsible for this have been suspended.”
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,204
These are the key events on day 1,204 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here’s where things stand on Thursday, June 12: Fighting A concentrated, nine-minute-long Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv in the middle of the night killed six people and injured 64, including nine children, Ukrainian officials have said. The Ukrainian military said it had struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region overnight, causing a fire at the site. Russian mechanised infantry units have reached the western border of Ukraine’s Donetsk region and, along with a tank division, are continuing their offensive against the adjacent Dnipropetrovsk region, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said. Russia’s air defence systems destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. Half of the drones were downed over the southern Voronezh region, while the rest were intercepted over the Kursk, Tambov, Rostov region and the Crimean Peninsula. Ukraine has brought home the bodies of 1,212 soldiers killed in its war against Russia, Kyiv officials said. The Kremlin said Ukraine returned the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers. Advertisement Regional security Russia sent long-range Tu-22M3 bomber planes on a flight over the Baltic Sea, Russia’s Defence Ministry said, in what appeared to be a mission aimed at sending a message of business-as-usual following the stunning June 1 Ukrainian attack on Russian airbases in Siberia. Russia’s nuclear capability did not suffer significant damage due to the Ukrainian attacks on its airfields, and the scale of the damage has been exaggerated, the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov claimed. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking on state television, said 95 percent of weapons in Russia’s strategic nuclear forces were fully up to date. International relations The United States ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said the Ukrainian drone attack on Russian strategic bombers at their airbases earlier this month was “badass” but also “a little bit reckless, and a little bit dangerous”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing a conference of southeast European leaders in the Black Sea port of Odesa, said Russia was determined to destroy the south of his country as well as nearby Moldova and Romania, as he called for increased pressure on Moscow to prevent further military threats. Serbia’s Kremlin-friendly populist President Aleksandar Vucic travelled to Odesa for the regional summit. It is the first time the leader has visited Ukraine during his 12 years in power. Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs said it had summoned a Russian diplomat over a suspected June 10 violation of Finnish airspace by Russian aircraft, the second such event in under three weeks. Slovakia will not back the European Union’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia unless the European Commission provides a solution to the situation the country faces if the bloc phases out Russian energy as planned, the country’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. Germany’s imports of goods from Russia fell by 95 percent in the 2021-2024 period, while its exports of goods to Russia were cut by 72 percent, the country’s statistics office Destatis has reported. The EU as a whole cut its imports from Russia by 78 percent and exports by 65 percent over the same timeframe, leading to a trade deficit of 4.5 billion euros ($5.1bn) in 2024 compared with 147.5 billion euros ($170bn) in 2022, Destatis added. Advertisement Russian affairs A court in western Russia has ruled that opposition politician Lev Shlosberg be placed under house arrest for two months and face unspecified restrictions on his activities for “discrediting” the Russian army after describing the war in Ukraine as a game of “bloody chess”. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Russian dissident Leonid Volkov, a prominent ally of late opposition leader Alexey Navalny, was sentenced in absentia to 18 years in prison for spreading fake news about the war in Ukraine and “justifying terrorism”. Adblock test (Why?)
US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says 5 aid workers killed in attack
Bus carrying more than two dozen Palestinians attacked by Hamas, organisation says. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the United States and Israel-backed organisation established to supplant the aid work of the United Nations, has accused Hamas of killing five staff and wounding multiple others in an attack on a bus en route to a food distribution centre. A bus carrying more than two dozen Palestinians working with the organisation was “brutally attacked” while travelling to a distribution centre west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the foundation said in a statement on Wednesday night. While the organisation was still gathering facts, “at least” five people were killed and there were “multiple injuries”, the foundation said, adding there were fears that some of its staff had been taken captive. “We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms. These were aid workers. Humanitarians, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives every day to help others,” the foundation said. “Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and prayers are with every victim, every family, and every person still unaccounted for.” Advertisement Hamas, which governs Gaza, did not immediately comment on the claims. Hamas earlier this week denied that it had threatened the foundation after the organisation accused the Palestinian group of making “direct threats” against its operations. The aid organisation, which is led by Johnnie Moore, an evangelical Christian who advised US President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, has been mired in controversy since beginning operations on May 27. The UN and aid groups have boycotted the foundation over concerns that it does not meet basic humanitarian standards and is not independent of Israel. Numerous Israeli attacks on Palestinians have taken place near the foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor, with more than 220 people killed since the group began operations, according to Gaza health authorities. In its statement, the foundation, which on Saturday reported that it had been unable to distribute aid due to Hamas threats, said the attack “did not happen in a vacuum”. “For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence,” the foundation said. “Tonight the world must see this for what it is: an attack on humanity,” the foundation added. “We call on the international community to immediately condemn Hamas for this unprovoked attack and continued threat against our people simply trying to feed the Palestinian people.” Adblock test (Why?)
US evacuates personnel from Middle East in sign of growing regional tension
The United States is preparing a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq and has authorised “the voluntary departure” of dependants of US personnel from locations across the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as regional security concerns rise. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorised the departure of military dependants in the region and that CENTCOM was “monitoring the developing tension”. Orders for all nonessential personnel to depart the US Embassy in Baghdad – which was already on limited staffing – was based on a commitment “to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad”, the Department of State said. Speaking on Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump said the order to move staff out had been given because the region “could be a dangerous place”. “We’ll see what happens. We’ve given notice to move out, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. Trump then added in reference to Iran: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon, very simple. We’re not going to allow that.” Advertisement Uncertainty has been growing in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme appear to have hit an impasse. US news broadcaster CBS reported late on Wednesday that US officials have been informed that Israel is “fully ready” to launch an attack on Iran and that Washington “anticipates” that Tehran could retaliate by targeting “certain American sites in neighbouring Iraq”. Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said there have been clear signs in recent days of high-level discussions between senior military officials and the Trump administration amid concern around the ongoing talks with Iran over its nuclear programme. “Donald Trump has in the last couple of days … expressed his concern that a deal might not be able to be done,” Fisher said. “Therefore, we are seeing, effectively, the partial evacuation of the embassy in Baghdad with non-military personnel and non-essential staff being moved out. And the voluntary evacuation of other embassies in the region,” he said. “They’ve done this sort of thing before,” Fisher said, noting the Baghdad embassy was partially evacuated previously over “concerns that the embassy could become a target for Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq”. “Clearly, there is some concern that the discussions with the Iranians aren’t going well. Or, it could be that this is all designed to put pressure on Iranians. Because, you will remember, that Donald Trump said that if they couldn’t get some sort of deal, then … there could be some sort of military action against the Iranians.” Advertisement As reports of US embassy staff and dependants departing the Middle East region emerged, Iran’s mission to the United Nations posted on social media that “Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability”. “Threats of ‘overwhelming force’ won’t change the facts,” the Iranian mission said. “Diplomacy – not militarism – is the only path forward,” it added. Threats of “overwhelming force” won’t change facts:Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism only fuels instability. CENTCOM’s legacy of fueling regional instability, through arming aggressors and enabling Israeli crimes, strips it of any credibility to speak on… — I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) June 11, 2025 Separately, Iranian Defence Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh told reporters earlier that he hoped talks with the US would be successful, though Tehran stood ready to respond to any aggression. “If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach,” he said. “We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.” The next round of talks – the sixth – between the US and Iran on limits to Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions on the country have been tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, according to reports, and Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is still scheduled to attend. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Zeeshan Akhtar? Alleged mastermind in NCP leader Baba Siddique murder case, arrested in Canada
Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead in the Bandra area in Mumbai on October 12, 2024. Police have arrested at least 25 persons in the case so far.
Democrat Congresswoman draws boos over ‘shameful’ sexism remark in committee hearing with Treasury Secretary
A House Ways and Means Committee hearing took an unexpected turn Wednesday when Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) accused Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of interrupting her because of her gender—prompting audible groans from the room. The exchange occurred during a tense five-minute questioning session, where Sanchez challenged Bessent on the impact of tariffs enacted under President Trump’s administration. “Prices are rising on many everyday goods,” Sanchez said, citing increases in clothing, shoes, canned food, toys, and household tools. She added, “On average, Trump’s tariffs are estimated to cost households $3,000 more for the same goods than they would have last year,” though she did not cite the source of the figure when pressed. TRUMP SAYS ‘TOTAL RESET NEGOTIATED’ WITH CHINA DURING TARIFF TALKS IN GENEVA When Bessent attempted to interject, Sanchez quickly cut him off: “Please don’t interrupt me… I know I’m a woman, but please try to limit yourself to answering my questions.” That remark prompted groans from the hearing room, with one attendee audibly reacting, “Oh, come on.” Sanchez responded: “No, I’m sorry, but we get talked over all the time, and I don’t want that to happen at this hearing.” Bessent, who is openly gay, did not address the accusation and instead focused on defending the administration’s trade policies. When Sanchez challenged him on pricing impacts and China’s trade behavior, Bessent responded, “That’s incorrect,” and said, “They met their agreements under President Trump in 2020, and President Biden did not enforce them.” WH SLAMS DEMS’ ‘PARTISAN GAMES’ AFTER TRUMP-FOE SCHIFF CALLS FOR INSIDER TRADING INVESTIGATION OVER TARIFFS Sanchez repeatedly claimed that American consumers are paying more due to tariffs and described recent negotiations with China as rushed and lacking transparency. “A poorly negotiated trade deal with China is probably not worth the paper that it is written on,” she said. “I was alarmed to hear this morning that Trump said the U.S.–China deal was done after just two days of talks in London.” Bessent defended the agreement as an initial step. “The deal struck was for a specific goal, and it will be a much longer process,” he said, adding, “China has proven an unreliable partner.” The clash between Sanchez and Bessent was repeatedly moderated by Chairman Adrian Smith (R-NE), who reminded members of time limits and decorum throughout the hearing. The moment quickly spread across social media, where the White House’s official rapid response account weighed in, calling the move “shameful.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The office of Congresswoman Linda Sanchez has not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump says he is open to extending trade deal deadline for other countries: ‘I would’
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was willing to extend the deadline for countries to reach a trade deal with the United States, but he doesn’t think it will be necessary. At the same time, he also indicated that in one to two weeks his administration would be sending out letters telling countries “what the deal is.” Trump made the remarks ahead of a performance of “Les Misérables” that he attended at the Kennedy Center in Washington with the first lady. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PREVAILS AS APPEALS COURT PAUSES LOWER COURT DECISION BLOCKING CONTESTED TARIFFS “I would,” Trump said when asked if he would be willing to extend the July 8 deadline for countries to negotiate a trade deal or else face steep tariffs. “But I don’t think we’re going to have that necessity,” the president added, telling reporters “we’re rocking in terms of deals” right now. Shortly after announcing sweeping tariff policies on April 2 for virtually every U.S. trading partner, the Trump administration chose to institute a 90-day pause to give countries a chance to make a deal with the United States. Trump noted during the gaggle with reporters ahead of Wednesday’s Kennedy Center performance that the United States remains in talks with about 15 countries with whom it is still trying to cement a deal. But the president said that he intends to send letters to these partners setting unilateral tariff rates if a deal is not reached. “We’re dealing with Japan. We’re dealing with South Korea. We’re dealing with a lot of them. We’re dealing with about 15 countries. But as you know, we have about 150-plus, and you can’t [make a deal with all of them]. So we’re going to be sending letters out in about a week and a half, two weeks, to countries and telling them what the deal is.” TRUMP’S TARIFF STRATEGY COULD PAY FOR HIS TAX BILL, BUT ONLY IF THEY STICK, EXPERTS WARN “At a certain point, we’re just going to send letters out … saying this is the deal, you can take it or leave it,” Trump added. Highly anticipated trade talks with China held in London this week led to a preliminary agreement between the world’s two biggest economic powers, but the “framework” is still pending final approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump. “We made a great deal with China. We’re very happy with it,” Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday evening. “We have everything we need, and we’re going to do very well with it. And hopefully they are, too.”
Delhi-NCR weather update: Red alert issued as temperature continues to soar, respite from heatwave likely from…
A yellow alert for Friday is expected to be issued with temperatures expected to range between 43°C and 45°C.
WATCH: Top Dem says he has ‘never heard’ his fellow party members call LA riots ‘peaceful’
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Wednesday that he had no recollection of his fellow Democratic Party colleagues referring to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles as “peaceful.” “What do Democrats mean when they say the riots in L.A. are peaceful?” Durbin was asked by a reporter outside the Capitol. “I never heard them say that,” Durbin responded, leading the reporter to ask Durbin whether he condemned the ongoing anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, which some have said amount to riots. “I condemn violence, whether it’s in the Capitol or in L.A.,” Durbin shot back before being ushered away out of earshot. CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO DENY LA RIOT ‘CHAOS’ FOR ‘POLITICAL GAIN,’ SHERIFF SAYS The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate may not have heard any of his fellow party members use the word “peaceful” in their descriptions of the ongoing chaos in Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean they have not. “A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the President of the United States is sowing chaos,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” on NBC. Just the day before, President Donald Trump called on thousands of National Guard troops to go to Los Angeles to help quell the ongoing chaos, which has included attacks on law enforcement, property damage and looting. “The vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on MSNBC. “They’re passionate.” SEN. CORY BOOKER CALLS LOS ANGELES RIOTS ‘PEACEFUL,’ SLAMS TRUMP FOR DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD Rep. Nanette Barragán, a Democrat who represents California’s 44th Congressional District, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday that “We are having an administration that’s targeting peaceful protests.” Conservative critics also fired back after former Vice President Kamala Harris referred to the ongoing chaos as “overwhelmingly peaceful.” “The country really dodged a bullet in November,” Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X in response to Harris’ social media post. In another post, Benson added, “Their official position is that they’re appalled by what’s happening in Los Angeles…because of Trump and ICE, not the violent rioters. In its current form, this party cannot be salvaged.” DOZENS OF ANTI-ICE RIOTERS ARRESTED IN LA AS TRUMP SENDS IN NATIONAL GUARD TO QUELL VIOLENCE Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got heat for describing the situation in Los Angeles as “peaceful.” “California Governor Newsom didn’t request the National Guard be deployed to his state following peaceful demonstrations. Trump sent them anyway. It’s the first time in 60 years a president has made that choice,” Clinton posted on X. “Trump’s goal isn’t to keep Californians safe. His goal is to cause chaos, because chaos is good for Trump.” While there were initially examples of some peaceful protests at the start of this nearly weeklong chaos, by the start of the weekend, property destruction and violence broke out and devolved into a situation that became increasingly violent over the next few days. Several officers were injured during the riot, which included rocks and other projectiles thrown at them, and dozens of people were arrested related to the protests and rioting. Looting has also been an issue, as has property damage, and on Tuesday evening Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass instituted a citywide curfew. In a rare intraparty dissent, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized his own party this week for failing to adequately condemn the violence in Los Angeles. “This is anarchy and true chaos,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said in a Monday post on X alongside a picture of cars that had been destroyed by fire. “My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings and assaulting law enforcement.” “I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations and immigration,” Fetterman added. “But this is not that.”