Breaking News Live June 8: Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea for first visit in 7 years

UP govt to form Specialised Rescue Group (SRG) on NDRF lines for disaster response

Bombay High Court quashes Centre’s 2012 one-time spectrum charge on telecom firms, sets aside demand notices

The Bombay High Court has quashed the Centre’s 2012 decision to impose a one-time spectrum charge on telecom companies and set aside related demand notices issued to operators.

SC refuses urgent hearing on status report related to illegal constructions in Delhi

The Supreme Court refused to accord an urgent hearing on a status report, filed by a court-appointed amicus curiae, seeking a direction to MCD to file an affidavit indicating survey conducted and action taken against illegal and unauthorised constructions in the national capital.

The urgent intervention has been sought following the collapse of an allegedly illegally constructed five-storey building in Delhi's Saidulajab area that claimed six lives and injured at least 14 people on May 30.

A partial working day bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Atul S Chandurkar was urged by senior advocate and amicus curiae Ajit Sinha that the matter be listed for an urgent hearing and passing an order. “Mentioning rejected. No orders are required to be passed,” the bench said in the order.

Man arrested for raping minor niece in Lucknow

A 32-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly raping his minor niece in the Banthara area in Lucknow, police said.
In a complaint on Sunday, the victim's mother said that her daughter had gone to her maternal uncle's house a few days ago, where the accused, Omkar, raped the minor.

The accused had also allegedly assaulted her wife before committing the heinous crime.

Following the incident, the accused has absconded, but was later arrested by police on Monday near Narayanpur intersection.

A case was registered against him under sections 65 (punishment for rape in certain cases) and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the BNS and the POCSO Act.

During the interrogation, Omkar allegedly admitted his involvement in the incident. Further investigation is underway, the police added.

India seeks safeguard against future US tariffs in trade deal talks

India will seek assurances from the US that no additional tariffs will be imposed on Indian exports after the proposed bilateral trade agreement comes into effect, a trade official said, as reported by Reuters.

Verification and re-evaluation window remained fully functional, 1.6 lakh candidates submitted requests: CBSE

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday said that the application window for verification and re-evaluation remained fully functional from June 2 to June 7, during which more than 1.6 lakh candidates successfully submitted requests for answer books.
CBSE and Coempt EduTeck had faced criticism after vulnerabilities were reported in the On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal used for scanning and evaluating board examination answer sheets.

However, the board clarified that the portal remained functional under the supervision of government technical agencies and teams from the IITs.

CBSE posted on X, "The Application Window for Verification and Re-evaluation remained fully functional throughout the notified period from 2 June 2026 to 7 June 2026 under the supervision and management of government technical agencies and teams from the IITs. During the above application period, more than 1.6 lakh candidates successfully submitted requests pertaining to over 3.8 lakh answer books, reflecting the extensive utilisation of the services by the candidates."

"The system remained under continuous monitoring by dedicated cybersecurity teams throughout the operational period to prevent malicious traffic and cyber threats. Dedicated CBSE teams also provided proactive support to students submitting their applications, through its helpdesk and grievance redressal channels," the board stated.

The CBSE also clarified that only those candidates who had applied for their scanned answer books during the Answer Books Photocopy stage were eligible to avail the verification of issues observed and re-evaluation of answers.

Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea; set to meet Kim Jong Un

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday for a rare state visit that experts say is likely meant to reassert China’s unique influence over North Korea in return for providing economic and political benefits.

China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju welcomed Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan upon their arrival at Pyongyang’s international airport. Xinhua said the two leaders shook hands.

During a two-day trip, his first visit to North Korea in seven years, Xi is expected to hold a summit with Kim. It will be their first meeting since September, when they met in Beijing after viewing a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders.

At least 7 killed in PoK clashes

At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between police and members of a banned protest group in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), officials said on Monday.

The clashes broke out in the city of Rawalkot, AFP reported.

Commissioner Sardar Waheed, Rawalkot’s top civilian official, said three civilians were killed and 40 others were wounded in the violence.

In a separate statement, police confirmed that four officers were killed and 23 others injured in the incident.

Russia's Volgograd region under drone attack: Governor

Drones attack pipeline pumping station in Russia’s Volgograd region, governor says.

Kerala minister's brother resigns to avoid 'nepotism controversy'

Kerala electricity minister Sunny Joseph on Monday said that his brother-in-law resigned as his personal staff to avoid controversy following allegations of nepotism by the opposition.

Congress leader Benny Thomas, who is Joseph’s brother-in-law, had been appointed as his Additional Private Secretary after the UDF came to power.

Following criticism from the opposition, Thomas submitted his resignation to the chief minister VD Satheesan on Sunday.

Heavy rain alerts continue across Kerala as monsoon remains active

The southwest monsoon remained active in Kerala on Monday and orange and yellow alerts remain in force across the state, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, indicating the possibility of isolated very heavy rainfall of 11 cm to 20 cm.

A yellow alert has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad districts. The alert indicates a likelihood of isolated heavy rainfall of 6 cm to 11 cm.

For Tuesday, IMD has issued an orange alert for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, while a yellow alert has been sounded for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts.

The Met department has also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea as squally weather, with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph, is likely to prevail along and off the Kerala coast.

For Monday, the IMD issued a three-hour orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram district, warning of isolated moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds reaching speeds of up to 50 kmph.

BJP announces candidates for Rajya Sabha polls

The BJP has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, fielding M Nagaraja from Karnataka and Mahesh Kewat from Madhya Pradesh.

The party also named Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya as its candidates for Karnataka Legislative Council elections.

The BJP's central election committee has approved the names of these candidates, party national general secretary Arun Singh said in a notification.

The Rajya Sabha polls for 24 seats in 10 states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Manipur and Karnataka, will be held on June 18.


Election to the Karnataka Legislative Council is also due to be held on June 18.

'Election loss forced Mamata Banerjee to attend': West Bengal minister ahead of INDIA bloc meeting

Ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh called the alliance "non-existent," pointing out the differences between Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Ghosh noted that former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been "forced" to attend the INDIA bloc meeting after the TMC "collapsed" and lost the assembly elections.

The BJP leader said, "The alliance is non-existent. Mamata Banerjee never used to attend any meeting of it, but now she is forced to. Her own party MLAs and MPs are not with her. No MLA, MP, or councillors are active; they don't even come to their respective offices. Such is the condition of TMC, collapsed the moment it got removed from power."

West Bengal BJP has questioned the unity among the INDIA bloc parties as the TMC and Congress stood against each other in the electoral contest in the state.

Xi Jinping leaves for first North Korea visit in 7 years

Chinese President Xi Jinping departed for Pyongyang on Monday in his first visit in seven years, a trip likely meant to reassert China’s unique influence over North Korea in return for providing economic and political benefits.

China's official Xinhua news agency described Xi's trip as a state visit and his entourage includes his wife Peng Liyuan and top officials including Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

During his two-day stay, Xi is to meet leader Kim Jong Un. It will be their first summit since September in Beijing after attending a military parade with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders.

No specific agenda has been mentioned. Foreign experts predict the meeting will have big ramifications on bilateral ties and beyond, as they both seek to fully restore their traditional alliance in the face of separate confrontations with the U.S.

“A Chinese leader doesn’t just visit North Korea because a visit is due. Xi’s trip will have real implications for China-DPRK relations,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s full name.

Trump floods Truth Social with AI-generated images ahead of midterm elections

US President Donald Trump is reportedly flooding his Truth Social feed with AI-generated imagery, ranging from depictions of him as a military commander to fantastical scenes involving extraterrestrials and political symbolism, in what analysts describe as an effort to dominate the attention economy ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, news agency AFP reported.

The posts include stylised and often exaggerated visuals, such as Trump riding alongside historical figures like George Washington, appearing beside race cars, or towering over geopolitical territories like Greenland with captions such as “Hello, Greenland!”. Some images have also shown him in militaristic or messianic portrayals, including one now-deleted post depicting him as Jesus Christ.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledges broader use of semiconductor tax surplus, AI push

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Monday said the gains from business success should be shared more widely across society, adding that the government will devise a plan to effectively use surplus tax revenues generated from the country’s semiconductor sector.

Lee made the remarks during a news conference marking one year in office. He noted that he came to power after a political crisis that saw the ouster of his predecessor following a failed attempt to impose martial law, and said his administration aims to move the country beyond simply overcoming challenges to its democracy.

The president also pledged to make South Korea the first country to fully integrate artificial intelligence across industries. He further said Seoul should position itself as a preferred partner for nations seeking self-reliance in defence capabilities.

NCP led by Sunetra Pawar nominates Rajendra Jain for June 18 Rajya Sabha bypoll

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, has nominated senior party leader Rajendra Jain as its candidate for the June 18 Rajya Sabha by-election.

The decision was announced by the party leadership ahead of the scheduled poll, marking Jain’s entry into the contest for the Upper House seat.

Delhi CM assures Uttarakhand CM of impartial probe into Malviya Nagar fire tragedy

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta assured Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of a fair, impartial and transparent investigation into the Malviya Nagar fire tragedy during a phone conversation initiated by Dhami.

The Uttarakhand CM had called Rekha Gupta to express concern over the incident and its handling. In response, Gupta said that the matter is being investigated thoroughly and in accordance with due process.

The Delhi government stated that all aspects of the fire incident are under detailed examination, including the cause of the blaze and any possible lapses. Officials said the probe aims to ensure accountability wherever required.

Rekha Gupta reiterated that her government is committed to a comprehensive and transparent inquiry and that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

BJP announces candidates for Rajya Sabha, Karnataka Legislative Council biennial polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its candidates for the 2026 biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, as well as the biennial Karnataka Legislative Council elections.

According to a statement issued by the party's Central Election Committee (CEC), Mahesh Kewat has been nominated as the BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha election from Madhya Pradesh. In Karnataka, the party has fielded Prof. (Dr.) M. Nagaraja for the Rajya Sabha poll.

For the biennial Karnataka Legislative Council elections, the BJP has nominated Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya as its candidates.

The list of candidates was approved by the BJP's Central Election Committee and announced through an official press release issued by the party headquarters on June 7.