NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||19/06/2026.

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||19/06/2026.

FRIDAY| VOL—IV/2026/JUNE

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

न गतं कर्तुं कश्चिद् धनवान्,

परिश्रमेण तु भविष्यं लभ्यते।

No one is rich enough to buy the past;

but with effort, the future can be won.

INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA,

 VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST,

 INDIA TODAY).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared at the G7 Summit session that for India, AI stands for "All Inclusive" and must remain strictly human-centric. He called for global cooperation to design "safe-by-design" technology, combat deepfakes, and establish international safety standards.

PM Modi met with Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch in Paris to secure partnerships that localize cloud infrastructure and transfer technology IP to Indian companies.

US President Joe Biden praised PM Modi as a "tough negotiator" during strategic bilateral dialogues covering trade, energy, and Défense.

India and the Netherlands successfully concluded their 4th Cyber Dialogue, shifting focus toward mutual AI governance and tackling cross-border cybercrime.

Jewar Airport’s recent launch is driving a massive influx of corporate investments and creating thousands of local jobs across the Delhi-NCR region.

The Uddhav Thackeray camp faces severe defection buzz as six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs skipped a crucial high-level meeting in Delhi.

A prominent BJP leader was burnt alive alongside two others following an aggressive sand mining clash in Chhattisgarh.

Mizoram’s ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM)  secured its first-ever representation in the Rajya Sabha as party leader K. Laltluangkima won the election to the lone upper house seat from the state.

The Government of India approved ₹22 crore in financial assistance for nine startups under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The support forms the first tranche of the mission’s ₹100 crore startup assistance programme.

Eleven schools from Uttar Pradesh were selected in the Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating 2025-26 on 17 June 2026. The national list included 191 schools across India, and the rating was conducted by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union Ministry of Education.

The Malta-flagged LNG carrier Disha, carrying over 62,300 metric tons of LNG, crossed the Strait of Hormuz and proceeded for docking at the port of Dahej. The vessel was officially assisted by the Indian government as part of ongoing inter-ministerial coordination efforts.

BENGAL FILES:

Bengal's news today is dominated by a major political conflict over Artificial Intelligence and the state's electoral rolls. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are clashing over the use of AI tools during voter verification (SIR - Special Intensive Revision), with mutual allegations of AI-driven manipulation and deepfake misuse.

Amidst a broader internal crisis and rebellion within the TMC following recent setbacks, Arup Biswas, a former minister and treasurer of TMC,  wrote a letter to HDFC Bank demanding a freeze on the TMC's party accounts. He cited a loss of authorized control over party assets. TMC leadership contested this, stating he was removed from the treasurer post.

Ritabrata as LoP, and rebel MLAs of TMC are opposition. High Court decided not to interfere with Speaker’s ruling.  

CM Bengal proposed to revive ‘EASTERN FRONTIER RIFFLES’.

Eight arrested for bid to storm Falta police station, to free TMC’s Jahangir Khan; CM  vows stringent action. Police have named his wife as the alleged mastermind behind the plan. BUT I THINK IT WAS PLANNED IN KALIGHAT.

In my opinion, Central Force shall stay at least a fortnight more in Bengal.

WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a six‑month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe, sharply criticizing NATO allies for failing to provide access to bases during the Iran conflict and warning that Washington’s future commitment will hinge on Europe assuming primary responsibility for its own defense.

Ukraine executed its largest drone raid on Moscow since the war began, setting a major oil refinery on fire and forcing the temporary grounding of flights in the Russian capital.

The United Arab Emirates has banned social media use for children under the age of 15.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) will host the First BRICS MSME Forum and the Third SME Working Group Meeting in Agra today under the theme, Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.

 A court in Pakistan  directed authorities to arrange a meeting between former prime minister Imran Khan, his spouse Bushra Bibi and their legal counsel within seven days. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) passed the order while hearing appeals challenging their conviction in the 190 million British Pound Al-Qadir Trust case.

Bangladesh’s measles outbreak continues to worsen, with five more children dying from measles and measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours leading up to yesterday morning, taking the total death toll to 666.

In an unprecedented historical shift, Cuba's Communist Party has approved measures to open up its economy.  With this, last Bastion of orthodox communism has fallen.

GULF WAR.

Agreement signed. The memo had ⁠been signed digitally ⁠on Sunday by Vice President JD ⁠Vance and Iran’s ⁠chief ⁠negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and witnessed by ‌Trump, the official said.

Iran’s defensive capabilities and missile programmes remain completely off the table. Baghaei stated that the country’s missiles are only for being fired, not for negotiation, and that Tehran will not discuss its defence assets in any process or with any party.

Negotiating team reaching Geneva today.

Trump says the ongoing 60-day negotiation period, during which both sides are supposed to reach a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme, is not a hard deadline.

Trump has threatened to “bomb the hell out of” Iran if the country fails to comply with the memorandum of understanding.

HORMUZ opened. Stranded ships & tankers started crossing the Strait.

“Netanyahu is playing – politically and diplomatically – with his back to the wall,”---- “If he will accept the American diktat, it will [set] a precedent, because Netanyahu kept saying he was the only leader who could say no to the president of the United States.”

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Ram Kumar Singh, an IAS officer and the then Commissioner of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation, in connection with a case involving the misappropriation of the corporation’s public funds.

In Punjab, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh Zonal Unit and Chandigarh Police, in a joint operation, have arrested a practicing advocate with drugs from Kharar in Mohali. He was part of a drug trafficking network with links to a Pakistan-based drug syndicate. 

The Central District Police of Delhi have busted an interstate child trafficking racket and arrested 13 accused persons in the case. Five infants have been rescued during the operation.

Hardcore woman Maoist Pushpa Mahato, carrying a bounty of 10 lakh rupees, surrendered before Kolkata Police in West Bengal after laying down her arms following 21 years of insurgency.

MISHAPS: -

A fatal head-on collision between three vehicles on Sathy Road near Annur (Tamil Nadu) resulted in 2 deaths and 7 injuries.

In a road accident in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, seven people lost their lives. All the deceased were residents of the same village, including three real brothers and a married couple. The victims comprised four men and three women.

In southeast Delhi, a 40-year-old man was shot and wounded by an unknown assailant in a park within the Nizamuddin area.

In Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)  a young man climbed an 11 kV electric pole and accidentally came into contact with a high-voltage live wire, and charred to death.

WEATHER:

The current weather conditions and forecasts vary significantly across the country:

Northwest India & Rajasthan: Thunderstorms, lightning, and strong gusty winds are expected. Western Rajasthan continues to face squally winds.

Northeast & East India: An orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall is active across Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya.

Central & South Peninsula: Heatwave conditions and hot, humid weather persist in parts of Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana.

TECHNOLOGY:

Reliance Industries is officially structuring a corporate "manifesto" to fully transition into the world's first AI-native mega-conglomerate.

NIBE Limited has successfully demonstrated its Garudastra 120mm vehicle‑mounted mortar system to the Indian Army at the Infantry School in Mhow, showcasing rapid shoot‑and‑scoot manoeuvres, high‑volume firepower, precision GPS‑ and laser‑guided strikes, and Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) capability.

GAMES & SPORTS:

FIFA World Cup 2026: Group stage matches continue with Switzerland routing Bosnia 4-1, South Africa holding Czechia to a 1-1 draw, and Ghana defeating Panama.

India clinched an ODI series victory over Afghanistan, highlighted by centuries from Gill and Kishan, and dominated the Netherlands in the Women's T20 World Cup.

Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma creates the history as she become the joint-highest wicket-taker in international women’s cricket.

Hockey: The men’s team achieved a historic 3-1 win against Germany in the FIH Pro League.  India defeated Uruguay 3-2 to register their third consecutive win and finish on top of Pool A in the FIH Women’s Nations Cup in New Zealand yesterday.

India’s Minakshi Hooda advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Cup 2026 in Guiyang, China, today. Minakshi secured a convincing 5-0 victory over Poland’s Natalia Kuczewska in the women’s 51kg round of 16 bout.

Arjun Erigaisi defeated Magnus Carlsen in chess, and Neeraj Chopra returns to action in Doha.

 DAS KAPITAL:

*USD*  ₹ 96/-*Euro* : ₹ 110/-*China¥* : ₹ 14/-

The Indian stock market indices closed in positive territory on June 18, 2026, marking the fifth consecutive session of gains. The BSE Sensex rose by 254.36 points (0.33%) to settle at 77,409.98, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 82.30 points (0.34%) to close at 24,168.00.

Gold Prices: (24 Karat)10 Grams: ₹1,50,148 ||| Silver :1 Kilogram: ₹2,47,688/-

HISTORIC EVENT:

Goa Revolution Day (also known as Kranti Din) is observed every year on June 18 to commemorate the historic uprising of 1946 against Portuguese rule. It honors the day when Indian socialist leader Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Goan campaigner Julião Menezes sparked the Goan independence movement in Margao.

Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao paid tribute to Goa’s freedom fighters on the occasion of Goa Revolution Day, recalling their sacrifices and contributions to the state’s liberation struggle.

THE END.