Midday News -

THE HEADLINES:

18 Maoists killed in encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
Punjab Police removes protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri borders; Haryana Police starts removing cemented barricades.
Registration begins for Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
Parsi New Year festival Navroz being celebrated today.
US Federal Reserve keeps interest rate unchanged.
BCCI announces cash reward of 58 crore rupees for Team India following their victory at ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
And, Khelo India Para Games to begin in New Delhi this afternoon.

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In Chhattisgarh, 18 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district today. A jawan of the District Reserve Group – DRG has also been martyred in this incident.

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Punjab Police has removed protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Punjab Police also resumed its operation to dismantle the remaining temporary structures on the Punjab side of the Shambhu border to clear the road.

Haryana Police has also started removing cemented barricades, which were erected to prevent the Punjab farmers from heading to Delhi. At the Shambhu border, JCB and other machines have been deployed to remove the concrete blocks to clear the Shambhu-Ambala road, which remained closed for over a year.

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In Punjab, industrialists and the general public have welcomed the eviction of farmers by the state government from Shambhu and Khanauri check points with Haryana, last evening. Ludhiana based Badish Jindal, President, World MSME Forum, while welcoming the decision to open the checkpoints said that the state was incurring 1,500 Crore rupees losses every month and the business was decreased from 15 to 20 per cent.

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Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary today said that the central government is committed for the welfare of farmers and it has taken a series of measures for them since 2014. Talking to reporters outside the Parliament, Mr Choudhary highlighted that the government has implemented PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and increased the MSP of crops.

On eviction of farmers from the protesting site at Shambhu and Khanauri borders by the Punjab government, the Minister criticized the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and Congress. The Minister rejected opposition’s allegation that Centre has removed the protesting farmers from protesting sites.

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Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 PM following DMK and some other opposition MPs protest over proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies. In the Lok Sabha, when the House met after first adjournment at 12 Noon, DMK MPs were again seen wearing T-Shirts in protest of proposed delimitation. The Presiding Officer objected to the attire of protesting members. The DMK MPs and Congress members created noisy scenes leading to adjournment of the House till 2 PM. In the morning, when the House met for the day, it was adjourned till 12 Noon following Speaker Om Birla’s objection to the attire of DMK MPs who were wearing T-Shirts in protest of proposed delimitation. Mr. Birla said he will not allow the violation of rules asking the opposition members not to wear T-shirts with slogans. He urged them to leave the House. But DMK and some other opposition MPs created noisy scenes.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed three adjournments over the issue.

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Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has alleged that the DMK is raising the issue of proposed delimitation in Parliament to hide its failure in Tamil Nadu. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Joshi said that the central government will not allow injustice to South India. He said that the delimitation exercise will take place after the census.

Meanwhile, DMK MPs held a protest over the issue of delimitation inside Parliament premises. Talking to the media, party MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said that the party is insisting on fair delimitation. She said, DMK wants clarification from the Central government over the issue as the proposed delimitation will undermine the interest of Southern States including Tamil Nadu.

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Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, launching ground operations in central and southern areas just a day after airstrikes killed at least 400 Palestinians, making it one of the deadliest episodes since the conflict began in October 2023.

According to local reports, more than 70 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in predawn Israeli attacks. Airstrikes struck northern and southern Gaza early today, with at least 71 fatalities reported.

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US Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged in the 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent range. The American central bank also indicated that two quarter-point interest-rate cuts are likely later this year. The Fed Reserve hiked its projection of US inflation for 2025 and downgraded the US economic growth forecast.

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Registration for the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has begun. This year, registrations will be Aadhaar authenticated, and devotees will be required to provide their Aadhaar card details during registration. Of the total registrations, 60 per cent will be conducted online, while 40 per cent will be offline, ensuring that pilgrims face no difficulties. To facilitate this process, the number of registration centers along the travel routes, including Haridwar and Rishikesh, will be increased. Pilgrims can register online at registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in. To enhance convenience for the devotees, the tourism department has started the online registration process 40 days ahead of the journey this year.

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The Parsi New Year festival – Navroz is being celebrated today. The festival, which is seen as a harbinger of peace and prosperity, is the most widely celebrated festival of the Parsi community. Besides celebrations, Navroz is also the day of repentance. The day is dedicated to clean and purify the mind and start a new year with love and peace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted people on this occasion.

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The 2nd edition of Khelo India Para Games will begin at the K.D. Jadhav Hall of I.G. Stadium in New Delhi this afternoon. Live streaming of the grand opening ceremony will be available on Prasar Bharti Sports YouTube channel.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today announced a cash reward of 58 crore rupees for Team India following their triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The BCCI said this financial recognition honours the players, coaching and support staff and members of the Men’s Selection Committee.

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The Benchmark domestic equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, were trading over one percent up in the afternoon trade today bolstered by positive global cues and buying across all sectors. The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 842 points to 76,291 and the NSE Nifty50 rose 262 points to 23,169, when reports last came in.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

18 Maoists killed in encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
Punjab Police removes protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri borders; Haryana Police starts removing cemented barricades.
Registration begins for Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
Parsi New Year festival Navroz being celebrated today.
US Federal Reserve keeps interest rate unchanged.
BCCI announces cash reward of 58 crore rupees for Team India following their victory at ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
And, Khelo India Para Games to begin in New Delhi this afternoon.