Top 10 Headlines: MVA govt to face floor-test on June 30; Udaipur beheading probe and more

Maharashtra Guv writes to Uddhav Thackeray, asks him to prove majority in floor test

Amidst the amplifying political turmoil, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking him to prove his majority in the assembly session tomorrow. In the letter, the Governor has informed the CM that a special session of the Vidhan Sabha will be convened for a floor test at 11 AM on June 30 wherein a trust vote will be carried out against him. Governor Koshyari has also flagged concern over the political scenario unfolding in Maharashtra currently and called it 'very disturbing'. 

Read the full story here

Udaipur beheading: MHA directs NIA to take over case, international links to be probed

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli who was beheaded in Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday. The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated, the MHA said on Wednesday.

Read the full story here

Udaipur Beheading: Kanhaiya Sought Security Days Before Murder, Police Complaint Accessed

Days before the gruesome murder of a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur, the victim had approached the police, claiming a threat to his life by some members of a community who took objection to his social media post. In a complaint letter to the Udaipur police, which has been accessed by Republic, Kanhaiya Lal claimed that ever since his son mistakenly shared a controversial post using his phone, a few men began conducting a recce near his shop.

Read the full story here

Mamata Banerjee calls Agniveers 'BJP workers'; avers job priority to State's youth first

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee slammed the Agnipath scheme of military recruitment and said that the Central Government is giving lollipops ahead of the 2024 elections.

Addressing people in Asansol, CM Mamata Banerjee said, "They set the country on fire for Agnipath and cleverly put the army in front. But do you know what they are doing? They wrote a letter to the state government. I have received a letter, one of my colonel brothers has written and urged to give jobs to Agniveers after 4 years. They want me to give jobs to the BJP workers." She further stated that she would give jobs priority to the youths of the state over Agniveers. "But why would we take your sins. You are only taking them for four years and then dumping them on the state government... Just remember, we have many young people in the state who want jobs and we will give them the first priority," Mamata Banerjee said.

Read the full story here

Eknath Shinde camp to move to Goa ahead of floor test, '173 votes with us' says rebel MLA

In a big development pertaining to the political situation in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde will fly to Goa on June 29 and from there they will head to Mumbai on June 30 ahead of the floor test.

Speaking exclusively to Republic, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat announced that the group led by Eknath Shinde will fly to Goa today (June 29) by 01:00 PM. As per the sources, about 71 rooms have been booked at the Taj convention hotel in the state of Goa. 

Read the full story here

Congress miffed over Anil Parab's call to rename Aurangabad, accuse Sena of 'double game'

Shiv Sena's call to rename Aurangabad in the midst of an internal political rebellion has not sat well with its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress and NCP. According to sources, a meeting was held by the Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday morning chaired by senior party leader and state minister Ashok Chavan at his bungalow. 

Read the full story here

Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced for 20 years for helping Epstein in abusing young girls

UK former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday for running a pyramid scheme of “grooming” young girls for convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to abuse. However, the 60-year-old maintained her innocence in the New York sex trafficking case. 

Read the full story here

Russian pilots talk about launching airstrikes on Ukraine from Belarusian airspace: Report

Belarusian media has published the transcripts of intercepted conversations between Russian military pilots and dispatchers on June 25 when Moscow launched missiles from Belarus’ airspace. Ukrayinska Pravda cited the transcripts published by Belarusian journalist Anton Motolko which revealed Russian pilots discussing how they are launching missiles from their planes on Ukraine as the war between Moscow and Kyiv continues for over four months. 

Read the full story here

UK says Russia’s inability to conduct long range strikes led to casualties in Kremenchuk

On June 29, the UK MoD claimed that Russia's inability to conduct long-range strikes resulted in casualties at the shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. According to a recent intelligence update from the UK's defence ministry, the missile that hit the Kremenchuk shopping centre was likely intended for a nearby target.

Read the full story here

In Argentina, fuel shortage and rising food prices spark protests and social unrest

In the wake of fuel shortage and rising prices across South America, police in Argentina obstructed a significant entry point to the capital's centre to prevent a group of angry truckers from joining a downtown protest. According to an Associated Press report, Argentina is just one of many South American nations experiencing repercussions from rising gasoline costs, which are mostly due to Russia's conflict in Ukraine.  

Read the full story here