Breaking News Highlights: 17 Die In Lightning Strikes In Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar Expresses Grief

Breaking News Highlights: Follow this page for all the updates and Breaking News from India and around the world.

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Breaking News Highlights: Hello and welcome to the ABP News LIVE Blog. Follow this space to get the latest developments and breaking news from India, including protests over Centre's Agnipath scheme, Congress protest at Jantar Mantar, Haryana Civic Polls, Covid's latest update, Monkeypox and other developing stories across the country and abroad.Protests Over Agnipath Scheme Intensify, Trains Cancelled, Several ArrestedProtestors continued to target railway properties in Bihar and West Bengal on Saturday to vent their ire against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme disrupting train services in the eastern region for the fourth day in a row, while demonstrations were held on roads in Odisha and Jharkhand.In Bihar, protestors torched the Taregana railway station in Patna district and a GRP vehicle while several law enforcers were injured in stone-throwing in Jehanabad when a bandh was also called to press for the demand for rollback of the new scheme for recruitment in armed forces.In Jharkhand, demonstrations were held at Dhanbad and Morabadi in Ranchi while security was intensified in the state BJP headquarters with the deployment of RAF personnel, officials said.Congress To Protest Against Agnipath Scheme On Jantar Mantar TodayCongress will start agitation union government for introducing Agnipath scheme for the recruitment in armed forces at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Sunday. "Congress is starting a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Sunday against the Agnipath scheme," Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said."No soldier will come out well trained if aspirants of armed forces are given training for four years and then make them retire," Kharge said.Haryana Municipal Polls To Take Place TodayPolling to Haryana's 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils will be held on Sunday. The results will be declared on June 22.While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are fighting these polls on party symbols, the Congress is not fighting the election on the party symbol, but many Congress members have entered the fray as Independents.According to officials, the polling will be held for the seats of President and members of all wards of 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils.PM Modi To Launch Torch Relay For 44th Chess Olympiad TodayPrime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad on June 19, flagging off the relay at 5 PM from Indira Gandhi Stadium, Delhi. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich will hand over the torch to PM Modi, who in turn will hand it over to Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.Starting from the national capital, the historic Olympiad Torch Relay will travel across the country (75 cities in 40 days) before reaching its destination-Mahabalipuram on July 27.

19/06/2022 23:14:38

Breaking News LIVE: Over 200 Killed In Attack On Ethnic Amhara In Ethiopia's Oromia Region, Says Report

19/06/2022 22:56:58

Breaking News LIVE: 17 Die In Lightning Strikes In Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar Expresses Grief

19/06/2022 21:50:17

Breaking News LIVE: 5th T20I Between India, South Africa Officially Called Off Due To Rain

19/06/2022 21:29:52

Breaking News LIVE: Meghalaya CM Sangma Visits Lumshong To Take Stock Of Damage After Landslide

19/06/2022 21:12:01

Breaking News LIVE: MHA Bans 35 WhatsApp Groups For Spreading Fake News On Agnipath Scheme

19/06/2022 20:18:18

Breaking News LIVE: 8 People Dead, Over 37 Lakh Affected By Flood, Landslide In Assam

19/06/2022 18:54:23

Breaking News LIVE: US Recession Not 'Inevitable,' Says Treasury Secretary

19/06/2022 15:31:38

Breaking News LIVE: 'No Rollback Of Agnipath Scheme' Says Lt Gen Anil Puri

19/06/2022 14:49:05

Breaking News LIVE: 'Agniveers' To Get Rs 1 Cr Compensation For Sacrificing Life For Nation

'Agniveers' will get a compensation for Rs 1 crore if he sacrifices his life in service of the nation: Lt Gen Anil Puri

19/06/2022 13:38:56

Breaking News LIVE: PM Modi Calls On President Kovind At Rashtrapati Bhavan Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan

19/06/2022 13:29:01

Breaking News LIVE | Bihar Is Burning, Nitish And Opposition Busy Blaming Each Other: Prashant Kishore

"For Agnipath, there should be agitation, not violence and sabotage. The people of Bihar are bearing the brunt of the conflict between JDU (Janata Dal United) and BJP. Bihar is burning and the leaders of both the parties are busy sparring and counter-alleging each other instead of solving the matter," Prashant Kishore tweeted.

19/06/2022 12:52:42

Breaking News LIVE: Delhi Bound SpiceJet Flight Returns To Patna Airport After Engine Issues

A Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight returned to Patna airport after engine issues in the aircraft: Airport official

19/06/2022 12:29:26

Breaking News LIVE: Meeting Between Defence Minister And Three Service Chiefs Conclude

The meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the three Services chiefs concludes.

19/06/2022 12:27:49

Breaking News LIVE: Finance Ministry Asks Employees To Opt For 'Cheapest Fare Available' While Booking Tickets]

The Finance Ministry has asked government employees to opt for 'cheapest fare available' on their entitled travel class and book air tickets at least three weeks prior to their date of travel for tours and LTC, as it looks to cut down on unnecessary expenditure.

The Ministry further said that employees should book only one ticket for each leg of intended travel, make bookings even if approval of the tour programme is under process and also avoid "unnecessary cancellations".

Government employees are currently required to purchase air tickets only from three authorised travel agents -- Balmer Lawrie & Co, Ashok Travel & Tours and IRCTC.

Any booking made within less than 72 hours of intended travel on tour or any cancellation made less than 24 hours before intended travel will require the submission of self-declared justification by the employee, as per the modified instructions regarding booking of air tickets on the government account.

19/06/2022 11:58:16

Breaking News LIVE: Lt General Anil Puri To Address Presser On Agnipath Scheme

Department of Military Affairs Additional Secretary Lt General Anil Puri to address a press conference in South Block today on the issue of Agniveer recruitment scheme

19/06/2022 11:31:45

Breaking News LIVE: Agnipath Protests Trigger Fresh Friction Between Allies BJP, JD

The protests against the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme that envisages recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis, triggered a fresh war of words between the two ruling allies - the BJP and the JD(U) - with the former holding the Nitish Kumar government responsible for its "inability to stop attacks" on the residences of saffron party leaders.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Bihar's BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, whose house was vandalised by 'Agnipath' protesters, criticised the state government, alleging that its effort was "inadequate" to stop violent protests in the state.

He held Nitish Kumar-led coalition government responsible for what he termed as targeted attacks on BJP leaders in the state.

"When protestors attacked my house in Bettiah district on Friday, we called the fire brigade...they said fire tenders would come only if the local administration allows it," a visibly upset Jaiswal told reporters.

19/06/2022 11:26:12

Breaking News LIVE: Police and RAF Personnel Deployed At Jantar Mantar Ahead Of Congress Protest

Delhi | Police and Rapid Action Force personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar ahead of the 'Satyagrah' protest of the Congress party against the 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme for enrolment in the Indian Armed Forces.

19/06/2022 10:39:06

Breaking News LIVE: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project

Delhi | PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project. The project built at a cost of more than Rs 920 crores aims to provide hassle-free and smooth access to the exhibition and convention centre being developed at Pragati Maidan.

19/06/2022 10:16:13

Breaking News LIVE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh To Meet 3 Services Chiefs Amid Chaos Over Agnipath Scheme

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to meet the three Services chiefs today at 1015 hours amid the ongoing row over the Agnipath scheme: Government sources

19/06/2022 09:47:39

Breaking News LIVE: MHA Grants E-Visas To 100 Sikhs & Hindus In Afghanistan Following Kabul Attack

Following the Kabul attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has granted e-visas to over 100 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan on priority: Government sources

19/06/2022 09:38:26

Breaking News LIVE | Indian Parliamentarians Fulfilled Constitutional Duties During Covid: Om Birla

During Covid19, when most parliaments in the world were operating in virtual mode, the Indian Parliamentarians fulfilled their constitutional duties by taking part in physical sessions. Lok Sabha productivity has been the highest in the last 3 years: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

19/06/2022 09:06:02

Breaking News LIVE: 8 Trains Cancelled, 6 Rescheduled In East Central Zone Due To Agitation Against Aginipath

Due to ongoing students' agitation, eight trains cancelled, six trains have been rescheduled in the zone: East Central Railway

19/06/2022 07:47:14

Breaking News LIVE: Delhi Sikh Body Condemns Terror Attack On Kabul's Gurudwara

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Saturday condemned a terror attack on a gurdwara in Kabul and urged the Centre to take up the issue in the United Nations General Assembly.

Several blasts were reported near the Gurdwara Karte Parwan on Saturday, in the latest targeting of a place of worship of a minority community in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. India has slammed the "cowardly attack" and said it is closely monitoring the situation.

Addressing a press conference here, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and General Secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon said it is highly condemnable that terrorists targeted the gurdwara, killed its guard and injured many pilgrims.

Noting that such incidents are repeatedly happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan in which minority communities are being targeted and their holy shrines are being wiped out, they said it is a "clear violation" of human rights of the minority communities in these countries.

19/06/2022 07:44:31

Breaking News LIVE: Flood Situation In Assam

Flood situation in Assam’s Chirang district remains grim with thousands of people affected.

19/06/2022 07:17:05

Breaking News LIVE: AAP RS MP Raghav Chadha Writes To Rajnath Singh, Appeals To Roll Back Agnipath Scheme

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha writes to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, appeals him to "immediately" roll back Agnipath scheme and resume regular process of recruitment for defence services