Daily brief of Bharat-centric happenings and beyond!
Published at 8PM IST on 2026-06-19.
Good morning, I am Joy. Here are the latest headlines.
India's first indigenous warhead for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile will be delivered from Nagpur by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited this Thursday. This coincides with the handover of the company's 100th missile booster. The warhead will go to the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh for trials before military induction.
Regarding trade, the India-UK Free Trade Agreement takes effect on July 15. Tariffs will drop on British cars, medical devices, soft drinks, and cosmetics. Additionally, UK whisky tariffs will fall from 150% to 75%, and eventually to 40% over ten years, while import duties on electric vehicles could also decrease.
In global markets, Japan's Nikkei has surged past 71,000 for the first time since 1950, adding over 1,400 points. This follows eased tensions after the US and Iran signed an MoU to end the ongoing war. Japan has also introduced a bill to regulate cryptocurrency like stocks to drive market growth.
In Jharkhand, BJP-backed independent Parimal Nathwani won the Rajya Sabha election after cross-voting. Nathwani received 28 votes, despite the BJP-led NDA tally being only 24. Of the three invalid votes, two were cast by BJP MLAs and one by a Congress legislator. JMM's Baidyanath Ram secured the other seat.
In Varanasi, railways have issued a notice to vacate the Ganj Shaheeda mosque near Kashi station by June 20 for an expansion and anti-encroachment project. The Intajamia Masjid Committee has called the notice illegal and plans to challenge it in court.
Finally, in Ladakh, phones near the Line of Actual Control have been observed switching to China Standard Time. Experts believe strong Chinese telecom signals overrode local networks via automatic settings, highlighting border connectivity challenges.
That concludes our news briefing. Thank you for listening. I am Joy