Three dead in Kolkata under-construction warehouse collapseThree people died after an under-construction warehouse in Kolkata’s Taratala area collapsed on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) afternoon. Eighteen workers are trapped under the structure. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari reached the accident site along with a few Ministers from his Cabinet. “All the agencies are working together. We have rescued 21 persons, of whom three have died,” Mr. Adhikari told media persons at the accident site. About 18 people are still trapped inside, contact has been established between them and rescue personnel, he said.India, U.S. conclude two-day trade talks; review core elements of bilateral pactIndia and the U.S. reviewed the progress in negotiations for an interim bilateral trade agreement during a two-day ministerial meeting and discussed core elements, including market access, digital trade and non-tariff barriers, as both countries aim to conclude the pact before Washington’s temporary 10% tariff expires on July 24. Leading an official delegation, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer was here from June 22–24 for the talks with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA).Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs to meet Lok Sabha Speaker today over merger of 6 leaders with Shinde campTwo Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs, Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant, will meet Speaker Om Birla at 5 p.m. in his chamber in the Parliament on Wednesday (June 24, 2026). This comes days after six of the nine Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced a merger with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. This will be the first meeting between the Sena (UBT) leaders and the Speaker after the party submitted a caveat letter to him, seeking a hearing on the matter before any decision is taken. The party leaders have decried the lack of transparency in the matter, asking why the House has not been informed about it so far, or why the Speaker’s office has not yet declared the details of the split and merger.They serve as they study, says Supreme Court, backing eased NEET-SS cut-offs for govt. doctorsThe Supreme Court on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) said the cut-off or qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) seats for in-service government doctors in States must be reduced, as they serve the public and study at the same time. Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi said the access for in-service government doctors to speciality medical courses must become easier as their healing skills would not be used for personal profit but for the benefit of the larger public.BJP’s two-thirds majority bid aimed at scrapping reservation, alleges CongressThe Congress on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) alleged that the BJP is striving for a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha as its “real and ultimate target” is to be able to amend the Constitution to end reservations. In an exclusive interview with PTI Videos, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that the ruling party first wants to push delimitation in the garb of women’s reservation with the ultimate objective of ending reservation altogether. Mr. Ramesh said if the government is really concerned about women’s reservation, it should implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam on the current strength of the Lok Sabha — 543 — for the next general elections in 2029.Ujjain land ‘scam’: Congress’s allegations against CM Mohan Yadav baseless, says BJPMadhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal has termed the land scam allegations against Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as “baseless”, saying whenever the State has a CM from the backward class, the Congress attempts to weaken him. Referring to a report in the Indian Express that claimed Mr. Yadav and his family members purchased huge land parcels after the latter became the Chief Minister, state Congress president Jitu Patwari on Tuesday (June 23) sought a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court in the matter.India slams Pakistan for ‘unwarranted’ remarks on J&K at UNSC’s Arria-formula meetingIndia slammed Pakistan for making “unwarranted” remarks on Jammu and Kashmir at an informal UN Security Council meeting organised by Beijing and Islamabad, asserting that the Union Territory is a matter “strictly internal” to the country. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, made the remarks on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) at an Arria-formula meeting of the Security Council on ‘Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security’.France confirms Ebola virus in patient who worked in CongoA positive case of Ebola virus has been identified in France in a patient travelling back from Congo, the French Ministry of Health said Wednesday (June 24, 2026). The individual, who has not been identified, returned from a humanitarian mission in one of the virus transmission zones in Congo and was taken into care at a specialised facility in France. The person is in stable condition, the Ministry said. The Congolese Health Ministry said on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) there are 1,094 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 277 confirmed deaths. The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus does not yet have any vaccines or treatment.Jaishankar, South Korean FM discuss deepening strategic partnership in SeoulExternal Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) held talks with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun, focusing on bilateral cooperation and the rapidly changing global situation, the leaders said. Mr. Jaishankar is currently in South Korea on a two-day visit — the second leg of an ongoing foreign tour — after having visited Mongolia. “It is a great pleasure to be back in Seoul and to meet you and your team today for our discussions,” Mr. Jaishankar said in his opening remarks, noting that the meeting was timely, given the state of the world and the importance of the bilateral relationship.Adani Group to outsource non-core activities or move to GCCs: Gautam AdaniThe Adani Group is taking three foundational steps to build the organisation that will execute its vision over the next decade, including moving non-core activities to its Global Capacity Centres (GCCs) or third parties, said Chairman Gautam Adani while addressing shareholders at Adani Enterprises Ltd’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday (June 24, 2026). “Firstly, we are simplifying the way we work. We are putting in place a three-layer structure across both our headquarters and our sites to reduce bureaucracy, sharpen accountability and bring decisions closer to execution,” he said. Iran says deal to end West Asia war ‘declaration of U.S. defeat’The deal between Iran and the United States to end the West Asia war is “America’s declaration of defeat”, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiating team, said on Wednesday (June 24, 2026). “The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation,” Mr. Ghalibaf said at a conference in Azerbaijan broadcast on Iranian television. Talks between Israel and Lebanon include discussion of a U.S.-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some ‌of the territory they have invaded during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, according ⁠to Israeli and Lebanese officials. The proposed “pilot” project is being ‌discussed ⁠in the latest round of talks between the two sides.Manika Batra questions Asian Games omission, seeks ‘clear and factual’ explanationIndia’s leading women’s paddler Manika Batra has escalated her standoff with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), hinting at legal action if she is not provided a “clear and factual explanation” for her omission from the Asian Games squad. “If I do not receive satisfactory answers regarding the basis of this decision, I will be left with no option but to explore all remedies available to me, including legal recourse through my legal team. That is why I have requested the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Sports Minister to look into this matter,” Manika said in a statement on Wednesday (June 24, 2026).