Today’s Top News Headlines and Latest News at 10:30 am on 12 June 2023

In top national news: The cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea, which earlier seemed headed towards the Pakistan coastline, is now predicted to move slightly east towards the northern Gujarat coast, with a landfall expected on June 15. It is expected to result in 2-3 metre storm surges, destruction of thatched houses, damage to pucca houses and roads, floodings, widespread damage to standing crops, plantations and orchards, and disruption of railways, powerlines and signalling systems in the northern and western coastal districts of Gujarat, a bulletin from the India-based Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) said. Biparjoy, which has already developed into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm" was positioned about 540 km west of Mumbai Sunday evening.

In other news: The Governor-led committee announced by the Centre to restore peace in Manipur, which has been roiled by ethnic clashes, comprises 51 members including those from the warring Meitei and Kuki communities. But several representatives of Kuki groups said Sunday they are not happy that they have been appointed to the committee without their consent. They said the Centre should be part of the committee, instead of leaving everything to the state government and the Chief Minister. The peace panel is part of a series of measures, including a judicial probe panel, announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the end of his four-day visit to Manipur.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Varanasi on Sunday that India has always stood by its citizens abroad in times of crisis unlike “even developed countries” who leave their people “bhagwan bharose." He was interacting with students and intellectuals at a programme on ‘Indian Foreign Policy: Objectives and Characteristics’ organised by the party’s local unit at the Kashi Vidyapith University. His remarks came ahead of an informal interaction with delegates attending the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting on June 11-13. While Jaishankar is chairing the G20 meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver a special video address at the beginning of the official deliberations today.

In more political news: While the agenda of AAP’s ‘maha rally’ was the Centre’s ordinance, the party has also kick-started its 2024 Lok Sabha elections campaign. The party will now hold more such rallies in the city as well as other states with national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as speakers. As per a senior party official, AAP is planning to contest all 543 Lok Sabha seats, even in states with zero cadres: “More rallies will be held and the tagline will be the ordinance, but key focus will be on the Lok Sabha and state assembly polls in other states.”

Moving on to top international news: A bus carrying wedding guests rolled over on a foggy night in Australia’s wine country, killing 10 people and injuring 25, police said Monday. The 58-year-old driver was arrested and being held at a Cessnock police station and will be charged, Police Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman said. She would not detail the allegations, including whether speed was a factor, but told reporters “There is sufficient information… for us to establish that there will be charges.” The crash happened just after 11.30 pm in foggy conditions at a roundabout on Wine Country Drive in the town of Greta in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales state north of Sydney.

In news from the UK: Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested by police investigating the finances of the governing Scottish National Party, British media said Sunday. Police Scotland said a 52-year-old woman was detained “as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.” “The woman is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives,” the force said. UK police do not name suspects until they are charged. The BBC and other media outlets identified the arrested woman as Sturgeon.

In news from Russia: Russia said on Sunday that Ukraine had made an unsuccessful attempt to attack a Russian naval ship with six high-speed drone boats as the Russian vessel patrolled major natural gas pipelines in the Black Sea. The ‘Priazovye’ ship was carrying out what Russia’s defence ministry said: "monitoring of the situation and ensuring security along the routes of the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the southeastern part of the Black Sea.” Ukraine attacked in the early hours of Sunday about 300 km south-east of Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, the defence ministry said.

Lastly, a boy was shot and killed by police after his father stole a car in the southwestern Khuzestan province and drove off with him, Iranian authorities said. Ruhollah Bigdeli, chief of police in Shushtar County, said — via Iran’s official police website — that several officers tried to stop the “stolen vehicle by shooting at it.” The boy died on the spot. Police said they issued the man several warnings before they started shooting, adding that he had a criminal record, including car theft and drug smuggling. The Iranian Jamaran news website identified the boy as 9-year-old Morteza Delf Zaregani. They spoke to the father who accused the police of not issuing any warning before the shooting.