India News Highlights | Breaking News Today, June 15, 2026 | Top Headlines, Latest News — The Indian Express Realtime

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The US-Iran peace deal moved from diplomacy to reality on Monday evening as the Indian LNG carrier Disha became the first vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire announcement — a landmark moment for global energy markets and, with India among the world’s largest LNG importers, a development with direct economic consequence. Even as the tanker’s passage signalled normalcy returning to one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, Tehran warned Washington of “reciprocal measures” if the US failed to deliver on its commitments, injecting fresh uncertainty into a deal expected to be formally inked later this week. Experts say the next 60 days will be decisive for the nuclear question at the heart of the agreement.

At home, the news cycle was broad and unsettling. In Manipur, fresh tensions flared as a crowd surrounded the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal over the treatment of injured Kuki men, a reminder that the ethnic conflict in the state remains dangerously unresolved. In Delhi, meanwhile, went under red alert as 92 kmph winds lashed the city, with the IMD warning of a severe thunderstorm through the evening. And in Parliament’s shadow, the TMC fracture deepened — Saayoni Ghosh, once the Mamata-Abhishek inner circle’s chosen face of the youth wing, delivered the party its sharpest blow yet.

The evening also brought grief from the entertainment world: television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Chhaava and Kumkum Bhagya, died by suicide at 22, with cine workers’ bodies demanding a high-level probe and writing to Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis. On the FIFA World Cup front, Spain faced Cape Verde in their Group H opener. Follow The Indian Express for breaking news, live updates and the latest news from across India and the world — this page refreshes through the day.

Manoj C G and Damini Nath in New Delhi are reporting that the anti-defection law protects a breakaway legislature party with two-thirds support, but the question is whether this applies when the original party remains intact. TMC rebel MPs cite the Goa verdict, where a merger of two-thirds of the legislature party was upheld, while critics argue the law requires a merger of the original political party. The fate of the TMC rebels lies with the Speaker, but the decision can be challenged in court.

Their deep dive news report is coming up on indianexpress.com in just a bit.

Sushma Prasad is reports that the Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and Punjab government regarding a plea claiming the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) is not implemented in Punjab. The plea, filed by former bureaucrat Jagmohan Singh Raju, argues that the state has failed to enforce the RTE Act’s mandate of reserving 25% of seats in private schools for disadvantaged groups. Raju highlighted the lack of implementation despite judicial directives and contempt proceedings.

Anuradha Mascarenhas reports that Pune’s Yogesh Sanap has become the fastest Indian finisher at the Comrades Marathon, clocking a sub-seven-hour finish. He broke the previous record set by Devarao Chaudhari. Sanap’s achievement is a testament to his dedication and training, and he is now a coach for runners in India and abroad.

Ravi Dutta Mishra in New Delhi reports that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will visit India on June 23-24 to finalise a trade deal with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The talks will focus on a framework deal and a larger bilateral trade agreement, amid a US Section 301 investigation into India’s industrial overcapacity. The investigation could result in additional tariffs on Indian goods, impacting bilateral trade.

Sweety Kumari from Kolkata reports that the West Bengal CID will investigate the death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, who allegedly drowned while shooting a TV series. The decision was made on the family’s request after inconsistencies in the production crew’s statements and reports of the shoot being conducted without proper permissions. The Chief Minister also announced an increase in the number of sea guards and their remuneration in coastal areas.

Kiran Parashar from Bengaluru reports that two people were killed and 11 injured in a fire at the Fox Den pub in Mysuru. The fire, believed to be caused by a short circuit, spread rapidly due to flammable materials.

Kamaldeep Singh Brar from Amritsar reports that the Akal Takht Jathedar declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann a “Guru-Dokhi” (one who has betrayed or shown disloyalty to the Guru) and “Khalsa Panth Virodhi” (opposed to the Khalsa Panth) based on forensic reports that deemed a viral sacrilege video authentic. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rejected the charges, arguing the reports didn’t establish Mann’s identity in the video and accusing the Shiromani Akali Dal of politicising Sikh institutions. AAP also highlighted Mann’s anti-sacrilege legislation, asserting his commitment to protecting Sikh sentiments.

Akash Mandal from Mumbai reports that the Indian stock market and rupee rallied on Monday, driven by a preliminary US-Iran peace deal that sent crude oil prices down. The BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 indices closed 1% higher, while the rupee gained 40 paise to end at 94.71. The peace deal, combined with RBI measures to attract foreign capital, is expected to strengthen the rupee further and ease inflation concerns.

Shubham Kurale reports from Pune that RTO clerical staff across Maharashtra will go on an indefinite strike starting June 16 due to a deadlock over promotions and policy. The strike is a result of the Maharashtra government’s delay in implementing administrative reforms approved in 2022, specifically the restructuring of the clerical department and the lack of a new recruitment policy. The union is demanding the approval of promotion proposals, the framing of recruitment rules, and other benefits for employees.

Sukalp Sharma is reporting that an Indian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker 'Disha' crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday amid the announcement that the US and Iran have reached a peace deal. Disha, which is operated and managed by state-owned Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), is the first Indian merchant vessel to cross the fraught waters of the Strait of Hormuz in nearly two months. It is carrying Qatari LNG for India.

Nikhila Henry from Hyderabad reports that the Telangana government is ready to begin work on the second phase of Hyderabad Metro Rail without assistance from the Centre, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has said Monday.

Sweety Kumari in Kolkata reports that West Bengal Chief Minister Suvebdu Adhikari on Monday announced that the KMC elections will be held within the next six months by December 7.

Kamaal Saiyed from Surat reports that thousands of people, mainly followers of famous Chakradhar Swami of Maharashtra, came down to Gujarat's Bharuch and handed a memorandum to the Bharuch District collector demanding the preservation of original identity of the “Jama Masjid” which, they said, was an ancient Jain temple and birth place of Chakradhar Swami of Maharashtra. The memorandum includes the signatures of around 35,000 people from Bharuch and Maharashtra.

Sukrita Baruah in Guwahati and Jimmy Leivon in Imphal report that tensions have escalated in the Manipur capital as scores of people surrounded the state's premier healthcare institute, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), protesting the admission of three Kuki youths who were brought in with bullet injuries following an incident of firing in Kangpokpi district Monday morning.

RIMS is a central government healthcare centre located in Imphal West. Scores of people surrounded it on Monday afternoon after news spread that three Kuki men had been brought there for medical treatment, amidst escalated tensions between the state’s Naga and Kuki-Zo communities. The protesters also include people from the Meitei community, who have been in conflict with the Kuki-Zo community since May 2023.

Tanusree Bose from Kolkata reports that the Enforcement Directorate on Monday sought time from the Calcutta High Court 

regarding the bail plea of former state minister Sujit Basu.  The matter came up for hearing  before the bench of Justice Joy Sengupta. The bench directed the ED to submit its response in writing by June 29. The court will hear the case again on July 1.

Saurabh Parashar reports from Shimla: The Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government faces challenges after a sexual harassment case escalated into communal unrest when two men from the minority community were publicly shamed and paraded by a right-wing group in a town near the state capital.

Full article coming up on indianexpress.com in just a bit.

Al Jazeera is reporting that Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif says his country will "oversee" the US-Iran agreement’s formal signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland. Islamabad has been a key mediator between the US and Iran for months.

Maulshree Seth from Lucknow reports that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government has formally begun its probe into allegations of misappropriation of donations and valuables at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The controversy has snowballed into a major political issue with opposition parties, religious leaders and temple saints demanding a thorough investigation.

Our reporter in Dehradun, Aiswarya Raj, reports that the former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore has been arrested by the police for allegedly conspiring to falsely implicate senior BJP leader Dushyant Gautam in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. We will have the story up for you on the website.