NDTV TOP STORIES
1. Two opposition parties of Uttar Pradesh has accused the Ram Mandir Trust set up by the Centre last year of pulling off an illicit land deal. The Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party claim the transaction took place in March this year. It involved two real estate dealers allegedly purchasing a property from an individual for Rs 2 crore and selling it — minutes later — to the Trust for Rs 18.5 crore, according to the allegation. The temple body has brushed the charge aside as frivolous. 2. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced relaxations in the national capital as Covid numbers in the capital drop to a two-month low. The restrictions will be eased from today. "If the cases of infection keep decreasing in the current manner, then our life will gradually come back on track. It is a great tragedy and we all have to face it together," Mr Kejriwal told the media. 3. Over the past few days, Maharashtra has been revising its Covid death numbers to reflect data that came in with some lapse of time. This exercise over the past 12 days has resulted in the state's overall pandemic-related mortality zooming by over 8,800 to 1.08 lakh now. 4. India advocates global solidarity and open democratic societies to tackle challenges like health, climate change, and economic recovery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message of worldwide unity is well received at the Outreach Sessions of the G7 Summit, which reaffirms the need to embrace "values that bind us together" like respect for international rules and norms. Addressing the session 'Building Back Together - Open Societies and Economies' as the lead speaker, he recalls that democracy and freedom were a part of India's civilisational ethos. He stresses the need to ensure that cyberspace remains an avenue for advancing democratic values and not of subverting it, according to a government statement. 5. The Centre is likely to begin dialogue with the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to initiate the political process and restoration of statehood, sources have said. While there has been no formal invitation yet, the Gupkar Alliance or PAGD, the seven-party amalgam formed to help restore the special status of Jammu and Kashmir — has indicated its willingness to join talks. The National Conference has said it might join the delimitation process. 6. A motley alliance of Israeli parties has ousted Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, and formed a new government in a seismic shift in the country's turbulent politics. Naftali Bennett is the new Prime Minister of Israel.
