Morning briefing: Nitish on media boycott row, Nipah outbreak hits local fruits' sale; and all the latest news
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out
Bihar chief minister and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leader Nitish Kumar clarified on Saturday that he does not support banning journalists. He said he was not aware about any INDIA bloc plans to boycott journalists and emphasised his support for press freedom. Kumar stated that journalists should have full freedom to write as they wish and denied any attempts at controlling them. He hinted at perceived central government control over some journalists but maintained he is not against anyone Dig deeper

Small and large-scale fruit farmers of Kozhikode especially from the eastern hilly regions of the district are worried because the public is largely staying away from buying locally grown fruits like rambutan, dragon fruit and guava. This trend of declining sales for locally grown fruits due to the Nipah outbreak in the Kerala district was also seen during the first outbreak of the disease in 2018. While no fresh cases were registered in the state on Saturday, at present, six cases of Nipah infection have been confirmed in Kerala. Of the six, two persons have died bringing the number of active cases to 4 Dig deeper
The Latest News
The Manipur panel registered 59 cases of sexual crimes against women in the state, and handed over five of these to the CBI Dig deeper
WhatsApp chats reveal link between Cow vigilante and Bajrang Dal functionary Monu Manesar and Bishnoi gang, Rajasthan Police said Dig deeper
India News
The Centre is planning to remove hardcoded liability protections for social media companies from the law and instead empower itself to hand out “safe harbour” license-like certifications Dig deeper
The arrests in the Nuh communal violence are based on evidence, not on the basis of religion or caste of the offender, said Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur Dig deeper
Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that ex-CM Chandrababu Naidu was the kingpin behind the Andhra Pradesh state skill development corporation scam Dig deeper
Global Matters
A plane crash in Brazil's northern Amazon state in Barcelos province on Saturday has left 14 dead, including two crew members Dig deeper
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un discussed practical issues in stepping up military cooperation with Russia's defence minister, state KCNA news agency said Dig deeper
Donald Trump made a series of blunders in his latest speech, in which he warned that President Joe Biden could lead the US into “World War Two” Dig deeper
Sports Goings
India unveiled its 15-member ODI World Cup squad, notable for the absence of stand-by players, with changes to the lineup contingent solely on injuries, according to BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar. In a setback, spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel suffered wrist and forearm injuries during a match against Sri Lanka in Colombo during Asia Cup campaign in Sri Lanka. The extent of his injury remains unspecified, but it forced him out of the final match due to a left quadriceps strain incurred in a previous game against Bangladesh. Dig deeper
Entertainment Focus
Actor Priyanka Chopra shared a post for her husband-singer Nick Jonas as he clocked his 31st birthday. In one selfie, Priyanka gave Nick a kiss with her eyes closed, while he smiled. Nick was dressed in a printed shirt and pants, while Priyanka wore a white outfit. The second photo featured the couple posing together, albeit slightly blurred. Nick Jonas turned 31 on Saturday, and Priyanka's post was a sweet tribute to mark the occasion. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas have been married for over four years now. They welcomed their first child Malti Marie Chopra Jonas last year via surrogacy Dig deeper
That’s all we have at this hour in our morning briefing. Catch you in the afternoon.
