It was something infectious disease expert Heather Ferguson never expected to see in her lifetime: a mosquito-borne virus originally from Africa spreading in Scotland. But a laboratory result confirmed just that: in April, UK authorities said that Usutu virus had been identified in blackbirds in Scotland for the first time. Despite climate change pushing temperatures higher, scientists still thought it too cool in Scotland for Usutu to thrive. The "shock" discovery was a "clarion call that... some risks might be coming here sooner than we thought," said Ferguson, a professor of infectious disease ecology at the University of Glasgow.

"We need to be prepared," she told AFP.

In the wilds of Scotland, scientists are trapping brown-grey culex pipiens mosquitoes -- the main vector of Usutu virus -- to study and better understand how the disease might spread. They were alerted by residents on the Isle of Arran, southwest of Glasgow, who noticed last summer that blackbirds were dropping dead with strange symptoms.

In a significant step towards strengthening digital inclusion and expanding access to government procurement opportunities, the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and the Government e Marketplace (GeM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate advanced multilingual capabilities across India’s public procurement ecosystem.

The partnership, signed under the “BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan – A BHASHINI Sahayogi Program,” aims to leverage BHASHINI’s artificial intelligence-powered language technologies to make GeM’s services accessible in multiple Indian languages, thereby enabling greater participation from businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups, entrepreneurs, and local enterprises across the country.

The State government will introduce the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly beginning on June 22, seeking to grant women farmers independent legal recognition and improve their access to welfare schemes and institutional support, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday (June 12, 2026).

Mr. Fadnavis reviewed a preliminary presentation on the draft Bill at a meeting attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane and Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jaiswal at his official residence on Friday.

Students taking admission in government colleges and universities in Odisha will no longer have to pay fees, with the state government announcing that education will be “free and universal”.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday announced free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level (“KG to PG”) as the BJP government completed two years in office.

“Probably Odisha is the first state in the country to make such a provision in the education sector. It will immensely benefit the scholars especially the economically backward section,” Majhi said.

Officials said the decision is likely to benefit more than 10 lakh students.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta highlighted the rapid transformation of India's infrastructure and digital ecosystem, stating that the country's metro rail network has expanded significantly over the years, while air connectivity has witnessed unprecedented growth through various government initiatives.

Addressing an event on Friday, Gupta said the metro rail system, which once had limited reach, has now become a vast network connecting major urban centres. "The metro network, which spanned 248 kilometres, has now expanded to over 1,095 kilometres and reached 26 cities. Similarly, we have witnessed a massive transformation in air connectivity. The 'UDAN' scheme turned the common citizen's dream of air travel into reality," the Chief Minister said.

Sudarsan Pattnaik has once again brought laurels to the country as the renowned sand artist from Odisha became the first Indian to win the Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026.

While some success stories begin with everything a person could need, his began with almost nothing. He started as a small boy on a beach, with no money for paper or paint, so he chose to sculpt and draw in the only material that was free and endlessly available beneath his feet- sand.

And today, decades on, that same boy stands among the most renowned names in his field around the world.

A YEAR after they walked past the symbolic Antim Pag — the final step — at the National Defence Academy in Pune, the first batch of 17 women cadets trained at the NDA was commissioned on Saturday as officers, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of women’s participation in military service.

This is the first time women officers will be joining the forces with a permanent commission. This was made possible by an interim order passed by the Supreme Court in August 2021, while hearing a plea seeking directions to let eligible women take the NDA and Naval Academy entrance exams conducted by the UPSC. The first batch of women cadets joined the NDA in July-August 2022 as part of its 148th course.

So far, short service commission women officers could join the forces, and later seek permanent commission after completion of 14 years of service.

Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a national leader in value-added dairy products derived from indigenous cow breeds, with a pioneering initiative linking cow conservation, advanced dairy technology, rural employment, and national service. A premium dairy supplement known as Skyr, produced from the milk of indigenous cows using advanced Danish and Icelandic dairy technologies, is gaining popularity among Indian Army personnel for its high nutritional value and potential health benefits.

According to officials, the product is rich in high-quality protein, low in fat, and packed with essential nutrients, making it a suitable dietary supplement for soldiers. The freeze-dried Skyr yogurt powder and other related dairy products are being promoted as nutrition-rich foods that may help support immunity, muscle strength, and sustained energy levels.

India-Nepal railway project: India and Nepal have reviewed on the progress of several cross-border railway projects, including the Raxaul-Kathmandu Broad Gauge (BG) railway line. The discussions were held in Kathmandu during the 10th Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the 8th Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings to review cross-border railway cooperation, which took place on June 11-12, 2026.

India-Nepal rail connectivity: Raxaul-Kathmandu railway, Janakpur-Ayodhya train services in focus
According to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal, both sides discussed the progress of several railway projects, including the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar BG railway lines. Both these projects are being developed with grant assistance from the Government of India (GoI).

As the Maharashtra government works on a policy for single women, the state’s Higher and Technical Education Department has decided to set up a committee to examine measures to support children of single mothers studying in colleges, universities and technical institutions.

The proposed committee will explore ways to strengthen support systems for such students within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Among the measures under consideration are introducing a separate category for “children of single mothers” in college admission forms to generate accurate data, sensitising educational institutions to the challenges faced by single mothers and their children, and examining the feasibility of providing priority hostel accommodation.