Raja Festival & Culture
- The entire state is celebrating Pahili Raja with enthusiasm. Traditional delicacies such as Poda Pitha and Khili Paan are in high demand, while swings and card games add to the festive spirit.
Jagannath Temple & Rath Yatra
- Puri: Devotees allege harassment and unofficial demands for money for darshan and Mahaprasad.
- Puri: On the 55th day of Rath construction, the Bada Dhara Potal was successfully joined at Rathakhala.
Weather
- Coastal Odisha remains relatively cool, while western districts continue to experience severe heat. Boudh recorded the state's highest temperature at 42.8°C.
State & National Affairs
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu are scheduled to visit Odisha; preparations are in full swing.
- Railway recruitment examinations will now be conducted through the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
- Admit cards for the NEET re-examination have been released; the test will be held on June 21.
Crime & Law and Order
- Bant: A son allegedly murdered his mother following a family dispute during Raja celebrations.
- Kendrapara: Chameli Ojha, speaking from a hospital bed, alleged continued harassment and torture; several women's organizations met her.
Accidents & Disasters
- Badamba: A gruesome road accident on the T-Bridge claimed the life of a motorcyclist.
- Dhenkanal: A young man died after being struck by lightning while playing cricket.
- Athagarh: Two farmers were killed in a lightning strike; the hut where they had taken shelter was destroyed.
- NH-49, Kuanra Chhak: Three youths died in a motorcycle accident, taking the day's death toll at the location to five.
- Balasore: Twenty-two pilgrims were injured when a bus carrying 53 passengers met with an accident.
- Morena, Madhya Pradesh: Four passengers died after jumping from a train due to a fire rumor and being hit by another train.
Sports
- London: Pakistan suffered another setback in women's cricket as India captain Harmanpreet Kaur remained in the spotlight during the tournament.
- India defeated Pakistan by 64 runs, with Deepti Sharma playing a key role with the ball.
National Developments
- Kolkata: Suvendu Adhikari intensified his campaign regarding the removal of a mosque from the Kolkata Airport premises.
- Hyderabad: Ishita Sangwan became the first woman fighter jet pilot to graduate from the NDA.
- Rebel TMC MPs reportedly sought merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party and submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
