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The US Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a major victory by curbing the power of lone federal judges to block executive actions.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he can now push through a raft of controversial policies after the Supreme Court handed him a “giant win” by curbing the ability of lone judges to block his powers nationwide.

In a 6-3 ruling stemming from Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship, the court said nationwide injunctions issued by individual district court judges likely exceed their authority.

“This was a tremendous win,” Trump told reporters in a hastily arranged press conference at the White House. “I want to just thank again the Supreme Court for this ruling.”

Trump said he would now proceed with “so many policies” that had been “wrongly” blocked, including his bid to end birthright citizenship, and stopping funding for transgender people and “sanctuary cities”  for migrants.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi, standing alongside Trump at the podium, said the ruling would stop “rogue judges striking down President Trump’s policies across the entire nation.”

Democrats swiftly blasted the decision, saying it would embolden Trump as he pushes the boundaries of presidential power in his second term.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “terrifying step toward authoritarianism.”

Trump however rejected concerns about the concentration of power in the White House.

“This is really the opposite of that,” Trump said. “This really brings back the Constitution.”

Trump separately hailed a “great ruling” by the Supreme Court to let parents opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed lessons at public schools.

The Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order seeking to end automatic citizenship for children born on US soil.

But the broader decision on the scope of judicial rulings removes a big roadblock to Trump’s often highly contested policy agenda and has far-reaching ramifications for the ability of the judiciary to rein in Trump or future US presidents.

Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship is just one of a number of his moves that have been blocked by judges around the country — both Democratic and Republican appointees – since he took office in January.

Courts have, for example, blocked or slowed down his hardline immigration crackdown, firing of federal employees, efforts to end diversity programs and punitive actions against law firms and universities.

‘No Right Is Safe’

Past presidents have also complained about national injunctions shackling their agenda, but such orders have sharply risen under Trump, who saw more in his first two months than Democrat Joe Biden did during his first three years in office.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, authored the majority opinion joined by the other five conservative justices.

“Federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch,” wrote Barrett, who has previously been a frequent target of Trump loyalists over previous decisions that went against the president.

The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor saying “no right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates.”

Trump’s initial reaction to the ruling came in a post on Truth Social, welcomed it as a “GIANT WIN.”

The case was ostensibly about Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, which was deemed unconstitutional by courts in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state.

But it actually focused on whether a single federal district court judge has the right to issue a nationwide block to a presidential decree with a universal injunction.

The issue has become a rallying cry for Trump and his Republican allies, who accuse the judiciary of impeding his agenda against the will of voters.

Steven Schwinn, a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, told AFP that the court’s ruling “sharply undermines the power of federal courts to rein in lawless actions by the government.”

Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens.

Trump said that the policy “was meant for the babies of slaves,” dating back to the US Civil War era in the mid 1800s.

The US Supreme Courtupheld a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify visitors’ ages, rejecting arguments that this violates free speech.

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify visitors’ ages, rejecting arguments that this violates free speech and boosting efforts to protect children from online sexual content.

The court’s decision will impact a raft of similar laws nationwide and could set the direction for internet speech regulation as concerns about the impact of digital life on society grow.

Texas is one of about 20 US states to institute checks that porn viewers are over 18, which critics argue violate First Amendment free speech rights.

Other countries such as France, Britain and Germany also enforce age-related access restrictions to adult websites, while companies like Meta are lobbying Washington lawmakers for age-based verification to be carried out by smartphone giants Apple and Google on their app stores.

The Texas law was passed in 2023 by the state’s Republican-majority legislature but was initially blocked after a challenge by an adult entertainment industry trade association.

A federal district court sided with the trade group, the Free Speech Coalition, saying the law restricted adults’ access to constitutionally protected content.

But a conservative-dominated appeals court upheld the age verification requirement, prompting the pornography trade group to take its case to the Supreme Court, where conservatives have a 6-3 supermajority.

Under the law, companies that fail to properly verify users’ ages face fines up to $10,000 per day and up to $250,000 if a child is exposed to pornographic content as a result.

To protect privacy, the websites aren’t allowed to retain any identifying information obtained from users when verifying ages, and doing so could cost companies $10,000 daily in fines.

During arguments in January before the Supreme Court, a lawyer representing the Free Speech Coalition said the law was “overly burdensome” and that its goal could be accomplished using content filtering programs.

But Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the mother of seven children, took issue with the efficacy of content filtering, saying that from personal experience as a parent, such programs were difficult to maintain across the many types of devices used by kids.

Barrett also asked the lawyer to explain why requesting age verification online is any different than doing so at a movie theater that displays pornographic movies.

The lawyer for the Free Speech Coalition — which includes the popular website Pornhub that has blocked all access in some states with age verification laws — said online verification was different as it leaves a “permanent record” that could be a target for hackers.

During the court’s hearing of the case in January, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas, both Republican appointees, seemed to suggest that advances in technology might justify reviewing online free speech cases.

In 1997, the Supreme Court struck down, in an overwhelming 7-2 decision, a federal online age-verification law in what became a landmark free speech case that set a major precedent for the internet age.

A bench of Justices K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh directed the state government to pay ad hoc monetary compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the accused.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh jail authorities for the delay in releasing an accused, who was granted bail by the supreme court on April 29 in a case under the state’s anti-conversion law.

A bench of Justices K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh directed the state government to pay ad hoc monetary compensation of Rs five lakh to the accused, who was released from district jail Ghaziabad on June 24.

“What do you propose to do to sensitise your officers?” the bench asked the Director General of Prisons of Uttar Pradesh who appeared before it through video-conferencing.

The bench said the officers must be sensitised about the importance of liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

“Liberty is a very valuable and precious right guaranteed under the Constitution,” the top court said.

The counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh said the accused was released from jail on Tuesday and an inquiry has been instituted to ascertain why the delay had happened.

The bench directed that the inquiry be conducted by the principal district and sessions judge, Ghaziabad, and a report be furnished before it.

The top court on Tuesday took strong exception after the accused claimed that he was not released on bail on grounds that a sub-section of a provision of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 was not mentioned in the bail order.

The bench had noted after the supreme court granted bail to the man on April 29, a trial court in Ghaziabad on May 27 issued a release order to the superintendent jailor to release the accused from custody upon execution of the personal bond, unless liable to be detained in some other matter.

The constable, part of a team from Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Phase-III police station, was shot dead while attempting to arrest a wanted criminal on Sunday night.

Ghaziabad police on Tuesday said they have arrested six men for their alleged involvement in the killing of a Noida police constable during a raid in Nahal village under Masuri police station limits.

The constable, part of a team from Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Phase-III police station, was shot dead while attempting to arrest a wanted criminal on Sunday night.

The incident occurred when the Noida police team, in plain clothes and without informing local authorities, reached Nahal village to arrest Qadir, a history-sheeter wanted in 25 criminal cases registered in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Muzaffarnagar, said DCP Rural Surendra Nath Tiwari.

As the police team was taking Qadir into custody, his associates, hiding near a panchayat bhavan, launched a violent assault. The people opened fire, pelted stones, and attacked the police team with sharp weapons.

Constable Saurabh Kumar Deshwal, 28, was shot in the head during the attack. He was rushed to Yashoda Hospital but declared dead on arrival. A 2016-batch officer, Deshwal hailed from Shamli and was posted at Phase-III police station in Noida.

Four sub-inspectors — Sachin Rathi, Udit Singh, Sumit, and Nikhil — were also injured in the assault.

On Monday evening, two of the accused — Nanhu and Abdul Salam, both residents of Nahal — were arrested after an encounter near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway underpass. Both suffered injuries in the exchange of fire and were admitted to the hospital, police said.

Police later confirmed that all six accused — Qadir, Abdul Salam, Nanhu, Mushahid, Abdul Khalik, and Mursaleem, all in their 30s — had confessed to their involvement in the attack and the killing of Constable Deshwal. A large cache of weapons was recovered from them, the officials said.

The constable, part of a team from Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Phase-III police station, was shot dead while attempting to arrest a wanted criminal on Sunday night.

Ghaziabad police on Tuesday said they have arrested six men for their alleged involvement in the killing of a Noida police constable during a raid in Nahal village under Masuri police station limits.

The constable, part of a team from Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Phase-III police station, was shot dead while attempting to arrest a wanted criminal on Sunday night.

The incident occurred when the Noida police team, in plain clothes and without informing local authorities, reached Nahal village to arrest Qadir, a history-sheeter wanted in 25 criminal cases registered in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Muzaffarnagar, said DCP Rural Surendra Nath Tiwari.

As the police team was taking Qadir into custody, his associates, hiding near a panchayat bhavan, launched a violent assault. The people opened fire, pelted stones, and attacked the police team with sharp weapons.

Constable Saurabh Kumar Deshwal, 28, was shot in the head during the attack. He was rushed to Yashoda Hospital but declared dead on arrival. A 2016-batch officer, Deshwal hailed from Shamli and was posted at Phase-III police station in Noida.

Four sub-inspectors — Sachin Rathi, Udit Singh, Sumit, and Nikhil — were also injured in the assault.

On Monday evening, two of the accused — Nanhu and Abdul Salam, both residents of Nahal — were arrested after an encounter near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway underpass. Both suffered injuries in the exchange of fire and were admitted to the hospital, police said.

Police later confirmed that all six accused — Qadir, Abdul Salam, Nanhu, Mushahid, Abdul Khalik, and Mursaleem, all in their 30s — had confessed to their involvement in the attack and the killing of Constable Deshwal. A large cache of weapons was recovered from them, the officials said.

Delhi to see thunderstorm and rain today, minimum temperature at 29 degrees Celsius recorded. Air Quality Index at satisfactory level.

Thunderstorm accompanied by rain is expected in the national capital on Friday, with the minimum temperature recorded at 29 degrees Celsius at 8.30 am, 1.1 degrees above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 37 degrees Celsius, while the relative humidity was recorded at 72 per cent at 8.30 am, the IMD said.

The weather department has forecast thunderstorm with rain for the day.

The city’s air quality was recorded in the “satisfactory” category on Thursday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 95 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, and 401 to 500 “severe”.

The India Meteorological Department, predicts light rain across Delhi-NCR, bringing relief, heavy showers expected across multiple Indian regions.

Several parts of the national capital and adjoining NCR areas are set to witness light rainfall and cloudy skies on Tuesday, bringing much-needed relief from the intense summer heat.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), “Light rainfall is very likely to occur at Delhi (Narela, Bawana, Alipur, Kanjhawala, Rohini, Badili, Pitampura, Mundaka, Pashchim Vihar, Rajauri Garden, Jafarpur, Nazafgarh, Dwarka, Palam, IGI Airport), NCR (Bahadurgarh, Gurugram), Safidon, Jind, Panipat.”

Rain is also expected in nearby areas such as Bahadurgarh and Gurugram in the National Capital Region, as well as Safidon, Jind, and Panipat in Haryana.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon had advanced further into most parts of Bihar and some more regions of eastern Uttar Pradesh as of June 19, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the weather department, the deepening monsoon activity is set to bring very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to isolated places across Gujarat, north Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha on Wednesday. Jharkhand is bracing for similar weather on June 19 and 20.

In East and Central India, extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Jharkhand on June 19.

In West India, extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Konkan, ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra, and the Gujarat Region on June 19.

In Northeast India, light to moderate rainfall at most places accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall will likely continue over Northeast India during next 7 days.

In South Peninsular India, IMD forecast isolated heavy rainfall likely over Kerala and Mahe on June 19 and during 22-25, Coastal Karnataka on June 19 and during June 21-25.

Hot and humid conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Tamil Nadu, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema during June 19-21.

Neeraj Chopra surprised a fan on Friday by offering him a “full VVIP experience” and accommodation for the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic.

Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra surprised a fan on Friday by offering him a “full VVIP experience” and accommodation for the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic on July 5 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahead of the much-anticipated athletic event of the season on Indian soil, Chopra’s fan named Ranjith, from Coimbatore, asked for money on social media to attend next month’s showpiece event. “If anyone sponsor me 2000 rupees, I can go to watch this from Coimbatore,” he posted on X on June 25.

Replying to his post on Friday, Chopra not only agreed to give him free “VVIP” ticket but also assured his stay at a nearby luxury hotel.

Chopra responded on Ranjith’s post saying, “Hi, Ranjith. You’ve got a full VVIP experience waiting for you in Bengaluru because your trip to the @nc_classic is on me! And thanks to @RadissonHotels, you’ll be staying about 90 metres away from me. See you soon!”

Admitting that the main accused is linked to its student wing, the party condemned attempts to politicise the issue.

After the rape of a law student in Kolkata triggered a political firestorm, the Trinamool Congress has admitted that the main accused is linked to the party’s student wing but insisted that this would not come in the way of him getting the strictest possible punishment.

The alleged gang rape of a law student from West Bengal’s Kolkata – months after the horrific RG Kar rape-murder case – has triggered a fresh and (furious) showdown between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Assembly election next year.

Three men – including Manojit Mishra, a 31-year-old former student of the South Calcutta Law College -in Kolkata’s Kasba area – have been arrested and charged with rape. The other two men – Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, according to news agency ANI – are believed to be current students.

According to the police, mobile phones with videos of the rape – videos used to threaten and bully the 24-year-old survivor into staying silent about the attack – were seized from the accused.

A practicing lawyer, Mishra is the primary accused and the BJP – on the warpath with one eye firmly on the forthcoming election – has shared photographs showing him with senior leaders from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool, including her nephew and second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee.

The BJP has also raked up the RG Kar case to highlight the ‘sinking into lawlessness’.

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari and the party’s IT chief, Amit Malviya posted images that seem to show Mishra standing next to Trinamool leaders including Abhishek Banerjee; Health Minister Chandrima 

The RG Kar Rape, Murder

This comes 10 months after a rape and murder at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The RG Kar case, as that came to be called, made national headlines for its brutality; the woman’s body was found in a seminar room on the college premises and the autopsy concluded she had been raped and possibly tortured – there were injuries to her genitals, the left leg and right hand, and face.

The cause of death was strangulation.

Sanjay Roy, a 33-year-old civic volunteer for Kolkata Police, was arrested and convicted for the rape and murder of the woman, and was sentenced to life in prison, a punishment seen by many as lenient.

Many, including the family, had demanded the death sentence.

A Maryland woman won $50,000 by using numbers from her horoscope to play the lottery and plans to keep manifesting bigger wins.

In an extraordinary stroke of luck, a woman from Laurel, Maryland, won a $50,000 (Rs 42,78,125) lottery prize after using numbers from her horoscope, . The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, told Maryland Lottery officials that she felt a strong intuition to play the numbers 25569 revealed to her through her daily horoscope.

Acting on her hunch, she purchased a Pick 5 ticket from the Sandy Spring Exxon located on Sandy Spring Road in Laurel. To her amazement, the numbers aligned perfectly, earning her a $50,000 windfall, according to UPI News.

“I had a hunch and followed it,” she told Maryland Lottery officials. “Pay my bills and save. I want to be responsible with it,” she added, sharing her plans to use the prize money wisely. But she’s not stopping there.

The lucky winner revealed that she’s already manifesting her next big win: “I’m manifesting $1 million. And you better believe I’ll be back to claim a bigger prize!”

This is not the only incident when somebody has won a huge amount in the lottery. A few days back a man from Washington County, Maryland, won $100,000 (about Rs 86 lakh) by sticking to his usual lottery strategy – buying scratch-off tickets in pairs. The lucky winner told Maryland Lottery officials he was tempted to break his habit when he spotted a $50 $5,000,000 Fortune ticket at Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown.

The most I usually spend on a scratch-off is 20, but I decided to splurge,” he said. “The problem is that I always, always, always buy two of the same game. Every time.”

With 100 in hand, he followed his instinct and bought two tickets.

“I’d been thinking about it for a couple of days, so I was ready,” he said.

He won his money back on the first ticket, but it was the second that brought the real surprise.

“I kept uncovering 5,000 matches. There were so many of them. They just kept adding up,” he recalled.

The second ticket ended up winning him a total of $100,000.

“Any financial questions I had about my retirement were answered, with enough left over to share,” he added.