India News LIVE Updates, 23 June 2026: 2 feared dead in Andhra fire, 4 arrested for Lucknow lapses

George Kurian from the Union Council of Ministers resigns on Tuesday. (Source: File)

Breaking News Live Updates: Veteran BJP leader George Kurian today resigned as a Union Minister after his six-year term in the Rajya Sabha expired and the party did not renominate him to the Upper House of Parliament. The Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement that President Droupadi Murmu has accepted Kurian’s resignation under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution.

Anakapalli Fire: A fire broke out at the Dakshina Energy Industries unit in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City in Anakapalli, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, killing two workers, according to news agency PTI. Emergency teams rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed. Further details are awaited.

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If you are just joining us, this is The Indian Express Realtime breaking news blog – where we bring you the latest news updates of the day in real time. Scan the top headlines of the day here, or keep scrolling to see the latest updates stream in. This blog is curated by Merin Varghese, and Sneha Sharma.

Express Investigation: MP CM’s family bought 168 acres where govt built roads

An Indian Express investigation has found that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s family bought 168 acres of land in Ujjain in areas where the state government subsequently built roads, raising questions about the timing and nature of the transactions. Responding to the investigation, members of Yadav’s family pushed back, asking whether they should “shut down” their business activities because of his political position. The probe further details 41 acres linked to a single builder that yielded a 67 per cent return, even as Ujjain has been the focus of a flurry of road and urban renewal projects in the period under scrutiny.

Lucknow Fire: 2016 demolition order was withdrawn

In the aftermath of a major fire in Lucknow, it has emerged that a demolition order against the building was issued in 2016 but later withdrawn. The property, originally allotted under the LDA’s hire-purchase scheme through a lottery in 1980, has come under fresh scrutiny following the blaze. Amid the tragedy, a parallel rescue effort played out as eight cats, seven dogs and a parrot were rescued from the building. News agency PTI reported that four people have been arrested for safety lapses.

US waives Iran sanctions, Lebanon fighting abates

The US has temporarily lifted oil sanctions on Iran following fresh talks, a move with direct implications for India’s energy imports, as fighting in Lebanon shows signs of easing. The talks, however, remain mired in confusion — JD Vance has said Iran agreed to allow nuclear inspectors, a claim Tehran denies making, underscoring how fragile the diplomatic progress remains.

12 Indians killed in Qatar gas plant blast

Twelve Indians have been confirmed dead in the explosion at Qatar’s gas plant, as the death toll from the Ras Laffan blast becomes clearer in the days following the incident.

NEET Retest Fallout: Bihar’s ‘dummy candidate’ racket exposed

In a fresh twist to the NEET saga, a “dummy candidate” racket has been uncovered in Bihar, allegedly involving MBBS students and biometric verification personnel who helped impersonate aspirants during the re-test.

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