Daily Briefing: PM Modi, Takaichi set for talks; Meta defends WhatsApp ‘usernames’ after Centre flags risks

At a time when Indian states are debating whether eggs should be part of school mid-day meals, the question that often gets left out is what science says about it. For Indian children, especially those belonging to low-income households, the mid-day meal serves as the most nutritious meal of the day. Decisions about what goes on the plate must be guided by evidence, not perception. And the evidence on eggs — as a source of complete, affordable and highly bioavailable protein — is difficult to ignore. Dr Seema Gulati, Head, Nutrition Research Group at the National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol (N-DOC) Foundation, explains why eggs are often seen as the gold standard for protein intake, and what it takes to match their nutritional profile for people who don’t consume them.

With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:

PM Modi-Takaichi talks

WhatsApp’s new ‘username’ feature

Messi statue in Argentina

🚨 Big Story

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening on a three-day visit – her first to India after assuming office in 2025. Upon her arrival, Takaichi underlined the intentions of her visit, that is, to deepen Japan’s strategic ties with India in this time of “growing uncertainty in the international situation.” With economic security being the overarching theme of her visit, the talks between her and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to strengthen the Japan-India ‘Special Strategic Global Partnership,’ boost investment and innovation opportunities, and help build resilient supply chains in areas such as semiconductors and critical minerals.

⚡ Only in Express

“I fear I may be picked up again and thrown out. But I have to support my wife and two sons, and pay their school fees.”

It has been a year since Mehbub Sheikh, a Murshidabad resident, along with six others, were picked up from Mumbai, kept in detention for days, taken to West Bengal, and pushed across the border to Bangladesh. However, within days, they were brought back after the Centre and Border Security Force (BSF) conceded they were Indians and held a flag meeting with their Bangladeshi counterparts. This happened ahead of the start of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, which all of them later cleared. The Indian Express tracks down such families, now trying to rebuild their lives in India.

📰 From the Front Page

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WhatsApp feature: The Centre has issued a notice to Meta-owned WhatsApp over the planned rollout of the messaging service’s ‘username’ feature over concerns of impersonation and fraud. The government asked Meta to furnish a detailed explanation on the username feature in the next three days, and directed the company not to roll it out until a thorough consultation on the subject. In a statement, WhatsApp clarified that the features would be rolled out slowly later this year. It said the users still require a phone number to use WhatsApp and that it has built multiple layers of defence against scams into usernames.

Ram Temple theft row: The Uttar Pradesh government is actively considering the option of turning over the investigation into the alleged theft and embezzlement of funds and valuables donated to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to the CBI or another Central agency. The state Special Investigation Team (SIT), which submitted a preliminary report on its findings, has been granted time until July 15 to complete its probe. It will be revisiting Ayodhya on Thursday to conduct further inquiries. While a parallel probe by the Ayodhya police has uncovered cash allegedly stolen in recent months, an extensive investigation is required to trace movable and immovable assets acquired by the accused who were involved in the work of counting cash and valuables.

📌 Must Read

Still matters: 2026 marks the centenary of India’s eighth Prime Minister, Chandra Shekhar, who was born on April 17, 1927, in Ballia in present-day Uttar Pradesh. However, his legacy is not being talked about much. Though some of Chandra Shekhar’s followers are organising events in his memory, there is no coordinated, collective effort to celebrate his legacy, writes Neerja Chowdhury in her weekly column. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not attempted to celebrate the former PM, though his younger son, Neeraj Shekhar, is a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha. “Tributes to Chandra Shekhar, a Rajput, might have helped the BJP in UP, where Assembly polls are expected to be held early next year, particularly as the eastern part of the state is of critical importance to the ruling party.”

Decode: The splits within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) in June, with the support of the breakaway groups for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) indicated that the ruling party was pushing hard to reach a two-thirds majority in Parliament and amend the Constitution. However, the NDA still has some ground to cover. It can seek the support of Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP, with 4 MPs to ensure that Opposition parties such as the NCP (SP) or the DMK, with a total of 30 MPs, either back it or abstain. That will bring down the special majority mark. The role of the Independent MPs also becomes important here. My colleague Jatin Anand decodes the numbers.

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In our Opinion section today, Shashi Tharoor delves into Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s impact on New York State politics and, thereby, on the US politics, as the leader, along with other Democratic Socialists, recently pulled off an unprecedented sweep in congressional primaries by unseating heavyweight incumbents. Tharoor writes: “Mamdani’s ability to wade into these 2026 congressional primaries and successfully drag his entire slate across the finish line shows that his own victory was not an isolated fluke, but rather the establishment of a new political era in the city.”

⏳ And Finally…

Marvel: A few weeks after the 70-foot Messi’s statue in Kolkata was brought down after authorities ruled it unsafe, a taller one has gone up in a Patagonian oil town in Argentina. Aldo Beroisa’s sculpture stands 85 feet in Cutral Co, and was unveiled on June 16 to mark Argentina’s World Cup opener. It depicts Messi on his knees at Lusail Stadium – the moment after Argentina’s shootout win in the 2022 final, one hand clutching the national jersey, the other pointing to the sky in the gesture he makes for his late grandmother. “I believe every artist has the full freedom to express themselves through their work. Every perspective deserves respect,” Beroisa told The Indian Express.

🎧 Lastly, don’t forget to tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss the fertility racket that has been exposed in Maharashtra; a series of murders that took place in Chhattisgarh’s Kharve village; as well as an open letter addressed to PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif to restore peace between the two nations.

That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!

Until next time,

Ariba

Business As Usual by E P Unny