Morning Digest: New Delhi welcomes Maldives' UNGA win; average COVID-19 daily test positivity rate continues to decline in India, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

As Maldives wins General Assembly election by big margin, India expects close cooperation

In a first for the Maldives, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected the President of the General Assembly for 2021-22, winning 143 votes or nearly 3/4ths of the 191 countries that voted in the annual election, while his rival, former Afghanistan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul won 48.

Coronavirus | Death toll in India tops 3.5 lakh on June 7, 2021

India recorded 83,887 new COVID-19 cases and 2,075 new deaths till 9.30 p.m. on Monday. The country has so far reported a total of 2,89,93,541 cases and 3,51,304 deaths.  India’s average daily test positivity rate (positive cases identified for every 100 tests) continues to decline. It was 4% on June 6 compared with 9% recorded a week before.

Antigua to investigate Choksi complaint he was kidnapped by ‘Indians’

In his complaint dated June 2, Mr. Choksi has named the woman he claims entrapped him, Barbara Jabarica, and named “Indian men” — Narender Singh, Arminder Singh and Gurmit Singht — that he claims beat him up, forcibly took him on a boat to Dominica and interrogated him.

FDA conditionally approves controversial Alzheimer’s drug

The drug, which goes by the brand name Aduhelm, has been granted ‘accelerated approval’ , meaning it will need to verify expected clinical benefits in a new trial.

Government will revert to centralised procurement of vaccines, says Modi

Announcing the decision during a televised broadcast to the nation, Mr. Modi said many chief ministers had “come forward with a demand for reconsideration of the vaccination strategy and for bringing back the system in place before May 1.”

Blinken signals possible resumption of U.S.-Taiwan trade, investment talks

At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the U.S. State Department’s annual budget request, Blinken was asked about the Biden administration’s position on a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan.

Harris says talks in Guatemala were robust, tells migrants: ‘do not come’

She said that a task force combining resources from the Justice, State and Treasury departments would work with local prosecutors to punish corrupt actors in Central America.

China hosts ASEAN ministers, with message for Quad

Chinese officials have in recent weeks stepped up criticism of the Quad — the informal India, Australia, Japan and United States grouping — and of Washington in particular.

World Cup Qualifiers | Chhetri’s strikes sink Bangladesh

Chhetri’s double moved him on to 74 international goals — above Lionel Messi (72) and one goal shy of entering world football’s all-time top 10. He first found the back of the net in the 79th minute to keep his team on course for entry into the third qualifying round of the 2023 Asian Cup.

Blinded by the light as Nadal reaches 15th French Open quarter-final

Nadal has now won 104 matches at Roland Garros against just two defeats since his 2005 debut while Monday’s victory extended his run of consecutive sets won to 35.

Roland Garros | Djokovic survives a scare to make quarterfinals

It took Djokovic more than two sets and two hours to get going in the right direction at Court Philippe Chatrier, but once he did, it became a one-way journey. That included a 19-point run for him bridging the end of the third set and start of the fourth.

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