India news LIVE updates, 7 July 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto hold a bilateral meeting at the Istana Merdeka, the Presidential Palace, in Jakarta. (ANI Photo)

India News LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial welcome in Jakarta ahead of talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Modi is on the first leg of his three-nation tour to strengthen India’s Act East Policy, MAHASAGAR Vision and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. He also signed the guest book at Istana Merdeka, with officials describing the visit as an important step in deepening the India–Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During the visit, India signed BrahMos, Astra missile deal as part of maritime safety and security cooperation and inked minerals and technologies agreement.

Mumbai woke up to overcast skies and an IMD orange alert on Tuesday, with all government, private and civic-run schools and colleges shut as a precautionary measure amid warnings of heavy rain and gusty winds. The monsoon’s toll on the city deepened overnight as a man lost his wife and four children in a building collapse in Mankhurd — hours after he had told authorities the family would vacate the next day. Mankhurd has long been a hotspot for deadly building collapses, with illegal construction and delayed action by authorities at the heart of a recurring tragedy.

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Purge in Bhupender Yadav’s office: Private Secretary and two additional PSs removed

Three senior officials in Union Minister Bhupender Yadav’s office have been removed in quick succession — one shunted out on “administrative grounds,” one prematurely repatriated, and one’s appointment terminated. No explanation has been offered publicly, which may itself be part of the message.

Lawrence Bishnoi gang: Foreign guns, six young men, twin shootings in Delhi and Haryana

An Indian Express investigation lays out how twin shootings targeting singer Guru Randhawa’s gym were executed — a careful operation involving six young men and weapons traced back across borders, all bearing the hallmarks of the Bishnoi network.

Bengal rape-murder: ‘Had police acted, she’d be alive’

The mother of the Baruipur victim says the family had complained to police before — and been ignored. What followed is now a case that has combined the horror of a crime with the spectacle of a mob, and left Bengal’s administration with uncomfortable questions on both counts.

Government likely to delay 25% ethanol petrol blend after backlash

The government is expected to push back its timeline for introducing E25 petrol after pushback from motorists and industry, even as critics argue the broader rice-to-ethanol policy is deepening both economic and environmental stress. A Toyota executive, meanwhile, makes the opposite case — that ethanol remains the fastest and cheapest route to decarbonising Indian roads.

Modi gets ceremonial welcome in Jakarta ahead of Prabowo talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received a ceremonial welcome in Jakarta as he begins the Indonesia leg of his three-nation tour, with bilateral discussions with President Prabowo scheduled for today. The visit is the centrepiece of what one column describes as India’s effort to build a new arc of trust across the Indo-Pacific.

US blames Iran for tanker attack off Oman; Hormuz tensions persist

US officials have attributed an attack that set a tanker ablaze off Oman to Iran, even as diplomatic channels between the two sides remain nominally open — a reminder that in the Strait of Hormuz, the gap between a peace deal and peace itself remains considerable.

Ronaldo’s World Cup dream ends in Dallas; Belgium thrash USA

Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup ended not with glory but with a last-minute winner from Mikel Merino, as Spain knocked Portugal out in Dallas. Elsewhere, Belgium ended the United States’ home tournament with a ruthless 4-1 victory, advancing to the quarterfinals.

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