Hindustan Times

MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon addressed queries about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision not to hold a press conference during his New Zealand visit, citing a preference for direct contact with voters. India and New Zealand elevated bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and adopted a Roadmap to 2030. Similar questions on media access were raised during Modi's recent visits to Norway and Australia.

Police in Gurgaon recovered the body of a 25-year-old woman from a paying-guest room in Sector 55 after her family filed a missing-person report; a man identified as her colleague was later found dead on railway tracks. Both individuals were 25-year-old employees of the same private company. An FIR for murder has been registered while one detail remains unverified.

The Delhi High Court upheld Rajpal Yadav's conviction in cheque bounce cases and imposed a three-month sentence per case while staying the verdict for two months. Both Times of India and Hindustan Times confirm the conviction, sentence reduction from six months, and denial of probation. Discrepancies exist on the exact number of cases and compensation amounts.

C Joseph Vijay, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, made his first official visit to Karur on Friday following the September 2025 stampede at a TVK rally that killed 41 people and injured others. He stated that Perambalur police had warned of overcrowding but Karur police had not, and he questioned responsibility for crowd management. Unverified reports indicate he distributed compassionate appointment orders to 32 affected families and announced plans for a memorial.

Fifteen Indian nationals died when a boat capsized near May Rut Ngoai Islet in Vietnam's An Thoi archipelago on Saturday. Thirty-two Indians were aboard the vessel. Indian officials including Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu issued condolences, and the Telangana government established a control room.

The BJP selected Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the Datia assembly bypoll and denied a ticket to former Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra. Supporters of Mishra blocked the Jhansi-Gwalior highway for nearly 12 hours, with reports of stone-pelting and injuries to police personnel. The bypoll was triggered by the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti following a cheating conviction.

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai spoke at the Drug-Free Pollachi Awareness Conference organized by We The Leaders on Sunday. He stated that the group plans to become a political party at an appropriate time and described locking away his caste and religion in public settings. The event forms part of the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu campaign.

India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned an attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off Oman that occurred on Sunday. The US Central Command initiated a third round of strikes against Tehran in response. India's embassy in Oman is coordinating search-and-rescue efforts with local authorities.

India will observe a national day of mourning on July 13 for Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who died at age 74 after ruling Qatar from 1995 to 2013. The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the national flag will fly at half-mast and official entertainment will be canceled. Prime Minister Modi described the former emir as a visionary leader and true friend of India.

K.C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary and MP, addressed media outside Guruvayur temple on Saturday and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged misappropriation of donations to the Ayodhya Ram temple. He described the matter as India's biggest temple scam, criticized the Uttar Pradesh SIT probe as a farce, and said Congress will raise the issue in the July 20 Parliament session. The temple trust was constituted by the Centre; no independent confirmation of specific allegations such as erased CCTV footage has been reported.

A stampede occurred during a September 27 rally organized by C. Joseph Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu. At the time, M.K. Stalin served as Chief Minister and Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister. Subsequent statements from political figures addressed the incident alongside references to vacant state government posts and job offers to victims' families.

Fifteen of 32 Indian tourists died when a speedboat capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai Island off Phu Quoc, Vietnam, on July 11. The vessel overturned in rough seas with large waves roughly 400 meters into its journey from Hon May Rut Island to An Thoi Port. India's embassy in Vietnam established emergency centers and helplines in response.

On July 11, a boat capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc coast, resulting in 15 Indian deaths, with 10 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh, and 2 from Kerala. The Tamil Nadu government dispatched IPS officer Santosh Hadimani to Ho Chi Minh City to assist with repatriation and medical coordination, while working with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy. The Embassy finalized an authorized agency for repatriation of remains.