Breaking News July 4: Team India's Victory Parade In Mumbai; Hemant Soren-Led Govt's Floor Test On July 8

Here are the top headlines of June 4, Thursday:

• Hathras Stampede: 6 'Sevadars' Of 'Bhole Baba' Arrested, Inquiry On Over Preacher's Criminal History

• Hemant Soren Returns As Jharkhand Chief Minister, Takes Oath

• Senior UP Cop Answers Why Bhole Baba Not Named In Hathras Stampede Case FIR | Here's What He Said

• 'Exercise Caution': CJI Chandrachud's Message To SEBI Amid Record Stock Market Jump

• Massive Fires Across North Israel After Hezbollah Fires 200 Rockets To Avenge Commander's Killing

• Where Is Emmanuel Macron? Days Before Key Election Result, French President Goes MIA

• Team India Victory Parade: Water Cannon Salute For Rohit And Co's Plane In Mumbai - Watch

Welcome to Outlook India's Breaking News Live Blog, through which we bring you real-time updates on major events and developments across the globe. Here’s a look at top events and developments in focus today:

• UK Elections

• Hathras stampede updates

• NEET-UG row

• Hurricame Beryl

• Return of the Indian Cricket Team

Coach Rahul Dravid and the Rohit Sharma-led Indian Cricket Team arrived at Delhi airport with the T20 WorldCup 2024 trophy. Since last few day, they team remained stranded in Barbados owing to the adverse weather conditions caused by Hurricane Beryl.

Stop Labour Party's "supermajority" is the final message British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is trying to drive home on Wednesday, the last day of campaigning ahead of polling day on Thursday, as most of the incumbent Conservatives seem to have all but conceded defeat in the landmark general election.

"This is what unites us. We need to stop the Labour supermajority that will put up your taxes. The only way to do that is to vote Conservative tomorrow," said the 44-year-old British Indian Conservative Party leader on social media, as he focused on drumming up support in the last few hours of the campaign trail.

(Via PTI)

Blood accumulation in the thoracic cavity due to chest injuries, asphyxia and rib injuries were the causes of death of the Hathras stampede victims whose bodies were brought to a hospital in Agra for post-mortem, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Firefighters lined roads to keep flames from reaching homes as helicopters dropped water on a growing wildfire Wednesday in Northern California that has forced at least 26,000 people to evacuate, as the state sweltered under extreme heat.

The Thompson fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles (110 kilometres) north of Sacramento, near the city of Oroville in Butte County. It sent up a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space as it grew to more than 5.5 square miles (14 square kilometres). There was no containment.

The CBI arrested an alleged co-conspirator in the NEET-UG paper leak case, Aman Singh, from Dhanbad in Jharkhand, officials said on Wednesday.

Earlier, the central probe agency arrested the principal and vice principal of Hazaribagh-based Oasis school in the case and two persons who allegedly provided safe premises to NEET candidates where burnt question papers were recovered by Bihar Police, the officials said.

A man died while another was injured after a fight broke out over splashing roadside logged rain water on a few men in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar on Wednesday evening, police said. According to PTI, the incident took place when an auto-rickshaw got out of order and the occupants of the vehicle were busy in rectifying it.

Meanwhile, a water tanker passed through the road, causing the logged rainwater to splash on the occupants of auto-rickshaw - Arif Khan alias Vishu (18), Shakeel (18), Durga (24) and others.

ICC T20 World Cup winning Team India has headed to ITC Maurya Hotel in Delhi. The team is scheduled to meet PM Modi at his residence later today.

Mumbai Police have tightened security arrangements right ahead of the road show of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team scheduled this evening in Mumbai.

A large number of fans are expected to gather to watch the procession, an official said.The victory procession will be held between 5 and 7 pm from Nariman Point to the Wankhede Stadium, the official said on Wednesday.

Delhi University Faculty of Law postpones LLB end-term exams that were scheduled to begin today. The announcement has been made by DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh.

The flood situation in Assam continued to deteriorate with eight more people losing their lives and more than 16.25 lakh people reeling under the deluge across 27 districts on Wednesday, an official bulletin said.

Till Tuesday, more than 11.3 lakh people were suffering in flood waters across 23 districts of the state.

Sensex, Nifty hit fresh lifetime high levels in early trade on Thursday.

Incessant rains over the past week in most parts of the Northeastern region have left the plain belt of Garo Hills under the threat of floods as water level continues to rise in all the major rivers of the region. Visuals from Tura, Meghalaya.

In a tragic incident on Tuesday night, a four-year-old girl was shot and killed by unknown assailants outside her home in Rupaspur area of Patna.

According to the girl's father, he went inside to park his motorcycle while his wife kept groceries. Hearing the sound of a gunshot, they rushed outside and found the child lying in a pool of blood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Swami Vivekananda on his death anniversary on Thursday and said that "we reiterate our commitment to fulfill his dream of a prosperous and progressive society".

In a post on X, Modi said, "I pay homage to Swami Vivekananda on his Punya Tithi. His teachings give strength to millions. His profound wisdom and relentless pursuit of knowledge are also very motivating."

"We reiterate our commitment to fulfill his dream of a prosperous and progressive society," he said.

Swami Vivekanand died on July 4, 1902.

Team India arrives at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, Delhi, the residence of PM Modi. The T20 World Cup winning team is expected to have breakfast with the prime minister. Lateer today, a grand victory parade is scheduled to take place in Mumbai to celebrate India's victory.

Follow updates here

Rajasthan Cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena has resigned, says his aide.

Another instance of bridge collapse came to the fore in Bihar on Thursday, making it the 10th such incident to have been reported from the state in just over a fortnight, an official said.

The latest incident was reported from Saran which witnessed two more bridge collapses in the last 24 hours, District Magistrate Aman Samir said.

No casualty was reported after the structure, built 15 years ago by local authorities, collapsed this morning, he said.

Commening on the Hathras Stampede Accident, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, "It was an unfortunate incident. The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) is planning to visit Hathras. He will go there and interact with the people who are affected."

Team India reached Delhi airport to leave for Mumbai. The victorious team, which returned to the country on Thursday morning, will take part in an open bus road show followed by a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Rain in the national capital, first a spell in the morning and another around midday, led to significant traffic disruptions in several areas.

The weather department, in their 12 pm notification, said light intensity rain and drizzle will occur at a few places in South Delhi and South-East Delhi (Akshardham, Lodi Road, Nehru Stadium, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, East of Kailash, Chhattarpur, IGNOU, Ayanagar, and Deramandi) inthe next two hours.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), 9.2 mm of rainfall was recorded at Safdarjung, the city's primary weather station, 7.4 mm at Lodhi Road, 5.6 mm at Ridge, 17.4 mm at Palam, and 40.8 mm at Ayanagar in the last 24 hours at 8.30 am on July 4.

(Via PTI)

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation occupies prominent place in India's foreign policy, says EAM S Jaishankar at SCO summit in Kazakhstan.

There is no scope for an alliance between the Congress and the AAP for assembly polls in Haryana and Delhi but the INDIA bloc will fight elections together in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.

In an interview with news agency PTI, Jairam Ramesh said there is no one formula the INDIA bloc will follow for state elections. The grouping will fight together in states where Congress leaders and other alliance partners agree to such an understanding, he said.

Asked whether the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will fight the assembly polls together going forward, Ramesh said the alliance will do so in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

Terrorism, if left unchecked, can become a major threat to regional and global peace, EAM Jaishankar said at SCO meet in Kazakhstan's Astana.

Jaishankar said terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned.

Supriyo Bhattacharya, General Secretary, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) said on Thursday that the Governor has invited them to form the government. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on July 7. JMM supremo Hemant Soren, recently released from jail on bail, will take oath as the chief minister.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it has fired 200 rockets into Israel in one of its largest barrages yet, after killing of commander, reported Associated Press (AP).

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions between the two sides continue to boil, a Hezbollah official said. READ FULL STORY

JMM leader Hemant Soren to take oath as Jharkhand CM today at 5 pm, Ally Congress state president Rajesh Thakur said.

France's government spokesperson is attacked on the campaign trail, days before decisive election, reports AP.

On Hathras stampede incident, Aligarh IG Shalabh Mathur said, "...Six people including four men and two women have been arrested in the incident. They all are members of the organising committee and worked as 'Sevadars'."

Amid heavy rains, a batch of over 5,600 pilgrims set off from Jammu towards the twin basecamps, Baltal and Palagam, of the Amarnath cave shrine on Thursday, officials said.

More than 30,000 devotees offered prayers to the naturally formed ice lingam on Wednesday alone, bringing the total number of pilgrims to over one lakh, they said.

The seventh batch of pilgrims included 4,487 men, 1,011 women, 10 children and 188 ‘sadhus’ and ‘sadhvis’ who departed at 3.13 am in 219 vehicles, under the escort of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, the officials said.

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Thursday advised market regulator SEBI and the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) to exercise caution amid a significant surge in equity markets and pitched for more tribunal benches to ensure that the "backbone is stable".

Referring to newspaper articles calling the crossing of the 80,000 points milestone by the BSE as an ecstatic moment, where India is entering a "stratospheric domain", the CJI pointed out that such events emphasize the need for regulatory authorities to ensure that everyone holds their "balance and nerves" amid the wins.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Thursday that the Palestinian death toll from nearly nine months of war has surged past 38,000. The ministry said that in the last 24 hours, the bodies of 58 people had been brought to hospitals, bringing the overall death toll to 38,011.

It said more than 87,000 people have been wounded in the fighting.

The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and noncombatants in its count, but many of the dead are said to be women and children.

(AP)

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren will take oath as Jharkhand chief minister at Raj Bhavan at 5 pm today, an official said. Congress state unit president Rajesh Thakur told PTI that the decision was taken in a meeting of coalition partners at Soren's residence here.

"Governor CP Radhakrishnan will administer the oath and office of secrecy to Hemant Soren at 5 pm at Raj Bhavan," the official said.

The JMM, earlier in the day, said Soren would take oath as the chief minister on July 7 after Governor CP Radhakrishnan invited him to form government in the state.

PM Modi to visit Russia, Austria from July 8 to 10

New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to Russia from July 8 to 9 to hold the 22nd India-Russia annual summit that will review the entire range of multifaceted ties between the two countries.

After concluding his trip to Russia, Modi will travel to Austria, which will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 41 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It will be Modi's first trip to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

JMM executive president Hemant Soren on Thursday took oath as the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand.

He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan here, an official said.

The slab of a flyover in Andheri in western Mumbai fell on a moving car on Thursday afternoon, though no one was injured, a civic official said. The incident happened near Gundavali metro rail station on Western Express Highway at 3:20 pm, he said.

"The slab fell on the bonnet of the car, damaging its front part. Fire brigade, police and personnel from the local ward office were deployed for relief work post the incident," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.

BJP veteran and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani left from Apollo Hospital in Delhi. The 96-year-old was admitted to the Apollo Hospital this Wednesday, days after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a night-long stay there.

The victory parade of the Indian cricket team, which landed in India from Barbados on Thursday days after winning the T20 World Cup, will begin shortly. The victory parade will take place from Marine Drive to Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in an open bus.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the road show of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team.

Visuals showed a sea of fans gathered at Marine Drive in Mumbai to get a glimpse of the Indian cricket team.

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ticked higher to close at fresh all-time high levels on Thursday, following buying in market heavyweights ICICI Bank, Infosys and TCS amid a largely positive trend in global equities.

The 30-share BSE Sensex scaled an intraday record high of 80,392.64 in early trade. The index pared most of the gains later due to volatility and profit-taking by investors at record levels. Sensex closed 62.87 points or 0.08 per cent higher at 80,049.67, its all-time closing high.

(via PTI)

Locals and volunteers in Imphal's Kshetrigao Awang village re-build the river bank after it broke due to overflowing water. More than 300 houses were damaged in the area.

"The water needs to be stopped else it will affect even more people. A proper survey and timely work should be done by govt that this doesn't happen again," said Sheikh Noorul Hassan, MLA Kshetrigao.

The Indian Cricket Team has arrived in Mumbai ahead of its victory parade at Marine Drive. An unprecedented gathering is waiting for the team at the parade point.

The 'Vijay Rath' open-bus for the Indian Cricket Team, meant to carry the team members during the victory parade, got stuck in the crowd. Police personnel swung into action, dispersing the crowd and trying to make way for the bus to reach Marine Drive.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given directions to the Mumbai Police Commissioner to ensure that there is no mismanagement of traffic or any inconvenience to the Indian Cricket Fans who have gathered at Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium.

Awaiting the arrival of the Indian Cricket Team for the victory parade, the crowd continues to swell at Marine Drive. | VISUALS:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed the first supplementary chargesheet against three accused in the 2022 Bhupatinagar (West Bengal) blast case, which left three persons dead.

The Indian Cricket Team has arrived at Marine Drive's Nariman Point for the Victory Parade to celebrate its T20 World Cup win.

The floor test of the new Jharkhand government led by CM Hemant Soren will be held on July 8 during a special session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.

The Indian Cricket Team waved to the sea of fans, cheering at them, during the victory parade in Mumbai.

In a special moment during the victory parade, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lifted the T20 World Cup trophy to show it to the fans. | WATCH