Vehicles with fake number plates used to shoot Suvendu Adhikari’s aide: West Bengal police

Vehicles with fake number plates were used to target and kill Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, the outgoing Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, late on Wednesday night (May 6, 2026), according to the West Bengal police. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the attack, and forensic experts have visited the scene of the crime in North 24 Parganas, Madhyamgram. “If he was not my aide or I did not defeat [outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee] in Bhabanipur, maybe they would not have targeted Rath. His crime was being my personal assistant,” Mr. Adhikari said, after visiting his aide’s family at the Barasat Medical College and Hospital where a post-mortem was being conducted on Rath’s body.

U.S. and Iran trade fire, threatening fragile truce

The U.S. military said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets on Thursday (May 7, 2026) after an attack on three American destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran accused Washington of striking first. The violence threatened to unravel a fragile truce in effect since April 8 that brought an end to weeks of U.S.-Israeli attacks on the Islamic republic, which has retaliated with strikes across West Asia and by blocking the strait, a vital route for oil and gas shipments.

DMK explores backing AIADMK, Tamil Nadu Governor tells Vijay he hasn’t established majority

The post-election political climate in Tamil Nadu turned upside down on Thursday (May 7, 2026) after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leadership began toying with the idea of extending outside support to its arch-rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — a prospect that would have been unthinkable till a week ago. In a related development, the Lok Bhavan said Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar invited Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C. Joseph Vijay and “explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the government, has not been established.”

Kerala election results: Congress high command to pick Kerala CM; most UDF allies for Satheesan

The Congress Legislative Party, which met in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday (May 7, 2026), passed a resolution authorising the party high command to choose the next Chief Minister of Kerala, even as the three leaders in contention were involved in hectic parleys to secure the support of MLAs. At Indira Bhavan, the headquarters of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken as well as AICC general secretary and Kerala in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi held one-on-one meetings with the 63 legislators of the Congress to know about their choice for the Chief Minister’s post.

A year after Operation Sindoor, two schools bear the cost of conflict in Pulwama and Poonch

A year on, two schools in Jammu & Kashmir, which bore the brunt of the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May last year, stand testimony to the cost of war, tragedy, and trauma, staring at a long road to recovery. With Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the other side of the nearby hills, the Christ High School in Poonch is finding it hard bury the memories of the war. “Who would want a war that leaves children dead? In pursuit of justice for the Pahalgam victims, there was addition to the list of civilian deaths. War exposes the vulnerabilities of human beings,” Father Shijo, principal of the school for the past seven years, told The Hindu.

Nida Khan, key accused in Nashik TCS case, arrested in Maharashtra

Over 40 days after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against her in a rape and sexual exploitation case, suspended TCS employee Nida Khan was taken into police custody in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar late on Thursday night. The arrest was made in a joint operation by the Nashik SIT, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Crime Branch and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police Commissioner. “Nida Khan has been taken into custody from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. We are in the process of completing the legal action now,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Sandip Mitke, who heads the Nashik Police SIT.

Supreme Court asks if there was a ‘proper debate’ in Parliament before enacting CEC/EC appointments law

The Supreme Court on Thursday (May 7, 2026) asked if there had been a “proper debate” in the Parliament about the “ethos” of its 2023 judgment that took the appointment of members of the Election Commission of India out of the exclusive hands of the political executive, namely, “the party which not unnaturally has an interest in perpetuating itself in power”.

India will shape the battlefield if challenged again: armed forces on Operation Sindoor

On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, senior military officials asserted that India’s response to cross-border terrorism has fundamentally altered the security landscape, with Lieutenant-General Rajiv Ghai declaring that no terror sanctuary inside Pakistan remains safe anymore. Addressing a joint press conference in Jaipur with senior officers from the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy, Lieutenant-General Ghai, who served as the Director-General of Military Operations during Operation Sindoor, said it was “not an end, but just the beginning”.

Repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis is a ‘core issue’: MEA response to Dhaka’s remarks on ‘push-in’ from India

The repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens who are illegally staying in India is a “core issue” in the Delhi-Dhaka relationship, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday (May 7, 2026). Responding to comments from Bangladesh’s new government about possible “push-ins” from the Indian side, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal sought Dhaka’s cooperation on expediting the repatriation of at least 2,862 identified illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Despite outreach by India, Pakistan hasn’t been isolated, says Congress

The Congress on Thursday (May 7, 2026) took a swipe at the Centre on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, alleging that despite India’s extensive diplomatic outreach after the military operation, Pakistan had not been isolated internationally as it was after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Trump hails talks with Brazil’s Lula despite earlier tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had good talks with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the White House on Thursday (May 7, 2026), hailing the “very dynamic” leader despite previous tensions with his ideological opposite. Leftist Mr. Lula, 80, and right-winger Mr. Trump, 79, have clashed before over everything from tariffs to Mr. Trump’s bid to exert U.S. dominance over the Americas. But they have worked to bury the hatchet in recent months — not least as Mr. Lula seeks to boost his image at home ahead of tight elections in October.

Iran’s President Pezeshkian says he met Supreme Leader Khamenei

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday (May 7, 2026) he had met with the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since his appointment in early March. Mr. Pezeshkian did not say when their meeting took place.

WHO says now five confirmed cruise ship hantavirus cases

The World Health Organization said on Thursday (May 7, 2026) there were now five confirmed hantavirus cases from the Atlantic cruise ship outbreak, with three more suspected — and warned more cases were possible. Despite the three fatalities, the WHO insisted that the outbreak on the MV Hondius was not the start of an epidemic, or a repeat of the spread of COVID-19.

Two former Chinese Defence Ministers sentenced to death for corruption

Two former Chinese Defence Ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday (May 7, 2026), official media reported. Their sentences were separately handed down by China’s military court, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Compliance regulations could derail benefits from ‘mother of all deals’: EU Ambassador to India

While hailing the India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as creating a joint market comprising one quarter of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the EU’s Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin also struck a note of caution over regulatory hurdles and “unfinished business” that could overshadow the benefits of the deal.

IPL 2026: Marsh, Prince excel as Super Giants end losing run

Lucknow Super Giants kept its IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a thrilling nine-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana Stadium here on Thursday. The victory was set up by a brutal century from Mitchell Marsh, who scored his second IPL ton off just 49 deliveries, as well as Prince Yadav’s inspired spell.