LIVE: Trending, top news of January 7, 2026

Bengaluru: Girl abducted, murdered

A six-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and murdered near Whitefield in east Bengaluru. According to police, the victim is the daughter of a migrant worker from West Bengal.

The girl's father lodged a complaint on January 6, stating that his daughter went missing from January 5 afternoon, and suspected the role of a person, also a migrant worker from West Bengal, who lived nearby.

The father had suspected the role of the person, as he was seen in the vicinity of his makeshift house, where the girl was playing.

On realising that their daughter was missing, the family searched for her, and later the police were also informed. The girl's body was later found in a dry drain nearby, in migrant colony at Pattandur Agrahara.

According to police, prima facie it appears that the girl was strangled to death and there were no signs of sexual assault.

The exact reason for the killing is yet to be ascertained, they said. Based on a complaint by the family, the Whitefield police have registered a case and investigation is underway. The suspect is at large and the hunt is on to nab him, police added.

Delhi's outdated, fragmented sewage network triggers systemic water contamination

As Indore reels from a major drinking water contamination crisis, official data from Delhi reveals a disturbing parallel. An analysis of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) water quality reports accessed by The Federal shows that sewage has mixed with drinking water in more than 90 samples collected across the national capital over the past three months.

As per data available on the DJB website through its daily water quality surveillance reports, a total of 92 samples between October 1 and December 11 were found contaminated by sewage water.

Read the details here.

Kolkata freezes at 10 degrees Celsius; 'chiller days' await city and state

Cold conditions are likely to prevail in several districts of West Bengal for the next three-five days, with the maximum and minimum temperatures remaining below the normal range, the IMD said on Wednesday.

Shallow to moderate fog during morning and forenoon is also likely during the period, it said in a bulletin.

In the hills, Darjeeling recorded the lowest minimum temperature on Wednesday at 3.2 degrees Celsius, while Sriniketan in Birbhum district was the coldest place in the plains at 6.2 degrees Celsius, it said.

Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 10.3 degrees Celsius, over three notches below normal.

The metropolis had on Tuesday recorded its coldest January day, as the mercury plunged to 10.2 degrees Celsius.

The maximum day temperature in the city was 18 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, nearly seven notches below the average, the IMD data said.

Other places in West Bengal that recorded significantly low minimum temperatures on Wednesday include Suri (7.2 degrees Celsius), Jalpaiguri (7.5 degrees Celsius), Kalyani (8 degrees Celsius), Bagdogra (8.2 degrees Celsius), Bankura (8.3 degrees Celsius) and Asansol (8.3 degrees Celsius).

Trump's tarrifs: Rahul takes a dig at Modi

Against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's recent remarks on his ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and tariffs, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at the government and posted an old video in which he had talked about how in 1971 then PM Indira Gandhi had withstood pressure from America.

Trump on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Modi is "not that happy with me" because of the tariffs imposed by Washington on Delhi for its purchases of Russian oil.

Trump, delivering remarks at the House GOP Member Retreat, also claimed that “Prime Minister Modi came to see me, ‘Sir, may I see you please’. Yes." "I have a very good relationship with him. He's not that happy with me because you know they're paying a lot of tariffs now because they're not doing the oil, but they are, they've now reduced it very substantially, as you know, from Russia,” Trump said.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "Farq samjho, sir ji!" The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha shared his own old video in which he had alleged that Prime Minister Modi "surrendered" after a call from US President Trump during the India-Pakistan military conflict.

Gandhi had also said that the then prime minister Indira Gandhi didn't budge in the 1971 war despite the US sending its Seventh Fleet. "This is the difference," Gandhi had said.

Jemimah Rodrigues invests in helmet maker Tvarra

Women-only helmet maker Tvarra on Wednesday announced the onboarding of Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues as an investor partner.

Under the long-term, equity-led partnership, Rodrigues will be actively involved in shaping the brand's long-term vision, advocating responsible riding, and strengthening conversations around women taking charge of their safety and ambition, the company said in a statement. "Jemimah's discipline, energy, and clarity of purpose reflect exactly how we think about building safety thoughtfully, responsibly, and for the long term," said Tvarra founder Alpana Parida.

Nakuul Mehta's Space Gen - Chandrayaan to premiere on JioHotstar on January 23

Space Gen – Chandrayaan, an upcoming series on JioHotstar, featuring Nakuul Mehta and Shriya Saran, is set to release on the streamer on January 23.

The streaming platform shared the announcement with a teaser on its X handle on Tuesday. Directed by Anant Singh, the series marks the collaboration of JioHotstar with The Viral Fever (TVF).

The series also stars Prakash Belawadi, Danish Sait, and Gopal Datt in pivotal roles. It is inspired by true events and revolves around India's Chandrayaan-2 mission, according to a press release.

Senior photojournalist killed in road accident in Kerala

A senior photojournalist died after a speeding government bus hit his bike in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as K Gopakumar (58), serving as the chief photographer of the Malayalam daily "Chandrika".

The accident occurred near Karakkamandapam, when a KSRTC bus reportedly hit the motorcycle on which Gopakumar was travelling this morning.

His wife, Bindu, who was riding pillion, sustained injuries and has been admitted to a private hospital here.

Gopakumar is known for his active involvement in the photojournalist community in the state capital.

Bangladesh: Inquilab Moncho rejects Hadi murder chargesheet, warns of escalation if justice denied

Slain Bangladesh student leader Sharif Osman Hadi's party has rejected the police chargesheet in his murder case and accused the state machinery of being involved in the killing.

Inquilab Moncho on Tuesday also warned that those who “have shed blood” may be forced to “take blood as well” if justice is not ensured, Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported on Wednesday.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Detective Branch on Tuesday pressed formal charges against 17 people, including prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud, in connection with the murder and said Hadi was killed due to "political vengeance" at the behest of Awami League-nominated ward councillor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi.

Inquilab Moncho member secretary Abdullah al Jaber said "even a lunatic would not believe" the claim that Hadi was murdered merely on the instructions of a ward councillor, asserting that the party does not accept the chargesheet submitted by police.

He claimed that an entire "criminal syndicate", as well as the "state machinery", was involved in the killing.

“Until they are brought to justice, our struggle will not stop. Any charge sheet that does not include their names is not acceptable to us,” Jaber said after the conclusion of the party's ‘March for Justice’ programme.

26 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

As many as 26 Naxalites, 13 of them carrying a collective bounty of Rs 65 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Wednesday, a senior police official said.

The cadres, including seven women, turned themselves in before senior police and CRPF officials here under the "Poona Margem" (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) rehabilitation initiative, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.

AIADMK-PMK alliance sealed in major boost for NDA ahead of 2026 TN polls

In a significant development for Tamil Nadu's Opposition politics, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) led by Anbumani Ramadoss has formally joined the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.

The alliance agreement was signed on Wednesday (January 7) following a crucial meeting between AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and Anbumani Ramadoss at the former’s residence in Chennai.

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