A four-storey residential building collapsed in Delhi’s Seemapuri area on Wednesday, October 7, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation. The Delhi Fire Service received a distress call around 3:30 pm and rushed fire tenders and rescue personnel to the site. Officials said several people were feared trapped under the debris, although the exact number remained unclear. Emergency teams began removing rubble and searching for survivors. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the collapse or provided a final casualty figure. The incident remains under investigation, with rescue operations continuing and further details expected from officials.

Virat Kohli has rejected claims that Rs 5 crore was paid to bring him to spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj’s ashram in Vrindavan. Kohli’s spokesperson called the allegation “completely false, baseless and factually incorrect”. The claim was made by Falahari Maharaj, also known as Dinesh Sharma, amid controversy surrounding the death of a disciple at the ashram. Kohli and his wife, Anushka Sharma, have been regular visitors to the Radha Keli Kunj Ashram since 2023. Kohli’s team said his visits were driven by “deep faith and reverence” and urged media organisations to verify such claims before reporting or amplifying them. (PC: NDTV)

Two studies by Indian researchers have found that rising human activity is affecting the Himalayan monal, a colourful pheasant native to the Himalayan mountains. Researchers found that the birds are moving to higher elevations as climate change and human encroachment reduce suitable alpine meadow habitats. Another study recorded more than 700 monal calls in Uttarakhand and found that birds in noisy tourist areas produced higher-pitched and shorter calls than those in quieter locations. Researchers said the changes appear to be behavioural responses rather than permanent evolutionary changes. The findings highlight growing ecological pressure from tourism, infrastructure expansion and climate change across the Himalayas. (PC: BBC)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked 25 years in public service on Wednesday, highlighting India’s approach to terrorism and outlining larger national ambitions. Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha in Delhi, Modi said India had given a “befitting reply” to terror infrastructure, criticised previous governments as “soft on terror” and said “red terror” had been eradicated. Referring to surgical strikes and Operation Sindoor, he said India had demonstrated its strength. Modi also highlighted aspirations including Viksit Bharat by 2047, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, becoming a global manufacturing hub, hosting the Olympics and entering space and aviation. He also praised injured Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, saying the world was talking about the Indian pilot. (PC: X)

Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat is facing allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment by a woman journalist during an October 3 protest in New Delhi. The complaint, along with two others against police personnel, has been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch for a fair and impartial inquiry. Bhagat had earlier gained attention after being allegedly attacked by a mob during a June protest, suffering multiple injuries. He later resumed duty as ACP of the Connaught Place circle. Separately, police arrested a 24-year-old man over an allegedly AI-generated fake video targeting Bhagat. His additional DCP charge was also put on hold pending the inquiry. (PC: NDTV)

Police in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district have arrested nine people, including two women, over the alleged sexual assault of a married woman during a so-called “purification ritual.” According to police, the woman had left her husband and gone to live with another man. Her husband and relatives allegedly tracked down the couple, tied them up and assaulted them. Police said the man was beaten while tied to a babul tree, and the woman was allegedly sexually assaulted. Videos of the incident surfaced on social media, prompting an investigation. District Police Chief Premsukh Delu said the woman had been threatened and unlawfully confined before being rescued. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. (PC: X)

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%, its first hike since February 2023, citing rising inflation and economic pressures. The unanimous decision followed its October 5-7 meeting and shifted the policy stance to “calibrated tightening”, signalling that rate cuts are off the table near term. Governor Sanjay Malhotra said headline CPI inflation is expected to average 5.8% over the next three quarters, with full-year inflation projected at 4.4%. The RBI cited higher global food and energy prices, market volatility, tighter financial conditions, trade uncertainty and a stronger US dollar. Future action will depend on evolving inflation, growth and price pressures.

The Election Commission said on Tuesday that no political party had formally sought an appointment before 4 pm, as the INDIA bloc protested in Delhi over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. The ECI said Delhi Police later conveyed that around 240 MPs wanted to meet it at the Parliament House Annexe, which it called unusual and declined, citing protocol. It said it offered to send its senior-most officer to receive a memorandum, but the MPs declined. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained after a nearly nine-hour sit-in. PTI reported about 250 others, including MPs, were also detained. The ECI rejects the opposition's allegations. (PC: HT)

The World Bank on Tuesday raised India's GDP growth forecast for FY27 to 7.1 per cent, up from 6.6 per cent projected in April. In its India Development Update, the bank said strong domestic demand and better-than-expected exports supported the upgrade, despite trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainty. India's economy grew 7.8 per cent in FY26 and 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of FY27. The bank warned of risks from oil prices, El Nino and stock market corrections. It expects growth of 7.2 per cent in FY28 and 7 per cent in FY29, assuming energy supply chains normalise by early 2027. (PC: X)

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been appointed the 29th Chief of the Air Staff and will take charge after Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh retires on October 31, 2026. The Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Dixit will become an Air Chief Marshal. Fighter pilot commissioned in 1986, he has logged over 3,500 flying hours and is an Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor. He has flown aircraft including Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Kiran, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas. Dixit has participated in Operations Safed Sagar, Rakshak and Sindoor, and commanded a Mirage 2000 squadron and frontline bases. He has received honours, including Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026. (PC: X)