For students, this daily news update will be helpful for improving general knowledge and staying informed, which are important for exams and current affairs quizzes. Top news headlines for July 4 highlights key developments in politics, security, judiciary, infrastructure, and international relations. India will mark 75 years of diplomatic ties with Japan, while political debates continue across the country. International responses also highlight India’s growing global partnerships.

Top national headlines

1. 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic ties to be celebrated with cricket, art, anime events in 2027

New Delhi: A friendship cricket match, a platform to catalyse direct linkages between Indian business clusters and Japanese regional banks, and a host of other colourful activities to promote art, culture of the two countries and people-to-people ties will be held to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Japan next year. 

2. BJP links Channi's reported displeasure to infight in Congress, says 'new cracks' emerging

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday claimed that "new cracks" are emerging in the Congress, citing reports that party leader Charanjit Channi is "miffed" over the latest organisational reshuffle ahead of the Punjab polls.

3. Congress accuses Modi govt of 'calibrated capitulation' to China

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday alleged that the Modi government's "calibrated capitulation" to China is continuing even as India's trade deficit with that country reaches record levels "destroying large sections of our industry specially MSMEs".

4. Ram temple donation 'theft': SIT to re-audit temple trust's accounts of past five years

Ayodhya (UP): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple here will conduct a re-audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's accounts for the past five years after the preliminary probe indicated large-scale irregularities, sources said on Friday. 

5. Electoral democracy faces gravest threat from Modi-Shah regime: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said democracy faces the "gravest of threats" from the current dispensation, days after opposition parties urged the Supreme Court to take steps to restore the integrity and accountability of the electoral process. 

6. RSS gen sec Hosabale calls for severe punishment for those involved in Ram temple donation 'theft'

New Delhi: RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Friday said that the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has "deeply hurt" the sentiments and faith of the entire society, and called for ensuring that anyone found guilty after the investigation faces severe punishment. 

7. 'members' of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed arrested by Gujarat ATS

Ahmedabad: Eight alleged members of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), two of them aged 18 and 19, have been arrested by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for seeking to establish an active network in the western state, officials said on Friday. 

8. Tharoor recalls past security concerns amid Adani's proposed MSC stake transfer

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid controversy over the proposed selling of 49 per cent stakes in the Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), the concessionaire of the port, to the Switzerland based shipping major, MSC, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday recalled that the project had failed to secure bidders several times under both the UPA and NDA governments because of concerns over the possible involvement of Chinese companies. 

9. Five nannies arrested for abusing toddlers at Bengaluru IT firm's daycare centre

Bengaluru: Police have arrested five nannies of a daycare centre run on the campus of an IT firm here for the alleged abuse of toddlers. 

10. Honeymoon murder case: SC refuses to stay Meghalaya HC order granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay a Meghalaya High Court order granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of killing her husband during their honeymoon in the northeastern state in 2025.

11. Karur stampede: DMK moves SC to restrain TVK leaders from making public statements

New Delhi: The DMK moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking a direction to restrain TVK leaders including Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay from making public statements or levelling "false accusations" in connection with the Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed. 

12. SC halts Delhi government's CAG audit of private discoms

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday halted a CAG audit ordered by the Delhi government of three private discoms against the backdrop of a staggering Rs 38,500 crore accumulated over the years as Regulatory Assets (RA) to be recovered from consumers. 

13. NHAI suspends officials after Delhi-Dehradun Expressway section cave-in video goes viral

New Delhi: After a video of a section of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway caving in went viral, NHAI has suspended the team leader of the authority engineer and the project manager of the contractor even as it said the cave-in was due to water stagnation following rains. 

Top international headlines

1. PM Modi to undertake first visit to New Zealand next week: PM Luxon

Wellington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first official visit to New Zealand next week, the country's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced on Friday.

2. India-Japan ties should not target third party: China

Beijing: China said on Friday that bilateral cooperation between countries should not target any third party or undermine the interests of another nation, a day after India and Japan unveiled a raft of landmark initiatives during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to Delhi.

PTI