News Dabba for 02 July 2026: Five stories for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from very to heavy rainfall alert in Mumbai, the India-Japan sign defence pact, to US-Iran talks on the Strait of Hormuz.

India, Japan sign defence pact as PM Modi holds talks with Takaichi, Indian Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday held summit level talks with his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi focusing on expanding economic ties, enhancing resilient supply chains for semiconductors and boosting cooperation in critical technologies, Indian Express reports. Following the talks, PM Modi addressed the gathering, where he underlined the joint efforts by India and Japan to prepare a roadmap for economic security cooperation. The report says as per PM Modi's announcement that the two countries also signed a pact on co-development in the defence sector, PM Modi announced. They also signed pacts to boost their cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), metals and energy. Read the full report here.

Mumbai on very heavy to heavy rainfall alert, Hindustan Times reports

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across Mumbai and its suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall during the night and into Friday morning, Hindustan Times reports. According to the civic body, occasional gusty winds with speeds of 50-60 kmph are also likely over the city. The BMC said a high tide is expected at 1:45 pm on Thursday and again at 1:31 am on July 3, the report adds, while low tide is expected at 7:49 pm on Thursday and 7:11 am on Friday. Read the full report here.

At least 13 killed in large-scale Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, BBC reports

Russian forces have launched a major drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, killing 13 people, BBC reports. Several neighbourhoods were evacuated as strikes rocked buildings throughout the city, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia was preparing for a "massive" attack. The report added as per the head of Kyiv's ​military administration that children were among the "significant number" of casualties. Read the full report here.

NDTV on Kashmir's mutton crisis amid wedding season over Punjab 'transit fee' row

Kashmir's multi-cuisine Wazwan is facing a crisis due to disruption in supply of mutton, NDTV reports, impacting wedding season in the Valley. According to mutton dealers, crisis have been caused due to "forced collection" of fee from Kashmir-bound trucks carrying livestock from Rajasthan and Haryana by contractors in Punjab. The disruption in supplies has prompted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah write to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Singh Mann for his intervention to end the "illegal" imposition of fee on Kashmir-bound trucks carrying the livestock. Read the full report here.

US, Iran talks conclude in Doha, focused on Strait of Hormuz: The Straits Times

Iran and the United States concluded a round of indirect talks on July 1 with no sign they had made headway towards a lasting peace, The Straits Times reports, focusing instead on issues they said had been resolved when an interim agreement was announced two weeks ago. The report adds as per its sources familiar with the discussions, that negotiators for the two countries spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and unfreezing Iran’s funds – two critical issues under the initial agreement. Read the full report here