The Bombay High Court strongly criticised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for its failure to secure open manholes, questioning why it acts only after fatalities occur. The court dismissed BMC's progress reports as an "eyewash" following the death of Aslam Shaikh, who fell into an open manhole. Despite BMC's assurances and actions like suspending officials and offering compensation, the court emphasised the need for preventive measures before the monsoon season.
The US Department of State has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to launch a public-private partnership aimed at advancing sports diplomacy worldwide. This initiative will leverage UFC's extensive global platform and athletes to engage international audiences, promote cultural exchange, and champion American values such as discipline and perseverance.
The US Department of State has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to launch a public-private partnership aimed at advancing sports diplomacy worldwide. This initiative will leverage UFC's extensive global platform and athletes to engage international audiences, promote cultural exchange, and champion American values such as discipline and perseverance.
'I remember that Indira Gandhi was virtually worshipped as a goddess. The kind of power wielded by Indira Gandhi in the early 1970s was much more than what Modi does today, but in just three years down the line Indira Gandhi faced defeat.' 'So you cannot take people's sentiments for granted. That is a lesson that the BJP should learn.'
Nationalist Citizens Party of India leader Abu Taher attended a breakfast meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for NDA allies but asserted that his party is not part of the ruling alliance. He stated his attendance was solely to raise public issues directly with the Prime Minister.
India's gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections surged by 15.4 per cent to over Rs 2.11 lakh crore in July, driven by increased mop-up from both domestic transactions and imports.
Organisers of the upcoming BWF World Championships have undertaken extensive upgrades at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi, including anti-bird measures, non-toxic gels, and even 'monkey whisperers', to prevent a repeat of the hygiene and disruption issues experienced during the India Open earlier this year.
The government maintained a strong pace of capital expenditure, which jumped nearly 24 per cent to Rs 3.40 trillion in April-June.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes the exploding popularity of T20 leagues, particularly the IPL, poses a significant threat to the future of bilateral international cricket, stating that '70 per cent (people are watching club cricket instead of international cricket)'.
The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has won the All-India Police Judo cluster tournament, which featured around 1,600 athletes from 36 police organisations. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) secured the runner-up position, with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) coming in third.
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt believes artificial intelligence could be a boon for mid-budget filmmaking by making visual effects more accessible. However, he expresses caution regarding AI's use in replicating actors' performances and raises concerns about body scanning and digital likeness ownership. Pitt also shared his thoughts on AI-generated music and his upcoming film projects.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured an easy draw against American Samuel Sevian in the first round of the Sinquefield Cup, while top seed Fabiano Caruana emerged as the early leader with a victory over Jorden Van Foreest.
Vidarsa K Vinod, a 27-year-old rifle shooter from Kozhikode, has secured a spot in the Indian squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her path from an NCC introduction to elite competition was marked by financial struggles, training with borrowed equipment, and overcoming setbacks like the COVID-19 pandemic. With crucial support from her family, husband, and the National Centre of Excellence, she now aims to become the World No. 1 in her sport.
Indian golfers Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok have maintained their positions within the top-20 at the London Championship after the third round. Diksha Dagar carded a 1-over 72 to stay T-19, while Aditi Ashok also finished T-19 with a 73. Pranavi Urs, however, dropped to T-38. Canada's Anna Huang leads the tournament with a dominant 19-under-par score.
Alphabet has announced a significant leadership reshuffle within its artificial intelligence division, appointing Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis as Chief Scientist to intensify its focus on artificial general intelligence (AGI). Koray Kavukcuoglu will become Senior Vice President of Google DeepMind, overseeing Gemini development and frontier AI research. Additionally, Google veterans Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat are launching a new public benefit corporation for ML and science discoveries, supported by Google.
The Jharkhand government is holding fresh talks with students protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities, including a hunger striker whose health has deteriorated. Despite multiple rounds of discussions, protesters vow to continue their agitation and plan a march to the Assembly if demands are not met.
Basant Kumar Meghwal and Shahnavaz Khan became the first Indians to win a medal each in high jump and long jump at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
Anahat Singh, the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships, discusses her historic victory and dismisses the notion of Egyptian players having a psychological advantage.
Long jumper Shahnavaz Khan and high jumper Basant Kumar Meghwal, both recent World Athletics U20 Championships medalists, are now setting their sights on podium finishes at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve their personal bests.
Former India internationals analyse Spain's dominant performance in the FIFA World Cup, highlighting their tactical discipline and defensive solidity. They also offer divided opinions on the highly anticipated semi-final clash between England and Argentina, discussing key players like Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane, and the tactical approaches both teams might employ.
Indian golfer Sneha Singh secured a dramatic victory at the 11th Leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour in Hosur, overcoming a significant lead squandered in the final round to defeat Vani Kapoor in a play-off. This win ends her 18-month title drought.
With political divisions dominating conversations, can couples with opposing views stay together?
Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday hinted at an equal seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, fresh from setting a new national record of 2.31m, is set to make his debut at the prestigious Diamond League in Monaco. He will compete against top international athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim, and is currently ranked joint second globally based on his season's best.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has voted to cap the age for eligibility to its Executive Committee at 70 years, aligning its constitution with the National Sports Governance Act. This decision, approved by a narrow margin, allows elected members to complete their full four-year term even if they cross 70 during their tenure. The move is part of a broader constitutional overhaul overseen by the Delhi High Court, which also includes new tenure provisions and the election of Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to replace six-time MLA Narottam Mishra with a rookie candidate in the Datia Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh led to a significant defeat, with the Congress retaining the seat. This loss is seen as a major setback for the BJP's image of discipline, with the party indicating possible disciplinary action against those who defied the central leadership's choice.
Odisha and Madhya Pradesh have secured their spots in the final of the Hockey India Junior Men's National Championship after winning their respective semi-final matches. Odisha defeated Punjab in a high-scoring encounter, while Madhya Pradesh overcame Jharkhand with late goals.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has lauded the performance of Indian junior athletes at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA, where they secured two silver and one bronze medal.
Bengaluru golfer Khalin Joshi has significantly extended his lead to seven shots at the J&K Open, finishing day two at 13-under 129. His bogey-free round of 66 included three birdies and an eagle, leaving competitors Rashid Khan and Angad Cheema trailing. The tournament saw 50 players make the cut at one-over 143, despite a shortened hole due to waterlogging.
The Jammu and Kashmir government announced that the PGTI golf tournament, J&K Open, will become an annual event, with plans to establish a world-class golf academy and position the union territory as India's golfing capital.
Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has responded to social media criticism following his disappointing ninth-place finish at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Nadeem attributed his poor performance to the extremely cold weather, which stiffened his muscles and hindered his throws. He emphasised his commitment to his country and his grounded nature, expressing confidence in his ability to return to winning form at the upcoming Athletissima event.
Students intensified their protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand with five demonstrators joining an indefinite hunger strike, even as Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday said the question paper leak issues are a national problem and offered talks to resolve the impasse.
Sarfaraz Khan has been recalled to India's Test squad for the two-match away series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15, following an injury to Sai Sudharsan. This recall comes after two years of consistent performance and a significant physical transformation, including shedding 17kg.
The Jharkhand government is holding fresh discussions with student aspirants protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities, even as the health of key protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto has significantly deteriorated after being on an indefinite hunger strike for about a week.
Congress MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi, was conspicuous by his absence when party leader Rahul Gandhi spoke in a debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, bringing to the fore the recent rift within the party's state unit.
The monsoon session of Parliament will set the tone for how the Hindu community feels about what happened at the Ram Mandir. Whether emotions will be stirred within the voters of India lies solely at the oratory skills of the Congressis and Samajwadis, notes Zainab Sikander.
Scientists discover tiny whirlpool-like swirls on the Sun that could explain solar activity, improve space weather research and solve a decades-old solar mystery.
The Bombay High Court has ordered major social media platforms, including Meta, X Corp, and Google LLC, to immediately remove 'vile, abusive, obscene, and defamatory' deepfakes and AI-generated content targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, emphasising the urgent need for online platforms to curb malicious digital content.
The Bombay High Court has convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal for raping a colleague in 2013, overturning his earlier acquittal. He was found guilty under Sections 376(2)(f), 354(a), and 354(b) of the Indian Penal Code.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal sustained a minor injury to his right hand after being attacked with a kirpan by a Nihang member inside a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra. The assailant has been arrested, and SAD leaders are demanding a CBI probe into what they term an intelligence failure.
