National News

Twisha Sharma's ashes were immersed in the Ganga at Rishikesh, a place she deeply cherished. Her family is determined to pursue justice in the high-profile Bhopal case, acknowledging it's an early stage of a significant struggle against powerful individuals. They expressed hope for government and judicial intervention to set a precedent.

A new report highlights China's key maritime vulnerability lies at the Strait of Hormuz, not the Malacca Strait. This shifts strategic competition in the Indian Ocean to a new arena involving India, France, and the US. China's energy imports through this region expose it to potential exploitation by rival powers.

The reported fallout between filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and actor Ranveer Singh following the latter’s exit from Don 3 has reportedly escalated further. According to an insider close to the matter, Ranveer Singh allegedly attempted to smooth over tensions by offering to collaborate on another film with either Farhan Akhtar or his sister Zoya Akhtar. However, the insider claimed that the proposal was turned down immediately.

The bench rejected a submission made by the state’s additional advocate-general, P V Balasubramaniam, that withdrawing paid VIP darshan would cause revenue loss to the temples.

Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shattered records in Qualifier 2, becoming the fastest to 1000 IPL runs, surpassing Andre Russell. Despite early wickets and a teammate's injury, the teenager's explosive 96 off 47 balls, featuring eight fours and seven sixes, propelled RR's innings and added to his historic IPL 2026 campaign.

Central Board of Secondary Education's new digital evaluation system encountered problems. Around 20 answer sheets were mixed up. Over 13,000 required manual checking due to poor scanning. This led to a delay in the post-result verification portal. The board is working to fix technical glitches and ensure a smooth process for students.

A Samajwadi Party leader in Chandauli has been brutally attacked inside her home. Gargi Singh Patel alleges her business associate's family assaulted her with iron rods. She claims the attack was part of a political conspiracy to harm her career. CCTV footage reportedly captured the incident. Police are investigating the assault and the alleged political links.

China's Xinjiang crackdown shifts focus from camps to identity, language, and religion. Despite claims of re-education graduates, a vast network of prisons, surveillance, and boarding schools persists. Uyghur culture faces suppression through education and labor programs, sparking renewed international concern over alleged crimes against humanity.

Ethanol-blended petrol is made by mixing ethanol with petrol. Ethanol is a biofuel that is derived from a wide variety of food crops and feed stocks like sugarcane and petrol. Under the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, the original target for achieving E20 petrol sales.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has achieved a historic IPL milestone. The Rajasthan Royals teenager is the first uncapped player to score 700 runs in a single season. He also set a T20 record for most powerplay runs in a tournament. Sooryavanshi's incredible form continues to break records. His season now stands as the highest-scoring IPL campaign by an uncapped player.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen sparked debate during IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 after criticising wide-ball referrals in cricket. “Referring wides in cricket needs to stop,” Pietersen posted on X while watching Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals. His remark divided fans, with some saying reviews slow down T20 games, while others defended technology for ensuring accurate decisions in high-pressure matches.

An Indian-designed autonomous combat aircraft entering the European manufacturing ecosystem is an endeavour Indian defence planners seemingly wanted for years. But beyond the symbolism lies a far bigger story involving military technology, Nato interoperability, artificial intelligence, export controls, defence geopolitics and the rapidly changing nature of modern warfare. The agreement also highlights something increasingly visible in global defence manufacturing as the military power is no longer built entirely inside geographical limits.

Drones are revolutionizing warfare, with their cost-effectiveness making them ubiquitous. Counter-drone systems are evolving rapidly, increasingly relying on non-kinetic methods like lasers and EMPs to neutralize threats. Advanced detection and identification technologies, including AI and sophisticated sensors, are crucial in this escalating technological arms race.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made IPL history. He is the first player in T20 cricket to score 500 runs in the powerplay during a single tournament. This happened in IPL 2026. He achieved this milestone in a crucial qualifier match. Rajasthan Royals relied on him after early wickets. Sooryavanshi has been a standout performer all season.

Former US attorney general Pam Bondi appeared before the House Oversight Committee. She admitted to redaction errors in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Bondi defended the Justice Department's actions under her leadership. Democrats and survivors criticized the closed-door interview format. They demanded greater transparency and accountability in the handling of these sensitive documents.

Aam Aadmi Party secured a significant victory in Punjab's urban local body elections, prompting AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to declare the "ED party" (BJP) wiped out. Kejriwal accused the BJP of harassing traders, stating people had taken revenge.

Indian stock markets experienced a significant downturn on Friday. Investor wealth saw a substantial decline of Rs 5.77 lakh crore. Benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty50, plunged sharply in the final trading hour. Concerns over a weaker monsoon outlook and geopolitical uncertainty fueled the sell-off. Broad-based selling pressure was observed across various sectors.