A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case filed by 6 women wrestlers. The case, which emerged in 2023, led to nationwide protests by top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, demanding action against Singh. He had consistently denied the allegations throughout the trial. After the verdict, Singh said he had maintained his innocence from the beginning and welcomed the court's decision. The ruling concludes the criminal proceedings in one of the most high-profile cases in Indian wrestling. (PC: India Today)

Protests against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations intensified after student leader Devendra Nath Mahato began an indefinite hunger strike in Ranchi. Aspirants are demanding the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Test, a CBI and ED probe into alleged paper leaks, and reforms in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment systems. Protesters claim repeated exam leaks have harmed thousands of candidates and are seeking greater transparency and accountability. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) also extended support to the agitation. The Hemant Soren government has yet to announce any decision on the key demands raised by the students. (PC: HT)

US President Donald Trump said fresh negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday after he decided to halt what he described as a "massive" planned military strike. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Iran and key US allies, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, urged him to delay the attack as they believed a diplomatic deal was within reach. He said discussions would focus on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme. Iran has not confirmed the talks and denied requesting any pause in military action. Oil prices fell after Trump's announcement, reflecting hopes of easing regional tensions. (PC: BBC)

Thailand’s popularity among Indian travellers has coincided with a worrying rise in crimes where Indians allegedly target fellow Indians. The latest case involved three Indian tourists who arrived in Bangkok on July 21 for a vacation but were allegedly abducted, taken to a building in Pattaya, tortured for ransom and rescued a week later during a Thai police raid. Authorities arrested the suspected kidnappers, who were also Indians, as they prepared to flee. The incident is part of a broader pattern involving kidnapping, extortion and exploitation of Indian nationals in Thailand. Investigators have also documented cases where Indians were forced into criminal enterprises, highlighting growing concerns over cross-border organised crime targeting compatriots. (PC: India Today)

Resham Fatma, a 29-year-old from Ranchi, has become India’s first acid attack survivor to receive the UK government’s prestigious Chevening Scholarship. She will pursue an MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation at the London School of Economics. Resham survived an acid attack at 17 after allegedly rejecting a marriage proposal from her mother’s cousin while studying in Lucknow. The attack left lifelong physical and emotional scars, but she rebuilt her life through determination and advocacy. Earlier honoured with the Bharat Award by then President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015, Resham says trauma never truly disappears but can be accepted and transformed into purpose, resilience and hope for countless other survivors. (PC: The Indian Express)

The Indian Embassy in Scotland expressed concern after Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain flagged an incorrect map of India at Glasgow restaurant Mister Singh’s India, where the Indian boxing contingent was hosted. The restaurant’s branding omitted the Northeast, prompting Borgohain to say the depiction “hurt” her as someone from the region. The embassy said it immediately raised the issue with the restaurant, which assured corrective action and began withdrawing items displaying the incorrect map. Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh described the error as an “aberration” and said the management accepted its mistake. The restaurant apologised publicly, promised to change its logo and later appeared to delete its Instagram account.

India officially began preparations for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games after receiving the Commonwealth flag during the Glasgow 2026 closing ceremony. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, IOA president PT Usha and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi accepted the flag as Ahmedabad’s countdown commenced. Glasgow 2026 chair George Black wished Ahmedabad success in staging the centenary Games. India concluded the 2026 edition with 39 medals including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze. Boxing delivered a record 10 medals, including seven golds, while Asmita Dey won India’s first Commonwealth Games judo gold. Mirabai Chanu claimed a third straight gold, and para-athletes produced their best-ever Commonwealth Games performance with seven medals.

US President Donald Trump said the United States cancelled what he called the “biggest attack since World War II” against Iran and would instead begin negotiations with Tehran on Monday over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar urged Washington to halt military action, believing diplomacy could succeed. He stressed there was no deadline for talks and said he preferred a deal over conflict. Iran rejected Trump's claim that it sought a pause in military action, calling it “a new lie”, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Oman-mediated Hormuz negotiations were progressing toward finalisation. (PC: AFP)

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said his education in the US was financed through a scholarship from Boston University and an education loan, rejecting claims that unexplained family wealth funded his studies. Speaking to journalist Barkha Dutt, Dipke produced a copy of his scholarship letter after an RTI activist sought a probe into his family's finances. The exchange comes amid intensified scrutiny over the CJP's funding, legal status and support behind its protests. Dipke maintained that his overseas education was transparently funded and said the loan remains to be repaid. The controversy has added another layer to questions surrounding the party's finances and operations. (PC: PTI)

An Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Mister Singh's India, deleted its Instagram account after facing backlash over an incorrect map of India in its logo, highlighted by Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain during the Commonwealth Games. Following India's historic 10-medal boxing campaign, the contingent visited the restaurant, where Lovlina noticed the logo omitted the North-Eastern region on napkins and signage. Calling the error hurtful, she urged authorities to correct it, saying every part of India matters. The restaurant apologised, stating it never intended to offend anyone and was proud of its Indian heritage. It pledged to replace the logo with the correct map of India immediately after.