West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assured exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin of her safety during her return to Kolkata after 19 years, saying the “days of threats are over” and inviting her to visit the state whenever she wished. Speaking at an event at Rabindra Sadan, Adhikari said her security would be his responsibility and described her return as a sign that both the government and the system had changed. Nasrin, exiled from Bangladesh in 1994, left Kolkata in 2007 after violent protests over her writings. She said returning to Kolkata was her dream and added that history would remember both those who shut the door and those who opened it.

Renowned Nepali-British mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja’s final Instagram post has gained attention after he was killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The 43-year-old revealed he had changed his plans at the last moment to climb Broad Peak after realising it would leave only Cho Oyu to become the first person to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres twice without supplemental oxygen. Calling his mission bigger than personal achievement, Purja wrote that he sought only “safe passage” and never took mountains for granted. His expedition ended in tragedy after an avalanche struck Broad Peak, killing Purja and all 10 members of his team. (PC: AP)

A young girl from Noida, whose video allegedly showed her abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, has apologised after a zero FIR was lodged against her. In a video, she described the incident as her “first and last mistake”, claiming she was influenced by groups at the protest site who were abusing the Prime Minister and encouraging others to do the same. She expressed shame over her remarks and apologised to the nation. The girl also claimed she is 15 years old. Senior Delhi Police officials said they have seen the apology video and will decide the next course of the investigation.

UEFA says it has lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino after FIFA abandoned its controversial proposal to sell minority stakes in its competitions to private investors. UEFA, which had threatened to boycott future World Cups, called the withdrawal “a victory for the whole game” but accused Infantino of breaking promises on transparency and misusing FIFA’s resources. The governing body demanded accountability for those behind the plan and called for governance reforms and better use of FIFA funds through the existing Forward programme. The Football Association backed UEFA’s stance, while other confederations also opposed the proposal, leaving Infantino under mounting pressure ahead of FIFA’s presidential election in March. (PC: Reuters)

A first-year medical student has been detained after a document allegedly containing bomb-making instructions was found in the X-ray room of Rajarshi Dashrath Autonomous State Medical College in Ayodhya. The document was recovered on Saturday by the department in charge, who immediately alerted police, triggering an investigation. Authorities have also questioned two other first-year medical students as part of the probe. Officials are examining the circumstances surrounding the document and whether it was linked to any larger plan. The incident has revived memories of the November 2025 Red Fort blast case, in which three key accused were employed with Faridabad's Al Falah University. The investigation remains ongoing. (PC: X)

US embassies across West Asia have urged American citizens to consider leaving the region or prepare for departure amid fears of escalating conflict with Iran. The advisory follows renewed exchanges of fire, Donald Trump's warning of further US strikes, and Iran's accusation that Washington is fuelling regional tensions. Kuwait said Iranian drone attacks struck several vital facilities without causing casualties. Maritime security concerns have also intensified after two tanker incidents near the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen's Houthi rebels forced Saudi vessels to reroute from the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The developments underscore growing instability across key energy and shipping corridors, raising concerns over regional security, global trade and oil supplies.

India scripted history in the Commonwealth Games 2026 as Havildar Soman Rana clinched gold and Shubham Juyal secured silver in the debut men's shot put F57 event. Soman produced a season-best throw of 13.40m, while Shubham followed with 13.28m, taking India's medal tally to 30. A two-time Paralympian and Indian Army para athlete, Soman lost his right leg below the knee in a 2006 mine blast while serving with the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. During rehabilitation at Pune's Artificial Limb Centre, he discovered para sports, later joining the Army Paralympic Node in 2017 and emerging as a world-class athlete. (PC: Getty Images)

West Bengal Police's Special Task Force (STF) has uncovered an alleged Pakistan-linked conspiracy involving suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Hamim Mondal and associate Arpita Sarkar. Investigators claim the plot included targeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, honey-trapping and kidnapping the son of a senior Howrah politician, and sabotaging the recent Jantar Mantar student protest by infiltrating it in a police uniform. STF said Mondal allegedly communicated with Pakistan-based handlers through Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, Session and Element X after initial contact online. Police are also probing suspected radicalisation, recruitment efforts and possible funding links from Pakistan. Arpita Sarkar's role remains under investigation, while the probe continues into the wider alleged network. (PC: PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal intensified his campaign against the Centre's E20 petrol policy, announcing he will march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on August 4 with 100 people "not afraid of lathis". Speaking at the National Town Hall Against E20 in New Delhi, Kejriwal said the delegation would submit printouts of petitions signed by over two lakh citizens opposing the policy. He alleged the 20% ethanol-blended fuel rollout was linked to the recent India-US trade deal and claimed it was being implemented "to keep America happy". AAP leaders also highlighted the heavy deployment of Rapid Action Force and Delhi Police personnel outside the Constitution Club venue.

India's boxing contingent scripted Commonwealth Games history in Glasgow as all 10 boxers reached their respective finals, guaranteeing a record 10 medals and surpassing the country's previous CWG boxing medal tally. Preeti Pawar opened India's gold account with a dominant 5-0 victory over Canada's Scarlett Savannah Delgado in the women's 54kg final, while Jaismine Lamboria defeated defending champion Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland by the same unanimous margin to claim gold after winning bronze in the previous edition. Jadumani Singh settled for silver after losing the men's 55kg final to Jye Dixon. Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain headlines seven more Indian boxers scheduled to contest finals later on Saturday. (PC: Global Green, HT & India.com)