Indian cricket all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, has got engaged to Saaniya Chandok, granddaughter of prominent Mumbai businessman Ravi Ghai. The private ceremony was attended by close family and friends. Arjun, 25, represents Goa in domestic cricket and has played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He began his career with Mumbai in 2020/21 before moving to Goa, where he made his first-class and List A debuts. Saaniya, known for maintaining a low public profile, hails from a business family owning Mumbai’s InterContinental hotel and ice cream brand Brooklyn Creamery. The couple’s wedding plans remain under wraps.

Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s warning over the Indus Waters Treaty, saying, “BrahMos hai humare paas… such threats will have no effect on India.” Sharif had vowed Pakistan would not allow “even one drop” of water to be taken by India. Owaisi advised Sharif “not to talk such nonsense.” The tension follows India’s suspension of the treaty in April after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26. Earlier, BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty also issued a similar “BrahMos” warning over remarks by Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto. (PC: HT)

The U.S. State Department on August 11, 2025, officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), a stronger classification than their 2019 designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. This move, announced during Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s Washington visit, heightens sanctions and legal constraints on the groups and marks deeper US-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation. Pakistan welcomed the decision as validation of its efforts, while analysts link the timing with U.S. strategic and economic interests in Balochistan’s oil and rare earth potential. (PC: AP)  

The UN’s human rights office has condemned a targeted Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed four Al Jazeera journalists, including renowned correspondent Anas al-Sharif, calling it a grave breach of international law. Israel claimed Sharif led a Hamas cell, but provided limited evidence. Media groups, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, denounced the attack as an assassination. The strike also killed two other journalists and another civilian. Funerals drew large crowds in Gaza. Since October 2023, at least 186 journalists have been killed in the conflict, the deadliest period for the profession since records began in 1992. (PC: BBC)

National Guard troops and federal agents have appeared across Washington DC after President Donald Trump ordered their deployment, citing violent crime concerns. Around 800 National Guard personnel and 500 federal agents will aid local police, erect barricades, and patrol urban centres. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, dismissed Trump’s move as an “authoritarian push,” urging residents to protect the city’s autonomy. Trump has threatened similar actions in New York and Chicago. The deployment follows DC’s 100th homicide this year, though official data shows crime rates fell in 2024. Critics accuse city officials of manipulating statistics to downplay crime levels. (PC: BBC)

U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a “land swap” as part of a peace deal—suggesting that both Ukraine and Russia would cede territory to each other to end the war. This framing comes ahead of his upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which Trump describes as a “feel-out” session . Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has strongly rejected any such concessions, citing constitutional prohibitions and national sovereignty . European leaders echoed this stance, warning that negotiating Ukraine’s future without its involvement threatens peace and undermines international norms.

Gaza City faced intense Israeli airstrikes on Zeitoun and Sabra, with the Hamas-run civil defence reporting massive destruction and unrecovered casualties. The UK, EU, Australia, Canada, and Japan warned of an “unfolding famine” and urged “immediate, permanent and concrete steps” to allow aid into Gaza. The UN says over 1,300 Palestinians have died near aid sites, mostly from Israeli fire. The WHO appealed for urgent medical supplies, calling the health situation “catastrophic.” Israel’s war cabinet has voted to occupy Gaza City, sparking UN condemnation. The Hamas-run health ministry reported 100 dead in 24 hours, including 31 at aid sites and five from malnutrition. (PC: BBC)

Ukrainian frontline soldiers have expressed deep pessimism ahead of Friday’s planned Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, which will notably exclude President Volodymyr Zelensky. Many fear Kyiv may be pressured into territorial concessions, a move troops like 22-year-old Dmytro reject, warning it would allow Russia to regroup. President Zelensky insists sanctions and force are needed to end the invasion, accusing Moscow of preparing new offensives. Civilians echo skepticism, with some calling peace “temporary” and distrusting both leaders. Past Ukraine-Russia talks in Turkey have failed, and many believe any pause secured by Trump would only precede renewed Russian aggression. (PC: NDTV)

American singer Madonna has asked Pope Leo XIV to go to Gaza and “bring your light” to children there. In a social media post, she said he is “the only one” who can enter and “there is no more time.” Madonna, raised Catholic, said politics cannot bring change, only “consciousness” can. She wrote the message on her son Rocco’s birthday, calling for help for “innocent children caught in the crossfire.” Pope Leo has called the Gaza war “barbarity” and urged respect for civilians. The WHO chief thanked Madonna for her compassion. UNICEF warns Gaza’s children face severe malnutrition. (PC: AP)

Donald Trump will meet Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. Reports say a plan to swap land in eastern Ukraine for a ceasefire is on the table. Russia could get the rest of Donetsk, while fighting stops elsewhere. Ukraine has rejected the idea, saying it will not give up land. People in towns like Sloviansk fear losing homes again. Critics warn such a deal could reward Russia’s invasion. Trump wants a 30-day full ceasefire first. Ukraine is not part of the talks, raising concerns about decisions being made without them. The meeting could end without any agreement. (PC: Reuters)