The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has convicted former *Tehelka* editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case involving a former junior colleague, overturning his 2021 acquittal by a trial court. Tejpal was sentenced to 10 years in prison and given two weeks to surrender. The High Court ruled that the trial court had relied on stereotypes about how a sexual assault survivor should behave. Tejpal, who has maintained his innocence, told the court he was a "victim" and said he would challenge the conviction before the Supreme Court. (PC: NDTV)

The Narendra Modi government has stepped up efforts to break the Parliament deadlock by reaching out to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the proposed FCRA Amendment Bill and the delimitation-linked Constitution Amendment Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju held two meetings with Rahul Gandhi within 10 days as the Monsoon Session remains disrupted over the NEET paper leak protests, police action on students and the alleged Ram Temple donation theft. While the Centre is seeking Opposition support for key legislation, Congress has maintained that Parliament can function only after Home Minister Amit Shah addresses its demands. (PC: India Today)

Air India has named former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new CEO, replacing Campbell Wilson, who stepped down in April. The Tata Group-owned airline said Gebremariam was unanimously selected to lead its next phase of growth after overseeing Ethiopian Airlines' expansion into Africa's largest and most profitable carrier. He takes charge as Air India faces major challenges, including a record $2.3 billion loss, reduced international operations, and the aftermath of the 2025 Ahmedabad-London crash that killed 260 people. Industry experts believe his crisis management experience could help accelerate Air India's turnaround and restore passenger confidence. (PC: BBC)

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday launched the nationwide 'Kya Bolti Public' campaign to gather people's concerns, with education as its first focus. Speaking after the party's core committee meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, Dipke said rising school, college and coaching fees have made quality education unaffordable for many families. He claimed increasing education costs are forcing parents into debt and called for reforms to reduce the financial burden. Dipke also criticised the political and judicial systems, alleging that public trust in democratic institutions has weakened in recent years. (PC: X)

Ukraine launched long-range drone attacks on 2 Russian oil refineries, targeting facilities in Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Huge black smoke was seen rising above Yaroslavl after oil storage tanks were reportedly hit by falling drone debris. The regional governor described it as the largest drone attack the area has faced, saying 93 drones were intercepted. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed it destroyed 605 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, while 3 people were reported killed. The strikes come as Ukraine continues targeting Russian energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russian attacks in Ukraine killed at least 10 people, officials said. (PC: BBC)

The US government has refunded about $100 billion in tariffs collected under President Donald Trump after the Supreme Court ruled that the duties imposed using emergency powers were unlawful. Court filings show the refunds account for nearly 60% of the roughly $166 billion collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The money has been returned to importers who paid the tariffs, while additional refunds remain under processing. Although the February ruling limited Trump's authority to impose broad tariffs, sector-specific duties introduced under separate laws remain in force. The administration has since pursued alternative tariff measures, prompting fresh legal challenges. (PC: X)

India has stepped up diplomatic efforts to secure the return of the 11th-century Goddess Vagdevi idol from the British Museum in London. The Madhya Pradesh government requested the Centre to seek the idol's repatriation, and the Union Culture Ministry has been pursuing the matter through diplomatic and institutional channels. The issue is expected to feature prominently during the BRICS Culture Working Group and Culture Ministers' meetings in Bhopal. The white-marble idol, linked to Dhar's Bhojshala, was acquired by the British Museum in 1909. India is also pushing for stronger international cooperation to recover cultural artefacts removed during the colonial period. (PC: NDTV)

Rukhsar Ahmed, a former Pakistani state minister facing rape and child trafficking allegations in the UK, has won an election in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while on police bail. According to The Guardian, Ahmed was arrested in July 2024 by Greater Manchester Police over allegations linked to historic child sexual abuse cases in Manchester. He reportedly missed a UK bail appointment last month, claiming he was too ill to travel, but was seen campaigning in Mirpur during the PoK polls. Ahmed, affiliated with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N, is expected to report to UK police within the next 6 weeks. (PC: The Daily Star)

The death toll from Assam's latest wave of floods has increased to 95, with around 1.6 lakh people affected across 14 districts since July 19. Sivasagar is the worst-hit district, reporting 50 deaths and over 57,000 affected residents, while neighbouring Charaideo has recorded 21 fatalities. Golaghat and Jorhat have also suffered heavy losses. Union Health Minister J P Nadda said restoring normalcy will take time due to the scale of the disaster. Rescue and relief operations remain underway as authorities continue providing food, shelter and medical assistance to affected families across the flood-hit regions. (PC: X)

Pakistan has reportedly deployed nearly 250 Chinese-made SH-15 self-propelled howitzers along sectors facing India, marking a major upgrade to its artillery capabilities. According to defence analysts, the mobile 155 mm gun system offers longer range, faster deployment and improved precision compared to Pakistan's older artillery. Reports suggest the weapons have been positioned near key sectors along the International Border and the Line of Control. Experts say the deployment reflects growing China-Pakistan defence cooperation and could complicate India's military planning. India is responding by expanding indigenous artillery programmes, including ATAGS, K9 Vajra-T, Dhanush and extended-range Pinaka systems. (PC: X)