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)

The student protest over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC CGL recruitment examinations entered Day 13 in Ranchi, with protesters demanding the resignation of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Students accused the government of being unresponsive and renewed their demand for a CBI probe into the recruitment process. Protest leaders said they would continue their hunger strike despite deteriorating health and confirmed plans to gherao the state assembly on August 10. The state government has invited student representatives for talks, while Soren has assured the Governor that the government is committed to ensuring justice and examining the allegations. (PC: HT)

The Indian government quietly completed a Rs 31,500-crore sale of a 6.5% stake in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), making it the country's biggest secondary share sale through the stock exchange. According to Bloomberg, even some investment bankers advising the deal were informed only hours before its launch to prevent traders from influencing LIC's share price. The government initially offered a 2.5% stake before increasing it to 6.5% after strong institutional demand. The sale raises LIC's public shareholding to 10%, helping the insurer meet SEBI's minimum public shareholding requirement well before the May 2027 deadline. (PC: India Today)

A discarded second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has crashed into the Moon, creating a new crater near the Einstein Crater. The 4-tonne rocket stage, launched in early 2025, struck the lunar surface at about 8,700 km/h after its orbit was gradually altered by the gravitational pull of the Sun, Earth and Moon. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri spacecraft will study the impact site to better understand crater formation and lunar dust. The collision is only the second known case of accidental rocket debris striking the Moon. 

The Bombay High Court's Goa bench on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case, overturning his acquittal by a Goa Sessions Court in 2021. The court found him guilty of raping a woman colleague at a Goa hotel during an event in 2013. Tejpal was arrested the same year after the survivor accused him of sexually assaulting her inside a hotel elevator. He had denied the allegations throughout the case. The Sessions Court had earlier acquitted him, citing insufficient evidence, but the High Court reversed that verdict. (PC: X)

Sripathi Deepa, a 42-year-old software professional from Hyderabad, died in a road accident in New Jersey while dropping her husband, Ramakrishna Reddy, at a metro station. The couple had been living in the US since 2008 and have 2 children. Police said another vehicle allegedly rammed into Deepa's car, and the other driver has been taken into custody. Originally from Telangana's Rangareddy district, Deepa was scheduled to return to India in just 2 days. Her sudden death has left her family and friends in deep shock. (PC: NDTV)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologised for mistakes linked to his controversial proposal to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. After a meeting with FIFA's management board in Morocco, senior executives reaffirmed their support for Infantino, allowing him to remain in office. The governing body admitted the proposal was handled poorly and apologised for excluding key stakeholders. However, UEFA continues to oppose Infantino's leadership, while several national associations have withdrawn support for his re-election bid. Despite mounting criticism, Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in the 2027 election. (PC: BBC)

Anti-reservation protests are gaining momentum across India, with demonstrations reported in Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow and Visakhapatnam. Student groups, social media campaign Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA), and Shri Rajput Karni Sena are demanding changes to the country's caste-based reservation system. In Jaipur, Karni Sena supporters clashed with police during a march against the UGC Equity Regulations, after which the outfit vowed not to support the BJP in upcoming local elections. Protesters are seeking income-based reservations, periodic policy reviews and rollback of the UGC rules. While the movement is expanding online and on the streets, the government has not indicated any change to the existing reservation framework. (PC: India Today)

Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks on Kyiv this year overnight, firing 28 ballistic and hypersonic missiles along with 115 drones. Ukraine's air force said it failed to intercept any of the missiles, citing a critical shortage of air-defence interceptors. The strikes killed at least 17 people and injured 44, with multiple sites across the capital hit. President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to speed up deliveries of anti-ballistic missile systems, saying delays were costing civilian lives. Russia claimed it targeted military logistics hubs and drone facilities in Kyiv, while reports suggested some strikes may have involved cluster-munition-equipped Iskander-M ballistic missiles. (PC: The Telegraph)

Air India has appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new CEO and Managing Director, weeks after reports linked him to the top job at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). According to media reports, Gebremariam had been selected to lead PIA, but his appointment was delayed pending security clearances. Before the process concluded, Tata Group-owned Air India secured him to lead its next phase of expansion. The appointment follows Campbell Wilson’s resignation and comes as Air India pushes ahead with fleet modernisation, network growth and service improvements. Gebremariam is widely credited with transforming Ethiopian Airlines into one of the world’s most successful and profitable carriers. (PC: ITG)