Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has asked Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to personally meet students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. In a letter dated August 14, Gandhi said the protests had remained peaceful and described the students’ demands as legitimate. Job aspirants have been protesting in Ranchi since July 29, seeking a probe into alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination, JSSC-CGL and other tests. They want the JPSC exam cancelled and an independent probe by the CBI or retired High Court judges. Protesters have also demanded Soren’s resignation and plan to demonstrate outside his residence on August 20. (PC: NDTV)

A 45-year-old farmer was allegedly killed by a tiger near Valmikinagar in Bihar’s West Champaran district, triggering angry protests and violence. Vijay Haldar was attacked while working in an agricultural field near the Valmiki Tiger Reserve. After his death, villagers blocked a highway and confronted forest officials and police. Some protesters allegedly assaulted 2 forest personnel and a policeman and damaged an official vehicle. Authorities later brought the situation under control. The incident is the third reported human death linked to tiger attacks in the area in recent weeks, highlighting growing man-animal conflict around the reserve during the monsoon. (PC: HT)

US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Jared Kushner arrived in Israel after holding rare talks with Hamas on implementing the US-backed Gaza peace plan. Kushner is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. The talks reportedly focused on Hamas disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawal and humanitarian efforts. Israel has rejected Trump's 15-point plan, insisting that Hamas must be fully disarmed before any withdrawal. Hamas has urged mediators and the Board of Peace to press Israel to approve the roadmap. The development comes as regional countries push for progress on Trump's plan and an end to the Gaza conflict. (PC: BBC)

Two Air India group pilots have tested non-negative in mandatory psychoactive substance screening, sources told India Today. Their samples have been sent for confirmatory testing, with final results awaited. A non-negative initial screening result does not confirm that a pilot consumed a prohibited substance. Confirmatory tests will determine whether the pilots actually tested positive. The airline group introduced mandatory screening for all pilots from August 13 after the Phuket-Delhi flight fiasco involving an Air India pilot. Sources said around 300-400 pilots have undergone screening so far, while the testing process remains underway across the airline group. (PC: NDTV)

US visa applicants will face revised USCIS forms from September 15, 2026, affecting H-1B families, international students, exchange visitors and other eligible non-immigrant visa holders. USCIS will introduce new versions of Form I-539 and Form I-765 for status and employment-related applications. Form I-765, used to apply for an Employment Authorization Document, will carry a September 15, 2026 edition date, replacing the August 21, 2025 version. USCIS has warned that there will be no grace period for using the older form after the deadline, and applicants using outdated versions could face rejection. The update makes checking the correct form edition especially important for applicants filing status or employment-related applications from September 15 onward. (PC: iStock)

Protesting students in Jharkhand burnt effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Ranchi on August 16, marking the 23rd day of their agitation over alleged irregularities in government recruitment examinations conducted by JPSC and JSSC. Demonstrations and effigy-burning were also reported in other districts, with protesters accusing the JMM-led government of ignoring their demand for a CBI probe. Students said Congress had promised to withdraw support from the State government if their demand was not addressed by August 15. Amid the continuing protest, the Jharkhand government has called protesters for a fourth round of talks. The agitation centres on alleged recruitment examination irregularities and demands for an investigation. (PC: PTI)

At least seven people were killed and several injured after a stampede at Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai on Monday, amid a massive rush of devotees during the third Monday of Shravan. Preliminary reports suggested an electric pole may have fallen, with rumours of electrocution triggering panic. However, Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said an unprecedented crowd, intensified by two trains arriving around 6.30–6.45 am, caused barricading outside the temple to collapse, resulting in people falling over one another. Around 50,000 devotees were reportedly present. Police, district officials and medical teams launched rescue operations, while ambulances transported the injured. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed condolences and ordered prompt treatment for the injured.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday criticised the government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) after three UGC-NET June 2026 papers were cancelled and rescheduled for September. The English, Commerce and Sociology papers, conducted between June 22 and 30, will be held again after the NTA identified multiple errors, including factual, typographical and translation mistakes, along with questions repeated from previous examinations. Gandhi said students were being made to pay for mistakes committed by the examination body. In a post on X, he questioned why thousands of candidates who had spent months preparing should have to appear again because of NTA errors. He also directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. (PC: India Today)  

The Rajasthan government has restricted unauthorised entry of outsiders, photography, videography, interviews and live streaming inside state-run schools, citing student privacy, safety and dignity. The directive came as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convener Ashutosh Ranka announced plans to visit schools under its “School Thik Karo” campaign to audit infrastructure and education quality. Ranka said requests had come from schools in Jaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Barmer and Hanumangarh, allegedly facing poor conditions. The rules require visitors to obtain prior permission and register their entry, while access to student areas must be supervised. Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dostara criticised the move, accusing the BJP government of hiding shortcomings in the education system.

Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles as Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville, has died at 36. Her representative confirmed her death to ABC News, while details surrounding the cause and circumstances were not immediately disclosed. Panettiere began her career as a child actor and went on to build a successful career across television and film. Her notable credits included Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Ice Princess and Scream 4. She also appeared in the Scream franchise and was known for her voice work in animation and video games. Panettiere's death comes just days before her 37th birthday, on August 21. (PC: GMX)