Rahul Gandhi has again accused the Election Commission of helping the BJP in voter fraud during polls in Karnataka and Maharashtra. He claimed similar plans are underway in Bihar. Speaking outside Parliament, Gandhi said the poll body was failing to protect the principle of “one person, one vote.” His remarks came a day after he and 29 opposition MPs were detained during a protest for machine-readable voter lists. The Election Commission has denied the charges, asking Gandhi to give proof under oath. The BJP called his claims false and accused him of attacking a constitutional body for political gain. (PC: NDTV)

The Bombay High Court has ruled that having an Aadhaar card, PAN card, or voter ID does not make a person an Indian citizen. The court denied bail to Babu Abdul Ruf Sardar, accused of illegally entering India from Bangladesh and using fake documents, including an Indian passport. Justice Amit Borkar said the Citizenship Act, 1955, clearly defines who can be a citizen and how citizenship is acquired. These ID cards are only for identification or services, not proof of nationality. The court said Sardar could abscond if freed. He faces charges under several laws for forgery and illegal stay. (PC: Hindustan Times)

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)

Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir has reportedly threatened to strike Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat if war breaks out with India. Speaking at a private event in Florida, he also hinted at nuclear action in case of an “existential threat.” Munir referred to a Quranic verse, suggesting an aerial strike, and named RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani as a symbol of India’s economic strength. India’s foreign ministry rejected the threats, saying it will not bow to nuclear blackmail. It accused Pakistan’s military of working with terrorist groups. The Pakistani Foreign Office dismissed India’s response as “immature.” (PC: Hindustan Times)

Bollywood stars have spoken out against the Supreme Court’s order to remove all street dogs from Delhi-NCR. John Abraham wrote to the Chief Justice, saying, “These are not strays but community dogs… very much Delhiites in their own right.” Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan called the move “a death sentence for all dogs,” adding, “They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat.” Vir Das urged residents to “adopt an indie off the streets,” saying they give “more love and gratitude than you could ever imagine.” The court has directed shelters for 5,000 dogs within eight weeks. (PC: NDTV)

China will build a new railway linking Tibet and Xinjiang, passing through Aksai Chin near the Line of Actual Control with India. Aksai Chin is Indian territory under Chinese control since 1950. The route will allow China to move troops and equipment to the border faster. It will also extend towards Nepal and the sensitive Chumbi Valley, where the 2017 Doklam stand-off took place. The project revives a 2008 plan and is seen as a strategic move. India has not yet reacted. Experts say it could increase tensions and pose a serious security challenge for New Delhi. (PC: AFP)

Pakistan has urged India to immediately resume the Indus Waters Treaty, suspended by New Delhi following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Islamabad welcomed the August 8 ruling by the Court of Arbitration, which directed India to “let flow” the waters of the Western Rivers like Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus for Pakistan’s unrestricted use. India, however, rejected the court’s legitimacy, calling its formation a violation of the treaty. Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir threatened to target future Indian dams and issued a nuclear warning: “If we go down, we’ll take half the world down.” India maintains that “terror and talks cannot go together,” and insists Pakistan must renounce terrorism before treaty operations resume. (PC: The Leaflet & ET Infra)

Hannah Cairo, a 17-year-old homeschooled prodigy from the Bahamas, has stunned the global mathematics community by refuting the 40-year-old Mizohata-Takeuchi conjecture. The conjecture, rooted in harmonic analysis, had resisted proof for decades. Cairo constructed a counterexample that disproved it entirely, earning praise from top mathematicians. Self-taught through online resources and math circles, she mastered advanced topics by age 14 and joined graduate-level courses at UC Berkeley. Her breakthrough came during a Fourier restriction theory class. Despite lacking a high school diploma or undergraduate degree, Cairo has been accepted directly into a PhD program at the University of Maryland. Experts hail her achievement as one of the most remarkable mathematical feats by a teenager. (PC: Quanta Magazine & India Today)

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)

Bollywood actors Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan have publicly opposed the Supreme Court’s order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets within eight weeks. Both stars reposted a viral petition on Instagram, calling the move cruel and inhumane. The petition described stray dogs as “heartbeats” of the city, not a menace, and advocated for sterilization, vaccination, and adoption instead of confinement. Raveena Tandon blamed local authorities for failing to implement preventive drives, while Vir Das and Siddharth Anand urged compassion and community action. The court’s directive mandates permanent sheltering and warns of contempt action against obstruction. Celebrities and activists argue the order risks mass suffering and erases an entire voiceless community. (PC: Instagram)