At least 69 people were killed after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday morning. The quake hit around 7:34 am local time, with its epicentre near San Jose del Palmar in Choco province. Eighteen deaths were reported in Pereira and two in Manizales. Several buildings were damaged across Colombia. Cracks were reported in buildings in Cali, Armenia, Pereira and Medellin. In Bogota, people rushed out of buildings after strong tremors were felt. Tremors also reached Ecuador, Panama and areas near Venezuela. Officials warned about possible aftershocks. Colombia’s government has started recovery efforts and is assessing the damage across affected areas.

Ahead of India’s 80th Independence Day, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has urged village leaders and parents to improve government schools. He questioned why major government buildings have been developed while many rural schools still lack basic facilities. Dipke highlighted problems such as poor toilets, drinking water, electricity and long travel distances. He said he would approach the village head in Hingoli to seek improvements. He also urged parents to conduct a “social audit” of schools and report missing facilities. Dipke proposed recognising village heads who improve schools through social media. He said better schools are needed to give rural children equal opportunities. (PC: PTI)

JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto was hospitalised on Monday after his health worsened during a protest over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams. Mahto had been on a nine-day hunger strike. Doctors said his blood sugar level dropped sharply and described his condition as critical. He was taken to Ranchi Sadar Hospital for treatment. The protest march near the Jharkhand Assembly turned tense after demonstrators breached barricades. Police used water cannons, tear gas and batons to control the crowd. Several protesters and four policemen were injured. Protesters are demanding reforms in JPSC and JSSC and cancellation of several recruitment exams. (PC: PTI)

Boxer Sakshi Chaudhary’s decision to move from 54kg to 51kg has helped her win Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow. She made the change after Preeti Pawar secured India’s 54kg spot. Sakshi trained at the Army Sports Institute in Pune and lost around 3kg through a strict diet and training plan. She later beat two world champions at the selection trials. Sakshi defeated Nikhat Zareen 4-1 in the semi-final and Minakshi 5-0 in the final. Coaches praised her speed, footwork and strength. She now faces tougher competition at the Asian Games and hopes to continue improving ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. (PC: PTI)

Indian physicist Professor Deepak Dhar has won the 2026 Dirac Medal for contributions to statistical mechanics and complex systems. The International Centre for Theoretical Physics honour is shared with Bernard Derrida, Marc Mezard and Haim Sompolinsky for advancing equilibrium statistical mechanics and extending it to non-equilibrium systems, optimisation, theoretical neuroscience and AI. Dhar’s sandpile-model research showed how simple interactions can trigger complex, unpredictable behaviour, with applications to earthquakes, traffic jams and financial-market fluctuations. Born in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Dhar studied at Allahabad University and IIT Kanpur before joining Caltech on a Richard Feynman fellowship. He worked as Feynman’s teaching assistant, earned his PhD in 1978, then returned to India joining TIFR. (PC: The Economic Times)

The article reports that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has formed a 12-member leadership team to steer its movement for the next six months. The team was announced after a two-day meeting in Sambhaji Nagar, shortly after the organisation ended its 36-day Jantar Mantar protest following acceptance of its key demands. CJP says it will remain a youth-focused organisation rather than become a formal political party. Founder Abhijeet Dipke has been named national convener, while Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das are co-conveners. The team includes professionals from journalism, engineering, law, accountancy, entrepreneurship, hotel management, public policy, finance and technology.

Pranav Ilango, a student from Erode, Tamil Nadu, has secured a Rs 3.35 crore scholarship to study Applied Mathematics and Public Health at Brown University for the 2026-30 academic years. The scholarship will fully cover his academic and living expenses, which would otherwise have been beyond his family’s reach. He is expected to begin his studies in late August. Pranav was among the top-performing students at CS Academy School in Erode, where he pursued the international IGCSE Cambridge curriculum. He previously earned the “World Topper” title in IGCSE Mathematics and joined the “Outstanding Cambridge Learners” cohort. He credits choosing the Cambridge syllabus with helping him pursue his ambition of studying abroad. (PC: @IndianTechGuide)

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday condemned the use of force against protesting students in Jharkhand, calling for dialogue to resolve their grievances. His remarks came as thousands of JPSC-JSSC aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge after protesters breached barricades, with several protesters claiming injuries. Gandhi said students have a right to peaceful protest and urged the Jharkhand government to continue hearing them out and resolve their issues immediately. The students’ agitation has continued for weeks, with protesters demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

The United States has expanded an existing immigration fee that will increase employment-related visa costs for some H-1B and L-1 petitions, affecting many Indian professionals working there. The Department of Homeland Security has extended the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee to certain extension-of-stay petitions, including cases where workers continue with the same employer. The charge is $4,000 for H-1B petitions and $4,500 for L-1 petitions and is imposed on the petitioning employer, not directly on the employee. The rule applies only to employers that meet specified criteria under existing immigration law, meaning not every company or visa holder will be affected by the expanded fee. (PC: India Today)

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, with the talks described as “positive” amid tensions over former PM Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India. According to Bangladesh’s PMO, Hasina’s extradition and the return of murder suspect Osman Hadi were among the issues discussed. Bangladesh urged India to expedite Hasina’s extradition. Trivedi said both countries have issues but share a common interest in good relations, adding that no issue is beyond dialogue. He conveyed New Delhi’s intent to work with Dhaka in a “positive, constructive, and forward-looking” manner. Trivedi is returning to Delhi to brief the PMO and foreign ministry and also met Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. (PC: NDTV)