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The Centre has directed ride-hailing platforms, including Uber, Ola and Rapido to remove pre-ride tipping prompts from their apps. The move targets advance tipping options that appear before passengers begin their journey. The decision could change how riders interact with tipping features and comes amid growing scrutiny of practices on app-based transport platforms.

After years of waiting for an India call-up, Auqib Nabi received the news unexpectedly when a selector called him at the airport while he was heading to the CoE after being left out of the original Sri Lanka squad.

A 30-year-old nurse has been found dead inside a locked washroom at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, triggering a police investigation and raising fresh questions about the safety of medical staff in government hospitals. The nurse was reportedly on duty in the gynaecology department during her night shift when colleagues found her unconscious inside the washroom. Police and hospital sources said a syringe and fentanyl vials were recovered from the scene. Investigators are examining how the powerful opioid was accessed and used. Her phone has reportedly been seized, while police are checking call records, hospital records and CCTV footage. No suicide note has been found, and the exact cause of death will be established through post-mortem and forensic examinations. The incident comes nearly two years after the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case, which triggered nationwide protests and renewed debate over the safety of healthcare workers.

Tensions are escalating in the West Bank as Israeli settlers continue to besiege Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. Several Palestinian families have reportedly been trapped inside their homes, with access to essential supplies disrupted. The Israeli military attempted to clear the area but was unable to remove the settlers. Additional troops have since been deployed, while the IDF says the forces are there to maintain security and protect residents. Reports also say disciplinary action is being considered over allegations of soldiers assisting or fraternising with settlers. The incident has drawn international criticism, including from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who condemned the siege. The developments have added to growing concerns over settler violence, Palestinian displacement and rising tensions across the West Bank.

Germany is preparing a major overhaul of its intelligence laws, with the government proposing significantly expanded powers for the country’s foreign and domestic intelligence agencies. The German cabinet has approved draft legislation that would give the BND and BfV greater access to electronic devices and the ability to retain intelligence gathered from them. The most significant proposed change could allow German intelligence agencies to move beyond monitoring threats and actively disrupt foreign cyberattacks, espionage and sabotage networks. Under the proposed framework, agencies could potentially penetrate computer systems, disable servers used by hostile networks and interfere with certain foreign operations.

Deep in the darkness of a cave, researchers have discovered a bizarre new predator that looks like something from a horror story. The rare cavefish has no eyes and relies on other senses to survive in complete darkness. Scientists are now studying its DNA, hoping the mysterious creature could reveal new secrets about how life adapts to extreme environments.

The Russia-Ukraine war is entering another dangerous phase, with both sides increasingly striking energy, transport and civilian infrastructure as fighting intensifies across the region. Ukraine says Russian forces struck a second passenger train in the Odesa region, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people, including children. Earlier, another Russian drone attack reportedly hit a passenger train, killing two crew members. Meanwhile, a major Ukrainian attack disrupted grain terminals at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, raising concerns over global food supplies. Ukraine has reportedly offered Russia a proposal to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, but Moscow has yet to respond. Elsewhere, Ukrainian strikes reportedly hit an industrial facility in Russia’s Bashkortostan region and a major oil refinery in Orsk. The refinery was reportedly forced out of operation following the attack.

Pakistan’s Balochistan province is facing a fresh wave of security tensions, with the Baloch Liberation Army claiming attacks against Pakistani military personnel while Pakistan’s military has reported operations against militants. The crisis has expanded beyond battlefield clashes. An explosion damaged a major gas transmission pipeline, disrupting supplies to several areas, while seven miners working for a private copper mining company were reportedly abducted by armed men. Baloch activists have also alleged that Pakistani fighter jets carried out strikes in the Surab region, claiming civilian casualties. These allegations have not been independently verified, while Pakistan’s

Parliament’s monsoon session saw low productivity, repeated disruptions and limited debate, raising questions over whether both government and Opposition failed lawmakers and voters.

Astronomers may have discovered a completely new type of cosmic object that could help explain one of the biggest mysteries in the early universe. The strange object appears to resemble a star while potentially hiding a rapidly growing black hole inside. If confirmed, the discovery could challenge existing ideas about how the universe’s earliest giant black holes formed.

Deep in the darkness of a cave, researchers have discovered a bizarre new predator that looks like something from a horror story. The rare cavefish has no eyes and relies on other senses to survive in complete darkness. Scientists are now studying its DNA, hoping the mysterious creature could reveal new secrets about how life adapts to extreme environments.

Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology told media Tehran plans to launch three satellites from its Martyr Soleimani Constellation before March 2027. The planned constellation will ultimately contain 24 satellites, 18 operational spacecraft, and six reserves.

Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 are set for a theatrical clash on August 14. Here's a look at the advance bookings for both films and which one is currently leading.

A relentless heatwave is gripping parts of Asia and Europe, with soaring temperatures and worsening drought creating fresh concerns over water, homes and livelihoods. South Korea has recorded its highest temperature since 1904, while parts of Indonesia have gone months without rain. England and Wales also endured their driest July in 190 years, highlighting the growing reach of extreme weather.

The United States has raised concerns over Pakistan’s military and intelligence spending, calling for greater civilian and parliamentary oversight of defense budgets and improved transparency in government finances. According to the US State Department’s 2026 fiscal transparency report, Pakistan has faced criticism over limited public scrutiny of its defense and intelligence budgets, delayed disclosure of its executive budget proposal and insufficient information about government debt and liabilities linked to state-owned companies. Washington has also highlighted the lack of public disclosure surrounding some major military imports and defense acquisitions, which are reportedly funded outside the main defense budget.

A US federal court has dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against Harvard University, ruling that the government failed to prove the university violated civil rights laws over alleged antisemitism during pro-Palestinian campus protests.

How Vande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad emerged from different political traditions and came to represent competing ideas of Indian nationalism.

Pakistan’s Balochistan province is facing a fresh wave of security tensions, with the Baloch Liberation Army claiming attacks against Pakistani military personnel while Pakistan’s military has reported operations against militants. The crisis has expanded beyond battlefield clashes. An explosion damaged a major gas transmission pipeline, disrupting supplies to several areas, while seven miners working for a private copper mining company were reportedly abducted by armed men. Baloch activists have also alleged that Pakistani fighter jets carried out strikes in the Surab region, claiming civilian casualties. These allegations have not been independently verified, while Pakistan’s military has presented a different account of the reported deaths.

Some astrologers and netizens had predicted that the world would come to an end on August 12. This turned out to a hoax just like before though. Speaking to WION, astrologer Partha Bhattacharjee busted the myth around these predictions and also delved into what lies in store for the world in the next few months.