🇮🇳 India passport ranking: Govt rejects global scores

The Indian passport ranked 125th in the Global Passport Index 2026 as of June 30. The government stated that 27 countries currently offer visa-free entry to Indian passport holders. This response came after the ranking was published by Global Citizen Solutions (GCS). The Centre argued that such ratings come from private institutions with unilateral parameters. Furthermore, the government is continuously working to improve travel ease globally. 🌍

🕊️ Lebanon parliament votes to end death penalty

Lebanon's parliament has officially voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first Middle Eastern nation to do so. A majority of MPs in the 128-seat parliament supported the measure on Tuesday, despite Hezbollah's bloc voting against it. The legislation will now proceed to the cabinet before President Joseph Aoun signs it. Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment with hard labour, though implementation details are pending. This move follows years of campaigning by civil society groups against capital punishment. 🕊️

⚠️ Passport server crash causes applicant chaos

Server failures led to major frustration among passport applicants across the country on Tuesday. Affected locations included Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Mallapuram, Udupi, and Lalbagh, as services went down. Online trackers confirmed that both passportindia.gov.in and services2.passportindia.gov were inaccessible. Despite the long waits starting at 10:15 a.m., no official information regarding the outage was provided by Passport Seva. Users took to social media to express their disappointment over the lack of updates. 😟

💧 Tungabhadra water release confirmed for 90 days

Water from the Tungabhadra reservoir is being released immediately into various canals at a rate of 4,100 cusecs, according to Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi. This announcement was made by Mr. Tangadagi at the TBP auditorium in Munirabad during the 126th meeting of the Irrigation Advisory Committee. Currently, the reservoir holds 82 tmcft of water and is anticipated to gain another 16 tmcft shortly. The release schedule covers August 11 to November 10, balancing needs for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for September 11. 💧

🔥 Tesseract land deal called bigger than MUDA scam

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao alleged that the Tesseract land deal involving CM A. Revanth Reddy’s brother is a scam larger than the Karnataka MUDA controversy. This was revealed during a press conference at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The State Government allegedly allotted 5 acres of valuable land to Kondal Reddy's firm for just ₹7 crore against ₹200 crore worth of land. Rama Rao noted Kondal Reddy claimed to be the chairman, a fact also mentioned by the US Consulate. He further alleged other relatives secured massive deals like a ₹1,000 crore and ₹1,137 crore contract. 💸

✈️ Air India flight plunges 300 feet near Delhi

An Air India A320 flying from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden 300-foot plunge on August 4, 2026. This incident involved flight AI 2379, carrying 137 passengers and 8 crew members. Twenty passengers and four cabin crew members sustained injuries during the event. The AAIB has launched a probe, with assistance from France’s BEA and Airbus. The investigation will cover all evidence and preliminary findings are expected within the stipulated timeframe.

⚖️ Lebanon abolishes death penalty, first in the Middle East

Lebanon's parliament officially passed a law to end capital punishment, making it the first Middle Eastern nation to take this step. Lawmakers signed off on the legislation on Tuesday after making several amendments to the current laws. A majority of the 128-member assembly voted in favor, though Hezbollah's bloc objected to the change. The new system substitutes the death sentence with life imprisonment combined with aggravated hard labour. This move aligns Lebanon with global trends and provides lasting legal protection for human rights. ⚖️

🏏 DPL 2026: East Delhi vs South Delhi match up 🏏

The Delhi Premier League 2026 Match 24 pits East Delhi Riders against South Delhi Superstarz on August 12th at Arun Jaitley Stadium. East Delhi Riders currently sit at the bottom with four losses, while South Delhi Superstarz are 6th with one win. South Delhi Superstarz recently posted a massive score of 220 for 6 in their last match. Predictions suggest South Delhi Superstarz will win this fixture, with Ayush Badoni being a top batter. The match predictions are based on current team stats and expert analysis.

🌾 Glyphosate allowed under tighter rules, farmers worried

India is moving towards allowing glyphosate use under stricter conditions instead of imposing a total ban. This decision originated from a July 30 meeting of the Registration Committee at the Union Agriculture Ministry in Faridabad. The committee decided spraying must only be done by trained pest control operators, which is a major policy shift. Environmental groups fear this setup shields agrochemical companies while keeping health risks high for farmers and consumers. The Agriculture Ministry is now expected to review this recommendation before making a final call. 😟

⚖️ Porel's Friend Still Wanted in Assault Case

A friend of Abishek Porel remains at large in connection with an assault case. The individual is being sought by authorities in the ongoing investigation. The hearing related to the case has been officially deferred until September 14th. This development keeps the legal proceedings in a state of suspense. Authorities will continue their search for the missing person in the coming weeks. ⚖️

🔭 Indian Astronomers Find Spiraling Dead Stars 🔭

A study led by Indian astronomers has discovered a pair of dead stars orbiting each other. These celestial bodies were found to be locked in a tight six-minute orbit. The observation details point to a rapid spiraling inward motion between the stars. This finding provides new insights into stellar evolution and binary systems in space. Further research will track the fate of these mysterious cosmic partners.