🤝 Rahul Gandhi welcomes end of Jharkhand student hunger strike

Rahul Gandhi welcomed the consensus reached between Jharkhand students and the state government, leading to the end of the hunger strike. This development occurred in Jharkhand, where Chief Minister Hemant Soren led the government to the table for dialogue. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day fast on Monday night after the government cancelled JSSC-CGL and all TDPL exams. Gandhi emphasized the need for systemic change to ensure fair competition for all students nationwide. The political leaders stressed that dialogue provided the right way to resolve the students' concerns.

🔭 Deep-sky spotting tonight: NGC 6939 and Fireworks Galaxy 🔭

Moonless skies are perfect for deep-sky observing tonight, with NGC 6939 being an excellent target in Cepheus. This compact open cluster shines at 8th magnitude and is near the Fireworks Galaxy, NGC 6946. The Fireworks Galaxy, a spiral galaxy, has seen at least 10 supernovae in the last century. NGC 6946 can be viewed in binoculars, showing a faint glow, while the cluster is older, around 1 to 2 billion years old. Later on August 19, the Helix Nebula will be visible in Aquarius after moonset.

🚢 China's tankers sail near Gulf, sidestepping hotspots

China's state-owned shippers have been deploying oil tankers in areas outside the Gulf region. These vessels are reportedly maneuvering to avoid known chokepoints within the sensitive maritime area. Sources indicate this deployment strategy is part of a calculated navigation pattern observed recently. The movements suggest a careful approach to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Analysts are closely watching to see how this trend will evolve over the coming weeks.

😠 Shatrughan Sinha blames BJP for trolling Sonakshi Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha alleged that the trolling against his daughter, Sonakshi Sinha, is manufactured by the BJP IT cell. The veteran actor spoke to ABP News regarding the criticism Sonakshi faced for supporting the CJP-led student protest in Delhi. He claimed the trolls targeting her are paid and follow BJP policies. When asked about her political future, he stated he couldn't say, but praised her strength. Sonakshi previously supported Sonam Wangchuk during the Jantar Mantar incident.

🚨 Delhi Police defend Jantar Mantar crackdown to SC

Delhi Police defended their use of facial recognition and biometric surveillance during the Jantar Mantar student protests. The police stated that the agitation escalated into violence on July 20, where over 30,000 protestors gathered. The affidavit mentioned that 2,873 individuals were identified by the system, including 92 with multiple criminal cases. Police claimed they used minimum force as protestors breached barricades and damaged property. They asserted their actions were necessary to maintain law and order, calling allegations a 'one-sided picture'.

⚖️ SC sets up panel to probe police action during NEET protests

The Supreme Court announced it will form a high-powered committee to investigate police excesses during the NEET protests. This investigation will focus on the July 20 demonstration in Delhi, where allegations of targeting female protesters surfaced. The committee will include former judges, a former CBI director, and a former DGP. The CJI asked advocates to submit suggestions on the committee's scope by the evening of August 18, 2026. The Court will also examine video footage from the Parliament march for the panel's review. ⚖️

🔥 Solo Sikoa spikes Roman Reigns on Raw

Solo Sikoa was presented to Roman Reigns after losing to Jey Uso last week on WWE Raw. The segment featured Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, with Solo making a strong impact on the Buffalo crowd. Reigns gave the Usos black ula falas, leading to LA Knight's confrontation with Jacob Fatu. Solo eventually hit the Samoan Spike, but surprisingly, he targeted Roman Reigns instead of LA Knight. The show closed with Solo Sikoa and LA Knight standing tall together.

🤖 AI boss fires employee after attendance issues

An AI agent, Anthropic's Claude, reportedly fired a human employee at a San Francisco retail store. The experiment, run by Andon Labs, involved Claude managing real staff at Andon Market. The employee was fired after Claude identified 17 out of 23 shifts of lateness. Initially, Claude suggested a warning, but a human manager prompted the termination decision. Remaining staff find the AI management experience unsettling, even if necessary. 🤖

🧠 Laser therapy boosts survival for brain tumor patients

Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) offers a minimally invasive alternative to invasive surgery for brain tumor patients. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine analyzed outcomes from 787 patients treated across 25 US medical centers between 2015 and 2023. Specifically, 91 per cent ablation of glioblastoma tumors using LITT led to a survival of at least 2.1 years. This is noted as several months longer than the 1.5 years seen with standard surgical resection. Future randomized control trials are needed to fully establish LITT's superiority over conventional surgery. 🧠

📱 iPhone 17 Pro Max could hit ₹1,03,300 with deals

The iPhone 17 Pro Max can achieve an effective price near ₹1,03,300 through bundled discounts in India. This deal is available via bank offers and leveraging the exchange value of an old smartphone. The original launch price for the 256GB variant was ₹1,49,900, but current offers bring the price down significantly. Buyers can get up to ₹57,000 in trade-in value, and some platforms show a ₹9,000 bank offer. The final cost depends entirely on the specific exchange device and active promotions. 📱

⚖️ Protest rights don't cover attacking courts, says Jharkhand HC

The Jharkhand High Court ruled that the fundamental right to protest does not allow for disrupting court proceedings or assaulting judges. This observation came while disposing of a PIL related to a 2022 mob attack at the Latehar Civil Court. During the incident on October 10, 2022, over 500 people allegedly vandalized the premises and stopped judicial work. The court also mandated adequate security for all judicial officers across Jharkhand to prevent future incidents. The court disposed of the PIL but expects the investigation into the 2022 incident to conclude properly.