🌍 Teen from Uttarakhand heads to North Pole

Fifteen-year-old Lucky Rawat has been selected as India's sole student for the Icebreaker of Knowledge expedition. He hails from Chakrata in Uttarakhand, and the 10-day voyage is heading to the geographic North Pole. This year, 22 countries have participants aged 14 to 16, and the trip started from Murmansk, Russia. His selection involved clearing a tough three-stage international process, showing his determination. The expedition aims to introduce students to cutting-edge science and global collaboration. 🚀

🧶 Mystery Grandma's Knitted Toys Spreading Joy in Village

Children in Harford, Cheshire, were finding mysterious knitted toys left daily in the village. The gifts, signed by 'Granny H', were hidden across gardens and doorsteps for two years. Granny H is actually 90-year-old June Rose Hood, who knits the toys to manage her anxiety. Her grandson helps hide the handmade items to bring smiles to local kids. The community celebrated her 90th birthday, recognizing the positive impact of her hobby.

✊ Jharkhand student protest hits day 13 with fasts

The protest against alleged exam irregularities in Jharkhand has entered its 13th day with six demonstrators currently on a hunger strike. This agitation involves students and opposition MLAs protesting over issues in the 14th JPSC exam and JSSC-CGL test. The movement started on July 25 at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, and 19 people have been arrested so far. Chief Minister Hemant Soren offered talks, calling the paper leak a national problem. Student unions plan to picket the Assembly on August 7 and 10, despite a recent prohibitory order. ✊

⚽ Thiago Almada nearing River Plate move from Atleti

Thiago Almada is reportedly close to making a transfer from Atletico Madrid to River Plate. Matteo Moretto confirmed a verbal agreement exists between the two clubs for the Argentine player. The potential transfer fee is estimated to be around $20 million. Almada initially joined Atletico Madrid last year after moving from Botafogo. This move would be a significant step for the 25-year-old player in South American football.

🏏 Pope back, Stokes replacement still TBD for England 🏏

Joe Root's squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan includes the return of Ollie Pope. He is joining the team in the context of a new era for the Test side. Pope returns after a strong County Championship campaign with 510 runs at an average of 56.66. Dan Lawrence is named as the all-rounder replacement for Ben Stokes, despite Sam Curran's strong form. Shoaib Bashir keeps his spot, leading to Rehan Ahmed's omission from the squad.

🔬 DNA is weirder than the double helix

Scientists discovered strange, non-canonical DNA structures existing beyond the familiar double helix pattern. The research analyzed T2T reference genomes for humans and six ape species. This study utilized data from 2022 and 2023 sequencing efforts to map these patterns. These structures, estimated at 13 percent of the human genome, impact processes like replication and transcription. Future research aims to understand how these novel shapes affect mammalian health. 🧬

🏛️ Tarun Tejpal's acquittal overturned by Bombay HC

The Bombay high court overturned Tarun Tejpal's 2021 acquittal in a 2013 sexual assault case. The decision was made by a division bench in Goa, convicting Tejpal under multiple IPC sections. He was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and ordered to pay Rs 10.1 lakh to the victim. The court heavily relied on the victim's 'sterling quality' testimony and his apology emails. Tejpal has maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court. ⚖️

⚖️ Bombay HC overturns acquittal in Tarun Tejpal case

The Bombay High Court overturned Tarun Tejpal's acquittal, convicting him in the 2013 sexual assault case. This decision was made after the High Court found the trial court focused too much on the survivor’s character instead of the actual evidence. The court criticized the defense for cross-examining the survivor on personal life details repeatedly. The High Court found that minor omissions were wrongly treated as major contradictions by the lower court. Tejpal was ultimately sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. ⚖️

✈️ PM Modi's foreign trips cost Rs 74.5 crore this year

The government informed the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign visits cost approximately Rs 74.5 crore this year. This disclosure was made by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to questions from MPs Sanjay Singh and Dr V Sivadasan. Furthermore, the government stated India secured USD 381.8 billion in FDI between April 2021 and December 2025. The ministry explained that these high-level trips boost global partnerships across various sectors. The details of trip costs and MoUs are provided in attached annexures for review.

🛰️ Lunar impact captured by Korea's orbiter

Korea's lunar orbiter, Danuri, captured before and after images of a Falcon 9 stage striking the Moon. This happened near Einstein crater, as seen by NASA's LRO and KASA. The collision occurred on August 5th at 3:34 p.m. Wednesday. These eight images offer a rare close-up record of surface changes from a known object. Researchers will use this data to study the lunar surface properties and impact features. 🛰️

🐍 Ancient Fossil Hints at Snake Evolution

An 80-million-year-old fossil has been discovered in Brazil, which could shed light on the initial shift in snakes from walking to slithering. The fossil was found in Brazil and is being studied by paleontologists. This specimen dates back approximately 80 million years. Researchers believe this find offers crucial insights into early serpentine locomotion. Further analysis of this fossil is expected to reveal more about snake evolutionary pathways. 🐍