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Afternoon briefing: Rajnath, Austin back free Indo-Pacific; CCTV caught accused in Kolkata case at hospital, and more
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items that you should check out.
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on Friday discussed ongoing efforts to deepen the major defence partnership between the two countries in support of a “free and open Indo-Pacific region”, the Pentagon said. The two leaders also agreed to advance priority co-production projects, including jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions, and ground mobility systems, under the US-India Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation adopted last year. The two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific at a time when China is seeking to expand its footprint in the vast region by setting up military bases, bullying countries to advance its unlawful maritime claims, and ensnaring vulnerable states in unsustainable debts to force strategic concessions, Pentagon press secretary major general Pat Ryder said in a statement. Dig Deeper
Investigators in the case involving the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital have released CCTV camera footage showing the accused, Sanjoy Roy, entering the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital shortly after midnight on August 9. The footage reveals a bluetooth earphone around the suspect's neck. The CCTV camera footage and a bluetooth device found near the trainee doctor's body resulted in the arrest of Sanjoy Roy, who was seen entering the seminar hall of the college where the body was found. Sanjoy Roy (33) joined the Kolkata Police as a civic volunteer in 2019. The Kolkata Police have alleged that he was married at least four times and was a known “womaniser”. The accused, who is a trained boxer, got close to a few senior police officers over the years, following which he was moved to the Kolkata Police Welfare Board and posted at the police outpost at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Dig Deeper
Assam minor gang-rape prime accused drowns in pond after fleeing custody: Police
Accused's sister reacts to Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: ‘Will accept any…’
Patanjali ads case: Self-declaration for advertisers, not enterprises, says MIB
Global matters
Nikki Haley says isolationist policy is not healthy while showing support for Trump in Taiwan
EU review does not recommend sending military trainers to Ukraine for now, media report says
Sports
Shikhar Dhawan brought his illustrious international career to a close on Saturday, announcing his retirement from both international and domestic cricket. Since making his debut for India in 2010, Dhawan became an integral figure in the team, especially in white-ball formats. Renowned as one of India’s premier openers, Dhawan’s record in ODIs stands out with 6,793 runs from 167 matches at an average of 44.11. His dynamic partnership with Rohit Sharma, which began in 2013, marked a golden chapter in Indian cricket history. Dhawan’s arrival at the top of the order coincided with a transition period for Indian cricket. Following Sachin Tendulkar's white-ball retirement and Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir's loss of places due to poor form, the team was in search of stability at the opening spots. Dig Deeper
Trending
Dating apps are a convenient way to meet new people with similar interests, opening up the potential gateway to finding a romantic partner. However, there is another scary side to that story - the dating scams. Lawyer and activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj recently shared about one such scam that has already claimed 12 victims. “MUMBAI DATING SCAM EXPOSE. THE GODFATHER CLUB ANDHERI WEST. BRAZEN SCAMMING EVERYDAY. 12 victims in touch. Trap laid through Tinder, Bumble. Bill amounts 23K- 61K. 3 men trapped by the same girl,” she wrote. She posted a few bills that show how much some of these men paid, including an invoice of ₹61,743. The bill shows four items, including two cocktails priced at ₹5,000 each. Dig Deeper
Lifestyle
Alia Bhatt was snapped outside a dubbing studio in Mumbai yesterday. The actor, known for her minimal and steal-worthy personal wardrobe, chose a simple Chanderi silk kurta set for the outing. It can be yours too as we found out its price. Paparazzi videos showed Alia Bhatt outside the dubbing studio in Mumbai. The actor was seen stepping out of her car and greeting the photographers who were clicking her pictures. She also posed for the media and thanked them before going inside. The pink Chanderi silk suit she wore for the outing is from the shelves of the clothing label Devnaagri. Dig Deeper
Entertainment
Stree 2 worldwide box office collection day 9: Maddock Films' horror-comedy remains unstoppable in India as well as globally. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the production house shared the film's total collection worldwide since its release. Stree 2, directed by Amar Kaushik, released in theatres on August 15, Independence Day. The film's team captioned the post, "Stree 2 continues its magic in its second weekend! The storm has only grown stronger! (Flexed muscles and nazar amulet emojis). Thank you everyone for your continued love and support (red heart and sparkles emojis)." Stree 2 is the sequel to the 2018 film Stree. Dig Deeper
