Morning brief: Wayanad survivors' close call with elephants; IAS officer faces contempt for 'attack' on judge, more
Here is a shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check.
In Wayanad's Chooralmala, Sujatha Aninanchira and her family survived a devastating landslide that flattened their home. Trapped under debris during heavy rains, Sujatha, her daughter Sujitha, husband Kuttan, and grandchildren Sooraj and Mridula managed to escape by removing bricks and wading through gushing waters to a nearby hillock. There, they encountered a wild tusker and two female elephants. In a remarkable act of empathy, the tusker remained still, allowing the family to cling to safety until rescue arrived. Dig deeper
On Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed IAS officer Shyambir, Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal, to appear in person following allegations of criminal contempt. The controversy arose after Shyambir allegedly sought revenge against Sub-Judge Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi by initiating an inquiry into the judge’s land, reportedly as retaliation for a court order in June. The sub-judge had previously ordered Shyambir’s salary to be withheld for failing to comply with a compensation case order. Despite multiple opportunities, Shyambir failed to appear or respond. The High Court has issued a notice for his appearance on August 5, 2024, and warned of coercive action for non-compliance. Dig deeper
Latest News
Wayanad landslides Day 5: Rescuers hoping against hope as 300 still missing in Kerala district Dig deeper
BSF DG, special DG’s tenures cut short; repatriated to state cadres Dig deeper
India News
IAS aspirants' death | ‘Mercifully, you have not challaned…’: Delhi high court raps police over SUV driver's arrest Dig deeper
Puja Khedkar case: Police likely to close case against Pune collector soon Dig deeper
Global Matters
Russian spies' kids learn true identities on plane to Moscow, greeted by Putin in Spanish: ‘Buenas noches’ Dig deeper
Joe Biden makes strange comment, tells crowd 'you're stuck with me' for ‘another…’ Dig deeper
Sports Going
Manu Bhaker is poised for a historic third consecutive medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. On Saturday, Bhaker qualified for the 25m sports pistol final, securing the second spot. The 22-year-old shooter has already earned two bronzes in Paris: one in the 10m air pistol and another in the mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh. As the reigning world champion, she is a strong contender for a third medal.
In other events, India’s hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, made headlines with a notable comeback against Australia. Upcoming matches include women's skeet qualification and archery eliminations. Ace shuttler Lakshya Sen has reached the men’s singles semifinals, a first for an Indian male badminton player. Dig deeper
Entertainment Focus
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha opened weakly at the domestic box office, earning only ₹2 crore on its first day, according to Sacnilk. This romantic saga, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, has had a slow start compared to this week's other Bollywood release, Ulajh, which collected ₹1.10 crore. Despite the star power of Devgn and Tabu, their film did not match the opening figures of their previous successful collaborations like Drishyam and Golmaal Again. The movie, a musical love story spanning two decades, also features Jimmy Sheirgill and Saiee Manjrekar. Reviews suggest the film did not meet expectations. Dig deeper
Health and Lifestyle
Shraddha Kapoor recently traveled to Lucknow to promote her film *Stree 2* alongside Rajkummar Rao. For her jet-set look, Kapoor wore a sindoori red suit from Indian ethnic label Biba, priced at ₹2,849. The outfit, part of Biba's spring-summer collection, includes a V-neck anarkali kurta, palazzo pants with gota embroidery, and a matching dupatta. Kapoor completed her look with a tan embroidered shoulder bag, brown Kolhapuri sandals, and minimal makeup. Stree 2, featuring Kapoor, Rao, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi, and Aparshakti Khurana, is set to release on August 15. Dig deeper
(That’s all we have at this hour in our Morning briefing. Catch you in the afternoon)