World

Elon Musk accused Apple of unfairly boosting OpenAI’s ChatGPT in its App Store, hindering xAI’s Grok from reaching the top spot. Calling it an antitrust violation, Musk vowed legal action amid intensifying AI competition and Apple’s deep integration with OpenAI

US President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to Washington and taken control of its police, while also announcing gold will be exempt from tariffs, impacting futures prices.

Executive delays undermine democratic processes, a concern at the heart of India’s ongoing constitutional debate

Trump asserted that oil tariffs on India would harm Russia, making Putin more likely to seek an end to the Ukraine war. He also discussed his upcoming meeting with Putin and trade deals

Ritika won gold in women’s 80+kg, capping off India’s strong performance at the Asian Under-19 and U22 Boxing Championships in Bangkok, where India earned 27 medals across both age groups

Sourav Kothari and Shivam Arora entered the quarterfinals at the World Games in Chengdu, while Kamal Chawla and Natasha Chethan exited early after defeats in their respective cue sports events

The 2025 EducationUSA University Fair in Hyderabad connected students with over 30 US institutions, offering insights into admissions, scholarships, and student visas. Officials emphasized compliance and EducationUSA’s free advisory support

Japan’s weather agency has issued its highest-level heavy rain warning for Kumamoto Prefecture, with landslides and flooding reported across Kyushu. Four people are missing as torrential downpours continue, prompting urgent evacuation warnings in multiple cities and towns.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior says 253 drug-addicted people in Herat have recovered after months of treatment and rejoined their families. The Taliban-led government continues its crackdown on narcotics, including recent seizures of opium, heroin, and methamphetamine across multiple provinces.

Malaysia’s unemployment rate fell to 3% in Q2 2025, with employment rising and jobless numbers declining. Officials cite strong domestic demand, tech investment, and digitalisation as growth drivers, while the PM pushes for resilient semiconductor supply chains and strategic partnerships.

Cambodia has accused Thailand of violating a ceasefire by planning to seize two disputed temples. Phnom Penh called the move a premeditated invasion, urging Bangkok to honour agreements and resolve the border dispute peacefully amid rising tensions and landmine accusations.

d its 78th Independence Day despite Pakistan’s 15-day Section 144 clampdown. Activist Mir Yar Baloch accused Islamabad of illegal occupation, war crimes, and human rights abuses, urging global recognition of Baloch sovereignty and accountability for Pakistan’s military and political leaders.

US President Donald Trump’s deal for joint oil exploration in Pakistan is being criticised as strategically risky and economically shaky. Analysts warn it may inflame unrest in Balochistan, strain India relations, and fail to reduce Islamabad’s reliance on China.

Trade and travel between Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan and China via Khunjerab Pass have been suspended for 23 days due to a protest sit-in in Sost. Demonstrators demand tax exemptions and clearance of goods stranded for over a year.

A local journalist in Bangladesh’s Kushtia district was seriously injured after being attacked with hammers, rods, and bricks — the fourth such assault this month. Media groups warn of growing violence against journalists under the Yunus-led interim government.

Torrential rains in southwest China’s Chongqing have forced over 15,000 residents to evacuate. Authorities report heavy downpours in 16 districts, with more forecast. River levels are expected to rise, prompting flood control measures across the region.

Israel’s Health Ministry confirmed 93 new measles cases, bringing the official total to 410 since April. Officials estimate actual infections could reach 1,700. Twenty-two patients are hospitalised, two critically ill. A nationwide vaccination drive has delivered over 105,000 doses.

North Korea’s defence minister warned Pyongyang would exercise its “self-defence” right if provoked during upcoming US–South Korea military drills. He called the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise a “direct provocation” and “real threat” to stability on the Korean Peninsula.

In conflict-hit South Sudan, rare mental health clinics offering crucial counselling risk closure as funding ends. With poverty, displacement and violence fuelling high suicide rates, experts warn the loss of such services could deepen the country’s mental health crisis.

A landslide killed nine volunteers repairing a flood-hit water channel in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Danyor Nullah, officials said. Separately, floods from a glacial lake outburst swept away parts of the Karakoram Highway and damaged homes, roads and water systems in Hunza and nearby areas.

The UK has added India to its expanded “Deport Now Appeal Later” list, enabling deportation of convicted foreign nationals before appeals are heard. The policy aims to speed removals, with offenders able to join hearings remotely from their home countries.

An Israeli airstrike killed Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qureiqa, along with six others, outside Gaza’s Shifa Hospital. Israel alleged Hamas ties, which the network denies, calling the attack a targeted assassination and press freedom violation.

An Islamic Shariah court in Aceh sentenced two men to 80 public canings each after they were caught in a same-sex act. Aceh remains Indonesia’s only province applying Shariah law, despite national laws not regulating homosexuality.

Southwest France faces a severe heatwave with temperatures reaching 43°C, forcing firefighters to guard smouldering vineyards after a major wildfire. Twelve departments are under red alert, the highest heat warning, as the heatwave continues through the August holiday weekend.