Abbas Araghchi: Tehran to consider ending war only when it has gained “the upper hand in the field".

 Shambhu Border (Punjab-Haryana border): Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher says, "Haryana's Agriculture Minister accepted our memorandum of demands; when we asked him to arrange a meeting with Union Minister Shivraj Chouhan, he said he would make the necessary arrangements. He assured us that his office would send us a letter within 8 to 10 days confirming the meeting. The dialogue will move forward from there; the outcome of the meeting is a matter for later. Secondly, we demanded the release of all farmer leaders and farmers. Officials stated that after consulting the Chief Minister they would release Gurnam Singh Chaduni and BM Singh; these two demands were accepted. Once they are released, we will discuss the matter and decide the future course of action for this movement whether to continue the sit-in here or proceed only after the talks..."  

 After meeting Union Minister JP Nadda, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka says, "We came to Nadda ji's residence at around 12 o'clock. We met him at around 2:15 pm. We placed 3 demands before him. First, Sonam Wangchuk ji should be released immediately and allowed to address people through a video message. Second, Dharmendra Pradhan ji, whom we consider an incompetent Education Minister, should either be removed immediately or his resignation should be accepted. Third, the families of the students who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak should be given compensation of Rs 1 crore each. There were two rounds of discussions, one at around 2 pm and another at around 4 pm. Nadda ji said he would discuss these demands with the senior leadership and communicate their decision to us.  

 BJP MP Tejasvi Surya says, "High Court of Karnataka heard the batch of public interest litigations challenging the state government's tunnel road project today. The Chief Justice directed the state government to inform any prospective contractor or concessionaire about the pendency of these proceedings. The court also directed that no equities shall be created in relation to the project. The Chief Justice reiterated the earlier interim order protecting tree felling in Lal Bagh. The High Court further made the tender process and the tunnel road project subject to the outcome of the public interest litigation. The next hearing has been scheduled for 20 August, when the matter will be heard for final disposal. I am grateful to the High Court for the interim protection granted at this stage. The tunnel road project is patently illegal. No environmental impact assessment has been conducted..."  

 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "For far too long, however, our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot, a blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left."  "Even today, the very idea that far-left terrorism could be a serious threat is treated as a right-wing fever dream, or worse, as a dangerous fascist conspiracy."  

 Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar says, "The Bidadi township was being brought by HD Kumarawamy. He started this acquisition and notified it. He wanted to give the project to DLF. So DLF gave about Rs 400 crores. Then they took back the money... This project belongs to HD Kumaraswamy and the BJP. They wanted 5 to 6 townships; 9000 acres were acquired here. They made a notification; they decided to give Rs 25 lakh per acre... I have just continued this. I don't want to withdraw or cancel it because it doesn't come within purview. If I denotify, I will have to be in jail...  Already 70% of the villages have taken money. I don't compel any farmer to give their land... We will continue with Kumaraswamy's orders... I don't want to disturb any farmer... Though Kumaraswamy had ordered that even the villages should be shifted, I have made an order that no villages should be shifted... I want to form a committee on this. Either I will just discuss with my cabinet colleagues, or some former judges or committee or legislators... Kumarawamy has said that he will send me to jail. I welcome him. I have seen the jail... I know the background of what is going on..."   

 Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says, "We all know that the semiconductor industry is foundational; semiconductor chips are essential to virtually all modern manufacturing, whether it is the mobile phone or camera, household appliances like fridges, TVs, and ACs, vehicles like scooters, cars, and trains, or even missiles. Electronics has emerged as a major sector in its own right, and this initiative now covers the entire electronics value chain. Consider the electronics value chain: it begins with silicon ingots made from raw earth materials. From there, ingots are sliced ​​into bare wafers, which then undergo fabrication. Fabrication is an incredibly intricate process. To understand fabrication, imagine writing your name on your fingernail—that is certainly possible, but imagine being asked to write the entire Ramayana or Mahabharata on that same fingernail. That level of precision and minute detail is exactly what the fabrication process entails. The fabricated wafer/semiconductor fab stage shown in the second block represents a highly complex process..." 

 PIB: India-Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation: Administrative Arrangement signed to secure long-term Australian uranium for India’s clean energy programme  ➔A major outcome of the Third India–Australia Annual Summit, held in Melbourne on 9 July 2026, was the finalisation of the Administrative Arrangement under the India–Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.  ➔The Arrangement enables long-term exports of Australian uranium to India for peaceful purposes.  ➔All Australian uranium supplied to India will remain under IAEA safeguards.  ➔Assured access to Australian uranium would strengthen the fuel base for India's expanding nuclear power programme. 

 Nashik family was chased by a group of people for around 15 km after a woman resisted alleged sexual harassment  The victim woman says, "Our family of eight people had visited Bhavli Dam on 12th July. As I was there, two men aged 20-25 made comments at me and harassed me. So, I scolded them, and it turned into an argument. Later, when my husband and brother-in-law arrived at the scene, they confronted them. Soon after those two men left the spot. Later, 8-10 people from their village came and started to argue with us. They started abusing us and it turned into a physical altercation. Soon after, we left the spot for Nashik. As we were on way to Nashik, a car suddenly came and stopped before us and men carrying rods in cars followed us. They were hitting us wherever our vehicle stopped. They followed us for at least 25-30 kms. We drove straight to Nashik and registered and FIR." 

 On India-UK FTA coming into force, British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, says, "We are excited to be here with colleagues from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry celebrating a deal that's going to make it better, cheaper, faster to do business for the UK."