- Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a kirpan while visiting a gurdwara in Nanded, with a police inspector also injured while protecting him.
- Air India has started mandatory substance screening for all its pilots from Thursday following the Phuket-Delhi flight incident.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the US to sell Ukraine more Patriot interceptor missiles, saying 10% of the US stockpile could allow it to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks.
- The defence ministry has floated a nearly Rs 1 lakh crore RFP to acquire 60 Medium Transport Aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
- India faces the prospect of up to 100% US tariffs if a new Russian sanctions bill is cleared, though an Indian government source said talks so far have been reassuring.
Here are top 5 stories of the day
Sukhbir Badal attacked with kirpan at Nanded gurdwara, cop injured while foiling assault: How it unfolded
Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a kirpan while visiting Mata Sahib Gurdwara at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded on Thursday. Badal, who was accompanied by his wife and SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, as well as security personnel from Punjab and Maharashtra Police, suffered an injury to his hand and was taken to Yasho Sai Hospital in Nanded for treatment. A police inspector, Santosh Kendre, was also injured while protecting him. Security personnel overpowered the attacker, whom police identified as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sought information from the Nanded Superintendent of Police and spoke to Badal over the phone. Read full story.
Air India group starts mandatory substance screening for all pilots from today
Air India group has from Thursday started mandatory substance screening for all pilots following the Phuket-Delhi flight serious incident. The move comes after the pilot-in-command of the Phuket flight tested positive for marijuana. Aviation secretary Samir Sinha had asked Air India to “take responsibility” and do whatever it takes to ensure safety. Air India said it had decided to undertake full screening of all group pilots for substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations. The testing is mandatory and will start on August 13. The airline said the screening would be conducted concurrently with training at the Gurugram Academy, post flight at its Flight Briefing Centres or Air India offices, or at locations provided by the respective bases. Read full story.
Zelenskyy seeks 10% of US stockpile to ‘destroy all Russians’ missiles’: Report
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the United States to sell Ukraine more Patriot interceptor missiles, saying even 5% of the US stockpile would help Kyiv survive the winter, while 10% could allow it to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks. Zelensky said Ukraine had two and a half times fewer interceptors this year than in 2025, while Russia had twice as many ballistic missiles per month. He said securing additional interceptors had become a daily priority and involved direct appeals to the US and negotiations with other allies. Zelensky also said uncertainty remained over a proposal for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles under a US licence. Read full story.
IAF moves closer to Rs 1 lakh crore transport aircraft deal to replace ageing An-32 fleet
The defence ministry has floated a Request for Proposal worth close to Rs 1 lakh crore to acquire 60 Medium Transport Aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The move aims to retire the Soviet-era An-32 fleet, which has been in service with the IAF for four decades, with over 100 aircraft currently in service. The new aircraft is also slated to handle some missions currently undertaken by the ageing Il-76 fleet. Airbus’ A400M, Embraer’s C-390M Millennium and the C-130J are the top contenders in the race for the IAF’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme.
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US tariff threat on Russian oil: Bill a concern for India, but ‘talks have been reassuring’
India faces the prospect of being levied up to 100% tariffs if the Donald Trump administration is able to get a new Russian sanctions bill cleared and the US President exercises the power it would give to impose duties. An Indian government source told Reuters that while the sanctions bill on Russian oil purchases is a matter of concern, talks so far have been reassuring. The proposed Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would empower the US President to levy tariffs of up to 100% on countries that purchase large volumes of crude oil and natural gas from Russia. The final decision on whether to impose such tariffs would rest solely with the US President. Read full story.
