Russia on Thursday (August 1) released incarcerated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the United States, reported Bloomberg citing people familiar with the situation. In other news, Swapnil Kusale won his maiden bronze medal in the final of the Men’s 50m air rifle 3 position event. Swapnil finished with a score of 451.4, behind second-positioned Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine (461.3) and gold medallist Yukun Liu (463.6). 

Click on the headlines to read more

Russia on Thursday (August 1) released incarcerated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the United States, Bloomberg reported while citing people familiar with the situation. 

History was made for India at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, as shooter Swapnil Kusale won his maiden bronze medal in the final of the Men’s 50m air rifle 3 position event. Swapnil finished with a score of 451.4, behind second-positioned Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine (461.3) and gold medallist Yukun Liu (463.6). Swapnil’s bronze is the third medal for India in this edition of the Summer Games, with all coming in the Shooting discipline.

The Indian embassy in Lebanon’s capital Beirut asked all nationals to leave the country in the wake of raging turmoil in West Asia days after Israel targeted a site in Beirut to kill a Hezbollah operative. 

Ismail Haniyeh, the Doha-based political bureau chief of Hamas, was assassinated using an explosive device that was smuggled into the guesthouse he was staying at in Tehran, Iran, according to a report in the New York Times. 

The Indian government on Thursday (Aug 1) offered a $300 million loan to build up Vietnam’s maritime security to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday (Aug 1) that Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last month. The confirmation comes a day after the terror organisation’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. 

Amid heavy rain in Uttarakhand on Wednesday (July 31), four people, including two children, were killed and several others were injured. Nearly 200 pilgrims on the Kedarnath Yatra route were also stranded.

Emmanuel Macron has come under scrutiny after the French president jetted off for a holiday as the Olympics are underway in Paris. Macron taking a hiatus comes at a time when police leaves have been cancelled, accident and emergency doctors are on stand-by and municipal workers are putting in overtime to keep the city running for the biggest sporting event. 

Catch all the live updates from India’s sixth day at the Paris Games with a chance for the Indian contingent to add to their medal tally.

Squid Game, the Korean show that had gripped the whole world back in 2021, will be ending after the third season. On Thursday, Netflix revealed the trailer of the highly anticipated second season heightening everyone’s excitement levels.