Hockey India has announced the 20-member men’s squad for the upcoming FIH World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands to be held from August 15 to 30. Ace defender and drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will lead the Indian side. Veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh brings vast experience to a balanced squad comprising a blend of seasoned campaigners and exciting young talent. The goalkeeping department includes Mohith HS and Suraj Karkera, while the defensive unit comprises Jarmanpreet Singh, captain Harmanpreet, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit and Yashdeep Siwach. The midfield will be led by the trio of Manpreet, Hardik Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad besides Nilakanta Sharma and promising youngsters Rajinder Singh and Aditya Arjun Lalage. The attacking responsibilities will be on the shoulders of Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh and Shilanand Lakra. Chief coach Craig Fulton is confident that the selected squad has a bright chance to write its own chapter in Indian hockey history.

India, drawn in Pool D alongside England, Pakistan and Wales, will play all their pool-stage matches in Amstelveen, Netherlands. India will begin their campaign against Wales on August 15, before taking on England on August 17 and arch-rivals Pakistan on August 19.

Banks have mobilised over 20.7 billion US Dollars (USD) in foreign exchange inflows under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) special swap scheme till Friday last week. The scheme was operationalised on 8th June.

According to RBI’s data issued yesterday, of the total deposits, banks received over 17.4 billion US Dollars through Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits. Nearly two billion USD were raised through Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs), and over 1.3 billion USD through External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs). 

RBI had announced this concessional swap facility with a view to strengthening India’s balance of payments and incentivise capital inflows. The swap facility for FCNR(B) deposits will remain available until 30th of September 2026, while the facility for OFCBs and ECBs will continue until 31st of December 2026.

In Sikkim, a search and rescue operation is on for the third day today to evacuate people trapped inside the under-construction tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project at Samardung in Namchi district. Official sources said that 12 bodies have been recovered so far and 13 persons are believed to be trapped inside the ill-fated tunnel.

Governor Om Prakash Mathur and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang Golay visited the accident site yesterday. The chief minister announced setting up a high-level inquiry to find out the causes of the incident. Mr Golay further said that the incident might have happened due to the explosion of methane gas and not because of landslides.

Trump administration has sought nearly 88 billion US Dollars in emergency funding amid renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth said the estimate covered some costs incurred so far and anticipated military pay, operations and maintenance expenses through September 30. Hegseth said training exercises could be curtailed if Congress failed to approve additional funds. He argued that the military was confronting years of deferred maintenance and depleted weapons stocks.

Democrats questioned why the Pentagon needed more money when it still had roughly 75 billion US dollars in unobligated funds from an earlier spending package. The hearing also exposed sharp divisions over the administration’s legal authority to continue military operations. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the armed forces. Announcing the decision on social media, Zelenskyy said the leadership change is aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s military efforts and increasing pressure on Russia to move toward peace. He thanked Syrskyi for his service and praised Ukrainian troops for maintaining strong front-line positions, adding that every soldier deserves dignified treatment. The move comes just days after the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a decision that sparked street protests across Ukraine. 

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar today participated in Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the United States at Manila in Philippines. In a social media post, he said they reviewed the Indo-Pacific landscape and discussed recent developments. He said that India is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific with a recognition of ASEAN centrality. 

On the sidelines of the meeting, Dr Jaishankar met US Secretary Marco Rubio. The minister said that the meeting focused on areas which are priority for the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade, tariffs, energy, defence, security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence. Dr Jaishankar also said they exchanged quick perspectives on regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar today met his Chinese Counterpart Wang Yi during the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum Meetings at Manila in Philippines. In his opening remarks, Dr Jaishankar emphasised the gradual normalisation of India-China relations while stressing that peace along the border remains a fundamental prerequisite for deeper bilateral cooperation.

He said both nations believe that a stable and cooperative relationship can best be developed on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity. He added that such relationship can make a valuable contribution to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world. Dr Jaishankar welcomed several recent confidence-building measures, including the resumption of direct flights, updates to the visa regime, the restart of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, and the re-commencement of border trade.

The minister reiterated the understanding reached by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that differences should not become disputes, describing it as diplomacy’s responsibility to manage them effectively.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has informed that 16 Metro stations have been closed till further instructions due to security reasons in the National Capital. These include Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh and Shivaji Stadium. However, DMRC noted that the interchange facility will remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.