Morning Digest: 13 Indian sailors trapped amid attacks in Black Sea; At least two dead in shopping mall hit by earthquake in Japan, says report, and more

Lok Sabha debates Paper leak BillTreasury and Opposition benches sparred in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday as the House took up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, with the Opposition describing it as an “admission of failure”. Initiating the debate for the Opposition, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi questioned why the government was amending a law it had hailed as “historic” just two years ago. Responding to the Opposition, BJP MP Anurag Thakur hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for sitting on a dharna outside the Prime Minister’s residence, saying Mr.

Gandhi did so because students did not ask him to lead the protests. The House will continue the debate on Wednesday.At least two dead in shopping mall hit by earthquake in Japan, says reportTwo women were killed at the mall in Japan hit by a powerful earthquake and subsequent explosion, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported early Wednesday, citing local officials.

Three other people were in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, it said -- one at the mall and two others at a factory in Yatsushiro city where a smokestack collapsed. “Many people” were feared trapped in a stricken shopping mall in Japan late on Tuesday (July 28, 2026), authorities said, after a major earthquake toppled buildings, sparked fires and reportedly injured more than 100.Stop ‘witch-hunt of students’ or brace for new stir: CJP to govt.

A day after warning of fresh protests over the Centre’s alleged violation of the assurance that no punitive action would be taken against protesters, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday called on the government to stop “targeting and witch-hunting” students.“If the harassment of students at the hands of the police continues, the Cockroach Janta Party will respond with a massive peaceful protest soon,” he posted on X.13 Indian sailors trapped amid attacks in Black Sea: UnionFifteen sailors, including 13 Indians, are trapped in a “terrible and life-threatening situation” at the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk in the Black Sea owing to missile and drone attacks in the vicinity, says Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI).

The crew members, who are onboard M.V. AMIR1, are living under the constant fear of a direct hit at any moment, according to an FSUI post on X.

“We urgently appeal to all concerned authorities, shipowners, flag state, and the Government of India to immediately secure their safety and arrange prompt repatriation,” says the post.CBI files charge sheet against 13 accused in NEET-UG 2026 paper leak caseThe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against 13 arrested accused persons in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, the agency said on Tuesday (July 28, 2026). All of them are currently in judicial custody.

The charge sheet comes days after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post on July 25, in the wake of over a month-long agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party.Sharad Pawar puts an end to speculations on mergerNCP SP leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) put an end to speculations about the likely merger between the Nationalist Congress Party and the Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar group. “It has no relevance,” he said while speaking with reporters in Baramati.

The statement is significant in the background of the reports of likely talks between the two parties.Over the last few months, several leaders had said that it was the late NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s last wish to see both parties. Leaders of both the parties had also acknowledged that talks of a merger were in the final stages before Ajit Pawar’s untimely demise in an air crash earlier this year.

Delhi HC directs ECI to avoid imposing ‘unbearable’ burden on teachers during SIRThe Delhi High Court on Tuesday (July 27, 2026) directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that schoolteachers deployed for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are not subjected to an “unbearable” burden.A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia reiterated that the poll body’s constitutional powers must be exercised in compliance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.Trump and Netanyahu meet for the first time since launching the Iran warIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.

S. President Donald Trump met at the White House on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) for the first time since they launched a joint war against Iran, offering a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.The closed-door meeting lasted nearly an hour and a half and was “positive and productive,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The White House and the Prime Minister’s office did not immediately offer more details.Ten Doeschate departs from India’s coaching staffRyan ten Doeschate has stepped down as India’s assistant coach, bringing an end to a two