Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran’s capital Tehran, was buried in Qatar on Friday (Aug 2). Thousands of people gathered at Qatar’s largest mosque, where Haniyeh’s casket, draped in a Palestinian flag, was taken before leaving again for burial in Lusail, north of Doha.

India’s astronaut designates Shubhanshu Shukla and Prashant Balakrishnan Nair will commence their training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, this week. 

In other news from around the world, the Kremlin said on Friday that Vadim Krasikov, freed by Germany in Thursday’s prisoner swap deal with the West, is an operative with Russia’s FSB security service. 

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Thousands of mourners and supporters bid farewell on Friday in Qatar (Aug 2) to Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh following his assassination in Iran’s capital Tehran. Thousands of people gathered at Qatar’s largest mosque, where Haniyeh’s casket, draped in a Palestinian flag, was taken before leaving again for burial in Lusail, north of Doha. 

India’s astronaut designates and Indian Air Force Test pilots, Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prashant Balakrishnan Nair will commence their training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, this week.

The Kremlin on Friday (Aug 2) said that Vadim Krasikov, freed by Germany in Thursday’s prisoner swap deal with the West, is an operative with Russia’s FSB security service. Addressing a press conference, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “Krasikov is an FSB employee.”

India’s top court on Friday (Aug 2) rejected petitions seeking a detailed investigation under judicial supervision into an alleged scam of using electoral bonds (EBs). The political funding tool was introduced in 2017 but was scrapped in February by the Supreme Court of India as it was declared “unconstitutional.”

Global Times, the Chinese-state-owned tabloid, is one of the most nationalist supporters of President Xi Jinping’s regime, but one of its editors has now been ‘banned’ from social media, according to reports.

Turkey has blocked access to the social media platform Instagram, the country’s national communications authority said on Friday (Aug 2). The government blocked Instagram without stating a reason. It is also not yet known the duration for which the ban would last, a report by the news agency Reuters said. 

Taiwanese law enforcement authorities have arrested 449 people after busting its largest illegal pornography ring. Those arrested engaged in making, selling, or possessing child pornography as well as recordings of women in restrooms. Out of those arrested, 178 were buyers of the explicit content. 

In what came as a striking reminder of Mumbai hoarding collapse horror, another hoarding came crashing down in Maharashtra’s Thane district Friday morning (Aug 2). At least three vehicles were crushed in the accident, with no reports of injuries so far.

Looks like Robert Downey Jr’s return to the Avengers as Doctor Doom has surprised not just fans but also his former fellow Avengers actors. Robert’s return was revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con last month. He had famously played Iron Man previously in MCU. But it seems, Jeremy Renner was not in the knowing about Robert’s new role. 

India’s men’s hockey team had their ‘Chak de moment’ at the Paris Olympics 2024 after they beat Australia (3-2) for the first time in 52 years in the Summer Games. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace, including the second and the third goal, to lead India to a second-place finish in their Group B with ten points from five contested matches.