India’s industrial growth in July 2026 stood at 6.7%, slower than the 8.8% seen in June. July’s performance of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was, however, the second-best growth the Index has seen since December last year, and was buoyed by the manufacturing and electricity and gas supply sectors. 

The IIP data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the third release under the new series, also saw June’s IIP growth rate upgraded from the provisional 7.3% announced last month to the 8.8% seen in the latest release. 

According to economists, the data in particular shows a divergence in India’s consumption trends, with rural consumption levels exhibiting weakness. 

Manufacturing driving growth

The manufacturing sector grew by 7.3% in July 2026, down from the 9.5% it saw in June, but faster than the 5.1% growth in July of last year. 

“The manufacturing sector growth was propelled by industries like engineering [electric and non-electrical] and automobiles [all kinds of transport] besides electronics and plastic and rubber products,” Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at the Bank of Baroda, said. 

He added that industries such as beverages, wood, paper, and non-metallic minerals also supported this relatively high growth.

Consumption split

Rajeev Sharan, head of research at Brickwork Ratings, however, said that the main 6.7% growth in the IIP might be overstating “the breadth of the recovery” as the underlying data shows a split in the way Indians are spending their money. 

That is, the data seems to suggest that expenditure on daily-use items is slowing while spending on durables seems to be doing well. 

“The July numbers show a widening gap in household spending,” Mr. Sharan explained. “Consumer durables, the big-ticket items such as vehicles and appliances, grew 10.5%, while everyday goods such as food and toiletries [consumer non-durables] fell 1%.” 

Rural pressure

Mr. Sabnavis agreed with this assessment, saying that it was likely to have been the non-consumer categories that drove the growth in manufacturing in July. 

Mr. Sharan added that a similar split runs through factory output, with the motor vehicles sector up 22.2% and electrical equipment up 28.3%, while food products grew a much slower 2.6% and clothing contracted 0.6%. 

“This suggests discretionary and credit-linked purchases remain strong, while everyday items, more closely tied to rural incomes and real wages, remain weak,” Mr. Sharan said. “Headline IIP at 6.7% therefore overstates the breadth of the recovery.”

Strong construction and infra 

The data shows that the capital goods sector, which is typically associated with asset creation, grew 16.1% in July 2026, its fourth consecutive month of double-digit growth. In fact, the sector has grown in double digits in nine out of the last 12 months, despite a high base. 

The infrastructure sector grew by 6.9% in July 2026 on a high base of 11.2% in July of last year. This was, however, down from 8.8% in June 2026.

The mining sector contracted 0.9% in July 2026 on a high base of 10.7% growth in July last year.   

Congo on Thursday began vaccinating people against Ebola as health authorities work to slow the country’s deadliest outbreak of the disease on record.

The vaccination campaign was officially launched in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, in the country’s east, Health Minister Roger Kamba said.

Health workers and other people working on the front lines of the Ebola response are among the first to receive the vaccine.

“We have decided to use the Ervebo vaccine to protect first those who are on the front line, therefore our health care providers, but also people who have been in contact with patients,” Kamba said.

The outbreak has so far affected six provinces in Congo, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele.

As of Tuesday, the country had recorded 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 deaths, according to government figures. The overall death rate among confirmed cases was about 48%.

The outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The World Health Organization has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

More than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been received, according to Congo’s state news agency.

The World Health Organisation said last week that 70,000 doses of Ervebo had been approved for use in Congo.

About 50,000 doses are intended for frontline and health workers, while another 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against Bundibugyo Ebola, the agency said.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo type of Ebola virus. Ervebo, however, is approved to protect against a different type, known as Zaire ebolavirus. There is currently no approved vaccine specifically for Bundibugyo Ebola.

The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.

Health authorities said Ervebo could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related. But whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness in people infected with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.

Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said data will be collected during the vaccination campaign to measure how well the vaccine works.

The campaign is expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.

Kamba strongly encouraged health workers to get vaccinated, saying the vaccine could protect them from the disease and help prevent them from carrying the virus into their communities.

 Nepal ​is monitoring ‌two lakes upstream of the ​flood ⁠zone, one of which began overflowing ‌on Friday (August 28, 2026), an official with ‌Nepal’s Disaster ‌Management ⁠Authority said.

Nepal flash floods LIVE updates – August 28, 2026

Flood risks ⁠will remain until the two lakes ​have fully drained, ‌the official added.

Nepalese authorities are relying on ‌satellite imagery to track ​conditions, though monitoring is ⁠limited by the availability of images, ‌the official said.

Nepal plans to install cameras and sensors downstream, including ‌near the border town ​of Timure, and is ⁠assessing deployment options by helicopter, ⁠he said

The Bombay High Court has ruled that grabbing a woman’s shoulder, pressing it, and shoving her away, even if it causes her shame, does not amount to sexual harassment under Section 354A of the IPC, as the act lacked sexual intent or overtures.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Abhay Mantri partly quashed an FIR against Girish Ngonda Patil. The FIR was lodged by a female Block Development Officer (BDO) at a gram panchayat office.

The complainant stated that Mr. Patil entered the office, quarrelled with her, tore documents, and then grabbed and pressed her right shoulder before shoving her away. She added that the conduct made her feel ashamed.

The court noted that the FIR and statements from two eyewitnesses — the village sarpanch and another person present at the office — corroborated the complainant’s version. Justice Mantri observed that the material on record indicated Mr. Patil used assault or criminal force to deter the BDO from her duties and outraged her modesty.

The court held that these facts prima facie attract Sections 323 (causing simple injury), 353 (assaulting a public servant), and 354 (outraging modesty) of the erstwhile IPC. However, the court observed that the act did not involve unwelcome physical contact, advances, or explicit sexual overtures, nor did it involve a demand for sexual favours, as contemplated under that provision.

No criminal intimidation

The Bench also noted that the petitioner did not possess the requisite mens rea for criminal intimidation. Consequently, the court partly quashed the FIR, retaining charges under Sections 323, 353, and 354 while dismissing the charge under Section 354A. The order was pronounced on August 20.

The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history has spread to two new health zones in eastern Congo, with a total of 60 now affected, according to the latest government figures published on Friday (August 28, 2026).

Also Read: How Congo’s Ebola outbreak became the second-most lethal on record

The two new zones affected are Biena and Manguredjipa in Congo’s North Kivu Province, where the case fatality rate is much higher than the overall rate of 48%, due in part to delayed response efforts, according to Congo’s Ministry of Health data.

It said the outbreak has recorded 5,794 confirmed cases, including 2,786 deaths, as it is spreading at an unprecedented speed, faster than efforts to track and slow it.

The Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu has sought clear directions to the delta farmers from the State government on the sowing technique to be adopted for samba cultivation in view of the current storage position at the Stanley Reservoir, Mettur.

In a statement on August 28, Committee president P.R. Pandian said that announcing the date for release of water from the Stanley Reservoir for samba cultivation without guiding farmers on the sowing method to be adopted for samba cultivation would be of no use. It would be better to have a tripartite discussion on which type of sowing, either direct or raising of nursery, should be adopted during the ensuing samba/thaladi season before lifting the shutters for irrigation, he said.

Farmers should be advised whether to go for short- or long-term varieties. The availability of paddy seeds should be ascertained before deciding on the number of days and quantum of water to be released from the dam.

The State government should prevail upon the Karnataka government to release the due share of Tamil Nadu in Cauvery water as per the final order of the Supreme Court since all the dams in Karnataka have full storage, Mr. Pandian added.

Indian javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Diamond League Finals to be held in Brussels on September 5 despite competing in just two events of the prestigious one-day meeting series.

Chopra secured 12 points after finishing second in both the Doha and Lausanne DL events on June 19 and August 21 respectively to take the sixth spot in the standings and be eligible to compete in the winner-takes-all grand finale in Brussels.

The standings were updated at the end of the 14th and the last leg of the series in Zurich on Thursday.

Of the 14 Diamond League meetings of the year, five featured men’s javelin throw and Chopra competed in just two.

The 28-year-old is on a comeback trail after recovering from a lower back injury that has troubled him since September last year. The injury delayed his return until the Doha Diamond League.

He was not 100 per cent fit at the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games but was able to win a silver with a season’s best throw of 85.83m.

He later improved that to 88.05m in the Lausanne Diamond League.

For jumps and throws, the top six in the standings will compete in the September 4-5 DL Finals in Brussels. One additional athlete per discipline may also compete via a national or global wildcard selection.

The DL Finals will be held over two days in Brussels with 16 events to be organised on September 4 and the rest 16 the next day. The men’s javelin event will be held on September 5.

The winner will get a trophy and pocket a minimum of $30,000. The eighth-place finisher will get $1000.

If men’s javelin is chosen as one of the Diamond+ disciplines, then the winner will pocket $60,000.

Rising Sri Lankan star Rumesh Pathirage is at the top spot of the standings with 39 points, making him the favourite to walk away with the DL trophy in Brussels also.

He competed in all the five DL javelin events, won in four and finished second in one, underlining his absolute dominance this season.

On Thursday, Pathirage destroyed the 10-man field in Zurich with a stunning 92.07m throw to take the title. This was his second 90m plus throw of the season, following the 92.62m effort in Rome.

Germany’s Julian Weber was the only other athlete to record a 90m plus throw this season so far with his 90.40m effort while winning gold at the European Championships in Birmingham earlier this month. But dogged by injury, he did not compete in any DL event and he will not be there in the Finals also.

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada is second in the standings with 35 points. He finished second in Zurich on Thursday behind Pathirage with 86.93m. Both Pathirage and Peters had already qualified for the DL Finals even before the Zurich meet.

Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago will also compete in the DL Finals as he ended at third place in the standings with 23 points, followed by Curtis Thompson (20 points) of USA and Julius Yego (13) of Kenya at fourth and fifth spots.

Chopra on course for World Athletics Ultimate Championships

Chopra is also on course to qualify for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest from September 11-13.

Eight throwers will compete in the men’s javelin event and Chopra is currently at the seventh spot. Another Indian, Sachin Yadav is at the eighth spot but the final list of eligible athletes will be published on September 6.

Pathirage, Peters, Thompson and Weber are ahead of Chopra in the Road to Ultimate Championships.

Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago have qualified as reigning Olympic and world champion respectively.

The winner of the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 5 will also be invited in the Ultimate Championships.

The other five will be picked on the basis of world rankings with the qualification period from September 2, 2025 to September 1, 2026.

The inaugural Ultimate Championship will pit Olympic champions, world champions and Diamond League winners against one another in an ambitious project of World Athletics.

It will be a biennial event to provide a season-ending championship in years when there is no outdoor World Championships.

The total prize purse this year will be $10 million, with gold medallists winning $150,000.

Rodri made his Barcelona debut in the team’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish League on Thursday, while Chelsea and Fulham advanced to the third round of the English League Cup.

Barcelona’s match was supposed to feature a tribute to Spain’s World Cup champions but instead it became an act of support for the “estelada” flag, Catalonia’s pro-independence symbol.

Rodri’s first minutes with Barcelona

Rodri, signed from Manchester City after captaining Spain to the World Cup title, came off the bench in the 62nd minute to a warm welcome from the Camp Nou crowd.

“I’m happy to play my first game with Barcelona, happy for the victory, the second in a row for the team,” Rodri said. “It’s important to start gaining rhythm. I felt good with my first minutes.”

Rodri is one of eight World Cup winners in Barcelona’s squad, but the planned tribute for them ahead of the match didn’t take place after one of the club’s fans had an estelada flag taken away from him by police before the team’s game at Elche last weekend. He confronted the officers and ended up being hit and detained.

Instead of the tribute, an act supporting the estelada organized by a local group took place with Camp Nou laden with some 10,000 small flags that were handed to fans.

Raphinha and Fermín López scored a goal in each half to give Barcelona its second straight win to start the defense of its Spanish league title.

Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón — Spain’s starter at the World Cup — made a series of outstanding saves to keep Barcelona from scoring more goals.

In the other La Liga game, Osasuna came from behind to win 2-1 at 10-man Celta Vigo.

No Enzo for Chelsea in League Cup win

Danny Welbeck’s goal and an own-goal by Hakeem Odoffin gave Chelsea a 2-0 win over third-division Luton in the second round of the English League Cup.

Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso fielded a strong lineup following a 3-2 win at Fulham in the Premier League on Monday, but Enzo Fernandez — reportedly of interest to Man City — was not in the squad.

Luton is coached by 34-year-old Jack Wilshere, the former Arsenal and England midfielder.

In the other League Cup game, Fulham defeated third-tier Wimbledon 3-0 with goals by Emile Smith Rowe, Rodrigo Muniz and Gonzalo García. It was coach Álvaro Arbeloa’s first win in charge of the London club.

Europa League: Salah’s Trabzonspor out

Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor was eliminated from the Europa League by Ferencvaros 5-0 on aggregate following a 4-0 away loss in the second leg.

Trabzonspor finished the game with nine men after having Ruslan Malinovskyi sent off in the 13th minute and Sidny Lopes Cabral in the 57th.

Salah, who scored his first goals with his new club over the weekend, was substituted in the second half.

Portugal’s Benfica beat Danish side AGF 3-1 on the road to advance 6-2 on aggregate. Gianluca Prestianni, who was disciplined for verbally abusing Vinícius Júnior in the Champions League last season, scored twice for Benfica.

In the Conference League playoffs, Rangers fell to Czech Republic side Jablonec in a penalty shootout.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had considered not sending its players to the field after the lunch break on the opening day of their second Test against England at Lord’s but eventually settled for a complaint after host broadcaster Sky Sports aired an interview of jailed former PM Imran Khan‘s sons.

The PCB, when contacted, refused to comment on the matter, but sources aware of the development said a formal complaint has been sent to Sky Sports over the matter.

Former England skipper Mike Atherton conducted the 18-minute interview with Imran’s sons, Kassim and Suleman. The two expressed fears about the well-being of their 73-year-old father, who is a celebrated former captain under whom the country won its first and only ODI World Cup in 1992.

The PCB had objected to the telecast of the conversation recorded on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) and even considered keeping its players off the field after lunch in protest if Sky went ahead with the broadcast, sources aware of the developments said.

However, the visitors did take the field as scheduled and England ended the day at 248 for nine on Thursday.

The PCB learned about the interview after Sky ran a teaser for the segment ahead of the Test. The Bard, it is learnt, contacted the broadcaster, asking it not to air the interview.

In Pakistan, PTV, which is broadcasting the series, did not show the interview.

Imran’s health has become a major talking point globally in recent weeks. He was recently taken for medical examination at the Shifa Hospital in Islamabad on the directions of Pakistan’s Supreme Court but was brought back to the prison after a check-up.

Atherton and 20 other former captains, including India great Sunil Gavaskar, sent a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a few days ago asking him to ensure proper medical care for Imran, who is believed to have lost significant vision since his imprisonment.