1.India set to allow its private firms to mine and import uranium to help nuclear expansion: Reuters

India aims to allow private firms to mine, import and process uranium as part of plans to end a decades-old state monopoly over the nuclear sector and bring in billions of dollars to boost the industry, government sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government plans to expand nuclear power production capacity by 12 times by 2047 and it is also relaxing requirements to allow foreign players to take a minority stake in power plants, Reuters reported in April. If it meets its expansion goal, nuclear will provide 5% of India's total power needs, according to government estimates.

Until now, the state has maintained control over the mining, import and processing of uranium fuel because of concerns over the possible misuse of nuclear material, radiation safety and strategic security.

It will retain its grip on reprocessing spent uranium fuel and managing plutonium waste, in line with global practice.

But to help meet a surge in demand for nuclear fuel as it expands nuclear power production, the government plans to draw up a regulatory framework that would allow private Indian firms to mine, import and process uranium, the two government sources told Reuters.

2.With 3 mn new entries, demat a/cs see biggest spike in July since Dec: Business Standard

Domestic markets saw the addition of nearly 3 million new dematerialised (demat) accounts in July, marking the highest monthly increase since December 2024. This is also the third consecutive month that witnessed a rise in account openings, following a period of moderation from January to April.

With seamless onboarding and the continued allure of equities fuelling demand, July’s additions pushed the nationwide demat count beyond 200 million, a figure that has more than tripled in just four years. The total count stood at 202.1 million at the end of last month.

However, this figure does not equate to unique investors, since individuals may open multiple demat accounts. The count of unique investors is estimated at 120 million.

3,Infosys to buy 75% stake in Telstra unit for $153 million: Economic Times

Infosys will acquire a 75% stake in Versent Group, a Telstra subsidiary, for $153 million. Versent offers cloud services across key Australian sectors such as finance, energy, utilities, government and education.

The deal, enhancing Infosys’ local presence, should close by second half of fiscal 2026 pending regulatory approvals.

4.India Now Least Favored Asian Stock Market: BofA Survey: NDTV Profit

India has gone from fund managers’ top Asian stock market pick to their least preferred in just three months amid US President Donald Trump’s tariff escalation, according to a Bank of America survey. In the most recent fund manager survey, 30% said they are underweight on India, followed by 20% for Thailand and 10% for Malaysia. Japan fared the best, with China taking the No. 2 spot.

A total of 99 panelists with $183 billion of assets responded to the survey’s regional questions.

That marks a sharp reversal from May’s survey, which showed India displacing Japan as the most favoured market due to its perceived haven status during Trump’s initial tariff rollout.

5.India has growth potential: IKEA CEO at first Delhi store opening: Business Standard

Swedish home decor and furniture retailer IKEA sees growth potential coming over the next three decades in India on the back of the country's economic growth, demographic dividend and young families coming into the consuming class, said IKEA India CEO Patrik Antoni.

IKEA, which on Wednesday entered the Northern market with the opening of a city store here, is also working to increase local sourcing for its local retail operations from 30 per cent to 50 per cent in the next five years, he said.

IKEA, which has now entered into the second phase of growth in the country, is working with an omnichannel strategy here, where it has classical large-size stores, along with small city stores, supporting its online sales, which currently contribute around 30 per cent to sales, said Antoni.

6.Artificial intelligence-driven cheating has led to the return of the in-person interview: Wall Street Journal

Video calls have become standard in hiring, driven by greater efficiency and the rise of remote work. But AI tools can feed candidates answers off-screen, recruiters told The Wall Street Journal. Google, McKinsey, and Cisco are among companies adding or bringing back face to face meetings to avoid being tricked.

One recruitment firm said in-person interviews went up from 5% last year to 30% this year. Applicants are also using AI to improve their resumes and write cover letters, while recruiters use it to filter candidates or even interview them, in an ongoing AI recruitment arms race.

7.The myth of the seven year itch-when couples actually get divorced?

The seven-year itch, popularized by the 1955 film of the same name, suggests that married couples and those in long-term relationships grow tired of each other at the seven-year mark.

How true is this sentiment? If the seven-year itch is a real thing, then it seems fair to expect that divorce rates would peak around seven years, or at least start to climb.

Maybe there is a way to see this through data. Overall, there are two peaks in divorces. One peak is before making it through year 1, and the second is during year 5. Rates actually decline after seven years.

Read on

8.UK porn site traffic plunges as age verification rules take effect: Financial Times

Traffic from British users to some of the world’s most popular pornography websites has almost halved since new age verification rules came into force in the UK, with Pornhub losing more than 1mn visitors in just two weeks.

Media regulator Ofcom on July 25 began enforcing the new requirements for adult sites to check the age of all UK users under the Online Safety Act, one of the world’s toughest new regimes aimed at protecting children on the internet. Users have, among other options, been asked to upload identity documents, enter credit card details or scan their faces with a camera to prove they are over 18.

Pornhub, the UK’s most-visited adult site, experienced a 47 per cent drop in traffic between July 24, the day before the rules came into force, and August 8, according to data from Similarweb, a web analytics and digital market intelligence provider.

9.IEA lifts global oil supply forecast, signaling bigger surplus ahead: Wall Street Journal

Global oil markets are poised for a larger surplus than previously expected this year, with supply set to grow more than three times faster than demand, the International Energy Agency said in its closely watched monthly report.

The Paris-based organization now forecasts oil supply growth of 2.5 million barrels a day this year and 1.9 million the next, from earlier estimates of 2.1 million and 1.3 million barrels a day, respectively. The revision follows OPEC+’s latest bumper output hike, though countries outside of the alliance remain the primary drivers of growth.

Supply was largely steady in July, as declines in OPEC+ output were offset by increased production from non-OPEC+ producers. Saudi Arabia’s output fell from June’s highs, when several Gulf producers boosted exports over fears of supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Wednesday’s report comes as Brent crude trades around $66 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate is at $63 a barrel, as investors await President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine.

10. At least three people have died and thousands have fled their homes as wildfires spread across southern Europe: BBC and others

A heat wave has brought temperatures of over 40°C (104°F) in much of France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the Balkan countries, creating dry conditions for perfect fire. Thousands of firefighters and soldiers have been deployed to battle the blazes.

Wildfires are increasing globally as the world warms: Canada’s wildfire season is already second worst on record, and both the Scottish and English capitals have seen grassfires, including on the famous Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, an extinct volcano in the heart of the city next to the Scottish Parliament.