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• The BCCI has implemented stricter fitness standards for Team India, specifically removing previous exemptions granted to senior players. • As part of these new norms, the board has raised the benchmark for the Bronco test, a high-intensity shuttle run used to measure aerobic capacity. • These changes aim to ensure all squad members maintain peak physical condition regardless of experience or tenure to improve overall team performance.

Retailer expects to end year with pre-tax profit of £1.2bn, about £25m higher than forecast previouslyNext has raised hopes that UK shoppers are still willing to spend despite pressures on household budgets, as it upgraded its profit guidance for the third time this year.The clothing and homeware retailer said it benefited from sunny weather and the release of some “pent-up demand” in the Middle East and northern Europe in the 13 weeks ended on 1 August. Continue reading...

• Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett accused Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning the goal of defeating Hamas and effectively handing control of Gaza to Qatar. • The IDF is tightening its strike policy in Gaza, now requiring the chief of staff's explicit approval for certain operations. • The Central Elections Committee has banned poll workers from updating political parties on voter turnout to protect citizen privacy.

Kellie Sloane says ‘leaking a report is never good’ as Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet tells inquiry group signed up members to ‘dodgy’ branchesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe younger brother of a former Liberal premier has told an anti-corruption watchdog that a group of young conservative power breakers, now under investigation for soliciting illegal donations, recruited members to “dodgy” branches controlled by rival factions.Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of ex-New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet, appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Wesley Bell wins in St Louis rematch as anti-Israel candidates continue primary gainsUS politics live – latest updatesDemocratic congressman Wesley Bell won his primary in the St Louis area on Tuesday, ending progressive former representative Cori Bush’s bid for a comeback and blunting the momentum pro-Palestinian candidates have shown in recent elections.Bell unseated Bush, a democratic socialist who opposes aid to the US ally and accuses it of committing a genocide in Gaza, in the Democratic congressional primary two years ago with the help of millions of dollars in spending from pro-Israel groups. Their rematch this year came amid a spate of primary defeats of Democratic incumbents at the hands of progressive outsiders. Continue reading...

Education minister Jason Clare says the results showed ‘real challenges’ but numeracy scores were hearteningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastReading and writing scores are going backwards for almost every age group in Australia’s national standardised school tests, with one in three students still failing to meet Naplan benchmarks.This year’s tests were taken in March by 1.2 million students across years 3, 5, 7 and 9 to measure literacy and numeracy proficiency, with results released on Wednesday by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara). Continue reading...

• On Tuesday morning, India's benchmark indices diverged in a rare occurrence, with the BSE Sensex trading in the green while the Nifty50 slipped into the red. • Around 9:42 am, the BSE Sensex rose by 166.15 points (0.21%) to 78,805.18, whereas the Nifty50 dropped 159.25 points (0.64%) to 24,615.00. • This unusual split is significant because the two indices typically move in synchronization, reflecting the broader health of the Indian equity market.