Scientists at Flinders University, Australia, have developed a safer, more sustainable way to extract gold from ore and e-waste like old phones and laptops. The method involves dissolving gold using trichloroisocyanuric acid, binding it with a new polysulphide polymer that selectively absorbs gold, and finally recovering it through pyrolysis or depolymerization of the gold-bound polymer.

The Indian Railways has announced that under the Modern Passenger Reservation System (PRS), users will be able to submit their choice of seat. It added that the new system would be implemented by December this year. The new PRS will allow over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, the Railways further stated.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed the Railway Board to start implementing an 8-hour advance reservation charting system. Currently, the reservation chart is prepared four hours before a train’s departure. Under the new system, however, for trains departing before 2 pm, the chart will be prepared the previous day at 9 pm.

Monsoon covered the entire country on June 29, against the normal date of July 8, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "[This is] nine days before the normal date of covering the entire India," it added. According to the past monsoon onset dates shared by IMD, this is the earliest onset of monsoon over the entire country in five years.

The suicide unit of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, which is a faction aligned with Pakistan Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in Waziristan, according to multiple reports. At least 13 soldiers were killed and over 20 others were injured in the attack. This comes as India "rejected...with contempt" Pakistan Army's claim that it was behind the attack.