The Daily Catch-Up: Your 3-minute evening briefing

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4 min readJul 9, 2026 07:17 PM IST

Your 3-minute evening briefing: Looking back on one of his early films, the Saif Ali Khan explains why he believes its villain escaped justice too easily. (File Photo)

Dear Reader,

Welcome to The Daily Catch-Up, your three-minute evening briefing from The Indian Express. We’ve sifted through today’s biggest developments so you don’t have to—bringing together the stories that mattered, the debates worth following and the reads you’ll want to save for later.

Today’s news in 30 seconds

Security: Inside Operation Hardball, India’s intelligence cooperation with the US.
Economy: Nitin Gadkari acknowledges concerns over E20 petrol and vehicle mileage.
Politics: Questions swirl around alleged irregularities in Ram Temple donations.
Crime: A man who allegedly spent three decades living in luxury hotels without paying finally runs out of luck.
Football: England and Argentina revive history—this time with World Cup referees in focus.

The Daily Catch-Up England vs Argentina: When history follows the referee

Operation Hardball: How India and the US tracked organised crime together

Indian agencies quietly shared verified intelligence on fugitives and criminal networks with their American counterparts. The investigation reveals how cross-border cooperation is becoming a key weapon against transnational crime.

Nitin Gadkari acknowledges concerns over E20 petrol

The government has championed ethanol-blended fuel as India’s green future. Now the Road Transport Minister has publicly recognised motorists’ concerns over mileage and possible engine damage.

Why alleged Ram Temple donation irregularities have become a political flashpoint

The Ayodhya temple remains politically untouchable. Allegations surrounding donations are not—and the controversy is beginning to reshape Uttar Pradesh’s political conversation.

Mahadev betting app case reaches Oman

As investigators pursue one of India’s biggest betting scandals, the hunt for alleged mastermind Saurabh Chandrakar has entered another international chapter.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta: When corruption stops making political noise

Why do some scandals dominate public debate while others barely register? Pratap Bhanu Mehta explores what silence can reveal about power and accountability.

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Maharashtra turns to architect of Uttarakhand’s UCC

The state’s Uniform Civil Code panel will be led by the retired judge who drafted Uttarakhand’s landmark law. What happens next could have national implications.

First spell of heavy rain leaves several parts of Lucknow waterlogged

People navigate flooded streets after heavy showers lashed Lucknow on Thursday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Bihar surprises on learning outcomes—but classrooms tell another story

A new report paints a complicated picture: students are outperforming expectations even as school infrastructure continues to lag.

The hotel guest who spent 30 years checking in—but never paying

It sounds too implausible to be true. Yet one man allegedly perfected the art of living in luxury hotels for decades while staying one step ahead of the bill.

He survived the fall. Then the hospital became a crime scene.

A bizarre case from Hyderabad takes an extraordinary turn when investigators allege an IV drip became the murder weapon.

‘A massive wave of mud was chasing us’

A couple who narrowly escaped the Wayanad landslide recount the terrifying moments that turned an ordinary journey into a fight for survival.

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England vs Argentina: When history follows the referee

Few football rivalries carry as much political baggage. This World Cup encounter comes with another fascinating subplot involving the officials in charge.