P V Sindhu's gallant attempt to win a coveted gold medal for India ended in heart-break when she went down fighting against Spain's Carolina Marin and settled for a silver in the women's singles badminton competition of the Rio Olympics here today.

The 21-year-old Indian crumbled under the relentless pressure created by Marin to lose 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 in a pulsating final that lasted for an hour and 23 minutes at the Riocentre here.

Sindhu thus became the fourth Indian to win a silver at the Olympics after shooters Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004, Athens) and Vijay Kumar (2012, London) and wrestler Sushil Kumar (2012, London).

--PTI

More than 550 litres of country liquor was recovered on 20 August, during a search operation launched in Khajurwani ward of Gopalganj town where 16 persons died in a suspected toxic liquor incident early this week.

The search operation in which JCB machines are being used to dig the earth for hidden plastic containers of "mahua" (country liquor) is continuing today, District Magistrate Rahul Kumar toldPTI.

Meanwhile, Lalbabu Passi, said to be the main accused in the suspected toxic liquor tragedy has been arrested by Deoria in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Officer In-charge of town police station Santosh Kumar said.

Amid the raging controversy over cow vigilantism, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, on 20 August, said that those who consider India their country should treat the cow as their mother.

Das, however, stressed that there should be no violence in the garb of cow vigilantism and added that cattle smugglers may be involved in the recent events of violence over cow protection.

"The entire Sangh Parivar is on the same page on the issue of cow protection. Those who consider India as their country will treat the cow as their mother," Das told PTI.

^{Amid a raging debate on judicial appointments, the government today said it is drawing its power to supplement the present document to guide designating judges to the higher judiciary from a Supreme Court judgement which had stressed on bringing transparency and accountability in the process.}

Referring to the revised draft of the memorandum of procedure (MoP), highly-placed sources in the Law Ministry today said the document is based on the "judicial directions" given by a Supreme Court bench.

As the Executive and the Judiciary seek to iron out differences on key clauses of the MoP, the sources pointed the December, 2015 apex court order on ways to improve the collegium system had said the system of appointing judges should be transparent, with accountability and should have a wider zone of consideration of candidates to be appointed to the bench.

^--PTI

A Delhi Police constable was shot dead by miscreants while he was chasing them after they had snatched a bag from a woman in Shahabad area on 19 August.

The constable, who was posted at sector five police chowki in Bawana, spotted the snatchers near Samosa Chowk in the area and chased them following which they fired at him, police said.

Anand sustained bullet injury on the chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead.

--PTI