🐘 Abhimanyu's Journey at Mysuru Dasara

Abhimanyu transitioned from a wild elephant taskmaster to the lead elephant carrying the golden howdah. He served in the squad and was involved in Dasara festivities for over 25 years in Mysuru. He was named the lead elephant in 2020 after Arjuna retired at age 60, but will now be relieved after turning 60 in April. For five years, he performed this prestigious duty with great skill during the Jamboo Savari. He was also known for controlling rogue elephants in forest operations. 🐘

🐍 Five cobras rescued from captive show in Hyderabad

Five cobras were rescued from the Old City in Hyderabad on Monday by the Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the People for Animals. Three snakes were found in Shalibanda, and two were rescued from Moghalpura. During treatment, two cobras were fit for release, while two needed about 10 days of care, and one was critically ill. The snakes will be released into their natural habitat after proper veterinary assessment. 🐍

🔬 Third death in China's CAR-T trials

A third fatality has been reported from China's ongoing CAR-T trials, marking a significant concern in the medical community. The deaths occurred within the scope of these trials being conducted in China. Specific figures and dates for these incidents were not disclosed in the report. These opaque trials are under scrutiny due to the lack of transparency surrounding adverse events. Further updates are awaited from the regulatory bodies overseeing the research. 🔬

⚽ Barça outcast Hector Fort in transfer scramble

Hector Fort is definitely leaving FC Barcelona, with the club pushing for a permanent move for the 20-year-old. Real Sociedad has now joined Everton, Fulham, and Borussia Dortmund in showing interest in the La Masia graduate. Barcelona has set a transfer valuation of around €10 million for the full-back. This move is crucial for Barça as they aim to generate transfer income and free up salary-cap space. The final decision on his next club will ultimately rest with Fort himself. 🏃‍♂️

🛡️ Billionaires are booking Swiss alpine bunkers 🏔️

A Swiss company is constructing ultra-secure underground vaults in the Swiss Alps for the ultra-rich to safeguard their valuables. This project, called Brunig Mega Safe, is located beneath the Brinig massif near Lungern in Switzerland. It is set to feature 20 to 24 private caverns, with leases starting at 500,000 Swiss francs and expected to open next year. Clients can store gold, cars, and wine in these temperature-controlled spaces, offering high-level security similar to the Swiss National Bank. The complex also plans to include survival training facilities to address growing global risks.

🔥 Man accused of burning family dies in hospital

A man accused of setting his wife and mother-in-law on fire succumbed to severe burns on Tuesday, August 18. The deceased was identified as C.V. Sanal Kumar, 46, from Swamimuku in Peralam-Karivallur panchayat. He had sustained approximately 80% burns in the incident that took place on Sunday night, August 16. Sanal Kumar allegedly tried to kill his wife, P. Prajisha, 37, due to her decision to seek a divorce. His mother-in-law, P. Padmini, 56, who intervened, also suffered burns and is currently receiving treatment.

🚨 Jagan demands full force search for missing fishermen

YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy urged the government to intensify search operations for missing fishermen. The fishermen are from Odalarevu, Dummalapeta, and Vasalatippa villages in Allavaram mandal, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. Eight fishermen and their boat have been missing for several days, causing deep worry among their families. He appealed to involve the Coast Guard, Navy, Fisheries Department, and district administration in the search. Jagan also asked for cooperation from vessels operating near Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, and Paradip.

🏸 Badminton World Champs: Sen & Jolly-Gopichand Win

Badminton World Championships saw thrilling action on Day 2. Lakshya Sen and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand secured victories in their respective matches. The competition took place across various venues, with specific dates not detailed in this summary. These wins highlight the strong performances by Indian players in international badminton. The tournaments continue with more intense matchups scheduled for the coming days. 🏸

👀 YouTube changes view counting starting August 24

YouTube is updating its view counting system globally beginning August 24th. This change will log a view the instant a video starts playing, applicable across all platform formats. Previously, videos generally needed about 30 seconds of watch time to register a view. YouTube stated this aims to clear metric confusion for creators and align with Shorts counting. The old view metric will still exist in Analytics as 'Engaged views' for context. 📈

💸 PM CARES fund spending is way low in 2024-25

Only Rs 88 lakh was spent from the PM CARES Fund in the financial year 2024-25. This minimal amount was disbursed across 3,383 listed beneficiaries in India. The Fund, which totals Rs 8,452 crore, has kept around 93 percent of its corpus in fixed deposits. This low spending contrasts with state disaster relief needs and NDRF fund usage. Transparency remains a major issue as the fund operates outside the RTI Act. 💸

🦠 Deadliest Ebola outbreak hits DRC with 2,325 deaths

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in 2,325 deaths, marking the deadliest ever recorded in the nation. The outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo strain, is centered in Bunia and has spread across six provinces. As of August 18, 2026, over 5,000 confirmed cases have been reported with a case fatality rate of 46%. Response teams are facing resistance, but some areas have stabilized since the outbreak was declared on May 15. International bodies are assessing the risk as there is currently no approved vaccine for this strain. 🦠