🏛️ AP govt grants monthly honorarium for writer's house

The Andhra Pradesh government has fixed an honorarium of ₹30,000 per month for Gurajada Venkateswara Prasad. He is preserving the house of eminent writer Gurajada Apparao near Vizianagaram Fort. Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad issued these orders, which will be sanctioned by the State Creativity and Cultural Commission for life. Prasad and his wife, G. Indira, thanked the government for recognizing their continuous service. They also hope for the soon construction of an auditorium, for which funds were allocated months ago.

🎮 Xbox Game Pass drops huge August 2026 lineup

Microsoft announced the Xbox Game Pass August 2026 Wave 2 lineup featuring several day-one additions. Vapor World: Over the Mind launches on August 19 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy joins the service on August 27 across Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. These new titles join a roster including Blood Dungeon on August 25 and BlazBlue Entropy Effect X. The service also sees NBA 2K26 leave on September 6, with new games arriving throughout August. 🎮

🎮 Xbox Game Pass Aug 2026 lineup drops

Microsoft announced the Xbox Game Pass August 2026 Wave 2 lineup featuring several day-one releases. Vapor World: Over the Mind launches on August 19 across Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a big one, coming on August 27 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Other titles like Blood Dungeon and Starsand Island are also hitting the service in August. NBA 2K26 is scheduled to leave Game Pass on September 6. 🎮

🏏 Root asks team to be 'good humans' before Pakistan clash

Joe Root called on his teammates to be good human beings at the start of his second captaincy reign. This comes after off-field issues marred past tours, including an incident involving Harry Brook in Wellington and a 4-1 loss to Australia. The team faced chaos last summer, leading to a 2-1 series loss to New Zealand and Stokes' retirement. Stephen Fleming is replacing McCullum, while Marcus Trescothick will handle the Test side against Pakistan. Root believes the focus should now be on fine-tuning the squad to evolve past past challenges.

🛑 Anti-graft site bribes.fyi shuts down forever

The Indian anti-corruption website, bribes.fyi, has announced it is shutting down indefinitely for good. This platform, launched by Aryan Nishad in New Delhi, was voluntarily sunsetted as a precautionary measure to prevent misuse. The site had previously received over 600 reports on bribes, with over five million requests in the last 48 hours. Nishad and his colleague had been working to strengthen the site's legal structure. The site will permanently delete all recorded data after its status page remains live for a short time.

📱 iPhone 18 Pro: 7 upgrades that matter

The iPhone 18 Pro series is rumored to launch in India soon, bringing major spec upgrades over the iPhone 17 Pro. This new lineup will feature a 2nm A20 Pro chip, a C2 modem, and significant camera enhancements. Potential hardware boosts include a larger battery, up to 5,425mAh on the Pro Max, and variable aperture cameras. These changes aim to improve efficiency, performance, and connectivity beyond standard cellular networks. The release could happen around September 9th, with Apple also rumored to introduce a foldable iPhone. 🚀

🇮🇳 Isha Koppikar: Proud 'andhbhakt' for changing India

Actor Isha Koppikar posted a video on her Instagram on Tuesday declaring her love for the evolving country. She stated that her devotion is towards India itself, not any specific political party, while in India. She urged people to shift focus from asking what the country has done for them to contributing to it. Koppikar emphasized that patriotism means taking action to improve the nation, not just stating love for it. She concluded by proudly embracing the 'andhbhakt' label while remaining critical when necessary. 🇮🇳

🛠️ Microsoft fixes File Explorer and context menu

Microsoft is rolling out major changes to File Explorer and the context menu to fix quality issues and boost user flexibility. These updates are available in the Experimental Windows Insider Channel for users. The changes aim to reduce bloat, making the menu less cluttered and faster for users. Key functions like Cut, Copy, Paste, and Rename can remain inline if the user prefers. Microsoft has also added options to bring back the familiar Windows 10 context menu feel.

🚨 Mumbai Police File Trial Against Hafiz Saeed & Co.

Mumbai Police have initiated an in absentia trial against Hafiz Saeed and five other individuals. The case pertains to the horrific 26/11 terrorist attacks that took place. The charges involve serious crimes committed on November 26th. This action is part of the ongoing effort to bring justice for the victims of the attacks. Authorities are set to proceed with the legal proceedings soon. 🚨

🌾 Tobacco Board Boosts Welfare Loans for Growers

The Tobacco Board has significantly increased interest-free loan amounts under its Growers’ Welfare Scheme for various needs. This update, detailed in a circular dated July 22, 2026, applies to all Regional Managers and Auction Superintendents in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Specific increases include raising the death grant to ₹1,00,000 for natural death and boosting barn repair loans up to ₹1,00,000 for heavy damage. Furthermore, loans for major illness, daughters' marriage, and education have also seen enhancements. The scheme also mandates specific recovery periods and instalment schedules for these new loan amounts.

😥 Job loss forces Jharkhand man to offer divorce

A government employee in Jharkhand, Sandeep, was blocked from his office on Tuesday after the government cancelled the JSSC-CGL 2024 exam. Sandeep, who worked in the Vigilance Department in Ranchi, told his wife she could end the relationship due to job insecurity. This cancellation affects nearly 2,000 selected candidates who feared losing their secure government positions. The decision followed weeks of student protests over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. Affected candidates are now considering legal action to protect their appointments. 😥