👑 Diomande calls Real Madrid the biggest club

Yan Diomande expressed his immense happiness following his transfer to Real Madrid. He confirmed that joining the club at the Santiago Bernabéu has been a long-held dream for him. The winger spoke to Juni Calafat and was then contacted by José Mourinho in Portugal around five in the morning. Diomande stated his goal remains to become one of the world's best players through hard work and confidence. He also shared advice received from Ivory Coast legends like Didier Drogba.

🚗 Skoda Kylaq Sportline drops at Rs 11.32 Lakh

Skoda has introduced a new Sportline trim for its sub-compact SUV, the Kylaq. This variant is available in India and slots between the Signature Plus and Prestige trims. The Kylaq Sportline MT starts at Rs 11.32 lakh, while the AT version is priced at Rs 12.32 lakh. This new model features blacked-out aesthetics and a dark-themed sporty interior. The company also updated the Classic and Classic Plus variants with better features. 🚀

👮 Karnataka Police now mandates attendance tracking app

Karnataka police has made it compulsory for all personnel to use the 'Kartavya' attendance app for daily check-ins. Director General M.A. Saleem issued the order on August 19 to unit heads across the force. The system, KAAMS, now includes an 'On Other Duty' option for fieldwork, which must be verified by a superior officer. This move aims to boost punctuality and monitor deployed personnel better across various duties. Failure to mark attendance without a valid reason could lead to disciplinary action.

🏗️ AP approves ₹7,470 cr for city infra projects

The government has given administrative sanction for nearly ₹7,470 crore for various infrastructure works in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). This funding targets projects like roads with drains, parks, and street lighting across A.P. As of the announcement, 514 projects valued at ₹15,274.21 crore are currently under implementation through schemes like AMRUT 2.0. The HAM aims to bridge existing urban road infrastructure gaps while improving public spaces over the next decade. Concessionaires will manage Operations & Maintenance for 10 years, supported by a technology-based monitoring system. 🏗️

🏥 Court questions Centre on same-sex live-in rights

The Delhi High Court questioned the Centre for failing to reply to a petition seeking same-sex couples' recognition as medical representatives. This case involves a woman and partner who have been together since 2015 and married in New Zealand in 2023. The court noted the law recognizes opposite-sex live-ins but not same-sex ones, after issuing notice in July 2025. The plea highlights the legal gap preventing partners from making critical medical decisions in emergencies. The court granted the Centre one week to file the counter affidavit, setting the next hearing for September 17. 🏥

🧐 Pawan Kalyan checks JSP's readiness for local polls

JSP president K. Pawan Kalyan reviewed the party's preparedness for the upcoming local body elections. This meeting took place at his chambers in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. JSP MLCs and MLAs discussed the elections in depth and decided to proceed with fighting spirit. Nadendla Manohar, Kandula Durgesh, and K. Nagendra Rao were present during the session. The party aims to uphold its self-respect while moving forward with the electoral challenge.

😠 BJP slams Congress over huge fee reimbursement delay

BJP State president N. Ramchander Rao addressed a student protest regarding unpaid fee reimbursements in Karimnagar on Thursday. He alleged the Congress government showed "callous apathy" by delaying the release of dues totaling ₹ 12,000 crore. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha organized the 'Students March' rally ahead of the sit-in. Rao claimed this delay caused severe hardship for lakhs of students and parents, violating youth declarations. The BJP stated it would support students in their fight for the pending funds. 😠

💧 CPI(M) demands halt to Google data centre project

CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao demanded the cancellation of the proposed Google data centre project in Visakhapatnam. He inspected the Mudasarlova reservoir and the data centre site along with party leaders. The project involves 160 acres of Simhachalam Devasthanam land, and the concerns were raised on Thursday. Rao alleged the project strains city water and questions the prioritization of drinking water needs. The party is pushing the government to respect public opinion regarding the development.

🧐 Over 11 tonnes of bad spices seized in Hyderabad raids

Police conducted raids targeting adulterated and expired spices across two units in Hyderabad on Thursday. The operations involved SOT Malkajgiri, SOT Cantonment, Uppal Police, and the Malkajgiri Food Adulteration Surveillance Team as part of the M-FAST initiative. In one raid, 10,890 kg of food material, including chilli and coriander powder, was seized from Sai Thirumala Enterprises. The second raid at V Mehak Masalas found 330 kgs of expired products being repackaged, while 400 kg of jeera was also seized. Authorities warned consumers to check all product details before buying food items. 🧐

🌊 South Bengal floods cause deaths, damage

Two people died and over 3,000 houses were damaged due to severe flooding in southern West Bengal. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari surveyed the affected areas in Paschim Medinipur on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Initial estimates showed about 3,200 houses damaged, with ₹30,000 aid for families and ₹9 lakh for deceased families. Around 50,000 people were stranded near Sabang, while the government plans major drainage projects. TMC criticized the government's response to the recurring annual floods. 😥

⚖️ UBT challenges Shinde's symbol basis at SC

The Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) party argued before the Supreme Court that the Eknath Shinde faction is still benefiting from its defection. This legal battle took place in relation to the official bow-and-arrow symbol in Maharashtra. The party highlighted that the symbol was granted based on an erroneous reliance on the legislative majority test. UBT contended that if they cannot have the symbol, the Shinde faction shouldn't either, as they are reaping defection's rewards. They urged the court to decide whether the Shinde faction committed defection, which impacts the ECI's 2023 recognition. ⚖️