🇧🇩 Fakhrul nominated for Bangladesh presidency

Senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been nominated as the party's candidate for the presidential election. This selection was announced on August 13th following a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in the Secretariat. The BNP holds 249 votes, securing his election on August 20th, while the opposition has nominated Col (retd) Oli Ahmad. Fakhrul has resigned from his previous roles upon accepting the candidacy for the country's 23rd president. The election process will see nomination papers submitted today, with voting happening on August 20th. 🇧🇩

✨ Catch the best meteor shower tonight

The Perseid meteor shower is currently peaking, offering the best shooting star show of the year. Viewers can watch this annual event over Colorado, where the Milky Way is visible in the night sky. This phenomenon has been observed for as long as historical records exist. The episode also discusses recent news about the sun and the SpaceX rocket impact on the moon. Listen to Short Wave for more space updates and information.

🧐 Pakistani national caught with Fort William map in West Bengal

A Pakistani national and his associate were arrested in West Bengal possessing a map and photo of Fort William. The individuals, Rana Rauf Khalid and Mohammad Ijaz, were apprehended by the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) in North 24 Parganas' Habra on Tuesday. The STF is investigating how the materials were obtained and if it involved information gathering ahead of August 15th. Investigators suspect links to the ISI and are examining digital trails connecting to Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The duo were remanded to 14-day judicial custody after being presented before the Barasat court. 🧐

🙏 Haridwar trashed after massive Kanwar Yatra 😥

The annual Kanwar Yatra concluded, leaving behind a massive amount of waste in Haridwar. Around 48.04 million pilgrims collected holy Ganga water from Haridwar before departing to their destinations. Approximately 7,000 metric tonnes of garbage, including urine bottles and discarded clothes, accumulated across the sacred ghats. The Municipal Corporation and district administration have planned a special cleanliness drive running until August 18 to tackle the unhygienic conditions. Furthermore, drone cameras and solar sensor dustbins are being introduced for prompt cleanup efforts.

⛈️ Odisha faces heavy rain, IMD issues red warning ⛈️

Heavy rain has lashed Odisha for the past 24 hours due to a well-marked low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department issued a "red warning" for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across Odisha on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The highest recorded rainfall was 236mm in Bhograi of Balasore district. Authorities closed all educational institutions in Mayurbhanj district following the intense rainfall since August 12. Fishermen are advised against venturing into the North Bay of Bengal until August 14.

📰 Kerala CM denies asking Meta to censor news

Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan denied ever requesting Meta to take down news items concerning him or the UDF government. The Opposition LDF accused the government of a social media clampdown over posts related to drug peddling arrests. On August 13, 2026, Satheesan stated his office made no such requests despite favorable news being removed. He noted this removal trend is happening in other states too after a Meta meeting with the Union government. Satheesan advised affected news channels to file official complaints with Meta. 📰

🌠 Stargazers hit Hami for Perseid meteor shower

The annual Sweet Whispers to the Galaxy Festival is taking place in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, attracting photographers nationwide. Observers gathered at Dahaidao Scenic Area as the Perseid meteor shower peaked on Tuesday and Wednesday. This remote spot is perfect for astrophotography because of its minimal light pollution. The event mixed culture, performances, and astronomy promotion. Hami is solidifying its spot as a top astro-tourism destination. 🌠

📉 Sensex dips as global cues mix up markets

The Sensex dropped 100 points amid mixed global economic signals ahead of the US CPI release. The CPI matched expectations at 0.1%, while core CPI rose 0.2% for July. This contained inflation eased expectations for a September Fed rate hike, boosting risk appetite. US markets reacted positively, with Nasdaq and S&P 500 advancing despite some volatility. BTC is trading near $63,384, with key support at $63,200 - $63,400.

📉 Monsoon Session ends in washout drama

The Parliament Monsoon Session 2026 was ultimately adjourned and concluded without significant legislative action. This happened across both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in New Delhi. The session reportedly finished with zero major bills passed or discussed extensively across its timeframe. The lack of productive proceedings led to widespread criticism from opposition parties. The next steps involve parliamentary procedures for the subsequent session. 📉

🚀 HyperOS 4 beta drops for Xiaomi and Redmi devices

HyperOS 4 beta rollout starts tomorrow following a three-wave schedule across August and September. The first wave begins on August 14th with the Xiaomi 17 series, Redmi K90 pair, and two tablets in China. Subsequent waves are slated for August 27th and September 17th, featuring more devices. The new visual features are hardware-gated, requiring Snapdragon 8 Elite or newer chips. Xiaomi also rolled out Super XiaoAi 2.0 with expanded cross-device functionality.

🏛️ Lok Sabha session: quietest moments, major washout

The Lok Sabha session concluded with a notably quiet three minutes and ten seconds during the Monsoon Session. Members, including PM Narendra Modi, were present in the House in New Delhi for the adjournment. The session started on July 20 and saw 11 bills passed, with most rushed through amidst protests. The Opposition demanded statements on the lathi-charge and Shah's response to student protests. INDIA bloc leaders boycotted the post-session tea meeting with the Speaker. 😠