🏏 Keshav Maharaj made spin bowling relevant in SA

Keshav Maharaj's presence helped shift the perception of spin bowling in South Africa. Previously, spin was often dismissed as secondary to fast bowling in the country. His arrival, alongside figures like Faf du Plessis, boosted the visibility of slow bowlers. Data shows a significant rise in top wicket-takers being spinners between 2000/01 and 2019/20. Maharaj's debut in November 2016 at the WACA marked a turning point for the art form. 🏏

✨ Ananya Panday rocks Manish Malhotra's Paithani sari

Ananya Panday chose a royal blue Paithani sari designed by Manish Malhotra for a Marathi cinema awards ceremony in Mumbai. The handwoven silk sari features miniature peacock buttis and antique silver zari details across its body and pallu. Malhotra enhanced the traditional look with an antique zardozi embroidered, contrasting border. Stylist Priyanka Kapadia paired it with an off-the-shoulder bandeau top for a modern twist. This look showcases Malhotra's dedication to promoting Indian handloom and local crafts.

⚖️ Husband Acquitted After Wife's Suicide Case

The Allahabad High Court acquitted a husband previously convicted of cruelty and abetting suicide. This happened in the case involving the husband and wife in Allahabad. The court noted no contact existed between them for over 5 months before the suicide on October 2, 2010. The court found the prosecution failed to prove abetment and dowry demands beyond a reasonable doubt. Consequently, the High Court set aside the conviction and ordered the husband's release. 😔

🕉️ SP expands PDA to include 'Pandit' in UP

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has expanded his PDA formula to explicitly include 'Pandit' in Lucknow. This move aims to broaden the party's voter base beyond its traditional Muslim-Yadav base in Uttar Pradesh. The announcement was made while accusing the BJP government of targeting Brahmins during a Brahmin Sammelan. This outreach comes as the UP Assembly elections approach and caste-based reservation protests rise across several states. Experts suggest this signals the SP's strategic shift towards a broader Hindu appeal. 🕉️

🗣️ Modi-Badal meeting sparks Punjab alliance talk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal at Parliament House in New Delhi on Friday. During the meeting, Badal discussed Punjab's law and order and alleged AAP corruption with the PM. This meeting has ignited buzz ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Arvind Kejriwal immediately questioned if the two parties were planning an alliance on X. The former alliance, which broke in 2020 over farm laws, could potentially be revived. 🤝

🌟 Turning Down Low Offer Led to Big Paycheck

Two engineering graduates from 2023 both received a Rs 4 LPA offer from Centre for Good Governance in Hyderabad. One student accepted the offer and started working at the organization immediately. The other student declined the job to prepare for GATE 2024 at ACE Engineering Academy. She then secured admission to IIIT Bangalore and later landed a job with a Rs 26 LPA package. This story encourages focusing on long-term goals over immediate job acceptances. 🚀

🏏 Wyllie's century puts Bangladesh under pressure

Teague Wyllie scored a century against Bangladesh during the warm-up match in Darwin. The CA XI, featuring Wyllie, built a 92-run lead while Hasan Mahmud took 4 wickets for Bangladesh. As of Day 2, Bangladesh trailed by 73 runs, with the visitors reducing their score to 19 for 2. This match serves as preparation for Bangladesh's first Test series in Australia since 2003. The remaining top order needs to perform better on the final day for confidence. 🏏

🔥 Accident in Patna sparks massive roadside chaos

Violence erupted in Patna, Bihar, after a man succumbed to a road accident near Zero Mile on Friday, August 7. An enraged crowd set three jeeps and a police vehicle on fire at the location. Reports also mentioned stone pelting and the deceased's body being used to block the road. ASP Raj Kishor Singh stated that law and order are being maintained and the situation is under control now. Authorities are identifying those involved, and traffic flow has since been restored. 🚨

⚖️ Delhi HC pauses FSSAI ban on Dabur's '100% Pure' claims

The Delhi High Court stayed the FSSAI order that banned Dabur from using '100% Pure' claims on food products. The order was issued by the FSSAI against Dabur, which is based in Delhi. The ban, effective from August 3, 2026, covers items like honey and cow ghee, impacting products worth over ₹150 crore. Dabur argued the FSSAI acted without proper hearing and the claims were accurate. The matter is set to be heard again on August 24. ⚖️

😥 Meta job fears lead employee to give up on kids

A Meta employee shared on Blind that she decided against having children while working at the tech giant. She revealed this decision followed a serious talk with her husband regarding job insecurity at the company. Meta recently laid off nearly 3,600 employees, and restructuring is ongoing as of August 7, 2026. The employee worried there was zero guarantee of her employment upon returning from maternity leave. This situation sparked online debates about work-life balance and declining birth rates. 😟

🦠 Kerala's mumps surge reveals new virus strain

Kerala is facing a massive mumps outbreak, with cases skyrocketing from 2,324 in 2023 to over 70,000 in 2024. Researchers at ICMR–NIV Kerala Unit found a previously unreported genotype C strain circulating in the state. This discovery raises serious questions about the current vaccine strategy, as the widely used MMR vaccine targets a different strain. The findings strongly suggest including the MMR vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme for better prevention. 🦠