🧐 Law Grad Assailant Had Pune Roots

The person accused of attacking SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was a law graduate with ties to Pune. The assailant, Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal, lived in Pune's Camp area before moving to Nanded two years ago. He had previously practiced law, ran a small newspaper, and operated a snacks centre for about three years. Singh moved to Nanded in 2024 to perform 'seva' at Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara. Police are currently investigating his movements between Pune and the attack to find the motive. 🧐

🐅 Vellore Collector checks out Amirthi Zoo upgrades

The Vellore Collector, P.S. Leela Alex, inspected Amirthi Zoological Park on Thursday to improve its basic amenities. She visited the zoo, located near Vellore Corporation, accompanied by officials like DFO T.K. Ashok Kumar. The zoo spans 25 hectares with 17 enclosures, and it has been a mini-zoo since 1967. Officials mentioned needing more washrooms due to rising visitor footfalls, averaging 350-400 daily. Ms. Alex advised acquiring more forest land to attract carnivores for educational purposes. 🐅

🚭 Bus conductor suspended for smoking on duty

A TNSTC bus conductor was suspended in Tirupattur after being caught smoking inside a bus. S. Jaya Prakash, who is 51 and a native of Tirupattur, was the conductor involved in the incident. This incident occurred a few days ago, and a commuter recorded a video of him smoking on the route to Krishnagiri. The video quickly went viral on social media, leading to public outcry against the action. Further probe into the matter is currently underway by transport officials. 🚭

🚌 College students block road over campus issues

Students from the Government Arts and Science College staged a road blockade on Thursday near Sholinghur town. They demanded better civic amenities and more frequent bus services for their campus. The college serves over 15 surrounding villages within a 30 km radius. Students also pointed out poor campus facilities, including lack of drinking water and washrooms. Officials assured the agitated students that District Collector Priya Ravichandran would be informed about their concerns.

⛰️ Tunnel tragedy in Uttarakhand: workers trapped by landslide

Seven workers died and one remains missing after water and debris entered an under-construction THDC tunnel in Chamoli district on Thursday evening. Fourteen workers were rescued and hospitalized in Gopeshwar following the incident at the 2km-long Tail Race Tunnel. The tragedy occurred when a cavity formed around 1.4km inside the tunnel, trapping 22 workers during the 2pm to 10pm shift. This cavity was likely caused by a landslide above the tunnel alignment. Search operations are ongoing late Thursday night to locate the unaccounted for worker. 🚧

⛰️ Tunnel collapse claims six lives in Uttarakhand

Six workers have died and two remain missing after water and debris flooded an under-construction THDC tunnel on Thursday evening. The incident occurred at the 2km-long Tail Race Tunnel in the Pipalkoti area of Chamoli district. Of the 22 workers trapped inside, 14 were rescued, while the search for the two missing continued. The cavity, formed around 1.4km inside, is suspected to be due to an overhead landslide. Rescue operations involving multiple agencies are currently underway. 😔

📚 Modern Indian History Scholar Sumit Sarkar Passes Away

Eminent Marxist historian Sumit Sarkar passed away at a private hospital in New Delhi on Thursday, August 13, 2026. He was 87 years old and had taught History at the University of Delhi for many years. His notable works include 'Swadeshi Movement in Bengal, 1903-1908' and 'Modern India'. He was recognized as a doyen of historians by his peers and students. His passing marks a significant loss for the field of historical studies.

📝 Officer skips district duty citing lack of time

Zameer Ahmed has formally written to CM Shivakumar to decline his assigned duty in Vijayanagar district. The officer, who was slated for the posting, cited a lack of available time as the primary reason for his request. This decision impacts the planned administrative deployment scheduled for the coming weeks. The request follows recent administrative reshuffles within the district administration. Further instructions regarding his role will likely be provided by the Chief Minister's office soon.

📱 Maanasa Choudhary unveils new REDMI Note 17 5G

Actress Cherukuri Maanasa Choudhary launched the new REDMI Note 17 5G series at a grand event. The launch took place at Cellbay’s Gachibowli store in Hyderabad, organized by Xiaomi India with Cellbay. The REDMI Note 17 series features two variants and boasts an 8000mAh battery, which is REDMI's largest ever. It also includes a premium TrueColour AMOLED display and 5G connectivity. Exclusive launch offers were announced specifically for customers located in Telangana.

🏗️ New infra opens at Ranipet's SIPCOT complex

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay virtually inaugurated new infrastructure facilities at the SIPCOT complex in Ranipet on Thursday. Collector Priya Ravichandran and officials visited the complex in Panapakkam village. The facilities cost ₹95.05 crore and include two plug and play buildings worth ₹51.80 crore. This move offers customized infrastructure instead of just land for non-leather companies. Higher bidders will get space in these buildings in the coming weeks.

⚖️ CJI warns against misusing live court streams online 📢

The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, flagged concerns about the misuse of live-streamed court proceedings on social media. This happened on Thursday, August 13, 2026, while he was at the Supreme Court in New Delhi. He noted that his oral remarks were sometimes misquoted and used with malicious intent, like the 'cockroaches' comment from May 15, 2026. The CJI urged media to be responsible while reporting judicial events to maintain societal harmony. Furthermore, he stressed that transparency should not lead to the commercial exploitation of these streams.