🗺️ LiDAR scan to uncover Lakkundi's lost relics 🗺️

The Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage is starting a LiDAR survey to find hidden monuments in Lakkundi. This project involves the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Gadag district, where Lakkundi was a major city from the 10th to 12th centuries CE. The survey will run for six months, utilizing technologies like GPR and drone documentation. Authorities aim to pinpoint concealed structures, making future excavations much more focused. This initiative also supports Lakkundi's bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.

📡 TP-Link drops first Wi-Fi 8 routers

TP-Link unveiled its first Wi-Fi 8 products, the Archer 8 Ultra and Deco 8 Ultra, at IFA 2026. This launch happened in Berlin, showcasing new networking hardware. The Archer 8 Ultra hits 19Gbps wireless, while the Deco 8 Ultra covers 9,800 sq ft. The company is prioritizing reliability over raw speed before the standard is finalized in May 2028. Preorders for the Archer 8 Ultra start September 30, with the Deco 8 Ultra launching in Q1 2027.

💧 Karnataka pushes Centre for water project approvals

Karnataka has strongly urged the Central government to grant immediate clearance for several pending water projects. This demand was made by a delegation led by Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy at the Union Jal Shakti Ministry's summit in Delhi. The requests cover the Mekedatu reservoir DPR and approvals for Kalasa-Banduri and Upper Bhadra projects. These projects are vital for Bengaluru's water security and regulated releases to Tamil Nadu. The state also seeks release of ₹5,300 crore for the Upper Krishna Project.

🏛️ Karnataka CM vows to counter BJP's rally

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar dismissed the BJP's 'Ballari Chalo' padayatra as a mere political ploy. He stated that Congress will counter the BJP's efforts in their own style. The BJP's yatra began on Tuesday, initially focused on B. Nagendra's resignation. Shivakumar pointed out Congress has experience in yatras for state and national interests. This move is seen as a bid by BJP to regain hold in Ballari and woo Valmiki voters. ✊

🚨 Punjab cop and sister attacked in Gurdaspur

A Punjab Police constable and his sister were allegedly assaulted by three to four unidentified youths in Babbehali, Gurdaspur. Constable Karanpreet Singh claimed the attack stemmed from his reporting drug peddlers in his village. The incident occurred while Karanpreet Singh and his sister Baljinder Kaur were traveling on a motorcycle on the date reported. Police are investigating to identify the attackers and assure strict action will be taken against them. BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu criticized the AAP government's law and order situation following the event. 🚨

🤖 OpenClaw 2.0 drops with easier setup and team features 🤖

OpenClaw 2.0 has been released, a major update for the open-source personal AI agent, changing its installation and collaboration features. This version, 2026.8.1, includes contributions from 933 developers across over 16,000 pull requests. A key feature is the simplified setup, which detects existing resources like ChatGPT subscriptions and local models. The browser app is now the main interface, and it introduces shared cloud sessions for team workflows. This release follows a long development pause and signifies a major architectural overhaul for the project.

😔 South India's voice feels muted in national politics

The voice of the southern region feels increasingly suppressed within national politics and policy discussions in India. While past leaders like C. Rajagopalachari had presence, national power has been dominated by northern and western leaders. Despite past regional leaders, the BJP lacks stature from the south, and the Congress's dominance is linked to the Nehru-Gandhi family. At the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting, the delimitation issue lacked a united front among southern Chief Ministers. Key demands were overshadowed by financial and water disputes, showing varied state dependencies on Delhi. 😥

💧 Water dispute meeting stalls over barrage height

An inter-State meeting concerning the Tummidihatti barrage construction concluded without any decision. The meeting took place in New Delhi between officials from Telangana and Maharashtra, chaired by the CW Chairman. Telangana presented a report suggesting an increase in the barrage height from 148 meters to 152 meters. This proposal was made despite the 2016 agreement between the two states. The parties have decided to reconvene in three weeks to discuss the matter further. 💧

⛏️ Minecraft 26.3 Pre-Release 1 is live for testing

Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 Pre-Release 1 is officially out to players for early access. Mojang released this version, shifting focus to bug fixing and final polish before the full Wilderness Drop. This update features a massive overhaul of the Number Provider system, splitting integer and float calculations. Various bugs have been fixed, including issues with Drowned attacks and Enderman teleportation. Players can now download it to check out all the new features before the official release in the coming weeks.

🔬 DARPA funds wireless yeast DNA printer project

DARPA is funding a project to create a wireless DNA printer that synthesizes DNA or RNA without any chemical input. Max Wilson's team at UC Santa Barbara is leading this initiative, receiving $1.7 million over the first nine months. The goal is to develop a nucleic acid compiler, or NAC, inside a living cell. This could drastically speed up research from months to mere hours for therapeutics and environmental cleanups. The yeast strain is being engineered to allow instruction beaming for on-site protein production. 🧬

😮 £1 car boot find is a 600-year-old Ming jade dog

A Chinese jade dog, bought for just £1 at a UK car boot sale, has been identified as a 600-year-old Ming dynasty treasure. The 8.5cm carved animal, made of mottled black and green jade, was spotted just two months ago in Etwall, Derbyshire. Experts believe the piece dates between around 1380 and 1420, potentially fetching up to £10,000 at auction. This discovery highlights the unexpected valuables sometimes found at local sales across the UK. The jade dog is now scheduled to go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers on Wednesday. 😮