🚧 NHAI faces heat over bad roads on Kerala's busiest highway

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is facing heavy criticism regarding the poor condition of service roads on the 17-km Edappally-Aroor NH 66 bypass. This issue is most severe near the Edappally overbridge-Edappally Junction-Palarivattom stretch, where flyovers have been under construction for over a year. Residents report major traffic chaos due to severely potholed service roads and unscientific vehicle diversions. NHAI sources claim repairs are underway, citing a recent design change that will increase the total flyover length by 180 metres. They assure that efforts are being made to fix damaged service roads and main carriageway potholes.

💥 Political showdown over alleged attack on Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee faced hostile reception in Halisahar while visiting a deceased TMC worker's family. She alleged BJP workers targeted her convoy with stones and bricks, claiming it was a conspiracy. CM Suvendu Adhikari countered this, stating he saw no BJP flags or workers at the scene. He questioned her visit, noting she went without informing the police about her holiday plans. Adhikari also stated that the victim's family was satisfied with the local administration's handling of the case. 🚨

🚨 Police Encounter Amidst Nearby Robbery

Ghaziabad police were actively engaged in an encounter operation at one location. The incident involved police forces in Ghaziabad. This action occurred around the time a thief committed a robbery approximately 400 meters away. The robbery targeted a nearby shop, causing local concern. Authorities are currently investigating both the encounter and the robbery incident. 🚨

✈️ DGCA investigating Baramati runway excursion

A Cessna training aircraft veered off the runway at Baramati airfield earlier today without any injuries. The incident involved the Cessna C172, registered as VT-SEX, operated by Academy of Carver Aviation. This happened around 12:25 pm while conducting a Circuit and Landing Emergencies training exercise. The plane sustained damage to its propeller, engine cowling, and nose landing gear during the event. The DGCA team is now on-site to conduct a preliminary investigation into the circumstances.

🇮🇳 Strong movement needed to guard Constitution

Economist Parakala Prabhakar called for a strong people's movement to protect the Constitution against forces undermining its values. This statement was made in Vijayawada during the launch of the 'We, the People of India' programme. Prabhakar pointed out that lakhs of voters, including minorities, were affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) deletions as of Sunday. He stressed that civil society must defend the nation's economy, politics, and culture. The group adopted resolutions demanding the Preamble be in textbooks and addressing youth concerns. ✊

🌾 Govt promises max compensation for drought-hit farmers

Minister M.B. Patil visited drought-affected areas in Vijayapura district on Sunday, August 9th. He stated that the Karnataka government will try to release the maximum compensation for crop losses suffered by farmers. Currently, only around 17% of land in Vijayapura has been sown, and a Union government drought declaration might happen by the end of August. Last year, 97,000 farmers claimed insurance, while this year the figure jumped to over 2.54 lakh farmers. Officials are preparing a detailed report to guide appropriate governmental decisions moving forward. 🌾

🌾 Farmers face massive loss; SKM calls nationwide protests

Paddy farmers in India could face a huge ₹3.07 lakh crore loss in the 2026-27 marketing season, according to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). This issue involves farmers across India, where the government fixed the MSP at ₹2,441 a quintal against the SKM's demand of ₹3,243. Government agencies are only procuring 10% of the crop, forcing the rest to sell at ₹1,850 a quintal. The SKM insists that farmers need a guaranteed price, not government aid, and is demanding legal MSP guarantees. Consequently, the SKM has announced nationwide protests starting Monday across over 1,000 locations. 🌾

⚽ United's Wharton hunt faces Madrid and Chelsea threats

Manchester United is pursuing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton for their midfield needs. Both Chelsea and Real Madrid have entered negotiations, complicating United's pursuit. Palace is demanding close to 100 million euros for the player. This high price point is a major hurdle for United, especially with other squad needs. The race for Wharton is set to become a tense, multi-club battle. ⚽

🥥 Kozhikode farmer wins award for organic farming

74-year-old K.K. Xaviour received the Kera Kesari Award-2025 for his dedicated organic farming practices. He is a settler farmer from Poozhithode near Chakkittappara, Kerala. His two-acre coconut plantation, established nearly 30 years ago, has been highly profitable. He uses only organic methods, like cow dung, and manages other crops including rubber. His innovative approach has made him a model farmer in the village. 🥥

⚽ Rashford rejects Saudi/Turkey offers, stays at United

Fabrizio Romano reported that Marcus Rashford is likely to remain at Manchester United for next season. This decision involves the 28-year-old, who was on loan at Barcelona after falling out with Ruben Amorim. Despite earning £300,000 per week, Rashford rejected offers from the Turkish Super Lig and Saudi Pro League. Michael Carrick is reportedly pushing for Rashford to stay, as the player is happy to fight for his career in red. He returned to Carrington on Sunday, August 9th, signaling his intention to stay put. ⚽

🌿 Ancient Giants' Defense Still Shapes Today's Plants

The thorns on tropical plants remain as a legacy from massive mammals that are now extinct across the Americas. Researchers studied 2,686 mimosoid species against 368 large browsers, 153 of which were gone thousands of years ago. The strongest model pairing extinct browsers with soil explained about a quarter of the regional differences. This shows current plant communities are influenced by ancient interactions, not just today's environment. The findings suggest the impact of losing megafauna persists in ecosystems for generations. 🌿