✨ Oman is hosting epic stargazing trips 🌠

Oman is featuring its mountains, deserts, and coastlines for celestial experiences this season for travellers. The Sultanate is promoting these spots like Jabal Shams and Wahiba Sands to Indian tourists. Key events include the Perseid meteor shower on August 12–13 and Comet 10P/Tempel 2 in late July/early August. This initiative blends astronomy with adventure, culture, and hospitality across the nation. Visitors can pair stargazing with mountain treks or desert camps for a unique trip.

⚽ Balde trains normally despite transfer rumours

Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde trained with the group squad less than a week before the transfer window closes. He was excluded from the Elche match, and Hansi Flick is expected to discuss his future with him. Despite Manchester United monitoring the situation, Balde wants to stay at Barcelona unless officially told he is being cut. This contrasts with Marc Casado and Hector Fort, who are training separately while facing potential exits. The next conversation with Flick is key to Balde's uncertain status.

🤖 Meta drops AI app for Mac to boost productivity

Meta has launched a standalone generative AI app specifically for Mac computers to help with business productivity. This app utilizes Meta’s Muse Spark model to offer context-specific suggestions based on user activities. Users can benchmark performance and generate business documents using its features. Furthermore, Meta AI can analyze public engagement on Facebook and Instagram to spot market trends. The company plans to expand the app and release a public version for Mac users in the coming weeks.

💨 Top 5 Lung Cancer Risk Factors Globally

Five primary risk factors are significantly contributing to the rise in global lung cancer cases. These factors include smoking, exposure to radon, asbestos, secondhand smoke, and air pollution. Data indicates that these risks are driving a substantial increase in diagnoses across various regions worldwide. Understanding these causes is crucial for preventative health strategies and public awareness campaigns. Health organizations are urging widespread adoption of risk reduction measures immediately. 💨

🚨 Premier League clubs face transfer reality check

The Premier League's opening weekend highlighted significant issues for several top-four hopefuls. Manchester United and Aston Villa, last season's top-four teams, both started with a defeat. Aston Villa faces massive retention challenges after losing key players like Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa. Liverpool urgently needs midfield reinforcement to challenge for the title under Andoni Iraola. Many clubs must make impactful moves before the transfer window closes.

🔥 Pant smashes record, beats Gilchrist in Test sixes

Rishabh Pant set another Test milestone by surpassing Adam Gilchrist on the six-hitting charts. He achieved this during the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday. Pant's tally reached 102 sixes in just 52 matches, surpassing Gilchrist's 100 in 96 Tests. This aggressive knock also made him India's highest run-scorer in away or neutral Tests over MS Dhoni. Furthermore, Pant became India's leading WTC run-scorer with 2,948 runs in 42 WTC matches.

🔋 Xiaomi Poco X8 Power leaks with huge battery and updates

A leak reveals the specifications for the Xiaomi Poco X8 Power 5G, featuring a massive 10,000 mAh battery and IP69K rating. This new model is expected to feature a Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and 100-watt fast charging capabilities. Both the Poco X8 5G and Poco X8 Power 5G are set to receive four major Android updates and six years of security patches. The devices boast a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with 3,500 nits brightness and a 50 MP main camera. Official unveiling for both smartphones is anticipated in early September.

🏛️ Rs 92 crore spent on ministers' Delhi homes renovation

The government spent Rs 92.3 crore on renovating, repairing, and furnishing Union ministers' official homes in Delhi's Lutyens bungalow zone during FY26. This annual spending marked the highest recorded since 2014, surpassing the Rs 27.4 crore spent in 2014-’15. Overall, the government spent Rs 547.6 crore on these renovations between 2014-’15 and 2025-’26. Critics, like the Cockroach Janta Party, questioned this expenditure, suggesting the funds could build 10 new world-class government schools. The Central Public Works Department handles the maintenance of these historic residences. 🏛️

😠 Govt must explain Palathayi bail handling, says Ragesh

CPI(M) secretary K. K. Ragesh claimed the prosecution handled the Palathayi POCSO case with undue laxity after the government change. The Kerala High Court on August 20 suspended life sentence and granted bail to former BJP leader K. Padmarajan. He was convicted by the Fast-Track Special Court, Thalassery, in November 2025 for assaulting a ten-year-old in January-February 2020. Ragesh alleged the appeal was advanced unfairly, suggesting potential collusion benefiting Padmarajan. The survivor's family plans to file a memorandum seeking an appeal against the High Court's order. 😠

🎬 Haiwaan trailer drops digitally on August 25

The highly anticipated thriller Haiwaan is set to release its trailer digitally on August 25. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan and is directed by Priyadarshan. Following the teaser and song launch, the trailer will deepen the narrative conflict between the leads. The movie also features Boman Irani, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and others. The makers are confident this asset will boost buzz before the September 11 release.

🗳️ Indian EVMs are offline, says CEC Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that Indian electronic voting machines (EVMs) lack internet, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi connectivity. This assurance was given during his two-day visit to Colvin Taluqdars’ College in Lucknow. The machines are manufactured by public sector companies, and India has around 100 crore voters. Kumar advised students to verify information sources before sharing them online. He urged young people to actively register and participate in the democratic process. 🗳️