🏏 Oval groundsman put on leave after latest clash

The Oval's head groundsman, Lee Fortis, has reportedly been placed on leave after an altercation with an ECB employee. This incident occurred on July 28, during The Hundred, while the employee was preparing the ground for the MI London and London Spirit match. Fortis previously faced a heated argument with Gautam Gambhir in 2026. The Surrey spokesperson stated that matters involving the Club and its employees are private and confidential. Surrey will need to find a new groundsman quickly for upcoming matches like the Ashes Test. 🏏

🚗 Raksha Bandhan traffic grinds NCR to a halt

Raksha Bandhan travel caused severe traffic delays across Noida and Ghaziabad on Thursday. Thousands of people traveled to their hometowns, putting huge pressure on roads heading towards western Uttar Pradesh. Commuters faced delays of two to three hours, with queues stretching for kilometers on key expressways. Despite a diversion plan, the sudden surge in passenger movement led to heavy congestion across the NCR. The situation is expected to continue as the festive rush persists through the weekend.

⌚ Best fitness bands dropping in 2026

Several top fitness bands are available, ranging from minimalist to full-featured smartwatches. Google Fitbit Air, weighing only 5.2g, tracks basic metrics with a 7-day battery life for $99.99. Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active is super affordable, offering up to 21 days of battery life and a 1.47” display. For longevity focus, Hume Band 2.0 tracks blood pressure trends and lasts up to 14 days. WHOOP 5.0 requires a subscription but provides deep recovery insights for $199 annually. 🏃

🔮 Career advice for Aug 28, 2026: Stay chill

Today's horoscope advises focusing on resilience and disciplined work for professional cycles. Aries should handle pressure with composure, while Gemini is encouraged to reassess their career direction. Libra needs to commit to a pending financial or professional decision instead of delaying. Capricorn is advised to walk away from any work that drains their energy unnecessarily. Scorpio specifically needs diplomacy during any workplace conversation or negotiation.

🇮🇳 Vijay in top 3 PM picks, Rahul Gandhi also listed

Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay is reportedly among the top three choices for India's Prime Minister. This survey by India Today placed him third, alongside PM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Vijay garnered 9.2% of votes, while Modi led with 48.7% and Gandhi followed with 27.1% for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. TVK leaders are actively promoting Vijay as a future national leader. These endorsements suggest growing belief in his potential to lead the entire country. 🇮🇳

⛽ Trump talks to Venezuela over oil stake

The Trump administration is currently in talks with Venezuela's interim government regarding a US ownership stake in its oil reserves. These discussions focus on more than a dozen productive oil fields holding 90 billion barrels of proven reserves. This represents roughly a third of Venezuela's total proven reserves, which amount to 300 billion barrels. In exchange for the US stake, private companies, including American firms, would develop the fields. These developers would then return increased oil revenue back to Venezuela.

🌊 Nepal floods: Death toll hits 469, China warns of more

The death toll from devastating flash floods along Nepal's Tibet border has risen to 469, according to Nepal Police. Massive landslides and flooding struck the mountainous region on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction in northern Nepal and Tibet. China issued a Level-IV emergency alert due to a barrier lake holding about two million cubic metres of water by Thursday morning. Forecasts show inflows could reach three million cubic metres over the next three days amid heavy rain. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and deploying advanced tech to assess risk. 🌊

📢 Gen Z debunks political attacks on fact-checking sites

A Gen Z social media user named Samantha refuted claims made by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party regarding the 'Jhooth Ki Goonj' website. She asserted the site is fact-based and not politically motivated, countering Randeep Surjewala's allegations. Samantha also criticized the practice of wearing hijab and niqab in professional management settings, citing her MBA experience at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Moreover, she dismissed the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) as a fabricated movement. This critique contrasted the CJP with the organic Jharkhand Movement focusing on exam reforms.

🧠 Parkinson's disease hits Europe with €22.8 billion cost

The societal cost of Parkinson's disease across Europe reached €22.8 billion in 2019, equivalent to €28.8 billion in 2025 prices. Approximately 2.2 million adults were affected across 47 European countries at that time. The disease prevalence has nearly doubled in Europe since 1990, rising from 135 to 247 per 100,000. Direct medical costs made up 76% of the total burden, while informal care was around 19%. This research highlights the growing strain on European health and social care systems. 😟

👩 AAWI reserves president post for women lawyers

The Advocates' Association of Western India has passed a resolution reserving the president post for women in rotation. This major decision was made by AAWI in Mumbai on August 21 during a special general body meeting. The reservation means a woman will lead the association once every three elections, making AAWI the first bar body to do so. This move comes following a Supreme Court mandate for 30% reservation for women in Bar associations. The association also introduced new quotas for female members in its executive council.

🔪 Gym trainer arrested after stabbing Delhi model

A gym trainer named Imran was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 21-year-old Delhi model to death in her home. The incident took place in Tilak Nagar, Delhi, on Wednesday evening. Imran was shot in both legs during a police encounter in Rajouri Garden on Thursday night. Police stated the attack happened because he was enraged over her talking to another person. He has been hospitalised with gunshot injuries following his arrest. 🔪