🏏 Root equals Tendulkar's Test fifty record

Joe Root achieved a massive milestone by equalizing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most half-centuries in Test cricket. This happened during England's first Test against Pakistan at Headingley. Root scored his 68th fifty on the second day, bringing his tally to 68 as of Thursday. This achievement highlights his remarkable consistency in the longest format of cricket. He now has a chance to take the top spot in his next innings. 🏏

🏡 BDA Bill adopted to slash regularization fees

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly adopted the BDA (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to reduce regularization charges for unauthorized houses. This move targets 1,11,560 unauthorized houses located within BDA layouts across the region. The Bill slashes the charges by 50% for providing property documents to these owners. This addresses the uncertainty faced by residents who lacked proper documents since the land belonged to BDA. The legislation also enhances the Commissioner’s power to sanction funds up to ₹5 crore for urgent maintenance work.

🌋 Borderlands 4: Tediore lore drops in Story Pack 2

Borderlands 4 Story Pack 2 introduces the weapon manufacturer Tediore on the volcanic island of Providence. Players will team up with Vault Hunter FL4K to rescue Mr Chew on this neon-infused island. The expansion drops on September 10, 2026, with specific numerical details about the narrative elements. This storyline deepens Tediore's lore, revealing their ships are servers and focusing on nature vs. machine. Players must hunt five generals to reach Lieutenant Harmony and stop the AI extraction.

🐦 Singapore culls 'pest' birds, but populations keep booming 🐦

Authorities in Singapore are conducting culls on birds deemed pests, such as pigeons and crows, at places like Sungei Tengah Lodge. These actions target species like the common pigeon and house crows within the metropolis. Since resuming crow shooting in March, 500 crows have reportedly been shot, despite an estimated population over 160,000. Ecologists argue that rapid urbanization provides ideal conditions for these birds to thrive despite the culling efforts. Conservationists suggest that culling might not solve the issue and could even lead to population increases.

💜 Vanessa Bryant on facing unimaginable grief

Vanessa Bryant shared in a PEOPLE interview about her immense grief following the loss of Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna. She stated that lying in bed crying would not change the reality of her family being forever changed. This tragic event happened in a helicopter accident, over six and a half years ago. Kobe and Gigi continue to motivate her to keep going and be better every day. Now, she focuses on their legacy and being a strong single parent for her daughters. 😔

♿ Airline kicked wheelchair user, then apologized

Disability advocate Shane Hryhorec was removed from a Virgin Australia flight because staff incorrectly assessed his portable wheelchair motor. This incident occurred when he flew from Melbourne to Adelaide on a Virgin Australia flight. The removal happened despite Hryhorec explaining the Batec power add-on could be separated. Virgin Australia later admitted their ground and cabin staff made an error in assessing the equipment. The airline is now offering a full refund and reviewing staff training protocols. 😔

🚨 Nearly 3 Lakh URLs Flagged for Takedown

Around 2.98 lakh URLs were sent for takedown between March and July 2026 by government departments. States were responsible for 82% of these requests, totaling 2.44 lakh. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) flagged 51,000 URLs concerning scams. This action follows the amendment of IT Intermediaries Rules 2021 to a three-hour takedown window. Moving forward, I4C continues to flag transnational financial frauds and CSAM.

🧐 Yes Bank loan deal faces EOW probe

A fresh complaint has been filed with the Mumbai Police's EOW regarding Yes Bank's assignment of a Rs 600-crore PPIPL loan to Suraksha ARC. Suspended PPIPL director Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan lodged the complaint questioning the loan's valuation and transfer process. The loan, allegedly secured by assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore, was assigned for about Rs 155.3 crore around August 20, 2026. The complaint also flags fund movements and an increase in Suraksha ARC’s voting share. The EOW is asked to investigate if the transactions followed transparent procedures. 🧐

📉 Global bond sell-off spikes long-term yields 📈

A global sell-off in government bonds pushed long-term yields to multi-year highs across markets. In the US, the 30-year Treasury yield surpassed 5.3% on this week's turmoil. This surge is driven by worries over persistent inflation and rising government debt levels globally. For instance, US debt reached $40 trillion this week, increasing risk perception. However, the US Treasury announced it will double debt buybacks from $2 billion to at least $4 billion through November.

🎮 Modern Warfare 4 beta drops with new features

The upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta will feature a campaign mission and support for the Nintendo Switch 2. This early access phase runs from August 21 to August 25 for pre-order customers across multiple platforms. The open beta follows from August 28 to September 1, introducing more maps and the Switch 2 support. A new PC feature allows shaders to compile in the background to reduce load times. The full game is slated for release on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2.

🦇 Did you know about Batman's early days?

Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 back in May 1939. Cartoonist Bob Kane received sole credit, but his collaborator was Bill Finger in the early days. The character's iconic elements came from Finger's input, despite his lack of credit initially. Warner Bros. and DC finally corrected the credits to include Bill Finger starting from Gotham (Fox). This recognition came after a 2014 documentary and a 2015 family campaign.