🎬 Toxic gets 'A' certificate after minor changes

Yash's action thriller, Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-ups, has received its 'A' certificate from the CBFC with no major cuts. The Kannada-English film was cleared last week ahead of its August 26 release, boasting a runtime of 3 hours and 12 minutes. The board only mandated two minor replacements of phrases in the Kannada and English versions. The film will also carry mandatory anti-smoking and anti-drinking warnings for all viewers. This rating restricts the movie's theatrical viewing strictly to adult audiences.

🏸 Treesa-Gayatri secure medal shot at BWF Champs

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a maiden medal at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi by defeating the Chinese pair. They played against China's Zhang Shuxian and Jia Yifan at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Friday. The unseeded duo won with scores of 16-21, 21-15, 21-13, marking their third big scalp. This makes them the first Indian women's pair to reach the Worlds semifinals since 2011. This medal is India's only one this edition after Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost.

🤖 Apple Music to label AI-generated songs by 2026

Apple Music is implementing a new policy to clearly label songs created using artificial intelligence. This change will affect all artists and tracks hosted on the platform globally. The implementation is scheduled to take effect starting from the end of 2026. This move aims to provide transparency to listeners regarding the origin of the music they stream. Users will be able to distinguish between human and AI-assisted creations moving forward. 🎶

🏰 Zuckerberg scores a massive Irish castle 🏰

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan acquired Strancally Castle, a Gothic-style estate, recently. This historic property is located in County Waterford, Ireland, on a 440-acre estate. The estimated value of the 16,000-square-foot castle ranges between $23 million and $35 million. Zuckerberg's spokesman stated the family plans to use the home when visiting Ireland, where Meta has international headquarters. The couple is expected to keep their primary residence in the US while enjoying this new getaway spot.

🕵️ Narco-terror suspect nabbed after 4-year hunt

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) arrested 35-year-old Manoj Kumar Bhat alias Pintu for his alleged role in a cross-border narco-terror financing network. Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit from Jammu, was on the agency's radar since 2022 following a heroin recovery investigation in Sopore. He evaded capture for nearly four years by constantly changing locations and keeping his phones off. The breakthrough happened when Pintu accidentally switched on a phone, allowing the SIA to track him down. A subsequent raid led to the seizure of 15 grams of heroin from his residence.

💔 Woman Kidnapped, Raped, and Murdered in Karnataka

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly kidnapped, raped, and murdered after stepping out near her home in Karnataka. The incident occurred in Hokrani village in Raichur district around 7 pm on August 19. Her body was later discovered in a well in an agricultural area on the morning of August 20. The FIR names four local residents as the accused in this horrific crime. Police have detained the suspects, and one has reportedly confessed to the offense. 💔

🔭 Betelgeuse found a cosmic buddy star ✨

Astronomers have found strong evidence for a companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, the brightest star in Orion. This discovery was made using the SPHERE instrument on the ESO’s VLT in Chile. Data collected in December 2024 and January 2019 confirmed the 'Betelbuddy' with a confidence of 6σ. This companion may explain the periodic brightness changes of the red supergiant star over decades. Further observations next year are required to confirm the gravitational bond and study the system's evolution. 🔭

🧊 Iceberg Melt Threatens Global Climate System

The melting of icebergs is significantly weakening the entire ocean system that helps regulate the Earth's global climate. This critical process involves large-scale changes happening across various ocean currents worldwide. Data shows an accelerating trend in melt rates over the past few years, impacting thermal regulation. Scientists are concerned about the long-term consequences for marine ecosystems and weather patterns. Further research is needed to fully understand the feedback loops within this delicate system. 🧊

😟 Ration Shop Tech Glitches Halt Distribution in Thanjavur

Employees of 91 fair price shops in Thanjavur taluk have been unable to distribute rations for the last 15 days. Around 80 employees, joined by union leaders, approached the Taluk Supply Officer on August 21. They reported that the POS machines were malfunctioning due to server problems. Officials confirmed they were aware of the distribution issues caused by server problems in recent days. Necessary steps have been initiated by the authorities to resolve the ongoing technical difficulties. 😟

🎭 Play about Emergency torture sparks debate in Kerala

The play MISA, depicting Snehalatha Reddy’s ordeal during the Emergency, caused a big social media storm after staging in Thrissur, Keralam. Critics slammed the production for obscenity due to intense scenes and costumes. However, cast and DYFI leaders defended it as portraying "state terror and political repression." Snehalatha Reddy was arrested on May 2, 1976, and died just five days after release on January 15, 1977. The play is scheduled to be staged again on August 22 at the DYFI State Conference venue. 🎭

🔬 Antidepressants linked to longer survival in cancer patients

A retrospective study found that antidepressant use was associated with longer overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving targeted therapy. The research involved 328 mRCC patients treated between January 2015 and January 2025. Patients using antidepressants showed a median OS of 51.2 months versus 33.0 months for non-users. This association remained significant even after adjusting for treatment selection bias. Further research is necessary as these findings are only hypothesis-generating.