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A short video published by Dinamalar has spotlighted Tamil Nadu athletes Thiya Arumugam and Kalpana in connection with the World Athletics U20 Championship. The clip, presented in Dinamalar’s “Shorts/Reels” format, briefly references the two athletes as part of its coverage of the event. No further details about their events, results, or schedules were provided in the available source content.
Actor Anjali has conveyed a warm wish for actor Vishal, saying he should “definitely win,” according to a short video shared by Dinamalar. The clip, presented in the outlet’s Shorts/Reels format, features Anjali’s affectionate message aimed at encouraging Vishal. No additional details about the context of the wish or the event it relates to were provided in the available source content. The video was published on Dinamalar’s website under its Shorts section.
Security arrangements have been intensified in Tiruvannamalai following reports of a visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Officials have placed the district on high alert, with heightened vigilance in key areas as part of precautionary measures. The development was reported in a short video update published by Dinamalar. Further details on the schedule and specific security measures were not provided in the source.
A heated exchange broke out in the Tamil Nadu Assembly during a special attention discussion on Cauvery water issues and the proposed Mekedatu dam. Opposition leader Udhayanidhi urged the government to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery–Mekedatu dispute. He said Kuruvai cultivation in delta districts had fallen from about 6 lakh acres last year to around 1.50 lakh acres this year, and demanded relief for farmers affected by the setback.
Chennai: Chief Minister Vijay told the Tamil Nadu Assembly that he had explored the idea of travelling to Bengaluru to hold talks on the Cauvery dispute, saying dialogue was worth attempting even if it invited personal embarrassment. The remarks came during a debate in which Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi criticised the state government for not convening an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue, and questioned the mixed messages around a possible Karnataka visit. He also raised concerns about the government’s promise of full farm loan waiver, protests by farmers seeking relief, and the reduced kuruvai cultivation area in the delta.
New Delhi: The Union government has released an official mapping update identifying 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh through the Survey of India. The step comes amid China’s continued practice of referring to Arunachal Pradesh as “Zangnan” in its maps and issuing lists that assign new names to places in the Indian state. In response, India has formally recorded key sites and geographical features with their official Indian names in its authorised maps.
The US Senate has passed a new bill that could pave the way for import tariffs of up to 100% on goods coming from five countries, including India and China, which are among the largest buyers of Russian crude oil. The measure cleared the Senate with an 86–11 vote. For the proposal to become law, it must be approved by the US House of Representatives and signed by the President. The bill is expected to be sent to the House for consideration when it reconvenes on August 31.
Tehran has warned that a newly signed joint security agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey will not guarantee Saudi Arabia’s security, according to Iranian officials. The pact was signed amid rising tensions in West Asia. Under its terms, an attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on the other two. The agreement was signed during a meeting at the Al Saba Palace in Mecca by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It has been named the “Mecca Joint Security Agreement” and has drawn international attention.
Chennai: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department has issued fresh restrictions stating that no permission should be granted for photography or video recording inside temple premises during visits by film personalities and other VIPs. HR&CE Commissioner Vinay, in a circular, directed that the practice be implemented immediately across all temples. If a celebrity or prominent person is expected to visit, temple officials must inform the Commissioner’s office at least a day in advance—or as soon as the visit becomes known—sharing details such as the temple, time of arrival and the number of accompanying persons.
Chennai’s jewellery gold prices continued to rise on Friday (August 8). The 22-carat rate increased by Rs 65 per gram to Rs 13,965, pushing the price of a sovereign up by Rs 520 to Rs 1,11,720. Traders attributed the movement to fluctuations in the international market, which have been influencing domestic jewellery gold rates. On the previous day’s morning trade, prices were expected to change but remained steady at Rs 1,10,000 per sovereign and Rs 13,750 per gram. However, during evening trade, gold jumped sharply—up Rs 150 per gram and Rs 1,200 per sovereign—closing at Rs 1,11,200 per sovereign and Rs 13,900 per gram.
New Delhi: A private member’s bill proposing restrictions on children under 13 using social media and gaming platforms is set to be introduced during Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The move comes amid growing global concern that social media can cause psychological harm to children, prompting several countries to introduce age-based controls. Similar discussions have been underway in India for the past few months. The bill has been proposed by BJP MP Baijayant Panda. It was among two private member’s bills scheduled to be introduced in Parliament, but the items were deferred and the proposal was not taken up for discussion.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday advised young people not to be intimidated by major challenges and to stay courageous in searching for solutions. Speaking at the convocation ceremony at IIT Delhi, Modi presented degrees to graduating students. He described the day as the start of a new journey for talented youth and said it was a matter of pride to see students stepping forward with dreams of contributing to the nation.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi recently invited students and young people to send him questions on Instagram, saying he would try to answer as many as possible. During the interaction, he was asked about a politician in the BJP whom he likes. Rahul responded by naming former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, a remark that triggered fresh discussion in Punjab’s political circles.
Chennai: Minister Rajmohan on Friday questioned the DMK’s position on the constituency delimitation issue, asking why the party was “hiding” from the debate. He also posed a pointed question: if Tamil Nadu’s number of constituencies were reduced, would the DMK accept it? Speaking to reporters, Rajmohan said his side has opposed the delimitation exercise from the beginning, describing it as a “state issue” linked to state rights. He claimed that refusing to participate in discussions on such a matter reflects a lack of concern.
Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Saravana Perumal, serving in Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district, was arrested on Friday by the district Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000. According to the complaint, the RDO is responsible for issuing official permissions for activities such as removing “savudu” soil. A petitioner who approached the office for such permission was allegedly asked to pay Rs 50,000. Unwilling to pay, the petitioner lodged a complaint with the Ramanathapuram ACB. Acting on the bureau’s instructions, the complainant handed over chemically treated currency to the official on Friday morning.
Concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) will trigger widespread job losses have persisted for years. However, a recent study suggests the fear may be overstated, pointing to a net gain in employment linked to AI adoption in India. Nomura Holdings Inc, a Tokyo-headquartered global financial services and investment banking firm, analysed trends across Asia from 2022 to August 2026. In its report, the firm said India recorded 31,921 layoffs during this period that were attributed to the impact of AI.
Chennai: V The Leaders president Annamalai has called on the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that policemen educated in Tamil medium receive the PSTM (Persons Studied in Tamil Medium) priority in Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment conducted by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB). In a statement, he recalled that the state enacted a 2010 law providing 20% priority in government jobs for candidates who studied in Tamil medium. He said this benefit is available even to government employees applying through TNPSC for higher posts such as Group-I.
An all-party consultation of Members of Parliament on constituency delimitation was held in Chennai on Friday, chaired by Chief Minister Vijay. The meeting was convened amid strong opposition in Tamil Nadu to the Union government’s proposed delimitation exercise. The DMK stayed away, saying it would participate only if the state agreed to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue. The AIADMK also decided not to attend. The meeting took place at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chepauk. A total of 19 Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs from the Chief Minister’s alliance parties—including the Congress, VCK, Left parties, Muslim League and MDMK—took part.
Tamil Nadu’s higher education administration has been under strain as 17 of the state’s 24 government universities have been functioning without vice-chancellors for the past three years, according to the article. In the absence of VCs, a three-member committee has been handling key responsibilities, with members based in different locations. The piece notes that the Higher Education Secretary has had to step in for several statutory functions—attending governing and finance committee meetings of 17 universities and signing approvals on hundreds of files. This, it argues, has led to delays across the system, from appointments and promotions to routine academic processes such as signing degree certificates.
Unanimous call in the House Tamil Nadu’s Legislative Assembly witnessed a unified demand from opposition parties to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery dispute, amid concerns over water sharing and Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam. Opposition flags Mekedatu, drought relief Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi asked what steps the state had taken to stop Karnataka’s efforts to build the Mekedatu dam. He also sought that delta districts be declared drought-hit and that relief be provided, citing crop losses due to inadequate water.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker Prabhakar on Thursday announced that a privilege committee inquiry will be initiated against Vilathikulam DMK MLA Markandeyan over remarks made about Chief Minister Vijay outside the House. During the Assembly debate, Markandeyan criticised the budget and alleged that the government had adopted DMK schemes, adding that it was more of a “name-changing government” than a “government of change”. Following this, Minister Nirmal Kumar said the MLA had spoken in a defamatory manner about the Assembly and the Chief Minister and sought action.
New Delhi: The NEET undergraduate question paper leak was allegedly carried out by experts engaged by the exam body itself, according to a CBI chargesheet filed in a special fast-track court that handles paper leaks and public exam fraud. The National Testing Agency (NTA), headquartered in Delhi, conducted the NEET-UG exam on May 3, with around 23 lakh candidates appearing. After complaints that the paper had leaked before the test, the May 3 exam was cancelled and a re-test was held on June 21.
Sources say the TVK leadership has conveyed to a group of AIADMK dissidents—led by former ministers—that they should build a stronger bloc of MLAs and function as a separate team in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The dissident MLAs had backed TVK during a confidence vote after the party assumed office, but they have not reconciled with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS). Former ministers including S.P. Velumani, Shanmugam, Viswanathan and Anbazhagan are said to be continuing as a separate faction.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued fresh guidelines on how banks and lending institutions must conduct loan recovery, stressing that borrowers should not be harassed or threatened. The norms will apply to banks as well as other loan-providing entities and their recovery agents, and will come into force from January 1. Under the new framework, lenders and recovery agents may contact borrowers only between 8 am and 7 pm. Contact outside these hours is permitted only with prior consent or if the borrower has specifically requested it. The RBI has also asked lenders to avoid contacting borrowers during sensitive situations such as medical emergencies, weddings and bereavements.
A protest was held in front of the Theni Collectorate demanding that no steps be taken to evict residents of hill villages in the Meghamalai region. The demonstration was organised by the Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association, which urged the State government to file a review petition against a Supreme Court order. Speakers said the verdict directs the eviction of around 5,000 families from the hills by August 28, and reportedly mentions the use of paramilitary forces if the State does not cooperate. They argued that the decision was unfair and linked it to the alleged failure of the district administration and departments concerned to implement provisions under the Forest Rights Act.
A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) was arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) wing in Tiruchy district for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 to process a patta name change. The accused, Nandakumar (42), was serving as the VAO of Rasampalayam, near Mannachanallur. According to officials, Manivel (24) of Rasampalayam had applied online to transfer the patta for land that was in his grandfather’s name. When Manivel met the VAO regarding the application, the officer allegedly demanded Rs 2,000 to complete the process. Unwilling to pay, Manivel lodged a complaint with the Tiruchy DVAC DSP, Manikandan.
Europe is facing an intense heatwave, with temperatures in several countries crossing 40°C and triggering widespread disruption to daily life and key services. Authorities say the extreme conditions are affecting public health, electricity generation, transport networks and the tourism sector across the region. In Italy, all 27 major cities monitored by the national heat surveillance system were placed under a red alert at the same time for the first time this year. In Rome, the city has set up an urban beach and installed mist fans to help residents cope.
Tehran: Israeli media outlets have reported that Iran’s ruler, cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, is in a critical condition and has been taken to hospital. According to the reports, Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as Iran’s ruler after Ayatollah Khamenei was said to have been killed during attacks by the US and Israel. Since then, his absence from public view has fuelled speculation about his health. While statements and messages attributed to him have been read out on Iran’s national television, the lack of public appearances has continued to raise questions. Recently, Russia’s ambassador to Iran, Alexey Dedov, said Mojtaba Khamenei was in Iran and was avoiding public events for certain reasons.
New Delhi: The Payments Council of India (PCI) has clarified that UPI transactions will continue to be free for consumers, amid confusion following the passage of a new Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Tax and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced and passed, and it empowers the Central government to decide on exemptions related to charges collected from merchants for electronic payment methods. References in the Bill to merchant-related charges triggered speculation on social media.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has signed two new executive orders aimed at curbing so-called “birth tourism” — travel to the United States with the intention of giving birth so the child can obtain US citizenship. Under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, most people born in the country have traditionally received citizenship automatically. The practice has been cited by critics as being exploited by some visitors who enter on tourist visas and deliver babies in the US.
