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26/08/2026

Police and Drug Administration officials have stepped up surveillance of gyms and fitness centres across Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district following reports that Mephentermine, a prescription cardiac stimulant, is being illegally used by young fitness enthusiasts to improve endurance during intensive workouts.
Health officials warned that misuse of the injectable drug could cause serious cardiovascular complications and, in extreme cases, prove fatal.

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26/08/2026

India U20 men's team head coach Mahesh Gawali has named his 23-player squad for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers, which will be played in Tashkent from August 31 to September 6. From the previously announced 30-player squad ahead of the Singapore friendlies, eight players were released for either technical or injury-related considerations, including Shuhaid Koya Thangal PS, Arshvir Singh, Ashik Adhikari, Dallalmuon Gangte, Levis Zangminlun, Agastya Bhat, Nirupam Gowda H. and Yohaan Benjamin. Meanwhile, Daniyal Makakmayum has joined the squad. More than a hundred players were assessed since the trials began in Bengaluru in June, before the final 23 were selected. Gawali's side played four friendly matches earlier this month, defeating Singapore twice (3-0 and 1-0), drawing 0-0 with Yemen, and securing a 1-0 victory in the second match against the West Asians. The Blue Colts will arrive in Tashkent on Thursday afternoon.

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26/08/2026

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday highlighted India's emergence as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with nearly 250,000 startups established over the last decade, at the India–Japan Startup Roundtable here, according to an official statement. The roundtable brought together senior government representatives, investors, industry leaders, and startups from both countries, reaffirming the shared commitment of India and Japan to deepen cooperation in startups, deep technology, innovation and MSMEs. Discussions focused on strengthening technology partnerships, promoting investment and fostering the next phase of innovation-led economic collaboration between the two countries.

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26/08/2026

India accounted for more than 70 per cent of office leasing across 11 major Asia-Pacific markets in the first half of 2026, anchoring regional demand amid robust uptake of Grade A office space, according to a report released on Monday.
A report by property consultancy Colliers said that the eleven key APAC office markets recorded leasing of 4.6 million sq m (49.5 million sq ft) in H1 2026, an increase of 3 per cent year-on-year.

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25/08/2026

Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management has said that 12 wildfires remain active in three departments amid El Nino conditions.
The agency on Monday (local time) said that 84 fires had been extinguished over the past seven days. The active fires are concentrated in the departments of Tolima, which has 10, and Caldas and Huila, with one each.
Santiago Herrera, mayor of Coello, one of the hardest-hit municipalities in Tolima, called for immediate support from the national government to help fight the fires from the air.

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24/08/2026

Actor Vijay Sethupathi, who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, is set to return as the host for the upcoming 10th season of the reality show ‘Bigg Boss Tamil’. The milestone season is set to premiere on September 6.
The makers of the show had earlier unveiled a new promo of the show title ‘Carnivizha’ featuring Vijay Sethupathi. The promo sets the tone for a celebratory new chapter of ‘Bigg Boss Tamil’.
Taking the campaign forward, the makers have now released ‘Ottikichu’, a special music video featuring Vijay Sethupathi that reveals the much-awaited launch date and builds anticipation for the return of the reality phenomenon.

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24/08/2026

Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, and Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary at New Zealand's Ministry of Defence, co-chaired the 2nd India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington, where they discussed advancing maritime security and joint training.
“Joint Secretary Shri Amitabh Prasad and Deputy Secretary, New Zealand Ministry of Defence, Mr Richard Schmidt co-chaired the 2nd India NZ Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington, New Zealand on August 24, 2026. The Dialogue focused on advancing maritime security, joint training and defence cooperation, while furthering the objectives of the Roadmap 2030,” the Ministry of Defence stated on X.
The delegation led by the Joint Secretary was welcomed by the High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, Muanpuii Saiawi.

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24/08/2026

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday that it is inviting applications for five positions on its junior men’s selection committee, with an aim to reconstitute the panel responsible for shaping the age-group pathway and building bench strength.
According to a statement issued by the board, the application window will remain open until 5pm on September 5, 2026. The incoming panel will replace the current committee headed by former Tamil Nadu cricketer S Sharath, and also includes Ranadeb Bose (East Zone), Harvinder Singh Sodhi (North Zone), Pathik Patel (West Zone), and Krishen Mohan (Central Zone).

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24/08/2026

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on Monday announced a nationwide strike on September 11 over the delay in implementing five-day banking, differences over the performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and several pending demands, including pension-related issues.
Sharing a post on the social media platform X, the UFBU -- an umbrella body of nine bank employees' and officers' unions -- has threatened a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 coinciding with the half-yearly closure.

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23/08/2026

At least 37 people were injured after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, early on Sunday. The earthquake also caused burst water pipes and disruptions to transportation in some areas, local media reported. Japan's Fuji News Network, citing the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, reported that as of 10 a.m. local time, at least 37 people were injured in Tokyo, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture and other areas, reports Xinhua news agency. The earthquake temporarily disrupted some train services in the Kanto region, although operations are gradually being restored. Multiple water pipes burst in Tokyo and other areas, causing temporary flooding on some roads.

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