Tories

US agency releases plan to lease millions of hectares of seabed off the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands and GuamA US government plan to lease out millions of hectares of seabed near the Mariana Trench for deep sea exploration has drawn opposition from US territories in the Pacific, as the Trump administration remains locked in a race with China for control of critical ocean minerals.On Tuesday, the Marine Mineral Administration (MMA), an agency under the US department of the interior, released a proposal to auction deep sea mining leases for 28m hectares (69m acres) of seafloor off the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Continue reading...

• A former uranium enrichment facility in Portsmouth, Ohio, will be transformed into one of the world's largest AI infrastructure developments. • NVIDIA is anchoring a massive US$105 billion commitment for the project, partnering with OpenAI, SoftBank, and SB Energy. • This development highlights the escalating demand for specialized hardware and energy-intensive data centers to support generative AI.

• BJP and JD(S) lawmakers staged a protest in Bengaluru on August 21, 2026, demanding the immediate resignation of Planning and Statistics Minister B. Nagendra. • The protests took place at the Legislators' Home (LH) campus in front of the Maharshi Valmiki statue. • Minister Nagendra is facing serious allegations of embezzling funds from the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation.

• The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Karnataka has identified over 20.35 lakh voters flagged for "logical discrepancies" in their enumeration forms. • In total, more than 43.80 lakh voters are set to receive official notices regarding these discrepancies following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR). • This action addresses a controversial category of errors in voter data, ensuring the integrity of the electoral rolls.

• Bangladesh is scheduled to hold its presidential election this Thursday, marking the first time the country has conducted such a vote in 35 years. • The election features a contest between ruling BNP stalwart Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, representing an 11-party Opposition alliance. • Lawmakers will be responsible for casting the votes to determine the next president.

• The Congress party will convene a working committee meeting in New Delhi this Wednesday to strategize on increasing pressure on the government regarding student issues and alleged "theft" of Ram temple donations. • Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand on Wednesday and Thursday to address probationers from the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Forest Service. • The Delhi government announced the launch of 200 new electric buses, which includes 56 "Ladies Special" buses targeting university areas and high-demand routes.

• The UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships begin this Sunday in Kanpur, featuring 1,900 players competing across 12 different categories. • The event includes nearly all top-ranked senior men’s and women’s players despite recent administrative turmoil within the sport's governing body. • The tournament proceeds following the Sports Ministry's Wednesday decision to suspend the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) due to failures in holding timely elections.