Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:59am on 18 Aug 2026,Tuesday India
Three men have been arrested in Patna for allegedly renting their bank accounts to cyber scammers, enabling money linked to multiple fraud cases to be routed through them, police said. The accused named Prabhakar, Amit and Deepak allegedly received between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 for each transaction conducted through their accounts. Police said transactions totalling around Rs 25 crore had passed through the accounts. Cybercrime-related complaints against the three accused have been lodged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) by complainants from several states, according to DSP Sangita Kumari, in-charge of Patna’s Cyber Police Station. Two accused were arrested in Patna, while the third was arrested from Bihar’s Buxar district. (PC: India Today)
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:27am on 18 Aug 2026,Tuesday India
US President Donald Trump has cited India’s election system while renewing his push for the SAVE America Act, which seeks stricter voter identification and citizenship requirements in US elections. In a Truth Social post, Trump said India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had previously asked his administration how elections could be conducted in the US without a valid photo ID. Trump used the comparison to reinforce his argument for stronger voter-identification rules in America. The remarks come as Trump continues advocating the SAVE America Act, which aims to tighten election requirements. The Indian election system’s use of voter identification was highlighted by Trump as an example while making his case for changes to US election procedures.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:20am on 18 Aug 2026,Tuesday India
Construction of India’s first high-speed rail corridor, the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, is progressing across Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station, the southern terminus, is being constructed nearly 30 metres underground, with excavation and foundation work nearing completion. In Gujarat, Surat station’s structural framework and roofing are complete, while interior finishing is underway. Inspired by Surat’s diamond-cutting industry, the station reflects the city’s commercial identity. The corridor will have 12 stations and trains are expected to operate at up to 320 kmph, covering the route in about two hours. The first service is expected in August 2027. Three advanced depots at Thane, Surat and Sabarmati will support maintenance and repairs. (PC: News18)
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:14am on 18 Aug 2026,Tuesday India
NSG explosive detection dog Donny has received the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card on Independence Day 2026 for his technical aptitude, reliability and operational performance. Donny played a key role in post-blast RSP operations following the Red Fort blast in New Delhi in November 2025. On November 10 and 11, he was deployed to sanitise the VBIED blast site, where he conclusively confirmed the presence of explosives. On November 12, Donny was sent to Khandawali in Faridabad to sanitise a vehicle suspected of transporting explosives linked to the blast. He again detected and confirmed explosives, with the NSG highlighting his confirmations as evidence of his value in critical security missions. (PC: X)
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:35pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
The Jharkhand government has announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all recruitment exams conducted by TDPL. The decision came after days of protests by students and job aspirants in Ranchi. Student leader Devendra Mahto ended his hunger strike at Sadar Hospital after the government accepted the key demands. Student leaders Umme Habiba and Rahul Kranti also ended their hunger strikes. State ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari met the protesters at the hospital. Students celebrated the decision at the protest site. They had demanded action over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams conducted by JPSC and JSSC.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:18pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
The Indian government has said X must follow the law in India after Elon Musk announced a new rule on content takedown requests. X will now make government orders to remove or restrict content more visible to users. The platform may show which government department sent the request and the legal reason behind it. Musk said the change would make government censorship more transparent. An Indian government official told PTI that X will have to follow the law of the land. The new policy is expected to help users understand why their posts or accounts were restricted or removed.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:04pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
Vande Bharat trains are becoming a key part of Indian Railways’ premium travel network. The trains carried nearly 3.98 crore passengers in FY26, a 34% rise from the previous year. Indian Railways is expanding the network as demand for faster and more comfortable travel grows. AC 3-tier and AC Chair Car were the only passenger categories to make profits in FY25. AC 3-tier earned ₹3,645 crore, while Chair Car made ₹377 crore. Vande Bharat Sleeper services also showed strong demand. They carried 1.21 lakh passengers in their first three months. The network now has 162 services.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:51pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
Two more Air India pilots have failed to clear a first drug test, sources said. The tests were ordered after the Phuket-Delhi flight incident that left several people injured. The final test results are still awaited. The two pilots have been removed from flight duties until the results arrive. Air India ordered all pilots to undergo drug tests under new safety rules. More than 300 pilots have completed the tests so far. The move came after the pilot of the Phuket-Delhi flight failed two urine tests. Marijuana was reportedly found in his system. The flight had earlier suffered a sudden 300-foot drop.
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:30pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Student Wing has announced a two-day general strike in Manipur from midnight on August 17, demanding implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census exercise begins in the state. The house-listing phase of Census 2027 is scheduled to begin with self-enumeration from August 17, while the main house-listing operation is scheduled from September 1 to September 30. The strike comes amid growing protests in Imphal and across Manipur’s valley districts against preparations for the Census. Students, market bodies and civil society organisations have opposed the exercise and threatened to boycott the process, intensifying tensions over the upcoming population-counting exercise. (PC: PTI)
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:01pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday India
Tyson, a German Shepherd assault dog of the Indian Army’s 2 Para Special Forces, has been honoured for his exceptional courage during a counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir. During Operation Trashi-I in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar on February 22, Tyson moved ahead of the troops and detected a terrorist hiding in a suspected hideout. He charged at the terrorist, who opened fire and hit Tyson in the leg. Despite being wounded, Tyson continued the assault, helping troops confirm the terrorists’ position. Security forces subsequently engaged and neutralised 3 Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Tyson was airlifted to Command Hospital, Udhampur, and later recovered. He was among 89 recipients of Mention-in-Despatches announced by President Droupadi Murmu ahead of Independence Day 2026. (PC: X)