🏎️ Aston Martin's new V12 ditches rear window

Aston Martin unveiled its most powerful V12 yet, the Valen, which features a solid carbon-fibre tailgate instead of a rear window. This extreme model is being produced in limited numbers globally by Aston Martin. Performance metrics include a 0-60mph time of 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 344km/h. The car prioritizes function over practicality, boasting 850hp from a non-hybrid V12 engine. Deliveries are scheduled for the second quarter of 2027, with production capped at 150 units. 🏎️

🏆 Dhurandhar 2 dominates 2026 box office charts

Dhurandhar 2 has secured the top spot among the top 10 Indian grossers for 2026, reaching a massive 1850.85 crore worldwide. This success story was achieved by Ranveer Singh's film, which leads by a huge margin over Border 2 at 485.3 crore. Ram Charan’s Peddi is ranked third with 341.13 crore, followed by Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan at 323.3 crore. The list also features Karuppu at 315 crore and Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu at 300.79 crore. Ajay Devgn's Dhamaal 4 holds the 10th position with 235.95 crore, and it might move up soon. 🎬

🎬 Suriya's Vishwanath And Sons Starts Strong

Suriya's Tamil drama, Vishwanath And Sons, has officially hit theaters with impressive advance bookings. The film garnered 8.46 crore gross through day 1 pre-sales in the Indian box office. This placed the movie as Suriya's third-best opening-day pre-sale, behind Kanguva and Retro. Tamil Nadu was the biggest contributor, bringing in 3.56 crore gross. Worldwide pre-sales added $590K, making the total opening gross 14.09 crore.

🔥 Mirzapur film trailer sets up big box office run

The trailer for Mirzapur The Movie has generated significant positive buzz following its release on August 11. The adaptation, starring Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal, is set to debut on September 4, benefiting from the Janmashtami holiday. Viewers are hyped for Munna Bhaiyya's return, which is highlighted as a major draw for the film. The trailer successfully delivered the expected dark humor and action, proving it suits the big screen perfectly. It is projected to earn 17-20 crore net on Day 1, aiming for Bollywood's top 6 openers. 🎬

🔋 Trump spends billions on EV mineral supply

Despite previous anti-EV stances, Trump unveiled a $3-billion federal investment in critical minerals projects across the US. This move aims to secure domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on China for minerals like lithium and cobalt. Key funding includes a $1.4-billion Pentagon loan to Sila Nanotechnologies for battery materials production. Lithium Americas also secured $435 million from the DOE for its Thacker Pass project in Nevada. This push aligns with Project Vault, a $12 billion initiative to stockpile vital minerals for US industry.

🎬 Batwara 1947 opens slow against tough competition

Sunny Deol's film, Batwara 1947, registered a morning occupancy of 7.54% on its first day. This performance, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, placed it behind its competitor, Awarapan 2, in morning occupancy figures. Compared to his 2025 film Jaat's 8.62% and 2026's Border 2 at 19.46%, the response was lukewarm. The film will now face a big battle against Emraan Hashmi’s movie during the Independence Day weekend. All eyes are on the potential footfall improvement during the evening and night shows.

🤰 Antibodies linked to tough pregnancy outcomes in SLE

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) testing positive for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) faced higher risks during pregnancy. The study, conducted at a Chinese hospital, looked at 441 singleton pregnancies across 410 SLE patients from January 2013 to January 2024. Overall, 17.9% of pregnancies had aPL positivity, while 16.1% experienced an adverse outcome. Patients with positive aPLs showed 2.56-fold higher odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to those without. The research suggests focused management is needed for those with lupus anticoagulant and specific IgG antibodies. 🤰

🎬 Lokesh Kanagaraj's DC hits top 3 opening week

Lokesh Kanagaraj's film DC is showing strong momentum at the box office. It is starring Sanjana AK and Wamiqa Gabbi and is currently running in theaters. After one week, the film has achieved a net collection of 41.65 crore at the Indian box office. This places DC as the third-highest opening week in Kollywood for 2026, behind Jana Nayagan and Karuppu. The film will now face competition from Suriya’s Vishwanath & Sons. 🍿

🔬 HIV vaccine design gets a precision upgrade

Researchers found that vaccine nanoparticles with high avidity boost immune responses in mice. The study was conducted by teams from Scripps Research, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and IAVI. Greater repetitiveness led to a longer-lasting response, with more memory B cells and antibodies produced. This shows that overall 'grip' on B cells helps them compete better in germinal centres. Vaccine developers can now use nanoparticle architecture as another key design factor for HIV vaccines. 🔬

🔬 Chemists might be misreading carbon material defects

Researchers suggest that chemists might be misassigning defects in carbon-based materials based on spectral analysis. The team at Chiba University, Japan, used DFT to compare simulated and experimental data from materials heated at 1200°C or above. Specifically, a peak at around 285eV was found to originate from sp2 carbon defects, not just sp3 carbon as previously thought. This could mean previous studies on carbon materials need careful reinterpretation by the scientific community. The findings offer a fundamental guide for designing better carbon materials, like those for CO2 capture. 🔬

🕷️ Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits massive box office milestones

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become the fastest film in history to surpass the $700 million mark in North America. The Tom Holland starrer achieved this, placing it at $704.6 million domestically. This film surpassed Black Panther's domestic haul in just 13 days, making it the 6th highest-grossing film. Globally, it reached $1.8 billion worldwide in just 15 days since its July 31 release. The movie is projected to hit $900 million domestically and may challenge The Force Awakens' record. 🚀