⚽ Barcelona talks to rising midfield star Bernal

Barcelona has scheduled meetings with Marc Bernal and his representatives to discuss improving his contract terms. The club wants to reward the young player, who signed his renewal last September and is contracted until 2030. While his future is secure with a €500 million release clause, the Catalans plan to increase his salary as promised. This action is partly driven by interest from clubs in England, Germany, and Italy. Bernal is viewed as a key long-term pillar for the club's midfield future. 🌟

🎮 Take-Two's spending hits 84% as GTA VI nears

Take-Two Interactive Software generated 84% of its fiscal first-quarter Net Bookings from recurrent consumer spending. This performance was reported by the company in the US as part of its ongoing portfolio strength. Fiscal Q1 Net Bookings totaled $1.39 billion, despite declining 3% from the previous year. The strong outlook is heavily backed by the planned November 19, 2026 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Take-Two reiterated its fiscal 2027 Net Bookings guidance between $8 billion and $8.2 billion.

🏍️ BJP bikes out in Shivamogga rally

Hundreds of BJP workers took part in a bike rally held in Shivamogga on Tuesday. The event was organized by the district youth wing as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign ahead of Independence Day. S.N. Channabasappa and other leaders flagged off the rally at Allama Prabhu Park in the city. Workers, many wearing saffron shawls, rode two-wheelers displaying the national tricolour across city streets. Dhananjay Sarji and N.K. Jagadish led the procession.

🏛️ Lok Sabha passes two bills amid massive deadlock

The Lok Sabha passed two bills, one to rename Kerala to ‘Keralam’, without any discussion on August 11, 2026. This happened while the Opposition and government were locked in a deadlock in the Parliament. The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 were passed during this session. The Opposition stalled proceedings demanding statements on Delhi student protests and Ram Temple theft allegations. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju later accused the Congress of running away from discussions.

🎬 Box office predictions for Toxic and Mirzapur: Final updates

Pinkvilla Predicts has released the final box office forecasts for Toxic (Hindi) and Mirzapur: The Movie. Toxic (Hindi) is projected to gross Rs. 15-20 crore nett on August 26, 2026, following its postponement. Mirzapur: The Movie has a bold forecast of Rs. 22-30 crore for its September 4, 2026 release. Meanwhile, Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 are releasing this Friday with specific forecasts for them. The projections are based on market sentiment and advance trends leading up to the releases. 📈

🚀 India's 2W Exports Hit New Highs in Q2 2026

India's two-wheeler exports saw a big jump in Q2 CY2026, reaching 15,50,852 units. This growth was driven by models like the Boxer and Star City from India. The shipments showed a healthy 36.80% year-on-year growth compared to Q2 2025. The data confirms that exports are diversifying beyond just commuter motorcycles. This momentum suggests a broader international interest in diverse Indian two-wheeler segments. 📈

🇮🇳 Heavy Vehicles Barred in Delhi-Gurugram for Independence Day

Heavy vehicles are being barred from entering the Delhi-Gurugram area during the Independence Day celebrations. This restriction is being implemented by local authorities across the Gurugram and Delhi regions. The ban is effective for the day of August 15, 2026. The measure is being taken to ensure smooth traffic flow and enhance safety for the national holiday. Authorities plan to lift these restrictions after the celebrations conclude on the same day. 🇮🇳

😠 YSRCP leader slams police over false cases

YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana accused senior IPS officials of letting SHOs file false cases against party activists. This alleged misconduct happened while leaders protested public issues across different locations. Specifically, a road accident case involving Sidiri Appala Raju was allegedly changed to attempted murder, and 25 members were booked during Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit on August 11, 2026. Botcha stated that these serious cases were dropped only after the court objected strongly to the action. The party plans to bring these alleged rule violations by senior officials to the notice of the Union government soon. 😠

🏏 Rhodes on Kohli and India's Field Evolution

Jonty Rhodes commented that bilateral ODI series might decrease in the future, but 50-over cricket is hard to phase out. He mentioned that T20 leagues could cause players to retire from international cricket sooner. Rhodes highlighted Virat Kohli's impact on the Indian team's field standards. He noted that India evolved from having few good fielders to having nobody to hide now. This change reflects a massive improvement in fielding across the sport.

🔭 Italian scientists test new solar tool during eclipse

A group of Italian scientists plan to test a new instrument called CISS during tomorrow's solar eclipse. They are heading to Spain's Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory for the experiment. The test is scheduled to run briefly around 8:30 pm local time on August 12th. This tool aims to capture the spectrum of the entire solar corona in one shot, something previously impossible. This research is key to understanding solar activity that affects Earth's systems. 🔭

✈️ New Aviation Rules After Air India Incident

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has rolled out strict new guidelines following the incident involving Air India flight AI-2379. This flight was scheduled to travel from Phuket to Delhi. The incident occurred on October 15, 2023, and involved operational concerns. These new directives aim to enhance safety protocols across the entire domestic and international aviation sector. The ministry expects all airlines to comply immediately with these updated regulations. ✈️