🎶 Emraan Hashmi to play Mehmood in R.D. Burman biopic

Emraan Hashmi has joined the R.D. Burman biopic to play the veteran actor Mehmood. He will join Akshay Kumar, who is attached to play Rajesh Khanna, in this project. The film, helmed by Neeraj Pandey and produced by Excel Entertainment, is currently in pre-production. Mehmood was a close friend and key figure in R.D. Burman’s career. The movie is set to begin shooting in September, promising an interesting look into the composer's life.

🔌 $6 RISC-V board fits inside a USB port

A new development board called Comu fits entirely inside a USB-A connector, making it super tiny for workshops. This device features a 32-bit RISC-V microcontroller based on the WCH CH32V203 and includes four capacitive touch buttons. It boasts 224 KB of flash and can operate as a USB HID device for small controllers. Comu is aimed at lightweight bare-metal development, and a basic LED blink program uses only 40 bytes. Developers can get this compact board for $5.99 on Tindie. 🔌

🏛️ Bombay HC delays relief for liquor makers on FSSAI ban

The Bombay High Court refused to give immediate relief to liquor manufacturers challenging the FSSAI's prohibitory orders. This case involves United Spirits and Anr versus FSSAI & ORs, heard on Monday. The court has decided it needs a reply from the FSSAI recorded before issuing any orders. The petitioners were seeking a swift reversal of the ban imposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The final decision is pending the submission of the FSSAI's official response.

🤔 Dhanush entering Vijay's political turf in TN?

Tamil Nadu witnessed a big political shift with Thalapathy Vijay becoming the Chief Minister of the state. Actor Dhanush is now reportedly preparing for his own political entry into the scene. He recently held a public event distributing resources and gave a speech aligning with the BJP. Dhanush's organization is now starting activities in Coimbatore, an area previously dominated by Vijay's TVK party. This has led to speculation about Dhanush targeting Vijay's strongholds.

💻 Xeon 678X: Windows 11 vs Ubuntu 26.04 test

A performance comparison was conducted between Windows 11 Pro and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS on the new HP Z4 G6i workstation. This machine is powered by the Intel Xeon 678X processor and features 4 x 32GB DDR5-6400 memory. The testing included both the out-of-the-box Windows setup and a clean install of Ubuntu with its Linux 7.0 kernel. The comparison aimed to check OS performance on the Granite Rapids WS hardware. More Intel Xeon 678X benchmarks on Linux will be shared in future articles.

🛡️ Ransomware gangs exploiting SonicWall SMA1000 flaws

CISA has confirmed that ransomware gangs are actively exploiting two recently patched SonicWall SMA1000 vulnerabilities, including a severe SSRF flaw. This issue affects the enterprise-grade secure remote access gateway used by many large corporations and government agencies. The vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-15409 and CVE-2026-15410, were patched in mid-July, but attacks began as early as June 22 by a threat actor. CISA added these flaws to its KEV Catalog on July 14, mandating patches for FCEB agencies. Companies are urged to upgrade immediately to mitigate the significant risks posed by these active exploits. 🛡️

⛽ Ethanol-diesel blend fails safety tests, rollout paused

Ethanol-blended diesel failed required safety specifications because the added ethanol sharply lowered the fuel's flash point. This finding was reported by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, on Monday. Scientific evaluations by OMCs showed the blend did not meet the diesel flash-point specification. India is currently focusing its ethanol blending program on petrol with a 20 per cent target. Any future increase in blending will depend on detailed technical studies. ⛽

😟 Man electrocuted in boar trap in Kerala

A 33-year-old man named Ravi Prasad was found dead in a paddy field at Thathanappully, Kulukkallur. He was allegedly electrocuted by a live-wire trap meant for wild boars. This incident happened on Monday, August 10, 2026, after he was walking home on Sunday night. The landowner, Manoj, discovered the body and reported it to the police. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder will be registered against Manoj. 😟

✨ Bihar CM unveils 4-point education plan

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary proposed a four-point education blueprint amidst student protests in Jharkhand. He announced this on Monday, August 10, 2026, while also launching the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign in Patna. This plan includes specialized committees for school quality and transparent, AI-powered examinations. The government also promised online classes until 11 p.m. from August 15 and better welfare coordination. The goal is to build a strong education system reducing the need for students to move away. 📚

😠 Politician's controversial remark sparks outrage

A prominent politician made a highly controversial statement that caused immediate backlash. The individual was identified as a key figure in the regional political scene in the state capital. The specific comment, which translates to 'it doesn't matter a damn,' was made during a recent public rally on October 25th. This statement has reignited debates about political decorum and public accountability in the region. Authorities are reportedly looking into the matter to determine the appropriate course of action. 😠

⛽ Petrol prices: government clarifies no direct control

The government stated that petrol and diesel prices are market-driven, not directly controlled by them. Minister Suresh Gopi explained that India's price increase between June 2021 and June 2026 was lower compared to developed and neighboring nations. In Delhi, petrol rose 8.1% and diesel increased 11.5% during that period. PSU oil companies absorbed much of the hike, leading to losses for IOC, BPCL, and HPCL in Q1 2026-27. The government cut excise duty by ₹10 per litre in March 2026 to protect consumers. ⛽