🚨 Fiscal deficit risks bigger than CPI scare

The market is currently relaxed about the July US CPI reading, expecting core inflation to hit 2.5% YoY. However, attention is shifting to the deteriorating fiscal deficit, which is a key driver for bond supply. The 2026 fiscal deficit is projected to reach $2.1 trillion due to tariff refund adjustments. If the July number confirms this rise to around $400bn, the credit story for Treasuries could weaken. This might lead to a re-widening of the 10yr swap spread towards 50bp. 📉

🇨🇦 Canada updates PR and citizenship wait times

Canada's immigration department refreshed its processing time estimates for various PR and citizenship applications on August 10. This update covered changes for applicants across different economic, family sponsorship, and citizenship categories. For instance, FSWP applicants now face a 6-month wait time, while the base PNP wait time increased to 13 months. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) saw a decrease in wait times both inside and outside Quebec. Overall, while some times shortened, the base PNP timeline experienced a month-long lengthening. 🇨🇦

🎬 Nolan's Odyssey crushes Dark Knight Rises record

Christopher Nolan's epic film, The Odyssey, has surpassed The Dark Knight Rises to become his highest-grossing movie worldwide. The film earned $31.7 million in its 4th North American weekend, while internationally it brought in $81.9 million. Its worldwide total has hit $1.11 billion over 25 days, beating Joker for the second highest R-rated film. The Odyssey is currently tracking to earn between $1.4 billion and $1.5 billion globally. This marks a major milestone for Nolan's cinematic universe. 🎬

🎬 Mamitha Baiju's milestone chase in Jana Nayagan

Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is in its third week, and its box office performance has slowed down significantly. The film, starring Mamitha Baiju, has grossed a total of 321 crore worldwide so far. To hit her first 200 crore mark in India, Jana Nayagan needs just 6.95 crore more collections. The 25-year-old actress already has three 100-crore films, including Premalu. Next, she is set for two major releases in August 2026.

🎬 Korean Kanakaraju hits 3rd spot in Varun Tej's career

Varun Tej's film, Korean Kanakaraju, has reached a net total of 15.3 crore in four days. The horror-comedy stars Varun in a dual role and blends Telugu and Korean cultures. The film opened strong at 4.2 crore on Day 1 and collected 2.1 crore on Day 4. This performance places it as his third highest-grossing film, surpassing Matka and Operation Valentine. The movie's success depends on maintaining momentum to challenge his films F2 and F3.

📉 Moana's Box Office Grind vs. Aquaman 2

Disney's live-action Moana has dropped out of the top 5 North American box office rankings. The Dwayne Johnson starrer is closing in on beating the domestic haul of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. As of its 5th weekend, Moana collected $2.9 million, bringing its domestic total to $121.6 million. This places it less than $3 million away from surpassing the flop sequel. The film was originally released in theaters on July 10. 🎬

📉 GDN misses mark, trails Rocketry by 45%

R Madhavan's biographical drama GDN is facing a tough box office situation after its release on August 7th. The film is currently in theatres in Tamil, where it is losing ground to Lokesh Kanagraj’s film due to poor buzz. Over four days, GDN has collected a total of 3.15 crore, showing a significant drop on its first Monday. This performance means GDN is trailing R Madhavan’s previous biopic, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, by almost 45%. The mid-budget film needs strong word-of-mouth to boost daily collections above one crore. 📉

☀️ UK eclipse caution: protect your eyes 🌚

A partial solar eclipse is coming to the UK and Ireland, which will be the most striking since 1999. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists warns the public that looking directly at the sun is dangerous for eyesight. The event will see 90% to 96% of the sun covered, with peak in London at 7:12pm on Wednesday. Proper ISO 12312-2:2015(E) safety glasses are crucial to prevent retinal damage. Viewers should watch via broadcast or through certified viewers, not ordinary sunglasses.

📉 Ohh My Dog sees big drop on Day 4

Pankaj Tripathi’s film, Ohh My Dog, experienced a significant drop in its box office collection on the fourth day. The drama, directed by Amit Rai, saw earnings of only 25 lakh in the Indian market. This represents a steep 72% decline compared to its opening day collection of 90 lakh. So far, the film has grossed a total of 3.50 crore net against an estimated 8 crore+ budget. It now needs to perform well on Tuesday to avoid competition from Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2. 📉

🎬 Thudakkam nears Top 10 spot in Mollywood

Vismaya Mohanlal's debut film, Thudakkam, is performing well at the box office despite mixed reviews. The film, backed by Aashirvad Cinemas, saw its net total reach 12 crore after four days. It is now less than a crore away from surpassing Tovino Thomas’s Pallichattambi. On Tuesday, Thudakkam is set to enter the top 10 highest Mollywood grossers of 2026. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the debut film. 🎬

🧪 Light knits nitroalkanes into cool alkenes

A new photochemical process allows visible light to convert nitroalkanes into alkenes, a method also known as olefination. Researchers in Germany and the US independently discovered this reaction using two simple nitroalkane precursors. The findings were reported in the J. Am. Chem. Soc. in 2026, detailing the formation of crowded tri- and tetrasubstituted alkene products. This technique bypasses limitations of classic reactions like Wittig, which often need harsh conditions. Future work will focus on understanding the niche advantages of each team's procedure for medicinal chemistry applications. 🧪