📉 Khalifa's box office dip on Onam

Prithviraj Sukumaran's movie Khalifa saw its collections drop significantly by day 7. The film was released during the Onam season in India, featuring cameos by Mohanlal and Tovino Thomas. After 7 days, its net total reached 15.37 crore, while gross collections hit 18.13 crore. Khalifa trailed the competitor Toxic in Kerala, earning 1.5 crore gross compared to Toxic's 2.1 crore gross. The film faces a possible box office disappointment, potentially marking Prithviraj's third consecutive failure. 📉

🔬 Cancer protein BRAF could fight nerve pain

A new preclinical study identified BRAF as a key regulator of pain signaling after nerve injury. Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found this protein plays a role in neuropathic pain development. In models, BRAF inhibitors like vemurafenib reduced pain sensitivity following nerve injury on dates not specified. This suggests existing cancer drugs might be repurposed for chronic nerve pain treatment. Further studies are needed to test this approach in human patients. 🧠

🚨 India's UPI Leap: Convenience Outran Security

Scams involving fake refund codes and poisoned stickers are flooding global security feeds, pointing to a systemic issue. India's UPI, a homegrown, real-time payment system launched in 2016, bypassed traditional credit card infrastructure. This technological leapfrogging, while brilliant, skipped the mature fraud defense mechanisms built over decades elsewhere. The pattern shows that convenience arrives first, fraud exploits the gap, and security defenses are retrofitted later. 💸

🔬 Fluoroquinolone allergies aren't always a no-go

A global database analysis found that cross-drug reactions among fluoroquinolones are actually quite rare. Researchers looked at data from over 250 healthcare organizations in September 2025. Allergy labels were present in 1.1% (ciprofloxacin), 1.6% (levofloxacin), and 1.2% (moxifloxacin) of patients. The odds of a reaction were slightly higher for certain pairs, but not for all combinations. This suggests avoiding the entire drug class might not always be necessary for some patients.

🔋 Scandium boost helps sodium batteries last longer

Researchers successfully enhanced the durability and performance of sodium-ion batteries using a scandium additive. This improvement was tested by a team at Tokyo University of Science in Japan. The study showed capacity retention increased from 19% to 68% with structural doping after 100 cycles. Sodium-ion batteries are gaining traction as a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion tech. Further research is needed, as scandium is currently not ideal for commercial production. 🔋

🕷️ Spider-Man franchise hits $6B mark globally

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has boosted the Tom Holland-led franchise past the $6 billion milestone worldwide. The film, starring Tom Holland, is the first solo superhero movie to surpass $2 billion globally. In 26 days, the movie earned $863.3 million domestically, bringing the worldwide total to $2.229 billion. The four films in the series now have a cumulative total of $6.16 billion. Brand New Day continues its run, setting a high bar for future Marvel releases. 🕷️

💰 The Odyssey nears low-grossing Avatar film's total

The Odyssey is continuing its strong run, inching closer to surpassing the lowest-grossing film in James Cameron's Avatar series. Helmed by Christopher Nolan, the epic collected $3.03 million on its 6th Tuesday in North America. The film has now reached a worldwide box office total of $1.453 billion after five weeks in cinemas. This total puts it less than $35 million away from Avatar: Fire and Ash's $1.485 billion worldwide gross. It is expected to officially surpass Avatar 3 over the upcoming weekend. 🚀

🚀 Nivin Pauly's film hits 100 crore milestone fast

Nivin Pauly's latest Onam release has surpassed the 100 crore worldwide box office mark on its sixth day. The film, starring Nivin Pauly and directed by Girish AD, achieved this feat on Day 6. Its total worldwide gross now stands at 109.89 crore, with a net total of 43.55 crore in India. This makes it the fastest non-Mohanlal film to reach the 100 crore club, tying with Thudarum. The film is produced by Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, and Syam Pushkaran.

🤔 Decoding perimenopause: what your body is telling you

Dr Kajal Parikh, a gynaecologist in Mumbai, is shedding light on perimenopause for women in their 30s and 40s. She explains that this is a long hormonal transition starting years before periods cease entirely. Symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, and sleep issues are often misdiagnosed by other specialists first. Dr Parikh highlights that lifestyle plays a huge role in how these hormonal changes are experienced. Understanding these symptoms is key to managing them effectively.

💡 Semiconductor bet has hidden stocks investors miss

A massive Rs 10 lakh crore investment in the semiconductor sector is stirring up market interest. This major push involves various players across the industry, though the focus is often just on chip makers. Investors might overlook three other crucial stocks linked to this sector. These companies support the ecosystem rather than producing the chips directly. The market will continue to watch these related segments closely for future growth signals.

🔥 Yash's 'Toxic' hits massive Rs 100 crore opening

Yash's new film 'Toxic' achieved a phenomenal opening on Wednesday, rewriting box office records. The movie, directed by Geetu Mohandas, starred Yash and was released across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. It earned an estimated Rs 101.10 crore net in India on day one, making it the second best Indian film opening after 'Dhurandhar 2'. This massive start cements Yash's strong box office pull after 'K.G.F: Chapter 2'. The film now competes with other releases, signaling a major commercial event. 🎬