🏍️ Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 gets a fresh look

Royal Enfield has launched an updated Continental GT 650 in India with aesthetic and feature upgrades. This Cafe racer is now priced starting at Rs. 3,58,427 ex-showroom, which is slightly more than the previous model. Key additions include a black windscreen, a USB Type-C charging port, and LED indicators across all colorways. The Rocker Red scheme now features a blacked-out engine crankcase and exhaust pipes. The bike retains its original 648cc parallel-twin motor producing 47bhp and 52Nm. 🏍️

😠 Sikhs block highway protesting against Gursimran Singh Mand 😠

Sikh protesters blocked the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway in Ambala on Thursday, August 13th, demanding action against Gursimran Singh Mand. Around 1500 to 1600 people gathered near Panjokhra Sahib Gurdwara in Haryana for the protest. Police used tear gas and lathicharge, resulting in 6 police personnel being injured, including a DSP. The protest stemmed from demands for the release of two men arrested after a confrontation with Mand on August 7th. The police registered an FIR against Mand and Bhavjot following the escalating conflict.

🇨🇳 China slams Taiwan's annual military drills

China has strongly criticized Taiwan's regular military exercises, labeling them as a pointless performance. The People's Liberation Army stated this during recent comments regarding the drills conducted by the Taiwanese armed forces. These annual military exercises have been a recurring feature in the region's geopolitical landscape for several years. China maintains that such displays only escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait area. Further diplomatic and military posturing between the two sides is anticipated moving forward. 🇨🇳

🚀 Russian cosmonauts salute India from space 🇮🇳

Three Russian cosmonauts unfurled the Indian flag aboard the ISS to wish India a happy 80th Independence Day. The cosmonauts, Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Andrey Fedyaev, made the message from 408 kilometers above Earth. This tribute highlighted the long history of cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow across decades. The partnership is crucial, having supported India's space journey from its first satellite to Gaganyaan. This enduring friendship is marked by historical moments like Rakesh Sharma's 1984 flight.

🛠️ Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway faces legal heat over road issues

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Allahabad High Court challenging poor construction and repeated road damage on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway. This 63-km expressway, costing around Rs 4,200 crore, suffered cave-ins just weeks after its July 13 inauguration. The petition, filed by advocate Motilal Yadav, also questions the high toll of Rs 4.37 per kilometre charged to commuters. A division bench has issued notices to the Centre, UP government, and NHAI for their responses. NHAI has ordered PNC Infratech to conduct rectification work, while an IIT Kharagpur team investigates the cause. 🛠️

🏔️ Mahindra Scorpio-N pickup is dropping soon

Mahindra is set to launch a Scorpio-N based pickup truck to challenge rivals like the Toyota Hilux in India. This new truck is expected to start at Rs 31.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and feature better off-roading capabilities. The brand recently launched the Blazo i-TRK range, guaranteeing a Rs 10,000 daily payout for a 48-hour uptime. This new model will be Mahindra's flagship pickup, surpassing the Bolero Camper Gold in features. The vehicle has been evolving for three years and is expected to enter the V-Cross market segment. 🚚

🏔️ Ather Konarc tested in freezing Himalayas before launch

The Ather Konarc electric scooter was recently spotted undergoing rigorous testing in the Himalayas. This new family scooter, built on the EL01 platform, is set to officially launch on August 29th. Ather conducted cold condition tests for 60 days, with temperatures dipping between -4 and 3 degrees Celsius. These trials focused specifically on evaluating battery efficiency and performance in low-temperature settings. The Konarc is expected to compete with rivals like the TVS iQube when it goes on sale later this month.

📈 Galaxy Surfactants among top 5 commodity stock gains

Five stocks from the BSE Commodities Index reached new 52-week highs this week. Galaxy Surfactants was among these, along with other commodities stocks across the index. These highs were observed despite the Sensex declining 70 points to close at 78,009. Specifically, Galaxy Surfactants saw a gain of about 28% in the last month. This strong performance suggests robust investor interest and positive market momentum moving forward. 📈

⛽ Hormuz crisis pushes Asian refiners to US oil

North Asian refiners are increasing purchases of US crude oil due to instability at the Strait of Hormuz. At least four Asia-based refiners bought US crude volumes this week alone, as tanker traffic at the strait has dropped further. GS Caltex bought 2 million barrels of Mars crude, while Eneos Corp purchased 2 million barrels of WTI. Indian refiners like MRPL and HPCL are also seeking spot supply, looking to buy a combined 6 million barrels. This shift happens amid tight fuel markets and high refining margins across Asia. ⛽

🎮 Wolverine drops on PS5 with ray tracing lit up

Marvel's Wolverine is set to run at a smooth 60 FPS on the base PS5 console. This impressive performance will feature ray tracing enabled by default from the start. The game is scheduled for release on a specific date not provided in the source. This high-fidelity setup aims to deliver a next-gen visual experience to players. Fans can expect intense action with cutting-edge graphics upon launch.

📉 US Retail Sales Dip in July

US retail sales saw a slight decline of 0.6% during the month of July. This downturn was observed across various sectors in the United States. The sales figures for July were reported on August 1, 2023. This dip comes amid ongoing economic uncertainties and shifts in consumer spending habits. Analysts are now watching to see if this trend continues into the upcoming months. 📉