🎬 The Odyssey keeps rolling strong at Indian box office

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is maintaining a solid run at the Indian box office during its fourth week. Starring Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson, the film is aiming for the 170 crore mark. On day 26, the movie added 1.60 crore net, marking a 28% jump from the fourth Monday's 1.25 crore. This total collection of 168.13 crore is challenging The Jungle Book and positioning it as a top Hollywood film. The movie will face competition from Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 starting Friday.

🕷️ Spider-Man Nears $200M Milestone in China

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is close to hitting the rare $200 million mark at the China box office. The Tom Holland-starrer has completed 14 days and currently stands at $194.7 million. It has surpassed Godzilla vs. Kong’s total of $188.7 million in China. This makes it the fourth Hollywood film post-COVID to reach this milestone. The film could potentially overtake F9 and Avatar: The Way Of Water soon. 💰

🎬 Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 struggles early booking

Sunny Deol's period drama, Batwara 1947, is facing tough competition in its advance booking phase. The film, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, is set to release on August 14, 2026, in Delhi. As of 11 AM, only 11K worth of tickets were sold out of a 40 lakh gross advance booking. This underperformance is partly due to direct clashes with Awarapan 2, which has strong nostalgia appeal. All eyes are now on the next 48 hours to see if it can achieve a double-digit opening. 😬

🧠 Early sugar restriction linked to less dementia risk

Sugar restriction during the first 1000 days from conception was shown to lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in adulthood. Researchers analyzed data from 64,737 UK Biobank participants born between 1951 and 1956. Specifically, in utero plus first year rationing reduced all-cause dementia risk by 23% compared to no restriction. This early exposure was also associated with delayed disease onset by up to 2.87 years. These findings emphasize the importance of early-life nutrition for long-term brain health. 🧠

⛽ US-Israel-Saudi plan to bypass Iran's oil chokehold

Iran currently controls key maritime energy routes, the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, due to the Islamic regime's influence. The MERA Oil consortium is building a US$5 billion refinery outside the Strait of Hormuz to secure energy supply. This aligns with the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, aiming to reroute 60% of container traffic. This major shift offers Washington control over oil flows, challenging China's influence via Iran. Final project stages are expected to move forward after the site is officially announced.

📈 China's fibre market shakeup? 🇮🇳 Stocks might benefit

China's dominance in the US data centre fibre market is facing potential disruption. Two Indian stocks are specifically positioned to gain from this shift in the market dynamics. The article discusses the changing competitive landscape and its financial implications. This development suggests a possible opening for Indian players in the lucrative US infrastructure space. Investors are now closely watching these specific stocks for future growth.

🚧 Anti-drug messages painted on Ranipet's longest bridge

Anti-drug messages are being painted on the pillars of Ranipet's longest rail overbridge in Navalpur village. The Public Works Department conducted this drive under the 'Drug-Free Tamil Nadu' campaign initiated by CM C. Joseph Vijay. This ₹26.65-crore bridge, opened in September 2025, spans 921 metres and has at least 15 pillars. The awareness painting is part of a ₹4.5 crore beautification effort supported by Tata Group. The entire pillar painting will finish in the coming weeks, after which the space will be managed by Ranipet municipality. 🛑

📚 Archaeologist R. Nagaswamy's work now open access

Tamil Arts Academy has announced that all works by eminent archaeologist R. Nagaswamy will be released under open access rights. The Academy, which includes his children Uma and Mohan Nagaswamy, made this announcement on social media platforms. These works, which include over 50 books, are available as of August 12, 2026. This move ensures his valuable scholarship can continue to inspire future generations freely. His publications cover areas like archaeology and epigraphy, and are accessible on the academy's website.

😟 Villagers push back on Vaniyambadi STP plan 💧

Residents of Valayambattu village are strongly opposing the installation of a Sewage Treatment Plant by Vaniyambadi municipality. This conflict is happening along the Palar River where Valayambattu village, with over 4,000 families, resides. The proposed 10-acre site, near the confluence of Kallar and Palar rivers, was identified recently. Villagers fear groundwater pollution, as their agriculture heavily depends on the area's water quality. Officials insist the STP will stop illegal sewage discharge, but alternative land sites are being requested.

😠 Villages protest merger with Tiruvannamalai Corporation

Residents from 18 villages staged a protest at the Collectorate office in Tiruvannamalai on Tuesday. These villages surround the Girivalam path near the Arunachaleswarar temple. Each affected village has about 5,000 residents across nine wards, as of August 12, 2026. Protesters claim the merger reduced MGNREGA work and increased taxes without improving amenities. Officials assured the villagers that necessary steps would be taken to address their concerns. 😠

🏥 Court asks for funds for Indore girl's SMA treatment

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has requested the Centre and state government to help fund the treatment for a three-year-old Indore girl with SMA Type-2. The court noted that an additional Rs 1 crore is needed for her injections, even after central aid and crowdfunding efforts. The total treatment cost is approximately Rs 9.55 crore, with about Rs 8 crore already raised by NGOs. Justice Sandeep N Bhatt stressed that the treatment must start ASAP and set the next hearing for August 18. The court directed the lawyer to submit details of the collected funds to expedite the process.