🌍 Venezuela quake toll climbs, homes flagged as risky

The death toll in Venezuela has risen to 6,301 following two powerful earthquakes that struck on June 24. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez shared these latest figures on Monday via his Telegram channel. Authorities have assessed 53,314 homes, classifying over 9,567 as high-risk. This massive disaster has caused an estimated $19.6 billion in direct physical losses. Reconstruction efforts must now address major housing challenges in the coming months. 😥

⚖️ Goa rape case sets major privacy precedent

The State of Goa v. Tarun Tejpal case dealt with allegations from November 2013 where assault occurred in a hotel lift. The High Court reversed the trial court's acquittal, which had buried the survivor's privacy during cross-examination. The court condemned the trial court for invasive questioning into her sexual history and private messages. It established that a victim's character is irrelevant to consent under rape-shield provisions. This ruling upholds bodily, decisional, and informational privacy for sexual assault complainants. 🛡️

🚀 Nifty Next 50 gets a big shake-up this month

The NSE indices are undergoing their semi-annual rejig this month, bringing several major changes to the Nifty Next 50. Vedanta Aluminium, Polycab, Hitachi Energy India, and Vodafone Idea are joining the index, replacing Indian Hotels, United Spirits, REC, Shree Cement, and Lodha. These changes are happening around November 1st, with Wipro also joining after being excluded from the Nifty 50. Potential inflows are estimated for several new entrants, like Vedanta Aluminium expecting $145 million. Moving forward, analysts are watching these shifts closely for market impact. 📈

🛰️ Starlink Satellites Map Earth's Thermosphere

Kyoto University researchers have successfully used Starlink satellites to map Earth's thermosphere. They analyzed orbital changes from approximately 1,200 Starlink satellites for this study. The research produced the first tomographic map of this elusive upper atmospheric layer. This mapping revealed atmospheric density patterns around 482 km above Earth. The thermosphere itself spans a height range from about 100 to 1000 km above the planet. 🛰️

🚨 Man posing as Rapido driver gets called out

A woman in Hyderabad was approached by a man claiming to be a Rapido driver near Charminar. She became suspicious because he could not show his ID and his scooter lacked a number plate. The man, who identified himself as Irfan, then tried to download the Rapido app instead of verifying his credentials. Siddeshwari Sugandh ultimately asked him to leave after questioning his inconsistent story. Rapido responded, advising passengers to verify captain and ride details directly through the app. 🛑

🚨 Hyderabad woman spots red flags with fake Rapido driver

A Hyderabad woman confronted a man near Charminar who falsely claimed to be a Rapido driver. She became suspicious because he could not show his driver ID and his scooter lacked a number plate. This incident occurred on Saturday night when he approached her without any prior booking. The man, identifying as Irfan, tried to divert attention by downloading the Rapido app from the Play Store. Rapido responded by urging all passengers to verify rider details directly on the official app. 🧐

💰 India's disinvestment strategy has seriously changed

The Union government completed its Offer for Sale (OFS) of LIC last week, aiming for its FY27 disinvestment target of ₹80,000 crore. This move involved selling a base 2.5 per cent stake in LIC, which is located in India. Since 1991 liberalization, the strategy shifted from strategic privatization to gradual stock market stake dilution. Previously, before 1991, the public sector held dominant control in many key industries. Moving forward, the government continues OFS sales while major deals like BPCL privatization are pending. 📈

🗺️ Genshin Impact 7.0 drops soon, here's the deets 🚀

Genshin Impact 7.0 is set to release, bringing the massive new Snezhnaya region to the game. The update goes live on August 11, 2026, at 08:00 PM PST for NA servers and August 12, 2026, at 11:00 AM CST for others. This huge patch introduces new characters Odette and Alyosha, alongside new bosses and events. Players will also receive a compensation of 300 Primogems for Adventure Rank 5 and above. The maintenance for this update begins on August 11, 2026, at 3 PM PST for NA servers.

🔬 AI fixes crystal structures, finds missing atoms

Researchers have developed an AI model that can reconstruct missing atoms in crystal structures with a 97 per cent success rate. This method was developed by a team of researchers focusing on filling gaps in experimentally known structures. The model achieves this by intelligently adding atoms to incomplete positions within the materials. Completing these structures allows for new materials to be simulated or existing models to be significantly improved. This advancement strongly supports the search for properties needed to create new superconductors. 🔬

🤢 Blinkit's food license suspended over hygiene issues

Blinkit Commerce Pvt Ltd's food license was suspended by the Maharashtra FDA following an inspection at its Malad (West) facility. Food safety officers found severe violations, including a large cockroach infestation and improperly stored, expired products. These issues were discovered during the recent inspection conducted by the FDA. Separately, the Bombay High Court directed Amazon Retail India to surrender all perished goods from its Bhiwandi facility to the FDA. Amazon must bear the cost of the scientific disposal of these expired items.

🏛️ Parliament session heats up amid protests

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw repeated disruptions on Monday, August 10, 2026, over police action in Delhi. Opposition MPs demanded a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who promised to respond in the House. Despite the ongoing deadlock since July 20, the Lok Sabha passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, without discussion. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha returned the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Both houses were adjourned briefly amidst the proceedings. 🏛️