Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, Mamata Banerjee's party's candidate for the Rejinagar by-election, initially announced his withdrawal from the contest due to harassment of workers and symbol unfamiliarity, but retracted his statement within hours after intervention from the party's top leadership and Mamata Banerjee herself, confirming he will now contest the October 6 poll.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has made a rare move by nominating two Rajya Sabha members as "special invitees" to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. This decision comes as the contentious Bill, referred to the 31-member JPC for detailed examination, faces opposition demands for its withdrawal.
Pakistan fast-bowling legend Wasim Akram has voiced his disappointment over the state of the country's cricket, particularly in Test matches. He attributes the team's struggles to a significant lack of quality batting talent emerging in recent years, despite the Pakistan Super League's existence. Akram also highlighted the need to revive club cricket and maintain consistency in team selections.
Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi has sought to intervene in a Delhi High Court case regarding the collapse of a hostel building in Satya Niketan, which resulted in seven deaths. The court acknowledged her experience despite opposition from the Centre, Delhi government, and MCD, who were given three days to respond to her plea. The High Court had previously ordered an inquiry into the September 6 collapse, highlighting concerns about housing safety and regulatory measures.
Indian shooter Vidarsa Vinod, making her Asian Games debut at 27, secured a silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle team event. Despite missing an individual final, Vinod maintained a calm demeanour, treating the continental stage like any other competition. Her journey from an NCC cadet to an international medallist highlights her rapid progression and adaptability, especially as she only recently started training in the 10m air rifle discipline.
India's Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra discusses the emotional and physical challenges of missing the Asian Games due to a ligament injury. He shares his process of accepting the setback, focusing on rehabilitation, and preparing for future competitions, while also offering advice to fellow athletes and aspiring javelin throwers.
The Trinamool Congress has submitted new names and symbols to the Election Commission for the upcoming West Bengal bypolls, following an interim order that temporarily barred the party from using its original name and "flowers and grass" symbol due to an ongoing internal dispute and split. The party submitted its choices under protest.
BJD chief Naveen Patnaik has voiced concerns over the Centre's decision to introduce Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15, urging protection for small traders and common people. This move has sparked a political debate, with the BJP defending the charges as beneficial for digital infrastructure and largely not impacting consumers, while the Congress and traders' associations criticise it as an additional burden.
Regional OTT platform STAGE is set to release India's first AI-made biopic on farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram. The project leverages artificial intelligence for various aspects of filmmaking, from visualisation to character generation, aiming to reduce production costs and expand storytelling possibilities for underserved cultures and languages.
A trade body in Jharkhand, FJCCI, has urged the Union Finance Minister to withdraw the proposed 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 for merchants. The body argues that this charge will significantly increase operating costs for businesses, especially MSMEs and retailers, who rely on the current zero-MDR regime for digital payments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasized that both nations must show sensitivity to each other's core issues and be guided by mutual respect, sensitivity, and interest. Modi highlighted the critical importance of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control for the development of India-China relations, while also addressing concerns regarding Taiwan and Tibet.
The father of a Nithari case victim has questioned the death of Surendra Koli, alleging he was murdered and did not die by suicide. Koli, who was acquitted in all Nithari cases, was found hanging in Haridwar. Police are investigating, while the victim's father claims Koli was about to reveal important information and points to Moninder Singh Pandher as the main culprit.
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district has sentenced all 10 convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack to death. The attack, which occurred on May 25, 2013, resulted in the deaths of 29 people, including prominent Congress leaders.
Lucknow police have arrested two individuals for allegedly abducting a youth and holding him captive for four days over an unpaid mobile phone instalment. The victim was reportedly forced to do labour work and had one unit of blood drawn against his will and sold. The accused, one of whom worked for a credit services company, also allegedly extorted money online from the victim.
A BEST electric bus in Mumbai's Goregaon area crashed into a Metro rail pillar after grazing a car, injuring two people. The incident occurred on Monday evening, and the injured were treated and discharged. Police have registered a case against the bus driver.
'The Chinese military cannot advance much in Ladakh, even if they want to.' 'Similarly, in Arunachal Pradesh, they can rename a village or two, intrude here or there, but cannot do much more realistically.'
An army personnel has been taken into custody in connection with the theft of service weapons and ammunition from an Army facility in Hyderabad. The theft, which included assault rifles, pistols, and night vision binoculars, was detected on August 31, prompting a joint investigation by Telangana Police and Army authorities.
Legendary Indian hockey player Harbinder Singh reminisces about India's historic first Asian Games gold medal in 1966, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan. He shares insights into the team's motivation, the challenging final match played with 10 men, and the evolution of hockey over the decades, including concerns about declining domestic spectator interest and India's prospects for future Asian Games.
India's badminton contingent is set to begin its Asian Games campaign, with the men's team aiming to improve on their previous silver medal and the women's team seeking a second medal. Key players like Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag, PV Sindhu, and Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand are expected to lead the charge against strong opponents like Japan, China, and Korea in both team and individual events.
A gym trainer, Vijay Kumar, was shot dead in south Delhi's Aya Nagar. Police suspect personal enmity and are investigating a possible link to a longstanding village rivalry. The incident involved multiple gunshots and occurred after the victim was called out of a gym.
Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal reflects on his challenging 2026 season, marked by injuries and mental toll. He discusses his decision to stop "playing the victim" and focus on enjoying the game rather than solely chasing results, a mental shift that has improved his performance in recent months.
From unexpected cameos to sneaky Easter eggs, these Hindi films have quietly created some wonderfully weird cinematic universes of their own.
Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has threatened legal action if the "character assassination" campaign targeting his family over the 2020 Disha Salian death case does not cease. His son, Aaditya Thackeray, also denied any connection to Salian, whose death is now under CBI investigation following a Bombay High Court order.
India's national security adviser was in Dhaka for roughly three-quarters of the day on Thursday to prepare the ground for Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to New Delhi.
The Indian government has mandated that banks and payment providers cannot levy charges on UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000 or on payments made via RuPay debit cards. This directive follows an amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, aiming to sustain and expand the digital payments ecosystem.
Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj has been granted three weeks' interim bail by a Delhi court in a case involving the alleged assault on the father of a student activist during a Jantar Mantar protest. Bhardwaj was previously in judicial custody after being detained following public outrage over his claims of assault and political connections.
World champion D Gukesh's live rating has slipped below 2700 after the first two rounds of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Indian men's team, defending champions, had an average start with two unconvincing wins, while the Indian women's team performed better against weaker opposition. Gukesh's rating drop comes ahead of his world title challenge against Javokhir Sindarov in November.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has criticised the Centre for introducing a 0.4% charge on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, alleging the decision was influenced by pressure from the United States and its payment companies like Visa and Mastercard. He highlighted a perceived shift in the government's stance on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI, claiming it would ultimately burden consumers and small businesses while benefiting American firms.
Shafali Verma produced a stunning 15-ball blitz as India crushed Japan by eight wickets with 15 overs to spare and stormed into the Asian Games semi-finals.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered LCA Tejas FOC twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, and Dhruv next-generation helicopters to Pawan Hans. This significant handover, witnessed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, marks a crucial step in India's journey towards self-reliance in the aerospace sector, showcasing HAL's capabilities across military, civil rotary-wing, and pilot training aviation.
Top Meta India executives, including chief Arun Srinivas, appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for the second time in a week regarding alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) related advertisements on its platforms. Meta has committed to reporting child safety matters directly to India's I4C cybercrime portal, a significant shift from its previous practice of reporting to a US-based centre. The government is pushing for stronger safeguards and accountability from social media platforms to ensure online child safety.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary stated that the JD(U) will thoroughly study the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill before deciding on its stance, indicating they will not oppose it without valid reasons. This position contrasts with the RJD's strong opposition and highlights the JD(U)'s independent approach within the NDA.
Zimbabwean cricketer Brendan Taylor has surpassed India's Sachin Tendulkar as the longest-serving one-day international player, with his ODI career now spanning 22 years and four months. Taylor, who previously retired and served a ban, returned to play for Zimbabwe ahead of the 2026 ODI World Cup.
'IN-SPACe like an octopus is stretching its tentacles everywhere and choking ISRO.'
State-run defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, along with Dhruv next-generation helicopters to Pawan Hans. This significant handover, witnessed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, marks a crucial step in India's journey towards self-reliance in the aerospace sector, showcasing HAL's diverse capabilities in military, civil, and training aviation.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has accused the Centre of orchestrating a political conspiracy through the CBI's FIR in the Disha Salian death case. Raut claims the probe is designed to tarnish the Thackeray family's reputation and target Aaditya Thackeray, linking it to broader political manoeuvres and an ongoing Supreme Court case.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's fan event in London was cancelled by Metropolitan Police due to safety concerns, disappointing hundreds who had gathered. The CM is in the UK leading a delegation to attract investments, having already secured MoUs worth Rs 12,300 crore, aiming to create over 9,400 jobs and position Tamil Nadu as a manufacturing and technology hub.
Ludhiana Lions' Krish Bhagat played an important Sher-E-Punjab T20 League match against Amritsar Soormas, dedicating a crucial wicket to his late grandfather, Chunni Lal Bhagat, a former Cabinet Minister. Krish shared how his grandfather's journey from Pakistan inspired him and spoke about his own early start in cricket, his family's support, and his focus on team goals in the league.
A teacher at a government residential school in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district has been accused of sexually harassing a 14-year-old girl and other students. Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, with efforts underway to apprehend the accused. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered a thorough probe, strict action, and directed district authorities to enhance vigilance and conduct regular inspections of girls' hostels and residential schools to ensure child safety.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, traded marginally higher in early trade despite the US Federal Reserve's recent rate hike and indications of further tightening, with the National Stock Exchange's much-anticipated Rs 22,569-crore IPO also opening for subscription.
