The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition seeking mandatory and uniform labelling of ethanol percentage at petrol pumps and a public database on vehicle compatibility with ethanol-blended fuel. The plea also calls for an expert committee to assess the impact of E20 fuel on vehicles, environment, and food security, and a consumer disclosure protocol.
Indian chess prodigies Pratitee Bordoloi and Mayank Chakraborty have significantly advanced their positions in the Asian Junior Classical Chess Championship, each securing crucial wins in the penultimate round. They now hold strong leads heading into the final round, poised to claim their respective titles.
The Congress party has criticised the government's new 0.4% charge on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 for merchants, terming it a "Modi tax". Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, allege that this move will ultimately burden consumers through price hikes and accuse the government of succumbing to American pressure to dilute India's zero-MDR policy. The government states the charge will support banks and fintechs.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% transaction fee on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments exceeding Rs 2,000 for merchants, effective October 15, marking the end of nearly six years of free service. Person-to-person transfers and small-value transactions below Rs 2,000 remain free. The new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is capped at Rs 300 for transactions above Rs 75,000, with differentiated rates for essential sectors and investments, and safeguards to prevent costs from being passed to consumers.
Unseeded players caused significant upsets at the Indian Junior International badminton Grand Prix, with Vijaya Lakshmi Boddu defeating top seed Lakshya Rajesh. In the boys' pre-quarterfinals, three unseeded players also advanced by overcoming higher-ranked opponents, highlighting a competitive tournament.
The Gujarat Institute of Prisons and Correctional Administration (GIPCA) is developing modern sports facilities, including high-quality grounds, in anticipation of international events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. These upgrades, part of a Phase-I renovation by the Police Housing Corporation, will also provide advanced training facilities like smart classrooms and computer labs for departmental trainees. The prison department recently showcased its sporting prowess by winning the 'Champion Trophy' at the DGP Cup 2026-27 Gujarat Police Wrestling Cluster Competition, securing 14 medals.
India's Women's Junior Hockey team delivered a dominant performance, defeating Pakistan 19-0 to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Women's Junior Asia Cup. The team showcased relentless attacking prowess, scoring consistently throughout the match and converting multiple penalty corners.
'India is vulnerable to the West Asia crisis in three ways: Energy costs, the business Indian companies conduct in the region, and remittances from the Indian diaspora.'
Ahmedabad APL Pipers secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over U Mumba TT in their Ultimate Table Tennis match in Panaji, despite ace Indian paddler Manika Batra losing her singles match. Trailing 0-2, Ahmedabad mounted a spirited comeback, winning the last three matches, including a crucial mixed doubles and men's singles, to clinch the tie. The report also covers Dabang Delhi TTC's 3-2 win over Kolkata ThunderBlades, highlighted by Sutirtha Mukherjee's dominant performance.
As NSRCEL enters its next phase, the incubator plans to focus on AI, deep technology and global partnerships as it looks to expand its reach.
The Junior Women's National Hockey Championship saw Haryana, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh secure victories in Division A pool matches, while Uttar Pradesh and Manipur drew. Division B also commenced with Delhi and Uttarakhand winning their respective games.
A frozen phone screen, a fake customer-care call, a screen-sharing request or even a duplicate SIM can give cybercriminals a route into your bank account.
Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met with Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal to discuss regional security, defence cooperation, and strengthening bilateral military relations.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council's October 7 meeting will focus on 'GST 2.0' process reforms, including e-invoicing and input tax credit rules, while also addressing complex issues surrounding the taxation of the digital economy and cryptocurrency.
Gautam Adani emphasised the importance of energy security and digital infrastructure in shaping geopolitical power, urging India to develop sovereign capabilities across the AI value chain.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured a tied third-place finish at the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour, bouncing back with a strong performance on the final day. France's Firouzja Alireza claimed the top honours after a tie-break, while Praggnanandhaa shared his position with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Compatriot D Gukesh finished sixth.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has received approximately Rs 15 crore in funding from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for six biomedical research projects. These projects aim to address critical national health priorities, including cancer detection, antimicrobial resistance, and pediatric septic shock, fostering advanced research and improving patient care.
The new Champions League season kicked off with star performances from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, securing wins for Real Madrid and Manchester City, respectively. Jose Mourinho's Madrid overcame Inter Milan, while City defeated Porto. Other matches saw Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Aston Villa, and AEK Athens also claim victories.
Uzbek chess prodigy Javokhir Sindarov, set to challenge D Gukesh for the world crown, reveals he will only begin preparations for the highly anticipated match after competing in the Global Chess League and the Chess Olympiad this month, maintaining focus on immediate tournaments.
India has announced its 23-member squad for the upcoming AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Tashkent, with eight players omitted from the initial camp. The team, led by Mahesh Gawali, will compete against Syria, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh from August 31 to September 6, aiming for qualification to the main tournament in China in 2027.
At the 16th Hockey Junior Women National Championship in Pune, Chandigarh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh secured decisive wins, while Manipur narrowly defeated Maharashtra in a thrilling Division A encounter. Key players delivered strong performances, including hat-tricks, contributing to high-scoring matches and close finishes.
Indian men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Malaysia's Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong in a three-game thriller to reach their third China Masters final. The world No. 5 pair showcased tactical brilliance and resilience, overcoming a second-game lapse to secure their spot in the summit clash, where they aim for their second title of the season.
Lakshya Sen faced an early exit from the China Masters after a straight-games defeat to Canada's Victor Lai, marking his third loss to the Canadian. Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth secured his spot in the second round by defeating Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei. India's mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also advanced.
Coforge believes that the rapid adoption of AI is disrupting the traditional labour model but also creating new high-margin opportunities in the IT services industry.
Bajaj Finserv announced a strategic initiative to invest up to Rs 2,000 crore in artificial intelligence and technology-led startups over the next five years, along with a collaboration with IIT-Bombay for joint research.
Om Patel and Deepshika Vinayagamurthy have won the boys' and girls' singles titles, respectively, at the UNIFI ITF Junior Tennis Cup in Chennai. Patel overcame Om Verma in a three-set thriller, while Deepshika defeated Savitha Bhuvaneswaran in straight sets, adding another title to her recent Junior National Championship victory.
India's Vivaan Vishal and Turkmenistan's Shohradova Lala won the Open and Girls sections, respectively, at the Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship in Mumbai. Vivaan secured his title with a strong finish, while Shohradova claimed victory after a tie-break against India's Pratitee Bordoloi. The event now moves to the Classical Championship.
Sardar 2 has the interesting spy games, but too many convenient shortcuts and a tedious runtime leave this sequel struggling to match the crisp, engaging original, argues Sreeju Sudhakaran.
The Congress party has criticised the Modi government over a notification regarding UPI transactions, alleging it paves the way for imposing fees, especially on transactions above Rs 2,000. Rahul Gandhi claimed the government is surrendering to American pressure, while Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted the potential burden on common citizens amidst inflation. The government's notification prohibits charges on UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000 but remains silent on higher amounts, sparking fears of a "Digital Payments Tax."
India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, were eliminated from the BWF World Championships after a quarterfinal loss. However, the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured at least a bronze medal by advancing to the semi-finals.
Security forces in northwest Pakistan foiled a suicide attack on a military check post, killing four Taliban militants. The militants attempted to target the post with an explosives-laden vehicle near Miranshah in North Waziristan.
Researchers at NIT Rourkela have patented a novel hybrid energy-storage system designed to significantly improve the efficiency and lifespan of electric vehicle batteries. This innovation addresses common issues like low power density and thermal stress by integrating supercapacitors with a simplified architecture, making EVs more reliable, especially in urban driving conditions.
IdeaForge Technology Ltd has announced a partnership with Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP) to develop next-generation AI drones, aiming to enhance autonomous capabilities and expand into the Japanese market.
A year after the devastating AI-171 Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad, forensic scientists recount the immense emotional and scientific challenges faced in identifying the 260 victims. The director of Gujarat Directorate of Forensic Sciences, H P Sanghvi, shared the indelible image of a severed hand, symbolising the terror and the team's dedication.
Indian golfer Pranavi Urs expresses confidence in the women's team for the Asian Games, emphasising consistency, strong driving, and creating birdie opportunities over chasing specific low scores. She highlights the team dynamic with Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar and discusses her preparation, international experience, and areas for improvement in her game.
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma finished tied 46th at the Nexo Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland, while Scotland's Scott Jamieson secured his second DP World Tour title with a final-round 67, overcoming a penalty to overnight leader Shaun Norris.
The KSLTA World Tennis Junior J30 Bengaluru tournament saw strong performances from young Indian players on its opening day. Top seed Riya Gangamma Pudiyokkada advanced, while several unseeded players caused significant upsets in both the boys' and girls' categories, highlighting emerging talent.
Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, and Hockey Karnataka extended their winning streaks in the Women Junior National Championship. Karnataka delivered a dominant 9-0 victory over Goans Hockey, with Pearlin Ponnamma AG scoring four goals. Other teams like Hockey Bihar, Delhi Hockey, Hockey Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Hockey Madhya Pradesh also secured significant wins across various divisions and pools.
Microsoft has launched its fourth cloud region in India, located in Hyderabad, significantly expanding its hyperscale cloud presence. This move is part of a USD 20.5-billion investment in India's digital and AI infrastructure, aiming to support the country's rapid digital growth and meet increasing demand from major enterprises.
Akshay Bhatia is the top-performing Indian-origin golfer at the BMW Championship, currently tied 16th and five-under par, securing his spot in the upcoming Tour Championship. Other Indian-origin players, Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala, are struggling to qualify.
