Twenty-one farmers in Gujarat’s Morbi were booked after protesters allegedly burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on September 17. The action came amid protests against power transmission towers and lines passing through agricultural fields and disputes over the government’s compensation formula. More than 9,000 farmers later held a demonstration at the Morbi Collectorate on Friday, joined by farmers from other districts. Notices were also served on landowners affected by the 765 kV Halvad Transmission Line and an 800 kV transmission line. The September 23 notices asked landowners to appear before a Market Rate Committee to nominate a land valuer, failing which the government would proceed with the valuation process. (PC: The Indian Express)

The United Arab Emirates confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The Emirati state news agency WAM said the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them. Israeli officials said the meeting also focused on regional challenges, particularly Iran. The visit came amid controversy over reports that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu before Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, a claim Netanyahu’s office denies. The meeting was confirmed as Netanyahu faces pressure ahead of October’s Knesset elections. Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, with ties subsequently expanding despite regional developments. (PC: AFP)

Vithya Ramraj broke P T Usha’s 42-year-old national record in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Games in Nagoya, clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds to win bronze. Ramraj bettered Usha’s previous mark of 55.42 seconds, set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Usha congratulated Ramraj, saying records are meant to be broken and their greatest legacy is inspiring the next generation to go beyond established boundaries. Ramraj finished behind UAE’s Mariam Kareem, who won gold in 54.31 seconds, and Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems, who took silver in 54.58 seconds. The bronze was Ramraj’s second medal at these Games after she helped India win silver in the mixed 4x400m relay.

Wildlife SOS, whose two functionaries are in custody in a Madhya Pradesh leopard-poaching case, is also allegedly linked to the purchase of an elephant from Nepal, according to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau records cited by The Indian Express. The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force arrested the two employees last month over their alleged involvement in poaching 10 leopards in the Shivpuri-Morena landscape. The investigation concerns an alleged elephant trade from four years ago, based on records reviewed by authorities. The Indian Express reported that authorities are examining the elephant’s origins and movement as part of the probe. Wildlife SOS CEO Kartick Satyanarayan is also due to join the leopard-poaching investigation. (PC: The Indian Express)

Iran has completed the Chabahar-Zahedan railway, a 730-kilometre link expected to improve India’s access to Afghanistan, Central Asia and eastern Russia, The Economic Times reported. The line connects the Iranian port of Chabahar with Zahedan and is expected to become fully operational within three to four months after final safety checks. It includes 33 stations, 39 tunnels and 201 bridges. The railway could strengthen Chabahar’s role as a maritime-to-land gateway for Indian cargo while providing routes that avoid Pakistan. India and Iran are also discussing arrangements concerning Chabahar Port operations. The project is expected to support regional connectivity and trade through Iran, including links associated with the International North-South Transport Corridor framework.

Nearly one in five children worldwide without school sanitation services are in India, which accounts for 50 million of the 244 million children lacking such services globally, according to the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme report. India recorded a 14 per cent reduction in schools with no sanitation service between 2015 and 2025. Around 20 million Indian children lacked hygiene services at school, although insufficient recent data prevented the JMP from estimating India’s 2025 hygiene coverage. About 12 million Indian children lacked drinking-water services, representing roughly one in 20 globally. India was among 28 of 62 countries on track for universal basic drinking-water coverage by 2030. Globally, WASH progress remains off track. (PC: X)

The United States has exempted India and 19 other jurisdictions from tariffs on certain specialty pharmaceuticals and associated ingredients, according to the US Commerce Department. The zero per cent rate covers drugs for rare diseases, infertility treatments, cell and gene therapies, antibody-drug conjugates and animal pharmaceuticals, along with their qualifying components. The exemption comes as Washington prepares to impose a 100 per cent tariff on specified patented pharmaceutical imports and ingredients from September 29 under Section 232. The eligible jurisdictions qualify based on current or forthcoming trade and security framework agreements with the US. Generic pharmaceutical products and associated ingredients remain outside the Section 232 tariffs, under the new rules announced. (PC: The Economic Times)

Air India will resume direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv from December 1, 2026, restoring a key air link between India and Israel, according to the Israel Ministry of Tourism. The airline will operate five weekly non-stop flights from Sunday through Thursday using Boeing 777 aircraft, making it the only carrier offering direct connectivity between the two countries. The resumption is expected to strengthen tourism ties and improve access to Israel for Indian travellers. The ministry said the restored service could also help attract new segments of Indian visitors beyond existing travel patterns. The move marks a renewed effort to expand connectivity and support tourism exchanges between India and Israel. (PC: X)

Fourteen-year-old Ashrit Talluri of Fulton County, Georgia, has earned a perfect 1600 on the SAT, taking the college admissions test years earlier than most students. He completed 14½ high-school credits while in middle school and attended college-level summer programmes at Harvard and Rice. Encouraged by his father and middle-school counsellor, Talluri registered for the SAT in January and spent five months preparing with a tutor, online resources and more than two dozen practice tests. He had already scored 1600 on three practice exams. Now a ninth-grader at Innovation Academy, he takes two college-level courses through dual enrolment, participates in hackathons, plays chess and has an interest in aviation, AI and medicine. (PC: TOI)

An Instagram page featuring overweight dogs has grown into an online contest drawing voters and campaigners from Delhi and beyond. The competition began after a Delhi University journalism student started posting photographs of overweight dogs she spotted around the city. From 64 contenders, four reached the semifinals: Googoo, Tara Khan, Hero and Gola. Tara and Gola have since died, but supporters continue backing them. Googoo, a 46-kg mixed-breed dog from Saket, is at Jeevashram Foundation on a regulated diet and weight-loss programme. Rambabu, also called Chonky, is the other finalist. Supporters have created posters, social-media pages and campaigns, while people from other cities have sent treats. Results are due September 29. (PC: X)