Congress workers staged nationwide protests on Friday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with demonstrations reported in Delhi, Bihar, Assam, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. In Delhi, Indian Youth Congress members marched to Jantar Mantar and raised slogans against Kumar. In Kolkata, Congress workers marched from College Street towards the state Chief Electoral Officer’s office before being stopped by police. Protesters in Patna and Chandigarh faced water cannons, while police used tear gas in Manipur. Several Assam Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi, were detained. The protests followed allegations concerning the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and related decisions.

Manpreet Kaur ended her wait for an Asian Games medal on Friday by winning bronze for India in the women’s shot put final at the 2026 Asian Games. The 36-year-old athlete from Punjab produced her best throw of 17.17m on her fourth attempt, improving from 16.32m, 16.41m and 16.80m in her first three rounds. China’s Song Jiayuan won gold with 19.40m, while compatriot Zhang Linru took silver with 18.14m. Manpreet had finished fifth at the 2023 Asian Games and fourth at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Her personal best is 18.06m, set in 2022, while she won the 2026 National Inter-State Championships with 17.75m. (PC: The Hindu)

Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah placed India and China at the centre of his first UN General Assembly address, proposing a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism led by Nepal, India and China. The initiative would focus on satellite data sharing, glacier monitoring, joint early-warning systems and coordinated cross-border disaster assistance. Shah said climate change does not recognise borders, highlighting the recent floods that affected communities across the Nepal-China border and downstream India. He thanked India and China for their assistance after the disaster. Shah’s proposal reflects Nepal’s effort to deepen regional cooperation while maintaining balanced ties with its two major neighbours. He also called for climate finance and international responsibility.

Bangladesh is unlikely to export Hilsa to India this Durga Puja season and has stopped importing it from India. The move follows India’s export of around 500 metric tonnes of Hilsa to Bangladesh over the past two months, reversing the traditional trade flow. Fish traders in Kolkata said Bangladesh cancelled import permits through a September 23 circular and is not allowing Hilsa imports this year. The annual export window to India, usually announced before Durga Puja, has not been opened. A delegation from the Fish Importers Association visited Dhaka in August and sought permission to import Hilsa. Bangladesh restricted Hilsa exports to India since 2012, while allowing festive windows since 2019. (PC: X)

An Air India pilot was removed from flight AI151 at Zurich Airport on September 6 after ground staff reportedly noticed signs of alcohol consumption before departure. Authorities conducted sobriety tests, with subsequent results indicating a blood alcohol level above the permissible limit. The Zurich–Delhi flight could not operate as scheduled, and Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation informed India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The pilot was later sent back to India as a passenger and suspended pending further examination and investigation. Air India reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on alcohol and said confirmed violations would face disciplinary action. (PC: X)

Some iPhone 18 Pro users have reported vertical green and pink lines appearing on their displays shortly after the phone’s September 18 launch. Posts circulating on social media have prompted speculation that the issue could be related to Samsung-supplied OLED panels. However, available evidence remains limited, and there is currently no confirmation that Samsung displays are responsible. One reported video appears credible, while another widely shared image has been questioned as potentially manipulated because of inconsistencies in how the line appears behind on-screen elements. Apple has not confirmed a widespread display defect, and the cause of the reported incidents remains unestablished. 

The West Bengal government has signed an MoU with Adani Enterprises to explore cultural initiatives connected with Durga Puja and Bengal’s wider artistic heritage. The agreement creates a framework for dialogue, exchanging ideas and assessing potential projects, while the specific nature of the collaboration will be decided through further discussions. The MoU does not create a partnership or joint venture, and both sides will remain independent. Any future funding, sponsorship or financial commitments will require separate written agreements. The initiative comes as Durga Puja remains a major cultural and economic event in Bengal, generating significant employment and commercial activity. (PC: PTI)

Researchers investigating Turkey’s boat-shaped Durupınar Formation near Mount Ararat say new radar surveys and drilling have detected unusual underground features, including straight lines, right-angle intersections, possible corridors and cavity-like spaces. The research team has described the formation as a man-made structure, while some reports have linked the findings to the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, traditionally dated by some interpretations to more than 4,300 years ago. However, the Ark itself has not been confirmed. Organic material recovered through drilling is being tested, while further core sampling and a specially designed robot investigation are planned. Scientists remain divided over the formation’s origin.

President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a White House state dinner on September 24, bringing together leading technology and business figures. Forbes estimated that the combined net worth of the attending or expected-to-attend tech moguls exceeded $2.4 trillion, with Elon Musk accounting for nearly 40% of the total. Guests included Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, Tim Cook, Sergey Brin, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. The gathering came as AI, trade and US-China technology relations remained major issues surrounding the Trump-Xi meeting. 

A Delhi court has allowed US national Matthew Aaron VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals to leave India for one month after granting them default bail in an NIA case. The court released their passports and permitted VanDyke to travel to the US and the six Ukrainians to Ukraine, subject to conditions. They must return to India after the permitted period and provide overseas contact details to investigators. The NIA is continuing its investigation into allegations involving a drone-warfare training programme linked to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. The agency’s September 8 chargesheet invoked immigration-related offences, while the UAPA investigation remains ongoing.