The Supreme Court on September 18 indicated that Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe would inspect the National Testing Agency’s newly upgraded office at Minto Road, New Delhi, amid concerns over NEET-UG paper leaks. The bench said temporary measures would not be sufficient and stressed the need for permanent systems, staff and institutional structures to protect examination integrity. The court also directed a Union Education Ministry joint secretary associated with the Nandan Nilekani-led task force to submit an affidavit within two weeks detailing reforms and their implementation. The Nilekani panel is expected to submit an interim report by the end of September. (PC: X)

India’s Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza lost 1–2 to Indonesia’s Sumaya in the women’s singles teqball semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday. Dsouza made a strong start, winning the opening game 12–7, but Sumaya fought back to take the second 12–9 and the deciding game 12–7. Dsouza will now compete in the singles bronze-medal match on Sunday. She also remains in contention for a second bronze alongside Mohamed Anas Imran Beg in mixed doubles. Teqball is making its Asian Games debut at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, giving Dsouza two opportunities to secure a historic medal for India. 

US President Donald Trump said the United States and China conduct espionage against each other, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “China spies on us and we spy on them too,” while indicating that he would discuss a wide range of issues with Xi. The remarks come amid tensions over China’s alleged intelligence and satellite activities linked to Iran. Xi is scheduled to visit Washington on September 24, where trade, technology, rare earths and other bilateral issues are expected to feature in talks. (PC: AP)

US President Donald Trump announced on September 18 that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were being banned from the White House, accusing the outlets of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news.” Trump made the announcement on Truth Social and warned that other media organizations could face similar restrictions. He did not specify how the ban would be implemented, and journalists from the three outlets remained on White House grounds later that day. CNN and Politico said they would defend their First Amendment rights. The announcement follows earlier disputes between Trump’s administration and several major news organizations over press access. (PC: X)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf welcomed China and Russia’s vetoes of a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution concerning Iran. The proposal sought to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts supporting the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee until September 2027. It received 11 votes in favour, while China and Russia voted against and two countries abstained, preventing its adoption. Ghalibaf said the vetoes rejected what he described as political misuse of the Security Council and called for defending multilateralism. China and Russia have disputed the legal basis of renewed sanctions measures against Iran following the expiry of Resolution 2231. (PC: X)

Saudi Arabia issued an air-raid warning in Riyadh early Saturday, September 19, after authorities detected a potential hostile aerial threat. Residents were urged to remain indoors as two explosions were heard in the capital, according to AFP journalists. The alert was lifted about 30 minutes later by Saudi Civil Defence. The incident marks the first reported direct impact on Riyadh since fighting in neighbouring Yemen intensified in July. The warning comes amid increased Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and escalating fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The renewed conflict has also disrupted regional maritime traffic and displaced more than 112,000 people in Yemen. 

Russia’s Aerospace Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class carrier rocket from the Plesetsk spaceport in the Arkhangelsk Region on September 18, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. The launch was conducted by a combat crew from the Space Troops of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The rocket was carrying a spacecraft for the Russian Defence Ministry. The ministry described the launch as successful but did not provide further details about the spacecraft’s mission, orbit or operational purpose in its initial statement. The launch took place from Russia’s state test spaceport at Plesetsk, a key facility for Russian military and space missions. 

US President Donald Trump has signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, expanding Washington’s sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. The law targets Russian officials, banks, energy interests and the country’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. It also authorises tariffs of up to 100% on goods from major buyers of Russian oil and gas, potentially affecting India and China. However, the legislation does not automatically impose a 100% tariff on India; Trump would have to exercise the authority provided by the law. The measure passed the House 262–159 before Trump signed it. (PC: WION)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s interim decision to bar rival Trinamool Congress factions from using the original TMC name and its ‘Flowers and Grass’ election symbol. The EC said two rival groups were claiming the party’s identity and ordered both to use separate names and symbols for the October 6 bypolls. Banerjee’s faction was allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy received “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the ‘Envelope’ symbol. (PC: PTI)

A second-year undergraduate student of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay allegedly died by suicide on Friday, September 18, making it the third reported student death on the Powai campus this year. According to student accounts, the incident followed an examination in which the student was allegedly caught using another student’s answer sheet and was told he could face disciplinary action. IIT Bombay disputed this account, stating that he was found using a mobile phone and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT for answers. The institute said no disciplinary action had begun and that the student had been counselled. (PC: HT)