India head coach Gautam Gambhir has praised outgoing chief selector Ajit Agarkar, highlighting his role in India’s successful run during his three-year tenure. In a farewell message on X, Gambhir thanked Agarkar and said India’s 3 ICC trophies reflected his “conviction” and team-first approach. Agarkar’s tenure ended on October 4 after he led the senior selection committee since July 2023. During his time, India won the 2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy and 2026 T20 World Cup. Gambhir also appeared to respond to Agarkar’s critics, writing that “History will be kinder to you” while wishing him well for the future. (PC: India Today)

Two studies by Indian researchers have found that rising human activity is affecting the Himalayan monal, a colourful pheasant native to the Himalayan mountains. Researchers found that the birds are moving to higher elevations as climate change and human encroachment reduce suitable alpine meadow habitats. Another study recorded more than 700 monal calls in Uttarakhand and found that birds in noisy tourist areas produced higher-pitched and shorter calls than those in quieter locations. Researchers said the changes appear to be behavioural responses rather than permanent evolutionary changes. The findings highlight growing ecological pressure from tourism, infrastructure expansion and climate change across the Himalayas. (PC: BBC)

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been booked for allegedly trespassing into Akashvani Bhawan in Central Delhi during an opposition protest against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The FIR was registered at Parliament Street Police Station under relevant sections, according to a police officer. Around 200 INDIA bloc MPs had marched from Makar Dwar of Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters on Tuesday. Police stopped the protesters at Akashvani Bhawan after they had covered around 700 metres. Rahul and Priyanka were among the leaders detained during the protest, which continued with a sit-in inside the premises. (PC: X)

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana had reportedly developed differences over the captaincy of the Indian women’s cricket team, with the issue creating unease in the dressing room. According to a team source cited by PTI, the two players “were not seeing eye to eye for a while.” Harmanpreet recently stepped down as India captain across formats after leading the team to its second consecutive Asian Games gold. Mandhana was then appointed as her successor. The report said Mandhana had been frustrated by the delay in her elevation despite her performances. Harmanpreet is expected to continue as a player for the next few years. (PC: X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked 25 years in public service on Wednesday, highlighting India’s approach to terrorism and outlining larger national ambitions. Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha in Delhi, Modi said India had given a “befitting reply” to terror infrastructure, criticised previous governments as “soft on terror” and said “red terror” had been eradicated. Referring to surgical strikes and Operation Sindoor, he said India had demonstrated its strength. Modi also highlighted aspirations including Viksit Bharat by 2047, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, becoming a global manufacturing hub, hosting the Olympics and entering space and aviation. He also praised injured Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, saying the world was talking about the Indian pilot. (PC: X)

Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat is facing allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment by a woman journalist during an October 3 protest in New Delhi. The complaint, along with two others against police personnel, has been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch for a fair and impartial inquiry. Bhagat had earlier gained attention after being allegedly attacked by a mob during a June protest, suffering multiple injuries. He later resumed duty as ACP of the Connaught Place circle. Separately, police arrested a 24-year-old man over an allegedly AI-generated fake video targeting Bhagat. His additional DCP charge was also put on hold pending the inquiry. (PC: NDTV)

US President Donald Trump linked France’s ongoing student protests to what he called “out of control mass migration” and claimed that Islam was seeking to “take over” the country. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the unrest was “nothing less than out of control mass migration” and argued that it was not about schools. Thousands of students, teachers and others have protested across France over concerns surrounding the education system, with hundreds of schools reportedly shut. More than 6,000 people have been detained in recent weeks, most of them minors without prior criminal histories. The unrest has injured students, teachers and police personnel. In Lens, a student reportedly lost a hand after picking up a grenade, while another allegedly suffered an eye injury.

Bollywood actors Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra have announced that they are expecting their second child. The couple shared the news on October 7 through a joint social media post, featuring their daughter Saraayah and tiny knitted baby socks. “Blessed once again with the greatest gift of all. Our hearts are so full of love and gratitude,” they wrote. Kiara and Sidharth welcomed their first child, daughter Saraayah, in July 2025. The couple, who married in February 2023, received congratulatory messages from several friends and colleagues from the film industry following the announcement. (PC: X)

A Liberia-flagged oil tanker carrying 23 Indian crew members came under attack by unmanned surface vessels off Russia’s Black Sea coast near Sochi, Russian authorities said. The Aframax Rio was attacked on Tuesday, with open fire reported in the surrounding waters. Russia’s Transport Ministry said the entire Indian crew was rescued and evacuated to shore, with preliminary information indicating that nobody was injured. The fire was reportedly too intense for firefighting operations to begin initially, as oil continued burning in the Black Sea. Rescue vessels were expected to approach once conditions became safer. Sochi authorities temporarily restricted access to beaches and sea embankments. The attack comes amid escalating risks to commercial shipping during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

India has proposed a three-part truce between Russia and Ukraine aimed at reducing attacks on critical infrastructure, maintaining vital commodity flows and protecting commercial shipping in the Black Sea, according to a CNN-News18 report cited by Firstpost. The proposal was conveyed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s September 3 visit to Kyiv, his first standalone trip to Ukraine as foreign minister. It calls for halting attacks on energy facilities and other critical infrastructure, continuing grain and energy movement through Black Sea ports, and ending strikes targeting commercial shipping. The proposal combines concerns addressed separately by earlier initiatives from Egypt, Turkey and the US, while adding specific protection for commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea. (PC: X)