Archaeologists searching the seabed off Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu have recovered pottery fragments believed to have come from West Asia. The pieces were found in 10 to 12 metres of water, about 1.8 to 2.2 km from the present shoreline, during the third phase of underwater exploration.   Among the finds are parts of a torpedo jar, a distinctive vessel linked to long-distance maritime trade across the Indian Ocean.   Poompuhar was once the Chola port of Kaveripoompattinam, parts of which now lie beneath the Bay of Bengal. The discovery gives researchers a new material clue to a trading world that ancient Tamil literature described nearly two thousand years ago. (PC: The Indian Express)

The BJP on Sunday announced Dinesh Arya and actor Rukmini, popularly known as Koel Mallick, as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Uttarakhand and West Bengal, respectively. Biennial polls for 11 seats, 10 from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand, will be held on October 16, along with a bypoll in West Bengal. Mallick, a former Trinamool Congress leader, will contest the bypoll after joining the BJP following the TMC's defeat in the Assembly elections. Arya, who has ties to the RSS and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, is vice chairperson of Uttarakhand's Water Resources Management and Regulatory Commission. (PC: The Indian Express)

Russian drones struck Kyiv's Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge on Sunday for the second day in a row, injuring two people. Major bridges in the capital have now been hit for four straight days, causing traffic gridlock. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to Kyiv as the attack unfolded, telling Ukraine, "You can rely on us." President Volodymyr Zelensky said a new aid package worth over €1.3 billion had been agreed with Germany, covering weapons and energy support ahead of winter. Russia's military said it would intensify strikes on Kyiv and other regions. Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down 125 of 135 drones overnight. (PC: BBC)

Questions over security lapses have grown in the Flydubai cockpit attack probe, as reports said the UAE shared the crew list with Israel before flight FZ1073 left for Tel Aviv. Omani co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami allegedly attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe and tried to take control of the plane, which carried nearly 180 people. Officials said he was barred from flying in Oman over alleged extremist views, yet was cleared to operate the flight. Israel's Shin Bet and Transportation Ministry said they received no warning or passenger list. The UAE is leading the investigation, which continues.

Opposition leaders from the Congress and AAP on Sunday questioned the Centre and Delhi Police after no FIR was registered over harassment complaints by three women journalists. The journalists alleged manhandling by senior police officers during Saturday's protest against the Election Commission at Jantar Mantar. Rahul Gandhi said registering an FIR was the police's basic duty and asked Home Minister Amit Shah to answer. Priyanka Gandhi said no concrete action had been taken. AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj said failing to register an FIR could be a punishable offence. Delhi Police said the complaints were registered, medical examinations were done, and the matter has been referred to the Crime Branch. (PC: HT)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday defended India's ties with Russia, saying Moscow has stood by New Delhi when its security and territorial integrity were under threat. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in New Delhi, he recalled Soviet support since the 1950s, when much of the world backed Pakistan's military regime. He said each country judges relationships by its own experience, and India's has been consistently positive. His remarks come amid US and European criticism of India's Russian oil purchases, which the MEA has called "unjustified and unreasonable." On Ukraine, Jaishankar reiterated India's call for an end to the war through dialogue and diplomacy. (PC: India Today)

A new video from the Flydubai flight incident shows passengers repeatedly insisting that co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami be handed over only to police after he was restrained following an alleged attack on Indian Captain Smit Machchhar. Passengers who helped subdue the Omani co-pilot told The New York Post that some cabin crew members allegedly asked them to untie him, raising their suspicions. The passengers refused, keeping him restrained until the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. The 45-second video shows al-Hammami kneeling with his hands tied behind his back while passengers can be heard saying “just police” and “only police.” 

AI company Anthropic reportedly flew Hindu monk Swami Sarvapriyananda to its San Francisco headquarters to discuss artificial intelligence, ethics, morality and consciousness. The Ramakrishna Order monk, who leads the Vedanta Society of New York, joined theologians, philosophers, counsellors and mental-health professionals in private discussions aimed at helping shape Claude’s behaviour. Anthropic is developing a “constitution” for Claude that goes beyond fixed rules, seeking to encourage judgment and moral reasoning when situations are unpredictable. The company has consulted thinkers from multiple religious traditions to avoid imposing a single worldview. The discussions also explored whether advanced AI could potentially possess consciousness or moral status. (PC: X)

Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the Centre and Delhi Police over allegations of sexual harassment and manhandling involving three women journalists during Saturday’s protest at Jantar Mantar. They questioned why an FIR had not initially been registered and demanded accountability, with Rahul Gandhi directing criticism at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whose ministry oversees Delhi Police. The police said the women’s complaints were received, medical examinations were conducted, and the matter was transferred to the Crime Branch for a fair and impartial inquiry. Police also sought relevant footage from witnesses. (PC: PTI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray jointly led the Virat Garjana Morcha in Mumbai on October 4, protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The march began at Metro Cinema and moved towards the BMC headquarters, with Congress and NCP (SP) leaders also participating. Protesters demanded Kumar’s resignation and cancellation of Maharashtra’s SIR exercise. Raj Thackeray also called for replacing EVMs with ballot papers. Organisers asked participants to carry only the national flag, avoiding party flags.