Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, suspended the licences of three ISKCON Juhu food establishments after inspections found serious food-safety and hygiene violations. The units at Hare Krishna Land, ISKCON Juhu Food Services–Restaurant and Govinda’s Restaurant were inspected on September 3. Officials reported pest infestation, inadequate cleaning and drainage, improper storage and segregation of raw and cooked food, and missing records related to water testing, employee medical checks, vaccination, training and audits. Govinda’s Restaurant reportedly had standing water in cold storage and blocked drains. The wider crackdown also targeted eateries and food establishments across Mumbai, Konkan and Pune, with violations including cockroaches, improper milk storage, expired food and labelling discrepancies. (PC: X)

Meta has launched Muse, a new artificial intelligence assistant designed to perform everyday digital tasks with limited user intervention. The AI agent can send emails, book travel, manage schedules, shop online and handle other activities, marking Meta’s biggest push yet into AI agents that independently complete real-world tasks. Unveiled Tuesday, Muse moves beyond conventional chatbots that mainly respond to prompts. The tool is initially available to adults in the United States through a dedicated app and Meta’s WhatsApp platform. Its rollout highlights Meta’s focus on AI agents capable of taking actions across connected services while emphasizing privacy and safety controls. Muse represents the company’s expanding effort to build autonomous AI tools. (PC: India Today)

Oil prices climbed sharply on Wednesday as escalating US-Iran tensions raised concerns over possible disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for October delivery rose 1.75% to $94.66 a barrel, while Brent crude gained 1.55% to $99.44. The increase followed US strikes that destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday after Washington said Iran had attempted attacks on an American warship. US Central Command said the warship evaded the attacks and no US personnel were injured. The latest escalation has heightened concerns that oil could rise above $120 a barrel if attacks on shipping continue. Goldman Sachs commodities researcher Daan Struyven said such a price level was “definitely plausible”. (PC: X)

Airbus expects to deliver more than 1,200 aircraft to India over the next decade, averaging more than two aircraft a week, according to Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia. The European aircraft maker currently has more than 500 aircraft among the nearly 800 flying in India. Airbus is also strengthening its maintenance and repair capabilities as India’s aviation sector expands. It has selected Indamer Technics to establish South Asia’s first comprehensive aircraft radome repair facility in Nagpur, supporting Airbus A320, A330, A350 and A380 aircraft and helping airlines reduce turnaround times. (PC: Economic Times)

India’s largest drugmaker, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, has signed an agreement with the US government to make medicines more affordable for American patients. The Mumbai-based company will offer “Most Favoured Nation” pricing to US state Medicaid programmes, providing medicines at the lowest prices offered in other developed countries. The arrangement will also apply to Sun Pharma’s future innovative medicines in the US market. The agreement was part of a wider US government push to lower prescription drug prices. In return, the company has secured a delay of more than two years in proposed Section 232 tariffs on its innovative pharmaceutical products. (PC: HT)

PayPal has reportedly laid off around 600 employees in India, about 10% of its workforce, amid a global restructuring. According to reports, the cuts affected teams in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad across technology, engineering, operations, payments and finance. Some employees said they were informed during a group call on August 31 and immediately lost access to company systems. Reports said affected workers were offered job assistance and promised one month’s salary as severance. A separate report claimed up to 25% of PayPal’s Indian workforce, or about 1,500 employees, could eventually be affected. PayPal is reportedly planning 20% global job cuts.   (PC: India Today)

Streaming platform JioHotstar has expanded internationally by launching in the UK, Canada and Singapore, targeting the South Asian diaspora and wider audiences interested in Indian stories and culture. The platform offers more than 160,000 hours of content across 12-plus Asian languages, including films, television, originals, regional shows, reality programmes, kids’ content and anime. Subscribers can access quarterly and annual plans, while interactive features include live voting for different language editions of Bigg Boss. UK and Canadian viewers will receive 24x7 live feeds, with Canada getting Bigg Boss Hindi seven days before television broadcast. Existing Hotstar subscribers will transition to equivalent plans. JioHotstar says it has over 500 million active users and will add 30,000 fresh hours annually. (PC: CNBC TV18)

Amazon has been accused of overcharging more than one million advertisers by manipulating online ad auctions. The US Federal Trade Commission and 22 states filed a lawsuit against the company.   The lawsuit claims Amazon made around $20 billion from the alleged practice since 2019. It says advertisers were charged higher prices than expected for some ads.   The complaint also claims the extra costs may have been passed on to consumers. Amazon strongly denied the allegations and called the lawsuit misguided. The company said advertisers adjust their bids based on performance. Amazon shares fell 2.5% after the lawsuit was announced.  

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has paused its earlier order allowing Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra to settle his insolvency case by paying around Rs 6.25 crore. The tribunal has also stopped Chandra from selling or transferring his properties.   The case will now be heard by a special five-member bench. The bench said there were differences in the earlier orders passed by three members, with no clear majority decision.   The earlier order had raised questions because claims of over Rs 22,000 crore were reportedly made against Chandra. The five-member bench will now review the matter and decide the next steps.  

Essel Group founder Subhash Chandra said borrowers linked to his personal guarantees have assured him they will settle outstanding claims of Rs 4,262 crore with lenders. According to a statement from his office, borrowers had received Rs 4,808 crore and repaid Rs 3,803 crore, leaving a payable balance of Rs 998 crore, while claims after settled accounts stood at Rs 4,262 crore. The largest outstanding amounts include Rs 1,322 crore with LIC Housing and Rs 775 crore with HDFC Bank. The statement said several liabilities were being settled or were backed by adequate assets. (PC: The Indian Express)