Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with significantly expanding energy access in India, saying more people gained access under Modi’s leadership than in any decade, region or country in history. Speaking at an Asia Society Policy Institute event, Albanese also highlighted the strengthening relationship between Australia and India and described Modi as a leader with whom Australia has developed close ties. His remarks come amid global energy-security concerns linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. India has sought to maintain energy supplies by diversifying crude oil, LPG and PNG imports across 41 countries, compared with 27 previously. (PC: ANI)

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at Nirvachan Sadan on September 26 amid reports of disagreements over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Election Commission said key SIR decisions were approved unanimously. It clarified that Form 6 itself was not changed; an additional declaration requiring linkage with previous electoral rolls was introduced during SIR and was upheld by the Supreme Court. The panel also said a letter to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on deputation, not an ECI policy matter. (PC: India Today)

Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh alleged that his car was attacked and vandalised while he was travelling to attend West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s rally in Hooghly on Saturday. According to reports, eggs and other objects were thrown at his vehicle, while the car was allegedly damaged during the incident. Ghosh accused BJP-backed supporters of carrying out the attack. The BJP has not accepted the allegation. The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with TMC and BJP leaders and workers exchanging allegations over attacks and clashes. Police intervention and further investigation into the incident were reported. 

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by ANI. The proposal, presented by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran has offered to restore normal maritime passage within seven days if Washington accepts conditions including lifting its naval blockade, easing oil sanctions and observing a wider ceasefire. The report, citing US officials, says Trump has told aides he expects US bombing of Iran to resume after November’s midterm elections. Trump has also threatened further military action if no agreement is reached. (PC: Reuters)

The University of Oxford has allowed OpenAI to use digitised historical material from its Bodleian Library to help train AI models, according to internal documents. The partnership, announced in 2025, was initially presented as a way to digitise texts and improve access for students and researchers. By June 2025, about 125,000 images from historical dissertations had been shared with OpenAI. Oxford staff raised concerns about reputational risks and the environmental impact of energy-intensive AI technology. The university said the digitised material is modest in scale, out of copyright, and that the Bodleian retains rights to the scans. (PC: AP)

Virat Kohli has reaffirmed his commitment to playing for India at the 2027 ODI World Cup, while indicating that the tournament is likely to be his final World Cup appearance. Kohli said he remains fully prepared and motivated to continue playing international cricket and wants to give his best if selected for the tournament. He has already played in four ODI World Cups and was part of India’s 2011 title-winning team. The 2027 tournament is scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kohli, who retired from T20Is in 2024 and Tests in 2025, continues to represent India in ODIs. (PC: PTI)

India’s medal tally reached 28 at the 2026 Asian Games on Day 7, with four gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals. India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams defeated Iran to defend their gold medals. Squash players Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh also reached their respective singles finals, assuring India of two more silver medals. In athletics, Sawan Barwal won silver in the men’s marathon with a national record time of 2:11:37. India also secured silver in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event. PV Sindhu advanced to the third round of women’s singles badminton, keeping India’s medal hopes alive. (PC: X)

Mumbai bid farewell to the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja on September 25 as thousands of devotees gathered to witness the idol’s immersion procession on Anant Chaturdashi, marking the end of the 10-day Ganeshotsav celebrations. The idol was taken out from the Lalbaug pandal amid devotional songs, traditional dhol-tasha music and chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”. Devotees lined the streets to catch a final glimpse of Lord Ganesha before the visarjan. Mumbai Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation made security and traffic arrangements to manage the large crowds. The annual procession remains one of the city’s major Ganeshotsav events. (PC: HT)

A female monkey entered a liquor shop in Ranchi’s Ormanjhi area, reportedly drank alcohol from a bottle and fell asleep inside the premises. The incident took place at Block Chowk and was captured in a video that has since gone viral on social media. According to reports, the monkey wandered into the shop and consumed liquor before dozing off. The unusual incident attracted attention from local residents, while shop staff struggled to handle the animal. A rescue team later arrived and safely removed the monkey from the shop. The incident sparked widespread curiosity among people in the area.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have resumed regular White House coverage after a federal judge temporarily blocked US President Donald Trump’s ban on the three news outlets. On Thursday, US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the restrictions likely violated the outlets’ constitutional due process rights. He ordered the immediate restoration of their press passes and suspended enforcement of the ban for 14 days. The outlets had faced restrictions after Trump accused them of publishing “fake news”. Although some journalists were initially denied entry following the ruling, White House officials allowed them back on Friday. The decision followed legal action challenging the administration’s restrictions. (PC: BBC)