Modi places extraordinary value on preparation. (File Photo)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he had a “productive conversation” with US President Donald Trump and that the two leaders agreed to maintain close engagement to advance their comprehensive global strategic partnership.
Modi said they also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including ongoing efforts to advance global peace and security. The two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy and critical technologies, he said.
The Election Commission on Wednesday decided to extend the deadline for publication of the final electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya to October 16 and October 26, respectively, officials said.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by the poll panel on Wednesday.
One person was killed and eight others injured in a massive explosion at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) premises in Kuthethoor near Jokatte in Dakshina Kannada on Wednesday, officials said.
The explosion occurred around 12.25 pm and was heard across several nearby areas, including Jokatte, Kavoor and Yeyyadi. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the refinery following the blast, PTI reported.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, addressing a rally for the Dharapuram bypoll, accused the AIADMK of betraying the legacies of late leaders M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, and again described the ruling DMK as an “evil force”. Vijay said only he was “boldly opposing” the DMK, like AIADMK icons M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
Rejecting allegations of horse-trading, Vijay said TVK candidate Sathyabama had resigned as a legislator before joining the party.
After a three-hour INDIA bloc meeting, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a party press briefing said the Opposition would ensure that those responsible for what he described as the destruction of Indian democracy are punished. He said Opposition leaders were collective defenders of the Constitution and would work to bring serious changes in the country. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the bloc would hold a district-level “Save Democracy March” from October 2 to 8, followed by a march by Opposition MPs to the Election Commission on October 6. He said the leaders would also seek an appointment with the President in the second week of October to raise concerns over what they termed “vote chori”, and announced a larger INDIA bloc rally in Delhi on November 1, with the venue yet to be finalised.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar was shot dead in Maharashtra’s Thane city on Tuesday night after unidentified assailants allegedly fired two rounds at him and physically assaulted him, police said. The incident took place around 9 pm under the jurisdiction of the Kapurbawdi police station. Purnekar, the party’s Thane vibhag pramukh, was rushed to a hospital on Ghodbunder Road with serious bullet injuries but died during treatment. Police are examining CCTV footage and have set up checkpoints across Thane to trace and apprehend the attackers.
The new NCERT Class 9 Social Science textbook describes the 1,000-1700 AD period as an era of “Resistance and Resilience”, highlighting how Indian kingdoms resisted successive invasions and preserved their traditions. The book focuses on resistance by the Rajputs, Ahoms, Vijayanagara empire, Marathas, Sikhs and Jats against Turkish, Mughal and European forces, while giving less emphasis to themes of cooperation and the development of a composite culture that had featured prominently in earlier Indian historiography.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he had a “productive conversation” with US President Donald Trump and that the two leaders agreed to maintain close engagement to advance their comprehensive global strategic partnership.
Modi said they also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including ongoing efforts to advance global peace and security. The two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy and critical technologies, he said.
(Reuters)
The Election Commission on Wednesday decided to extend the deadline for publication of the final electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya to October 16 and October 26, respectively, officials said.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by the poll panel on Wednesday.
A UK court has approved the sale of a luxury apartment linked to fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, who is behind bars in London while fighting extradition to India in connection with fraud and money laundering charges.
The 55-year-old former luxury jeweller, accused in the USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, has been in custody since his arrest in London in 2019. Master James Brightwell, presiding over a hearing in the Chancery Division of the High Court on Tuesday, gave the "court's blessing" for the sale of 103 Marathon House in central London for a minimum price of 3.75 million pounds.
The case involved Trident Trust Company (Singapore) Pte Limited as the claimant. The Enforcement Directorate had previously successfully argued that proceeds from the sale be placed in a secure account after all "pressing liabilities" of the trust are cleared.
(PTI)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Centre’s response on a petition challenging its decision to make biometric Aadhaar authentication (BAA) mandatory for domestic LPG consumers to book refills at the regulated retail selling price with applicable subsidy from October 1.
"Everyone does not have Aadhaar in this country. They too are consuming LPG," orally remarked a bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, as it asked the Centre’s counsel to return with instructions on Monday.
(PTI)
One person was killed and eight others injured in a massive explosion at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) premises in Kuthethoor near Jokatte in Dakshina Kannada on Wednesday, officials said.
The explosion occurred around 12.25 pm and was heard across several nearby areas, including Jokatte, Kavoor and Yeyyadi. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the refinery following the blast.
A resident living near the refinery said the explosion was so loud that it damaged the windows and gate of their house. Glass panes were also shattered and walls damaged in some other nearby residential areas.
(PTI)
A special PMLA court in Ranchi has framed charges against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a land fraud case, his lawyer told PTI.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, addressing a rally for the Dharapuram bypoll, accused the AIADMK of betraying the legacies of late leaders M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, and again described the ruling DMK as an "evil force".
Vijay said only he was “boldly opposing” the DMK, like AIADMK icons M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
Rejecting allegations of horse-trading, Vijay said TVK candidate Sathyabama had resigned as a legislator before joining the party.
(PTI)
Three LPG cylinders will be provided annually to beneficiaries from next year’s Pongal festival, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay said while campaigning for the Dharapuram bypoll.
(PTI)
The Mumbai Crime Branch, which is probing the alleged suicide of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay student Sahil Wakode on September 18, has so far recorded the statements of 40 people, including his parents and fellow pupils, a police official said. Besides Wakode's parents, who are on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, and his fellow students, the Crime Branch has recorded the statements of IIT hostel staff and others.
However, the statement of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been booked for abetment of suicide, is yet to be recorded, the official said. Investigators have sent two mobile phones, a laptop, and a tablet belonging to Wakode to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina to unlock and examine the electronic devices.
(PTI)
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday claimed that several MLAs from the ruling BJP-led alliance were in touch with his party, but said the SP would not make promises it could not fulfil.
"Democracy should not have dishonesty. Had the BJP not indulged in dishonesty, the SP would have had three Rajya Sabha MPs," he said, referring to the previous Rajya Sabha election in which SP candidate Alok Ranjan lost amid cross-voting. Yadav said the SP was now urging MLAs to use the opportunity to "wash away the past".
"Sometimes one should learn even from his opponents. They appear to be fighting, but remain together internally," he said.
(PTI)
A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist killed in a gunfight in the higher reaches of central Kashmir’s Budgam district was a retired havildar of the Pakistan Army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG) and had once served in former president Pervez Musharraf’s security convoy, officials said on Wednesday.
Mohd Asif, alias Hashim Moosa, was killed in a joint operation by the Army and other security forces in the higher reaches of Korag, Yousmarg, late Tuesday night.
Officials said the Pakistani terrorist was involved in several high-profile attacks, particularly over the past three years, during which there was a surge in targeted ambushes and attacks on military personnel and civilian areas.
(PTI)
Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said the five rescued baby orangutans kept in quarantine are gradually recovering.
The minister said teams of specialist doctors are regularly monitoring the animals' health and that their weight has been increasing.
"The climate of Odisha suits the orangutans. Special care is being taken, and they are being monitored 24 hours a day. The weight of the orangutans has also increased," the minister told reporters.
Five baby orangutans, which are not native to India, were rescued from a forest in Odisha's Balasore district on September 8, triggering an international wildlife trafficking investigation.
They were shifted to Nandankanan Zoo the same day and placed in a special quarantine facility.
(PTI)
The Election Commission is meeting on Wednesday evening to review a series of decisions taken last week, mostly on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, PTI reported. Officials said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi will meet around 4.30 pm for the review meeting. With questions being raised about its handling of the SIR exercise, the poll authority has decided that people will no longer have to appear for a hearing before poll officials for discrepancies in their SIR forms.
PTI
After a three-hour INDIA bloc meeting, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a party press briefing said the Opposition would ensure that those responsible for what he described as the destruction of Indian democracy are punished. He said Opposition leaders were collective defenders of the Constitution and would work to bring serious changes in the country.
After a three-hour meeting of INDIA bloc leaders, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ina press conference said that the INDIA bloc will conduct a “Save Democracy March” at the district level from October 2 to 8, with all Opposition MPs scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6. He said Opposition leaders will also seek an appointment with the President in the second week of October to highlight what he said as problems created by the current government formed through “vote chori” (vote theft). Kharge said the bloc will hold a bigger rally on November 1 in Delhi, with the venue yet to be decided.
A loud explosion was reported at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) premises in Kuthethoor near Jokatte in Dakshina Kannada on Wednesday afternoon, with thick black smoke seen rising from the refinery. The incident occurred around 12.25 pm and the blast was heard across several nearby areas, including Jokatte, Kavoor and Yeyyadi. A resident living near the refinery said the explosion was so loud that it damaged the windows and gate of their house, while glass panes were shattered and walls damaged in some other nearby residential areas. MRPL’s emergency response team and fire personnel were rushed to the site. The cause of the explosion and details of any casualties or damage are yet to be confirmed.
An Indian sailor was among five crew members killed after pirates hijacked a fuel tanker off Somalia’s Puntland coast, authorities said. The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said three Pakistani nationals, one Indian and one Myanmar national were killed before security forces retook control of the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 on Tuesday, as per PTI reports. Three Pakistani crew members and the Indian sailor were also injured. The vessel, carrying around 18,500 barrels of fuel, was hijacked on April 21 while sailing towards Mogadishu. PMPF said 16 suspected pirates were arrested during the operation and efforts were underway to locate others.
A 45-year-old man and his elderly mother were killed while his wife was seriously injured after their car collided head-on with a tanker on the Tulsipur-Balrampur National Highway in Balrampur. The victims was a Tulsipur Sugar Mill cane manager and his mother, died in the crash near Balrampur Chungi Naka. Manager's wife was seriously injured and was later referred to Lucknow for treatment. Police have seized the tanker and initiated legal proceedings, PTI reported.
Senior AIADMK leader R B Udhayakumar accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and the ruling TVK of betraying voters by forcing a bypoll in Dharapuram after AIADMK MLA P Sathyabama resigned and joined the party. Ahead of Vijay’s campaign visit to the constituency at noon, Udhayakumar questioned why Sathyabama, who won the seat on the AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol, resigned within 10 days and is now contesting on the TVK ticket. He also criticised the four-month-old government over alleged power cuts, law and order concerns, women’s safety, drug circulation and drinking water shortages in Dharapuram, as per PTI reports.
Five trekkers have gone missing on the Vasukital trek in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district after losing contact with their families, prompting a search operation, officials said Wednesday. The trekkers, who left on September 25, were expected to complete the 10-12-day trek, but a helicopter search on Tuesday failed to locate them. A foot search team has also been deployed. The region witnessed heavy snowfall on September 26 and 27, while 67 trekkers stranded on various high-altitude routes, including Vasukital, were rescued by helicopter. (PTI)
A 34-year-old bank customer care executive was found murdered in a hotel room in Hyderabad, with police suspecting that the man she was staying with fled the premises before her body was discovered. The woman and the man, both from Vikarabad district and reportedly in a relationship, had been staying at the hotel for several days. Police said the man left early Tuesday, while the woman was later found dead with injury marks on her body. Based on a complaint by her brother, a murder case was registered at SR Nagar Police Station. Further investigation is underway. (PTI)
At an ongoing meeting of top INDIA bloc leaders, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that "we should demand voting through ballot papers instead of EVMs". The leaders are meeting to finalise a joint action plan over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They are also expected to discuss the demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and chalk out a common strategy on the Election Commission’s decisions
Delhi HC rejects bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case of 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Khalid was before HC seeking bail for the third time
The Supreme Court today deferred the hearing of TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s plea alleging that she was forced to leave a circuit house in West Bengal’s Krishnanagar despite having been allotted a room. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, agreed to list the matter on Thursday after Moitra’s counsel Gopal Sankaranarayanan sought a pass-over as he was appearing in another court.
During the brief hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned Moitra’s decision to approach the Supreme Court directly and said there were inaccurate statements in the plea. Moitra’s lawyer said the incident required an independent investigation and involved an important constitutional issue.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal arrives at Constitution Club of India to attend INDIA Bloc meeting.
https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge arrives at Constitution Club of India to attend INDIA Bloc meeting.#indiabloc #mallikarjunkharge
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 30, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/2XqmUf6WVf
A 70-year-old retired IAS officer, Rakesh Agarwal, was found dead with his throat slit at his home in Bhopal, police said. The incident was reported around 5 am from Suraj Nagar under the Ratibad police station area. Agarwal’s wife was asleep in another room when the crime took place, police said. A domestic help, who had been hired by the family two days ago, is missing and is suspected to be involved in the murder, according to PTI reports.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a brief disruption today after NC MLA Altaf Kaloo raised the withdrawal of a bill seeking to increase legislators’ salaries. The bill, along with a similar proposal for ministers, was withdrawn by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday after BJP members opposed it and the government said it would not be passed without unanimity.
Kaloo alleged the BJP opposed the bill after its demand for a Rs 3 lakh salary was not accepted, drawing a sharp response from BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma, who said the bill was withdrawn by the government and urged that the funds instead be used for daily wagers and other workers. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened, saying "This issue was closed yesterday. What is the point of raking it up again?
TVK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to begin his bypoll campaign in Dharapuram today, with security and crowd-management arrangements in place. Vijay is expected to reach Chitravuthanpalayam around 3 pm, where about 3,000 police personnel have been deployed. Entry to the rally is restricted to 5,000 people with QR-code passes, while the party has advised pregnant women, children, senior citizens and those with health conditions to stay away. The Dharapuram seat, an AIADMK stronghold in western Tamil Nadu, is among two constituencies going to polls on October 6 after the resignation of former AIADMK MLAs who later joined the TVK.
Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 22.8 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees below the season’s normal, with the maximum temperature expected to touch around 33 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. The city is likely to see a mainly clear sky.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category, with the AQI recorded at 107 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
At least eight houses and several cowsheds were gutted in a fire that broke out in Mungli village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district early Wednesday, officials said. No casualties were reported, though some livestock perished in the blaze. The fire, which started in a house shortly after midnight, spread to nearby structures before being brought under control around 4 am. With no fire station in the remote Warwan area, fire tenders were rushed from Kokernag in Anantnag district, according to PTI.
https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Jammu and Kashmir: A fire broke out in 10 houses in Warwan of Kishtwar; no casualties reported. More details awaited.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 30, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p)#kishtwar pic.twitter.com/dOvNiR5whL
A fire broke out in the pantry car of an empty Mumbai-Howrah train rake at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) yard in Mumbai early Wenesday, Central Railway officials said. The blaze was reported around 3.40 am and was doused by 4.05 am after fire brigade personnel reached the spot. No passengers were present in the rake and no injuries were reported, as per PTI reports.
The Indian Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the Gujarat ATS, seized 526 kg of methamphetamine and heroin worth more than Rs 3,000 crore from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea, officials said today. Five Pakistani nationals on board the vessel were detained during the operation near Lakshadweep on September 25. Acting on intelligence inputs, the Coast Guard tracked the suspicious dhow through sea-air surveillance before intercepting and boarding it west of Lakshadweep. The boat, crew and seized drugs were brought to Mumbai under armed escort for further interrogation and legal proceedings. (PTI)
Top INDIA bloc leaders will meet today to finalise a joint action plan against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The opposition alliance is also expected to discuss its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as it seeks to present a united front amid the ongoing dispute over the Election Commission’s decisions.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar was shot dead in Maharashtra’s Thane city on Tuesday night after unidentified assailants allegedly fired two rounds at him and physically assaulted him, police said. The incident took place around 9 pm under the jurisdiction of the Kapurbawdi police station. Purnekar, the party’s Thane vibhag pramukh, was rushed to a hospital on Ghodbunder Road with serious bullet injuries but died during treatment. Police are examining CCTV footage and have set up checkpoints across Thane to trace and apprehend the attackers.
