A judge has ordered Paramount and Warner to halt their planned merger for at least two weeks, intensifying a high-stakes antitrust fight over one of Hollywood’s most consequential media combinations. The pause comes after twelve states sued to block the deal, arguing that the transaction would reduce competition and narrow consumer choice across the entertainment industry.
India is witnessing two sharply contrasting realities: women athletes are delivering historic performances on the international stage, even as young women across the country continue to mobilise for safety, dignity and the freedom to live without fear. The convergence of sporting triumph and street protest has sharpened a national debate over what progress means for women in India.
Wall Street opened Friday on firmer footing as a pullback in oil prices eased immediate concerns over Middle East supply disruptions and supported risk appetite across major indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all advanced at the open, even as telecom stocks came under pressure after SpaceX’s spectrum purchase intensified competitive worries in the sector.
Arsenal have secured Mikel Arteta on a new long-term contract through 2030, extending the tenure of the coach who ended the club’s Premier League title drought and transformed its competitive identity. The 44-year-old Spaniard, in charge since December 2019, is now the longest-serving manager in the Premier League by a comfortable margin, underscoring the stability behind Arsenal’s recent rise.
Reissued state bonds made up nearly 66% of all state market borrowings in the first half of FY27, underscoring a sharp rise in the use of existing securities to meet financing needs, according to a report. The trend reflects deeper state participation in debt markets and aligns with the Reserve Bank of India’s push for greater transparency and liquidity in government securities.
The BJP on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of twisting the account of an INDIA bloc delegation’s meeting with President Droupadi Murmu, calling his remarks politically motivated. The dispute centres on Gandhi’s claim that he was “shocked” the President did not deny the Opposition’s allegation of “vote theft,” a charge the BJP says was never validated in the meeting.
Indian information technology shares rallied sharply on Friday, adding about Rs 70,000 crore in market capitalisation even after the United States suspended a labour certification programme linked to skilled immigration. Investors instead focused on stronger-than-expected quarterly numbers from Tata Consultancy Services, softer oil prices, easing bond yields and fresh optimism around artificial intelligence-linked demand. Analysts, however, warned that near-term margin pressure and evolving AI risks remain key watchpoints.
Reliance Jio Platforms has fixed a price band of Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 for its upcoming initial public offering, setting the stage for what could become one of India’s largest market debuts. The company aims to raise between Rs 28,755 crore and Rs 30,213 crore, with public subscription scheduled to open on October 21 and a potential listing on October 28.
Mumbai captain Shardul Lad has said he respects the selectors’ decision to leave out Suyakumar, striking a measured tone ahead of his side’s Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh on Sunday. The comment underscores a familiar tension in domestic cricket: balancing selection calls, squad stability and the pressure to start the season strongly.
India’s government bond market may be entering a consolidation phase after a sharp rally, but the broader uptrend remains intact, according to market experts. With the 10-year benchmark yield having already fallen below 7 percent after the Reserve Bank of India signalled a plan to ease the system’s liquidity deficit, analysts say further downside in yields is still possible if policy support and liquidity conditions remain favourable.
Ticketed concerts and cultural events are drawing new audiences into Delhi’s historic monuments, recasting heritage sites as premium live-entertainment spaces. The trend is creating fresh revenue and visibility for cultural landmarks, while also intensifying debate over permissions, conservation safeguards and the limits of commercial use.
Hospital stocks climbed as much as 5% in early trade after the government capped trade margins on non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs at 30%, a move that could sharply lower prices for patients. Brokerages including Jefferies and Emkay said the earnings hit for hospital chains should be manageable, with Jefferies remaining constructive on Fortis, Manipal, Apollo, Max Healthcare and Medanta.
HYBE is set to stage its K-pop festival Weverse Con in India for the first time outside Korea, with the event scheduled for 27–28 March 2027 in New Delhi. The move signals a major expansion of the company’s live entertainment footprint into one of the world’s fastest-growing music markets, where demand for Korean pop culture has deepened sharply in recent years.
Indian Railways has urged passengers to avoid playing audio or video on speaker mode inside trains, warning that disruptive behaviour could invite action. The advisory reflects a broader push to preserve public order, reduce friction in crowded coaches, and protect the shared travel experience for millions of daily commuters.
The 57th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council has been postponed by one day and will now convene on October 8 at 11 am at the Summit Room, Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi. An Office Memorandum attributed the change to unavoidable circumstances, while notifying members and apologising for any inconvenience caused.
Axis Bank is preparing to significantly expand its lending to India’s data centre industry, with exposure expected to double from Rs 8,688 crore over the next three years, according to the broad direction of the bank’s strategy. The move reflects a wider shift in Indian banking as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services drive demand for large-scale computing infrastructure. The opportunity is being supported by a more enabling policy environment, but lenders still face concentration, execution and technology risks.
ixigo has announced partnerships with Uber and redBus to let users book cabs and buses natively inside its trains app, expanding the platform beyond rail ticketing into end-to-end trip planning. The move strengthens ixigo’s position in India’s fast-converging online travel market, where convenience, retention and cross-sell are becoming as important as fare discovery.
Airtel Money has begun trading on the London Stock Exchange after raising $703 million in what is being billed as the largest initial public offering of the year. The shares opened conditionally at £1.96 apiece, briefly firmed to around £2.00, and then eased, with unconditional trading scheduled to begin on October 14, 2026.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed district magistrates and superintendents of police to respond within two hours to any sensitive social media-related complaint, after a spate of molestation and assault cases involving women and minors triggered embarrassment for the state government. The instruction signals a sharper administrative push to contain online abuse, accelerate police action and prevent digital harassment from escalating into physical harm.
India is witnessing two sharply contrasting realities: women athletes are delivering landmark performances on the international stage, while young women at home are again taking to the streets to demand safety, dignity and the freedom to live without fear. The juxtaposition has sharpened public attention on the gap between national celebration of women’s success and the everyday conditions many women still face in public life.
Musician Muthu’s latest track, 'Theeraa Theeraa,' arrives as another marker in a career shaped by migration, memory, and a writer’s instinct for narrative. From composing Sufi songs in Uttar Pradesh to writing for Malayalam cinema, he has built a body of work that treats lived experience as raw material for melody and lyric.
Mangaluru International Airport is set to increase weekly flight movements to 195 in the winter schedule, up from 181, signalling a modest but meaningful expansion in connectivity. The added services are expected to improve access to key domestic and international routes, reinforcing the airport’s role in coastal Karnataka’s travel and commerce network.
Paytm’s evolution from a digital wallet into a broad financial services platform has created two distinct engines: payments, which deliver scale and customer engagement, and lending, which offers a path to higher monetisation. The company’s challenge is to balance the reliability of its payments franchise with the economics and regulatory complexity of credit distribution. Investors are watching whether Paytm can turn that mix into durable profitability rather than growth alone.
Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran has called for a reassessment of non-performing asset classification norms for micro, small and medium enterprises, arguing that a uniform framework does not reflect the sector’s varied cash-flow cycles and working-capital needs. He also pressed for lower compliance costs, framing both changes as essential to improving MSME efficiency and credit access.
Jammu and Kashmir’s rooftop solar rollout is facing a sharp credibility test after a large share of loan applications under the scheme were rejected, underscoring execution gaps in a flagship clean-energy push. Of 61,566 applications submitted across the Union Territory, 17,416 have been turned down, including 14,232 in areas served by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited, raising concerns over vendor quality, documentation, and consumer trust.
Foreign currency non-resident deposit inflows are expected to keep a temporary lid on bank deposit rates in India by easing liquidity conditions and reducing immediate funding pressure. Analysts say the surplus may help lenders preserve margins on floating-rate loans for now, even as the system is likely to move back toward neutrality by the end of December.
The Bombay High Court on Friday pressed the National Investigation Agency for a clearer explanation of what harm could follow if former Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze is released on bail, while also expressing surprise at the extent of assets attributed to him. The court’s remarks signalled a close judicial scrutiny of the agency’s case as it weighs liberty against the prosecution’s concerns in a high-profile matter tied to policing and public trust.
HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ arrives with the weight of expectation, chasing the tonal prestige of ‘Watchmen’ while trying to reframe the DC universe as a noir-tinged character drama. The series does not fully solve its structural problems, but Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre give it enough authority and emotional force to keep the project compelling.
The Department of Expenditure and Public Works has launched a focused administrative campaign aimed at improving workplace cleanliness, reducing pending files, and strengthening operational efficiency. The initiative reflects a broader push within government to modernize internal processes, reduce procedural drag, and promote a more accountable office culture.
A former director of the Indian Institute of Science has argued that new scientific studies in India should be designed with close reference to existing research, warning that duplication and weak continuity can dilute outcomes. The remarks add fresh weight to a broader policy debate over how public research funding is allocated and how institutions measure scientific value.
Lalit Kala Akademi has opened its 65th National Exhibition of Art in New Delhi with 270 artworks selected from across India, presenting a broad survey of contemporary practice. The exhibition, captured in a photo essay from the academy, underscores the institution’s continuing role as a national platform for artistic visibility, regional representation and public engagement with visual culture.
The next phase of the PM-KUSUM programme is being positioned as a more sustainable model that protects both farm output and energy security, according to a senior government official. The renewed push will centre on agri-photovoltaics, a design approach that allows solar generation and cultivation to coexist on the same land without materially compromising agricultural production.
Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza Munoz said he is pleased to see the Indian Super League settling back into a more recognisable competitive rhythm, with clubs showing greater continuity and tactical clarity. His remarks reflect a broader sense within the league that the competition is regaining the structure and intensity that once defined its early seasons.
Jammu and Kashmir’s rooftop solar push is running into a sharp vendor credibility problem, with 17,416 of 61,566 loan applications rejected under the scheme. The bulk of the refusals — 14,232 — were recorded in areas served by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd., underscoring execution and verification challenges in a flagship clean-energy push.
Borosil Glass Works has emerged as one of the stronger performers in the Indian market, with its shares rising more than threefold over the past year. The rally has been underpinned by a sustained improvement in revenue and EBITDA across recent quarters, suggesting that investors are rewarding both operating leverage and a clearer growth trajectory.
Kobe Bryant’s approach to discipline, repetition and mental toughness offers a useful framework for India’s startup ecosystem, where founders and venture investors are under constant pressure to improve faster than the market changes. His philosophy, often distilled into five enduring lessons, is less about inspiration than execution: build habits, embrace discomfort, measure progress and stay relentlessly consistent.
Jammu and Kashmir’s rooftop solar push is running into a significant credibility problem, with 17,416 of 61,566 loan applications rejected under the scheme, including 14,232 in areas served by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited. The scale of refusals is raising questions about vendor quality, borrower readiness, and the operational screening behind a flagship clean-energy programme meant to cut household power costs and expand distributed generation.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has completed mobile network quality testing in Bilaspur and Janjgir-Champa under the Madhya Pradesh Licensed Service Area, underscoring the regulator’s ongoing push to monitor service standards beyond major urban centres. The drive reflects growing scrutiny of call reliability, data performance and consumer experience in smaller cities where network expectations are rising alongside digital dependence.
The government has prepared a major restructuring of India’s tax administration, including a revamp of the Central Board of Excise and Customs, as it moves to ensure a smooth nationwide rollout of the goods and services tax. The plan is aimed at reducing operational friction, aligning legacy tax machinery with the new indirect tax regime, and avoiding disruptions at the point of implementation.
Non-banking financial companies posted stronger credit expansion in August 2026, with overall lending growth accelerating to 15.8% as gold loans and consumer durable financing led the advance. Housing loans remained a core pillar of retail portfolios, while lending to the services sector weakened, underscoring a mixed but broadly constructive credit environment.
Siennor Trio has released Ninaivu Maaligai, an 11-track album recorded live and built around a wide sonic palette that moves from Sufi inflections to rock and other styles. The project positions itself as both a tribute to the past and a deliberate step forward, using the immediacy of live performance to frame reflection, continuity and artistic renewal.
India’s Tea Board is moving to increase the number of auction centres as part of a broader reform push aimed at improving price discovery for tea producers. The board expects the changes to strengthen market access, reduce bottlenecks in trade, and help the industry secure better price realisation over time.
HDFC Bank has appointed Anup Bagchi as its new managing director and chief executive officer, effective October 26, marking the end of Sashidhar Jagdishan’s six-year term. Kotak Mahindra Bank has separately named Anup Saha as its next MD and CEO from January 1, replacing Ashok Vaswani as both lenders execute closely watched leadership transitions.
GQG Partners-managed entities have pared their combined holding in Adani Power to 5.72% from 5.74% after selling 50.39 lakh shares in on-market transactions, according to the latest disclosure. The move comes as the stock has surged 27.05% in 2026 and as Adani Power advances its strategic push into Bhutanese hydropower, underscoring continued investor attention on the company’s growth and capital allocation trajectory.
India’s wealth management market is entering a structural shift as passive funds, specialised investment funds and GIFT City-linked products gain traction, Tata Asset Management CEO Anand Vardarajan said at the ET Alpha Wealth Summit 2.0. He argued that investors should blend active and passive strategies while staying alert to global yields, inflation trends and stretched valuations.
Candidates applying under the Assistant Executive Engineer recruitment process have been told to comply with the changes introduced in the latest notification, signalling a stricter and more procedural phase in the selection exercise. The update is likely to affect application scrutiny, eligibility verification and the documentation expected from aspirants seeking government engineering posts.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has called for the adoption of a Personal Rapid Transit system to strengthen Hyderabad’s public transport network, underscoring the need for advanced technology, careful site selection and strong maintenance planning. The push signals a broader effort to modernise urban mobility in one of India’s fastest-growing metropolitan regions.
Maas Group shares fell nearly 11% after Nvidia-backed Firmus withdrew plans for a $5 billion initial public offering, intensifying investor concern over valuation discipline in the artificial intelligence infrastructure market. The retreat has clouded near-term sentiment, even as Maas retains A$1.1 billion in contracts that continue to provide revenue visibility.
Ace investor Ashish Kacholia reduced his holding in Carysil by more than 2 lakh shares during the July-September quarter of FY27, bringing his stake down to 2.72%. The move comes as the kitchen sink maker’s stock has retreated sharply from its July highs after an earlier rally, prompting renewed scrutiny of the company’s recent price action, longer-term returns and valuation outlook.
Money Bags captured the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Mysore Dasara Sprint Championship 2026, adding a notable sprint title to the Mysore Dasara racing card. The result underscores the continued prestige of the festival meeting, where heritage, crowd attention and competitive racing converge at one of India’s best-known race venues.
