The captain of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi that experienced severe turbulence and lost approximately 300 feet of altitude on August 4 has been sent for confirmatory drug testing after initial psychoactive substance screening flagged results requiring further laboratory analysis. Both pilots have been removed from the roster pending investigation.
The Senate overwhelmingly approved sweeping Russian sanctions legislation Friday that would allow President Trump to impose 100% tariffs on the world's top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China. The bill, championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham before his unexpected death in July, now heads to the House of Representatives.
The Senate overwhelmingly approved sweeping Russian sanctions legislation Friday that would allow President Trump to impose 100% tariffs on the world's top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China. The bill, championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham before his unexpected death in July, now heads to the House of Representatives.
India and China conducted their 36th Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meeting in New Delhi on August 7, 2026, reviewing the situation along the Line of Actual Control and discussing boundary delimitation, border management, and trans-border cooperation. Both nations agreed to use existing diplomatic and military channels to resolve outstanding issues and prevent miscalculations.
Inaara NeoFoods has secured ₹21 crore ($2.2 million) in funding to develop its AI-powered 'farm to formulation' platform that produces plant-based proteins, fibers, fats, and functional starches using India's crop ecosystem.
Microsoft has launched its biggest data center in India, located in Hyderabad, as part of a $20-21 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. The facility marks Microsoft's fourth cloud region in the country as it competes with Google and Amazon for India's rapidly growing AI and cloud computing market.
Microsoft has launched its biggest data center in India, located in Hyderabad, as part of a $20-21 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. The facility marks Microsoft's fourth cloud region in the country as it competes with Google and Amazon for India's rapidly growing AI and cloud computing market.
Global investment firm KKR has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Medicover India, the Indian hospital business of Stockholm-based Medicover, in a deal valued at approximately $1.3 billion (₹10,000-14,250 crore). The acquisition marks KKR's largest healthcare deal in India and includes a 24-hospital network, with plans for additional investment of ₹3,000-4,000 crore for expansion.
Indian oil refiners are increasingly purchasing crude from West African sources, including Nigerian grades, while some seek to avoid Gulf routes through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea amid ongoing regional tensions. Mangalore Refinery bought 1 million barrels of Oman crude while Hindustan Petroleum purchased 2 million barrels of Nigerian crude for its Rajasthan refinery.
Meta ran over 50 paid advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery across its platforms over nine months, prompting India's government to threaten removal of safe harbor protections and demand a personal apology from CEO Mark Zuckerberg within three days.
An Indian-flagged cargo vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, capsized and sank after being struck by a projectile in the Red Sea near Yemeni waters. All 14 crew members, including 13 Indian nationals, were safely rescued following the attack.
A trader in Nagpur, India has been defrauded of Rs 27 lakh (approximately $32,000 USD) in a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme. The city's Cyber Cell has registered a case against two suspects in connection with the fraud.
India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has revised its global tax reporting framework to include crypto-assets, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and digital money products, aligning with international Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) standards. The new RCASP framework mandates annual reporting of crypto transactions by exchanges and financial institutions.
Torrential monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding and landslides across Kerala state in southern India, killing at least 15 people with 7 still missing. Nearly 7,700 people have been evacuated to approximately 275 relief camps as authorities issued weather warnings for continued heavy rainfall.
India's Food Safety and Standards Authority has initiated enforcement action against several alcoholic beverage manufacturers, including Old Monk, McDowell's, and Bagpiper, for alleged violations related to non-permitted flavour usage, misleading labelling, and age claims. The regulator clarified that manufacturers cannot add additives to mask natural chemical composition and mislead consumers.
Hyderabad City Police introduced an AI-powered crowd management and surveillance system with facial recognition technology for the first time during the Bonalu festival celebrations at Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad, as thousands of devotees gathered for the annual Hindu festival.
Assam has commissioned its first government-owned GPU cluster for AI-powered public services, while Andhra Pradesh launched two AI Centres of Excellence in Amaravati and Visakhapatnam to support deeptech startups with infrastructure and mentorship.
India's drug regulator has taken enforcement action against approximately 90% of inspected pharmaceutical facilities identified as high-risk under a nationwide quality initiative, as authorities intensify oversight amid increased global scrutiny of Indian-made drugs.
QatarEnergy has bought 33 spot liquefied natural gas cargoes from the United States this year for delivery to South Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, and Japan after Qatari gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz were halted, according to trade and industry sources.
Governments worldwide are advancing AI regulation initiatives, with the EU expanding its AI Office hiring, the US seeing federal-state tensions over jurisdiction, and India debating whether new AI-specific laws are needed, while researchers warn that poorly designed regulations could be counterproductive.
India's Supreme Court ordered the release of under-18s arrested during youth protests over exam leaks and directed authorities to preserve surveillance footage, as the youth-led Cockroach movement continues to challenge Modi's government.
Deadly monsoon flooding across Assam and Gujarat killed at least 50 people and displaced roughly 700,000, with the Brahmaputra River submerging nearly 900 villages. Rescue operations continued as infrastructure damage prompted school closures in affected districts.
India's Delhi High Court issued an interim ruling on July 24, 2026, finding that OpenAI's use of news agency ANI's content to train ChatGPT fell under fair dealing and did not constitute copyright infringement.
Indian IT firm Coforge Limited won a five-year, $230+ million contract with a major European client to deliver an AI-led transformation program combining low-code/no-code platforms with AI-powered automation to modernize business operations.
India's cybercrime agency has ordered GitHub to take down Bitchat, a Bluetooth mesh messaging app created by Jack Dorsey that enables offline communication and bitcoin transactions, citing security concerns as protesters use it to bypass internet shutdowns during ongoing demonstrations in Delhi.
India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of nationwide protests led by the youth-driven Cockroach Janta Party movement demanding accountability over exam paper leaks that have undermined the country's university testing system.
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after negotiations with government ministers, though the youth-led 'Cockroach' movement protests demanding education minister's resignation over exam paper leaks continue across the country.
Russia said it carried out a series of strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure and vessels in Odesa and Chornomorsk during July 2026, claiming that the targets supported Ukrainian military operations. Reuters said it could not independently verify Russia's claims. Separately, India protested after four Indian sailors were killed in a suspected Russian cruise missile strike on the MV Golden Leo, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian forces would continue targeting vessels they suspected of transporting weapons or other military goods for Ukraine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised 'stringent punishment' for officials involved in leaked exam papers that sparked massive youth-led protests across India. Thousands of students have taken to the streets in the 'Cockroach movement' demanding accountability.
Thousands of supporters of India's youth-led 'Cockroach' movement continued protests in New Delhi demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over exam scandals. Opposition parties shut down parliament in solidarity, with leader Rahul Gandhi calling for PM Modi to resign.
Police used tear gas and batons against supporters of India's Gen Z-led Cockroach movement as they attempted to march to parliament demanding the education minister's resignation. The movement's leaders say they will continue protesting but halt further marches, while opposition leader Gandhi has called for PM Modi to step down over the crackdown.
Ukraine’s navy said three Russian cruise missiles struck the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship Golden Leo near Odesa on July 19, killing nine foreign sailors and one Ukrainian pilot in the deadliest attack on commercial shipping in the Black Sea in recent weeks.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, causing at least two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to China and India to make U-turns in the Red Sea. The move opens a new front in the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict and threatens shipping through critical energy chokepoints.
India's drug regulator approved Novo Nordisk's obesity drug Wegovy for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious form of fatty liver disease, expanding the drug's approved uses beyond weight loss.
The Serum Institute of India has signed an agreement with the Gates Medical Research Institute to manufacture M72/AS01E, a novel tuberculosis vaccine candidate currently in late-stage clinical trials. If approved, it would be the first new TB vaccine in over 100 years, with Serum Institute planning to invest over $100 million in production.
India's largest IT company plans to embed 5,900–8,900 forward-deployed AI engineers with clients and pursue acquisitions in AI, data security, and cybersecurity, countering investor fears that AI will erode demand for traditional outsourcing teams.
India has launched a program utilizing its extensive postal network to offer free eye screenings and distribute reading glasses to people who lack access to vision care, addressing a global problem where most people who need corrective eyewear don't have it.
The rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur, West Bengal has triggered widespread unrest across the Indian state, resulting in violent protests, the mob lynching of an innocent man, and the death of the main suspect in police custody. Police have arrested dozens for violence and vandalism during the protests.
Australia has agreed to sell uranium to India for peaceful nuclear energy purposes in a landmark agreement signed by Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi in Melbourne. The deal supports India's goal of achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity by 2047.
Indian drugmaker Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced it is delaying commercial production of its generic semaglutide (Ozempic) after discovering an unspecified issue with the active pharmaceutical ingredient in some batches. Shares fell as much as 6.5%.
The Reserve Bank of India reasserted its call for a cryptocurrency policy 'leaning towards prohibition,' while the country's tax department warned that offshore trading and P2P transactions are difficult to track and enforce, according to internal government documents reviewed by Reuters.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi conducted an official visit to India in early July 2026, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expand bilateral defense and economic security cooperation. The visit included cultural engagement, with Takaichi trying her hand at playing the santoor.
OpenAI hired Prabhjeet Singh, former president of Uber India and South Asia, as its first managing director for India to scale operations in what the company considers its biggest market outside the US.
India's Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on six Bengaluru-based crypto on-ramp/off-ramp firms, investigating alleged unauthorized cross-border money transfers totaling approximately ₹2,500 crore ($300 million).
India's Directorate of Enforcement filed a prosecution complaint against Chirag Tomar and seven other individuals and entities in connection with an alleged Coinbase spoofing scheme that stole more than $20 million.
India blocked the Telegram messaging app until June 22, citing its use to defraud candidates taking the national medical entrance examination (NEET). The restriction follows widespread protests and exam cancellations after allegations of paper leaks, sparking the viral 'Cockroach Janta Party' youth movement.
President Trump's personal lawyer was said to be among attorneys who pressed the Justice Department last year to drop a 2024 fraud case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani Group.
Indian investigators will miss the one-year deadline to release findings on the June 2025 Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, as engine examination in the US remains incomplete. The sole survivor and victims' families are demanding transparency as the anniversary passes.
India summoned US charge d'affaires Jason Meeks to protest a US military attack on the Palau-flagged commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman. Three Indian seafarers remain missing after Oman rescued 21 others from the ship.
An investigation found that India's Ambani family secured major policy concessions from the Trump administration while secretly funneling at least $100 million to a Texas firm connected to Donald Trump Jr.
A US fighter jet fired on the oil tanker Settebello (also reported as MT Marivex) in the Gulf of Oman for violating a US blockade on Iran, sparking a fire that forced evacuation of the Indian crew. Three sailors remain missing while 21 were rescued, prompting India to summon a US diplomat in protest.
A major fire swept through a hotel in New Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, killing at least 21 people, with 18 of the victims being foreign nationals. Dozens more were injured in one of the deadliest building fires in the Indian capital in recent years.
The Russian government announced a ban on jet fuel exports lasting until November 30, 2026, citing ongoing Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries that have caused domestic production declines and fuel shortages. The ban triggered declines in Indian aviation stocks, with SpiceJet and IndiGo shares falling up to 2.5%.
Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States agreed to jointly construct a port in Fiji and signed agreements covering critical minerals and energy security, seeking to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting NATO allies in Sweden and India as the Trump administration's abrupt policy decisions create uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine and strain relations with key partners. The visits come as European allies face pressure to assume greater defense responsibilities.
A mock political party called the Cockroach Janta Party has become a viral sensation across Indian social media, attracting millions of young followers in less than a week as a humorous symbol of Gen Z frustration with joblessness, inflation, and political establishment. The movement has rapidly surpassed the ruling BJP's Instagram following.
India and the United Arab Emirates agreed on a framework for strategic defense partnership and signed energy deals during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the Gulf nation, strengthening bilateral ties amid regional tensions.
Foreign ministers from BRICS nations convened for a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling on member states to condemn alleged violations of international law by the United States and Israel. The meeting occurs against the backdrop of ongoing war in the Middle East.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on citizens to cut petrol and diesel consumption and work from home as the Middle East conflict disrupts energy supplies and impacts India's economy, demonstrating the war's far-reaching economic effects.
Pakistan held ceremonies marking one year since the brief but intense May 2025 military confrontation with India. Army Chief Asim Munir stated India's ambitions exceeded its capabilities during the conflict, while officials emphasized Pakistan cannot be intimidated.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won control of West Bengal state for the first time in state elections, marking a significant breakthrough in one of India's most challenging political territories. The victory is expected to accelerate the government's push for uniform civil law reforms and infrastructure development.
India has approved new tuberculosis vaccines for adolescents, backed by a large, independent Phase III clinical trial led and funded by public science institutions. The vaccines represent a significant breakthrough in TB prevention, though officials note they are not a complete solution.
India's government failed to pass a bill to increase female representation in parliament to 33% after opposition parties accused Modi of using the quota as cover for redrawing the electoral map. The proposal would have added hundreds more parliamentary seats.
Iranian and US delegations arrived in Islamabad for direct negotiations aimed at ending the six-week conflict, with Pakistan deploying over 10,000 security personnel. Both sides issued warnings and set preconditions, casting doubt on the fragile two-week ceasefire.
NASA's Artemis II crew broke the Apollo 13 record for farthest human travel from Earth (400,171km) and prepared for a historic flyby of the moon's far side, the closest approach to the lunar surface in over 50 years.
