Religious, focused: Machchhar family shares Captain Smit’s journey, proud moment after PM Modi call

Lhuan-dre Pretorius achieved an unbeaten 188 runs while playing for the Titans against the Knights. His performance included 13 sixes and 14 fours, breaking Chris Gayle's previous record of 175 runs. The match took place during the South African CSA Challenge in Bloemfontein. The Titans finished with a total of 267-3 and won by 124 runs after bowling out the Knights.

India is projected to experience approximately 7% economic growth this year despite higher oil prices and deficient rainfall. Nilesh Shah, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, expressed optimism about the economic momentum. The rising oil prices are a key concern as they could impact inflation and economic growth. Shah highlighted the importance of managing the Unified Payments Interface costs for maintaining effective financial services.

Today’s Word of the Day: Novelty refers to something new, unusual or different that attracts interest because it is unfamiliar. The noun can describe the quality of being fresh as well as an object or experience valued for its unusual nature. The word is also commonly used in the phrase “the novelty wore off” when excitement over something new gradually fades.

Kashi is preparing to host an Indian Air Force air show from October 24 to 26 this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are expected to attend the event. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reviewed preparations and arrangements for spectators. Officials are focused on ensuring crowd management and emergency arrangements across Varanasi.

Shankersinh Vaghela made a controversial statement regarding manual scavenging during a public gathering in Narmada district. He challenged members of certain communities to undertake this work for a salary of Rs 50,000. BJP leaders criticised Vaghela's comments, claiming they foster caste animosity and are inappropriate. Additionally, they pointed out that manual scavenging has been eradicated in India. Vaghela's remarks led to political backlash and concerns about community relations.

Chinese troops have taken part in a mass multinational exercise in Russia featuring new anti-drone and ground robot systems – drills that Russian state media said “applied lessons” from the Ukraine war. The troops were among more than 47,000 military personnel involved in the Tsentr-2026 – or Centre-2026 – drills in the central western Chelyabinsk region from Monday until Saturday. The Russian Ministry of Defence said the strategic command-and-staff exercise applied combat lessons from the...

Deepak Punia secured the bronze medal in men's 97kg wrestling at the Asian Games held in Nagoya. He achieved this victory with a close 2-1 win over Mongolia's Gankhuyang Ganbataar. Earlier, Deepak narrowly lost in the semifinals against Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov with a score of 8-9. He had previously won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. The bronze medal adds to his impressive international wrestling achievements.

Higher fuel costs and tighter financial conditions are significantly affecting global demand and capital costs. India is comparatively better positioned than many developed markets, yet it remains vulnerable due to imported energy. The high dependence on crude oil and foreign capital poses risks for India's growth amid global economic pressures. Global bond yields have risen, increasing pressures on mortgage rates and investment costs domestically.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said India's economic resilience has been built consciously over the past decade through fiscal prudence, infrastructure creation, banking reforms, last-mile delivery and sustained reforms, while stressing the need for greater strategic autonomy and preparedness to deal with emerging global challenges.

A Delhi court has postponed the formal framing of money laundering charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav and others. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 30 to continue the proceedings. Earlier, the previous court had identified strong evidence against the accused related to the IRCTC hotel scam. It stated that the investigation did not seem politically motivated, as argued by Lalu Prasad's counsel.

A Delhi court has postponed the formal framing of money laundering charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav and others. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 30 to continue the proceedings. Earlier, the previous court had identified strong evidence against the accused related to the IRCTC hotel scam. It stated that the investigation did not seem politically motivated, as argued by Lalu Prasad's counsel.