India

Digital payments to merchants in India rose 19.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 11.73 lakh crore in July 2026, driven by UPI-P2M and credit card spending. UPI accounted for 77.3 per cent of total digital merchant payments.

Maharashtra’s autorickshaw and taxi unions welcomed the government’s decision to give non-Marathi drivers another year to acquire working knowledge of Marathi. The extension eases immediate livelihood concerns, while unions plan additional classes to help drivers meet the language requirement

The Trinamool Congress approached the Calcutta High Court over the removal of an alleged illegal billboard from Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office. Tensions erupted during the removal, with clashes involving police and party workers, prompting the party to seek urgent judicial intervention

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested three more people in a money laundering probe linked to a pan-India cyber fraud involving transactions worth Rs 30,000 crore. The latest arrests take the total to five as investigators trace an extensive network of alleged shell companies

India operates 24 nuclear reactors with 8.78 GW capacity, while nine units totaling 7.5 GW are under construction. With initiatives including the Nuclear Energy Mission and SHANTI Act, the government aims to expand nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047

Gujarat has recorded 42 confirmed Chandipura virus cases and 28 deaths since June 30, with 324 suspected cases reported, health department data showed. Ten samples remain pending. The virus can cause rapidly progressing encephalitis, particularly affecting children during monsoon outbreaks

Ola Electric has launched the S1Z electric scooter range, bringing its indigenous Bharat Cell LFP technology to the mass market. Priced from Rs 79,999, the scooters offer up to 301 km of range, with deliveries beginning in December 2026

Indian chess star R Praggnanandhaa made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour, defeating Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in St Louis. He overcame a classical defeat with dominant rapid performance before securing the title in blitz

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced enhanced support for agri-entrepreneurs and FPOs, allowing eligible beneficiaries to combine low-interest Agriculture Infrastructure Fund loans with PMFME scheme incentives, including interest subvention and capital subsidies for food processing and infrastructure projects

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders extended greetings on World Sanskrit Day, highlighting Sanskrit's enduring contribution to India's knowledge, philosophy and culture, while calling for collective efforts to preserve, promote and pass the ancient language to future generations

Delhi Police Special Cell busted a Pakistan-linked ISI espionage network, arresting a young couple accused of sending Indian SIM cards to Pakistan and facilitating access to sensitive information. Investigators also alleged the husband was tasked with recruiting individuals for reconnaissance of cantonment areas

TASMAC will introduce an automated stock indent system across Tamil Nadu liquor shops from September 1, replacing manual submissions with handheld devices. The digital mechanism aims to streamline supply, reduce paperwork, prevent bottlenecks and allow supervisors to respond to local consumer demand

The rupee fell 10 paise to 95.55 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, pressured by foreign investor outflows and global oil supply disruptions, though a weaker dollar and softer crude prices helped prevent a sharper decline

India and Canada aim to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of 2026 and begin Bilateral Investment Treaty talks, while also exploring wider UPI use and targeting expansion of bilateral trade to CAD 70 billion by 2030

The UK has offered £5 million and emergency response support to Nepal after devastating flash floods killed hundreds and left more than a thousand missing, including around 33 British nationals. King Charles III and other British leaders expressed solidarity with affected communities

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President Nitin Nabin extended Raksha Bandhan greetings, highlighting the festival's message of love, mutual trust and sibling bonds while stressing cultural values, family ties and respect and empowerment for women

The IMD has forecast rainfall in several parts of India on Raksha Bandhan, including Delhi, where moderate showers are likely. Rainfall and thunderstorm alerts have also been issued for several Uttarakhand districts as the southwest monsoon remains active

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Nitin Gadkari extended Raksha Bandhan greetings, highlighting the festival's message of love, trust and sibling bonds while stressing the importance of preserving cultural heritage and family values

Catastrophic flash floods along the China-Nepal border have killed at least 359 people and left more than 1,400 missing, with hundreds of foreign nationals among those unaccounted for as rescue agencies continue operations and governments seek information about their citizens

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari awarded Jeevan Raksha Padaks to 10 Kolkata Police personnel for their role in rescuing people during the Taratala godown collapse. He also announced plans to strengthen police infrastructure, recruitment, cybercrime response and the Anti-Corruption Bureau

Three more persons, including alleged methanol suppliers, were arrested in connection with Gujarat’s Bhavnagar hooch tragedy, taking total arrests to 31. Police said methanol was supplied from Delhi and transported to Ahmedabad before being used to manufacture toxic liquor

A 65-year-old plantation worker from Tamil Nadu was killed after being attacked by a herd of wild elephants in Idukki’s Thalakkulam near Poopara. Relatives later blocked NH-85 demanding action, but ended the protest after officials assured compensation from the Forest Department

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari warned of arrests over separatist slogans such as “Kashmir maange Azaadi” and said Palestinian flags would not be permitted during processions. He maintained that peaceful protests and criticism of the government would remain permissible