India

Parliament has passed the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, mandating faster payments through TReDS, quicker dispute resolution and decriminalisation of minor compliance violations. The legislation seeks to improve liquidity for MSMEs and strengthen the ease of doing businessIANSIANS

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi engaged with Gen Z through an Instagram “Ask Me Anything” session, answering questions on student protests, politics, philosophy and personal life. He joked about Batman, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke about his mother’s dog, Noorie

The rupee ended nearly flat on Friday, gaining 2 paise to 95.20 against the US dollar, as risk aversion over uncertain Iran-Oman negotiations and higher crude prices weighed on sentiment. Markets remained cautious ahead of the weekend and US jobs data

The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its verdict on Tamil Nadu government’s plea challenging a Madras High Court ruling that conversion to Islam alone cannot qualify a person for Backward Class (Muslim) reservation. The case concerns eligibility for community certificates after religious conversion

Sangeetha, wife of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, on Friday withdrew her divorce petition filed before a Chengalpattu family court. Appearing through video-conferencing, she informed the court of her decision, following which the court disposed of the petition as withdrawn

Malayalam devotional film ‘Harivarasanam’, starring Saiju Kurup and directed by Rajesh Nair, has completed 30 days of shooting. The director shared a behind-the-scenes picture from the sets, while Tamil comedian Yogi Babu’s addition to the cast has heightened interest

Tamil Nadu observed the eighth death anniversary of former Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on Friday. DMK president M K Stalin led state-wide tributes, describing his father as the architect of modern Tamil Nadu whose political and cultural legacy endures

Congress on Friday issued a three-line whip directing its Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs to remain present on August 10, 11 and 12, citing important issues for discussion. The party also asked INDIA bloc allies to ensure their MPs’ attendance

CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday criticised Kerala’s decision to end doorstep delivery of social security pensions through cooperative banks, alleging it would weaken the welfare scheme. The government has mandated DBT to Aadhaar-linked accounts, except for bedridden beneficiaries

Nashik police arrested AIMIM corporator Mateen Patel for allegedly providing shelter and assistance to accused Nida Khan in the TCS sexual harassment and religious conversion case. Patel was brought from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after failing to appear for a police inquiry

The Delhi High Court questioned the practice of holding protests at Jantar Mantar, saying the city should not be inconvenienced by demonstrations. It directed Delhi Police to decide by Saturday on a plea seeking permission for a peaceful protest on August 10

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused the Centre of tightening IT Rules to suppress criticism instead of addressing public grievances. His remarks came after amendments reduced the takedown period for sensitive online content to two hours from the earlier 24 hours

Actor Anupam Kher has donated Rs 5 lakh to the Assam Chief Minister's Relief Fund to support flood relief and rehabilitation efforts. He also appealed to people across the country to contribute and stand with families affected by the devastating floods

India's electric vehicle retail sales reached a record 3.28 lakh units in July, rising more than 66 per cent year on year. Electric two-wheelers crossed the two lakh-mark for the first time, while all EV segments posted strong growth, according to FADA

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday highlighted the handloom sector’s potential to generate employment and drive inclusive development. She said around 35 lakh people, including over 25 lakh women, are engaged in the sector and called for expanding global markets through e-commerce

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address IIT Delhi’s 57th convocation on Saturday, where over 3,000 students, including 587 PhD scholars, will receive degrees. He will also confer top academic honours and inaugurate Param Pragya, an AI-powered supercomputing facility at Sonipat

The Centre said coordinated I4C action, including geo-blocking malicious command-and-control servers through the Sahyog Portal, has protected over 10,000 Indians from a WhatsApp account takeover campaign. Attackers use fake regulatory files to install malware, hijack WhatsApp Web sessions and spread further

Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota reviewed flood rehabilitation efforts in four severely affected districts, directing officials to accelerate damage assessment, financial assistance, insurance claim settlement and livelihood restoration through better coordination among government agencies, banks and insurance companies

The Supreme Court on Friday directed two Ghaziabad hospitals to pay Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2 lakh to the family of a four-year-old rape victim who died after allegedly being denied medical care. The court will frame guidelines for handling grave offence victims

The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed an FSSAI directive prohibiting Dabur India from selling food products carrying “100 per cent” claims. The court said the order was prima facie issued without hearing Dabur, which has sold the products for decades

NCPI MP Satabdi Roy shared details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s breakfast meeting with newly inducted NDA Lok Sabha MPs. She said Modi discussed constituency development, parliamentary responsibilities and the importance of MPs’ contributions while encouraging coordination and active participation

Indian security agencies have detected a shift in counterfeit currency operations, with fake lower denomination notes allegedly replacing earlier Rs 500 counterfeits. Officials warn of possible attempts by criminal networks to circulate Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 fake notes

Gold futures climbed Rs 1,272 to Rs 1.50 lakh per 10 grams on the Multi Commodity Exchange as traders created fresh positions amid firm spot demand. Globally, gold futures also advanced more than 1 per cent in New York

The Chandipura virus has resurfaced in Gujarat, claiming 22 children's lives and reviving memories of the devastating 2003 outbreak in the then undivided Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam districts. Experts stress early hospitalisation and preventive measures as the best defence against the disease.