A US federal judge has blocked new Trump administration rules that would have sharply cut how long foreign students and journalists can stay in the country, a day before they were due to take effect. The rules would have capped student stays at four years and journalist visas at just 240 days. India, the largest source of international students in the US with 3,63,019 enrolled in 2024-25, stood to be hit hardest. The pause means Indian students in longer programmes, like PhDs, won't scramble for extensions, and Indian journalists can keep working without filing for renewal every eight months, for now. (PC: HT)

The southwest monsoon still has some punch left, with the India Meteorological Department tracking a fresh low-pressure area forming over the Bay of Bengal around September 12-16. The system is expected to bring active to vigorous rain across West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, with parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana also likely to see showers. Rainfall intensity is expected to taper off after September 16, with weather activity gradually withdrawing from western, northern and central India after September 18, even as the formal monsoon retreat date approaches. (PC: India Today)

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of caving to pressure from American payment companies after the finance ministry's latest UPI notification. He said the rule capping the no-charge protection at transactions up to Rs 2,000 opens the door to fees on merchant payments above that limit through MDR. Gandhi argued that although such transactions are only 5% by volume, they make up nearly 65% of UPI's total value, and any merchant fee would ultimately be passed on to customers. "Compromised PM Modi is once again surrendering to American pressure," he said.

Kalyan Bainsla, the accused driver in the Gurugram hit-and-run case involving a woman biker on Golf Course Road, allegedly tried to escape police custody on Tuesday. Police said Bainsla sought permission to urinate and then attempted to flee, but fell and suffered minor injuries before being caught. He was given first aid at a hospital and taken back into custody. Bainsla, 33, was arrested a day earlier from Rajasthan along with his cousin. Police have added an attempt-to-murder charge against him after reviewing CCTV footage, alleging he intended to hit the woman with his car. 

The government will levy a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI payments to merchants above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. The finance ministry clarified the charge applies only to person-to-merchant transactions and will be capped at Rs 300 for payments of Rs 75,000 and above. Consumers will not be charged. Essential sectors like railways, telecom, insurance, fuel, and education fees will pay a flat Rs 5 per transaction instead. Payments below Rs 2,000, rural and semi-urban QR transactions remain fully exempt. Officials say only about 4% of merchant transactions will actually attract the new fee. (PC: X)

The US has publicly confirmed that it has weapons in orbit. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the weapons can help defend American forces from attacks in space. The Pentagon has not revealed their number, location or exact abilities. US Space Command said the move is aimed at preventing future conflicts and protecting important space systems. Modern militaries depend on satellites for GPS, communication, surveillance and missile warnings. China and Russia are also developing space warfare capabilities. Experts warn that attacks on satellites could create dangerous debris. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not ban all conventional weapons.  

An IndiGo flight from Agartala to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow on Tuesday after a “smoke warning” was reported in the cargo area. Flight 6E6504 landed safely at Lucknow Airport at 6:29 pm. The flight was carrying 103 passengers and six crew members. Emergency teams were deployed after landing, and all passengers received assistance. No untoward incident was reported. IndiGo has not yet issued an official statement. The incident comes days after another IndiGo flight made an emergency landing in Ahmedabad after a note claiming there was a bomb was found onboard. The bomb threat was later investigated.  

A US Pentagon watchdog has confirmed that the Iran war has caused shortages in American weapons. The report said the US spent more than $22 billion on munitions from February to June. This led to “strategic inventory shortfalls” and delays in replacing weapons. The report also found $3.7 billion in equipment losses and $7.4 billion in other costs. Overall, the US spent $33.4 billion on the war through June 30. Several aircraft and 30 MQ-9 drones were destroyed. The findings challenge President Donald Trump’s claim that US ammunition supplies are “virtually unlimited.” The Pentagon is now working to increase production.  

Russia and Ukraine traded strikes on energy targets on Tuesday, hours after US President Donald Trump said both sides had agreed to stop such attacks. Russia launched around 200 drones at Ukraine overnight, killing two people. Petrol stations in Kyiv and energy sites in other regions were hit. Ukraine, meanwhile, struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainian forces also targeted drone production sites. Trump had said both countries agreed not to attack each other’s energy infrastructure. However, the latest strikes have raised fresh doubts over efforts to reduce fighting between Russia and Ukraine.  

Two sailors are missing after an oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, Oman said. Twenty-three crew members were rescued from the Panama-flagged 'El Gaia'. Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room after the attack. The vessel was later towed towards an Omani port. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the tanker hit a naval mine. However, the US military rejected the claim and said the vessel was hit by an Iranian missile and later by a drone. The incident adds to growing tensions in the key waterway used for global oil shipments.