The Sen Times

October 2, 2026 (Conversation) Knowledge workers such as scientists, teachers, lawyers and business leaders are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence applications for tasks that demand imagination, creativity and problem-solving. Ironically, perhaps, recent research shows that people who interact with generative AI for work tasks can end up not thinking critically. They can surrender to AIs quick and confident answers, which can lead to speedy but low-quality solutions. Scholars

MUMBAI/DELHI, Oct 2 (Reuters) Hundreds of supporters of the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party protested in Indias financial capital Mumbai on Friday, kicking off a new nationwide campaign against changes to voter rolls they say benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modis governing party. The demonstration marks the latest in a series of youth-led protests that have emerged this year, putting pressure on Modi unprecedented in his 12 years in power. Critics say a nationwide voter-verification exercise la

NEW DELHI, October 2, 2026 (AP) Hundreds of supporters of Indias Cockroach youth movement held new protests in the countrys financial hub of Mumbai on Friday to demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner over the revision of voter lists. The movement, which began as an online campaign and now calls itself the Cockroach Janata Party, organized street protests that forced Indias education minister to resign in July. The Mumbai rally is meant to kick off a new period of demonstratio

October 1, 2026 (Conversation) Recently, a middle-aged woman came to see me in my ophthalmology clinic because her eyes felt gritty and uncomfortable. She had seen another doctor a month earlier who diagnosed her with eyelid inflammation and wrote her a prescription. As I examined her eyes, she mentioned in passing the prescription medication shed been using ivermectin. This was the first Id heard of this drug being used for itchy, uncomfortable eyes. I knew researchers had studied and rejected

MUMBAI, India, October 1, 2026 (AP) An Indian airline captain who was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight when his copilot stabbed him in an apparent attempt to crash the plane has been hailed as a hero, with his actions to thwart the disaster drawing praise from world leaders and those who knew him. Capt. Smit Machchhar, who is from Indias financial hub of Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesdays attack. Passengers described how the pilot still managed to open the cockpit door, allowing th

Bengaluru, Oct 1 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, along with his Cabinet colleagues and MLAs, staged a sit-in outside Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumars office on Thursday, demanding an FIR over alleged electoral fraud during the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls. The CM said he would not leave the place until an inquiry was ordered and an FIR registered. Shivakumar held a meeting with Anbukkumar for about two-and-a-half hours before announcing the sit-in demonstration. I will rema

TEL AVIV, Israel, October 1, 2026 (AP) A copilot stabbed a captain in an apparent attempt to crash a jetliner Wednesday as it was flying 174 people to Israel. Passengers burst into the cockpit and wrestled with the attacker even as the plane descended sharply, witnesses and Israels government said. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The shaken passengers from the FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed Wednesday evening in Israel on another flight, as onlookers cheered.

NEW DELHI, 30, 2026 (AFP) Indias opposition parties announced on Wednesday planned protests to save democracy, escalating their campaign against the election commission after a newspaper investigation suggested impropriety in a large-scale voter roll revision. Politicians have accused the head of Election Commission of India long regarded as the guardian of the worlds largest democracy of acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The elect

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) INDIA bloc on Wednesday finalised a joint action plan over the SIR row, including holding rallies and save democracy marches, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserting that all parties agreed that elections should be held through ballot papers instead of EVMs. The opposition grouping made the assertion after a three-and-a-half hour meeting of its leaders, including Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Jammu and K

AI (Artificial intelligence) is turbocharging scams in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. Ninety-eight percent of Americans say they have been targeted by scammers many on a daily basis according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. As artificial intelligence improves, many irregularities that used to be red flags for fakes for example, unnatural blinking, too perfect faces, or robotic voices are disappearing. As scammers around the world

Sept 30 (Reuters) Apple Pay has launched in India through a partnership with Axis Bank giving the payment service its first foothold in one of the worlds largest digital payments markets, the lender said on Wednesday. Axis Bank, Indias third-largest private lender, will be the first Indian bank to offer Apple Pay, initially to customers with credit cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks. Cards on Indias homegrown RuPay network will not be eligible. India is home to a dynamic and digitally sa

Agra, Sep 30 (PTI) A case of attempt to murder and causing grievous hurt and rioting has been registered against around 20 Congress workers, including six of them who have been arrested, for the alleged defacement of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumars residence here during a party protest, sources said on Wednesday. The action followed Mondays protest outside Kumars residence in the Vijay Nagar area, where Congress workers allegedly wrote slogans with black paint on the gate and wall of

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) Rupee traded in a narrow range and fell 3 paise to 95.97 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, pressured by persistent dollar demand from state-run oil marketing companies and firm crude oil prices. Dollar sales by state-run banks on behalf of the Reserve Bank of India in both spot and forward markets are restricting the USD/INR pair under 96.00 level. Additionally, foreign portfolio outflows of around USD 2.2 billion this month and firm US yields are keeping th

New York, September 30, 2026 (AP) President Donald Trump is adding to the economic numbers he touts, claiming the United States lowest poverty numbers in history. In part, he is correct. His comments, made Sunday and again Monday, are supported by the Census Bureaus latest annual poverty report, released earlier this month, which found that the poverty rate in 2025 was the lowest its been since tracking began nearly 70 years ago. But another measure of poverty, widely regarded among experts as

Sydney, Sep 30 (Conversation) Is there life elsewhere, or is Earth unique in the universe? This is one of humanitys great unanswered questions. One way to approach this mystery is to investigate how life began here on Earth. Our research explores the conditions where a mixture of molecules somehow transformed from chemistry into biology. In a new study published in Scientific Reports, we shed new light on one possible step in this process: how a fragile sugar from outer space may have helped cre

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Gold prices on Tuesday slipped below Rs 1.50 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital for the first time in two months, falling by Rs 1,400 amid bearish local demand and a soaring US dollar. Falling for the second day, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity traded lower by Rs 1,400 at Rs 1,48,600 per 10 grams, inclusive of all taxes, according to local traders. The precious metal traded at Rs 1.50 lakh per 10 grams on Monday. Gold was last quoted around these levels on

Mumbai, Sep 29 (PTI) The rupee settled on a flat note on Tuesday, just a tad over the psychologically important 96 per dollar level, driven by possible RBI intervention and a pull-back in oil prices following hopes of negotiations between the US and Iran. Forex traders said gains in the rupee were capped by US dollar demand from local importers and a stronger greenback. Additionally, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to intervene as the rupee approaches the 96 level against the American

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday, September 29, demanded the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, suspension of the SIR, restoration of over 13 crore names struck off from the electoral rolls and the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for match-fixing polls. The opposition party made the demand after a two-and-a-half hour meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by the likes of

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear next week a PIL seeking suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and challenging the manner in which the poll panel led by him took decisions allegedly without the approval of two Election Commissioners. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who mentioned the matter, told the bench that as per the statutory scheme

Brisbane, Sep 29 (The Conversation) Throughout October and November, Year 12 students across Australia will sit their final exams. If youre one of these students, you might experience increased anxiety due to pressure to perform. You might even feel as though certain career pathways will be closed off if you dont do well. But there are things you can do to reduce anxiety during the exam period, and ways to protect your mental health during the final leg of Year 12. What contributes to anxiety? A

Mumbai, Sep 29 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Tuesday as elevated crude oil prices due to uncertainty over the West Asia situation and foreign fund outflows weighed on investors sentiment. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 503 points to 72,260.09 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty tumbled 151 points to 22,626.50. From the 30 Sensex firms, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, Asian Paints and Infosys were among the major

Mumbai, Sep 29 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 16 paise and slumped below the psychologically important 96 per dollar level in early trade on Tuesday weighed down by elevated crude oil prices and persistent foreign fund outflows. Forex traders said the rupee is under pressure largely due to the combination of firm oil and rising US nominal and real yields, which together are drawing portfolio flows out of emerging markets, including India. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened a

Sydney, Sep 29 (Conversation) Its bedtime. You set your alarm, notice your phone is down to 23% battery, plug it in beside the bed and go to sleep. By the morning, its been connected to the charger for some seven to eight hours much longer than it needed to reach 100%, especially if its on a fast charger. You may have a vague recollection this could be bad for your phones battery. The chemistry that makes lithium-ion batteries rechargeable has a limited shelf life, and its shortened by repeated

ISLAMABAD, September 29, 2026 (AP) Its a familiar sight in Pakistans capital whenever a protest is expected: shipping containers lined up along streets or placed across key routes to restrict demonstrators movement and keep them from reaching sensitive areas. For residents, the steel barriers have become an unmistakable warning of what may follow: blocked streets, snarled traffic and long detours across Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi. The latest deployment came ahead of a march by support

Wollongong (Australia), Sep 29 (Conversation) In the last few years, theres been a lot of interest in calorie-restricted diets for weight loss. These can vary significantly, from intermittent fasting (where you restrict eating to a certain window of the day), alternate day fasting (where you consume limited or no calories on every other day) to the Fast 800 which promotes rapid weight loss by drastically reducing calories with the Mediterranean diet. The basic idea might seem obvious: reduce how

NEW DELHI, Sept 28 (Reuters) Opposition groups are demanding the resignation of Indias election chief Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of widespread voter-list manipulation during the verification of the countrys one billion voters. The calls come barely a month after US President Donald Trump praised Kumar, a former bureaucrat who took over as Indias chief election commissioner in February 2025, for insisting that Indian voters prove their identity with photo ID, unlike in the US. Criticism of K

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday asked media outlets, journalists and publishing platforms to practise responsible, empathetic and restrained journalism while reporting sexual offences. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said sensationalist headlines, graphic or lurid descriptions of sexual violence, and insensitive phraseology fail to serve any public interest and risk causing severe secondary trauma to the victims and their families. The top court took co

Chicago, Sep 28 (Conversation) Would you like your receipt? Its a question youre likely to hear every time you pop into the grocery store or stop for a latte on the way to work. Some people may also have heard warnings that have circulated for more than 15 years that if you say yes, toxic chemicals might rub off on your fingertips. As a recent example, a 2025 study from the Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on toxic chemicals in consumer products, claimed

Mumbai, Sep 28 (PTI) Stock markets tumbled on Monday, with the benchmark Sensex plunging 1,124 points to a six-month low and the Nifty closing below 22,800 as surging crude oil prices, geopolitical uncertainties, and weak global trends hit investor sentiment. The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 1,124.02 points, or 1.52 per cent, to settle at 72,771.72, the lowest closing level since March 30, 2026. During the day, it lost 1,179.51 points, or 1.59 per cent, to 72,716.23. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped

Mumbai, Sep 28 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 28 paise to close at 96.03 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, on risk-off sentiments in global markets after the US rejected a deal proposal by Iran, diminishing hopes of reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Forex traders said global risk sentiments deteriorated as the stalemate between the US and Iran continued; falling risk assets and a surge in crude oil prices may continue to pressurise the rupee. At the interbank foreign exchange market,

LUCKNOW, India, September 28, 2026 (AP) At least 62 people have died after days of heavy rain and flooding in northern Indias Uttar Pradesh state, officials said Monday. The state government said 46 people were injured and more than 1,000 houses were damaged after three days of heavy rainfall caused flooding in several districts. Schools were closed Monday in parts of the state, including the capital, Lucknow, while rescue teams moved people from flooded areas to safer locations. Residents were

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Regular banking operations will continue on Monday after the bank unions called off their three-day nationwide strike following an assurance from the Indian Banks Association (IBA) on their demands for a five-day work week and other issues. The strike, scheduled from Monday until September 30, was called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). The bank unions, late on Sunday night, called off their strike after the IBA assured them to look into their demands, including

Mumbai, Sep 28 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.95 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday, as the greenback strengthened further and foreign fund outflows continued unabated amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. Forex traders said elevated global crude oil prices put further pressure on the local unit. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.89 against the American currency and lost further ground to touch 95.95 against the American currency, registering

Mumbai, Sep 28 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Monday amid surging crude oil prices, geopolitical uncertainties and a weak trend in Asian markets. Foreign fund outflows also hit investors sentiment during the initial trading. The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 730 points to 73,170.12 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 231.50 points to 22,908.95. All the 30 Sensex firms were trading lower. Bajaj Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Hin

Edinburgh (UK), Sep 28 (The Conversation) If youve ever pushed yourself through a hard workout, youve probably felt the burn. Its that familiar sensation of pain and exhaustion in the muscles, where they almost feel like theyre on fire. This feeling has long been said to be caused by a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. In fact, this remains a common explanation from recreational exercisers to elite athletes. But this belief is wrong and lactic acid actually has nothing to do with the burn

Adelaide (Australia), Sep 28 (Conversation) Recent media reports have suggested neo-nazis in Australia may be actively trying to recruit autistic young men. Some research including my own suggests some autistic people may be more likely to engage with harmful content online, including conspiracy theories and extremist ideology. But this is a tricky area to research, and theres still a lot we dont know. Researchers and psychologists who work on extremism warn autism alone does not explain why s

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27 (PTI) Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Sunday said CEC Gyanesh Kumar should not continue in office, alleging that he acted as a BJP agent and sentenced Indian democracy to death. In similar social media posts on Facebook and X, the CM said the claims made by former Keralam Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson about the CEC were extremely serious. Revelations Against the Chief Election Commissioner Are Grave: Gyanesh Kumar, Who Sentenced Indian Democracy to Death, Has No

Georgia (US), Sep 27 (The Conversation) Amid the chorus of voices calling for a slowdown in AI advancement and more government regulation and oversight of the technology, one prominent contrarian voice stands out: that of Donald J. Trump. The U.S president has repeatedly argued that the introduction of robust regulations to slow down progress on AI threatens U.S. national interests by enabling China to seize the advantage. Whoever wins AI, WINS! Trump posted on social media on Sept. 21, 2026, an

Chandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) Haryana Congress on Friday protested here demanding the arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a review of his decisions, with police using water cannons against the protesters to prevent the gherao of office of the chief electoral officer. The protest was organised under the leadership of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and partys state affairs in-charge Sanjay Dutt. The party leaders raised Vote Ch

Guwahati, Sep 25 (PTI) Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and several senior party leaders were detained on Friday while trying to break through police barricades during a protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, police said. The Congress, led by Gogoi, had taken out a march from its state headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan, and planned to proceed towards the Chief Electoral Officers office to burn an effigy of the CEC. Police had put up barricades near Rajiv Bhawan

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Wearing masks bearing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumars face and with their hands bound in chains, Indian Youth Congress workers on Friday protested against the Election Commission, demanding Kumars resignation over alleged differences among the poll panels top officers on key electoral decisions. The protesters raised slogans and displayed posters and banners demanding accountability from Kumar as they marched from the IYC office on Raisina Road towards the Elec

Wayanad (Keralam), Sep 25 (PTI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday termed the BJPs attack on her party over the Election Commission row a stale and weak story, alleging that there were facts and evidence to support the Congress claims. Responding to reporters queries here, she said that the entire country had seen what had happened, referring to facts put forward by her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, at various press conferences over SIR of electoral rolls. Im sorry, thats a

Loughborough (UK), Sep 25 (Conversation) A study has raised a question that many women would understandably want answered: could hormone replacement therapy (HRT) protect against dementia? The research found that women who had used HRT were less likely to receive a dementia diagnosis during follow-up, particularly if they had undergone surgery involving their reproductive organs. But the results do not establish that HRT caused the difference. The researchers analysed data from 183,450 postmenop

Mumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty faced volatile trends after rebounding in early trade on Friday as elevated crude oil prices, high US bond yields and selling in IT stocks weighed on investors sentiment. After sharp losses in the previous session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 86 points to 73,672.98 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty was up 18.80 points to 23,080.45. However, the BSE benchmark later quoted 12.95 points down at 73,568.22, and the Nifty dipped 1

Mumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) The rupee gained 14 paise 95.85 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday amid a positive trend in domestic equities and remained above the key psychological barrier of 96 per dollar. Forex traders said persistent dollar demand from domestic importers in particular the oil companies, elevated crude oil prices, and broad-based strength in the US dollar index following hawkish Federal Reserve rate signals weighing on the local unit. However, the Reserve Bank of India is l

London, Sep 25 (Conversation) Around 8 million people in the UK take five or more medications each day (known as polypharmacy), with a further 2 million people taking ten or more prescription drugs daily. The majority of people who take multiple medications each day are aged over 65. Taking multiple prescription drugs is not necessarily a problem. But it can become problematic when a medicine is overprescribed. This means someone is taking a drug thats no longer appropriate for a their circumsta

Washington, September 24, 2026 (Conversation) At least a quarter of Americans suffer from high levels of cholesterol or fatty acids in their bloodstream, a condition called dyslipidemia. Uncontrolled cholesterol levels increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD: a group of diseases that result from the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels, preventing blood from traveling smoothly to vital organs. This condition can lead to heart attack and stroke. As a cardiologist w

Sept 24 (Reuters) Alphabets Google said on Thursday it will launch a prototype satellite next week in its first in-orbit test of Project Suncatcher, a research effort to explore whether space could potentially host large-scale AI computing infrastructure. Companies including SpaceX and Starcloud are pursuing plans to deploy data centers in low Earth orbit, aiming to harness near-continuous sunlight to power energy-intensive AI computing and sidestep terrestrial constraints on electricity suppli

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Gold prices declined Rs 1,600 to Rs 1.52 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday, extending the losing streak for the fourth consecutive session, as the rising US dollar and higher crude oil prices weighed on the precious metal. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity depreciated by Rs 1,600 to Rs 1,52,400 per 10 grams, inclusive of all taxes, from Wednesdays closing level of Rs 1.54 lakh per 10 grams, according to local traders. Silver, meanwhile, saw a do

NEW YORK, September 24, 2026 (AP) A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trumps ban of three news outlets from the White House grounds, ordering early Thursday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored. The ruling hands the outlets at least a temporary reprieve in what has been an extraordinary showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. Trump first announced he was banning the outlets Friday, assailing what he called fake news, and onl